“Fellow cultivator, please don’t take offense. I can see through a person’s aptitude and cultivation. This young master is born with such aptitude, which is really the only thing Yan has seen in this life. It’s not out of malice.”
The man was dressed in commoner clothes, with an ordinary appearance, sitting on a stool leaning against the window, holding a peach blossom in his hand, lightly pinching it, and the flower turned into powder and scattered. “These peach trees have only rested for a few days, and the people at the Four Seasons Hall have used a small longevity technique to make them bloom again, defying the natural order, akin to forcing someone to do something against his will.”
Ning Xiu grabbed his finger and put it in his mouth, Ning Buwei lowered his eyes, and pinched his small mouth.
The man pointed to the flourishing peach blossoms outside and said to Ning Buwei, “If a person is born against the natural order, it cannot be considered human and sooner or later will be rejected by the divine order of things.”
“Does this fellow cultivator think what I said is true or not?” He asked Ning Buwei with a smile, as if there was more to his words.
“Your surname is Yan?” Ning Buwei not only didn’t answer, but also asked an unrelated question.
“I am Yan Lanpei, without a sect or clan, a wandering cultivator.” Yan Lanpei saluted to him, “I see that this fellow cultivator’s meridians are all broken, cultivation is lost, and a physical condition that couldn’t be slightly stronger than that of ordinary people. I have some knowledge of medicine and may be able to help this fellow cultivator adjust.”
“You surnamed Yan are all fond of meddling in others’ own affairs.” Ning Buwei sneered coldly and ignored him.
Yan Lanpei didn’t mind hitting a nail and just lingered his gaze on the father and son for a while, admiring the flowers while pouring himself a drink.
(t/n hitting a nail-encounter an unexpected thing that disappoints you)
The waiter was efficient and soon brought a bowl of warm rice porridge, and thoughtfully placed a small spoon and a low-grade storage ring in front of Ning Buwei. “Customer, the rice porridge inside has been ground, and it has been divided into many portions for you. When the young master is hungry, you can feed him a small bag.”
Ning Buwei nodded, “Thank you.”
“Ah, you’re welcome.” Even though the waiter had prepared all this, there was still more than half of the medium grade spirit stone left, so he was happy to serve with care, “Please wait a moment, the food you ordered will be here soon.”
Ning Buwei picked up the small spoon and scooped up the porridge, handing it to Ning Xiu’s mouth.
Ning Xiu was curious about everything at this moment. He opened his mouth and ate it, his eyes suddenly brightened, “Ah!”
Delicious!
Seeing that he liked it, Ning Buwei patiently fed him half a bowl. Ning Xiu hadn’t had enough and was still holding the spoon in his mouth.
Ning Buwei touched his little stomach and said to him, “You can’t eat anymore.”
Ning Xiu turned his head to look at the delicious and good-looking food on the table, stretching out his little hand, indicating Ning Buwei to feed him, “Ah~”
Ning Buwei used to not have a strong desire for food and drink before. He only liked light food before he built his foundation, and after he succeeded in building his foundation, he didn’t eat much. But now that he had lost all his cultivation, he felt particularly hungry and thought that the food on the table was very delicious.
Especially when a certain little unlucky egg couldn’t eat anything anymore, it tasted even more delicious to him.
“Ah!” Ning Xiu cried out in grievance, lying in his arms, staring eagerly at him as he ate so deliciously every bite, with drool dribbling down his chin.
Ning Buwei gloated for a while, picked up his chopsticks, dipped them in the fish soup, and stuffed a bit into Ning Xiu’s mouth. The soup was very delicious, and it was okay to taste it.
Ning Xiu widened his eyes in surprise, smacking his lips and smiling at Ning Buwei, “Ah~ Ahh~”
Delicious~ Want more~
Ning Buwei only let him taste a little bit and refused to give him more. Ning Xiu pouted and looked at his father with eager eyes.
Ning Buwei was very satisfied with his meal. Seeing his son glaring at him with bitter hatred, he mischievously dipped his chopsticks in some wine and let Ning Xiu taste it. Ning Xiu, tasting spicy ‘pooh pooh pooh’ and stuck out his tongue.
