The searing pain instantly sent Yan Xiaohu into a towering rage. "Which little bastard hit your father... Master, I was wrong!"
Yan Xiaohu immediately dropped to his knees, and Zhou Qing hurriedly followed suit.
Mo Xingjian was trembling with rage, his outstretched hand shaking nonstop. "Good, good, good! In such a short time, I've somehow gained two fathers."
"Master, we were just joking around. Don't take it seriously," Yan Xiaohu quickly said.
Mo Xingjian wanted to lose his temper, but with people constantly passing by, he would only become a laughingstock.
He then looked at the junk on the stall and pointed at it. "What kind of rubbish is all this? You've got the nerve to put it up for sale?"
"Master, half of these were rewards you gave me back then. This one, this one, and these ones," Yan Xiaohu said, pointing out several items in succession.
Mo Xingjian: "..."
"Uncle, are you buying or not? If not, stop blocking us. Senior Brother, how much is this item?"
Four disciples dressed in Tianji Gate robes came over from one side and asked.
Yan Xiaohu immediately rose to his feet with a bright smile. "Selling, selling, of course I'm selling! This is good stuff. Look at the patterns on it—don't they resemble a monkey? And this ruler's origins are even more extraordinary..."
Mo Xingjian was shoved aside by the group. He opened his mouth, then angrily flicked his sleeve and left.
Behind the stall, Yan Xiaohu and Zhou Qing both let out a sigh of relief.
"How about we don't go back tonight? Let's just find somewhere to stay."
"Agreed, but what if Profound Abyss Immortal looks for someone to eat with again?"
"Get lost!"
That night, the two lingered around the mountain gate for a long time. Only when the barrier was about to close did they sneak back in under the puzzled gazes of the guards.
After returning home, Zhou Qing made sure his master was not lying in wait for him before quietly sighing in relief. Then he resumed heating water, soaking in a bath, and cultivating the Silver Dragon Hand.
Early the next morning, the moment he opened the courtyard gate, he saw Third Senior Brother with a bruised and swollen face.
Zhou Qing's cheek twitched.
"Master did that?" Zhou Qing asked.
Yan Xiaohu's tiny eyes had nearly swollen shut. "Who else could it be? Why are you fine?"
"Maybe, perhaps, possibly because I'm the youngest. The youngest usually gets treated better."
That was Zhou Qing's guess. Of course, it was most likely because you were the one who brought up the two fathers. I didn't say a word from beginning to end.
The moment Yan Xiaohu heard that, he felt even more unbalanced.
Just then, a Sword Qi came whistling over. He Han wore a stony face and said nothing.
Zhou Qing's eyes lit up, and he quickly jumped aboard as though they were old friends.
"All right, Third Senior Brother, you keep busy. I'll come find you after I finish eating!" Zhou Qing said.
Seeing someone come specifically to pick up his little junior brother, who was even going to eat Spirit Food from Jade Cuisine Hall, Yan Xiaohu could not help bursting into tears.
"Unfair, this is too unfair—"
"Senior Brother He, are we accompanying Profound Abyss Immortal for a meal again this time?"
"Mhm."
"Is Junior Sister Lu there too?"
"Mhm."
"Did you take the suggestion I gave yesterday? The heat when simmering Spirit Rice has to remain steady. That way, the flavor seeps in, and it won't ruin the fragrance."
"If you keep yapping, believe it or not, I'll kick you off."
"I believe you, but Senior Brother He, I've already broken through to Foundation Establishment. I can use Sword Flight myself now, so even if you kick me off, I can... You're really doing it? Senior Brother He, I was wrong! Don't seal my spiritual power, people will die like this! We're about to crash..."
Inside the pavilion.
"Senior Brother Zhou, are you all right? Why is your face so pale?" Lu Yaoyao asked worriedly.
"I-I'm fine. Senior, Junior Sister Lu, you haven't touched any of this at all. You really aren't eating?" Zhou Qing asked as he looked at the Spirit Food before him.
Profound Abyss Immortal gently shook her head. "I don't have much of an appetite today. Yao Yao doesn't want to eat either, so you eat."
