Chapter 343: “Your Wife and Daughter, I’ll Raise Them?” |
Outside the house, Chu Huaixu sat at the courtyard dining table together with the three remaining World Protagonists.
After escorting Lin Zixuan over, Nangong Yue smiled and left first, saying she still had matters to attend to.
It happened to be mealtime. Seeing that everyone had arrived, Chu Huaixu had no choice but to invite the petite girl to sit down and eat together.
Watching the way she ate, Chu Huaixu suddenly remembered—this girl was also a Big Eater.
Who would have thought that within such a small courtyard, three Big Eaters could actually be gathered?
By the latter half of the meal, even the ever-thoughtful Little Housekeeper, Han Shuangjiang, had begun to reduce how often she picked up food for herself, afraid that the three of them wouldn’t have enough to eat.
It had to be said—Big Ice Block’s cooking had always been excellent.
Moreover, the “family of three” all enjoyed this kind of warm, everyday life. So they didn’t rely on fasting pills long-term. Just like in the Outer Gate, Han Shuangjiang cooked, Xu Ziqing washed the dishes, and Chu Huaixu (Dao Birth One) was responsible for earning money.
When Lin Zixuan took her first bite, her eyes couldn’t help but light up.
But when she thought about the person sitting across from her—who could be considered half her enemy—she forcibly restrained herself, deliberately leaving two bites unfinished to show her cold stance!
After putting down her chopsticks, the girl kept a cold face and fell silent.
Unfortunately, like Chu Yinyin, she belonged to the “cute type.”
So even when she tried to look stern, it only looked like she was pouting.
Not to mention, her small lips still had a bit of oil on them, glistening brightly.
But no matter what, Lin Zixuan still harbored resentment toward Chu Huaixu.
She and Qin Xuanxiao had grown up together—they had feelings.
Even though before she set out, Ming Xuanji, that old blind man, had told her that both the Heir and the Ancestor Emperor were at fault first, her emotions were still incredibly complicated.
She even felt a trace of shame.
This man killed her future husband, and then her master told her to follow him for the rest of her life?
What kind of situation was this?!
And although Chu Huaixu seemed to be eating happily, he also felt a bit displeased inside.
“What the hell is going on here?”
What kind of Xuanhuang “Cao the Traitor” situation is this?!
Killed someone else’s husband and then—
“‘Your wife and daughter, I’ll raise them,’ right?”
On what grounds?!
I’m someone with a Dao Companion!
Don’t be fooled by my background as a play companion—I still have some moral integrity as a man!
Yet from another angle, Chu Huaixu also felt a bit smug.
“All the World Protagonists have now gathered around me!”
“What does it mean to be chosen by destiny? This is what it means!”
According to the normal storyline and character settings of 《Borrowed Sword》, Qin Xuanxiao was actually the decision-maker within the protagonist group.
From the current situation, he indeed overlapped somewhat with Dead Fox’s role.
Chu Huaixu lifted his gaze and glanced at Lin Zixuan.
As a god-tier support, she could play an astonishing role in any small group.
For such a high-level Tool Man, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted.
But to fully trust her? That, Chu Huaixu couldn’t do.
Seeing that everyone had finished eating, he began to question her.
“I heard from Elder Nangong—it was your master who sent you?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“To do what?”
“To follow you,” the girl answered honestly.
This made Han Shuangjiang, who was sitting beside her, cast her a glance.
But only a glance.
“To follow me for what?” Chu Huaixu pressed.
“He didn’t say. Just told me to keep following you.”
At these words, the “family of three” exchanged looks.
The word “keep” was quite meaningful.
Han Shuangjiang raised her head and fixed her gaze on Chu Huaixu.
Dead Fox tilted his head slightly and returned a “I’m just as confused” look.
This second-ranked member on the Must-Eat List of Play Companions now spoke again, this time using a more distant form of address.
“Miss Lin, could you be more specific?”
Lin Zixuan thought for a moment, then described it roughly.
