RIIDMDR chapter 166

The appearance of the flyer was like a drop of water falling into hot oil. The next day at dawn, all the demons in the demon realm were asking the same question: How did the current master of Zhuyu Mountain deliver the letter to their bedside overnight without anyone noticing?

Just thinking about it sent shivers down their spines. After all, the fact that not even the clan leader noticed was terrifying. Not a single one of the hundreds of demons in the clan sensed a fluctuation of spiritual power. What kind of profound cultivation was this?

If they hadn’t used spiritual power, the thought of someone sneaking up silently to their bedside would have been unthinkable.

Nan Xu, of course, was unaware of the demons’ fears. After waking up early, he went for a walk around the back of the house. Everyone knew that Nan Xu loved watermelons. While Nan Xu was away this spring, Zhixing and the Zhuang brothers planted more watermelons. Although they had borne fruit, perhaps due to the lower temperature on the mountain, they weren’t fully ripe yet. Nan Xu walked around, tapping each watermelon, before finally picking two that were almost ripe. He carried them back to the yard and soaked them in the well water.

He picked all the loquats from the tree. The loquat tree was kind enough to leave him with two large baskets. He put some in the cellar to eat fresh, made some into loquat syrup, and rummaged through a pile of bottles and jars in the warehouse. He washed the loquats, put them in jars, added water and rock sugar, screwed on the lids, and steamed them thoroughly. The resulting loquat preserves were sweet and could be stored for a long time.

As he placed the bottles and jars in the steamer and lit the stove, Nanxu heard the clear, melodious laughter of children in the yard. He peeked out the window and saw Xu Le riding Guan’er into the yard. He immediately spotted Nanxu’s location. “Brother Nan, it’s been so long! What delicious food are you making?” he asked with a grin.

Although Guan’er had grown into a big dog, Xu Le still looked like a seven- or eight-year-old child. Carrying him was quite strenuous, but the silly dog seemed oblivious, wagging its tail happily.

Nan Xu was both amused and exasperated. He tried to keep a stern face as he scolded, “Get off Guan’er quickly. If you break its spine, what will we do then?”

Xu Le reluctantly climbed off Guan’er’s back. “Brother Nan is so biased! He treats Guan’er better than me.”

Despite what he said, he didn’t seem sad. In fact, he nuzzled Guan’er’s head before rushing into the kitchen.

The sweet soup in the pot wasn’t ready yet. Nanxu looked around, but he couldn’t find anything to eat. He could only lead him to the yard to cut a watermelon.

“Did you come here by yourself?” Nanxu asked, pulling on the well rope.

Xu Le stood to the side, peering into the well. The well cover was usually tightly closed, so he rarely got to see inside. Now, seeing the deep well, he was startled and took two steps back. “No, my father went up the mountain, too, but he couldn’t run as fast as me.”

Nanxu placed the watermelon, which had been chilled by the well water, on the stone table in the yard and cut it open. Its bright red flesh looked exceptionally delicious, and Xu Le couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!”

After Nanxu finished cutting the watermelon, Xu Ji arrived, carrying a large bamboo basket on his back. When he saw Nanxu, he stopped in his tracks.

Xu Le was just a child and couldn’t discern many changes in Nan Xu. At most, he thought Nan Xu was more handsome. However, Xu Ji could clearly sense the spiritual energy emanating from Nan Xu. Even without knowing his cultivation level, Xu Ji knew that demons with such abundant spiritual energy were rare in the current state of the demon realm. Considering the letter he’d seen that morning, he wasn’t too surprised.

Ever since he moved into Zhuyu Mountain with permission, he had felt that the owner was very mysterious. The owner could cook and appeared completely harmless yet was able to roam freely around Zhuyu Mountain and enter and exit the various formations with ease. He even kept Senior Tingchuan in the mountain, treating him with great care. It was contradictory, but since his clan posed no threat to the owner, he didn’t overthink his background.

“Perfect timing! Come and have some watermelon. It’s the first harvest of the year; it was just pulled from the well. It’s very refreshing,” Nan Xu said, inviting him in.

Although Xu Ji had dealt with Nan Xu many times before, he felt a little awkward after not seeing him for so long and considering Nan Xu’s changes. The honest man rubbed his hands on his clothes, unsure how to react.

