FFSC_14
Chapter 14: Not Spicy at All — Pink Fluffy Ball…
No one had expected Murong Zhou to appear so suddenly. Bai Yue and the others braced themselves as if facing a great enemy—and in the next second, his actions exceeded their expectations even further.
Murong Zhou swept them a glance, his face expressionless as he spoke: "The Tingyu Sect elders and the head of the Liu family showed me disrespect. They deserved their deaths. The rest of you may disperse."
The other Tingyu Sect disciples who had been arriving one after another heard these words, and every single one of them went pale with shock.
Chu Fengling looked around and spotted Xie Feng's junior brother hiding at the back of the crowd, fixing his gaze on that upper prefecture immortal with an expression of fear laced with barely concealed fury. Xie Feng himself was nowhere near him. Understanding settled in her heart, and she could only sigh.
Having offended an upper prefecture immortal—even with Tingyu Sect's foundation of nearly a thousand years in the Dongzhou Prefecture, they would be reduced to ash in the blink of an eye.
Bai Yue's peripheral vision swept over Chen Moqing, whose expression remained calm. Her feelings were rather complicated.
She did not know what kind of deal this Fellow Daoist Jiang had struck with the upper prefecture immortal—yet somehow, he had actually gotten the latter to come forward and bear responsibility for the killings on their behalf. From this point on, Tingyu Sect would exist in name only, and their parent sect would not trouble Qianxuan Pavilion either.
Chen Moqing unhurriedly stroked the soft, downy fur of the small snow-white creature, composed and silent.
Cang Shun lay draped lazily across the back of his hand, his half-lidded demonic eyes framing Murong Zhou's figure. Murong Zhou and he exchanged a brief glance, then without a word, he turned and flew off beyond the secret realm, never looking back.
The remaining Tingyu Sect disciples scattered one after another. At the entrance to the secret realm, only Chen Moqing and his companions remained.
He raised his hand, and a talisman paper drifted out, settling before Liu Piao.
Liu Piao's pupils gave a jolt.
A third-grade Spirit-Guarding Talisman!
Aunt Zhou had already recovered her strength—with this talisman, she could break through to Golden Core and become the most powerful cultivator in Qingzhu City after Manager Bai! And with that sword intent in hand, the position of Liu family head was already within her grasp!
Yet Liu Piao did not reach out to take it.
"Brother Jiang, you once saved my life, and I could barely repay it with a hundred-year spirit bamboo node. You then gifted me a concealment talisman, and I borrowed you my family's heirloom treasure in return. Reckoning it all up, I have still received far more from Brother Jiang than I have given."
Chen Moqing said: "You and I made an agreement. Lend me your sword intent, and I would help you become the Liu family head. Naturally I must honor that promise."
Something stirred in Liu Piao's heart, and she suddenly understood. Cultivators held the weight of cause and effect above all else. This gesture of Brother Jiang's was precisely to settle all the ties of karma between him and the Liu family.
The karmic debt was now resolved. From here on, with the vast sky and distant waters between them, she and this Brother Jiang would most likely never meet again.
Liu Piao smiled and accepted the Spirit-Guarding Talisman, tucking it carefully into her robes. She gave a long, deep bow: "Then I shall wish Brother Jiang a clear path on the Great Path, soaring straight to the heights!"
She glanced at the small snow-white creature nestled in his arms and added: "And I also wish the magnificent and peerless Lord Mimi an early mastery of human form, becoming a grand and imposing great demon!"
Cang Shun: "?"
Before their eyes, the little demon beast shot to its feet in a flash. Liu Piao turned and bolted.
Cang Shun: "……"
The snow-white creature huffed and raised its head, tugging at Chen Moqing's hem with its paw.
Chen Moqing calmly lowered his hand, cupping that fluffy little head in his palm and giving it a rub.
The snow-white creature endured a few extra rubs without a sound, and grudgingly let its anger dissipate, settling back down in a fluffy heap.
Bai Yue walked over with a smile: "Parting so soon? How melancholy."
Chen Moqing raised his right hand slightly, a fourth-grade talisman formula floating up from his palm: "I have been in Manager Bai's care these past days. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude."
Bai Yue immediately waved her hand: "No, no—this gift is far too generous. No matter what you say, I won't accept it."
"Fellow Daoist Jiang has been a great help to our Qianxuan Pavilion these past days, and then there is today's life-saving grace on top of that. I wouldn't even know how to begin reckoning it."
Chen Moqing's palm dropped back down onto the snow-white creature's head, which was pawing at his sleeve: "In that case, let this talisman formula serve as a congratulatory gift, an early blessing for your disciple's future Nascent Soul formation."
Ning Lili stared blankly at the talisman formula drifting toward her: "Me?"
Bai Yue: "Goodness… what are you standing there in a daze for?! Hurry up and thank your Senior Jiang!"
Ning Lili immediately broke into a grin, bowing repeatedly with clasped hands, rattling off a practiced stream of auspicious phrases—things like "may fortune and treasure flow to you," "may the immortals shine upon you," "may spirit stones pour in and prosperity never end."
