Chapter 207: The Twelfth Cube

"Xiaoxiao! Xiaoxiao!"

"Yes!"

"Go get your sister's cosmetics. How about we put some makeup on her? Look at her bare face; how can she not wear makeup while cultivating at home?" Chen Shu shouted at the top of his lungs toward the upstairs, "It just so happens I watched a few makeup videos last night, and I feel my makeup skills are now comparable to a stylist's."

"Okay."

A series of ding-dong footsteps sounded from upstairs.

Chen Shu withdrew his gaze and said to the still-shaken Taozi beside him, "It's useless for you to end it now. As long as you still want to cultivate, you won't be able to escape it. I advise you to prepare yourself mentally and accept this tribulation."

The bird outside the window fell into deep thought.

Taozi also fell into deep thought.

"Good concentration!"

Chen Shu couldn't help but praise.

Xiaoxiao had already brought the cosmetics down.

Chen Shu rummaged through them, first selecting a lipstick, then leaning close to Qingqing, staring at her lips.

Qingqing's lips were relatively thin and had an unusually beautiful shape. Looking at them so directly was truly heart-stirring—if not for Xiaoxiao standing right next to them watching, he definitely wouldn't have been able to resist kissing her.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but glance to the side.

The little girl immediately turned her head, looking elsewhere.

"This..."

Chen Shu twitched the corner of his mouth.

Forget it, better not do such things in front of a minor.

Chen Shu held the lipstick and leaned close to Qingqing's lips.

First, a light touch, applying a thin layer.

Qingqing's lips were stained with a bright, vivid color, which, paired with her snow-white skin, made her look much more vibrant.

This lipstick shade is not bad.

Suitable for painting sausage lips.

Chen Shu applied more pressure, painted half of it, and casually handed the lipstick to the side: "Xiaoxiao, you have a turn too!"

This is called sharing the fortune.

The little girl hesitated, secretly glanced at Taozi, who was sitting upright and watching them, and with trembling hands, finally couldn't resist taking the lipstick from her brother-in-law and poking it onto her sister's mouth.

"!"

The little girl was immediately no longer afraid, and even showed a rare smile on her face, secretly glancing at her brother-in-law.

The two exchanged another look.

Then they picked up the eyebrow pencil.

The two leaned in front of Qingqing.

Taozi, not far away, because they were blocking her view, couldn't help but shift her position, poking her head out to stare at their every move.

The bird outside the window still stood on the swing frame, silently watching the room.

Yujing in late August already had a distinct chill, and it had rained intermittently over the past two days. This bird was not a migratory bird; it was the same species as the two that lived in the courtyard, and it would stay in Yujing even in winter.

Ning Qing did not choose one of those two sparrows.

Because they were a pair, she felt that choosing either one would affect the relationship between them, and she was unwilling to do that.

Now it was still drizzling outside.

Fortunately, birds have three layers of feathers: contour feathers, semi-plumes, and down feathers. The outermost contour feathers are almost waterproof; even if thrown into water, they would still float, and even after floating, they would remain dry. If it rains for a long time, the semi-plumes underneath can still provide a certain level of waterproofing. The last layer, the down feathers, are those tiny, messy feathers that provide insulation.

The only exposed parts, the feet, use counter-current heat exchange, so they won't freeze even when standing in ice and snow.

Besides this, Ning Qing also personally realized that the nervous systems of birds are far less developed than those of humans, and because their brain processing power is lower, their perception of cold and heat is not as sensitive or detailed as humans'. What supports them in making various reactions, compared to humans, is more of a reaction mechanism.

At the same time, this bird is also one of the few birds with a habit of nesting.

Although many other birds also build nests, the main purpose of the nest is for laying eggs, hatching, and raising chicks. When there is no need for reproduction, most birds still live a wandering life, making the whole world their home.

Because this bird is a bachelor, it has no nest, and absolutely no intention of building one; they only start building a nest after finding a mate.

Ning Qing intended to control it to find a little female bird to observe how they raise the thought of "I want to build a nest."

Is there a process of thinking?

Or is it just an instinct driven by genes, just knowing that they should do it, without knowing why?

This is very important.

And also very interesting.

But there are more important things now.

Ning Qing groomed her feathers while staring into the room.

This bird's eyes are completely different from humans'. The image in its eyes is not as clear and smooth as a human's, and the perceived colors are also different—in the living room where most colors were lost, those two humans would exchange positions from time to time; when their movements were large, they would become exceptionally clear, and when their movements were small or they were completely still, their figures would become darker. The red they applied to their lips and eye sockets was exceptionally conspicuous, so conspicuous it was as if it were glowing.

This bird is mainly herbivorous and loves fruit.

Ning Qing couldn't help it anymore.

"Flap..."

The little bird spread its wings and flew straight toward the window.

But it could not distinguish the glass, so Ning Qing was extra careful. Fortunately, it successfully passed through the window and flew into the living room.

Just as it wanted to land, it suddenly caught sight of Taozi, who had turned her head to look over. She accelerated her wing beats to fly up again, turning to land on Chen Shu's shoulder.

The two of them seemed stunned, motionless.

The little bird looked at them coldly.

"Taozi."

"Woof?"

"You aren't..."

"Baa?"

