A Few Things at the Hotel

Heaven Dou Grand Hotel.

Inside a private dining room.

A round dining table had already been set, covered with a spotless white tablecloth and laid with exquisite tableware and an elegant tea set.

Everyone took their seats in order. Starting with Leng Yaozhu and going clockwise, there were Zhen Hua, Mu Chen, Yuan Bao'er, Nu Jiao, Mu Xi, Ouyang Zixin, and Tang Qingye.

After going all the way around, master and disciple still ended up beside each other.

Leng Nu Jiao: Damn, my age put me at a disadvantage.

Light footsteps sounded outside the room, and a middle-aged chef slowly entered, carrying a platter of tuna.

Several attendants followed close behind, each carrying a dish.

Every dish looked exceptionally beautiful and carried a distinctive aroma that whetted the appetite.

The middle-aged man remained composed and said nothing, simply standing beside the round table and discreetly studying everyone out of the corner of his eye.

His gaze swept over Zhen Hua. Mm, an old acquaintance. Move along. Next came the woman with flaming red hair. Mm, hmm?

Could that be you-know-who?

Hiss!

Next was Tang Qingye. Mm, hmm?

Holy shit!

Something's off. Something's strange about this kid...

Isn't he a fucking Ferocious Beast in human form?

Finally, Mm, passable, not bad, average, all crap...

Mu Ye, Zhen Hua's personal head chef, had completed her appraisal!

Requesting permission to withdraw!

Zhen Hua: Appraise my thunderous ass!

"Before we dig in, let's have a toast."

Zhen Hua raised his glass of red wine.

"Cheers!"

Everyone began eating. The Spirit Beast Meat glistened richly on silver platters, while the Spirit Vegetables were so green they seemed ready to drip.

The instant the lid was lifted from the piping-hot thick soup, its rich, savory fragrance spread in every direction.

Zhen Hua said, "Mu Chen, to celebrate my gaining a beloved disciple, you'll have to drink more."

"Mu Chen, my beloved disciple..."

"Let me tell you, my disciple..."

Mu Chen: ...

Every word was heartfelt, and every sentence came back to his beloved disciple.

Ouyang Zixin looked at Tang Qingye with her large, glistening eyes. "I never imagined you were only six. I always thought you were about our age."

"I have no idea how you cultivate."

Tang Qingye wiped his mouth and said mildly, "I don't like crushing people my age from a higher dimension, but I do like crushing people above my age."

Ouyang Zixin burst into laughter. "You really are..."

Mu Xi said, "Conceited little brat!"

Leng Nu Jiao said, "Then you're an incompetent little brat."

"You!"

"What a joke you are."

"What, not happy? Then instead of martial arts, how about a battle of wits?"

"Bring it on. Who's afraid of whom?"

"Then I'll ask first."

"What do you call a tree that's lived for a thousand years?"

"You call... call... call landlord."

"Idiot, it's Millennium Divine Wood."

"You... give me another one."

"You won't get another one either. Then let me ask you."

"What do you call a tree that's over a thousand years old?"

"Ten-Thousand-Year Divine Wood!"

"Wrong again, you pig. It's Overage Old Wood."

"Over... age, you... boohoo, I'm not playing with you anymore."

Leng Yaozhu quietly moved a bowl of unpeeled shrimp in front of Tang Qingye, signaling with her eyes that he should take the hint.

Tang Qingye: The heavens have been turned upside down. Aren't I the youngest?

A master's orders were hard to defy!

The atmosphere in the private room grew ever more cheerful, everyone enjoying themselves together like a family...

A long corridor stretched in both directions, with guest rooms lining either side.

With a suspicion he hardly dared entertain, Mu Chen knocked on his senior brother Zhen Hua's door.

"Senior brother."

At that moment, Zhen Hua sat comfortably in a chair, lightly holding the rim of his cup between his fingertips as he slowly sipped fragrant tea, steam drifting over his brows and eyes.

Hearing his voice, the corners of his lips slowly curved into a faint smile.

