“Let’s go together, we still need to buy new storage bags, or we can switch to some other kind of storage tool instead,” Ji Yunzhao said.
The storage bags belonging to the two of them were already packed to the absolute limit. Upon leaving the secret realm, Ji Yunzhao felt a deep sense of regret over this. If it hadn’t been for the storage bags holding them back, they could have brought out even more good things from the secret realm.
The journey back to the bamboo house wasn’t particularly long, but it wasn’t short either. Walking by foot was far too exhausting; even if the system were to beat him to death, Ji Yunzhao would refuse to do it.
The spiritual vessel, which could not be utilized within the secret realm, finally got to see the light of day once more. The moment it was summoned, Ji Yunzhao impatiently directed Yan Fulang to take him aboard.
“Quick, quick, quick! Let’s head home! Cold lemon beef! I am so hungry, chirp!”
The thought of Yan Fulang’s dinner arrangements made Ji Yunzhao’s stomach growl with anticipation. He was both craving the food and starved, and because he spoke in such a frantic rush, his tongue accidentally slipped at the end.
The youth, who was paying close attention to him at every single moment, caught the slip, and a very soft laugh spilled from his perfectly shaped thin lips.
Ji Yunzhao snapped his beak shut instantly, retreating back into Yan Fulang’s robes.
The massive spiritual vessel ascended rapidly into the sky, smooth and swift, sweeping past the mountains. The howling gales of the high altitude were kept completely at bay by the arrays enveloping the vessel.
The moment Yan Fulang sat down, his first action was to fish for the little bird that remained cooped up in his chest, refusing to come out.
Having just embarrassed himself, Ji Yunzhao truly did not want to pay him any mind. Aside from dodging left and right, he burrowed even deeper into the youth’s lapels, his claws and sharp beak scratching the fabric into a chaotic mess.
“Senior, if you keep scratching like this, there is going to be another new hole,” Yan Fulang murmured, somewhat helplessly, lowering his head to speak softly to the tiny ball of fluff poking out from his collar.
So what if there was another hole? He had already mentioned back in the secret realm that they could just buy a new set of clothes.
Ji Yunzhao ignored him, continuing to dig and claw away. The little fat bird excavator revealed its sharp prowess upon its very first excavation, genuinely managing to tear another hole into the black robes.
Yan Fulang didn’t particularly mind his clothes being reduced to tattered rags by the bird, but they hadn’t arrived home yet, and there was still a bothersome artifact spirit right beside them.
“If Senior wishes to grind your teeth, how about I find some better fabric for you to peck at once we return home?”
Through the fabric of his clothes, Yan Fulang gently tapped the round little head in his chest, adding, “We stayed in the secret realm for quite a long time, so the clothes have likely caught some dust. Alternatively, should I fish out something from the storage bag for Senior to pass the time with?”
As he spoke, he had already begun to open his storage bag, preparing to take things out.
The little bird’s digging and pecking actions paused, slowly grinding to a halt.
How did any of this look like grinding teeth? What was Yan Fulang even doing? It was incredibly bizarre; was he truly treating him like some sort of pampered pet?
Having spent so much time in the little fat bird form, Ji Yunzhao couldn’t help but feel the creeping illusion that he himself had become childish.
Could this be a lingering side effect brought about by this fluffy small form?
Ji Yunzhao shook his head, unwilling to let his intelligence degrade, and hastily scrambled out of Yan Fulang’s embrace, shifting back into his human form.
Their harvest from the secret realm this time was exceptionally bountiful. Yan Fulang looked into the storage bag, counting the items one by one and taking inventory with Ji Yunzhao, placing particular emphasis on the items that could be used for cooking.
Ji Yunzhao leaned against the soft cushions, cradling a soft pillow in his arms as he lounged lazily to one side, listening to his cheap disciple jot down new recipes.
“All of these are quite good,” his mood improved slightly, and he added, “Shall we make some tonight?”
Yan Fulang replied, “Alright, once we return home, Senior can pick out whatever you like, and I will cook it for you.”
Xiao Rang, who had remained quiet for a long while, suddenly piped up, saying, “Save some for me too… mgh, mgh, mgh!!!”
The spiritual energy bubble manifested once more, and this time it was a double-layered, double portion, resembling a piece of super-thick, double-sized bubblegum that entirely encased Xiao Rang within.
By the time they rushed back to the bamboo house, the system had already been waiting at the main entrance for a long time.
“Meow.”
The little black cat held its tail high, first rubbing against Ji Yunzhao before impartially rubbing against Yan Fulang’s leg as well.