The great demon was in a good mood, pinched his son’s small face, and asked, “Still want more?”
Ning Xiu was so angry that he drilled straight into his father’s arms.
Ning Buwei laughed and patted his little butt, then picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
After being full of wine and food, Ning Buwei held his son and prepared to find an inn to rest. The street was bustling with people and traffic, and there were even people showing off their spirit beasts through the market. Ning Xiu looked at the huge creatures that were taller than adults and exclaimed in surprise, patting Ning Buwei’s clothes to make him look too.
Ning Buwei lifted him higher so he could lean on him to see, saying, “This is a Snow Tail Beast, abundant in Zhongzhou. It’s as food-loving as you are, but it only eats grass.”
The Snow Tail Beast was nearly ten feet tall, with snow-white, soft and fluffy fur. Its limbs were thick and powerful, and when it was full, it had great strength and fast legs, making it useful for carrying goods. Despite its size, it’s quite attractive, and many cultivators like to keep it as a spiritual pet.
Ning Xiu was extremely curious. Ning Buwei simply held him and watched for a while. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small green seed on his swaddling clothes. He reached out to remove it, but as soon as he touched it, he realized something was wrong.
A cold light flashed, and the broken Suzaku Sword cut the green seed in half. Ning Buwei pinched the broken sword, and the seed that had been cut into two fell to the ground and instantly withered, turning into dust and disappeared.
A murderous intent flashed in Ning Buwei’s eyes. He looked up at the window on the second floor of Chengyun Building, but the person had long since disappeared.
When he withdrew his gaze, he saw a handsome young man standing a few steps away from him, saying in surprise, “We meet again!”
This young man was wearing a gray robe and had a ponytail. His face was unfamiliar, Ning Buwei frowned, “Who are you?”
Feng Zizhang pointed to himself and said, “It’s me. We were still talking at the city gate an hour ago, but you left without saying goodbye.”
This person was completely different from the dirty fool from before, but his voice hadn’t changed much. Ning Buwei remembered him, but didn’t really want to talk to him at all. He turned around and walked away with Ning Xiu in his arms.
“Hey——” Feng Zizhang shouted, but he didn’t stop him. He sighed, feeling downcast as he was about to enter the restaurant. However, seeing the familiar figure in the crowd, after hesitating for a moment, he followed with his sword in hand.
Ning Xiu was full and was now sleeping soundly in Ning Buwei’s arms. He didn’t know what he was dreaming about, but there was a smile on his little face.
The wind was a bit strong, and Ning Buwei tucked in his swaddling clothes. Unconsciously, he walked into a narrow alley.
The alley was narrow and dark, with long green vines crawling all over the mottled walls. The leaves were slightly shaking in the wind, but the alley was very quiet, with no wind at all.
Ning Buwei walked a few steps and then stopped.
A rustling sound came from behind along the ground. In the next instant, a harsh ghostly sound filled the entire alley. The fragment of the Suzaku broken sword deeply penetrated the bluestone brick, with cracks spreading out like a spider web. Around it were severed vines scattered all over.
Feng Zizhang, who was about to rush into the alley to save someone, suddenly pulled back his head. He rubbed his eyes hard, thinking he had just had a hallucination.
Ning Buwei held the sleeping child, with countless black fog spreading behind him. Uncountable crimson ghost eyes flickered in the black fog. He raised his head and looked at the person standing not far away.
Yan Lanpei was surprised, “You’re really hiding your strength.”
“You haven’t seen it yet, go out and cultivate more. It’s okay to plant seeds on those fools from Yunzhong Sect, but you dare to covet my son?” Ning Buwei looked at him as if he were looking at a dead thing.
Feng Zizhang at the entrance of the alley suddenly heard the name of his sect and was taken aback.
Yan Lanpei looked at Ning Buwei with sudden realization, “So it was you who intercepted my prey.”
“Don’t kill and wait for them to become your puppets?” There was a hint of disgust in Ning Buwei’s tone.
Yan Lanpei said, “Those four martial brothers have good qualifications. I’ve been eyeing them for a long time. It’s a pity.”