Nan Xu patted Xu Le’s head. Xu Le was happily eating. Nan Xu said, “Go get your father a basin of water to wash his hands.”

Xu Le responded and ran to the well. He scooped two ladles of cold water from the bucket and obediently carried them over.

Seeing his son acting as if he were at home relaxed Xu Ji’s stiff shoulders a bit and lessened his unfamiliarity with the courtyard considerably.

After finishing his melon, Xu Ji wiped the juice from his hands, took a white letter out of his robes, and said to Nan Xu, “I received this letter this morning. Judging from its contents, it seems the owner sent a message to the entire demon race.”

Nan Xu had already guessed why Xu Ji had come up the mountain that day. As he sat on the swing and fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan, he said, “Yes, I want to invite all the demon clan leaders to gather at Zhuyu Mountain to discuss and reach a conclusion.”

After confirming that the letter was indeed from Nan Xu, Xu Ji breathed a sigh of relief. He hesitated for a long time without speaking, but Nan Xu didn’t urge him.

After a long pause, he seemed to have made up his mind. He said, “Our canine clan lost territory and members due to the struggle for spiritual energy. Now, we are scattered throughout the demon realm. The fact that a few dozen of us can live here peacefully is only thanks to the owner’s kindness. If I had a choice, I would fight back.”

He had presumably rushed up the mountain after seeing the letter early that morning, too hastily to discuss it with his clansmen. Nan Xu nodded and said, “The clan leaders from various places haven’t arrived yet. Brother Xu, why don’t you go back and… Let’s discuss it with the clansmen again. If they really make that choice, Brother Xu will have no choice but to lend a hand.”

Xu Ji smiled upon hearing this. “All right, then. I’ll go down the mountain to discuss it with the clansmen.”

Nan Xu glanced at Xu Le, who was sitting to the side with his chin resting on his hand. He said with a smile, “No rush. It’s been so long since we last met. I’ll invite Brother Xu to have a meal before you go back.”

Xu Le hurriedly nodded in agreement. He had gotten up early that morning and left his mother and sister behind to go up the mountain just to eat a meal at Brother Nan’s place. How could he leave without eating?

They had eaten about half of the two pigs that were slaughtered last winter. Then, Nan Xu and Tingchuan traveled to the South Sea. After returning, they didn’t stay more than a few days before traveling to the surrounding mountain peaks. Zhixing, the demon, hadn’t cooked much while he was at the inn, so there was still plenty left.

Nan Xu selected some marbled pork belly, sprinkled it with seasonings, and placed it in the oven. The aroma of the crispy pork belly filled the yard and enticed Xu Le so much that he forgot about playing with Guan’er and slipped into the kitchen.

Nan Xu set aside the chopped, marinated ribs. The water in the pot was boiling, so he added the rolled-out noodles, covered the pot, and let them simmer. While preparing the scallions, cilantro, and cucumber strips, he asked Xu Le, “What are you thinking about?”

Xu Le had been preoccupied ever since Nan Xu started cooking, and his emotions were written all over his face.

He sat on a small stool by the stove, watching the fire, seemingly unfazed by the heat. “Brother Nan,” he asked, “if the spiritual energy in the demon realm becomes increasingly scarce, will I never grow up?”

Nan Xu paused while chopping vegetables and looked at the earnest child. “Are you afraid you won’t grow up?”

Xu Le nodded. “My mother was only happy for a few days after she had my sister. After that, she became very worried. She said that she was able to give birth to my sister because the spiritual energy of Zhuyu Mountain was abundant. But if the spiritual energy decreases day by day… My sister won’t get the chance to transform and will remain a puppy forever. I think I need spiritual energy to grow, too. If the spiritual energy disappears, will I never grow up?”

Nan Xu didn’t rush to comfort him. The dwindling spiritual energy in the demon realm wasn’t only known to adult demons. Even young children like Xu Le were sensitive to it. No one knew how long the remaining spiritual energy could sustain the demon realm—perhaps thousands of years, or maybe only a hundred.

“If there were a way to restore the demon realm’s spiritual veins, many demons would die, including your relatives. You might be one of them. Would you be willing?” Nan Xu asked.

