Chapter 327: Extra chapter complete. The book ends

Extra chapter complete. The book ends.

The atmosphere in the kitchen remained quiet for a full half minute.

Xiang Yichu then continued his hand movements, stirring the seafood porridge in the clay pot, his voice tinged with unconscious tension: "Why?"

Actually, he didn't want to ask.

He wanted to turn off the stove and leave, because he felt he simply couldn't hear any other name from her lips.

But if he left, her words would fall to the ground, and she'd think he was ignoring her again.

As we agreed, I will never ignore her in this lifetime.

He had to do it.

Mu Mu saw he hadn't turned to look at her, and with a 'whoosh' she sprang up, closing the distance in two strides to stand beside Xiang Yichu, saying, "Xiang Bing Shan, why won't you look at me?"

Xiang Yichu: "Cooking porridge."

Mu Mu glanced at the bubbling porridge, her big eyes rolling.

Yesterday, Tushan Jiu told her, "Matters of the heart should follow your own heart; if you like someone, you like them; do what you want; leave the rest to them."

Thunderstruck wood is thunderstruck wood—it wards off evil; who knows, maybe it'll be even better at catching ghosts later!

Making up her mind, she turned and shut off the stove, then, before Xiang Yichu could react, she ducked under his arm and stood between him and the stove.

"You're looking at me!"

The distance was very close, their toes touching.

Xiang Yichu truly hadn't expected her to suddenly dart into his arms; fearing the hot steam from the clay pot behind would scald her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and stepped back two steps, firmly placing her on the island counter behind him.

"What do I do if I burn you?"

He said it to her, but his tone wasn't harsh—just worry.

After speaking, they locked eyes; Xiang Yichu didn't look away, but he shifted his weight back slightly, and she was enveloped in the scent of the rose sea‑salt balls he had bought for her.

He said, "Now I'm looking at you—speak, why?"

Mu Mu saw him retreat, a flash of dissatisfaction in her eyes; she lifted her hand to cup his face, pulling him back firmly, and, afraid he'd pull away, she wrapped her legs around him to keep him in place.

Although she knew it was Mu Mu's unintentional gesture, Xiang Yichu still froze completely.

Mu Mu didn't notice; she cleared her throat with a light cough and said, "Xiang Yichu!"

"Hmm."

"You said that if I ever liked someone, I had to tell you."

"Hmm."

"Now I'm letting you know—I have someone I like."

"Hmm."

"He's wonderful—I really, really like him, and I never want to leave him for the rest of my life."

Xiang Yichu lowered his gaze, paused a moment, then uttered another "Hmm."

Mu Mu sensed his distracted heart, frowned slightly, kept her hand on his face unmoving, but leaned her own head forward.

Now only a hand's distance separated them, their breaths intertwined.

"His name is—Xiang, Yi...... mmph!"

I couldn't hold back any longer.

As soon as she uttered the first syllable of her name, he could no longer restrain himself.

He always liked to suppress his emotions, but sometimes the indulgence after suppression is the most passionate.

Mu Mu felt as if she were about to be kissed to death, her head swimming, her lips and tongue numb.

Yet, in the exchange of breath, she still insisted on saying his full name.

And so, after she burst out that 'yi' character, what came next was an even more uncontrolled deep kiss.

After a while, Mu Mu could take no more; she pressed her hands against his chest, turned her head to the side, and gasped heavily.

"Xiang, Xiang Bing, Shan, huff—do you want to kiss me to death?"

Xiang Yichu's breath was no better; he bent slightly, pressed his forehead to her neck, held her tightly in his arms, and hoarsely called her name over and over.

She felt the dampness on her shoulder—he was crying, but she didn't ask.

Instead, she stroked his head over and over, responding to him tirelessly.

Over the years, it's not just Xiang Yichu who understands her—she understands him just as well.

He has always been a person severely lacking in security, deep down feeling inferior.

These are wounds inflicted by his family of origin that cannot be erased.

Although she cannot erase those past events, she will strive, strive, and strive again to fill those chasms.

With her liking, and love.

Mu Mu secretly thought, "It would be best to wait until she undergoes the heavenly tribulation and becomes a true human, then have a child with him; they could raise the child well, giving her/him the best paternal and maternal love in the world."

She loves him, and she/he also loves him.

She wants him to have no regrets.

But Xiang Yichu, like a worm in her stomach, disagreed with her undergoing the heavenly tribulation.

Even though she said the Tushan Jiu side was already prepared, he still didn't want her to suffer the heavenly tribulation.

Xiang Yichu trusts Tushan Jiu—she said she would surely keep Mu Mu safe.

But undergoing the heavenly tribulation is impossible without suffering.

Those heavenly tribulations will strike her in earnest, and she fears the pain most.

He originally thought that if she fell for someone else and was determined to undergo the heavenly tribulation to be with that person, he would respect her wish.

But now she likes him, and he can't bear to lose her; as long as she's by his side, that's enough—everything else doesn't matters.

Mumu couldn't convince him, but she also knew he was feeling sorry for her.

Being lovable, she would never let him be the one who always gives.

So she chose not to bring up this issue for now, waiting for the right moment to speak.

During the past year or so.

Every night she would intensify her training, pushing her cultivation to the limit in preparation for that day's 'transformation'.

She thought she was being discreet, but Xiang Yichu, who understood her every expression, would naturally notice.

In fact, he had long anticipated that Mumu wouldn't listen to him; her nature is such that once she decides on something, she will certainly see it through.

Helpless, he could only try to minimize her injury.