He planted seeds in the bodies of the four martial brothers from Yunzhong Sect at Chengyun Building. He waited for the seeds to sprout in their bodies and slowly absorb their spiritual power. However, two of them were suddenly killed halfway through, which made his efforts go to waste. He could only eat their flesh and blood. Only Han Ziyang, who had the highest cultivation level, successfully sprouted. Both his cultivation level and flesh and blood were used by him.
It’s a pity that the one with the best aptitude, Feng Zizhang, had not sprouted the seed in him.
“Fellow Cultivator Feng, since you’re here, don’t hide. Come out and meet us.” Yan Lanpei did not turn his head, waved his long sleeve, and a cultivator wearing a green robe and a lotus crown suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alley.
“Senior Brother!” Feng Zizhang recognized the jade pendant on Han Ziyan’s body at a glance, and rushed in from the entrance of the alley. However, after seeing the other person clearly, he took two steps back and his voice trembled, “Senior, Senior Brother?”
Han Ziyan’s entire face was wrapped in green vines, with two eyeballs protruding outside, and small vine leaves were constantly emerging from the eyeballs, which made Feng Zizhang’s scalp go numb.
Yan Lanpei didn’t care about the extra Feng Zizhang at all. He stared at Ning Buwei in front of him, “This sir, who the hell are you?”
“Your ancestor.” Ning Buwei sneered, and the black fog behind him spread instantly.
Yan Lanpei waved his long sleeve and vigilantly retreated. Seven or eight green vine puppets blocked him and rushed up to disperse the black fog.
Harsh screams lingered in the alley. When the black fog dissipated, the father and son were nowhere to be seen.
Yan Lanpei realized that he had been played and was immediately furious, “Chase them for me!”
Ning Buwei was running on the roof while holding the child, and Feng Zizhang was following him closely with his sword.
Seeing this, Ning Buwei said angrily, “What are you following me for?”
Feng Zizhang shouted, “Did you kill my two senior brothers, Zichen and Zisong!?”
The vines on the ground were about to catch up, and Ning Buwei had no time to talk to him. He jumped down from the eaves, rolled a few times and landed on another roof. The tiles were smashed into pieces, and then he continued to get up and run.
Feng Zizhang’s voice still carried a sob, “Why did you kill my two senior brothers!?”
The speed of the vines was getting faster and faster, and Feng Zizhang was still sticking around. Ning Buwei shouted angrily, “If I didn’t kill them, they wouldn’t survive either. They would only lose their souls and become puppets. At least they can reincarnate if they die in my hands. Are you a fool!?”
Feng Zizhang flew close to the roof with his sword, just keeping up with his speed, “Who is Yan Lanpei? Why does he want to harm us?”
Ning Buwei was running for his life in a hurry, and almost laughed due to this fool, “You go ask him! Why are you asking me!?”
“I can’t beat him.” Feng Zizhang lifted his sleeve to wipe his tears, looked at him sincerely, “For the sake of saving the souls of my senior brothers Zisong and Zichen, I thank you on their behalf.”
Ning Buwei thought he was a real fool.
If someone killed his fellow martial brothers, even for this reason, he would kill the person to vent his anger. This fool actually thanked him seriously, not afraid that his two senior brothers would be so angry that they would become fierce ghosts and beat him up.
The vines that were originally extending at high speed along the ground rose into the sky, heading straight for Ning Xiu in Ning Buwei’s hand, and then were cut off by a cold light. Unexpectedly, these vines were endless, coming from all directions towards Ning Buwei.
“I’ll help you!” Feng Zizhang brought out the glass ball, and the colorful flowing light spread instantly to cover them.
“Fool! Stop it!” Ning Buwei was about to vomit blood from anger.
Almost at the same time, the ground began to shake violently. A green vine several dozen feet thick rose into the sky in the center of Linjiang City, spreading rapidly in the air, causing a stir among the cultivators in the city.
“Huh?” Feng Zizhang watched as the colorful spiritual power was all absorbed into the vines. The originally arm-thick vines suddenly swelled by several dozen inches, entwining and wrapping into a ball, enveloping the three of them.
Ning Xiu suddenly woke up, surrounded by icy darkness, and cried out with a ‘waaah’.
