Grandma Sun Visits

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. The weather was growing hotter by the day.

Over the past two weeks, aside from taking care of a few matters at the beginning, Gu Ning'an spent most of his time at home poring over the cultivation books personally delivered by City God Xu.

Originally, Gu Ning'an had only asked for manuals suitable for demon cultivation, but City God Xu brought him the entirety of his collection. Among them were even texts detailing yin-yang complementary techniques...

As he flipped through these books, Gu Ning'an made a discovery: most of these books were unnecessarily convoluted.

Take a basic water control technique, for example. A single-step process could easily achieve the desired result, yet the technique required practitioners to immerse themselves daily in various types of "water." This was termed "experiencing water with one's body"—which sounded profound but, to Gu Ning'an, was nothing more than taking a detour.

If a straight path leads to the goal, why take a hundred twists and turns to get there?

Comparing these cultivation books to those referenced in the "Path of Dao", Gu Ning'an became even more convinced that the "Path of Dao" techniques were the true and correct methods. However, since he still lacked sufficient Worldly Qi to counteract "returning to silence", he had no intention of revisiting the "Path of Dao" for now.

Additionally, after redesigning the signboard for Tailor Little Ma, the man insisted on measuring Gu Ning'an's shoe size to make him a pair of shoes.

As Little Ma said, "My father mastered tailoring clothes, and I admit I cannot yet surpass him in that. But when it comes to shoes, I'm confident in my craft."

Little Ma was so enthusiastic that Gu Ning'an couldn't refuse and simply let him proceed.

As for Carpenter Zhao, despite the half-month that had passed, he still hadn't started on the lightning-struck timber.

After all, Gu Ning'an's only instruction at the time had been "keep it simple," and such an open-ended request was the most troublesome of all.

In these two weeks, Carpenter Zhao made no fewer than dozens of prototypes, but none of them satisfied him.

When Gu Ning'an visited to check the progress, Carpenter Zhao didn't say a word—he only told him to wait patiently.

The fact that Carpenter Zhao had already made dozens of failed prototypes was something Gu Ning'an only learned from Zhao Liu in private.

Initially, Gu Ning'an had wanted to give Carpenter Zhao extra payment to cover the cost of the materials used for the prototypes. However, before Carpenter Zhao could refuse, Zhao Liu firmly declined on his behalf.

Since they refused additional payment, Gu Ning'an didn't force the issue, deciding to find another way to compensate them in the future.

Setting aside the cultivation book in his hands, Gu Ning'an instinctively wanted to rest his eyes on some greenery. Yet, despite the vast courtyard, not a single plant could be seen.

"It looks like I'll need to plant some flowers and grass. Otherwise, this place looks so bare," he muttered to himself. Just as he picked up the teacup to take a sip, a sudden sound of footsteps came from outside the gate. Moments later, a knock rang out—"Tok, tok, tok."

"Mr. Gu, are you home?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Gu Ning'an set down the teacup and quickly walked to open the door.

Outside stood three people: Grandma Sun, Jin Wan, and Jin Xingwang.

"Mr. Gu, sorry to disturb you," Grandma Sun said with a smile.

Gu Ning'an looked curiously at Grandma Sun. His eyes glowed faintly with mystical light as he examined her closely.

All three of her souls—heaven, earth, and human—were shrouded in a dense shadow of yin energy. By all logic, Grandma Sun shouldn't have been able to remember him.

Even her own name should have been forgotten!

Now, with Grandma Sun taking the initiative to visit and acting as though she recognized him... the issue lies with her child and grandchild.

When their eyes met, Gu Ning'an's calm gaze made Jin Wan instinctively avert his eyes. He then cupped his hands and said, "Good day, Mr. Gu. Apologies for disturbing you again today."

"Good day, Mr. Gu," Jin Xingwang also greeted respectfully.

Without further addressing the Jin family, Gu Ning'an gestured for Grandma Sun to step inside.

The two men, quick-witted and thick-skinned, followed along on their own without waiting for an invitation.

Once they entered the main hall, Gu Ning'an took the initiative to pour Grandma Sun a cup of hot tea.

As he looked at the Jin family with the teapot in hand, the two men waved and declined the tea.

Gu Ning'an gave them a brief glance before sitting down across from Grandma Sun. He smiled and asked, "Grandma Sun, what brings you to me today?"

Grandma Sun smiled and said, "Mr. Gu, I came today to ask you for a favor."

Gu Ning'an followed up, "Is it about accepting Jin Xingwang as a disciple?"

"Huh?" Grandma Sun was momentarily speechless. She glanced at Jin Wan and nodded, "Yes, that's right... My great-grandson is a bit mischievous, but he's quite clever. I wonder if you could do me a favor and take him on as a disciple?"

"If you think he's not smart enough to learn, he could stay by your side as a little attendant, helping you with writing and other chores. What do you think?"

Although Grandma Sun spoke smoothly, Gu Ning'an felt as though she was reciting lines she had prepared beforehand. Moreover, considering that Grandma Sun likely no longer remembered him, this conversation was clearly orchestrated by the Jin family.

Bang!

A ripple of Worldly Qi belonging to Grandma Sun suddenly shifted.

Sensing this, Gu Ning'an made a slight motion with his palm. A flickering strand of Worldly Qi coiled around his fingertips, its Yang energy dwindling, and Yin energy surging...

Grandma Sun's lifespan was coming to an end!

Gu Ning'an focused his gaze on Grandma Sun's three souls—Heaven, Earth, and Human—and saw that the dark mists lingering over them began to dissipate rapidly. In the blink of an eye, her three souls were as clear as day, no different from an ordinary person.

This was the flash of light that occurs at the end of one's life—Grandma Sun should have remembered everything by now.

Whoosh!

A gust of cold wind blew into the courtyard. Two figures dressed in official robes stood under a black umbrella at the entrance.

"Mr. Gu, Grandma Sun's life has come to an end. We are here to take her back," the two officers from the Underworld Court said, bowing respectfully.

Gu Ning'an could hear them, and so could Grandma Sun, who was nearing the end of her life.

However, upon hearing that her life had come to an end, Grandma Sun showed no signs of surprise.

She first glanced at the Jin family, then at the two officers standing outside the door, before her gaze settled on Gu Ning'an. "Mr. Gu, are they here to take me?"

Gu Ning'an gave a slight nod. "Yes..."

Grandma Sun fell silent for a moment, then continued, "Could you grant me a favor? I'd like to make one more batch of mutton stew."

The Jin family, listening to the cryptic conversation, were confused but didn't dare to interrupt.

"Please wait," Gu Ning'an said as he stepped out of the hall. He approached the two officers and cupped his hands. "These two are officials from the Underworld Court, and Grandma Sun is an old acquaintance of mine. I wonder if you could make an exception and give her some time to prepare a batch of mutton stew?"