They had never dispelled the spiritual energy bubble enveloping Xiao Rang, and the system grew intensely curious about this floating, translucent white sphere. Seeing this, Ji Yunzhao waved his hand, causing the bubble to drop right before the system’s eyes.
【Host, what is this?】
【Something fun.】
Ji Yunzhao played a small joke on the system, yet he hadn’t expected that the moment he finished speaking, the pitch-black cat paw would impatiently reach out and deliver a sharp swat.
The system added its own enthusiastic sound effect: 【Biu~】
The highly elastic spiritual energy bubble shot far away, colliding with the courtyard wall before hitting the ground with a soft thud, bouncing repeatedly as it dashed straight toward the stone table.
The system chased after it, meowing loudly.
【Host, this really is fun~】
Xiao Rang shrieked, “#$%…@#%%…!!!”
He felt as though his non-existent brains were about to be thoroughly scrambled by the little black cat, emitting a string of feeble, garbled roars of fury.
Ji Yunzhao cleared his throat, scooping up the system just as it was about to pounce again to hold it securely. Yan Fulang very cooperatively dissolved the spiritual energy enveloping Xiao Rang at the exact same moment.
“Thud!”
The ornate, pitch-black mask landed heavily onto the stone table, causing Xiao Rang to grimace in pain, yelling, “Who, who hit me?!”
The system widened its golden cat eyes in surprise, letting out a sharp, “Meow!”
【Host, you brought back an artifact spirit?】
【Yes, a Heaven-grade magic treasure, a rather useless mask, and the main culprit behind the exposure of my identity.】
Ji Yunzhao recounted the events of the secret realm to the system, feeling a slight twinge of regret, 【If he hadn’t been a human during his lifetime, I would have let you use him as a ball to kick around.】
【That’s fine, we can still do that now!】
The system rubbed its paws together, leaping down from Ji Yunzhao’s arms, prepared to avenge its host’s exposed identity.
The little black cat resembled a moving ball of black sesame stuffing, taking light, agile steps until it reached Xiao Rang’s side. It extended a paw toward the matching black mask, its sharp claws peeking out, seemingly ready to slap him square across the face in the next instant—
“Ah! So it’s a little kitty! I haven’t seen a cat in so long! Let me sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff!”
“Kitty~ come here, hehe, hehehe…”
A wild, unbridled laughter suddenly erupted from the mask, so eccentric that even the system was startled. Even though it knew Xiao Rang could not move at present, it still leaped backward out of sheer reflex, nearly slipping off the stone table entirely.
The system remarked: 【Host, where on earth did you dig up this thing? Its mental state appears, uh, highly concerning.】
The gaze of both the human and the system turned simultaneously toward Xiao Rang, who was chuckling away without pause.
The system delivered its final verdict: 【Even a professional gold miner couldn’t unearth such a massive nugget of pure madness.】
Xiao Rang’s laughter carried far too much presence, echoing through the air without end. Ji Yunzhao worried that listening to it any longer would make his ears bleed, so he hastily gathered the system into his arms and called for Yan Fulang to leave together, abandoning the lone artifact spirit to continue his mad episode.
The kitchen door closed with a firm thud.
Ji Yunzhao pressed himself against the back of the door to listen for a good while, noting that the soundproofing was quite effective. Xiao Rang’s ghostly wails were largely shut out, leaving only a sound slightly fainter than normal conversation, allowing him to breathe a long sigh of relief.
“Meowu~”
【Host, so this is the most valuable item from that Black-grade secret realm… it’s a bit of a letdown, let’s just sell it off.】
Ji Yunzhao held the exact same thought, and Yan Fulang, his cheap disciple, shared their sentiment entirely.
While they were still inside the secret realm, the youth had mentioned exchanging it for money to help with household expenses, and a Heaven-grade magic treasure would undoubtedly fetch a handsome sum. Although they didn’t lack this bit of funds, it was the disciple’s filial devotion after all.
Ji Yunzhao’s emotions throughout this single day could be described as a series of massive highs and lows.
One moment, he found Yan Fulang incredibly annoying, wanting to beat or peck this rebellious disciple to death, yet the next moment, he felt the youth still possessed his redeeming qualities. Not only could the boy provide for his retirement in the future, but he could also share his master’s burdens, making him a practically flawless disciple.
For instance, right now, he felt Yan Fulang was exceptionally sensible.
The items brought out from the secret realm had already been sorted into various categories across the kitchen counter, and the beef had been delivered to the courtyard not long ago.
