On the stone table in the pavilion, it was filled with dishes made from spiritual herbs.
Zi Xin’er said with a gentle smile, “Please, have a seat. I personally prepared some dishes. I wonder if they’ll suit your tastes.”
Chu Feng and the others entered the pavilion, and naturally, Zi Yuejun excitedly sat down next to Zi Xin’er.
Chu Feng had intended to casually pick any seat, but Zi Xin’er patted the empty spot beside her and said to him, “Little one, sit here.”
He had wanted to stay as far away from the Holy Master as possible, but now he had been called out by name to sit right next to her.
So, Chu Feng obediently sat beside Zi Xin’er and said, “Thank you, Holy Master, for preparing the meal.”
Zi Xin’er raised her hand, gently patted Chu Feng’s head, and smiled brightly. “Little one, what did I tell you before? What are you supposed to call me?”
At those words, both Liu Xueyao and Liu Shijing, and even Zi Yuejun, simultaneously turned their gazes toward Chu Feng.
Looking at the stunningly beautiful woman before him in her palace robes and feeling the three icy stares from behind…
Moreover, although Zi Xin’er was smiling, there wasn’t a hint of warmth in that smile.
Feeling the pressure from both sides, Chu Feng ultimately chose to side with the stronger one.
After all, if Zi Xin’er got upset, a furious powerhouse could spill blood for a thousand miles. Liu Xueyao and Liu Shijing wouldn’t be able to protect him.
“Zi… Aunt Zi.”
Chu Feng finally spoke.
When Chu Feng finally called out, a genuine smile finally appeared in Zi Xin’er’s beautiful eyes. Pleased, she said, “Not bad. Come on, have a taste of your Aunt Zi’s cooking.”
Zi Xin’er picked up some food and placed it into Chu Feng’s bowl.
“Mom! He…he’s got impure intentions! How can you let him call you Aunt!?”
This time, Zi Yuejun couldn’t stay calm. This little pervert…just what kind of sweet talk did he use to make her mother this happy, to the point of letting him call her “Aunt”!?
Hey hey hey! What do you mean, “impure intentions”?! That’s slander, Zi Yuejun. I could sue you for that!
Upon hearing Zi Yuejun’s words, Chu Feng immediately felt wronged. He had even received a “Model Student” award, okay? Moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education…maybe he wasn’t well-rounded in all of them, but at least he had morals!
Zi Xin’er lightly tapped Zi Yuejun’s head and said, “I know about the matter between you and this little one. It was just a misunderstanding.”
Zi Yuejun clutched her head and pouted, looking completely aggrieved. She hadn’t expected her mother to actually take Chu Feng’s side.
Then, Zi Xin’er turned to look at Chu Feng, who was busy eating, and said, “I’m sure you’re curious why I didn’t appear in person that day, which allowed the Ghost Nether Venerable to escape.”
Hearing this, Chu Feng put down his chopsticks. In fact, he’d been wanting to ask for a while.
Back then, if Zi Xin’er had shown up in person, how could Lin Ruo have possibly escaped?
“Did Aunt Zi have some concerns?”
“You’re right, little one,” Zi Xin’er said, recalling the situation at the time. “Originally, I intended to strike him down in one blow to eliminate future trouble. But just as I made my move, I sensed something… as if some invisible force was faintly protecting that boy. Even if I had appeared in person, I likely wouldn’t have been able to kill him.”
“It’s the Heavenly Fortune.”
At that moment, the usually quiet Liu Xueyao finally spoke.
“Heavenly Fortune?” Zi Xin’er was startled by this and turned to look at Liu Xueyao. “Are you certain?”
Liu Xueyao nodded.
“That makes things difficult. If the Heavenly Fortune is protecting Ghost Nether Venerable, then the cultivation world may soon be thrown into chaos and bloodshed,” Zi Xin’er said, a trace of worry appearing on her face.
Liu Shijing furrowed her brows. “Does that mean… there’s no way to kill him?”
