Master, don't tease me, you can't handle three of them.

Chapter 18 Willing and Like

Jing Shu walked into the room with practiced ease and laid out the food from the food box one by one.

Hearing the sound, Han Luo came out of the inner room and saw a man with his back to her arranging various delicacies. Judging from his figure, he did not seem to be Jing Shu.

"Shi Chuan?" Han Luo's voice came from behind Jing Shu.

Jing Shu turned around and said, "Master, it's me."

!!!

Han Luo stood frozen in place, like a statue. Her eyes held four parts surprise, three parts confusion, and five parts regret.

The furry thing is gone...

Jing Shu was speechless. "Master, could you please control the emotions in your eyes? Is it fun to look like that?"

During the meal, Jing Shu repeated the same explanation he had given to Shi Chuan.

Han Luo watched Jing Shu ramble on and swallowed the sweet rice balls in her mouth. "You've reached the late Foundation Establishment stage."

"Yes. It should also be thanks to that demon core."

Han Luo didn't intend to expose him. The fox demon's cultivation was only comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage, so how could it help him improve so much?

Jing Shu naturally knew that his master wouldn't believe him, but he said it this way so that if anyone from the sect came to ask, he would have an explanation.

"Don't do any more missions for now. I'll tell everyone you've gone into seclusion." Han Luo looked at Jing Shu's current situation and knew it was best to keep it to a minimum.

Jing Shu nodded in agreement.

After Han Luo finished eating and drinking, she sat back on the soft couch and poured herself a cup of tea. "Now, let's talk about what happened before. Visiting brothels and drinking with courtesans, what are you planning to do next?"

Jing Shu's body stiffened slightly; what was bound to happen was bound to happen.

He was still unconscious when he returned, so Han Luo could only suppress his anger for the time being. Later, when he saw Mao Rongrong, he put the matter out of his mind. Now that he was no longer Mao Rongrong, Han Luo's rationality returned, and naturally he had to talk about it.

Jing Shu sat obediently. "Master, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go that day. I was just investigating clues and had no choice but to go to the brothel..."

"Then why were you so guilty that you cut off the communication?"

“It’s not that I’m guilty,” Jing Shu retorted softly. “Master was so angry back then. If I hadn’t cut it off, I was afraid he would have flown all the way from the Cloud Burial Sect to beat me up.”

"..." Oh, so it's his fault after all?

Jing Shu understood Han Luo's expression and immediately lowered his head to admit his mistake, "Master, it's all my fault. Please don't be angry, Master. How about I make you some flower cakes?"

"Peach blossom cake."

“Alright, Master can eat whatever he wants.” Jing Shu’s tone carried a hint of indulgence that was barely perceptible.

Han Luo put down his tea and looked at Jing Shu, who was almost as tall as him. He still felt a little uncomfortable. It was one thing that he didn't have any fur, but he was so big that he was no longer suitable to be cuddled and slept with.

After cleaning up the mess, Jing Shu left and went to the small kitchen.

Master wants to eat peach blossom pastries, Meng'er wants to eat candied hawthorns, and as for Senior Brother, well... he can eat anything.

Having resolved the most pressing matter, Jing Shu found his work exceptionally easy.

The nascent soul watched Jing Shu busy himself from inside the ancient jade, quite puzzled. "Didn't you used to hate doing these kinds of chores the most?"

Jing Shu continued kneading the dough, not even looking up, and said, "Yes, I clearly hate it the most. Even when I first started making these things, it was just thinking of repaying kindness with kindness. But..."

Jing Shu thought of how Han Luo clearly loved to eat, but pretended to be indifferent, and would occasionally show a hint of satisfaction. He found it amusing. "Now, I am willing and enjoy doing it."

The nascent soul did not understand; although it had acquired memories from Xiao Jingshu, it had no emotions.

Yuan Ying found Jing Shu's behavior inexplicable, even thinking that he had made Jing Shu out of his mind by becoming someone's disciple. In short, he was mentally ill.

“…You’re the one who’s out of your mind.” Jing Shu retorted directly, only realizing his mistake after he finished.

The nascent soul burst into laughter, "That's right, you're out of your mind!"

Jing Shu ignored him and put the finished peach blossom pastries into the oven before starting to make candied hawthorns.

Gu Meng loves to eat hawthorns, and her small kitchen always keeps some on hand. Jing Shu washed a lot of hawthorns, intending to make some for his master and senior brother as well.

Jing Shu simmered rock sugar and an appropriate amount of water over low heat to make syrup. When the syrup became thick and amber in color, he poured it over the skewered hawthorns and quickly rotated the bamboo skewers to coat the hawthorns evenly with the syrup. Then he placed the candied hawthorns in a cool, ventilated place to dry.

Just as Jing Shu was about to call Gu Meng over, Shi Chuan arrived.

"Junior brother, you really are here."

Jing Shu handed a candied hawthorn to Shi Chuan, "What's wrong?"

"I just came back from outside. I heard that Master took Junior Sister to the Sect Master to have her spiritual roots tested. So I came to find you." The candied hawthorns, now fully formed, were crystal clear. Shi Chuan couldn't resist taking a bite. They were sweet and sour, and indeed delicious.

Jing Shu pondered. Indeed, Meng'er was almost ready to have her spiritual roots tested. He had heard his master say that Gu Yue had both fire and wood spiritual roots, which were the most suitable for alchemy. He wondered if Meng'er might have the same.

"Junior brother, what else did you make? It smells so good." Shi Chuan asked curiously, smelling the fragrance in the air.

Jing Shu estimated that it was time, so he took the peach blossom pastries out of the oven. "These are peach blossom pastries, made for Master."

A few were given to Shi Chuan, while the rest were packed into specially made food boxes by Jing Shu, who then began preparing lunch.

"Rumble--"

Thunder on a sunny day... Could it be...? Jing Shu and Shi Chuan exchanged a glance and went outside together.

Watching the thunderclouds converge towards the main peak, Shi Chuan wondered, "Who broke through?" But then he felt that something about the thunderclouds seemed off.

Each major realm advancement after Foundation Establishment is accompanied by a tribulation of lightning, each one more dangerous than the last.

Jing Shu shook his head. "It's not a tribulation of lightning." He had experienced it twice before and clearly felt the difference.

That is……

"Little junior sister!"

"Meng'er."

The two said in unison.

Half an hour later, Gu Meng returned with Han Luo, her chin held high in haughty arrogance.

Seeing Shi Chuan and the other person setting out dishes on the stone table in the courtyard, including the crispy duck she had been longing for, Gu Meng excitedly ran over.

"Senior Brother! Second Senior Brother! Meng'er has awakened a very powerful spiritual root!"

"Really?" Shi Chuan chimed in at the opportune moment.

"What I awakened is the Thunder Spirit Root!" Gu Meng said proudly. "Sect Master said that Meng'er will become very powerful in the future."

"So, Meng'er, are you ready to learn something new?" Jing Shu handed Gu Meng chopsticks and said with a smile.

"Ok!"