Chapter 561: Father Niu The Mahjong King
Everyone's eyes lit up as they all nodded in agreement, dealing with one was easier than dealing with two, hence they forthrightly took over the seat. Gathering all their ammunition, everyone targeted Chef, but… they still couldn't win!
Once Lonemoon left, the number of braggers increased from two to three people. The remaining bit of chips all went to Chef as they lost everything.
Everyone felt a slight burn on their faces!
At this point, Lonemoon suddenly came forward and said affably, "Seniors, do you need more chips, it's alright, if you think enough of me, why not use mine first? At the most you can give me some dividends when you win later on."
"Great brother! So sensible!" They were overjoyed and hurriedly took the chips from his hand and entered another round of battle. And the game was showing signs of becoming increasingly intense, only this time, they were longer targeting Chef but each had their own wins and losses, this gave them greater confidence and became more and more engrossed. In the end Chef also withdrew with a pile of chips and sat aside to watch on yet his gaze would repeatedly move towards the room door that was still tightly closed.
This great mahjong battle ended after three whole hours, with Chef and Father Niu, mainly Father Niu's complete victory. Although he did not go on again to play, he loaned money at a side, by the time everyone came to a realization, on top of losing all the chips they had, they even ended up in great debt. The kind where he collected stacks of I.O.U.s.
Everyone: "…"
Where exactly did Little Ying find all these two gambling gods, way too terrifying!
As the few people were still calculating just how much money they were owing Lonemoon, the door to the materials room finally opened with a creak, Shen Ying walked out. "Master!" Delighted, Yi Qing stood and walked towards her with quick steps.
Yet he saw another figure walking out after her, dressed in clothing completely different from theirs, slick short hair, a hint of a smile was still left on his handsome face as he looked towards Shen Ying with some indulgence.
Yi Qing paused in his steps.
"Even the materials room does not have what you seek, seems like you won't be able to escape." Mi Le said jokingly.
"Has it got anything to do with you?" Shen Ying swept a glance at him.
"Don't put it that way, after all, I'm the only person who can get a word in front of your sister."
"Forget it, we'll see about that." Shen Ying's face darkened. "Thanks for the time." "Why are your standing on ceremony, your problem is my problem."
"Mas… ter." Yi Qing inhaled deeply before continuing to walk forward, for some reason, he kept feeling oddly flustered at heart, fisting the hands by his side, he asked, "Did you find it?"
"No." Shen Ying replied, frowning.
"Then… we'll continue to think of other ways." Yi Qing stepped forward again, instinctively reaching out, wanting to hold her hand.
Shen Ying faltered and shrank back abruptly, avoiding his touch. She moved rather quickly and even turned her body slightly to the side, seeming as if she hastily wanted to dissociate some sort of relationship with him.
Chef who ended up grabbing the empty air was stunned, paling instantly. This was the first time… Master avoided him. At once, there seemed to be something sour and acrid rising up, he was a little… upset! Lonemoon who was still seated on the bench glanced at the unfamiliar man who was smilingly conversing with Shen Ying, gentleness all over his face, then looked at Chef. Eyes narrowing for a moment, he turned towards the person beside him and asked, "Brother, who is that?"
"What?" That person paused for a moment, his gaze left the mahjong table temporarily as he lifted his head for a glance. "Oh, that's Mi Le! He's a plane assistant, he often comes here to play."
"Is he very close to Shen Ying?"
"Of course, back when Little Ying was schooling, she came to the administrative committee with him and they studied together for a period of time. They could be considered… classmates!"
"Other than classmates, is there no other relation?"
That person was momentarily dazed before turning back to glance at him, then looked up at the two people on the side, his eyes narrowing into a slit. "Of course there is!" He said smilingly with a slightly cunning look. "Let me tell you, Mi Le was Little Ying's first love!"
"…" There was still such a thing! No wonder that manager who dragged Shen Ying to the materials room previously had that sort of expression.
Lonemoon was taken aback, looking at the desolate Chef again, he silently lit up a candle.
"He is your assistant?" Mi Le gave Chef a glance and surveyed him with some curiosity.
"Mm." Shen Ying nodded.
"I heard Sister Jing mentioned before that you're already a manager and you even have two assistants. I didn't expect you to already be a manager in such a short period of time, congratulations Little Ying." Shen Ying darted a look at him. "What's good about being a manager."
"How is it not? Weren't you always working very hard hoping to catch up with your sister back then? Now you've finally done it!"
"…" Shen Ying did not reply, only pausing for a while before saying. "I'm tired, I'm going back."
"Alright." The tenderness in his eyes grew deeper as he said with an even gentler smile, "Call me up anytime if you need anything in the future, you can also let me know in advance if you want to ask your sister about this, I'll cover you!"
Shen Ying stiffened for a second, then grinned at him, then said, emphasizing each word, "Thank you!"
"Heh heh…" His smile really affectionate. "With our relationship, what's there to be polite about?" Shen Ying then turned and walked away, after taking a few steps, she realized that her side was empty, Chef was rooted to the ground and did not follow. Hence she turned back again and called out, "Chef?"
Yi Qing was in a daze before he had a rude awakening and caught up quickly. "Master!"
"Let's go, we're going home." With that said, she turned back and looked towards the person holding a stack of white notes at the table. "Father Niu."
"Coming!" Lonemoon then stood up and said to everyone at the mahjong table with a bright smile. "Seniors, we will meet another day!"
Everyone's mouth twitched. The man who was scratching his foot earlier even blurted out, "It's better if we don't!"
If they continue losing, they would be paying right down to their underpants. "By the way, Brother." He could not help but ask, "Before you became a manager, what work did you do?" Superb with mahjong and even took advantage of the occasion to loan money.
"Nothing much, just operated a small company."
"Oh…"
"Then, accidentally became the richest man in the world."
The man: "…"
Everyone: "…"
They did not know whether to vocalize the curses they had in their heart!
—————— Divine Realm.
"Master, the pastries are done." Chef walked over and placed a plate of freshly made pastries on the table.
"Oh, Ch…" Shen Ying nodded, just as she was about to say something, she realized that Chef had already returned to the kitchen and was starting to cook with his spatula, only his eyes weren't on the pot, no one knew where he was looking at but he simply stared on for a long time.
Shen Ying cocked her head to the side and turned towards Lonemoon, asking, "Father Niu, what's wrong with Chef?"
Lonemoon faltered before following along her line of vision and taking a glance. "What's wrong? Isn't he fine?"
"He added salt three times to that spicy stir-fried pork."
"…" Lonemoon frowned, taking a closer look at the person in the kitchen, he questioned back, as if having recalled something. "What's wrong with him? Do you not know?"
"Am I supposed to know?"
"Are you not supposed to know?"
"… Are you a voice recorder?"
Chapter 562: An Old Flame
"By the way, how did your checking of the materials go?" Lonemoon thought for a moment and changed the topic.
"Didn't get anything." Shen Ying shook her head. She had searched the entire materials room of the administrative committee, there was absolutely nothing about the monitor. It seems like that title was something that Yu Heng formed out of his imagination.
"I also helped you asked those managers playing mahjong." Lonemoon darted a look at her and said, "None of them has heard of this term too."
"Oh." Shen Ying made a sound in response and continued to sprawl out in the chair like mud.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Nothing." "Are you not intending to continue searching on?" Lonemoon glared at her.
"There's nothing even in the materials room, who knows, it might just be that person spouting nonsense?"
You're just lazy, aren't you?
"Didn't you mention that this matter could be related to the changes in your body?"
"Mm, possibly." Shen Ying picked up a piece of pastry, stuffing it into her mouth, she instantly paused for a moment. Seconds after she placed it down again with a usual expression and said, "It's just a sense, but if there's nothing in the administrative committee, I can only ask my sister, she has seen a lot of managers."
"Then ask her!" Lonemoon responded with some anxiousness. "This matter is related to your health, regardless of how scared you are of your sister, you must get to the bottom of it." Shen Ying turned and gave him an inexplicable look, alongside a complicated expression.
"What?" Lonemoon felt his goosebumps rise up for some reason.
"Father Niu!" She suddenly sighed. "Now you and Chef are managers."
"Cut the crap, weren't you the one who pushed it to us?" Why was she mentioning this?
"Then do you remember why I came to this plane back then?"
