"Don't be sad..."
Amidst a hazy blur, Yan Xiaosan felt someone holding him, crying as if their heart would break.
He wanted to raise a hand to cover the other person's mouth.
Stop crying, you're giving me a headache.
His eyelids felt as heavy as lead, impossible to pry open, and the sorrow in the air was so thick it felt as though even the flowers and grass were grieving for him.
What on earth is going on...
***
Yan Xiaosan opened his eyes, feeling the abundant spiritual energy coursing through his body.
The vine seedling rooted in his Dantian seemed to have grown a bit larger.
He got up, pushed open the wooden door, and then expressionlessly closed it the next second.
Yan Xiaosan closed his eyes, opened them again, and pushed the door open.
Turns out it wasn't because he had opened it the wrong way.
"System! What on earth happened?!"
[While the host was cultivating, you triggered a phenomenon, and the surrounding plants all underwent sublimation.]
"Was it because of the Jianmu Qingteng?"
[Yes. Please do not underestimate the heavenly spirit treasures, Host.]
Yan Xiaosan raised an eyebrow. The system's tone was a bit strange.
"Such a huge commotion, didn't anyone come to check?"
The system tossed all the storage rings it had acquired straight into Yan Xiaosan's hands.
[If not for me, you'd be waiting to suffer a deviation in your cultivation!]
What is going on?!
The system recounted the entire course of events that had taken place while he was cultivating.
"Remember those old fogies' faces for me! When I get better established, I'll go back and demand five times the compensation! No, ten times!"
"And..."
[Hmm?]
"Good thing I have the little system~ The system is the best~ What would I do without the system~ I couldn't survive a single second without the system~"
[!!!!]
The system's sphere turned blazing red.
[You! You... kn... knew it, then!]
Just as they were speaking, Meng Haize walked out from the opposite palace.
He raised his head and locked eyes with Yan Xiaosan in the doorway of the giant wooden house.
"Boss! You're finally done cultivating!"
"When are we eating? I've been waiting a whole month!"
Yan Xiaosan jumped down from the giant tree, cutting off Meng Haize's grievances.
"When did I become your boss?"
Meng Haize shamelessly replied, "Well, whoever provides the meals is the boss, right?"
Yan Xiaosan didn't dislike Meng Haize's banter. Through the system's retelling, he learned that during his month of sudden enlightenment, Meng Haize had guarded his retreat right here in the palace.
He hadn't even yielded an inch when facing that group of old fogies.
"I can provide meals, but I won't guarantee the taste."
Since he regarded the other man as one of his own, Meng Haize would find out sooner or later that he wasn't a culinary cultivator anyway—there was no need to deliberately hide it.
"I've eaten plenty of delicacies in my life," Meng Haize put on a look that said *you can't fool me*. "Put Chai Ko ranks in the top ten at least!"
The boss was playing the humble realm-expert card again, far too modest.
[Host, as long as there is sufficiently pure spiritual energy, it can magnify the deliciousness of any dish manifold.]
"System, are you honestly sure your name isn't the 'God of Cooking System for World Domination'?"
[?]
"Fine." Yan Xiaosan retrieved his own cookware from the Myriad Things Ring. "We're having porridge."
His culinary skills had not yet been unlocked, so everything would be kept simple.
Set up the pot, boil the water, add the rice.
[Host, your breakthrough in cultivation is enough to support adding third-tier and lower medicinal herbs. I happen to have a recipe for second-tier spirit porridge, and those old fogies happened to have the ingredients in the storage rings they paid out as compensation. With my methods, I guarantee not a single shred of medicinal potency will be lost!]
Following the recipe in his mind, one first- and second-tier medicinal herb after another went into the pot.
Meng Haize watched Yan Xiaosan's movements, completely baffled.
This didn't look anything like the methods of the high-tier spirit chefs in his clan; it looked just like mortal porridge-cooking. Could the medicinal properties really be preserved?
Could this... could this be the Great Dao made simple?
Brilliant! Truly brilliant!
In the end, the vast majority of that pot of porridge went into Meng Haize's stomach.
Meng Haize wore a look of utter satisfaction. This was far more comfortable than absorbing spirit stones.
"Boss, I'm going to cultivate."
***
"Mu Jian, this is the seventh day in a row you've come to this tavern!"
