Chapter 27: If You Keep Yapping, I

The searing pain made Yan Xiao fly into a rage: “Who the hell hit your dad… Master, I’m sorry!”

Yan Xiao immediately dropped to his knees, and Zhou Qing followed suit at once.

At that moment, Mo Xingjian trembled with fury, his hand shaking uncontrollably: “Good, good, good—just in this short time, I’ve gained two fathers.”

“Master, we were just joking around, don’t take it seriously,” Yan Xiao hurriedly said.

Mo Xingjian wanted to explode, but with people coming and going around him, it would only make him a laughingstock.

Then he glanced at the junk on the stall and pointed: “What kind of trash is this? Are you even ashamed to display it?”

“Master, half of these were rewards you gave me originally—this one, this one, and these too,” Yan Xiao pointed to several items in succession.

Mo Xingjian: “...”

“Uncle, are you buying or not? If not, don’t block us. Brother, how much for this item?”

Four disciples dressed in Tianji Men attire gathered around and asked.

Yan Xiao immediately stood up, beaming: “Sell? Of course I’ll sell! This is a fine item—look at the grain pattern, doesn’t it look like a monkey? And the origin of this ruler is even more extraordinary...”

Mo Xingjian was shoved aside by the crowd, opened his mouth, then angrily flung his sleeve and walked off.

Behind the stall, Yan Xiao and Zhou Qing both exhaled in relief.

“How about we don’t go back tonight? Just find some place to stay?”

“Agreed, but what if Miss Xuanyou finds someone else to eat with again?”

“Get lost!”

…………

That night, the two lingered around the mountain gate for a long time, only sneaking back under the suspicious stares of the guards just before the barrier closed.

After returning home, Zhou Qing confirmed his master wasn’t lying in wait, then quietly exhaled and resumed heating water for a bath and practicing the Silver Dragon Hand.

The next morning, as soon as the courtyard gate opened, he saw his third senior brother with a bruised and swollen face.

Zhou Qing’s face twitched slightly.

“Did Master do this?” Zhou Qing asked.

Yan Xiao’s tiny eyes were nearly swollen shut: “You bet he did! Why are you fine?”

“Probably because I’m the youngest—usually the youngest gets treated better.”

Zhou Qing guessed—though most likely, it was you who came up with those two fathers; I never said a word.

Hearing this, Yan Xiao felt deeply unfair.

At that moment, a sword qi whistled toward them—He Han stood there, face grim and silent.

Zhou Qing’s eyes lit up, and he cheerfully jumped onto the sword.

“Alright, Third Senior Brother, you go ahead—I’ll come find you after I eat!” Zhou Qing said.

Watching a junior brother get picked up specifically, eating spirit food from the Jade Banquet Hall, Yan Xiao couldn’t help but burst into tears.

“Unfair! So unfair—”

…………

“Third Senior Brother, are you still accompanying Miss Xuanyou for a meal today?”

“Mm.”

“Is Miss Lu here too?”

“Mm.”

“Did you take my advice? The fire for cooking spirit rice must be steady—only then will the flavor penetrate properly without destroying its aroma.”

“If you keep yapping, I’ll kick you off.”

“I believe you—but Third Senior Brother, I’ve already broken through to Foundation Establishment, I can fly on my own sword now, so even if you kick me off, I can still... You’re serious? Third Senior Brother, I’m sorry! Don’t seal my spiritual power—it’ll kill me! We’re about to crash—”

Inside the pavilion.

Lu Yaoyao asked anxiously: “Third Senior Brother Zhou, are you alright? Why are you so pale?”

“N-no problem, Elder, Miss Lu—you haven’t even touched your food? Really not eating?”

Zhou Qing stared at the spirit food before him.

Miss Xuanyou shook her head slightly, then said: “I have no appetite today. Yaoyao doesn’t want to eat either. You eat.”

Zhou Qing couldn’t help licking his lips: “Then I won’t be polite.”

With that, he began eating.

Miss Xuanyou slowly rose and walked to the side of the corridor, gazing at the koi in the pond, then waved to Lu Yaoyao.

Lu Yaoyao, who had been leaning on her chin watching Zhou Qing wolf down his meal, immediately bounced over.

“I can feel your feelings for him are special—is he your brother?” Miss Xuanyou whispered.

Lu Yaoyao turned her head toward Zhou Qing, who was greedily slurping his porridge, her smile brimming with happiness.

“Family!”

Hearing this, Miss Xuanyou stopped asking further, instead gazing at the shimmering lake surface, her eyes filled with nostalgia.

“Sister, what do you think of Third Senior Brother Zhou?”

After a brief hesitation, Lu Yaoyao couldn’t help asking.

Miss Xuanyou smiled faintly: “Easy to feed. Eats a lot.”

Hearing this evaluation, Lu Yaoyao burst into giggles she could no longer hold back.

“Let him finish eating alone. Come with me down the mountain—maybe we can find a bargain. Some of the herbs you mentioned are quite obscure.”

Lu Yaoyao naturally agreed.

Without disturbing Zhou Qing, the two left along the corridor.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qing, who had been enjoying his meal, suddenly felt a chill on his back.

He looked up and realized Miss Xuanyou and Lu Yaoyao had vanished—five large men had just leapt down from the wall not far behind him, rolling up their sleeves.

“No more eating! I’ll save some for Third Senior Brother!” Zhou Qing hastily packed the food into a lunch box, shoved it into his storage pouch, and bolted off...

…………

“Not bad... damn, you’ve got some conscience, Brother didn’t raise you in vain... hey, easy on the kicks, Old Mo went full force this time...”

“Master, you’re here!”

“Master, I truly was wrong—I was just joking with the junior brother... where is he? Where is he?”

“Look at you, a scared bird!”

Zhou Qing couldn’t help laughing loudly; Yan Xiao stormed over and kicked him twice in the buttocks.

Soon after, the two sat before the stall, watching the crowd pass by in silence.

Yan Xiao sighed deeply: “I suddenly miss Second Senior Sister. I wonder when she’ll return? If she were here, Master would never dare punish us—especially you.”

“I’ve realized something—Master seems terrified of her. Do you think she’s holding some secret over him?”

Zhou Qing shook his head: “I don’t know. But Second Senior Sister’s words always carry weight.”

“Now that I think back on everything, maybe it’s true. When she returns this time, no matter the cost, we must get hold of that leverage.”

Yan Xiao’s gaze hardened—he had made his decision.

Zhou Qing didn’t care about such things—he only hoped Second Senior Sister would return safely.

“If First Senior Brother comes out of seclusion, he’ll protect us too!” Zhou Qing said.

Yan Xiao immediately scoffed.

“You’re dreaming. To Master, First Senior Brother is someone else’s child—talent, cultivation base, looks—how can we compare? People hate comparisons. When we stand next to First Senior Brother, Master only feels frustrated and disappointed.” Yan Xiao grumbled.

Hearing this, Zhou Qing had no reply.

There was no help for it—each peak’s chief was meant to set an example, unlike the two of them, who constantly got Master into trouble.

“My butt’s sore. Senior Brother, you go ahead—I’ll go wander again!”

Zhou Qing stood up, patted his backside, and wandered off in a random direction.

“Remember to bring me lunch back!” Yan Xiao called after his retreating figure.

Soon after, Zhou Qing wandered to a live goods stall...

(End of Chapter)