“Fellow cultivator, please don’t take offense. I can see through a person’s aptitude and cultivation. This young master is born with such aptitude, which is really the only thing Yan has seen in this life. It’s not out of malice.”
The man was dressed in commoner clothes, with an ordinary appearance, sitting on a stool leaning against the window, holding a peach blossom in his hand, lightly pinching it, and the flower turned into powder and scattered. “These peach trees have only rested for a few days, and the people at the Four Seasons Hall have used a small longevity technique to make them bloom again, defying the natural order, akin to forcing someone to do something against his will.”
Ning Xiu grabbed his finger and put it in his mouth, Ning Buwei lowered his eyes, and pinched his small mouth.
The man pointed to the flourishing peach blossoms outside and said to Ning Buwei, “If a person is born against the natural order, it cannot be considered human and sooner or later will be rejected by the divine order of things.”
“Does this fellow cultivator think what I said is true or not?” He asked Ning Buwei with a smile, as if there was more to his words.
“Your surname is Yan?” Ning Buwei not only didn’t answer, but also asked an unrelated question.
“I am Yan Lanpei, without a sect or clan, a wandering cultivator.” Yan Lanpei saluted to him, “I see that this fellow cultivator’s meridians are all broken, cultivation is lost, and a physical condition that couldn’t be slightly stronger than that of ordinary people. I have some knowledge of medicine and may be able to help this fellow cultivator adjust.”
“You surnamed Yan are all fond of meddling in others’ own affairs.” Ning Buwei sneered coldly and ignored him.
Yan Lanpei didn’t mind hitting a nail and just lingered his gaze on the father and son for a while, admiring the flowers while pouring himself a drink.
(t/n hitting a nail-encounter an unexpected thing that disappoints you)
The waiter was efficient and soon brought a bowl of warm rice porridge, and thoughtfully placed a small spoon and a low-grade storage ring in front of Ning Buwei. “Customer, the rice porridge inside has been ground, and it has been divided into many portions for you. When the young master is hungry, you can feed him a small bag.”
Ning Buwei nodded, “Thank you.”
“Ah, you’re welcome.” Even though the waiter had prepared all this, there was still more than half of the medium grade spirit stone left, so he was happy to serve with care, “Please wait a moment, the food you ordered will be here soon.”
Ning Buwei picked up the small spoon and scooped up the porridge, handing it to Ning Xiu’s mouth.
Ning Xiu was curious about everything at this moment. He opened his mouth and ate it, his eyes suddenly brightened, “Ah!”
Delicious!
Seeing that he liked it, Ning Buwei patiently fed him half a bowl. Ning Xiu hadn’t had enough and was still holding the spoon in his mouth.
Ning Buwei touched his little stomach and said to him, “You can’t eat anymore.”
Ning Xiu turned his head to look at the delicious and good-looking food on the table, stretching out his little hand, indicating Ning Buwei to feed him, “Ah~”
Ning Buwei used to not have a strong desire for food and drink before. He only liked light food before he built his foundation, and after he succeeded in building his foundation, he didn’t eat much. But now that he had lost all his cultivation, he felt particularly hungry and thought that the food on the table was very delicious.
Especially when a certain little unlucky egg couldn’t eat anything anymore, it tasted even more delicious to him.
“Ah!” Ning Xiu cried out in grievance, lying in his arms, staring eagerly at him as he ate so deliciously every bite, with drool dribbling down his chin.
Ning Buwei gloated for a while, picked up his chopsticks, dipped them in the fish soup, and stuffed a bit into Ning Xiu’s mouth. The soup was very delicious, and it was okay to taste it.
Ning Xiu widened his eyes in surprise, smacking his lips and smiling at Ning Buwei, “Ah~ Ahh~”
Delicious~ Want more~
Ning Buwei only let him taste a little bit and refused to give him more. Ning Xiu pouted and looked at his father with eager eyes.
Ning Buwei was very satisfied with his meal. Seeing his son glaring at him with bitter hatred, he mischievously dipped his chopsticks in some wine and let Ning Xiu taste it. Ning Xiu, tasting spicy ‘pooh pooh pooh’ and stuck out his tongue.
