Chapter 26 part 4
Xun Xun’s consciousness was initially driven purely by instinct. His body craved something, making him want to swallow whatever was flooding his senses with that mouthwatering aroma.
When his teeth hit something hard and cold, his mind slowly began to clear.
As he took in his surroundings, he froze in place.
He turned his head and saw Elder Xun. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but the aftereffects of the mental breakdown left him temporarily unable to make a sound.
Elder Xun’s hands trembled as he pinched himself, confirming that his grandson had indeed woken up.
He had woken up much earlier than expected.
“Good, good. It’s good that you’re awake. Mr. Zong really is a great benefactor to our Xun family.” If Xun Xun had truly been lost, Elder Xun didn’t know how much longer he could have held on at his age.
Without a pillar of strength, a family like theirs would soon be torn apart by those with ill intentions.
Xun Xun’s mind lagged a bit, slowly processing this unfamiliar name: Mr. Zong?
Over at Ning Yunyi’s place, things were much less emotional than at the Xun family. Everyone was full, their stomachs round with satisfaction.
Little Xiaomiao rubbed his belly, feeling like the past few days had been like a dream.
He kept fidgeting with the sides of his head, feeling like something strange was going on there, like something was about to grow.
But before he could think much of it, Ning Yunyi’s wristband beeped, causing the two humans and one cat to simultaneously turn their heads.
Especially Ning Xiaomiao and the big cat, who eyed the wristband warily, as if defending their territory from an intruder.
Even though the foreign scent that clung to their father when he had returned wasn’t strong, and he had explained it, the thought of some strange, furry creature being cradled in their father’s arms, even having its fur stroked...
Ning Xiaomiao looked over with wide, hopeful eyes, tugging at his father’s sleeve with his small hand.
Ning Yunyi simply picked up the little one, holding him as he opened the message on his wristband.
The message was from An Dong.
Even from the text, Ning Yunyi could sense An Dong’s excitement.
[An Dong: Ahhh! Mr. Zong! I have great news, Xun Ge is awake! He was literally woken up by the smell of your cumin lamb. Haha, Xun Ge is awake but not fully conscious yet. I think he’s still being tortured by the lingering aroma.]
[An Dong: Elder Xun asked me to let you know that Xun Ge still has some aftereffects from his breakdown, but he should be able to speak tomorrow. If you have any questions for Xun Ge, I can relay them for you.]
Considering that Mr. Zong preferred to keep a low profile, video or voice calls weren’t appropriate, so An Dong offered to act as an intermediary.
Ning Yunyi quickly replied. He didn’t mind. When the time came, they could just have a call. He could write a program to change his voice.
[#1 Knife of the Sect: Tomorrow afternoon works for a call.]
An Dong immediately agreed.
Ning Yunyi put away his wristband and looked down to find Ning Xiaomiao staring blankly at it, glancing between his father and the transparent dialogue window.
Ning Yunyi suddenly remembered something, pinching Ning Xiaomiao’s cheek with a smile. “Father forgot, my little one can’t read yet.”
Ning Xiaomiao’s face flushed red as he clenched his small fists. “I-I will study hard.”
In his excitement, his words came out a bit garbled.
Ning Yunyi couldn’t help but find him incredibly adorable. If only he could ruffle that little furry head right now.
The big cat shot Ning Yunyi a glance, then silently rolled over, distancing itself from him.
It had been fine before, but not these past few days.
For half-beastmen, their form could become unstable during this period. Although the big cat had sealed all of its spiritual power, making it impossible to revert to human form, this person in front of it was an anomaly.
It couldn’t guarantee anything, so it figured it was better to be cautious.
Though the big cat had moved farther away, its large tail occasionally twitched. It couldn’t shake the feeling that its tail might disappear at any moment.
This was the disorienting sensation that came from shifting forms.
In beast form, it often felt like certain parts of its body would randomly vanish; in human form, it constantly felt like it was about to sprout a tail and ears.
Ning Yunyi had been making daily trips to the underground city. This time, he informed Ning Xiaomiao in advance.
The next morning, when he left, he wore the same outfit as the day before.
When he arrived at the entrance to the underground city and disembarked from the ship, he saw Bai Chengzhu standing at the gate. Behind him, the steward looked bewildered, unsure of who could be important enough to warrant the city lord’s personal reception.
Bai Chengzhu didn’t explain, simply stating that it was a distinguished guest.
The steward straightened up, trying to stay on high alert. When he saw who stepped off the ship, he was stunned.
Bai Chengzhu’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly stepped forward. “Sir, I hope your journey wasn’t too exhausting.”
The steward broke out in a cold sweat, replaying the events of the previous day in his mind. Had he shown any disrespect? After assuring himself that he hadn’t, he finally relaxed a little.
Ning Yunyi remained calm and composed. This was nothing. Back when he was the sect master, the grand competitions between the disciples from several mountain peaks were far grander than this.
Bai Chengzhu had gone to such lengths to avoid any misunderstandings. The F District of the trash planet was the most chaotic place, and he wanted to ensure that no one would offend Ning Yunyi.
Additionally, since Ning Yunyi had claimed to be a double S-rank healer, Bai Chengzhu had later downplayed this, explaining to others that it was just a joke between friends. This visit was meant to cement that story.
It was a delicate balance—he needed to avoid drawing too much attention while still protecting Ning Yunyi.
Ning Yunyi understood Bai Chengzhu’s intentions and didn’t stop him. He didn’t like unnecessary trouble either.
His claim from the previous day had been a way to meet Bai Chengzhu. Without a title or status, Bai Chengzhu wouldn’t have even agreed to see him.
Now that his goal had been achieved, there was no need to keep up the pretense.
Ning Yunyi and Bai Chengzhu made their way to Bai Shaozhu’s courtyard once again. Along the way, the two became more familiar, with Bai Chengzhu dropping his usual serious demeanor and becoming quite talkative.
After a few exchanges, they were already calling each other brothers.
When Ning Yunyi stood in front of the wooden house again, Bai Chengzhu didn’t block his way this time. He cleared his throat and said, “Brother, you can go ahead. Your nephew is properly dressed this time.”
Ning Yunyi, who had disguised himself—his hair a fiery red and his pupils green—didn’t look his age, so Bai Chengzhu shamelessly called him “brother.”
Since Bai Shaozhu was his son, that made him Ning Yunyi’s nephew.
Ning Yunyi hadn’t seen Bai Shaozhu’s human form the day before, so he didn’t know his exact age.
Now, he was curious, especially after hearing Bai Chengzhu’s mention of “nephew.” There was a noticeable change in the breathing inside the house. Was he that annoyed about being called a nephew?
Ning Yunyi approached the window of the wooden house and glanced inside. Even with Bai Chengzhu’s reassurances, he hadn’t expected much. But one glance, and Ning Yunyi was taken aback.
The young man inside was around twenty years old, with delicate features. His long illness lent him a certain fragility. His lips were pressed tightly together, and his messy hair stuck up in all directions, making his face appear even paler, like flawless jade.
Pale, but exquisitely handsome, with a look that invoked a desire to care for him.
Perhaps Ning Yunyi’s gaze held a bit too much sympathy, because the irritable little rabbit inside immediately scowled, glaring at him as if he wanted to bite through the window.
But remembering the small, palm-sized form the young man had previously taken, Ning Yunyi couldn’t help but chuckle.
The young man’s pale face instantly turned red. Whether it was from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to say.
Bai Chengzhu cleared his throat, peeking inside. “Ah Cheng, is that how you treat your uncle and benefactor?”
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