Chapter 16: The Painful Mao Ruxue_1

It's simply unthinkable. The Emperor Song, reputed to be cold and heartless in legends, turned out to be a great person. Who would have anticipated this?

If she had known this earlier, she wouldn't have been scared for several days when she learnt she was going to meet Emperor Song.

"Better sleep early and get back as soon as possible tomorrow."

With that thought, Mao Ruxue closed her eyes and fell deeply asleep.

The next morning, long before dawn, Mao Ruxue got up early.

After quickly getting ready, she arrived at the mountain gate of the Rebirth Hall.

Then, she input her identity card here and teleported out.

In no time, she appeared in a city in Zhongzhou called Square City.

In a secluded, hidden corner, Mao Ruxue emerged.

Her journey did not end upon reaching Square City; Square City was still over a thousand miles away from the Tianshui Sect.

Yet, this was the closest teleportation array set up in Rebirth Hall to the Tianshui Sect.

There are teleportation arrays elsewhere in Square City too.

There is even one that goes directly to Tianshui City beneath the Tianshui Sect.

But, it costs money!

A journey of more than a thousand miles, Mao Ruxue naturally wouldn't return on foot.

After all, it would take forever if she relied on her own ability to walk.

Looking at her purse,

Mao Ruxue finally gritted her teeth, painfully taking out a Dao Source Stone from inside.

She gave it to someone outside a formation called Square Teleportation Array, and it was passed into a slot exposed on the formation.

In the next moment, the formation was activated.

With a flash of white light, Mao Ruxue's figure disappeared from the spot.

When she appeared again, she was already in Tianshui City under Tianshui Sect.

"Sob, sob, I must make a speedy breakthrough in my cultivation."

"Otherwise, at this rate, I might be the first Yama in history to die of poverty."

Looking at the familiar scene of Tianshui City, Mao Ruxue felt like crying out loud.

All these years of hard work at the Rebirth Hall to earn some Dao Source Stones for future cultivation had been for naught.

But,

After so much work, all her money was almost spent on these two trips.

This situation was getting unbearable indeed!

"Forget it, Mao Ruxue, believe in yourself. You can do it!"

After a bit of self-encouragement, Mao Ruxue left the teleportation array and headed towards the assorted goods street in the town.

She came down the mountain this time to meet Emperor Song and also to buy some things to bring back.

After all, the top of the mountain was so poor, there was nothing.

If she did not fend for herself, she felt she would likely starve to death there someday.

"God, I don't know how my cheap disciple brother has survived this way all these years."

So,

At the market, when she saw rice, without hesitation, she bought it!

Salt, bought!

Mulberry tree seeds, bought!

Carrot seeds, bought!

Pot, bought!

Ladle, bought!

A purely bred wild chicken, bought!

Spade, bought!

Pure wild cabbage, bought!

....After a while, Mao Ruxue's hands were full of various items.

Fortunately, all these items required only gold and copper coins, not Dao Source Stones, otherwise, she thinks she would have surely cried here today.

"Alright, all set, let's pack up."

When she finished buying all the items, Mao Ruxue clapped her hands and headed back up the mountain with her stuff.

The sun rose from the east, bringing with it the purple qi.

At dawn, a figure appeared at the gate of Daoist Secrets Mountain.

It was Mao Ruxue. She was carrying large and small bags. After climbing for more than an hour, she finally reached the top of the mountain.

"Master, your disciple has come to see you."

First, she went to Master Yang Han's grave.

"I heard from my senior brother before that you loved drinking when you were alive, so I took a jug of good wine called February Fragrance for you on my way down the mountain."

"I brought it for you to taste."

Arriving at Yang Han's grave, Mao Ruxue unwrapped one of the packages she carried and took out a jar of wine.

She uncorked the bottle and a strong aroma of wine permeated the air.

Then, Mao Ruxue evenly poured half of the wine over the grave and offered the remaining half at the tombstone.

"Master, don't worry, I will take good care of my senior brother."

"Although senior brother can't cultivate, I will not bully him."

"I will definitely take good care of him in his final years, and then take over his family business."

After completing these rites, Mao Ruxue retreated to the side room.

Lighting a fire, getting a pot ready, heating the oil.

In no time, dense cooking smoke billowed up from Daoist Secrets Mountain.

"Cough, cough, cough~!"

The thick smoke induced a fit of coughing from Mao Ruxue.

After a while, she served up a plate of crunchy stir-fried bok choy with meat, piping hot from the wok.

"Not bad, it seems my cooking skills haven't deteriorated."

"Continue~!"

Gazing at the colourful, aromatic, and delectable stir-fried meat, Mao Ruxue nodded satisfactorily before returning to her cooking.

As time ticked by.

Chen Chang'an woke early in the morning, as usual, in the scripture collection tower at the back of Daoist Secrets Mountain.

Just as usual, after a quick search, he laid down in a spot by the window, reading "Grand Daoist Secrets" quietly.

"Senior brother, senior brother, are you in?"

After a while, a crisp voice rang out.

Soon after, Mao Ruxue walked in.

"Yes, here I am. Do you need anything?"

Chen Chang'an put down his book and looked at Mao Ruxue.

"Senior brother, I've come to pay my respects."

"I had to go down the mountain for a bit yesterday and didn't have a chance to pay respect to you, I hope you can forgive me."

This act of paying respect is something Mao Ruxue had been doing every day since coming up to the mountain.

However, today was a bit different.

As she finished speaking, Mao Ruxue broke out into a smile

Then, she turned to Chen Chang'an, saying:

"Senior brother, hehe, I made some breakfast,"

"Would you like to join me?"

When it came to the topic of breakfast, Mao Ruxue felt that her senior brother was almost godlike.

In the ten plus days since arriving at the mountain, she had never once seen her senior brother have breakfast.

No, not just breakfast, she hadn't seen him have lunch or dinner either!

If it weren't for the few occasions she saw her senior brother roasting and eating wild rabbits or chickens, she would have suspected that he had become a saint.

Who on earth doesn't eat?

"You made breakfast??"

Upon hearing Mao Ruxue's words, Chen Chang'an was taken aback.

The truth was, ever since Chen Chang'an had advanced to the Six Realms rank six years earlier, he had not eaten any food.

The odd occasions where he ate was merely to satisfy his craving, like catching and roasting mountain chickens.

Aside from that, he'd long forgotten what food tasted like.

"Mhm"

"Hehe, senior brother, I knew you hadn't had breakfast."

"I've already served the meal outside, please taste and critique my culinary skills."

Mao Ruxue, hands behind her back, grinned cheekily.

"Uh, alright, I'll give it a try?"

Chen Chang'an didn't decline.

Although it'd been many years since he last ate, there's no harm in giving it a try.

Alright, Chen Chang'an admitted that he initially skipped breakfast because he was lazy.

But now, it seemed the mountain had introduced a skilled chef, so there's no harm in eating.

"Alright, senior brother, follow me,"

Seeing Chen Chang'an nod, Mao Ruxue grinned with joy.

She then led Chen Chang'an to the little courtyard in front of the scripture tower.

There, in the middle of the courtyard, a stone table had already been laid with a spread of delicious dishes.

Meats and vegetables, a well-rounded meal.