The great demon was in a good mood, pinched his son’s small face, and asked, “Still want more?”
Ning Xiu was so angry that he drilled straight into his father’s arms.
Ning Buwei laughed and patted his little butt, then picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
After being full of wine and food, Ning Buwei held his son and prepared to find an inn to rest. The street was bustling with people and traffic, and there were even people showing off their spirit beasts through the market. Ning Xiu looked at the huge creatures that were taller than adults and exclaimed in surprise, patting Ning Buwei’s clothes to make him look too.
Ning Buwei lifted him higher so he could lean on him to see, saying, “This is a Snow Tail Beast, abundant in Zhongzhou. It’s as food-loving as you are, but it only eats grass.”
The Snow Tail Beast was nearly ten feet tall, with snow-white, soft and fluffy fur. Its limbs were thick and powerful, and when it was full, it had great strength and fast legs, making it useful for carrying goods. Despite its size, it’s quite attractive, and many cultivators like to keep it as a spiritual pet.
Ning Xiu was extremely curious. Ning Buwei simply held him and watched for a while. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small green seed on his swaddling clothes. He reached out to remove it, but as soon as he touched it, he realized something was wrong.
A cold light flashed, and the broken Suzaku Sword cut the green seed in half. Ning Buwei pinched the broken sword, and the seed that had been cut into two fell to the ground and instantly withered, turning into dust and disappeared.
A murderous intent flashed in Ning Buwei’s eyes. He looked up at the window on the second floor of Chengyun Building, but the person had long since disappeared.
When he withdrew his gaze, he saw a handsome young man standing a few steps away from him, saying in surprise, “We meet again!”
This young man was wearing a gray robe and had a ponytail. His face was unfamiliar, Ning Buwei frowned, “Who are you?”
Feng Zizhang pointed to himself and said, “It’s me. We were still talking at the city gate an hour ago, but you left without saying goodbye.”
This person was completely different from the dirty fool from before, but his voice hadn’t changed much. Ning Buwei remembered him, but didn’t really want to talk to him at all. He turned around and walked away with Ning Xiu in his arms.
“Hey——” Feng Zizhang shouted, but he didn’t stop him. He sighed, feeling downcast as he was about to enter the restaurant. However, seeing the familiar figure in the crowd, after hesitating for a moment, he followed with his sword in hand.
Ning Xiu was full and was now sleeping soundly in Ning Buwei’s arms. He didn’t know what he was dreaming about, but there was a smile on his little face.
The wind was a bit strong, and Ning Buwei tucked in his swaddling clothes. Unconsciously, he walked into a narrow alley.
The alley was narrow and dark, with long green vines crawling all over the mottled walls. The leaves were slightly shaking in the wind, but the alley was very quiet, with no wind at all.
Ning Buwei walked a few steps and then stopped.
A rustling sound came from behind along the ground. In the next instant, a harsh ghostly sound filled the entire alley. The fragment of the Suzaku broken sword deeply penetrated the bluestone brick, with cracks spreading out like a spider web. Around it were severed vines scattered all over.
Feng Zizhang, who was about to rush into the alley to save someone, suddenly pulled back his head. He rubbed his eyes hard, thinking he had just had a hallucination.
Ning Buwei held the sleeping child, with countless black fog spreading behind him. Uncountable crimson ghost eyes flickered in the black fog. He raised his head and looked at the person standing not far away.
Yan Lanpei was surprised, “You’re really hiding your strength.”
“You haven’t seen it yet, go out and cultivate more. It’s okay to plant seeds on those fools from Yunzhong Sect, but you dare to covet my son?” Ning Buwei looked at him as if he were looking at a dead thing.
Feng Zizhang at the entrance of the alley suddenly heard the name of his sect and was taken aback.
Yan Lanpei looked at Ning Buwei with sudden realization, “So it was you who intercepted my prey.”
“Don’t kill and wait for them to become your puppets?” There was a hint of disgust in Ning Buwei’s tone.
Yan Lanpei said, “Those four martial brothers have good qualifications. I’ve been eyeing them for a long time. It’s a pity.”
