Chapter 128
Chapter 128: Two Shi Zi Chus?
Xing Lan was the first to step forward.
Seeing that Shi Zi Chu did not stop him, he entered.
Without a doubt, the thick iron chain on the earthen bed was too striking, and the first thing Xing Lan saw when he entered was that chain. Judging by the size of the iron rings, it appeared to be locked around the neck.
He knew that this chain was not meant for Jiu Jiu, yet his heart ached, a surge of sorrow rising up that he could not suppress.
Xing Lan turned to glance at Shi Zi Chu, who stood outside the door, her face adorned with a smile. The sorrow in his eyes deepened. He should have met Jiu Jiu sooner.
As Xing Lan came out, a group of people followed in, looking around.
Aside from the chain, there was nothing else unusual in the main room.
Chu Zhi Rou’s gaze filled with sympathy as she looked at Shi Zi Chu. “Does Second Senior Sister live in this room?”
Thinking of how Shi Zi Chu had once been chained up like a dog here, her heart swelled with a mixture of discomfort and relief.
Shi Zi Chu shook her head.
Chu Zhi Rou pouted teasingly, “Second Senior Sister, don’t lie to me. The other room is full of men’s clothes. If you don’t live in the main room, where else would you live?”
Jiang Wan Sheng’s face darkened in an instant, his tone harsh, “Why are you the only one constantly nagging? Do you think you have a big mouth?”
Chu Zhi Rou was stunned, her big, watery eyes looking up at Jiang Wan Sheng.
Chu Zhi Sheng, protective as ever, stepped forward and shielded Chu Zhi Rou. His tone was sharp, “Jiang Wan Sheng, what are you insulting her for? Rou Rou is just curious.”
Shi Zi Chu raised her hand and pointed to the corner where a small thatched shed stood. “There,” she said.
Just as Pei Qing You was about to speak, she looked at the makeshift wooden shed with thatched roofing, and the words were stuck in her throat.
Xu Zhou Ye, sneering, seemed to think Shi Zi Chu was playing the sympathy card. “What a joke. How could someone as delicate and precious as you live in such a place?”
Indeed, how could the radiant Shi Zi Chu possibly live in such a humble space?
Everyone present thought the same.
Yet, by the pile of firewood, there was a bed made of wooden planks, covered with straw, and a worn-out quilt patched together with pieces of cloth lay atop it.
Everything pointed to one truth: Shi Zi Chu’s living space was right there.
A mix of surprise and sympathy filled the gazes directed at Shi Zi Chu.
Chu Zhi Rou, realizing her mistake, lowered her head, feeling both anger and a twisted sense of superiority.
Shi Zi Chu, this lowly farm girl, deserved to be stuck in such a place. She shouldn’t have been here, fighting over this or that with her!
“Rou Rou didn’t mean it.” Pei Qing You spoke apologetically, holding up a porcelain vial. “Fifth rank Xuan Huang Dan, please forgive us for our rudeness.”
Shi Zi Chu shook her head, rejecting it. “Junior Sister Zhi Rou meant no harm.”
Pei Qing You gently caressed the vial, lowering her head and falling silent.
Pei Luo Xiu snatched the porcelain vial from her hand and shoved it into Shi Zi Chu’s. Seeing Pei Qing You’s surprised expression, his tone grew harsher. “Is the Sect Master offering this reluctantly?”
Pei Qing You quickly shook her head.
“The village is too peaceful. There must be something off about it,” Shi Zi Chu shifted the topic. “This place is dangerous. After dark, there’s a high chance that something unclean will appear. But my house can only hold so many people. Why not find somewhere else to stay for the night?”
Jiang Wan Sheng’s voice turned cold. “I don’t welcome you all here.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the group hesitated, their plans to stay at the nearby house vanishing.
“The village has plenty of residents; perhaps we should find somewhere else?” someone suggested, and after a few more exchanges, the group reluctantly departed.
Jiang Wan Sheng waved at Shi Zi Chu and vaulted over the wall.
In the end, only the young lord of the Three Sects, the six clan chiefs, and the young master of the Five Schools remained.
Shi Zi Chu grabbed Pei Luo Xiu’s arm gently. “If you don’t want to go back, you can stay here.”
Pei Luo Xiu nodded and rolled up her sleeves to fetch water.
Shi Zi Chu, also rolling up her sleeves, headed towards the kitchen.
Xing Lan followed her, noticing her preparations to cook. He couldn’t help but ask, “Jiu Jiu, what are you doing?”
“Father will be back soon,” Shi Zi Chu replied without lifting her head.
It had been a long time since she had seen her father. She missed him.
At that moment, a rough voice echoed from the entrance. “Hey! Did a thief break into my house?”
Shi Zi Chu walked out from the kitchen.
Qin Da, a burly man, dropped the basket on the ground, his fierce gaze sweeping over the group in the yard, his words filthy, “Who are all these people? Your lovers?”
If the people present weren’t as cultivated as they were, Qin Da might already have been torn to pieces.
Shi Zi Chu quickly moved in front of Xing Lan, her voice gentle as she explained, “Father, these are cultivators who are staying with us for the night. They gave us some spirit stones.”
She took out a storage pouch and handed it to him.
Qin Da snatched it, weighing it in his hands, his face lighting up with a smile before he became serious again. “The main room and your brother’s room aren’t suitable for anyone to stay in. Let them stay with you in the shed.”
With that, Qin Da kicked the basket on the ground. “Get cooking already, what, do you want me to starve?”
Shi Zi Chu walked over, picking up the bamboo basket and heading to the kitchen.
Pei Luo Xiu, carrying a bucket of water, came over. “Big Sister Shi, let me do it.”
Shi Zi Chu shook her head, one hand holding the basket, the other accepting the bucket of water as she entered the kitchen.
The group outside watched the kitchen, their expressions varied.
How could two golden phoenixes have appeared in such a place?
Soon, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen.
After Qin Da finished eating, only leftover scraps remained on the table.
Shi Zi Chu used her spiritual power to clear the dishes.
Everything felt as peaceful as it had fourteen years ago, without a hint of disturbance.
“The sky is getting dark,” Shi Zi Chu murmured, sitting on a low stool.
The young master of Long Song Sect narrowed his eyes at the direction of the main room, his voice low and full of caution. “There are two distinct auras in the main room.”
Sometime during the day, a person had appeared in the main room.
“Father must have gone to rest,” Shi Zi Chu said softly.
A few of the young, curious cultivators tiptoed toward the main room, pushing open the window just enough to glimpse a man and a woman on the earthen bed.
Qin Da, now full and snoring loudly, occupied most of the bed.
The thin woman, poorly dressed, huddled in a corner, the thick iron chain wrapped around her neck.
As if sensing their presence, the woman looked up, her disheveled hair revealing an extraordinarily stunning face.
Her peach blossom eyes, clear yet naive, appeared as though she knew nothing of the world.
Upon meeting the gazes of those watching through the window, she smiled silently, her beauty both enchanting and a little foolish.
The onlookers instinctively stepped back, their minds in chaos.
Two Shi Zi Chus?!
After a long silence, Shen Zhi Zhi, the young master of Long Song Sect, muttered, “Daoist Shi, your mother is inside.”
Shi Zi Chu wasn’t at all surprised. “I know.”
When Qin Da returned, so did her mother.
The group retreated, their eyes filled with a mix of suspicion and curiosity as they watched Shi Zi Chu.