Chapter 660

Chapter 660: Past and Present

The night was deep.

Xuan Ji Chuan raced through a vast sea of mist.

Something terrifying lurked within the fog, relentlessly chasing him. He was keenly aware that this was a dream, yet no matter how hard he tried, he could not break free from the nightmare’s grasp.

Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao was squatting in the courtyard, both hands cradling a large iron furnace.

Intricate Sanskrit inscriptions adorned its surface, hinting at an extraordinary origin.

Lu Chao Chao swung her legs as she directed Xie Yu Zhou to stuff the freshly slaughtered chicken into the furnace.

“Add some mushrooms too…” She scrunched her nose, unwilling to dirty her hands, so she ordered Xie Yu Zhou to do it.

“This furnace makes the best meals. The food cooked in it carries a unique fragrance.”

She then instructed Mai Feng to light a fire, setting up a small bonfire in the middle of the courtyard.

“Eating dry rations every day has made me lose weight…” Lu Chao Chao patted her chubby belly, looking deeply aggrieved.

Xie Yu Zhou glanced at her belly but said nothing.

Before long, the iron furnace was placed over the flames, and soon, the rich aroma of meat filled the air.

Xie Yu Zhou’s eyes gleamed. “It really does have a special fragrance. Where did you get this furnace? The meat smells amazing…”

Lu Chao Chao carefully stirred the contents with a spoon.

“You want it? I’ll give it to you.”

Xie Yu Zhou’s face lit up with joy. “Thank you, thank you, Chao Chao! I’ll share all my stews with you from now on…”

Half an hour later, they each held a bowl, savoring the delicious broth with content smiles.

Lu Chao Chao had secured a supply of spirit grain, ensuring the people could weather the crisis. With that weight off her shoulders, she could finally indulge in simple pleasures like good food.

The past few days had been plagued by natural disasters, leaving refugees wandering in despair. Even she had lost the heart to eat well.

“Hmm, try to use this furnace away from prying eyes,” Lu Chao Chao wiped her mouth clean and casually advised.

Xie Yu Zhou barely lifted his head from his bowl. “Why?”

“This is the Bagua Alchemy Furnace of the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord. If he sees you using it for cooking, he might not be pleased.”

The little girl yawned and wobbled off to her room to sleep.

The sound of Xie Yu Zhou slurping his soup abruptly stopped. He stiffened, staring at the furnace in horror.

“You… you want me dead?!”

Without hesitation, he kicked the Bagua Furnace away. “Take it back! Take it back! Shi Kong is still getting beaten up in the heavens for stealing divine artifacts!”

Mai Feng laughed so hard he nearly collapsed, but he still washed the furnace clean before returning it to Lu Chao Chao.

Meanwhile, A-Wu was now six months pregnant, her belly noticeably round. A gentle, maternal glow radiated from her face as she sat quietly, stroking her stomach in deep thought.

“Divide the spirit grain into four portions. Tomorrow, have them counted and distributed to each nation for planting.”

“The Southern Kingdom’s granaries are still full, so they don’t need relief aid for now. The spirit rice should be reserved for the people of Northern Zhao and Eastern Ling instead.”

As for Western Yue, their situation remained manageable under the Saintess’s watch.

With Windchaser efficiently overseeing the distribution, the posthouse finally settled into peace.

Lying on her bed, Lu Chao Chao drowsily drifted into memories of her days on Without Folly Mountain.

“Master, Master… Will you teach me the third sword form?”

Opening her eyes, she found Zong Bai standing before her, bowing respectfully. Though still young, he carried himself with calm maturity, serving as a role model for his fellow disciples.

“Alright.”

Dressed in flowing green robes, Lu Chao Chao plucked a bamboo stalk from the courtyard. Her movements were as light as startled swallows, as fluid as dancing dragons, leaping through the air with ease. In her hands, the bamboo seemed as sharp as a sword, slicing through the air with a piercing whistle.

“Did you catch that?” She grinned brightly.

Zong Bai nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Master.”

When practicing swordsmanship, his mind was as still as a placid lake, never wavering.

“In cultivation, one must remain utterly focused. A single stray thought can lead you astray on the long path to immortality.”

“Do not end up like Xuan Yu… trapped in the Heart-Questioning Stone.”

Lu Chao Chao sighed.

“I asked him about his heart demon, but he refused to say a word. I don’t even know how to help him.”

Every decade, Sword Sect disciples had to undergo heart-questioning trials. Never did she imagine that Xuan Yu’s stone would shatter, birthing a heart demon.

Zong Bai hesitated. “Xuan Yu was already an adult when he joined the sect. What he seeks… may be different from the rest of us.”

He had always felt that Xuan Yu was different.

The way he looked at their master—

It was different.

Lu Chao Chao rocked gently in her chair.

“Where did Xuan Yu come from?” Zong Bai asked.

“I found him during my travels. The Celestial Realm was wiping out the Fiend Realm at the time. A village caught in the crossfire was completely destroyed. He was the only survivor.”

“The Fiend Realm was defeated and reclaimed by the Celestials, and mortals were of no concern to them. So, I brought him back to the mountain, intending to send him down once he recovered.”

“But he had no family left in the world. Seeing his determination to cultivate, I allowed him to enter the sect. He started late, but he was diligent and gifted, so I accepted him.”

Zong Bai frowned. “Is his heart demon vengeance?”

Lu Chao Chao shook her head, brows furrowing. “If he fails the heart-questioning trial again tomorrow, he will be expelled.”

Zong Bai’s worry was evident.

Lu Chao Chao stood. “I will go see him.”

Xuan Yu, ever the recluse, had chosen a secluded cave dwelling.

When she arrived, he sat cross-legged on his jade bed, lost in thought.

The moment the protective barrier lifted, he sensed her presence.

“Chao Chao…”

For the first time, his lifeless eyes flickered with light, a warm smile surfacing.

“Call me Master. If the Sect Leader hears you, you’ll be scolded again.” Lu Chao Chao put on a stern face, playing the role of a strict master.

She always acted imposing in front of her disciples.

For instance, when the new disciples first arrived, many were reluctant to let go of their worldly cravings for food. So, she set an example.

She made them all take Fasting Pills for a month.

They succeeded in overcoming their hunger.

She, however, suffered nightmares about food every night. Eventually, she could no longer endure it, sneaking into her cave to roast chicken in secret. Tears streamed down her face as she ate, grumbling about how hard it was to raise disciples.

She had never desired authority, not even the position of Sect Leader, yet for the sake of her disciples, she had to maintain an image of discipline.

It was hard. So very hard.

“You linger around me all the time, yet I never noticed when you developed a heart demon.”

“Is it because of the massacre?”

“The Celestials already eradicated the Fiend Realm. The Fiend Sovereign was slain on the spot. Your family’s revenge has been fulfilled.”

“Why dwell on the past?”

“Shall I take you back home to see for yourself?” Lu Chao Chao watched him intently.

Xuan Yu gazed back, silent for a long time before whispering, “Alright.”

“You spent over a decade struggling to cultivate. Xuan Yu, you must cherish this opportunity.”

He had entered the sect far later than anyone else.

And his body—

It rejected spiritual energy.