Ji Qiyi slapped his hand against his forehead, slumping over the table as he watched Mu Jian continuously gaze out toward the opposite street, a headache threatening to split his skull.
A month ago, a ruin had been discovered within the Divine Miracle. He, Wenren Qi, and Mu Jian had gone together to explore it and returned with a bountiful harvest. Who would have expected that upon returning, Mu Jian couldn't find Yan-xiong's food stall, and had spent his days sitting darkly in this tavern waiting? It was a pity for the tavern owner and the waiters, who walked on eggshells every single day.
That stinker Wenren Qi had it easy, running off to break through his bottleneck and leaving him behind to deal with Mu Jian day in and day out.
"Yan-xiong is probably in seclusion; he might show up in a few days."
Mu Jian still wore a dark expression. "Leave me be."
Ji Qiyi curled his lips, and before he could speak, Mu Jian abruptly stood up and walked toward the stairs.
Eh?
He turned his head to look downstairs, and sure enough.
Yan Xiaosan was pushing his cart, chatting and laughing with Meng Haize. Before they had even settled at their usual spot, he noticed someone with a dark face standing squarely in front of him.
Fellow Daoist Mu really... has the same oppressive presence as always.
"Mu-xiong?"
"Just call me A-jian."
Yan Xiaosan tested the waters. "...A-jian?"
Mu Jian's expression eased slightly. His gaze swept toward Meng Haize, and his voice carried a trace of an unnoticeable grievance. "Who is he?"
"...My good friend."
Yan Xiaosan's expression turned colorful. Why did he have the mistaken sensation of being caught by a jealous partner?
Meng Haize felt as though pins were pricking his back. The oppressive weight of that single glance was actually stronger than his own sister's.
Ji Qiyi appeared at the appropriate moment to intercept Mu Jian's gaze, nodding apologetically at Meng Haize.
"Yan-xiong has kept me waiting in bitter agony!"
Yan Xiaosan: "?"
Would someone please tell him what he had done wrong *this* time?
Fearing that this towering Buddha would plant himself in front of his stall and make it impossible for him to even do business, he hurriedly dragged the man aside and explained how Meng Haize had come to help.
Hearing this, Mu Jian stated without the slightest hesitation, "I want to help Xiaosan too."
As if to prove he was capable, he stepped into the exact spot Yan Xiaosan had just vacated.
His heart gave up.
Ji Qiyi had heard every word clearly from the side. Out of Mu Jian's line of sight, he made frantic facial expressions and wild gestures, gesturing for Yan Xiaosan to just agree first.
What else could Yan Xiaosan do? They were all his financial backers; he had no choice but to agree.
Ji Qiyi sent a voice transmission: "Ever since Mu Jian underwent his Dao enlightenment at age six, he has frequently suffered from nightmares. Ever since then, it's as if he's been haunted by dreamscapes, and his state of mind has always been rather unstable. Yan-xiong is one of the very few people Mu Jian has taken an immediate liking to and voluntarily grown close to. I hope Yan-xiong can help him."
"Mu Jian possesses a pure heart of a child and would never do anything to harm Yan-xiong. Furthermore, the Upper Four Halls of Central Continent will certainly reward you handsomely in the future."
Yan Xiaosan looked at Ji Qiyi with a deadpan expression, gesturing for him to look at Mu Jian, who had successfully scared Meng Haize away and was now guarding the empty stall all by himself.
With him standing there, it was a question whether he could sell a single item today.
Ji Qiyi chuckled dryly and continued his transmission: "I believe Yan-xiong will surely find a way. Mu Jian has been waiting here in the tavern for Yan-xiong to open his stall—at least since I've known him, he has never been like this..."
"Wenren Qi and I are his friends, but for so many years, he has mostly walked his own path alone."
Hearing this, Yan Xiaosan felt an untimely softening of his heart and inexplicably nodded in agreement.
Ji Qiyi breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and immediately turned to leave. "Then I'll leave it to Yan-xiong."
"..."
Mu Jian stood before the stall, radiating a bone-chilling frost—he might as well have a placard hung around his neck reading *Stay Far Away From Me*.
And hiding in the corner, not daring to make a sound, was the trembling 'mouse' Meng Haize.
Ah, damn it!
Forget selling Put Chai Ko—they might as well sell *him*.