Chapter 143: Knock Knock! The Backyard’s on Fire!
“Brother, it’s all sliced and ready!”
Bai Yu Mo and Shui Miao Miao each carried a plate of thinly sliced meat and swaggered over. Bai Feng, seeing this, immediately dropped his roasting tools:
“Senior Sister, forget the BBQ—come eat hotpot instead!”
Yu Yao instantly perked up: “You wouldn’t be trying to cheat, would you?”
No wonder this little junior brother was so obedient this time—he was just waiting here for her!
“Try it first, and if you think it tastes bad, I’ll go back to BBQ for you.”
Bai Feng picked up a chopstick, plucked a slice of meat, and dunked it into the bubbling red broth. After about ten seconds, he fished out the cooked meat, dipped it into sesame paste, and gently stirred.
Then he glanced at the three onlookers and casually popped the meat into his mouth with a satisfied nod: “Hmm, not bad.”
“Ugh, isn’t that for me to try?” Yu Yao whispered a few words, but she wasn’t too fussed. She picked up her own chopsticks, imitating Bai Feng, and placed a piece of meat into the hot pot. “Senior Sister, I’ll give you a chance to prove me wrong once.”
Meanwhile, Shui Miao Miao, sitting nearby, frowned tightly at the red broth—could it be spicy?
“Umm… actually quite tasty,” Yu Yao’s eyes lit up, and she eagerly grabbed several slices of meat to toss into the pot, “Little junior, you’re quite creative, huh!”
Seeing Yu Yao so happy, Shui Miao Miao couldn’t help but follow suit. She clutched a piece of meat and dipped it into the boiling pot.
Senior Sister didn’t seem like the spicy type, so this pot should just look red—probably not spicy! She deduced.
Ten seconds later, enduring the fiery tongue attack, she silently looked at Bai Feng and asked, “Um, Senior Brother, do you have any water?”
“Here, I prepared this milk for Senior Sister,” Bai Feng quietly handed over the stock of milk he had brought along—a bottle of white, creamy goodness.
“Thanks.” Shui Miao Miao looked at the milk in her hands, pondering something. After a few tense seconds, she finally gulped down almost the entire bottle. She exhaled deeply: “Phew, crisis averted.”
And yes, it was indeed milk.
“If you can’t handle spicy, just eat some BBQ,” Bai Feng said.
“Mm…” Shui Miao Miao nodded, eyeing Yu Yao who was still happily munching away. She suddenly understood that appearances can be deceitful.
A few minutes later, Shui Miao Miao looked at the charred remains of her barbecue in front of her, lost in thought.
Why was it so easy when Bai Feng was grilling, but so hard for her to get it right?
“Maybe I should lend a hand…” she hesitated.
Bai Feng was about to go crazy. That meat was expensive! Even if Yu Yao was footing the bill, he couldn’t stand this kind of food waste!
“…Thanks.” Shui Miao Miao lowered her head. If it weren’t for her hopes of building good relations with Bai Feng and others, she’d have buried herself by now.
She’d been doing pretty well in Eastern Continent… why did she keep messing up in the Northern Region?
She sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the sizzling barbecue, feeling as if she were grilling not meat but herself.
Suddenly, she missed home.
“Grilled and done—try it.” Bai Feng placed the BBQ in Shui Miao Miao’s plate. “This is my special dipping sauce—no chili added.”
“Thanks, Senior Brother.”
Shui Miao Miao’s mood dipped even further. She put a piece into her mouth—her eyes suddenly brightened.
This was better than the royal palace’s chefs had made!
She didn’t want to go home anymore!
She let out a breath, as if releasing all her frustrations. Her eyes fixed on the increasing pile of barbecue. Saliva involuntarily slipped from her lips, and she whispered, “Senior Brother, thank you, you’re a good person.”
Bai Feng, busy grilling: “?”
“Little Junior, stop with the BBQ—come take a picture!” Yu Yao, already full and satisfied, slowly took out the first imaging device made by Yu Ling Long and waved enthusiastically at Bai Feng and friends. “Everyone, come closer!”
The imaging device floated midair, suspended by spiritual power. The group sat around a square table, and with a click, a scene of everyone enjoying hotpot and barbecue together appeared inside the device.
…
“It’s been ages since I last came back.”