"Of course it's to take charge of the pl…" He suddenly stopped midway as his eyes widened abruptly.
Shen Ying then continued, "I came over to take charge of this plane, but I'm no longer a manager now. Other people might not be able to tell, but my sister definitely can. So what do you think she would do after knowing that I am totally unrelated to this plane now?"
Catch her and bring her back! Absolutely, definitely, undoubtedly!
Lonemoon's expression darkened, with the extent of Shen Jing's sis-con, it was impossible that she would allow her to continue wandering around this place.
"This means… Not only can I not take the initiative to ask my sister, I must avoid appearing before her for now!" She explained in all seriousness, then her eyes squinted as she smoothly lifted the plate on the table and passed it over. "What do you think?"
"Mm." Lonemoon nodded, that made sense, his hand grabbed a piece of pastry. "Then these days we… Pui, damn! Why is this pastry sour?" His tooth was about to fall out!
Shen Ying immediately retracted her hand, feigning obliviousness. "Did Chef knock the bottle of vinegar over?" Lonemoon downed several cups of tea in a row before he quelled the sourness in his mouth. Turning to look towards the certain person who was still cooking in the kitchen, a thought suddenly came to his mind and he could not help but spoke up. "By the way, about your body, don't tell me you didn't tell Chef?"
"Mentioned a little, I didn't want to worry him so I didn't go into details." She looked down at the plate that was evidently below a certain person's cooking level.
"Since you know he would be worried, you should be even clearer about some other things." Lonemoon said, his words full of implication.
"Huh?" Shen Ying stared blankly back at him.
"What huh?" Lonemoon glared at her as he pushed the pastries on the table further away before saying with a solemn face. "Tell me honestly, what exactly is your relationship with that Mi Le?" "Who?"
"Stop pretending!" Lonemoon lifted his brows. "That fellow who waited for you in the materials room."
"Oh, you mean Flower?"
"…" What the hell Flower, would you die if you don't give people nicknames?
"Flower should be considered… my classmate."
"Just a classmate?" Lonemoon narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"If not?"
"I heard from the people from the committee that he…" Before he could finish, he suddenly heard a few beeps, his and Shen Ying's wristband lit up with a red light simultaneously, at the same time, the plane gate had signs of being activated.
He stood up abruptly. "Is it an intrusion?"
"No." Shen Ying explained and on this rare occasion, took the initiative to open the plane gate. "It's someone I called."
In the next second, a familiar-looking man walked out of the plane gate, looking all handsome in a suit. Lifting his head and looking towards Shen Ying, his lips immediately lifted into a smile, his entire being like the warm sun on a winter afternoon. "Little Ying, I'm here." It was the Mi Le that they had seen once outside the materials room.
Clang!
The sound of something being broken sounded from behind them. The three turned back instinctively and saw Chef standing at the entrance of the kitchen starting dazedly in their direction, a dish that had just been overturned by his feet. "Sorry, Master! I'll make another one." Chef hurriedly squatted down, slightly panicking as he wanted to pick up the broken pieces of the plate on the floor. He seemed to have been shocked himself, as he had actually forgotten to use his spells.
"Had he been too tired from cooking that his hand trembled? Shen Ying suddenly began to reflect on she'd been too hard on her worker. After some thought she immediately waved her hand, saying, "There's no need to cook anymore today, Chef, you come here too."
Yi Qing faltered, his eyes instantly dimming, but he still nodded obediently. "Yes, Master."
"Are these two your assistants?" Mi Le looked curiously at Lonemoon and Yi Qing.
"Mm." Shen Ying nodded and continued, "Alright, let's talk business."
"Little Ying…" Mi Le's gaze dulled, he said in a slightly sad tone, "I avoided so many people and so anxiously rushed here to help you. And you're not even showing me any concern, you didn't treat me like this in the past."
"Oh." Shen Ying darted a look at him. "You want me to show you concern?"
MI Le's stiffened then recovered immediately. He said with an exceedingly gentle smile, "Sure, sure, sure, anything you say! Whose fault is it that you are my only classmate, when I have made you upset before? But for safety's sake, at least three!"
"One!" Shen Ying retorted directly.
"Two and a half!"
"One!"
"Two!" "Two and a half!"
"One!"
"Alright, deal!"
Mi Le: "…"
The corner of his lips twitched as he sighed after a moment and said with a resigned look. "How have I treated you all these years? Are you still not clear? I only have such a small wish, can't you give in to me just once?"
"No!"
Mi Le panicked and took a step forward, dropped to one knee and grabbed Shen Ying's hand. "Little Ying…"
Before he could finish, Lonemoon and Yi Qing beside them were at the same time.
"Hold on…" Lonemoon could not help but spoke up and interrupted, while Chef directly pulled Shen Ying into his arms. "Why am I getting more confused the more I listen on, what are you two doing? Acting in a drama?" The kind with an infatuated male lead.
"Huh? You two are…" Instead, Mi Le was stunned. "Has Little Ying not told you about us? We are…"
"Alright!" Shen Ying glanced at him and cut him short. "Say it, what problem do you have now? How do you want me to help you?"
Chapter 563: Chef's Worries
"I knew you still cared about me." Mi Le instantly beamed like a sunflower, his smile even brighter now. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a square box and placed it on the table, a blue light lit up above it in the next second, a 3D image instantly appeared on the table. It was a massive rainbow colored vortex, looking like the galaxy, but even messier, changing at all times.
Shen Ying frowned. "Furthest end of the void?"
"That's right." Mi Le nodded, a trace of nostalgia flashed across his eyes. "I still remember this was where we trained for the first time?"
"What is the furthest end of the void?" Lonemoon could not help but ask.
"It is a blended plane in the void." Mi Le said.
"Void?" Isn't there nothing in the void? Why would there still be a plane? "This place is different from a regular void." He explained with a smile, "When a plane is moving towards termination, in theory it is being swallowed up by the chaos. And this place had created a void while the plane was disintegrating, so it achieved a balance with the chaos and instead stabilized the plane. But the former living beings of the plane had already died out. As such, many living beings of collapsed planes who have nowhere to go can only attach themselves to this place.
He sighed and continued, seeming like he had recalled something. "And because of that, this place is mixed with people from various planes, besides without rules and regulations, it is extremely disorderly."
Lonemoon nodded then, there still existed such a complicated place. "Why do want us to go to this place?"
He lifted a hand and passed it over the image, the entire image changed at once, instantly zooming into an especially bright- colored spot on the right. He then explained, "It's like this, the last time I passed by this place, I happened to encounter a plane storm and accidentally dropped an item. After a test, my approximate calculation showed that it's most likely in this area." He pointed to that colored image and said, "I've looked into it, this piece of lost land has many similarities compared to you immortal spirit plane. That thing is of great importance to me, that's why I wanted to ask Little Ying to help me find it."
"What exactly did you lose?" Lonemoon continued to question.
Mi Le's expression grew slightly graver as he adjusted the image on the table again. The image flipped at once, a smooth and round, colorfully spotted…
"Egg?!" Lonemoon was stunned, they were going all that way to find an egg!
Instead, Shen Ying's expression darkened. "This is… a spirit source?"
"Little Ying is still the smartest!" Mi Le's smile instantly became even brighter. "You figured it out at one look." "…" The corner of Shen Ying's lips twitched, he could even lose a spirit source. "Why didn't you just throw yourself away?"
"It was an accident!" Mi Le chuckled, embarrassed. "Our plane finally bred a spirit source, without it, living beings are unable to be born. If it isn't because I really cannot get away recently, I will never bear for Little Ying to…"
"Alright, I'll go!" Shen Ying cut him off directly.
"Then I shall count on Little Ying." His gaze grew gentler, at the thought of something, he added, "The furthest end of the void is exceedingly dangerous, Little Ying you must be careful, I will be awaiting your return."
"Mm, you can leave now." Shen Ying waved her hand.
Longing was written all over Mi Le's face. "Chasing me away so quickly? Anyhow we haven't seen each other in such a long time, I was always thinking about you?" Shen Ying did not reply, only stared right at him and responding with unclear intentions moments after. "Oh?"
The smile on Mi Le's face froze for a second. He then stood up, now wearing an expression of "I can't do anything to you" as he said, "Alright, alright, I shall take my leave." With that said, he looked back with each step he took towards the plane gate, not forgetting to leave behind a sentence "I will miss you" before completely disappearing from the divine realm.
