362: Blessed Tiger Boy Tengu Leads the Troops (4K for monthly ticket)

“Tiger Cub, Tiger Cub, time to eat.”

“You little rascal, what are you doing outside in such cold weather, and what are you eating?”

Sister Hua came out of the kitchen with a wooden spoon in her hand, about to call Tiger Cub for dinner, when she saw the little rascal standing in the small courtyard in the cold, stuffing something into his mouth with both hands. Seeing white crumbs on the corner of his mouth, she immediately frowned and stepped forward, thinking the little scoundrel was eating snow for fun.

But Tiger Cub mumbled, pointed to the next door with his hand, and made an unclear sound,

“Little Squirrel gave it to me.”

Saying that, he stretched out a small hand and happily said, “Mom, eat this!”

In his small, freeze-red hand lay half a piece of white pastry.

Sister Hua immediately picked up her son, tucked Tiger Cub’s cold little hands into her bosom, and her tone softened considerably, “Good boy, eat it yourself. Oh, where’s your Squirrel friend?”

Sister Hua walked towards the kitchen while holding Tiger Cub, her expression questioning. She knew that Little Squirrel was a demon, and it had been with Chen Yuan before. Later, it followed the girl in white, who looked like a Fairy, who came yesterday. It was spiritual.

Tiger Cub turned around, tilted his head, and pointed to the neighboring courtyard, “Mom, Little Squirrel is in the next courtyard.”

Upon hearing this, Sister Hua paused, thinking of yesterday’s events. “Could it be that Old Ancestor has returned?”

In the simple woman’s mind, the only possibility she could think of was that the Old Ancestor was old, and with the continuous heavy snow these days, he must have caught a cold, causing him to be bedridden, which was why he hadn’t appeared these past few days. Many families in the alley had also suffered.

Thinking of this, she quickly carried Tiger Cub into the kitchen, placed Tiger Cub on the table, where two bowls of coarse rice, a small dish of fermented tofu, and a bowl of hot soup with a few dried vegetables floating in it were laid out.

As an orphan and a widow in this world, having a hot meal was already quite good.

“You eat first.”

Sister Hua said, then hurried back to the stove to wash the pot, light the fire, and boil water, busy with something unknown.

Tiger Cub ate the coarse rice with relish, not feeling it scratch his throat at all, when he saw his mother take down a carefully sealed oil-paper package from the kitchen beam.

His eyes lit up, “Mom, I want to eat candy.”

The oil-paper package contained candy.

Sister Hua carefully opened the oil-paper, revealing a small lump of granular brown sugar. Although it was a bit damp, she was still very careful, afraid of spilling even a bit. After all, candy, such a sweet thing, was a luxury for ordinary people.

Sister Hua used a clean small wooden spoon to scoop out a spoon for Tiger Cub, “Eat it, you glutton.”

Tiger Cub happily took it, “Thank you, Mom.”

And Sister Hua carried the brown sugar to the stove, pouring all the remaining brown sugar into the pot, where red beans were boiling in water.

Half an incense stick later,

“Knock, knock, knock.”

A knocking sound echoed from the neighboring Green Bamboo Courtyard.

Sister Hua, with her son, carried a cracked earthenware bowl filled with steaming five-red soup and knocked on the neighbor’s door.

She didn’t know why she was a bit nervous. It had been a long time since she had visited. The last time she knocked was when Chen Yuan was there. At that time, she always called him ‘little brother,’ and thinking about it always made her feel dazed.

Just as Sister Hua was lost in thought, with a long creak, the wooden door of the small courtyard opened.

Through the crack of the wooden door, a striking red color appeared first.

Then, a heroic and beautiful face appeared!

Sister Hua was surprised but not unexpected to see Lian Nishang. She felt a little embarrassed, “Lian Nishang, my son just now… I thought the Old Ancestor had returned, so I wanted to bring a bowl of hot soup.”

