Chapter 356: Celestial Heart (Part 2)
Chapter 356: Chapter 137: Celestial Heart (Part 2)
Right under Fang Rui’s watchful eye, the girl being forced to practice her calligraphy wore an expression of pure agony. She would occasionally chew on her brush, her little head bobbing as she drifted off to sleep.
‘This girl.’
Fang Rui smiled and looked toward a nearby pond, at the Jade Lotus plant growing by its edge.
It had been with them all the way from Huaiyin Prefecture in Wuzhou. Propagating from one generation to the next, it was now twenty years old, yet it remained a Low Grade Rare Plant.
He plucked a leaf and steeped it in hot water to create the Jade Lotus Water, which shimmered with specks of starlight and gave off a delicate, curling fragrance. He then shared it with everyone.
“Brother, I want some too! I want some too!”
Fang Li’s little nose twitched. Her eyes flew wide open, and she perked right up.
A peal of laughter rang out.
…
At that very moment—
Two figures, one older and one younger, arrived in Shangluo City. One was a gentle and refined middle-aged Daoist, and the other was a beautiful young Daoist maiden with a cool demeanor.
Passersby couldn’t help but give the younger one a second glance, thinking to themselves, ‘What a beautiful young Daoist.’
These two were, of course, Qing Yan and his disciple, Mo Chou.
Mo Chou, who appeared cool and distant to outsiders, was uncharacteristically talkative in front of Qing Yan. “Master! Master! Shangluo City is so lively! And there’s so much delicious food…”
“Shangluo is indeed a bustling place. We who practice Cultivation must understand the splendors of the mortal world, but we must not become attached to them. This is the principle of being in the world, but not of it.”
Qing Yan instructed his disciple, then paused before adding, “The food in the city is nothing special. If your Uncle Fang decides to cook… now *that* is true culinary bliss!”
“Master, you call him Uncle Fang, and you’re having me call him Uncle Fang too. Isn’t that messing up the generational seniority?”
“Ahem!”
Qing Yan cleared his throat in embarrassment. “It doesn’t really matter! Seniority in this family has always been a bit of a mess, anyway. Uncle Fang and Auntie don’t seem to like it when people use titles that make them sound old.”
As he spoke, he was reminded of the time when, because of Fang Ling, he had tried to change his address from ‘Uncle Fang’ to ‘Brother Fang’ to elevate his own generational standing. For his troubles, a certain someone had punished him by making him recite texts for a full day…
It was a past too bitter to recall.
“Oh!”
Mo Chou nodded.
She could sense that ever since entering Shangluo, her master had been overjoyed, like a wanderer returning home after many years away.
‘The Fang Family… the “home” my master so often speaks of. I wonder what it’s like?’
Mo Chou was filled with immense anticipation.
From her master’s descriptions, Uncle Fang was an incredible person: mysterious and immensely powerful; very kind, but sometimes quite lazy; an amazing cook; and his healing skills were second to none…
And then there were Aunt Ling’Er, Aunt Nannan, Auntie, and Grandma.
‘I’ll be meeting them soon,’ she thought.
…
The head maidservant, Qing Yun, led Qing Yan and Mo Chou inside. “Old Madam, Master, Madam, Miss Ling’Er, Miss Nannan, come quickly and see who’s here!”
“Grandma, Auntie, Uncle Fang, Sister Nannan, and…”
Qing Yan paused, his gaze falling upon Fang Ling before he finally spoke. “Ling’Er… are you all well?”
Nearby.
The young girl, Mo Chou, glanced at her master in surprise.
In her memory, her master had always been a perfect gentleman, gentle-natured and never showing anger or irritation. He had never once lost his composure.
But in that moment, as he greeted Aunt Ling’Er, his voice had clearly trembled.
Mo Chou’s gaze instinctively followed his. Aunt Ling’Er was an exceptionally beautiful woman dressed in colorful robes. The woman beside her, also very beautiful, must be Aunt Nannan.
‘Next to them, the one with graying temples and a salty… ahem, a lazy aura must be Uncle Fang. The one who has aged so well and looks to be about the same age must be Auntie. And the one with a full head of silver hair and a kind face should be Grandma.’
“Qing Yan, you’re back?”
“Goodness, it’s been nearly ten years since we’ve seen you!”
“Is this your disciple?”
…
Fang Rui, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan all rose to their feet, their faces filled with delight, excitement, and joy.
Although they hadn’t seen him in ten years, Qing Yan’s appearance hadn’t changed much, aside from looking a bit more weathered. They recognized him instantly.
The poised and graceful, cool-mannered young girl beside him, however, was a new face.
Fang Li, of course, didn’t recognize Qing Yan. However, she had heard Fang Rui mention this nominal senior brother of his, so she curiously peeked out to size him up, her eyes flicking between Qing Yan and Mo Chou, who was a little older than her.
“Yes. This is my disciple… Mo Chou,” Qing Yan said with a smile.
Upon hearing that the girl’s Daoist name was ‘Mo Chou’, Fang Ling visibly faltered.
Nannan also let out a soft sigh and glanced at Fang Ling.
“Alright, there’s plenty of time to catch up.”
Fang Rui smiled. “It’s rare for us all to be together. I’ll do the cooking today!”
…
「That evening.」
The Fang Family enjoyed an exceptionally lavish dinner.
The main course was prepared with Upper Grade Exotic Beast Meat and seasoned with Exotic Fruit. The moment the delicious dishes were ready, they erupted in a dazzling display of light and shadow, bursting forth in layers of magnificent color.
Unlike their time in Huaiyin Prefecture, Fang Rui had now been practicing medicine and teaching for many years, building up a deep network of contacts. Procuring a few mere ingredients was no problem at all.
“It’s rare for Brother Rui to cook. We’re really in for a treat today.”
“That’s right. Brother hardly ever cooks himself—less than ten times a year.”
“Come on, try some! Qing Yan, Mo Chou, eat up!”
“We’re all family here, no need to stand on ceremony.”
…
The atmosphere was harmonious and full of warmth.
The young Mo Chou looked down at her bowl, piled high with incredibly delicious food, and thought to herself: ‘Grandma, Uncle Fang, Auntie, Aunt Ling’Er, and Aunt Nannan are all such wonderful people. It’s no wonder Master has yearned for this place for so many years.’
She glanced at Fang Li with a touch of envy—envy for her wonderful family, for living in the bustling city of Shangluo, for never having to endure the elements while traveling thousands of miles on the path of Cultivation. And yet, in another way, she wasn’t envious at all.