He planted seeds in the bodies of the four martial brothers from Yunzhong Sect at Chengyun Building. He waited for the seeds to sprout in their bodies and slowly absorb their spiritual power. However, two of them were suddenly killed halfway through, which made his efforts go to waste. He could only eat their flesh and blood. Only Han Ziyang, who had the highest cultivation level, successfully sprouted. Both his cultivation level and flesh and blood were used by him.
It’s a pity that the one with the best aptitude, Feng Zizhang, had not sprouted the seed in him.
“Fellow Cultivator Feng, since you’re here, don’t hide. Come out and meet us.” Yan Lanpei did not turn his head, waved his long sleeve, and a cultivator wearing a green robe and a lotus crown suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alley.
“Senior Brother!” Feng Zizhang recognized the jade pendant on Han Ziyan’s body at a glance, and rushed in from the entrance of the alley. However, after seeing the other person clearly, he took two steps back and his voice trembled, “Senior, Senior Brother?”
Han Ziyan’s entire face was wrapped in green vines, with two eyeballs protruding outside, and small vine leaves were constantly emerging from the eyeballs, which made Feng Zizhang’s scalp go numb.
Yan Lanpei didn’t care about the extra Feng Zizhang at all. He stared at Ning Buwei in front of him, “This sir, who the hell are you?”
“Your ancestor.” Ning Buwei sneered, and the black fog behind him spread instantly.
Yan Lanpei waved his long sleeve and vigilantly retreated. Seven or eight green vine puppets blocked him and rushed up to disperse the black fog.
Harsh screams lingered in the alley. When the black fog dissipated, the father and son were nowhere to be seen.
Yan Lanpei realized that he had been played and was immediately furious, “Chase them for me!”
Ning Buwei was running on the roof while holding the child, and Feng Zizhang was following him closely with his sword.
Seeing this, Ning Buwei said angrily, “What are you following me for?”
Feng Zizhang shouted, “Did you kill my two senior brothers, Zichen and Zisong!?”
The vines on the ground were about to catch up, and Ning Buwei had no time to talk to him. He jumped down from the eaves, rolled a few times and landed on another roof. The tiles were smashed into pieces, and then he continued to get up and run.
Feng Zizhang’s voice still carried a sob, “Why did you kill my two senior brothers!?”
The speed of the vines was getting faster and faster, and Feng Zizhang was still sticking around. Ning Buwei shouted angrily, “If I didn’t kill them, they wouldn’t survive either. They would only lose their souls and become puppets. At least they can reincarnate if they die in my hands. Are you a fool!?”
Feng Zizhang flew close to the roof with his sword, just keeping up with his speed, “Who is Yan Lanpei? Why does he want to harm us?”
Ning Buwei was running for his life in a hurry, and almost laughed due to this fool, “You go ask him! Why are you asking me!?”
“I can’t beat him.” Feng Zizhang lifted his sleeve to wipe his tears, looked at him sincerely, “For the sake of saving the souls of my senior brothers Zisong and Zichen, I thank you on their behalf.”
Ning Buwei thought he was a real fool.
If someone killed his fellow martial brothers, even for this reason, he would kill the person to vent his anger. This fool actually thanked him seriously, not afraid that his two senior brothers would be so angry that they would become fierce ghosts and beat him up.
The vines that were originally extending at high speed along the ground rose into the sky, heading straight for Ning Xiu in Ning Buwei’s hand, and then were cut off by a cold light. Unexpectedly, these vines were endless, coming from all directions towards Ning Buwei.
“I’ll help you!” Feng Zizhang brought out the glass ball, and the colorful flowing light spread instantly to cover them.
“Fool! Stop it!” Ning Buwei was about to vomit blood from anger.
Almost at the same time, the ground began to shake violently. A green vine several dozen feet thick rose into the sky in the center of Linjiang City, spreading rapidly in the air, causing a stir among the cultivators in the city.
“Huh?” Feng Zizhang watched as the colorful spiritual power was all absorbed into the vines. The originally arm-thick vines suddenly swelled by several dozen inches, entwining and wrapping into a ball, enveloping the three of them.
Ning Xiu suddenly woke up, surrounded by icy darkness, and cried out with a ‘waaah’.