Xu Le tilted his head back and thought for a long time. It seemed as if his little mind were conjuring up thoughts. Before he could speak, tears welled up in his eyes. Nan Xu regretted being so direct. After all, everyone might ultimately choose to accept the current situation. No discussions had begun yet, and asking a child to think about such practical matters was asking too much.

Nan Xu handed him the remaining half of a cucumber. “There hasn’t been much rain this year. The cucumbers are very sweet. Try some.”

Xu Le took the cucumber but, instead of rushing to eat it as before, said seriously to Nan Xu, “I’m willing.”

Nan Xu: “Hm?”

Xu Le bit his lip and said firmly, “If there’s a chance to restore the spiritual veins, I’m willing to try. I don’t want to stay young. I don’t want my sister to always be like a puppy… I don’t want the uncles in the clan to send me away again someday and tell me to run. I want to become strong to protect my father, mother, little sister, and the uncles in the clan.”

Nanxu was deeply moved after hearing this. Xu Le had witnessed many clansmen lose their lives during territorial disputes, which made him more mature than other young demons. When he was wandering aimlessly with Guan’er, not knowing where he was going, he probably wondered why so many clansmen had to sacrifice their lives for a single territory.

“But it might not even work.” Nan Xu was determined to shatter the child’s illusions.

Xu Le stared at him and asked, “Brother Nan, are you scared?”

Nan Xu shook his head. “I’m not scared. I have friends that I want to protect.”

Xu Le’s eyes lit up immediately. “Then I’m the same as you, Brother Nan. I’m not scared either. I’ll always try.”

Nan found the child’s innocent words amusing. Not wanting to trouble the child with this question any longer, Nan Xu instructed him, “Go see what your brother Zhixing is doing in his room. He hasn’t come out all morning. It’s almost time for lunch.”

Xu Le responded and quickly ran out.

Nan Xu scooped up the noodles, rinsed them in cold water, and mixed them with the prepared vegetables and seasonings. Eating cold noodles on a summer day was delightful. He then fried the ribs in oil. He was quick and efficient. In no time, he had prepared a table full of dishes.

The crispy pork belly sizzled as the fat rendered out. The salt-and-pepper ribs were even crispier and more fragrant. The firm pheasant leg meat, made into a spicy, savory chicken dish, was tender and delicious. Paired with several seasonal vegetables and the cold noodles prepared that morning, even Zhixing exclaimed that he hadn’t tasted such a sumptuous meal in a long time.

Just before dinner was about to start, Tingchuan brought several lively little fish into the yard. Nan Xu had said earlier that morning that he wanted crucian carp and tofu soup, so Tingchuan had gone out early to look for some. Crucian carp have many bones. After searching quite a bit, he finally found a few plump catfish in the mountain stream.

Nan Xu was pleasantly surprised to see the fish. He hadn’t tasted them since arriving in the demon realm. He took them and put them in a basin of water. Knowing that Tingchuan disliked the fishy smell, Nan Xu busied himself getting soap and hot water for him, thoroughly enjoying himself in the process.

After Tingchuan finished washing, Nan Xu felt his hands were slippery from the soap. He was about to rinse them when Tingchuan grabbed his hand, slowly lathering it with soap and scrubbing every finger and joint.

Such playful behavior in private was fine, but doing it in front of all the demons was embarrassing. Nan Xu glanced to the side. Xu Ji, Zhixing, and You An were all looking at the sky or the trees in the courtyard. Only the oblivious Xu Le stared wide-eyed at the two of them.

“Brother Nan doesn’t even know how to wash his hands…um…”

He was only halfway through his sentence when Zhixing walked up to him and covered his mouth and eyes.

Nan Xu’s face flushed instantly. He turned his head back and stared at the foam in the basin. Once the blush had mostly faded, Nan Xu cleared his throat and whispered, “This afternoon, you’ll come with me down the mountain to retrieve your magical weapon.”

By diverting his attention and speaking these words with feigned seriousness, Nan Xu felt his embarrassment lessen considerably. Looking up, he saw Tingchuan smiling at him and felt all the blood rush to his head again.

“Okay,” Tingchuan said.

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