As she spoke, she awkwardly pinched the cracked edge of the earthenware bowl, “I don’t know if I’m disturbing you. Although it’s a bit humble, this five-red soup is an old recipe that can dispel cold and replenish Qi.”

Lian Nishang nodded and said gently, “Sister Hua, you’re too kind. Come in!”

“I won’t go in, please trouble you to deliver it.” Sister Hua handed over the hot soup, refusing to enter.

She was a sensible person. She knew that both Lian Nishang and the woman in white were people of status. If she disturbed them too much, she would be uncomfortable, and they would be uncomfortable. Even if she knew that these important figures could easily bring about earth-shattering changes to her and her son with a mere sprinkle of water.

Or, relying on the identity of being Chen Yuan’s former neighbor, they could live very comfortably in this county town.

But this woman did not do any of that, living her life dutifully with her mischievous son.

After she finished speaking, she saw Lian Nishang across from her shake her head slightly and gently smile, “Come in. My elder brother called you!”

Saying that, she stepped aside.

And after Lian Nishang stepped aside, they saw a figure in green clothing supporting a hunched Old Ancestor from the house in the courtyard, walking out.

Behind them, two short little fellows, standing on two feet, with two claws lifting the legs of a bamboo rocking chair, followed behind, swaying with the rocking chair.

The figure in green now looked up at Cai Hua and her son outside the door, feeling very close, and smiled, “Sister Hua, this bowl of hot soup of yours is a timely rain. I haven’t been back for a long time, and there’s no food at home. It’s perfect, come in quickly.”

Outside the door, Sister Hua was suddenly startled when she saw that familiar figure.

“Chen Yuan.”

She was so surprised that she forgot everything, even the hot soup she was holding in her hand. Her body trembled, and her hand accidentally loosened, but the bowl of soup miraculously didn’t spill a drop.

After the extreme shock, Sister Hua quickly became flustered, but the words she heard seemed to pull her back into past memories.

The person in this courtyard was not a high and mighty Zhonglang General revered by the people of Qingshan County, but the neighbor, a little brother, who lived in the courtyard and often met with their mother and son.

At this moment, Sister Hua only felt her eyes welling up with tears.

“Alright!”

She responded, sniffled, and without being coy, she quickly entered the small courtyard with the bowl, her apron, stained with ash at her waist, fluttering with her steps.

Tiger Cub behind her already knew what was happening and obediently followed, not being mischievous.

Sister Hua, carrying the steaming hot soup, quickly arrived under the eaves of the inner house.

At this moment, the two little demons carried the rocking chair and, under Chen Yuan’s instruction, placed it by the door. Then Chen Yuan helped Old Wu, who had just woken up from a coma, sit down.

“Slowly!”

The emaciated Old Wu was almost carried by Chen Yuan and gently set down.

Sister Hua looked at Chen Yuan, who was bending down to take care of the Old Ancestor, and couldn’t help but feel moved. The people in the county all regarded this adult as a god-like figure, who had saved Qingshan from life-and-death crises several times. But at this moment, in Sister Hua’s eyes, he was incredibly vivid.

“Sir, what happened to the Old Ancestor? This soup is hot, I’ll feed it to the Old Ancestor.” Sister Hua wasn’t overly distant, but the address “Yuan Ge’er” was naturally inappropriate. His willingness to treat her as before showed that Yuan Ge’er was truly a remarkable person, but she couldn’t get ahead of herself.

The Old Ancestor in front of her was indeed the one who guarded Yuan Ge’er’s courtyard, but contrary to her imagination, the Old Ancestor was indeed ill, but seeing how emaciated he was, it was clearly not as simple as a cold.

Chen Yuan settled Old Wu, stood up, looked at his neighbor Sister Hua, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time, and Little Tiger Cub behind her, smiled, then took the bowl and said lightly,

“The Old Ancestor encountered some trouble, but thankfully he got through it. Thank you, Sister Hua, I’ll do it!”

He took the bowl, picked up the spoon placed in it, bent down, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and brought it to Old Wu’s dry, cracked lips.

