Little Devil, Where's Your Master?

Nuwa laughed heartily. "Wu Hou? That sounds just like 'Wugou.' Hehe, it's not bad, actually."

"There's nothing else you need to worry about. If you run into anything difficult, just keep quiet, and I'll smooth things over for you."

"Hehe, then I'll thank you in advance."

The two women chatted and laughed all the way to the little courtyard.

Knock, knock, knock!

Hearing the knock, Jiang Ping's face lit up.

Could Miss Feng be back?

"Da Huang, go open the door. Ah, never mind. I'll go myself."

Jiang Ping strode forward and opened the door.

His brows twitched. Sure enough, it was Miss Feng.

Huh? Hadn't she said she'd bring a few friends to help me fix up the house?

How come there was another young woman?

Jiang Ping cleared his throat twice. "Ladies, please come in."

"Hey, little devil, where's your master?" Houtu said, craning her neck to peer all around the courtyard.

"Master? Little devil?" Jiang Ping's mouth fell slightly open, his face full of astonishment.

After sensing around, Houtu found only a few chicks, a dog, and a cat in the courtyard. There were no other living beings, so she relaxed a little.

When Nuwa heard that, she felt a pang of alarm, and her pretty face changed.

She'd repeatedly warned Houtu not to be so careless.

And the moment they came in, she'd called the expert a little devil.

Sigh, it was my fault, too. I forgot to tell her what the expert looked like. Could Houtu have mistaken someone else for him?

"Why aren't you answering me? Are you deaf, little one?" Houtu asked, staring at Jiang Ping with wide eyes.

Nuwa felt even more on edge. Oh, dear sister, are you so used to throwing your weight around among the Witch Clan?

Even if you mistook him for someone else, aren't you worried the expert might be watching your every move in secret?

Besides, I told you the expert was an ordinary living being. Did I really have to spell out his age and appearance?

Are all you members of the Witch Clan's brains fake? You're driving me mad!

Jiang Ping took a deep breath. Where had this unruly girl come from? She had no manners at all.

"There are no children or little devils here, and I don't have a master. This courtyard is my home. Miss, who are you?"

Houtu froze on the spot, her heart racing as embarrassment washed over her.

So the young man in front of her was the so-called expert Nuwa had mentioned.

He looked far too young. Could he be an old monster deliberately pretending to be young?

Houtu examined him more closely. No, he really was an ordinary living being. His roots showed he was only a little over ten years old. That couldn't be faked; there was no fooling her eyes.

Houtu hurriedly looked to Nuwa for help, her face full of grievance.

Nuwa smiled sweetly and said apologetically, "Young Master, I'm terribly sorry. This is Miss Wu, a friend of mine. Her parents both died when she was young, and no one raised her, so she may not be very good at dealing with people. I hope you won't take offense."

Jiang Ping nodded slightly, feeling much more at ease.

No wonder. So this young woman was an orphan.

How pitiful. Given the circumstances, I won't hold her earlier rudeness against her.

"Miss Feng, Miss Wu, please come in and sit," Jiang Ping invited them warmly.

Nuwa walked in at an easy pace, while Houtu looked around curiously.

Nuwa was astonished, too. The entire courtyard had been completely renewed.

It had returned to how it used to look. She hadn't been gone long, and it had been a complete mess when she left.

The expert's divine powers were truly incredible.

Once they reached the pavilion in the courtyard, Jiang Ping smiled and said, "Ladies, please try some."

Looking at the colorful fruit platter on the stone table, Houtu's eyes widened in delight.

It was so beautiful, and it looked delicious.

"Then I won't hold back." As soon as she finished speaking, Houtu eagerly began sampling the fruit.

Nuwa just smiled faintly. "Young Master, I'll pass."

Although she declined, she regretted it inwardly. These spiritual fruits didn't just look lovely; their effects were extraordinary.

If she hadn't already drunk that juice and tea at the expert's place, her body would have no room for more. Otherwise, she'd have eaten a little more, no matter what.

Such a great opportunity was right in front of her, yet she could do nothing about it.

She never thought she'd see the day when so much good fortune lay within arm's reach, but she had nowhere to put it.

What a pity. Such a pity!

"Hehe, Miss Feng, you and I are practically old friends, so I won't insist. By the way, didn't you say you'd bring a few friends to help me fix up the house?"

Nuwa said with a smile, "No need to worry, Young Master. This young lady is the helper I brought first."

"Can she do it?"

Jiang Ping looked doubtfully at Houtu, who was wolfing down the food with no manners at all, and felt skeptical.

Houtu spoke around a mouthful. "Young Master, don't judge a book by its cover. To tell you the truth, I may not be good at other things, but I'm very strong."

Nuwa quickly added, "That's right, Young Master. Miss Wu is very strong. And even if she weren't, she has plenty of brothers. They're all busy right now, though, so I brought Miss Wu to have a look first."

"If we need any tools or materials, I can let her brothers know in time and have them bring everything over."

Jiang Ping understood. "Oh, I see. That puts my mind at ease."

"Anyway, let's not talk about that yet. We'll wait until Miss Wu has eaten her fill."

Nuwa watched Houtu stuffing herself, feeling terribly awkward.

Did I look like that when I first came here?

That was so embarrassing. Thank goodness the expert didn't mind.

Thinking of how she, too, had once eaten as though there were no tomorrow, Nuwa blushed and wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.

She quietly tugged at Houtu's sleeve.

Houtu pulled away and mumbled, "Nu... Sister Feng, why are you tugging at me?"

Nuwa gave an awkward smile. "Nothing. Eat more slowly, or you'll choke."

Houtu shook her head vigorously. "How could I? Sister, Young Master, won't you try some?"

"It's so delicious! I've never eaten anything this good. Looks like I really did come to the right place."

Nuwa was getting anxious. Houtu, if you keep eating like you don't have a care in the world, I'm really worried about how you'll suppress it later.

Can't you tell these spiritual fruits are incredibly potent?

An ordinary Quasi-Saint would be overwhelmed after just a few bites. Look at you—you've nearly eaten two or three whole plates already.

"Houtu, take a break before you eat any more," Nuwa urged again.

Houtu waved her hand. "No, I'll stop when I'm full. This tastes so wonderful—I can't stop."

Jiang Ping was pleased. He said earnestly, "Miss Feng, it's all right. These fruits were meant for you to eat. It doesn't matter if you finish them all. Miss Wu has had a hard life, after all, and it's a rare treat for her to enjoy something this much."

"Miss Wu, there's no rush. We'll wait. Take your time."

Houtu said gratefully, "Young Master, you're so generous. Unlike Sister Feng. Good thing the food isn't yours."