Yan Fulang still wore the robes torn by the bird, having no time to change out of them before he began preparing dinner for him.
The black sleeves were casually rolled up a section, offering a stark contrast that made his forearms appear pale and smooth, their muscular lines flowing elegantly. His long fingers peeled away the leaves of the edible spiritual plants layer by layer, focused and precise. Even the way he held the cleaver to mince the meat was a feast for the eyes.
The youth suddenly lowered his blade, seemingly having something to say to him, turning his body slightly.
The pale apron was tied around his narrow waist, accentuating a pleasing curve.
“Senior,” he called out softly.
Ji Yunzhao didn’t know what had come over him, but he suddenly began to stammer, “Wh, what is it?”
Yan Fulang asked, “Should I add chili to this dish?”
He held a large, somewhat rounded chili in his hand. Ji Yunzhao recognized it as a variety used solely for light seasoning, one that wasn’t particularly spicy.
“Uh… go ahead and add it.”
As Ji Yunzhao spoke, he lowered his gaze, his fingers reaching out to fiddle with the garlic resting on the cutting board.
The hot dishes and rice that required more time were placed onto the stove first. The cold salad was simple to prepare and involved very few steps. Once Yan Fulang sliced the beef into thin pieces, he prepared the lemons, coriander, onions, and other ingredients before calling Ji Yunzhao to his side.
“Senior, we are about to start making the cold lemon beef,” Yan Fulang handed Ji Yunzhao a pair of chopsticks. “Would you like to try making it? It’s very simple.”
The water in the small pot happened to be boiling. Yan Fulang blanched a slice of beef in the pot, scooping it out the moment its color changed. Ji Yunzhao followed his example, his beautiful apricot eyes refusing to blink even once, staring at the pot with immense tension.
This was his very first time preparing a cold dish!
【Host, it’s merely a bit of beef, don’t panic. Even during that past mission, I never saw you this.】
“Senior, don’t worry, I will keep an eye on it for you.”
“Shut up.”
The system and Yan Fulang spoke almost simultaneously, their voices overlapping into a slight jumble.
Ji Yunzhao’s nerves were already strung tight, and without paying attention, he blurted out the words meant for his mental conversation with the system directly into the open air. This caused the youth beside him to cast a seemingly surprised glance his way.
“I, I didn’t mean.”
Ji Yunzhao explained himself out of sheer reflex, yet he felt that rushing to clarify things made it seem rather peculiar. Squeezing his lips together, he looked back with a distinct lack of assertiveness, snapping, “What are you looking at, do you have a problem? The beef isn’t even done blanching yet!”
With that, he twisted his head back around, continuing to blanch the beef.
The other pair of chopsticks hovered in midair for a brief moment before springing into motion.
Yan Fulang handled the beef slices with practiced ease, the rising steam blurring his features, concealing his current expression as well as the faint smile that had quietly touched his lips.
Does he want to peck at things again? How adorable.
Shortly after, all the beef slices were completely blanched, the timing executed perfectly to ensure the meat remained incredibly tender. Yan Fulang retrieved a large white porcelain bowl from the cabinet, pouring the sauce and various side ingredients inside.
Yan Fulang left the exact quantities of lemons and chili peppers entirely up to Ji Yunzhao to add as he pleased.
Recently, Ji Yunzhao had grown far better at tolerating spicy dishes compared to his past displays, where he would pant across the table and scramble frantically for water. He proved much bolder when selecting his ingredients, adding a few more slices of chili peppers than Yan Fulang had anticipated, along with an extra portion of lemon.
The beef slices were tossed in last, soaking thoroughly in the sauce and absorbing the crisp fragrance of the lemon. The scent triggered a massive appetite in Ji Yunzhao. Refusing to let Yan Fulang take over, he grabbed the chopsticks and began mixing the contents himself.
“It smells so good, the flavor seems just about right, there’s no need to add anything else, right?”
Despite wandering through the secret realm for an entire day, the young man’s white robes remained as pristine as new. The solitary, pale pink fragment of a shattered petal clinging to the back of his neck was quietly plucked away by the cool, pale fingertips that had drawn close at some unknown point.
Ji Yunzhao held a tiny dish, lifting a slice of beef to take a bite. His eyes lit up instantly, and he turned around with a bright smile, saying, “This is excellent, do you want to-”
His sentence cut off halfway, freezing between his lips.
