Chapter 178: The One Left to Guard Encounters an Enemy
The Underworld was said to have eighteen layers. Above all lay the Ghost Domain, while every level beneath it was a realm of purgatory. Since the Spirit King had said Xi Teng was trapped in the deepest layer, it meant they would have to descend through every level one by one to reach him.
Left behind on the surface, Yun Jiao quickly grew bored. After a full day of running around—first the Underworld, then the demon realm—she was exhausted. Even her stomach started protesting loudly.
“Ancestor…” she tugged at the man beside her, voice small and pitiful. “Do you still have any snacks? I’m starving.”
Ye Yuan lowered his head to look at her, an odd flicker of hesitation crossing his usually calm face. After a long pause, he answered, “I have… a little.”
“Can I have some? I’ll pay you back when we return.”
His eyes lit faintly, then dimmed again as if reconsidering. “No need,” he said in a low voice. “I can afford to feed you.”
“Huh?” Yun Jiao blinked. She wasn’t sure she’d heard him right.
Ye Yuan didn’t elaborate. Instead, he flipped his hand and produced a gray storage pouch, handing it over. “Not much left—but enough to fill you.”
“Thank you, Ancestor!” Yun Jiao’s eyes gleamed. She opened the pouch—and immediately froze. Out came pastries, melon seeds, sticky rice cakes, dumpling balls, candied fruits, dried berries… the pile grew higher and higher until the cloth she’d spread on the ground was completely covered.