Zhou Qing could not help licking his lips. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
With that, he began eating.
Profound Abyss Immortal slowly rose and walked to one side of the corridor. She looked at the koi in the pond, then beckoned to Lu Yaoyao.
Lu Yaoyao, who had been propping up her chin and watching Zhou Qing devour his food like a wolf, hurried over with a bounce.
"I can sense that your feelings for him are quite special. Is he your brother?" Profound Abyss Immortal asked softly.
Lu Yaoyao turned to look at Zhou Qing, who was gulping down porridge, her smile brimming with happiness.
"He's family!"
Upon hearing that, Profound Abyss Immortal did not ask further. Instead, she looked at the rippling lake surface, her eyes filled with remembrance.
"Elder Sister, what do you think of Senior Brother Zhou?"
After a brief hesitation, Lu Yaoyao could not help asking.
Profound Abyss Immortal smiled faintly. "Easy to keep, and he can eat!"
Hearing Profound Abyss Immortal's assessment, Lu Yaoyao could no longer hold back her snickering laughter.
"Let him eat slowly by himself for now. Come down the mountain with me. Let's see if we can pick up a bargain. After all, several of the medicinal ingredients you mentioned really are quite obscure," Profound Abyss Immortal suddenly said.
Lu Yaoyao naturally agreed.
The two then left along the corridor without disturbing Zhou Qing.
As Zhou Qing was eating with great gusto, he suddenly felt a chill down his back.
When he looked up, he discovered that Profound Abyss Immortal and Lu Yaoyao had vanished at some point. On the wall not far behind him, five burly men were rubbing their fists and cracking their knuckles as they jumped down.
"I'm not eating anymore, I'm not eating anymore. I need to save some for Third Senior Brother!" Zhou Qing hurriedly packed the food into the Food Box, stuffed it into his Storage Bag, and ran for his life...
"You've still got... hss—some conscience. Your brother didn't dote on you for nothing. Ow, ow, ow... Lighter! Old Mo must have had a screw loose this time. He practically beat me to death..."
"Master, you're here!"
"Master, I really was wrong. I was just joking with Little Junior Brother... Where? Where is he?"
"Look at you, startled by the mere twang of a bowstring!"
Zhou Qing could not help laughing. Yan Xiaohu got angry and kicked him twice in the rear.
Not long after, the two sat before their stall, watching people come and go in silence.
Yan Xiaohu let out a long sigh. "I suddenly miss Second Senior Sister. I wonder when she'll come back. If Second Senior Sister were here, she would definitely protect us whenever Master scolded us—especially you."
"I've noticed that Master seems to be afraid of her. Do you think Second Senior Sister has some leverage over him?"
Zhou Qing shook his head. "I don't know. Anyway, what Second Senior Sister says carries a lot of weight."
"Thinking back on everything now, that might actually be true. When Second Senior Sister comes back this time, no matter the cost, I have to get my hands on that leverage."
Yan Xiaohu's gaze was firm, his mind made up.
Zhou Qing did not care much about that. He only hoped Second Senior Sister would return safely.
"If Eldest Brother comes out of seclusion, he'll protect us too!" Zhou Qing said.
Yan Xiaohu immediately gave a disdainful snort.
"You're thinking too much. In Master's eyes, Eldest Brother is the child from another family. Talent, cultivation, looks—what part of us compares to him? People fear comparison. If we stand next to Eldest Brother, Master will only hate that iron has not become steel." Yan Xiaohu said indignantly.
Hearing this, Zhou Qing did not know how to argue back for a moment.
There was no helping it. The chief disciple of every peak had to set an example. Unlike the two of them, who were always getting their master into trouble.
"My butt's gone numb from sitting. Senior Brother, you stay here and keep busy. I'll go wander around some more!"
Zhou Qing patted his butt and stood up, then casually picked a direction and began strolling.
"Remember to bring my lunch back!" Yan Xiaohu shouted at his retreating figure.
Before long, Zhou Qing wandered over to a stall selling living creatures...
Before you continue