Old Wu, who had woken up and was weak, slowly spoke, his eyes filled with self-reproach,

“Sir, you are a great man, I’ll do it myself.”

Saying that, his thin body trembled, trying to get up.

Chen Yuan pressed him down, frowning, “Old man, don’t be stubborn. You’re old now. This time I came back, I plan to take you with me to retire and take good care of your body.”

Upon hearing this, Old Wu, like an old child, obediently lay down and let Chen Yuan serve him the soup.

After feeding him about a dozen spoonfuls, Old Wu slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Although he had overcome the difficulty, his body was still very weak.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan gave a look to the two little fellows squatting nearby, “Get the blanket.”

The two little fellows immediately scurried into the inner room with a whoosh.

In a few blinks of an eye, a blanket flew out of the room and landed on Old Wu’s body. Immediately after, two furry heads emerged from under the blanket, and the two little fellows darted out from within.

As for Chen Yuan, he still had more than half a bowl of five-red soup left. He didn’t waste it, finishing it himself, guzzling it down like a large glass of strong liquor. But this taste was even more refreshing than a bowl of strong liquor!

Qingshan County was his foothold after his Rebirth, and also his “second hometown.” He felt a deep affection for his neighbor, Sister Hua, and her son. This bowl of hometown soup seemed to wash away all the fatigue from his many days of campaigning.

After drinking, he wiped his sleeve and returned the bowl to Sister Hua, asking with concern, “Sister Hua, after I left, did you encounter any difficulties in your life?”

“No, no!” Sister Hua quickly shook her head, then her face showed satisfaction, “After you left, the county town became more and more lively, and my stall’s business is better than before. It’s just that the snow has been strange lately, causing prices to rise, but the adults in the county Yamen opened the granaries, so it’s still stable.”

As she spoke, Sister Hua seemed to hesitate again, rubbing her hands on the apron around her waist, seemingly a bit embarrassed,

“I didn’t know you were coming back, and it’s mealtime, so the family didn’t prepare anything.”

She simply saw Chen Yuan finish half a bowl of soup and naively thought Chen Yuan was hungry. It was not easy for him to come back, and she hadn’t prepared anything.

“It’s fine, we cultivators no longer need to eat.”

“So amazing!” At this moment, an exclamation came from behind.

It was the sturdy Tiger Cub. When this little fellow heard this, his eyes lit up.

Chen Yuan waved at Tiger Cub behind Sister Hua, “Tiger Cub, come here.”

Tiger Cub obediently stepped forward, adopting the mannerisms he learned in school, and bowed to Chen Yuan in a student’s salute, “Student greets you, Sir!”

His clear childish voice, coupled with the Azure Dragon that snorted in and out of his nose, made him look indescribably comical at this moment.

Sister Hua’s expression next to him was complex; she was both relieved that her son was well-behaved and annoyed that the little rascal couldn’t just “blow” the snot from his nose clean.

Chen Yuan laughed heartily, stroked his head, “Since you call yourself a student, I will teach you some skills!”

“You must remember well!”

“What kind of skills?” Tiger Cub asked innocently.

“Haven’t you always been pestering your mother to learn martial arts, to become a chivalrous hero when you grow up, and to act on behalf of the heavens? I’ll teach you, how about it?” Chen Yuan was full of smiles, with a faint golden light surging in his hand.

“Good!” Tiger Cub’s voice was excited.

Sister Hua’s expression beside him was moved, she hesitated to speak, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes.

She knew this would be a great blessing for her son, but she felt guilty, thinking that she and her son hadn’t brought anything to Yuan Ge’er. Yet, thinking of her son, the words caught in her throat.

At this moment, Chen Yuan’s eyes held a smile as he stroked Tiger Cub’s head and softly chanted.

“First touch of the head, peace and health.”

“Second pat on the back, all wishes fulfilled.”

“…”

A blessing, accompanied by visible golden lights, surged into Tiger Cub’s small body.