Upon learning that Ming Xuanji had made this decision after divination, Chu Huaixu felt somewhat reassured.
“No way… could it be that I, the dignified second-ranked play companion, have become a professional old-man-tamer after transmigrating?”
Jiang Zhi changed his attitude before and after, and now Ming Xuanji was changing his stance too?
You blind old man—I liked you better when you were shouting about setting things right!
And since Lin Zixuan had been personally brought by Nangong Yue, it was obvious that the Dao Gate’s higher-ups had already made a decision.
That was—to temporarily keep her.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to appear in the Gentleman Temple.
“But that makes sense. I’m about to enter the Second Layer (of the Origin Spirit Realm),” Chu Huaixu thought.
“At that time, she’ll still be of considerable use.”
But after thinking about it further, based on his understanding of Lin Zixuan’s character setting, her level of innocence could rival Little Xu!
Such people were rare in the world.
Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix—he had gathered them both.
So Dead Fox directly asked, “I killed your Heir Brother. Don’t you hate me?”
“I do,” Lin Zixuan answered directly.
“Then why come?”
“My master’s orders cannot be disobeyed,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”
“Huh?” She froze, then raised her head, her tone suddenly rising several pitches. “Huh—?!”
He killed the Heir of Prince Rui right in front of His Majesty the Emperor, so if he wanted to kill me—
“Y-you want to kill me?” Lin Zixuan’s beautiful eyes widened.
Chu Huaixu suddenly found the girl quite amusing.
Her level of fun rivaled Chu Yinyin!
He immediately stood up from the table, his face turning stern with a hint of cold sharpness.
Lin Zixuan actually shrank back slightly in fear.
She knew very well—she was absolutely no match for Chu Huaixu!
Just then, Han Shuangjiang tapped her bowl lightly with her chopsticks and said, “Alright, stop scaring her. You never act properly.”
She shot Chu Huaixu a mildly annoyed glance.
Chu Huaixu, however, smiled and pointed at Lin Zixuan, suddenly saying, “From now on, when eating, you sit on the same side as Little Xu.”
Let the two idiots sit together!
Easier for me to tease both at once.
Still, Chu Huaixu could tell that Xu Ziqing simply had a pure heart—he was innocent, not stupid.
But Lin Zixuan?
She was genuinely airheaded.
“Still, being a bit airheaded is fine,” he thought.
Under these circumstances, Chu Huaixu began subtly probing her for information.
Then he was shocked to discover—
“Ming Xuanji, that blind old man, is truly determined to have his beloved disciple follow me forever?”
Because before Lin Zixuan came to the Dao Gate, Ming Xuanji had actually prepared her full set of cultivation methods.
All the techniques from the Fourth Realm to the Ninth Realm were stored in her Storage Ring.
Just those Heaven-rank cultivation methods alone were already priceless!
Chu Huaixu even thought selling her might not be a bad idea.
After all, I’m so strong—I’ve been carrying everything on my own! Do I need a god-tier support?
Real men solo everything!
Perhaps this was also due to his experience as a play companion.
Usually, he carried clients alone—he was used to soloing.
In the end, he only said to Lin Zixuan, “You can stay here for now. Later, you’ll come with me to the Origin Spirit Realm.”
“Shuangjiang, arrange a place for her?” He took Big Ice Block’s hand and even gently patted the back of it, full of tender affection. “Sorry for the trouble.”
Night gradually deepened.
Chu Huaixu sat on a meditation cushion, only to be startled awake by Xu Ziqing’s miserable scream.
It seemed Little Xu had broken through again.
Lin Zixuan’s room had naturally been arranged in the same building as Han Shuangjiang.
The two girls were currently chatting at night.
Hearing the horrifying scream from the next room, Lin Zixuan was startled.
“It’s fine. You’ll get used to it soon,” Big Ice Block said calmly.
The petite girl shrank her neck slightly and asked, “Um… is he really okay?”
“It’s fine. In fact, him screaming is a good thing.”
“Huh?”