Yan Fulang stood right behind him, positioned incredibly close, so close that Ji Yunzhao could clearly see the warm, orange glow of the setting sun resting against the youth’s slightly lowered, long eyelashes.
The youth bent down slightly, looking intently at the dazed, beautiful young man as a very faint smile touched his thin lips. “Hmm? Does Senior want me to taste it as well?”
Ji Yunzhao stammered, “I will go get you a pair of-”
The chopsticks he intended to lower were intercepted. That distinctively jointed hand gripped the chopsticks, seemingly wrapping around his own hand by pure accident, and very naturally delivered a slice of beef into the youth’s mouth.
“It is indeed excellent, Senior’s culinary skills have improved once more.”
The burning remnants of the setting sun fell into the youth’s eyes like scattered sparks of flame. Ji Yunzhao fluttered his long lashes slowly, appearing as though he were entirely unable to process what had just occurred.
“Ah, well, of course!”
Ji Yunzhao took a step backward, clutching the porcelain bowl filled with the cold lemon beef, and bolted in a flash.
“I, I will head out first! Tongtong is still waiting for me, you, you go ahead and finish up!”
The sun had already sunk beneath the mountains, casting the courtyard into darkness, yet brilliant lanterns flared to life in the next instant, illuminating the surroundings.
A white silhouette flashed across the courtyard, coming to a sudden, hurried halt right before the stone table.
Ji Yunzhao slammed the white porcelain bowl down heavily, yet just as it was about to suffer a violent collision with the stone surface, a gentle ripple of spiritual energy acted as a placemat.
The cold lemon beef landed safely, and Ji Yunzhao sat down with a total lack of decorum, nearly flattening himself into a bird pancake.
Truly for no good reason at all, why did the youth have to lean in so close?
And he didn’t even switch chopsticks!
Ji Yunzhao furiously stuffed several large mouthfuls of beef into his mouth, until he accidentally bit into a slice of lemon. His handsome face twisted from the pure sourness, forcing him to halt this act of retaliatory eating.
The system trotted over, lightly leaping onto the stone table, 【Host~ give me a bite too~】
Ji Yunzhao cast a glance at his little idiot companion, sharing a few slices of beef with it.
Xiao Rang, who had been lying immobile on the stone table for a long time, joined in on the excitement, calling out, “I want some too, I want some too—”
Ji Yunzhao perfunctorily dropped a few pieces of chili and lemon onto the mask.
After he left, the bustling activity inside the kitchen continued.
By the time Yan Fulang finished preparing the rest of the dinner and began setting the table while calling out for everyone, that bowl of cold lemon beef had already been devoured cleanly, leaving behind nothing but a layer of sauce.
As for those side ingredients like the lemon slices, chili peppers, and onions…
Yan Fulang cast a glance across the messy stone table.
Half of them rested inside a small bowl seemingly set aside specifically for him, while the other half lay scattered across Xiao Rang’s mask.
Well, the side ingredients inside his own bowl were still more plentiful.
The household now possessed a new Heaven-grade magic treasure, which happened to be an artifact spirit whose mouth simply would not stop blabbing. He couldn’t be carelessly tossed into the storage room, otherwise, the house would transform into a live stand-up comedy venue. He couldn’t be left out in the courtyard either, as he would terrify the innocent flowers and grass.
Placing him in the master bedroom was naturally out of the question; Ji Yunzhao would absolutely never share a room with the wretched mask that caused his identity to drop. As for the other room it faced strong, dual opposition from both Yan Fulang and Xiao Rang.
During these past few nights of sleep, he had consistently switched to his small fat bird form.
There was simply no helping it; a shameless puppy occupied the bed and could not be driven away. The moment he tried to oust him, the youth would look at him with a thoroughly pitiful expression, resembling a stray dog abandoned by its master. Ji Yunzhao could only sigh, maintaining his small form to continue sharing a bed with Yan Fulang.
Consequently, the mask was thrown into the room belonging to Yan Fulang that currently sat empty.
Although his quarters consisted of a bookshelf, it remained far better than sleeping exposed to the elements.
Xiao Rang wasn’t picky, so long as Yan Fulang remembered to come fetch him every morning to let him catch some fresh air.
Yet Yan Fulang did not arrive punctually every day.
If it weren’t for the little black cat remembering to scratch at the bookshelf and carry him out in its mouth to sun himself and clear away the mold, he would have grown utterly depressed to the point of death within that pitch-black darkness.
It was yet another day of waking up late.
Ji Yunzhao poked his head out from beneath the blankets with a chaotic mess of down feathers, fiercely opening his sharp bird beak to peck at the youth’s prominent nose.