Lonemoon glanced in the direction where he disappeared and turned back to survey Shen Ying who looked deep in thought, there… was something going on!
"Master, you really want to go to the furthest end of the void." Yi Qing could not help but ask.
"Mm." Shen Ying nodded. "It's not a difficult task." Back when she was working, she'd already been there many times.
Yi Qing was stupefied, fisting the hands by his sides, hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not say anything. "So rare to see you being so helpful." Lonemoon also commented with slight surprise. "You're starting to take the initiative to help, why didn't I see you being this diligent in the past?" Indeed, a classmate is simply different.
"Huh?" Shen Ying was confused and asked with a serious look, "Was I not diligent in the past?"
"Don't you feel ashamed asking such a question?" When have you ever been diligent?"
Shen Ying: "…"
"Alright, when are we leaving?"
Shen Ying thought for a while before replying, "Tomorrow?"
So urgent? Sure enough, she was still concerned and attentive about it! Lonemoon turned back and looked at Chef who seemed out of it, his eyes dimmed and he sighed. "Tomorrow it shall be then! Chef, come! We'll go talk about the problem with our food allowance." As he spoke, he put an arm around his shoulder and walked with him towards the kitchen.
Yi Qing lifted his head and glanced but him but did not talk and only walked into the kitchen, quietly pulled out ingredients and busied himself. His gaze was still slightly dazed, perhaps worried, but also seemed to be uncertain.
"Alright, alright, I know you don't feel good inside when you see that person!" Lonemoon sighed and could not help but urge.
"…"
"But look at Shen Ying, she definitely has no interest in him." He patted his shoulder and said, "Let me tell, it's completely unnecessary for you to worry about these. Isn't he just an ex boyfriend, it's all in the past. As long as the one Shen Ying likes now is you, it's all good." "Past?" The carrot in Chef's hand dropped to the ground with a thud as he turned back to look towards him. "Master and him… still have a past!"
"Um…" Did he not know?
Lonemoon's heart sank, had he screwed something up?
——————
Late into the night.
"Chef…"
"Ma-ster."
"Did I not close my windows tonight?" "No."
"Oh, then it's because I wore too little clothes in the day?"
"No."
"Could it be that you came up with a new dish today and want to let me try it?"
"It's not."
"Then it must be that Father Niu deducted our food allowance again?"
"He hasn't."
"Oh." Shen Ying inhaled deeply before asking, "Then can you please explain, what do you mean by not going to bed and sitting on my roof in the middle of the night?" Yi Qing hesitated for a moment, gradually lowering his head and only speaking up moments later, but his voice was so low that he almost couldn't be heard, even vaguely coupled with grievance. "I was afraid of disrupting Master's sleep, so… I decided to stay further away."
"…" So you think that staring while lying on the roof, isn't a disruption? He'd even climbed up there right in front of her!
Shen Ying sighed and gestured towards him. "Come down first."
He moved reflexively, then something came to his mind and he sat back again and shook his head.
"I'll just look at Master from here."
Chapter 564: Preparing to Set Off
Shen Ying faltered, he was rarely so disobedient, she asked subconsciously, "Why?"
His eyes dimmed, opening his mouth, seeming like he wanted to explain something, he still shook his head and said after a moment. "No reason? I just… just wanted to look at Master."
What kind of reason was this? Shen Ying's mouth twitched, her eyes circled around as a thought flashed in her mind, she looked up at the person up high and said solemnly, "Chef, you standing looks rather scary, I can't sleep, why don't you change a spot?"
Yi Qing faltered as a hint of guilt flashed through his eyes. "Then where should I stand."
"Get down first, I'll tell you." Supper sent right to her door, there was no reason to not eat it.
He hesitated for a moment before nodding obediently. "Alright." Then jumped down from the beam.
"Come here first." Shen Ying beckoned to him. "Here, here, yes, a little closer!"
He walked all the way to her bedside, as a trace of doubt shot through his eyes. "Master, isn't it…"
Before he could finish, Shen Ying suddenly reached out and pulled, Yi Qing only felt himself lowering down, with a flip, he was held down on the bed. In the next moment, he felt a warmth near his lips and a softness was on his, alongside an aura that he yearned so deeply. His eyes widened abruptly as he felt a bang go off in his mind and he went blank instantly.
Until he felt a coolness on his chest, alongside the sound of ripping, did it seemed like he finally found his voice. "Mas… Master…"
"Shut up!" Shen Ying started to kiss him again, effectively silencing him while her hands worked faster on ripping his clothes. In any case, she must have her meat tonight. Yi Qing only felt his mind become even hazier, as if he was in an illusion, but it was the most beautiful one, making him want to revel in it even more, never wanting to wake up. The hand he had just lifted paused for a moment, then unconsciously wrapped around the person before him.
The night that was slightly cooling, suddenly started to turn scorching hot, the entire room a wonderful sight.
Shen Ying felt that Chef was great in all aspects, just a little too talkative. Throughout the entire night, with the exception of being completely stunned at the start, subsequently the self- taught man was already controlling the rhythm, a genius learner indeed, he could learn just by analogy. The action did not stop throughout the night, neither did his mouth, as if he was trying to confirm something, he repeatedly called her while asking all sorts of questions.
"Master… Master, Master…"
"Mm." "Master… Master do you like this?"
"Mm."
"Master, would you say that you like me? Just this one sentence."
"You like me."
"… Not like this, it's Master likes me!"
"Master likes me."
"…"
A while later…
"I like Master… a lot, a lot, I only like Master, only Master! So… would you only like me too?"
"… Alright."
"Say that again."
"Alright."
"Master…"
"Shut up! Focus."
"…"
——————
When Lonemoon woke up, he miraculously found that Chef was already in the kitchen. Not only so, there was already a table full of a steaming hot breakfast. It seemed like he had woken up very early to bustle about.
He experimentally picked up a bun and took a small bite.
Huh? It's not sour anymore! Soft, sweet, fragrant and delicious, it seemed even tastier than before. Had Chef come round? Or had he gone crazy from being overly agitated?
He poked his head out and peeked into the kitchen with a suspicious look but found that Chef was placing dishes of cooked food into the storage bag, and the kitchen table was covered with levels of dishes, each was meticulously kept fresh using an array formation.
"Chef, you're…" He could not help but spoke up.
"Isn't Master going out?" Chef turned back and glanced at him before saying. "We have not gone to that place before, I'm preparing some food in advance, in case we can't find any then." He replied with an expression like it was only natural and right. Lonemoon's expression became even more complicated, had he gone mad? It's certainly so, only yesterday he was looking so down, and suddenly he's completely fine today?
As a parent, Lonemoon felt that there was a need for him to be concerned about the mental health of his children. "I say Chef…"
He was about to ask when the creaking sound of a door opening sounded from not far out. Yi Qing faltered for a moment before putting away all the dishes with a wave of his hand and walked out, quickly going towards the direction where the door opened.
Shen Ying walked out of the room rubbing her eyes, still the same lazy manner, even seeming lazier than before, her steps unstable like she was stepping on clouds, she looked like she hadn't slept the entire night.
"Master." Chef went forward.
"Mm." Shen Ying lifted her head for a look, then simply crashed headfirst into the arms of the person before her, leaning on Chef like a pile of mud, rubbing her eyes while yawning.
Chef was stunned for a moment before habitually supporting the person that was about to sprawl to the floor anytime. Holding her in his arms carefully, it was as if something soft spilled out of his eyes and wrapped closely around the person in front of him.
"Master, breakfast is ready, would you go wash up first."
"Mm."
Shen Ying made a sound in response but still lounged around, not moving, Chef did not move either. The two just quietly held each other in front of the room.
Lonemoon: "…"
Lonemoon surveyed them both with suspicion, was this a misconception? Though such a sight was a common thing in the past, he somehow felt that there was something off with the two of them today? It was like a special aura was between them both. He racked his brains for a long time but did not come to anything.
"Hey, you two!" He really could not hold back and said, "Stop being sluggish, didn't we set on going to the furthest end of the void this morning? It's almost afternoon now."
Shen Ying gave him a glance, before standing slightly straighter and walked off to go wash up. Instead, Chef looked towards him with some dislike in his gaze.