In Blue Rainbow City, a man stood before a dilapidated house. He pushed open the rotting door, ignoring the dust-covered chair, and sat down directly.
“Over ten years gone, and this house is still standing? Did Stones and the others build it? I wonder how they’re doing.”
He remembered that after he left, the younger Stones and friends were soon taken in by an orphanage. He came back a few times, observed secretly for days, and once he confirmed they were truly being cared for, he let go of his last worries and went after his immortal path.
But he never expected things to turn out like this.
Anyone from the Western Region would recognize this man as Ling Feng, the once-famous genius of the Jinsha Sect.
But now, he no longer had that explosiveness of a genius. His spiritual force was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, suggesting he’d encountered some misfortune.
“Guess I should find a job and make some cash.”
He didn’t linger in nostalgia long, brushing dust off himself and walking briskly outside.
The street was bustling as always. He looked at a steamed bun shop on the corner—after all these years, it was still there.
It was from this humble place that a wise old master had discovered him and took him as a disciple, guiding him onto the path of cultivation in the Western Region’s Jinsha Sect.
His cultivation had soared smoothly, breaking through bottlenecks like they were nothing. In just over ten years, he reached the Transformation God Stage and shocked many Western Region prodigies.
But that was his peak. Due to ancient wars and the like, many places in the Western Region were thick with demonic energy, and demonic forces ran rampant. During a mission to lead a team, he was attacked by demonic cultists. To protect his disciples, he fought desperately, killing a Holy Son of the demonic path—yet he himself was wounded and tainted by demonic energy.
He and his junior and junior sister escaped death by a thread, but back at the sect, he was falsely accused. His fellow disciples all pointed fingers, blaming him for recklessness, throwing all the blame on their already-failed senior.
He’d wanted to clear his name, but on the day of judgement, memories flooded his mind. Memories showing that his attempt at self-defense had no effect—actually making things worse—leading to his demise.
Those memories felt incredibly real—as if he’d lived through it himself. So he gave up trying to prove himself, abandoned his status as an inner disciple, and accepted his punishment, voluntarily leaving the Jinsha Sect, with just enough travel money to return to Blue Rainbow City.
“Brother Ling? Is that you?”
A voice came from behind him. He turned and saw a burly man.
He hesitated briefly. Though the man had changed a lot, he still recognized him: “Stone?”
“Big Brother Ling, it’s really you!” Stone hurried over, wrapping him in a bear hug. “Brother Ling, why are you back? Weren’t you in the Western Region cultivating?”
“Some things happened. I plan to settle here and not leave anymore,” Ling Feng replied, smiling. “Looks like you’re doing pretty well. When did you start cultivating? You’re already in the late Qi Refining stage.”
“It’s not much,” Stone rubbed his head and chuckled. “My talent’s pretty bad. It’s only been recently that I reached late Qi Refining.”
Ling Feng was taken aback: “Looks like you’ve had some luck!”
“Thanks to the White Family Young Master,” Stone said gratefully. “All of us orphaned kids rely on the orphanage run by the Young Master to grow up safe and fed. No worries about starving or others stealing our food. And the White Family even teaches us cultivation and offers us jobs. I’m just hauling supplies now.”
Ling Feng paused—he hadn’t expected the orphanage was run by the White Family Young Master. “Seems the rumors aren’t always false. I’d always thought the White Family Young Master was just a spoiled second-generation rich kid.”
“Mainly because the Young Master is super low-key. He never mentions these things to outsiders,” Stone nodded. “Oh, Big Brother Ling, want to join us? The pay’s good, and the White Family’s been short-staffed lately.”
“Sure. Please introduce me,” Ling Feng said with a smile. Originally, he wasn’t keen to work for a big family like the White Family. But the Young Master’s actions had made him see them in a better light. Plus, with Stone’s recommendation, he couldn’t refuse.
Heavenly Sword Sect.
【Ding: Host’s strategic prowess recognized—able to command victory from thousands of miles away. Child of Destiny Ling Feng, under your careful scheming, has joined the White Family as a servant. Rewards: Luck Points +456, Sword Technique—Stabbing Word Secret.】
Last night was late, and Bai Feng, who’d been sleeping in and was just now waking up, was abruptly awakened by the system notification.
He instantly sat up: “???”
I’m knocking! The backyard’s caught on fire!!