She had heard stories. Some people blessed with great fortune would succeed in everything they did, always going with the flow. Even the most difficult breakthroughs were nothing but routine for them.
Whenever such a child of destiny was born, it signaled the arrival of a new era.
“No. Someone can.”
Liu Xueyao said as her gaze shifted to Chu Feng, who still had chopsticks in his mouth.
Earlier, when Chu Feng heard that Lin Ruo was protected by the Heavenly Fortune, he wasn’t as shocked as Zi Xin’er. Instead, it was as if… he had already expected it.
So it turns out… Lin Ruo really is the main character. No wonder there were so many golden opportunities to take him out, yet none succeeded. It was all because of the Heavenly Fortune.
While he was deep in thought, Chu Feng suddenly sensed that something was off. Snapping out of it, he realized everyone was staring at him!
Why does the atmosphere suddenly feel so strange?
“Haha… um, why’s everyone looking at me instead of eating?”
“It’s nothing, little one. Come, eat more.”
Zi Xin’er raised her hand and, with just a few motions, filled Chu Feng’s bowl to the brim with food.
Thanks to Liu Xueyao’s earlier insight, both Zi Xin’er and Liu Shijing suddenly understood. Normally, someone protected by the Heavenly Fortune would be nearly impossible to harm.
And yet, Chu Feng had not only managed to injure Lin Ruo, but if he had been stronger, Lin Ruo might’ve died on the spot.
All things in the world counter and restrain one another. That’s an unchanging rule. Perhaps even someone protected by the Heavenly Fortune isn’t immune.
Maybe… Chu Feng is the one destined to suppress Lin Ruo.
“Aunt Zi, that’s enough, that’s enough!”
Chu Feng quickly spoke up to stop her. His bowl was already piled high, almost like a small mountain.
“Little one, eat more. These are medicinal herbs I personally grew,” Zi Xin’er said with a warm smile.
“Huh?!” Zi Yuejun looked shocked. “Mother, those are the rare herbs you’ve spent a hundred years cultivating! They’re incredibly precious, and you’re just letting him eat them?”
“Everything in this world follows fate. This little one and I are fated to meet. Besides, as a senior, how could I not make sure a junior eats well?” Zi Xin’er continued placing food into Chu Feng’s bowl, then asked, “Little one, how does it taste?”
“It’s delicious.”
Chu Feng swallowed his bite and grew surprised. He hadn’t expected Zi Xin’er to be such a good cook.
***
In the pavilion, the dishes on the table were now completely empty. Everything had been eaten.
Rubbing his full stomach, Chu Feng realized that more than half the food had ended up in his belly. He’d eaten so much, he figured he could skip dinner altogether.
“Little one, did you eat well?” Zi Xin’er asked with a smile.
“Yes, I’m full. Thank you, Aunt Zi,” Chu Feng replied, too full to even stand up.
“Try circulating your true qi now,” Zi Xin’er reminded him.
Following Zi Xin’er’s advice, Chu Feng began to circulate the true qi within his body and was instantly stunned. Though his cultivation hadn’t advanced, the true qi inside him had become remarkably pure and dense.
Because he had advanced several realms in a row using the fusion of Yin and Yang energies, he hadn’t had time to properly solidify his foundation. As a result, his true qi had been somewhat unstable. If things had continued that way, he might have reached a bottleneck in the future, unable to progress any further.
But now, that unstable qi had become firm and refined. He felt as if his overall strength had at least doubled.
“Thank you so much, Aunt Zi!” Chu Feng exclaimed joyfully.
“No need to thank me, little one,” Zi Xin’er said with a smile, gently pinching his cheek.
Some were pleased, others not so much.
Zi Yuejun glared at Chu Feng in frustration. Her mother was treating him far too well!
Liu Shijing, seeing how generously the Holy Master was treating that brat, couldn’t help but feel a bit happy for some reason. But the moment she saw the Holy Master pinch his cheek so affectionately, a wave of irritation suddenly welled up inside her.
As for Liu Xueyao, her heart was calm as still water. Utterly unmoved.
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