"Senior brother, tell me, was that piece of Spirit-Forged Metal your..."

At that moment, victory and defeat had been decided.

Mu Xi's room.

"What are you thinking about?" Ouyang Zixin asked when she saw Mu Xi's eyes darting about.

"I was thinking, that brat only just became my senior uncle's disciple, so he definitely hasn't had time to learn yet. Tomorrow I'll challenge him and show him what it means that there are people beyond the heavens and heavens beyond people. Ahahaha!"

As Mu Xi saw it, as a little forging genius, it was perfectly normal for her to give her senior uncle's disciple some guidance.

Ouyang Zixin helplessly pressed a hand to her forehead. "It's 'there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond the heavens,' isn't it?"

"Oh, it's all the same. Just watch me perform."

"But I think you'll lose."

"Ouyang Zixin! Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"What's so good about that rotten little brat that you've been infatuated with him for so long?"

"Are you asking for it? Stop tickling me! That tickles, ah~"

Tang Qingye's room.

Heat rose in the bathroom, white mist spreading through the air as the sound of running water softly echoed through the room.

The door opened without a sound.

A figure tiptoed toward the bed, slipped down, and burrowed into the soft bedding.

Burning cheeks pressed against the covers, even her breathing deliberately kept light and slow.

Only the faint moonlight streaming through the window remained in the room, and all was quiet.

Tang Qingye emerged from the bathroom. How could Jiaojiao's movements have escaped him? Looking at the mound beneath the covers, a faint smile flickered in his eyes. He could only marvel at how adorably innocent Jiaojiao was.

Without a word, he walked slowly to the bedside and lay down on the bed.

His arm slipped beneath the covers, firmly encircling that tense body and gently drawing her toward him.

Caught off guard by the embrace, she abruptly let out a stifled cry beneath the covers.

Scorching warmth passed through their clothes. She froze in his arms, not daring to move even a fraction.

The girl's faint, sweet scent filled the space beneath the covers.

"Young master, I accidentally went into the wrong room."

"Is that so? Then whose little lost fawn are you?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm... I'm young mas-"

"Ah! Young master, you're so naughty." Leng Nu Jiao squirmed, her restless little hands grabbing about until they caught hold of some unknown object.

This object's characteristics were toughness and decent flexibility. Its drawback was that it had a limited number of uses, which varied from person to person.

Inside the Seven-Colored Gourd.

Deep within the vast Chaos Sea of Consciousness, Tang Qingye's figure suddenly appeared, startling Na Nali, who had been counting stars.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Jiu'er had been sleeping soundly. The moment it sensed that familiar presence, it perked up and raced toward Tang Qingye.

"Master, I missed you so much."

It rushed up to him, rubbing its head against the hem of its master's clothes as cheerful little rumbles rolled from its throat.

The halo flowing over Big Baby's body joyfully surged and swirled, tiny flecks of spiritual light scattering in every direction, but he did not move.

He was no longer his former self. He was now the foremost divine general under his master's command. He already disdained such low-level methods of acting cute as that defeated dog Jiu'er employed... Forget it, one last time.

The two little fellows flanked their master, one on either side.

Tang Qingye's gaze fell on Na Nali, whose dark-red eyes were quietly watching him.

Na Nali spoke calmly. "What, have you come to finish me off now?"

Tang Qingye shrugged noncommittally, his lips curving into something between a smile and a smirk. "My Martial Soul really does crave you. It's wanted to devour you all along."

Na Nali's delicate body trembled slightly. With a measure of coldness and mockery in her eyes, she said flatly, "Then do it."

"Why did you hold back back then?"

"I don't understand."

"Are you sure?"

"It lagged."

"I won't kill you, because you're more useful alive."

"Rather than working for the Holy Spirit Cult, why not put your life on the line for me?"

"I'm not trusting a liar."

Tang Qingye felt rather helpless. This was all Gou San's fault.

"Then what do you want?"

"Call me big sister."

Tang Qingye: ...

"Are you going to say it or not?"

"Big sister..."