"Why are you looking at me?" Lonemoon was confused, had he said anything wrong?
Chef did not reply, only turning away and caught up with Shen Ying, following behind her to bring her water and towel.
Problematic! He turned back and sat at the table, just after he ate two buns, the two people returned. He hurriedly increased his speed and stuffed another two into his buff. Once she was at the table, Shen Ying immediately came back to life on the spot, rousing her spirits as she began to fight him for food. Lonemoon could have won, but Chef also joined in, snatching quite a few dumplings from him and passing them to Shen Ying.
Although such a thing happened quite often in the past, for some reason, Lonemoon felt that there was something different. Perhaps his gaze when he looked at Shen Ying was too gentle and so focused that everything else did not exist.
That odd feeling rose up again. Lonemoon felt goosebumps rise all over his body for no reason. Just as they were about done, Chef instinctively raised a hand and wiped the corners of Shen Ying's mouth. The two of them were so close that they were about to become one, a disgustingly sweet atmosphere seemed to surround them. Lonemoon then belatedly realized, what aura this was.
Damn it, go to hell with your romantic show-off!
Chapter 565: Meeting a Demon On The Way
"Hey, that's enough." Lonemoon glared at the two of them, stop abusing the single man. "Displaying affection early in the morning, what exactly did you two do last night?"
He was just casually asking a question, Shen Ying did not really react but Chef's face became flushed at once as he stood up instantly. He tried to conceal himself but his loud voice and stutter only exposed him. "No! Nothing! We did not do anything at night… This concerns Master's reputation, Father Niu! Don't… don't spout nonsense."
Lonemoon: "…"
Shen Ying: "…"
Lonemoon's eyes narrowed, turning towards Shen Ying with an enlightened expression, giving her a look that warned her to come clean. Unfortunately, the experienced lady opposite him was extremely steady as she calmly took the last bun from right under his nose and stuffed everything into her mouth in a few bites.
Then she stood up and grabbed Chef who looked so red that he seemed like he was about to explode. "Let's go, we're setting off!"
Lonemoon stood up and followed but saw the affection between them grow stronger. Shen Ying was still fine, but another blushing person who was being held there had pink bubbles all around him. His gaze never left Shen Ying, filled with joy, happiness and shyness?
Huh… something seems to be reversed somewhere?
Lonemoon became even more curious and nudge Shen Ying. "Hey, what's with Chef?"
Shen Ying darted a look at him and opened her mouth but only left one sentence. "You wouldn't know even if I tell you."
"Why would I not know, looking down on the single man, huh!"
"Yeah, looking down on you."
"Scram." Lonemoon gave her a glare. "You don't know how popular I am! The girls that like me can fill up several streets, do you believe that I can prove it to you two anytime."
"…" Why did it feel like they've heard the voice of jinxing.
—————
Shen Ying gave them some knowledge of spirit seeds in advance. In conclusion, spirit seeds was equivalent to the original source in their plane, it was what was used to create living beings of the plane. Only the form of existence of the original sources of every plane was different. The original source of Mi Le's plane was obviously an egg, so what he said was right, it was indeed something of great importance to him.
So they did not delay further, spending sometime after breakfast to locate the position of the furthest end of the void, they then rushed over immediately. The moment they crossed the plane gate, they sensed a mixed, indiscriminate aura rush towards them. This aura was very weird, it contained Spirit Qi, Immortal Qi, divine power and more, and had some unknown energy all mixed together.
This was certainly a place that had a fusion of living beings from many planes, even it's aura was so messy. This being their first time coming into contact with such a disorderly aura, they were all involuntarily stunned, but they suddenly heard a call for help in the next second.
"Help! "Help… I beg you all, please let me off!"
"Go on and shout! Shout as much as you want! Even if you shout till your throat breaks, there won't be anyone who would come save you."
The three of them: "…"
What the heck was this outdated lousy line. They saw in a bush not too far out on their right, were the faint figures of three males and a female. The three males all wore ferocious looks and were even armed with weapons. The only female laid on the ground, dressed in rags, tear stains covered her face as she looked at the few people before her in terror.
The slightly slimmer one amongst the three took a step forward with a lustful smile.
"Girl, just be good and submit to us? As long as you are obedient, we promise you a good life from now on."
"That's right!" Another man also said, "Don't worry, the three of us will definitely treat you well."
"Yeah, you're a girl, why hold on so bitterly? My heart aches just by looking at you, let me dote on you properly!"
With that said, the trio moved forward to grab her, the girl had no place to retreat to and screamed out loud again, tears washing down her face. Lonemoon frowned and shouted out, unable to stay quiet anymore. "Stop!"
He walked over on quick steps, conjuring a spell at the same time. A strong gust of wind swept towards the trio, instantly pushing them back by a few meters. Turning and glancing at the shabbily dressed girl, he still pulled out a piece of clothing from the storage bag after some thought and threw it over.
The girl was momentarily dazed before coming around, hurriedly picking up the clothing and wrapping it around herself, looking at the person before her with gratitude and worry.
"In broad daylight, why are you three putting such a lady on the spot?" He asked in a low voice.
"Where did this mongrel demon come from, how dare you interfere in my business." The tall and slim one gave Lonemoon a harsh glare, even raising the sword in his hand in threat.
"That's right." The other more muscular one said, "This b*tch owes us money and is not returning it, it's only right that we take her in payment. If you know your place, then get out of my way."
"No… it's not like this!" The girl on the ground become anxious and grabbed onto the corner of Lonemoon's sleeve in two steps. "They lied to me, I totally don't know them. I don't owe them anything at all, I was abducted by them when I was passing by here."
"B*tch, you refuse to return money your owe and still dare to deny it!" The tall and slim one shouted loudly, frightening the girl so that she trembled and shrank even more behind Lonemoon.
Lonemoon frowned, sweeping his gaze across the three people before him, he said, "Since you three claim that she owes you money, why don't you bring out the proof of loan, how about that?"
The trio was stupefied, a hint of guilt showed on their faces, yet they still argued, "We… We came out very hurriedly today, we didn't bring it!" "Oh?" Lonemoon laughed coldly. "This is still my very first time hearing someone say he did not bring the proof of loan when paying a special visit to demand repayment."
"You…" The person was flustered exasperated. With a change in his gaze, he stopped pretending and sneered coldly, saying, "Punk, I'm warning you. I am a spirit from Enchanting Spirit City, if you dare to provoke us, you won't be able to bear the consequences,"
"Spirits?" Lonemoon's mouth twitched as he surveyed the opposite parties, all sorts of beautiful images flashed through his mind as he instantly had a feeling of being disillusioned. Turning his head, he looked towards Shen Ying who was behind him, is he for real? Did elves really exist in this place? And they even look like this? What happened to their specialties of sharp ears and the beauty filter like appearance that they came with?
Shen Ying also wore a confused look as she shook her head, she'd never been to this area.
Seeing that they already had some qualms, the trio instantly smiled even more cockily. "Hmph, you all look like demons that came from some unknown village, I'm not afraid of telling you honestly, the three of us aren't people that you can afford to provoke." He pointed to the muscular man on his left and said, "My brother here is a Tiger Gremlin with a thousand years of cultivation."
Lonemoon faltered before coming to the realization that he had meant spirits as in gremlins? Not elves from the Western mythology.
The other party then pointed to the other male on his right and said, "This brother here is a Deer Gremlin with 800 years of cultivation."
"As for me!" He sneered, straightened his back and said, loud and proud, "I have two thousand years of cultivation under my belt, and about to ascend into immortality, a Chicken Gremlin[1]!"
The three of them: "…"
Silence fell on scene. Pui…
[1] Term in Chinese can also mean chicken essence or seasoning.
Chapter 566: Lonemoon Rescues the Beauty
The few of them almost lost control and burst out in laughter. With all their willpower, they suppressed the urge to laugh. Nevertheless, their trembling shoulders gave them away.
A moment later, they replied, "So you're Chicken Gremlin[1]! We're sorry, we're sorry! Our chef has long known of your good reputation."
The other party scanned them from head to toe, as if unsatisfied with their response. "What kind of gremlins are you guys then? Report immediately."
"How are you, Chicken Gremlin? I'm Taste Gremlin!" Shen Ying waved her hand.
