Sir Tree-Dao’s eyes were wide and blank with astonishment. As he watched Guru Blackeyes coughing up blood, he almost couldn’t believe that what he was seeing was real. In his mind and heart, Guru Blackeyes was unsurpassably powerful.

“W-what’s… what’s going on…?” Trembling, Sir Tree-Dao struggled to breathe, and he felt like the world was spinning around him. Then he started to go weak at the knees. He really couldn’t understand how all of this could be happening. What kind of a person could do this to Guru Blackeyes with a single look? What was more, why would a person like that be looking for him? He hadn’t done anything to offend any powerful experts!

As Sir Tree-Dao stood there, completely dumbfounded, Li Youfei sighed.

Although Sir Tree-Dao had deserted him, he was still his apprentice. Therefore, he strode forward, grabbed Sir Tree-Dao, and dragged him over to Xu Qing, where he slapped him across the face. Then he slapped him again. And again. After slapping him until his face swelled up so much his features were unrecognizable, Li Youfei bowed respectfully to Xu Qing.

“Grandmaster, shall I kill him?”

Those words caused Sir Tree-Dao to finally regain his senses. He was wracked with pain, yet didn’t dare to moan. Voice trembling, he said, “M-mas… Master, this is a misunderstanding. I-I-I… I didn’t offend anyone!”

Glaring angrily at his rebellious apprentice, Li Youfei gritted his teeth and replied, “Are you the one who destroyed the Green Spirit Pharmacy?”

“Green Spirit Pharmacy?” Shivering, Sir Tree-Dao tried to figure out what Li Youfei was talking about. Only after thinking about it for a moment did he remember that little medicine shop in that city. His eyes widened again, and rumbling sounds exploded in his mind. All of a sudden, he recalled how Chen Fanzhuo had warned him not to even touch the Green Spirit Pharmacy. And he had ignored that advice….

How could this be? What medicine shop was that? Why is this happening…?

Sir Tree-Dao’s heart filled with both remorse and terror. His out-of-control emotions, coupled with the severe beating from Li Youfei, caused him to pass out.

When Li Youfei saw the look on Sir Tree-Dao’s face, it made him think back to the days when he had instructed him in the ways of cultivation. Sighing inwardly, he cast a pleading glance at Xu Qing. He knew full well that his former apprentice’s life would be determined by a single thought.

Xu Qing noted the look on Li Youfei’s face, and then looked over at the unconscious Sir Tree-Dao.

“He has two hours to put it back like it was,” Xu Qing said tranquilly.

Li Youfei exhaled slowly. Clasping hands, he bowed gratefully to Xu Qing. There was no way Sir Tree-Dao would die from a little beating, so Li Youfei slapped him awake, then grabbed him and flew off.

Two hours later, thanks to Sir Tree-Dao working hard and screaming at his subordinates to do the same, the Green Spirit Pharmacy was back. It wasn’t just the medicine shop. The entire city was back to its original state. For that to happen in only two hours went to show that everyone involved in the rebuilding work didn’t dare to dally.

In order to ensure that the interior of the Green Spirit Pharmacy was the same as before, Li Youfei found Chen Fanzhuo. After all, Chen Fanzhuo had been inside before and knew what it looked like. With Chen Fanzhuo’s help, the Green Spirit Pharmacy looked just like it did before. The sign was fixed, and the door even had the notice Xu Qing had put there saying that the place was temporarily closed.

In terms of the citizens of the city… Li Youfei demanded that Sir Tree-Dao and his subordinates dress up to play the part. In the end, the city basically became their new sect headquarters.

Xu Qing currently stood outside his little medicine shop, looking around at the familiar sight. He felt a little better now. Clasping hands to the Heir Apparent, he said, “Many thanks, grandpa. Please, after you, sir.”

Ling’er stood next to him looking very pleased. Looking at the Heir Apparent, she proudly said, “Thank you, grandpa, for helping my Big Bro Xu Qing rebuild his medicine shop.”

The Heir Apparent smiled, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked inside.

Xu Qing followed. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu looked at the sweat-soaked Li Youfei. Then each of them patted his shoulder on the way through the door. Once everyone was inside, Ling’er gave a short tour to the Heir Apparent.

“Grandpa, this is the back room where Big Bro Xu Qing concocts medicine. And this is the counter where I keep the books. Business has been great!” As she spoke, she took out the little sapling and put it back in its normal spot. “This is Sprouty. He’s very cute, and when he’s happy, he dances.”

The parrot immediately looked over. The little sapling shivered and then started swaying back and forth.

As Ling’er showed off the shop, the Captain looked around a bit. Then he lowered his voice and leaned over to Xu Qing. “Little Ah Qing, this shop is a bit small, don’t you think? How many people can stay here anyway?”

When Li Youfei heard that, he immediately took out a jade slip and sent orders to some of the surrounding ‘citizens’ to come expand the medicine shop on either side. Within moments, the shop was much larger than before.