"Quick, catch this bird!" Chen Shu shouted, "Just like how you catch mosquitoes!"

"Caw..."

Taozi stared at the bird, falling into hesitation.

The bird flapped its wings and gave Chen Shu a slap.

Chen Shu stood still, not making a sound.

Xiaoxiao, off to the side, didn't speak either.

The two of them occasionally exchanged a glance, then quickly flicked their eyes toward Ning Qing, who was in meditation nearby, followed by one stifling a laugh while the other rolled their eyes wildly.

Two minutes later—

Ning Qing went to remove her makeup and returned to that fresh, clean look; she wore no powder or paint, yet her skin was impeccably fine, and her brows and eyes were clear and bright. She sat back down on the sofa as if nothing had happened and asked Chen Shu in a low voice:

"How was the harvest?"

"Not bad."

Chen Shu leaned toward her with a thick-skinned expression.

Ning Qing moved half a meter to the side without changing her expression and said, "Keep your distance from me; I don't want to be too close to you right now."

Chen Shu followed her by half a meter, still right next to her:

"Why?"

"Angry."

Ning Qing continued to move.

"You can even get angry?" Chen Shu continued to follow, "Aren't you only capable of watering things down?"

"Almost full."

This time, Ning Qing did not continue moving because she had already reached the very edge of the sofa—it wasn't that she didn't want to keep her distance from Chen Shu, but there was no help for it; the sofa was only so long, so blame the sofa.

"Emmm..."

"If I can eat the pickled pepper duck intestines and tripe tonight, I can pour out... twenty percent," Ning Qing said with a calm expression, having wanted to say one-third, but changing it when it reached her lips.

"No! That's too little!"

"You say it."

"At least one-third!"

"Agreed."

"Good!"

Chen Shu let out a sigh of relief.

Xiaoxiao, off to the side, also let out a sigh of relief.

However, no sooner had she finished exhaling than she caught her sister looking at her and standing up: "Now it's time to settle your account."

The young girl kept a straight face, still showing no expression, only clenching both hands into fists instantly.

Evening.

The three people and one cat still occupied half of the long table.

The main dish in the center was the pickled pepper duck intestines and tripe that Qingqing had requested; the ingredients were very generous, using plenty of duck intestines and tripe. To make it go better with rice, Chen Shu had also added some cabbage as a garnish, filling a large basin.

Besides that, there was a cold shredded potato dish, this time made in a spicy flavor, as well as the twice-cooked pork with lotus cabbage that Chen Shu himself wanted to eat; Taozi had no right to order dishes.

Ning Qing finished a large mouthful of tripe; the texture was so crisp, and the sour and spicy flavors provided by the pickled red peppers, pickled wild mountain peppers, and pickled ginger made it exceptionally appetizing. Ning Qing's mood became very good because of this, and she couldn't help but ask Chen Shu again:

"Have you reached an agreement with the sect?"

"Reached an agreement."

"Then where will you go to find those materials?"

"Square Body."

"How will you find them?"

"Guess!"

"It involves Shengzu, I can't guess."

"Call me husband, and I'll tell you."

"..."

Ning Qing lowered her head to pick up food; one chopstick-full was all duck intestines and tripe, which was very satisfying. She shoveled a mouthful of rice before asking again:

"Are you confident?"

"I am, it's just not easy to find a suitable Square Body."

"Can't you use one within the territory?"

"No."

"Oh." Ning Qing's hand movements didn't stop, but a faint light flickered in her eyes, and then she said, "They are easy to find."

"What do you mean?"

"Easy to find."

"What do you mean?"

"You will know soon."

"How fast?"

"Very fast."

"So mysterious; I want to tie you up and spank you, make your butt swell up."

"……"

Ning Qing glanced at the little girl beside her.

The little girl was grabbing large mouthfuls of shredded potatoes. Because Chen Shu had used the Cooked Chili Oil he made himself when preparing the cold shredded potatoes, it had plenty of spices and a heavy kick of heat; Chen Shu had also chopped over a dozen bird's eye chilies and tossed them in, so while it was very fragrant, it was also very spicy. The little girl was sucking in air from the heat, yet she couldn't stop, having no time at all to pay attention to them.

Ning Qing withdrew her gaze, pursed her lips, and continued eating, only saying:

"I wish you success."

"Many thanks, Secretary Ning."

Chen Shu also began to focus on his meal.

It was a pity that the Secret Sect didn't have any extra raw materials either; they always calculated everything perfectly, never having a single bit extra, and every time Qingqing was about to advance, she would receive just enough potion for her advancement.

Even if Chen Shu could learn the potion formula through Qingqing, it would be useless, unless he wanted to gather all the raw materials and then have Chen Banxia help him concoct it.

But that would be too expensive.

The best method was still to find the few missing items and turn them over to the sect; he could find a bit more and turn that over to the sect as well, counting it as his own contribution, then have the sect provide the rest of the ingredients and be responsible for the concoction.

It saved money and peace of mind.

That night.

Chen Shu was lying on the sofa, having just finished watching a video about beachcombing, when he swiped his finger up and suddenly scrolled past a news item—

The twelfth Saint Ancestor Cube unearthed? In a Spirit Crystal Mine within the area under the actual control of the Duqin southern Government Army, a Saint Ancestor Cube has appeared!