[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness":3,"chapter-cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-236":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cultivating In Secret Beside A Demoness",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1121038,1453,"Chapter 236 - 236: A Thin Line Between Life And Death","cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-236",236,"\u003Cp>Chapter 236: A Thin Line Between Life And Death\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon, Jiang Hao and Cheng Chou helped start the fire. Miao Xiang began cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fish that Xiao Li had caught was the main dish being cooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Li talked a lot. Miao Xiang was busy cooking, and she occasionally responded to Xiao Li’s constant chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Li didn’t mind. She helped with cutting the fish. Once she was finished, she picked up the bowl and went to show it to her mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother praised her, which made Xiao Li laugh in happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quiet courtyard was lively in Xiao Li’s presence. It seemed she was the source of life and vitality in this desolate place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Xiao Li, the two old people’s lives would have been lonely. Perhaps it would have been too quiet for them to look forward to their deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Xiao Li, it was different. They were still moving toward the end of their lives, but they were at least happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao saw Miao Shi sitting upright in a chair, watching Xiao Li bustling around. He looked pale and sickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, the table was filled with various kinds of dishes. Miao Xiang had cooked everything with Cheng Chou and Xiao Li’s help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao was offered a chair, and he gratefully accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others sat down, too and began to serve the meal. There were fish dishes, cooked bamboo shoots, and chicken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the fish. He then tasted the chicken and the bamboo shoots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is delicious.” He smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Xiang laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Shi also smiled and put some dishes in his bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Li picked up the tender meat, steamed vegetables and placed them in her parents’ bowls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eat this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two elders nodded and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Chou felt a bit awkward at first. However, when he saw everyone enjoying the meal, he dug in too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao glanced at them occasionally while eating his food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing a bowl of rice, he asked for another one. Xiao Li excitedly ran to get it for him. Xiao Li was happy, and so were the two old people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the meal, Jiang Hao watched as Xiao Li split firewood for her parents and fed the chickens and ducks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao felt a bit sentimental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the evening, they had dinner. There were fish and bamboo shoots. Miao Xiang had made pastries too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, Miao Shi sat beside Jiang Hao while Miao Xiang put Xiao Li to sleep. “Tell me the story of the Sea God,” said Xiao Li from inside the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again? Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then tomorrow… tell me the story of the Little Seashell.” Jiang Hao lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Shi sat straight beside him. “I’m sorry for troubling you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s alright,” said Jiang Hao. “You should go and stay with Xiao Li as long as you can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Shi nodded and walked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao sat in the courtyard and closed his eyes to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat there until the first ray of sunlight hit his face. He got up and entered the inner room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Li was sitting next to the two old people. She looked very worried. “Are you feeling unwell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She helped them up. “I will go find a doctor. I can help brew some medicine too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s okay. I’m in perfect health,” said Miao Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Shi looked at Xiao Li in concern. His eyes were closing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t slept a wink all night. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he might not open them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to be scared even if you’re sick,” Xiao Li said. “I’ll stay here and take care of you until you get better. I can catch fish, cook, and brew medicine. I can take good care of you. Leave it all to me from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have grown up,” said Miao Xiang with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whispered to Xiao Li, “There should be eggs today. Go and see how many there are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.” Xiao Li got up excitedly and ran out. “If there are eggs, I’ll cook them for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao sat beside them. Cheng Chou also walked in from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head sadly when he saw the two old and sickly people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had accompanied Xiao Li here many times before. He felt sad for the two people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I entrust Xiao Li to you in the future?” Miao Xiang asked Jiang Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Jiang Hao nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Xiang had a little time, but Miao Shi was breathing his last breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have a secret,” Miao Shi said weakly. “We thought we would take it to our graves, but… it seems only right to tell you. We found Xiao Li in the river.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know,” Jiang Hao said softly. “I also know that Xiao Li is a True Dragon. It’s one of the reasons she grows so slowly. It’s normal for her. I promise she will grow up to be an adult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.” The two elders smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, they looked at Cheng Chou as if thanking him for taking care of them all this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they closed their eyes, Xiao Li came running with eggs in her hands. A middle-aged man and a woman appeared behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the two old people closed their eyes, they thought they heard someone calling out for them. “Mother… Father…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, they heard Xiao Li’s voice in their ears. “What’s wrong? I found the eggs. Are you not feeling well? I can go and find a doctor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Li’s voice was choked with tears. The eggs in her hands fell to the ground and splattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please… Mother… I’m so clumsy. I dropped the eggs again. They are all smashed! Please, wake up! Scold me. You promised you would tell me a story! Please don’t leave me behind… I promise I won’t ask for meat. I’ll always listen and obey. Please don’t leave me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Li was sobbing now. “Please… I even grew taller than before. Please, wake up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hao stood by the side and watched as the two old people breathed their last. He then reached out and held Xiao Li..\u003C\u002Fp>",1048,"2026-06-03T11:45:44.968Z","2026-06-03T11:45:50.889Z",1,"novelbin.me","921e5e219e7bdb5fc1206a152314ba322a963df1fe17cfd104974cbcc62ad126","cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-237","cultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-chapter-235",2139,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivating-in-secret-beside-a-demoness-cover.jpg"]