Chicken Gremlin paused. What kind of gremlin was Taste Gremlin? He had never heard of something like that before, yet he thought it would be disrespectful to clarify. Thus, he turned to Chef in the middle. "And you?" Chef paused. He answered, "I'm a human."
"Human Gremlin?"
"…"
"Hmph, you're indeed wild gremlins and strange creatures from the countryside." Chicken Gremlin had become even more contemptuous toward them by now. He finally turned to Lonemoon, who was still trying to stop laughing. "And you! What are you!"
Lonemoon sucked in a deep breath and faced Chicken Gremlin. He turned the fan in his hands and smiled, "I'm no gremlin or creature, I'm… a god!"
Chicken Gremlin hesitated, then said, "You're a God Gremlin[2]!"
Lonemoon: "…" #What an absolute failure#
Crazy your ass!
You're the crazy one! Your entire family is crazy! Where the hell did he come up with a phrase like god gremlin?
"Pu pu pu…"
"No laughing!" Lonemoon turned to glare at the master and disciple duo. Do you believe I would dock your allowance?
Lonemoon pursed his lips. He lost interest in messing around with the three of them any longer. "Forget it, let's take action!" He waved the fan in his hands and caused several wind blades to shoot out at them.
Before they could react, they were blown backwards so that they disappeared out of sight immediately. It was only then that Lonemoon turned to the shocked lady beside him. "Lady, are you alright?"
The girl paused. It was a long while later before she finally reacted. Her eyes began to well up. "Thank you… Thank you, benefactors, for helping me. I am eternally grateful!" She kowtowed toward the three of them.
"Lady, please don't stand on ceremony." Lonemoon quickly helped her back on her feet. "It was not much trouble at all."
The girl held onto Lonemoon's arm and stood up. She finally stopped crying. A moment later, as if realizing that they were standing at an inappropriate distance, she took one step back. Then, she looked up into Lonemoon's eyes, before quickly averting her gaze. Her face flushed red as she pulled the outer robe around her even tighter. Perhaps she recalled that Lonemoon had handed her the outer robe - her face turned an even deeper red.
"Lady, this is the wilderness. I don't think it's appropriate for you to remain on your own," Lonemoon suggested. "We have nothing urgent to tend to at the moment. If you don't mind, why don't you let us send you home?" The girl seemed overjoyed. She turned to Lonemoon with bright eyes as she nodded eagerly. "Thank you Sir God Gremlin, Sir Human Gremlin and Lady Taste Gremlin."
Taste Gremlin Shen Ying: "…"
Human Gremlin Yi QIng: "…"
God Gremlin Lonemoon: "…"
Could she just let the joke go?
The girl's surname was Chu, and she went by Tao. Chutao lived in a mystic spiritual realm just one kilometer away from where they were. Her misadventures this time had caused her to meet with the three robbers. Lonemoon found out more about the situation in the area by making small talk with her. Most of the people in this mystic spiritual realm were from Elf Country. The people inside had all been cultivating as gremlins for several years. The gremlins were quite similar to the demons that they had back in their own plane. The only difference was these gremlins did not consume people, nor did they have any demonic Qi around their bodies. The three of them walked Chutao all the way back to her city, to the doorstep of a very big bungalow. Lonemoon was slightly shocked. He did not think that the person they casually rescued belonged to such a rich family in the city.
The moment Chu Tao arrived, more than ten servants came forward to welcome her home.
"Lady Chu, take care. We will not send you any further." Lonemoon cupped his fists and said his goodbyes.
Chutao turned around and looked at him for a long time, as if she could not bear to see him go. "Wait!" She called out instinctively.
"Lady Chu, what's the matter? Lonemoon asked politely.
"You… do you all want to come in for a cup of tea and some rest?" Although she sounded like she was addressing the three of them, she looked only at Lonemoon. She was blushing one again and she looked extremely shy.
"There'll be no need for that. We still have matters to attend to. We shall not bother you anymore," Lonemoon turned her down politely.
"But…" The girl was getting more anxious now. She took two steps toward them and looked at the group, as if suddenly recalling something. "It's getting late. Why not the few of you stay at my place tonight and continue on your journey tomorrow?" Seeing that they were hesitating, she added, "You saved me earlier. Just take it as me returning the favor?"
Lonemoon tightened his grip on the fan in his hand. He thought of something and nodded. "Thank you then, Lady."
Chutao was obviously overjoyed. She bounced backward and said, "Please, Sir God Gremlin! Please follow me as well, Sir and Lady." "…" Lonemoon hesitted. What the hell was freaking "Sir God Gremlin!"
"Actually, I'm Lonemoon!" He clarified in a low voice.
Chutao hesitated. She did not know what to think, but her face turned a deeper red once again. She looked down, as if looking for a place to hide her face. "Sir… Sir Lonemoon! This way, please!" She led them into the house.
She instructed the servants to serve the guests well, then returned to her room to get changed.
The master and disciple duo: "…"
Their eyes had narrowed into slits. They both turned to look at a certain dog-like playboy.
"What are you looking at?!" Lonemoon glared at them. "Father Niu, I didn't know you were this good at wooing girls?"
"Who's wooing girls?" He poured himself a cup of tea and handed one to Shen Ying out of habit. "I'm only staying here because it'll be a good way to find out more about the spirit seed."
"Oh~" The both of them said together.
"Stop this nonsense about wooing girls!" He glared at them once again. "What's more, there are too many people who have fallen for me. I can't do anything about that!"
"Do you like this Chu girl?" Shen Ying leaned in closer and whispered.
"What nonsense are you uttering? Of course not!"
"Then you're staying…" If he wanted to find out more about the spirit seed, he could do so anywhere else as well! Lonemoon looked at them as if they were retarded. "Rubbish. This is only our first day here. We have nothing on us and we don't even know what currency they use over here. If we don't stay here on the pretext of her repaying us for our kindness, where else can we go? Do you expect us to sleep on the streets?
Shen Ying: "…"
Yi Qing: "…"
That's logical - the peasants had nothing to say in reply!
The few of them did not stay in the living room for long. After an hour, Chutao returned. She changed into a long pink robe, which made her look much more elegant than she did before. It was obvious that she had put in much thought in her dressing. She also had an exquisite hairpin in her hair, A soft tassel hung from the hairpin and swayed with each step that Chutao took. Under the soft glow of the evening sun, Chu Tao looked exceptionally beautiful.
"I've kept you all waiting." Chu Tao bowed respectfully to the three of them,
"Don't stand on ceremony, Lady Chu Tao," Lonemoon replied with a wide grin. Lonemoon was in business mode now. He said all sorts of pleasantries to Chu Tao, so that her gaze became softer and gentler.
[1] Sounds similar to Chicken Essence in Mandarin
[2] The same pronunciation as "Crazy" in Mandarin.
Chapter 567: Father Niu Goes Missing
Lonemoon was almost done with his small talk. As if suddenly recalling something, he said, "Oh, that's right, Lady Chu. You're a local. I think you must be better informed than we are. We happen to have something we're unsure about and we would really appreciate if you could help us with it?"
"What's it about?" Chu Tao asked after pondering for a moment. "Sir Lonemoon, please don't worry. I am indebted to you. If there's anything I can do to help you, I will definitely do all that I can."
"It's nothing especially important or urgent either," Lonemoon answered politely, smiling. He paused to think about how to ask about the spirit seed in a way that would not sound suspicious.
That was when Shen Ying beside him suddenly pulled out the image that spirit seed left behind the last time. A colourful egg- shaped image bounced up. "We're looking for this. Have you seen it around?"
"Heh heh…" Lonemoon was so shocked by Shen Ying that he choked on his own saliva. He turned to glare at Shen Ying. Why the hell did you raise that so quickly? Wasn't the spirit seed a very important thing?
"Well…" Chu Tao took two steps forward to take a closer look. Something flashed across her eyes but she suppressed it immediately. Smiling, she replied, "I haven't seen an egg like this before. I'm sorry I cannot be of much help to you."
"Oh." Shen Ying stored the image back in her bag.
Chu Tao continued to entertain them politely. Due to the time difference, the sky darkened a bit earlier. After treating them to a sumptuous dinner, she unwillingly instructed her servants to lead the guests to their respective rooms.
"Shen Ying, why did you take the spirit seed out?" Lonemoon pulled her aside and questioned her the moment they entered the guest room. How could she draw so much attention to themselves with something as important as the spirit seed?