Beside them, under the rocking chair, Little Squirrel and the white fox watched with wide eyes, seemingly happy for their friend, chirping.

Soon, Tiger Cub felt his body warm up, then his eyes grew heavy with sleep, and he became drowsy.

Chen Yuan supported the sleeping Tiger Cub.

At this moment, with a “thump” beside him, Sister Hua knelt down and kowtowed to Chen Yuan,

“Your great kindness, we mother and son are infinitely grateful…” Sister Hua said with a choked voice. She was usually a feisty woman; a widow raising a child, if she wasn’t tough, it would be hard to stand firm in this world.

She asked for nothing but her son’s safety.

Chen Yuan raised his hand and helped Sister Hua, who had kowtowed, back up. Then he shook his head.

“Such a grand gesture is unnecessary. Life is but a fleeting moment, this is nothing. Besides, I still have something to trouble Sister Hua with.”

Sister Hua wiped her tears, her eyes red, “Please say.”

“This time I’m back, I plan to take Old Wu with me to retire, and this courtyard needs someone to look after it. So I’ll trouble Sister Hua.”

“No trouble at all! But will you return after you leave this time, Sir?” Sister Hua asked eagerly.

“Of course.” Chen Yuan smiled, then handed the Tiger Cub in his arms to her, instructing, “This child might sleep for a few days. When he wakes up, tell him not to practice blindly. I will find a teacher for him. Sister Hua, please take the child back first!”

“Alright.” Sister Hua tightly hugged her feverish son and left the small courtyard.

Chen Yuan watched the mother and son leave, then turned to Lian Nishang, who was standing with her sword not far away, about to speak.

Unexpectedly, Lian Nishang leaped forward, landing close by, and spoke first:

“Brother wants me to be that child’s teacher?”

“Smart! But there’s no need for constant guidance, just occasional pointers, to form a good connection with this mother and son. Perhaps in the future, it will bloom into something brilliant.” Chen Yuan simply treated it as forming a good connection incidentally. After all, wasn’t he fighting and struggling outside precisely to carve out a path for those around him, for those he was willing to be close to?

“Brother is benevolent, Ni Chang understands!” Lian Nishang nodded, then her beautiful face became serious,

“Brother, what did you gain from your trip to the inn?”

Chen Yuan had just returned and Old Wu had woken up, so Lian Nishang hadn’t asked yet.

Chen Yuan instantly narrowed his eyes, “The Fang Family Old Ancestor has seen that Human Demon. He had a means to imprint that Human Demon’s Qi, which I forced him to give me.”

“Then what next, Brother…”

“Naturally, to find it!”

“But how will you find it, Brother?”

“Wait a little longer. To lock onto the enemy based on their aura, I know who has this Divine Ability!”

“…”

Just as Chen Yuan and Lian Nishang were conversing, a thousand li northeast of Qingshan County, in the Jing Mountain territory, amidst the snow-covered forest, the mountains rumbled.

“Charge!”

“Charge!”

“Charge!”

Between the mountains, streams of iron-clad torrents forged paths through mountains and built bridges over water, with tens of thousands of horses neighing, a magnificent sight.

And at the front of this majestic steel torrent, the leading general, with a fair complexion, a handlebar mustache, and clad in black armor, had a hint of lewdness in his eyes.

“We’re almost at Qingshan County!”

“I must go see the Master first.”

Saying that, this person feigned a few instructions to a red-armored general behind him, then his speed greatly increased, transforming into a black light that pierced through the wind and snow, shooting away.

After galloping for hundreds of li, this black-armored, fair-faced soldier let out a roar from his throat, and his body immediately transformed, swelling in size, black fur appearing, and ferocious fangs emerging.

Heavenly Dog!

The Heavenly Dog revealed its true form and continued to run towards the Langdang Mountain territory. After about an hour, a county town appeared in its sight.

It sensed its Master’s aura and thus burrowed into Qingshan County. Soon, a large black dog appeared in Jiazi Alley, heading towards the end of the alley. (End of this chapter)