Chen Moqing: "Your master treats you very well."
"Of course! Master likes me best!" Ning Lili's smile stretched wide, the braid behind her bouncing with a lively little hop.
Chen Moqing smiled faintly. Cang Shun happened to look up just then, catching that faint curve at the corner of his mouth—and gave a slight, barely perceptible frown.
【If you wish to take on a master, you may also address Benzun as Master.】
A slow, unhurried voice drifted to his ear. Chen Moqing raised his hand without a word.
The snow-white creature swiftly covered its ears and shrank its head back in alarm.
"……"
Chen Moqing gave that soft little tail a light pinch, then pinched it again as the Demon Emperor's eyes went wide.
The young cultivator in dark robes cradled the mewing, fluffy little ball against his chest and ascended into the clouds, his clear voice drifting down: "The mountains are high and the waters long, may we meet again if fate allows."
Bai Yue watched that retreating figure until it vanished from the very edge of her sight, thinking to herself: the next time she heard the name "Jiang Yu," it would surely resound across all nine thousand prefectures.
A hawk soared over the forested hills, beating its wings across the open sky.
Liu Piao walked out of the secret realm entrance alone and saw Aunt Zhou coming toward her, silent worry in her eyes.
"Did everything go smoothly?"
"Aunt Zhou, let's go," Liu Piao smiled, "It is time to bring Mother back to the Lin family."
"Master."
A hand gently tugged at Bai Yue's sleeve. She turned, Ning Lili stood rooted to the spot.
"I- I will work hard in my cultivation…"
The girl pressed her palm over her eyes, slowly dragging it across them, her words coming out halting and broken.
"I will make the Dongzhou Prefecture… make all Nine Thousand Prefectures know my name. I will make them all know that you are the master of Ning Lili!"
Bai Yue: "Goodness…"
"Don't wipe your snot on your master."
"……"
The secret realm entrance slowly faded from sight. Wind stirred the forest leaves. The hills and trees fell silent.
The sky split open with a deep, dark rift, and a figure crossed through the void, long dark-green hair billowing wildly. Handsome in face, he stood atop a black coffin wreathed in sinister dark energy.
He held a divination compass in one hand, gazing down at the rolling hills below, a low laugh escaping him: "The fates of several people altered by a single person? Interesting. Another child of fortune has been born."
"What great cultivator has come to this place?" Another person came flying over rapidly from the distance, making no effort to conceal the aura of a peak Golden Core cultivator, "This junior pays respects to senior. I am from the Dongzhou Prefecture…"
"Noise."
The green-haired man did not spare so much as a glance, nor did he appear to make any movement whatsoever— yet in the blink of an eye, that peak Golden Core cultivator's flesh and blood exploded apart, and he fell dead on the spot.
The compass needle spun at a furious pace, as though subject to some interference, unable to settle on a direction no matter what.
"Jiang Yu… what a fine false name. A fish that has crossed the river, and still dreams of becoming a dragon?"
The green-haired man slowly began to smile. He gave the coffin beneath him an affectionate pat, his robes billowing as he tore open the void and departed.
...
Tianshu Sect.
Murong Zhou knelt at the foot of the steps. The immortal jade floor tiles were so smooth they mirrored his reflection, casting back the image of his eyes.
"That secret realm was left behind by a Void Refinement cultivator. This disciple was inadequate and failed to obtain the inheritance."
"However, this disciple has traced the origins of that Jiang Yu. He was once a disciple of a talisman cultivation sect in the middle prefecture, and was expelled from the sect several years ago, becoming a rogue cultivator."
"Furthermore, this disciple has also discovered that the master of the secret realm left behind another clue to a second secret realm, located at—"
As dusk began to fall, Murong Zhou returned alone to his quarters and pulled the door shut behind him.
He sat in silence, legs crossed at the edge of the bed. The shadow cast against the window appeared perfectly ordinary— yet only someone standing extremely close would notice that those open eyes had gone utterly vacant, drained of all vitality, like a puppet on strings.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock suddenly rang out at the door. Murong Zhou's head shifted, slowly rising, his eyes already returned to their normal appearance.
"Who is it?"
A bright, cheerful voice came from outside the door: "Open up, Junior Brother, it's your Senior Brother Xiao!"
...
The mountains rose tall and vast, the great river broad and sweeping. A single bamboo raft drifted along with the current. The young man's white robes billowed like flowing clouds, his dark hair tied up, as he sat fishing quietly over the water.
A round, snow-white creature lay sprawled at the edge of the raft, its head tilted slightly forward, eyes fixed on the plump fish swimming leisurely in the river below.
It turned its head back and looked at Chen Moqing, who was fishing, without a sound.
"Meow."
【Don't tell me someone has been fishing for an entire hour and still caught nothing?】
Chen Moqing remained utterly unmoved: "A calm heart naturally yields results. Your Majesty the Demon Emperor is not calm, and has in fact disturbed my fish."