"This is nothing but a colourful egg. It's just how Mi Le decided to decorate it. It's not actually its true form," Shen Ying replied. "Apart from managers, other people would assume that this is nothing but a body of energy. They won't be able to see anything special about it."
So that explained things. Lonemoon heaved a sigh of relief. "In other words, we can look for it openly without having to worry that others might find out."
"Mm." Shen Ying nodded.
"You should have told me this earlier!" Lonemoon suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. This made things much easier. "Alright, we will go around and ask more about it tomorrow. Get some rest."
He opened a door, intending to return to his own house. Something popped into his mind. He turned around and said, "Oh right, be good and stay in this house. Don't turn around." They were not in their own plane. If they got lost, not only might they not be able to find each other, they might not even be able to return to their own planes. "Oh," Shen Ying answered. Seeing that Lonemoon and Chef were about to step out of the door, Shen Ying quickly added, "Don't worry, Chef will be here to watch me!" She reached out and pulled Chef back next to her.
Lonemoon glanced at Chef, then at Shen Ying. He nodded seriously. "Mm." Then, he turned and returned to his own room, not realising that Chef's face was now bright red.
——————
The next day.
Perhaps Chef took… good care of her the night before, Shen Ying was behaving extraordinarily well the next day. Although she did wake up a bit later, she did not get lost.
Yet…
"Where's Father Niu?!" The master and disciple duo looked at the empty room that looked like it had not been stayed in at all the previous. For a second, they were stumped. Did Father Niu finally set his mind to walking out on them forever?
"Master?" Chef's cheeks were still slightly flushed as he addressed his own master.
"Let's take a look around."
"Mm." Chef nodded. He released his divine perception to scan the surroundings, but did not sense that Father Niu was around anywhere. In fact, there was nobody else left in the house. Even the servants who had been standing by the entire night before as well as Lady Chu Tao were gone.
The two of them ran around the yard to take one final look, but could not find a single soul.
"What's going on?" Chef stopped to think. Although last night… Heh! He had been a bit distracted indeed, but they must have noticed everyone disappearing one by one. "What's that?" Shen Ying reached out and pointed to the left.
Chef walked closer to the thing and found that there was an oddly shaped leaf on the ground. It looked like a little green person. Using his divine perception to take a closer inspection, he found that there were remnants of a special aura in the leaf. It was spirit Qi.
He frowned and caused a gust of spirit Qi to travel toward the leaf. Immediately, it became larger and took on the form of a human. It was now a little demon dressed in green robes. The little demon looked around, confused. "Where am I?"
Chef jumped. He rushed forward and caught the little demon, then felt its meridians. Yi Qing found that this little demon's spirit Qi was weak, and it had just become a gremlin. All it needed was a little spirit Qi from Yi Qing before it could turn into a gremlin. That was strange. From the looks of it, this gremlin would not be able to remain this way for a long time. Instead, once its spirit Qi dissipated the next day, it would likely turn back into a little leaf.
"Master, the servants we saw in the yard yesterday might all have been just like this gremlin." Perhaps that was why they all disappeared. It looked like they just returned to their true form. What's more, they already knew that this place was filled with gremlins, yet they did not take a closer look at their source. The only one who was not a gremlin was that Lady Chu Tao. "I think the woman we met yesterday took Father Niu away."
But Father Niu's cultivation level was not low. How could he have been taken away so easily and so quietly?
"Oh." Shen Ying nodded.
"Master, I think we should make a trip down to the city to look for the three robbers we met yesterday. Maybe we can find out more about this lady." If she had really taken Father Niu away, then her being robbed was just a show. For all they knew, she set it up on purpose. But for what?
Shen Ying had no objections. With that, both of them packed up and left the bungalow. They entered the city and asked around, but they found no clues. Instead, they learned that the bungalow they stayed in yesterday was normally rented out to others, and the owner of the bungalow was from Ling Yi City. That meant that the people living in the bungalow frequently changed. No matter how hard Shen Ying and Yi Qing tried, they could not locate the three gremlins they met the day before.
It was almost as if someone had cut off all traces of their activity. In the face of this difficulty, Shen Ying and Yi Qing decided - they would eat before they continued.
They knew that Father Niu was different from ordinary people. There was no need for them to worry about him. What's more, given his cultivation level, he would not be hurt by demons, no matter how strong they were. In fact, when it came to things like finding people, Father Niu was a professional.
Thus, when the master and disciple had finished asking everybody in the city and had realised that they could no longer track Father Niu down, they made the wise decision to wait until Father Niu found them. They would wait for their father to pick them up. The two of them returned to the empty bungalow and stayed for a couple of days more.
Since Chef was naturally good at saving food, they did not have to worry about their meals either. That was up until a few days later, when the owner of the bungalow came to take the bungalow back. Then, they had no choice but to stop waiting for Father Niu to come around and pick them up. "Master, I've asked around. The people here don't use spirit stones, immortal stones or even silver for their currency." Yi Qing looked at Shen Ying guiltily. He really knew nothing about earning money. "We have nowhere to stay tonight, and there's still no news of Father Niu in the city. Why not…" We go around to look for him ? We've already lost him for several days anyway.
Chapter 568: Empress Tao Chu
"Oh," Shen Ying answered lazily. Yet, she made no move to get up. Shen Ying turned to face Yi QIng, then paused. "Eh? What did you call me earlier?"
"Master?"
"No, I thought I heard Father Niu's voice," Shen Ying answered.
Chef paused. He released his divine perception once again, but did not find any trace of Father Niu. Just as he was about to ask, he heard a familiar voice. "Cheater Shen, Chef! Do you hear me?" The voice was extremely soft, but it sounded very close by.
Yi Qing seemed to recall something. He opened his storage bag and pulled out the transmission amulet that he had carried around with him for years. Indeed, that was where the voice was coming from.
"Father Niu?" "Nonsense! Where the hell have the two of you been? Quick, come and save me!" Father Niu's voice was breaking up, but they could hear his desperate tone. "I'm telling you, that… is… perverted! I'm not in the same city anymore, now listen-"
Then, the connection was lost. The transmission amulet was still lit, but they could no longer hear Father Niu's voice through it.
"Eh?" Yi Qing was still listening. "Father Niu… Lonemoon?"
Chef called out for a long time, but Lonemoon's voice did not come through the transmission amulet anymore. A moment later, the transmission amulet dimmed down. Even the light was gone.
What was going on?
Yi Qing's heart sank. Father Niu seemed to be in big trouble this time. "Master, it looks like we cannot remain this way anymore. He must be stuck." "Mm, mm." Shen Ying continued gnawing on her fruit.
"But…" Yi Qing frowned. "Father Niu's sentences came in fractions earlier, and we have no way of figuring out exactly what he was saying. If those people meant to hide him, how would we know where he is?"
"I know!" Shen Ying suddenly exclaimed.
"Ah! Huh?" Yi Qing stared blankly at Shen Ying. "Master… you know?"
Shen Ying reached out and pointed toward something opposite from them. "Isn't it written here?"
Yi Qing turned and looked. There was a notice board right in front of them, with many people crowded around it. Huge words were written on the notice, and it looked like there was even some kind of sorcery done on it. One by one, the words flew out of the paper and flew in mid-air. They also came with a voice that read the words out to the entire city. [Special news: The Empress Tao Chu, will be holding a grand wedding in three days at her palace! She will be marrying a man of the God Gremlin race - Sir Lonemoon! Sir Lonemoon is heroic, brave, and extraordinarily righteous. He is indeed one of a kind in the world. The empress is pleased and is thus inviting all the gremlins of all the countries to come and witness this grand occasion where Sir Lonemoon will be crowned king! Long live the kingdom! Huge celebrations!]
Yi Qing: "…"
Shen Ying: "…"
Suddenly, they understood why Father Niu sounded so desperate.
This was considered… groom-napping? He had nobody to blame, since he set up his flags all over the place for no good reason!
"Master, what should we do?" Yi Qing turned to Shen Ying with a dark expression. "What else can we do?" Shen Ying tried to dust the pastry crumbs off her hands, but failed to do so. Wiping her hands on Yi Qing's sleeves, she said, "We have to go and attend the wedding!"
"…" Father Niu would surely dock their pay if he heard what Master had just said.
