With that, he went to the front of the stall to busy himself with his wife.
The older child wasn’t very shy. He knelt on the bench, leaning on the table to look at Ning Buwei, “Big brother, are you cold?”
Ning Buwei, over 500 years old being called ‘big brother’: “…Not cold.”
The child tilted his head, “Big brother, you look a bit unhappy.”
The great demon couldn’t bear it anymore, “Call me grandpa.”
“But you look like a big brother,” the child lowered his head to bite his bun, leaving a ring of oil around his mouth.
“My child is older than your father,” Ning Buwei refused to compromise.
This shopkeeper looked to be just over twenty, probably not even as old as Feng Zizhang.
The child gave him a strange look, “Then where’s your child?”
Ning Buwei choked, “At home.”
The child asked in confusion, “Why didn’t you bring them out to eat noodles?”
“They didn’t need to eat.” Ning Buwei saw him kneeling on the bench and swaying slightly, so he extended his foot to steady the bench leg to prevent it from falling over.
“They are so pitiful. You’re their father, yet you sneak out to eat noodles.” The child took another bite of the bun, licking the meat crumbs off his fingers. “My dad is so good. He takes me and my brother everywhere. He’s the best dad in the world!”
Ning Buwei: “…”
“The little rascal is talking nonsense again.” The shopkeeper smiled as he placed the prepared noodles in front of Ning Buwei. He reached out to pick up the child and said to Ning Buwei with a smile, “Immortal cultivator, please enjoy your meal.”
The shopkeeper’s wife sat down on a stool at another table to rest while holding the baby. The older child ran over to look at his brother. “Mom, little brother is smiling at me.”
The shopkeeper’s wife gently tapped the child’s nose and said, “Xinxin likes his brother too, doesn’t he?”
Ning Buwei took a bite of the noodles and choked on the spiciness. He coughed twice with his fist against his lips. The quick-witted child poured him some water. “Big brother, drink some water.”
“Thank you.” Ning Buwei took the bowl and drank a sip. His eyes turned red from the spiciness, and it took a while for it to subside.
The shopkeeper’s wife smiled and asked, “Would the immortal cultivator like to change the soup?”
Ning Buwei cleared his throat and said awkwardly, “No need.”
The shopkeeper’s wife was quite young. Hearing from her eldest son that Ning Buwei had children, she became even more enthusiastic. “How many children do you have, immortal cultivator?”
“Four,” Ning Buwei politely replied.
“Oh my, you’re so blessed! Your wife must be very fertile,” the shopkeeper’s wife exclaimed admiringly. “If she’s carrying another one in her belly, that would be five blessings coming to your door!”
Ning Buwei almost spat out the noodles he had just put in his mouth. He picked up the bowl and took a big gulp of water to suppress the heat on his face. “He probably…cough, can’t carry any.”
To change the subject away from carrying children, Ning Buwei’s gaze fell on the child. “Your eldest son has spiritual roots. Why not let him enter a sect to cultivate?”
The shopkeeper’s wife gave an embarrassed smile. “A few days ago, his father exchanged some spirit stones to take him to the Wujin Square for testing, but the spirit stones weren’t enough… Sigh, it’s all fate. I just hope he can grow up safely and live a long life. I can’t ask for more than that.”
Ning Buwei finished a bowl of noodles and placed some spirit stones on the table. “Thank you.”
The shopkeeper’s wife had just stood up when she realized the person had disappeared. Then she saw the spirit stones and her eyes widened. “Husband, husband, come quick and look—”
The shopkeeper patted the flour off his hands, walked over, picked up the spirit stones, and turned them over to examine them. He exclaimed in astonishment, “Top-grade spirit stones?”
****
Shen Xi stumbled forward, clutching her bleeding shoulder, but the cold presence behind her followed like a shadow.
“Senior Sister Shen, why are you running?” Chu Xin’s voice, tinged with amusement, suddenly sounded next to her ear.
Shen Xi shouted angrily, “Chu Xin! Wake up! Stop letting yourself be controlled!”
Chu Xin chuckled softly. “Senior Sister, I’m not being controlled… Look, I’ve only absorbed the cultivation of eighteen other disciples, and I’ve already reached mid-Fusion stage—I’m almost catching up to the Sect Leader! I can avenge our master and fellow disciples now! If you give me your cultivation too, Senior Sister, I can help you kill Ning Buwei to avenge your brother Shen Ze. How about it?”
Shen Xi turned her head and met a pair of crimson eyes. Within them seemed to flow wisps of black mist, bottomless and unfathomable.
“Senior Sister, I won’t kill you,” Chu Xin smiled slightly. Before she could dodge, he grabbed her throat. “I’m very clear-headed right now, and I know exactly what I’m doing… No wonder so many cultivators want to become rogue cultivators. I’m different from them, I—”
A biting cold light flashed, and a large handful of cinnabar suddenly condensed into a talisman that fell on his forehead. Chu Xin tilted his head, and his hand was suddenly empty.
Shen Xi had already run off to who knows where.
Chu Xin grinned and muttered, “It doesn’t matter… There will be many more people at the Dao Discussion Conference.”
With a few leaps, he disappeared into the dense forest.
Shen Xi fell from her sword and spat out a mouthful of blood. She forced herself to stand up, opened the concealment barrier in front of the cave, and stumbled inside.
“Elder Shen!” A young disciple wanted to help her, but she stopped him.
She looked at the eighteen unconscious disciples in the cave and asked him, “Have you been able to contact the sect?”