For a spirit monster to transcend the tribulation and become human, it only needs to withstand the heavenly thunder; surviving it aside from possible injury causes no loss to one's cultivation, merely a consumption that can be replenished afterward.

But if one cannot endure it, not only cultivation but the person themselves will be reduced to ashes.

Now with Tushan Jiu present, she can withstand the tribulation without issue; the key problem is how to minimize the injury when she is struck by lightning.

Otherwise, she'd end up charred outside but tender inside, lying in bed as a mummy for a year.

Besides external defenses, she also needed to raise her own cultivation to the utmost, so she would have spare strength to resist the heavenly thunder.

Thus Xiang Yichu essentially gathered all usable resources and placed them in her hands for her cultivation.

However, they were not fighting alone.

They also had good friends backing them up.

Don't look at how Wang Dongqing always argues with Mumu; but once he learned of her plan, without a word he and Maomao took out all their family assets to boost her cultivation, just so she wouldn't suffer too much during the tribulation.

Even Big Yellow (the golden koi-turned-dragon from the old Xie Family manor) 'donated' several dragon scales for her to use as a 'shield'.

Tushan Bai, Tushan Xi, and Tushan Yao also learned that their aunt Mumu was about to undergo the tribulation, and they all said they would come to lend a hand.

Although they are young and can't do much, their magical artifacts nevertheless possess the power of myriad ghosts!

The people at the office, like Xu Jiangshan, said that when Mumu undergoes the tribulation, they would do it at 'home'.

The office has a heaven-and-earth formation, which can at least block part of the heavenly thunder's power.

Moreover, with so many mystic masters among them, providing Dharma protection is a breeze.

When everyone's strength is directed toward a single goal, man can conquer heaven!

That day was just an ordinary, everyday day.

As the strongest backing, Tushan Jiu made no deployment plans throughout, yet she constantly wore a smile, her brows and eyes full of confidence.

Xiang Shiyu took Mumu's hand and walked to the formation, then turned to look behind him.

Tushan Jiu, together with Xie Shiyu leading Tushan Bai, Tushan Xi, and Tushan Yao, stood in front, while Wang Dongqing holding a child and Maomao stood to the side.

Behind them were Xu Jiangshan, Lin Xiu'er, Chen Rang, Qian Hu, and all the other office staff.

Even Bai Yu, upon hearing the news, rushed over.

As for the members of the Xiang family, they were all present, except for Xiang Hao (Xiang Shiyu's father), who had been bedridden with illness for years.

Xiang Shiyu and Mumu bowed their fists toward them.

Xiang Shiyu said: 'Today, thank you all, relatives and friends, for helping my fiancée withstand this heavenly tribulation; I, Xiang, will keep it in my heart, and if ever needed, I will spare no effort!'

Everyone laughed and said it was nothing, just a trivial effort.

But Xiang Shiyu and Mumu both knew that even a trivial effort requires actually raising one's hand.

No more pleasantries; Xiang Shiyu turned and rubbed Mumu's head, wanting to say something, but Mumu tiptoed up and whispered in his ear.

Xiang Shiyu startled.

After saying that, she curved her brows and eyes, then waved at everyone, 'I'm going in now!'

Xiang Shiyu came to his senses, turned his head to look at Mumu, and smiled at the corner of his mouth: 'All right, I'll wait for you.'

Just now Mumu said: 'Xiang Bing Shan, after I pass the tribulation, I will marry you.'

'All right, I'll wait for you.'

'Boom—rumble—rumble~'

At the moment Mumu gathered her cultivation into her body, the Heavenly Dao sensed her intention and gave a warning.

Following that, Mumu slowly rose off the ground.

As Mumu ascended to high altitude, the sky rapidly changed color.

Black thunderclouds roiled, accompanied by several bolts of lightning exploding around Mumu.

Mumu opened her eyes, and through the clouds she locked gazes with Tushan Jiu on the ground.

She spoke to request investiture:

'Heavenly Dao above, myriad eyes as witness, I, the 283rd-generation pawnbroker of knives, Tushan Jiu, request investiture.'

'I, with a thousand-year wood soul, respectfully ask: today I wish to defy heaven and become human—may I?'

On the ground, Tushan Jiu's brow glowed with golden light: 'Yes!'

As her words fell, the heavenly thunder descended.

In an instant, lightning intertwined into a dense net that enveloped Mumu.

With a 'hum', everyone present circulated their qi to the utmost.

In that moment, several golden beams of light rushed into Mumu's body.

Seven times seven, forty-nine bolts of heavenly thunder, one after another.

Suddenly, a knife flew from somewhere and stood before Mumu.

This is the knife that Tushan Jiu once pawned to her, bearing a large 'pawn' character on it.

Upon the knife's appearance, it signified that someone bore her karmic debt, and the heavenly thunder began to weaken.

Half an hour later, all the heavenly thunder had finished striking.

Mu Mu sported a black-black face, and also that exploded-fur hair, fell down.

Xiang Yichu caught her immediately, then began to check if she was injured anywhere.

But she quickly grabbed Xiang Yichu's hand, bared a big white tooth and soothed: "I'm not hurt, nowhere hurts, painless as a person!"

After saying that, she turned and grabbed Xiang Yichu's hand, raised it high, and shouted excitedly to everyone:

"I succeeded!"

"I've turned into a person!"

"I want to marry Xiang Bing Shan!"

Tushan Jiu and the others exchanged smiles.

A round of applause broke out, accompanied by everyone speaking in unison:

"Congratulations on getting your wish, congratulations on perfection!"

——Side story complete. The book ends——