Shen Ying really had not expected that a man like Father Niu, who had remained single for tens of thousands of years, would be able to captivate a woman the moment he decided to make the effort. It was indeed wrong of her to belittle his capabilities.
Now that Father Niu was getting married, as his family members, they had to be present. Thus, they found out the way to the empress' palace and quickly flew toward it.
The territory was huge and in quite a mess. From time to time, they would meet with spatial storms. Yet, they could not teleport in front of everyone. Thus, they had no choice but to summon their flying sword. Yi QIng was flying fast, but still it took them two whole days before they arrived at the empress' palace. From afar, they spotted a pink palace that looked very different from the ones they had seen before. This particular palace was situated atop a huge tree. That tree was a peach tree and was so big that it was covered a part of the sky. Its leaves stretched out toward the cities on the ground. There were also many peach blossoms on the tree, which fell down toward the cities continuously. It was almost like an endless rain of peach blossoms.
They had to say it - this was the most girly city they had ever seen. Things were really different with an empress around.
The two of them hopped off the flying sword and entered the city. There was no doubt about it - the palace atop the peach tree belonged to Empress Tao Chu. On hindsight, they realised that the name "Chu Tao" was too obvious. Only foreigners like them would have been tricked. Chef and Shen Ying guessed that Father Niu was being locked in the empress' palace on the tree.
Yi QIng immediately released his divine perception to sweep the entire palace, yet there was again no trace of Father Niu's presence.
"Master…" Yi Qing hesitated. "There seems to be some kind of strange sorcery around the empress' palace. It's preventing my divine perception from scanning inside."
"Mm." Shen Ying nodded and explained, "There are all kinds of living creatures from different planes in the void. It's normal for the system to reject your powers."
"Then what should we do? Should we just barge in?"
"There's no hurry." Shen Ying narrowed her eyes and looked suspicious. "We're his actual family members after all. I'm sure we can walk in openly." Shen Ying pointed to the entrance underneath the tree.
Yi Qing stared blankly at her, but obediently flew over to the entrance nevertheless. They stopped in front of the gremlin guarding the door.
"How dare you! Who dares to barge into the empress' palace!" More than ten guards suddenly joined them at the entrance of the palace. Yi Qing was just about to respond, when the head guard seemed to pause. He broke into a grin, stepped forward and cupped his fists. "So you're distinguished guests!" He waved at the guards behind him, gesturing for them to move aside and make way for Yi Qing and Shen Ying. "Distinguished guests, the Empress told us that you would be coming. That's why she instructed me to stand here and wait for your arrival. The Empress has been waiting for a long time. Please, follow me."
Yi Qing looked at him, surprised. He had thought that since the Empress waited for them to turn their backs before abducting Father Niu, that she would not want them to attend the wedding. Why did it look like she was totally unconcerned that they had come to rescue him?
"Master…" Yi Qing hesitated, unsure what to do.
"Let's go." Shen Ying followed the guard, unfazed.
Thus, Yi Qing followed the head guard and Shen Ying into the palace. They walked toward a huge hole in the tree. After going through several transportation arrays, they found themselves in a completely different place. Several minutes later, they arrived outside a pink main hall. Throughout their entire journey, they did not meet with any dangers at all. It was truly like the Empress welcomed them in her palace.
"Please, distinguished guests!" The head guard stopped at the door of the main hall. "The Empress is already inside."
Yi Qing became even more suspicious. He subconsciously grabbed Shen Ying's hand as they both entered together. The inside of the main hall looked very similar to the outside. There were thick layers of peach petals everywhere. On either side of the room, there were also strings of translucent wool hanging from the ceiling which swayed with the breeze. They felt like they were in a dreamland.
Chapter 569: Lonemoon's Wedding
"The two of you are finally here," said a familiar lady's voice. They looked up to see Tao Chu on the throne in the palace, still looking as beautiful as before. However, there was now a peach blossom image in the middle of her forehead. She was dressed in pink robes and was leaning into the arms of the man beside her. There was a certain demonic seduction about her.
The person whose arms she was leaning into was Lonemoon. He was gazing at her gently, focused on her features. He did not even notice the two people who just walked in.
"Father Niu?" Yi QIng called out.
It was then that Lonemoon turned to look at them. But without more, he turned back to face the woman in his arms, as if he could not bear to look away from her for too long.
"I thought the two of you would not be able to make it for our wedding." Tao Chu stood up and addressed the two of them joyfully. "It's a good thing that you made it." "Little Chu!" Lonemoon called out gently. He picked up the shawl draped on the backing of the throne Tao Chu was sitting in, then gently draped it over her shoulders. "Be careful that you don't catch a cold."
Tao Chu turned around and smiled at him. "Thank you, Sir."
"Don't thank me - if you catch a cold, it is my heart that will hurt."
Tao Chu gave him a seductive glance, then buried her face in his arms once again.
As the two of them put on this public display of affection, the master and disciple both shivered. Goosebumps were raised all over their bodies. Shen Ying could not help but rub her arms. So this is what it feels like to witness public displays of affection.
"The two of you…" Yi Qing studied them closer.
It was then that the both of them seemed to snap out of it. Tao Chu blushed and gave Lonemoon a deeply loving look. She said, "It's my fault. Before telling the both of you, Sir Lonemoon and I decided to get married and commit to each other for the rest of our lives. Tomorrow is our big day. Please be on time!"
Yi Qing looked at Lonemoon, startled. "Father Niu, do you really want to be her… king? You're not coming back with us?"
"Once the two of us get married, this place will be mine and Lonemoon's home," Tao Chu answered. "Of course, if the two of you don't mind, you can stay as well."
Yi Qing frowned and turned to Lonemoon, who was still gazing at Tao Chu lovingly. He asked, "If that's the case, why did the two of you suddenly disappear that night?"
"That's all my fault!" Tao Chu blushed. In a gentler tone, she said,"That night, I went to express my feelings to Sir Lonemoon. It was then that I found out that he felt the same way about me. I was so excited about this that I agreed to tie the knot with him immediately. Who knew that Sir… would be so anxious to get married as soon as possible. That's why the two of us rushed back to the palace that night without informing the both of you." That anxious? In other words, the two of them were eager to get married the moment they realised they had the same affections toward each other?
Yi Qing felt that something was amiss.
Tao Chu added, "The two of you have had a long journey. I've already prepared the accommodation for you both. You can go and take a rest. You're Sir Lonemoon's family and tomorrow's the wedding - you have to be there to witness it."
Once she finished speaking, she gestured at two of the palace servants to bring them to their room.
Shen Ying and Yi Qing could not find any excuse to remain any further. They took one last look at the couple who looked deeply in love. Yi Qing could not help but say, "Father Niu, if you're going to get married, what's going to happen to our allowance for next month?"
The two people behind paused. Something flashed across Tao Chu's eyes, but she suppressed it immediately. She smiled and said, "It'll carry on as before."
"Oh." Yi Qing turned and pulled Shen Ying next to him before the both of them followed the palace servants out the door. On the way to the guest rooms, Chef set up several isolation arrays. In a low voice, he said, "Master, Father Niu is under the control of the flower demon."
"That's right." Did he just find this out?"
"Then… we should go and save him as soon as possible, right?" Back in the hall, Father Niu did not even say one word to them. It was almost like he did not even recognise the two of them.
"There's no hurry," Shen Ying sniggered. "The wedding hasn't even happened yet." Let's wait for it to be done first..
"…"
Yi Qing frowned. He pondered for a long while before he said, "Master… if we sit by and take this entire thing as a joke, and we don't have a valid reason for doing so, Father Niu will really explode when he regains consciousness. What's more…" Yi Qing shook the bag in his hand. "We've already used up all the ingredients we had left in the last couple of days." There's nothing left in their storage.
"Er…" Shen Ying hesitated. She lowered her head and said, "What do you think about saying that we couldn't find a way to undo the spell she cast on him?"
Yi Qing paused. That did sound like a good point. With a serious expression, he said, "Master, you're right! This world is strange and very different from the world we're from. What they use for cultivation is neither immortal nor spirit Qi. What's more, there's no demonic Qi about them at all. If we take action, we might be able to save Father Niu, but we might not be able to undo the spell she cast on him to control him."