The young disciple shook his head with a distressed face. “If it weren’t for you, Elder, instructing me to set up this concealment array in advance, and then risking your life alone to lure Chu Xin away, I’m afraid we would have suffered more than just having our cultivation absorbed… What kind of evil technique did Chu Xin cultivate?!”
Shen Xi reinforced the concealment barrier a few more times and said, panting, “They won’t last long. We can’t just sit here waiting for death.”
As she spoke, she took out most of the medicinal pills, talismans, and magical tools she had on her, set up a spirit-nurturing array, and instructed, “Stay here and watch over them. Don’t remove the barrier or reveal yourselves to anyone except me and the Sect Leader, understand?”
The young disciple nodded repeatedly, holding the medicinal pills. “But you’ve left all the pills for us. What about you?”
Shen Xi shook her head. “Preserving our lives is the most important thing right now.”
The loss of any of these disciples would be a huge blow to the Wushi Sect. She had to contact the Sect Leader as soon as possible.
****
Following Wang Zizhuo’s detailed instructions, Ning Buwei arrived at the agreed location – a secluded teahouse.
Although the teahouse was in a remote location, it had quite a few customers. There was even a storyteller on stage narrating tales. Ning Buwei had just chosen a seat and sat down when he heard the storyteller slap the table and speak with great inflection.
“Last time, we talked about how Cui Chenghong sacrificed his own son to obtain the Purple Flame, and how the Wang family, shocked and enraged, committed suicide before the blade. It could be said that their family was both broken and destroyed. When he returned to the Cui family’s main house, he was humiliated by his brothers. In a fit of rage, he shed blood on the spot and then rebelled against the main family to establish his own branch. He remarried and had more children. While the main family was exterminated, Cui Chenghong’s line of descendants continued for tens of thousands of years…”
“Today, let’s talk about the current Cui clan!”
Someone in the audience jeered, “What’s there to talk about! Five hundred years ago, the Cui family could still be counted among the Ten Great Families, but when the incident at the Xun Prefecture happened, their family was right next to the Xun Prefecture. They lost more than half of their people. There’s nothing interesting about them anymore.”
“Ah, my dear guest, you only know one side of the story!” The storyteller slapped the table again. “Back then, the Cui clan could have escaped this catastrophe, but they suffered heavy losses because the Cui family’s young master, Cui Ci, rashly entered the Xun Prefecture to search for someone!”
Ning Buwei’s fingers suddenly tightened on the teacup he was holding. He looked up at the storyteller.
“It is said that back then, Cui Ci and the current great demon Ning Buwei were close friends. When he heard about the incident at the Xun Prefecture, he rushed to Ning City in the Xun Prefecture…”
The teapot on the table was picked up, and tea was slowly poured into a cup. A gentle voice spoke up. “Does Young Master Wang enjoy listening to storytellers?”
Ning Buwei turned his head and saw a person who was not entirely unfamiliar to him.
Xie Jiu smiled and sat down across from him. “Oh? Does Young Master Wang know me?”
Ning Buwei narrowed his eyes and said, “I don’t, but your voice sounds somewhat familiar.”
Xie Jiu waved his sleeve, setting up a sound barrier around them.
“Nice to meet you. My surname is Xie, given name Jiu. Young Master Wang can call me Xie Jiu.” Xie Jiu glanced at him. “Young Master Wang, you caused quite a commotion in Leyuan City. Your father sent you to explore the Yumian Mountain Secret Realm, yet you ended up kidnapping women.”
Ning Buwei, imitating Wang Zizhuo, gave an embarrassed smile, then sighed. “I just wanted to revive my useless sister. Who knew it would still fail? I still couldn’t grasp the essence of the Rejuvenation Array.”
“The Rejuvenation Grand Array is profound and mysterious. How could you learn it in just a year or two?” Xie Jiu said dismissively, lowering his voice. “But if you’ve alerted those who shouldn’t be alerted with this array and ruined the Respected Lord’s plans, even death wouldn’t atone for your guilt.”
Ning Buwei acknowledged this sheepishly. “May I ask why Young Master Xie has contacted me?”
“The Dao Discussion Conference is crucial. The Respected Lord has ordered me to go with you.” Xie Jiu paused. “You previously sent a message saying you saw Ning Buwei in the Yumian Mountain Secret Realm?”
Ning Buwei nodded solemnly. “I exchanged blows with him. The man is cunning and treacherous. I didn’t dare to engage in a prolonged battle, so I retreated.”
A flash of contempt passed through Xie Jiu’s eyes. “His cultivation has greatly diminished now. He’s not to be feared. If it weren’t for the Respected Lord still having use for him…”
Ning Buwei feigned confusion. “What use could this evil great demon have, apart from being somewhat good-looking?”
“What do you know? He is—” Xie Jiu suddenly stopped and gave him a warning look. “Young Master Wang, don’t pry into matters that shouldn’t concern you.”
Ning Buwei nodded repeatedly. “Then what arrangements should I make for the Dao Discussion Conference?”
Xie Jiu was very cautious. “When the time comes, just follow my instructions.”
“Alright,” Ning Buwei complied. “Shall we set off now?”
Xie Jiu picked up his teacup and took a sip, turning to look at the storyteller on the stage. “There’s no hurry. Let’s finish listening to this part.”
“…Who would have thought that young master Cui Ci went missing while searching for his close friend, and that his former close friend would become a ruthless great demon? It’s truly tragic and lamentable!”
Xie Jiu chuckled softly. “Don’t you think this Cui Ci was extremely foolish, Young Master Wang?”
Ning Buwei was about to respond when his gaze suddenly paused on the red birthmark on Xie Jiu’s neck.