“It means Junior Brother Xu has broken through.”
After returning to the Dao Gate, Han Shuangjiang had immediately exchanged for Fourth Realm techniques and the necessary heavenly materials and earthly treasures.
She was already just one step away from breaking into the Fourth Realm.
Someone like Xu Ziqing, who hadn’t even reached Third Realm Perfection, would only fall further and further behind her.
For cultivators, the first three realms were actually relatively easy to break through.
From the Fourth Realm onward, the difficulty rose sharply.
The requirements for talent also became increasingly high.
That was why the Fifth Realm was called Major Cultivator.
Among this generation of disciples in the Gentleman Temple, those senior brothers and sisters who entered earlier mostly remained in the Fifth Realm, with only two having reached the Sixth Realm.
It was also worth mentioning that this was one reason why Chu Yinyin, despite having Sixth Realm Perfection, had often been looked down upon.
After all, even the next generation had people entering the Sixth Realm!
As for someone like Han Shuangjiang, with her Body of Profound Yin, her advantage would only grow from now on.
After chatting a bit more, she returned to her room to cultivate.
The petite girl sat on the meditation cushion, looking at her unfamiliar surroundings.
She felt something indescribable.
It was like going from relying on others in the Prince Rui Residence… to relying on others here in the Gentleman Temple.
It seemed she had never truly had a place she could call her own.
But fortunately, she was used to it.
“At least… Sister Shuangjiang’s cooking is really delicious!” At this thought, Lin Zixuan even felt her mouth water slightly.
Unbeknownst to her, although Han Shuangjiang looked mature and carried a strong “older sister” aura, she was actually a few months younger than Lin Zixuan.
At this moment, Lin Zixuan had already decided—
She only had a grudge against Chu Huaixu, not Sister Shuangjiang.
Starting tomorrow, she would eat properly and never deliberately leave food unfinished again!
Thus, seeing how much she could eat, Chu Huaixu decided to have her and Little Xu take turns washing dishes.
Two days later.
It was a sunny day.
The weather was good, and Chu Huaixu’s mood was equally good.
Humming a tune, he arrived outside a small courtyard within the Gentleman Temple.
Dao Gate Sixth Elder Li Chunsong had already been waiting there.
“Why are you so late?” he grumbled.
“Because on the way here, I was thinking—since you keep betting on me, shouldn’t I get a share of the profits?” Chu Huaixu said.
“Get lost! That’s what your master wins with his own ability!” Li Chunsong immediately refused, as if his most precious possession was being threatened.
The Dao Gate’s higher-ups only gambled for fun, and the stakes were small.
But no matter how small, it was his lifeblood.
It wasn’t that he was stingy—it was his glory!
And glory could not be shared.
After exchanging a few jokes, master and disciple walked together into Zhong Ming’s courtyard.
Unlike Chu Huaixu’s cheerful mood, Li Chunsong’s expression darkened at the thought of having to eat a pile of awful Ding-sheng Pastries again.
“You brat really have no pressure, huh? You’re about to enter the Origin Spirit Realm, yet you look this relaxed,” he muttered.
“I’m in a great mood. Maybe I’ll even give you a big surprise later,” Chu Huaixu said mysteriously.
He had previously obtained a high-tier Clear Mind Talisman from a treasure chest.
He planned to try it on this Fifth Martial Ancestor.
From his trip to Moon Country, Chu Huaixu had realized that the Dao Gate’s high-end combat power was somewhat lacking.
It wasn’t that Jiang Zhi wasn’t strong, but he had willingly dropped his realm and sealed his sword. Without using Heaven-and-Earth One Sword, he might not even defeat Xiahou Yue.
If the Sword Sovereign hadn’t broken through to the Ninth Realm, granting near unrivaled power, then in a clash between the two nations’ Major Cultivators, Mirror Country might not have had a guaranteed victory.
Moreover, Moon Country had more than just the Ninth Realm cultivators seen in the Martial Arena that day.
Those were only the ones in the Imperial Capital.