Cang Shun slapped the surface of the water.
The water rippled and lurched. A fat fish leapt high into the air and came plummeting straight down onto the raft, flopping about wildly and sending droplets splashing everywhere.
【Well?】
Chen Moqing remained composed as ever: "External interference. That doesn't count."
Cang Shun slapped the fish.
The fish tumbled back into the river and swam in dizzy circles for a moment, then clamped its mouth shut around Chen Moqing's bare, baitless hook.
"……"
Under Cang Shun's burning gaze, Chen Moqing lifted the bamboo fishing rod and reeled in the day's first catch.
Cang Shun was satisfied. It gave a slight tilt of its chin, padded over to Chen Moqing's side with an unhurried air, and plopped itself down on the corner of his robe, pressing up close against him.
【Benzun isn't good for frying. Use it to make a fish broth instead.】
Having said that, the Demon Emperor craned its head forward again, eyes fixed on a cluster of long, slender fish gliding along the river's surface.
Chen Moqing suddenly smiled: "There's a fish on the hook."
Cang Shun looked down, but the fishing rod was bare and empty. Chen Moqing had already pulled it in. The raft drifted toward the bank.
The snow-white creature turned its head again, watching that cluster of fish growing farther and farther away—then a pair of slender hands gathered it up.
And so the little fluffy ball stopped watching the fish. Its gaze drifted, with studied casualness, over those fair, evenly-knuckled hands, then rose, with equal casualness, to look the young human beside it up and down.
A lean, slender frame. Robes draped over a slight waist—even looser than before.
Cang Shun thought: he's gotten a bit thinner.
Eat more fish.
His tail swept lazily through the air, and several fish came splashing up out of the river one after another, tumbling into the bamboo basket.
The raft drifted with the current to the bank. Chen Moqing picked up the bamboo basket with one hand and gathered the fluffy snow-white creature into the other arm.
Getting a bit chubby.
He looked wordlessly at the little fluffy ball pawing at his sleeve.
Eat fewer dried fish snacks.
There was a tavern by the river. Chen Moqing handed the basket full of fresh fish to the proprietor, requested a private room, and ordered several side dishes.
Cultivators were said to keep themselves far removed from worldly matters, yet his storage pouch had lately been stocked with a fair amount of copper coins and loose silver—used to buy snacks for a certain Demon Emperor who seemed to have no concept of what fasting from food meant.
Before long, a full spread of steaming hot fish dishes was brought into the private room. The tavern sat right on the river and specialized in fresh fish, the dishes all uniformly delicate and tender—all except for one: thin slices of pale white meat scattered with chili and minced garlic.
"Cuohongpan— please enjoy it while it's hot, dear guest!"
The server announced the dish's name and pulled the door shut. The snow-white creature, which had been wandering around beside the fish broth, darted its head forward, caught the familiar sharp, spicy scent, was reminded of that bowl of chili-oil wontons outside the city some time ago, and swiftly pulled back.
Chen Moqing raised his chopsticks. The sliced white meat was so thin it was nearly translucent, rolled through the bright red chili oil and dipped in a snow-white paste of minced garlic.
In his youth, at the end of every month, after the day's lessons were done, his teacher would shake out a dozen or so thin copper coins and send him to the familiar butcher's stall to collect a few reserved slices of pig's head meat, then stop for two or three measures of the cheapest cloudy wine.
The pig's head meat was sliced thin and wide, dressed with heavy seasoning, the pale flesh floating amid the red chili oil. His teacher used to say that this was the most famous dish at Qianjin Restaurant in the city—Cuohongpan—and paired with the best Sanchun wine from the Liu family next door, he wouldn't trade it even if the emperor came calling.
"Once I pass the imperial examinations, Teacher shall have all the Cuohongpan he can eat, every single day, and all the Sanchun wine he can drink!"
"Look at your ambitions. What your master wants is the osmanthus brew from Zuixiang Shop!"
It was only later that he learned the truth: the Cuohongpan at Qianjin Restaurant hadn't used the cheapest pig's head meat at all, and the finest aged osmanthus wine at Zuixiang Shop cost no more than two taels of silver.
That down-and-out scholar who had accepted him as a disciple all those years ago—his initiation gift had been no more than ten copper coins.
A small fluffy head suddenly darted forward and, catching him off guard, swiftly snatched the white meat from his chopsticks—chili oil and all—and swallowed it whole.
"……"
Chen Moqing watched helplessly as the little white sugar cake before him turned into a pink-red brown sugar cake.
It sat on the table in a daze, completely motionless.
He reached for the teacup, poured it to the brim, and slid it over with two fingers: "Well?"
The next second, the snow-white creature puffed up into a giant dandelion, huffing and panting, shaking its pink-tinged fur in rapid little tremors.
【It's… nothing special.】
Declared with the utmost cool and detachment.
Then it plunged its entire head into the teacup.
Chen Moqing: "……"
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