"…"
"I understand now, Master!" Shen Ying opened her mouth, paused, then patted Yi Qing on the shoulder. Very seriously, she said, "Mm. It's good that you know that." Her eyes brightened as she skipped the rest of the way. "Then after tomorrow… how do you think they'll consummate their marriage?" That's right, we have to prepare the Shadow Preserving Stones for tomorrow. We'll bring a couple more than usual."
"…" Was Master really taking Father Niu for a joke? She really was, wasn't she?
————
On that day.
Tao Chu was an empress after all - her wedding was a huge occasion. The entire palace was in a celebratory mood for the entire day. There were lanterns and decorations set up everywhere. Crowds were jostling about and there seemed to be more peach blossoms falling down on that day than usual.
When the auspicious hour arrived, they watched Lonemoon, dressed in red, walk in with Tao Chu, who was also dressed in red. Tao Chu had not lied - both Shen Ying and Yi Qing were seated right in front as witnesses of the occasion. Even the high- level gremlins were seated behind them.
After a long and confusing ceremony, the wedding was finally completed. Throughout the entire ceremony, Lonemoon was smiling genuinely and widely. He did not look at all like he was being forced into this. The way he looked at Tao Chu was gentle and loving. They looked exactly like a match made in heaven.
After they finished the wedding, they returned to their wedding room. The wedding banquet was to take place soon after. Since Tao Chu was the empress, she naturally had to entertain her guests. Thus, after leaving Lonemoon behind in the room, she left.
Yi Qing was seated at the main hall, but his divine perception followed the newly wedded couple closely. Thus, he saw the lonely Lonemoon seated alone in the wedding room, with that wide smile still on his face. He sat on the bed, staring into space. It was almost like he was in a trance.
"Master, should we…" Yi Qing told Shen Ying about the situation in the wedding room. He asked about what they should do next. If they acted now, they could have a chance of saving Father Niu.
"Is he awake?" Shen Ying asked.
"I don't think so." Yi Qing shook his head.
"Then there's no hurry. Let's wait for them to consummate their marriage!" Heh heh heh.
"Yes, Master." Yi Qing continued to keep an eye on the situation in the wedding room until the sky slowly darkened. The guests left the palace in huge groups, and Yi Qing and Shen Ying also took their leave.
Once they reached their own guest rooms, they turned right around and headed for the wedding room.
Chapter 570: Consummation Emergency
"Quick, quick, quick, the Shadow Preserving Stone, the Shadow Preserving Stone!" Shen Ying nudged Yi Qing.
It was then that Yi Qing retrieved two stones covered in arrays. He pondered for a moment before setting up an isolation array around the two of them. Then, he leaned into the window like his master to look into the house.
Father Niu was still seated on the bed, motionless. The smile had not relaxed one bit on his face. Suddenly, someone pushed open the door and stepped in. It was Tao Chu. She still had her red robes on. Lazily, she dragged her feet to the bed. Lonemoon finally moved. He got to his feet and took hold of Tao Chu's hand before leading her back to the bed.
"Hubby." Tao Chu leaned her forehead into Lonemoon's, then hugged him.
"Little Chu." Lonemoon looked deeply and affectionately into her eyes. "We're finally man and wife." Tao Chu blushed. she leaned in even closer and said seductively, "Am I the only one in your heart?"
"Of course," Lonemoon answered.
"Do you really love me?" Tao Chu confirmed.
"Yes."
"I don't believe you!" She suddenly stiffened and looked at him with a mixed expression on her face. A moment later, she said seriously, "Hubby, I want to hear your true thoughts." She dusted his sleeves, as if retracting something.
The next moment, Lonemoon's eyes seemed to clear up. He was no longer transfixed on Tao Chu. He blinked several times and stiffened. All the affection and love from before was completely gone. Instead, he rebounded backward and spat aggressively, "You're crazy!"
"Hubby, I genuinely want to spend the rest of this life with you," Tao Chu said pitifully. "As long as you agree to stay, I won't treat you like this anymore, alright?" Once she finished, she leaned in toward him.
"What are you trying to do?" Lonemoon's face drained of colour. He tried to jump out of her way. "Get away from me!"
Tao Chu grabbed him and pressed him down onto the bed.
She reached for his belt and tried to undo it.
Whoa, this is exciting! He was baited!
Shen Ying, who was leaning against the window, suddenly widened her eyes and pointed inside. "Chef, quick-"
"Yes, Master!" Before she could finish speaking, Chef burst through the door with a loud crash.
It was then that Shen Ying finished her sentence. "Quick… record this." But Chef was already pulling Tao Chu off of Lonemoon. He threw her outside the room without mercy.
"Holy shit, Chef, you're finally freaking here!" Lonemoon jumped off the bed and exclaimed angrily.
"What happened to you?" Chef looked at him and realised that there was a layer of dangerous aura around him which was restricting the immortal Qi in his body.
"I don't know what that pervert gave to me to eat either!" Lonemoon shouted. "I can't use any technique to undo it."
There was no time for Chef to study the aura. Tao Chu was already getting to her feet, with streaks of tears running down her cheeks. She turned and said in a male voice, "Hubby… how could you treat me this way?"
Wait! That was a male voice!
Yi Qing paused and took a closer look at the person who had just gotten up off the floor. Her form was changing before their eyes. Her arms expanded and she became taller. On her face, something was appearing… A beard!
This was a man!
Chef and Shen Ying, who had walked in at some point, both turned to look at Lonemoon, exclaiming at the same time, "Uh- oh…"
"What are you looking at?" Lonemoon shot a death glare at them. Why were they looking at him like this? "I'm only just finding out now that she would turn into a man at night! And… she's a peach blossom demon. Plants naturally have bisexual bodies!" He was not into things like that.
"Hubby..," The man was wailing more pitifully now.
"Shut up!" Lonemoon's hair was standing. "Who the hell is your hubby? Chef, quick, help me to undo this sorcery! I'm going to destroy this freaking gadget!" "Hubby, I've been nothing but loyal to you. Why are you treating me so ruthlessly?" Tao Chu sounded even more hurt now. He clutched his chest and his face crumbled as he began to cry. Now that he was a man, watching his tears fall down his bearded face was… Er…
Lonemoon felt a chill run down his spine. He bent over next to the bed and began to vomit.
Eugh…
Yi Qing: "…"
Shen Ying: "…"
Was this the reason why he was crying out so desperately for help earlier? This scene was truly a bit weird…
"Quick… Quick get that thing out of my sight!" Lonemoon finally kept himself from vomiting but felt the urge to continue when he looked up again… Tao Chu, however, turned cool when his gaze fell on Chef and Shen Ying. He scanned them angrily and then turned back to Lonemoon. "You might not be willing to stay with me, but at least leave your body behind for me!"
Once he finished speaking, he did something so that a series of whooshes was heard coming from outside. Huge peach blossoms began to fly toward him, circling his body. One by one, they flew into the room like blades, causing the entire wedding room to crumble to pieces.
"Be careful, the fragrance of his flowers can be captivating. They have the ability to trap our immortal Qi. We can't let them get anywhere near us," Lonemoon said to Shen Ying and Chef.
Chef frowned. A defensive array lit up around the three of them. The peach blossoms were now raining down upon them. Chef summoned his sword and waved it, causing sword Qi to cover the entire sky and shoot over to Tao Chu. The peach blossoms in the air were cut up into small little pieces. Before Chef could do anything else, they heard a pained cry.
"Ah!" Tao Chu fell to the ground once again, his body covered in open wounds. He looked at Chef in fear. "What… What kind of people are you?"
Chef did not bother responding to him. He quickly summoned several spirit swords that cut through more of the peach blossoms to form a sword array, trapping Tao Chu within.
Tao Chu's expression changed. He finally seemed to fear them. The murderous aura he had about him earlier was completely gone. He was now a gentle, feminine man once again. He turned his tear-streaked face to Lonemoon and said, ""Hubby… Are you really going to kill me? I really like you!"
"Shut up! You trapped me here for more than half the night, took away my freedom and controlled my body. Do you call this like?" Damn it! He was cray! Lonemoon was so angry that he felt like he was going to blow up. He snatched Chef's sword and pointed it at Tao Chu. "I dare you to say one more thing?"
"But… I really like you this way." Tao Chu looked at Lonemoon, captivated but sad. "If you promised me from the start to be mine, I would not have had to do this. I did this out of my love for you!"