The other three of the Four Great Sects also had Ninth Realm Ancestors in seclusion.
Only the Dao Gate had no normal Ninth Realm powerhouse on the surface!
As for Zhong Ming’s strength, there was no need to elaborate.
Their generation of Gentleman Temple disciples were all astonishing geniuses.
Zhong Ming was the leading figure among them.
Many years ago, he already had cultivation at the Fourth Heaven of the Ninth Realm.
After entering the Fifth Layer of the Origin Spirit Realm, he forcefully sealed the Soul Seed of his Nascent Soul with his own body, causing himself to go insane.
Yet strangely, after all these years, his cultivation had not decreased—but increased!
Despite not cultivating, despite being insane, he had still risen to the Fifth Heaven of the Ninth Realm.
How bizarre!
In any case, this meant his realm now matched that of Xiahou Yue, the Guardian of the Nation.
And Chu Huaixu suspected that if this Fifth Martial Ancestor regained his sanity, he would definitely surpass Xiahou Yue at the same level!
Sometimes, Chu Huaixu couldn’t help but sigh—
“If their entire generation were still alive, how powerful would the Dao Gate be?”
Unfortunately… brilliance invites harm; Heaven envies talent.
For Chu Huaixu, once this Fifth Martial Ancestor regained his senses, he would gain an enormous backing.
But he also knew—
“As a Ninth Realm powerhouse, Zhong Ming’s problem can’t possibly be solved with just a high-tier Clear Mind Talisman.”
“Even a top-tier one probably wouldn’t be enough!”
He only hoped it would have some effect.
After entering the room, Li Chunsong and Chu Huaixu saw Zhong Ming glance at them.
At least now, the old man no longer had drool hanging from his mouth.
He didn’t look as foolish as before.
Just like earlier, he was absorbed in making Ding-sheng Pastries.
Even with two people entering, he seemed to ignore them entirely.
As if they didn’t exist.
Only after finishing a batch would he urge them to eat.
“Master, you eat more. I’ll go get busy,” Chu Huaixu laughed and slipped away—his filial piety was… impressive.
He walked up to Zhong Ming and first used 【Southward Sunlight】 as usual.
Since the Clear Mind Talisman was a special item invisible to others, he couldn’t just suddenly use it without context.
Otherwise, if Zhong Ming suddenly improved without explanation, it would look suspicious.
So Dead Fox planned to first complete one “treatment cycle” with the Dao Seal, then secretly use the talisman.
Golden characters appeared in his left palm.
Golden light flowed forward. Zhong Ming turned his head slightly, as if feeling warmth, then continued making pastries.
After so many visits, Chu Huaixu was already experienced.
If not for the patient’s “absorption limit,” he would have come every day.
Meanwhile, Li Chunsong sealed his sense of taste and began swallowing mechanically.
Even without taste, eating like that was still painful.
The three characters 【Southward Sunlight】 shone brightly in Chu Huaixu’s palm.
“The power of the Dao Seal is truly remarkable. As my overall strength increases, its power grows as well,” he thought.
After one full “treatment cycle,” Chu Huaixu quietly opened his Backpack.
He immediately used the Clear Mind Talisman.
Like in a game, the effect of such a special item was instantaneous.
A system notification rang in his ears.
“【Ding! Congratulations! Target: Zhong Ming, healing progress has reached 10%!】”
At the moment the notification sounded, Chu Huaixu was shocked to see—
Zhong Ming, who had been making pastries, suddenly paused.
Then, he turned his head and looked at Chu Huaixu!
There was a trace of clarity in his eyes!
But it was quickly replaced by endless struggle.
The next moment—
This Ninth Realm Fifth Heaven Major Cultivator suddenly raised his right hand.
Despite layers of restrictions binding him, even magical restraints suppressing his cultivation—
All of it was forcibly suppressed!
He reached out and grabbed through the air.
Chu Huaixu was pulled toward him, seized tightly—
Five fingers clamped around his throat, lifting him into the air!