Later that evening, as the city quieted down, the lamps in the Green Spirit Pharmacy lit up, filling the shop with warm light. Within that lamplight, everyone sat around the table in the shop.

The Heir Apparent was playing with the parrot. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu were trying hard to get used to having a Smoldering God around. Sadly, they were just too nervous to relax in such a situation. Xu Qing and Ling’er had already gotten used to the situation, and the latter had no trouble at all bringing a smile to the Heir Apparent’s face.

The Captain, meanwhile, blinked a few times as he looked around. It had already become obvious to him while traveling that the Heir Apparent had two reasons for coming to the Bitter Life Mountains. Although he wasn’t sure exactly what those two goals were, he knew one of them had something to do with Xu Qing.

Maybe he’s optimistic about Xu Qing’s violet moon power. Perhaps he wants to make it stronger, and help little Ah Qing grow up faster. That way, he can make use of Little Ah Qing’s strength to unseal his other brothers and sisters. Although, the problem obviously can’t be solved that easily. The Red Moon Cathedral definitely has their guard up now.

The Captain thought back to the journey, and everything the Heir Apparent did. Obviously, the Heir Apparent enjoyed the mundane affairs of daily life. And he seemed to like the medicine shop.

That makes sense. He’s all alone and without any real family, so of course he enjoys the warmth of living with a bunch of grandkids….

Having reached this point in his train of thought, the Captain looked at Ning Yan and the others.

“You lot!” he said. “Which of you can cook? Hurry up and make something to eat for grandpa.”

Ning Yan looked back, stunned. Wu Jianwu shook his head. Li Youfei hesitated. But Ling’er’s eyes glittered and she jumped up. She had learned a lot about cooking from the women in Duanmu Zang’s city of fireflies. And her Big Bro Xu Qing always loved the dishes she made. Therefore, she opened her mouth to speak.

Before she could, Xu Qing held out his arm in front of her.

“I’ll do it,” he said. He stood. But then he hesitated for a moment. “Except we don’t have any food.”

When Xu Qing said he would cook, the Captain was intrigued. “Alright, who has some food?” he asked.

Wu Jianwu suddenly looked at the parrot, who grimaced a bit before finally producing a pile of big fish. The parrot loved eating fish. Back on his journey to find Xu Qing, he had caught quite a few. And even now, he would often find opportunities to go out and catch some fish to eat. It was only natural that his own father would know about that.

After the parrot handed over all his surplus food, he stared impatiently at Xu Qing. There were some things he really wanted to say to Xu Qing, but didn’t dare to. Instead, he turned his angry glare upon the Captain and the others.

“What are the rest of you sitting around for? Can’t you see how dirty this place is! Start cleaning!”

The Captain smiled. Ning Yan’s eyes glittered profoundly. Wu Jianwu pretended to see neither of those things, as they knew that Erniu’s plan was still on the verge of being implemented.

Therefore, everyone got to work. The floor needed to be scrubbed. The table needed to be wiped down. The medicinal pills needed to be organized. And the parrot demanded that all of them change into rough hemp garments while they were working, the result being that nobody even looked like a cultivator.

When the Captain saw how much work there was to be done, he felt that the Heir Apparent could do with another maidservant. Nethersprite came to mind, so he brought her out of the world fragment.

When Nethersprite appeared in the medicine shop, her aura flared and she ground her teeth furiously.

“Chen Erniu, you goddamned—”

Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu didn’t even spare a glance for Nethersprite. They just kept working.

And before she could even finish speaking, the Captain glared at her and interrupted, “Behave yourself, Little Spritey! Look around! Can’t you read the room?”

Feeling very pleased with himself, the Captain pointed over Nethersprite’s shoulder. Nethersprite’s eyes went wide as she realized that something was very off about the situation. Without even thinking about it, she looked briefly over her shoulder.

One look….

Shortly thereafter, there was a new maidservant in the Green Spirit Pharmacy.

It was in that manner that time passed. Soon, it was dark outside and the wind had picked up. It was a cold night, but it wasn’t possible to see much lamplight in the mudbrick city. Everyone just sat shivering in their houses. But in the little medicine shop, Xu Qing’s cooking caused a fragrant aroma to spread. The flickering lamps created a very warm atmosphere.

After about two hours in the kitchen, Xu Qing carried out a handful of dishes and placed them on the table.

It smelled delicious. It was a fish banquet! There was fish stew, broiled fish skin, fried fish, braised fish…. 1

The Captain was very surprised to see such a sumptuous feast laid out.

Ling’er started salivating at the mere sight of it. Quickly grabbing some chopsticks, she looked eagerly at the Heir Apparent. 2

The Heir Apparent smiled, picked up some fish with his chopsticks, and put it in his mouth. A moment later, he nodded.

“Don’t hold back. Everybody dig in.”

1. This is obviously reminiscent of the scene in chapter 8. ☜

2. In Chinese culture, if there is a person from an older generation at the table, it’s generally expected that everyone will wait for them to start eating to officially begin the meal. ☜