But his fierce momentum came to a sudden halt halfway through.
The shape of that nose was far too perfect, making him somewhat loath to actually peck it.
Ji Yunzhao sat down gloomily upon Yan Fulang’s chest, flattening himself out.
He looked round and soft, resembling a small glutinous rice ball that was currently expanding.
“Why didn’t you wake me up again, it’s so stuffy inside the blankets too.”
Yan Fulang unhurriedly raised his hand, smoothing down the feathers of the ruffled bird as he listened to his quiet grumbling.
“The Treasure Pavilion is having a sale today; if we arrive late, we will have to line up!”
“Senior, do not worry, we will make it in time,” the youth replied, carefully lifting the red-and-white bird within his palm to go wash up together.
Ji Yunzhao suffered from intermittent morning grumpiness, and today, most unfortunately, happened to be a day where his morning temper flared. From the moment he woke up, he had refused to switch back to his human form.
The fluffy little bird stretched its claws and wings, tilting its head up to let Yan Fulang help him wash and comb through everything thoroughly.
Once they finished a simple breakfast, it wasn’t until the exact moment he was carried onto the spiritual vessel that he finally switched to his large form, lounging lazily across the soft seat.
Outside Cloud Horizon City, crowds of people gathered in dense layers, making the scene appear exceptionally lively.
Ji Yunzhao poked his head out curiously to steal a glance, yet he couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. Assuming it was due to the Treasure Pavilion’s discount event, he tapped Yan Fulang’s shoulder, urging him to navigate the vessel into the queue.
As the spiritual vessel drew closer, he realized that the massive crowd outside the city wasn’t entirely there for the Treasure Pavilion’s sale. The He family was searching for someone along the main thoroughfare right behind the city gates, blocking everyone else in the process.
“Tsk, how bizarre! If they are looking for someone, can’t they let us inside first before searching? What is the meaning of blocking the entrance like this?!”
“Forget it, forget it, it’s best to stay quiet. At a critical junction like this, be careful not to invite trouble from the He family.”
“I heard their young master has gone missing, no sign of him alive, no corpse to be found.”
Ji Yunzhao leaned over the edge of the vessel to watch the spectacle, deliberately poking the youth beside him, asking, “Did you hear that? They said He Wenhua’s corpse is nowhere to be found.”
“I heard it,” Yan Fulang tilted his head, his peach blossom eyes looking back with total innocence. “He truly is quite pitiful.”
Between the two of them, one had thoroughly thrashed He Wenhua and pretended to know nothing of the subsequent events to help cover things up, while the other had seized the opportunity to hurl He Wenhua down a cliff to exact a portion of his revenge. Neither face carried the slightest hint of guilt, and their gaze remained perfectly upright when they looked at each other.
However, according to the current progression of the plot, it wasn’t yet time to formally clash with the He family and the Biyun Sect, so it paid to be cautious.
Xiao Rang followed them out as well. The system squatted beside him to watch the drama unfold with its host, and the cat and the mask watched the He family blocking the road in the distance with immense relish.
Suddenly, the pitch-black mask swayed, caught up in Ji Yunzhao’s hand.
Perched at the very edge of the vessel with his body suspended in the air, Xiao Rang let out a short shriek, nearly frightened out of his wits by Ji Yunzhao. Before he could recover, he received his very first task since being brought out of the secret realm.
“The time to test your utility has arrived!”
Ji Yunzhao blinked, pointing at the fierce He family members, adding, “We have encountered a minor bit of trouble, and we need your assistance~”
A job had arrived!
Xiao Rang instantly grew serious.
His very first task out of the secret realm had to be executed flawlessly. Furthermore, the He family?
Xiao Rang asked solemnly, “Who is transforming? What do you want to look like?”
“Naturally it isn’t me; I share no grievances or enmity with the He family. Hmmm, a man would be far too conspicuous, so it’s better to transform into a woman instead, and she must wear a beautiful little dress~”
Ji Yunzhao spoke with distinct malice. The moment Xiao Rang finished preparing his magic, Ji Yunzhao held the mask in one hand and pulled Yan Fulang over with the other, preparing to boldly clamp it onto the youth’s face.
Right at that exact moment, someone’s spiritual vessel within the queue suddenly collided with theirs, causing their vessel to rock violently a few times.
In that split second, the pitch-black mask was snatched away by a cool, pale, slender hand, and it was firmly clapped onto Ji Yunzhao’s face instead.