Inside the small eatery, the young girl was sitting by the table, idly playing with her fingers.
Although this is the First Layer Beyond Heaven, where she could earn the Spirit Stones she needed, still… this town was mostly populated by mortals.
Though there were cultivators, they clearly preferred to go to Linlang Pavilion to eat their pre-made meals.
It was dinner time now, yet her place was so cold and deserted.
“Excuse me, are you still serving food?”
The girl, who had been utterly bored, lifted her head and saw the mother and son who had eaten here before.
And also an older sister who looked like she matched that big brother very well.
If that was the case, then this must be the big brother’s Dao partner, right?
“Mhm! Please have a seat, guests!”
After taking a crumpled menu from her pocket and handing it to Xuanyuan Jiong, the young girl stood obediently next to Mu Chunxiang.
Strange.
The aunt was still sitting together with this big brother, but this older sister actually chose to sit alone across from them.
She seemed very unsociable.
Wouldn’t that mean this sister was not the brother’s Dao partner?
Just then, Xuanyuan Jiong suddenly reached out and handed the menu to Mu Chunxiang.
“Sister Chunxiang, is there anything you’d like to eat? We’ve already ordered pig trotters and grilled fish, so the rest is up to you.”
“Mm. Then I’ll add one tomato scrambled eggs and stir-fried Sword-tooth Pork shreds.”
“Got it!”
The young girl noted down their orders, then hopped off to the kitchen with the menu.
After ordering, Mu Chunxiang silently looked at Chen Juenian, hoping to see a reaction from him to her choices.
But… his gaze was still fixed on Xuanyuan Jiong.
Back when she had not yet achieved Bi Gu, her favorite thing to eat on ordinary days was nothing more than the tomato scrambled eggs and stir-fried meat shreds personally made by Chen Juenian.
As long as she asked, Chen Juenian, being an Immortal, would definitely lower himself to mortal affairs and place these steaming hot dishes before her.
These beautiful memories that should have been remembered were now all coldly handled by Chen Juenian, but she understood that it was all her fault.
Earlier, outside, she also couldn’t muster the courage to walk beside her Master.
“Nian’er, why didn’t you order that bear paw this time?”
“Although Ting Yu’s bear paw is indeed good, this thing’s difficult-to-remove gamey smell still lingers a lot… Nian’er isn’t used to eating it.”
“I see.”
Indeed, last time Xuanyuan Jiong only tasted a bit and felt it was too gamey so she didn’t eat it, but then she watched her child finish it all in one go and thought he really liked it.
Not wasting food is indeed a good habit.
“By the way, Sister Chunxiang.”
“Hmm?”
“You should be sixteen or seventeen years old by now, right? But why haven’t you set foot on the Immortal Path yet?”
“Auntie, my Dantian has been plagued by cold energy since I was young. A senior who once helped me said… if this cold energy is not dispelled, it will be very difficult for me to circulate Spiritual Energy and embark on the Immortal Path.”
“So that’s how it is.”
Xuanyuan Jiong nodded.
No wonder.
It was somewhat similar to her own Nian’er, but compared to her, Chen Juenian was still relatively better.
At least Chen Juenian could cultivate.
“Then did that senior mention any method to dispel the cold energy?”
“That senior…”
After cautiously glancing at Chen Juenian, Mu Chunxiang gently shook her head.
“She didn’t say.”
“That’s really too bad… but it’s fine, Sister Chunxiang, I will do my best to help you, and this Nian’er brother will too.”
—
“Since we came all this way, why don’t we go to Linlang Pavilion and buy some things? How about it?”
“Whatever Mother says.”
“Auntie, I have Spirit Stones on me, let Chunxiang pay this time!”
“How could that be? The visitor is the guest, how can we use the guest’s money?”
After politely declining Mu Chunxiang, they walked into Linlang Pavilion in this town.
It was just buying some clothes anyway, not spending many Spirit Stones.
“Nian’er really looks good in this new outfit! Sister Chunxiang, what do you think?”
Looking at Chen Juenian dressed in the form-fitting attire, Mu Chunxiang couldn’t help but stare in a daze.
In her memory, her Master had never worn this kind of clothing.
Compared to this kind of clothes, Chen Juenian preferred loose robes, especially the white ones that looked ethereal and immortal at first glance.
“Very good-looking!”
“That’s good, we’ll take this one. Here, Sister Chunxiang, try on this outfit!”
After taking the women’s form-fitting outfit handed over by Xuanyuan Jiong, Mu Chunxiang suddenly became curious about what her Master’s reaction would be when he saw her in this kind of clothes.
Surely… it would be the same as before.
As she thought, as she wished, Chen Juenian had no reaction to Mu Chunxiang wearing the new clothes.
“Mm, not bad either! Let’s go pay!”
“…”
By the time they returned to the small courtyard, it was already very late.
Mu Chunxiang had walked the entire way alone again.
And from departure until returning to this courtyard, she hadn’t exchanged a single word with Chen Juenian.
“Our backyard has a bath, Sister Chunxiang, you should have seen it, right? Do you want to go soak first?”
“Auntie, you go first. Chunxiang is a bit tired now and wants to rest for a while.”
“Alright.”
Xuanyuan Jiong walked toward the backyard, and Chen Juenian automatically followed behind her.
‘Master… why is he following?’
Mu Chunxiang’s eyes widened a little.
She cautiously followed, and from a distance, she saw the two people undressing by the bath.
How could this be?
Back on the mountain…
At that time…
Her vision suddenly blurred completely; the entire backyard was one-way shielded by Xuanyuan Jiong, and Mu Chunxiang could no longer see what was inside.
She wanted to ask her Master why he was willing to bathe together with Xuanyuan Jiong, but she didn’t dare.
She didn’t dare say anything.
Any word she said might anger her Master; now he treated her like a stranger, and if it got worse—
An enemy?
A foe?
Sitting back down at the table in the main hall, Mu Chunxiang was now completely in despair.
She was afraid, she dared not do anything, but doing nothing would not make her Master fully forgive her.
Even though she had lowered her expectations to the minimum, as long as she could become her Master’s disciple one more time, she would do anything.
But Chen Juenian was unwilling to give her that chance.
“Sister Chunxiang, the water has been changed and heated…”
“Understood, thank you, Auntie.”
Xuanyuan Jiong did not dispel the Spiritual Energy that was enough to shield the entire backyard; as everything before her eyes gradually became clear, Mu Chunxiang fully saw the bath in the backyard.
Exactly the same as on Juenian Mountain.
“…”
“…”
Returning alone to her room, a dazed Mu Chunxiang collapsed onto the bed.
A chance?
Right now, she didn’t have even the slightest chance.
Even though she had lowered her demands and posture to the minimum.
‘If only… my Cultivation Base were still there.’
Great Emperor Mu Chunxiang would not fear any difficulty.