1221 Life is fleeting, and I am leisurely

mournful, breaking my heart.I and my brother looked towards the entrance. The old master held an octagonal glazed bronze pagoda, his face as dark as thunder.A wisp of his grandmother's soul rested on...Judging by the number of people surrounding the witch just now, she must have dozens of disciples at her command, perhaps even more.

Being able to cultivate with her must be those with extraordinary talents and exceptional aptitude.

What kind of person would Mu Tian choose to follow Li Wuchen

It seems like my dinner tonight is pickled asparagus.

"...If you want to eat, I'll make it for you." Mu Wanchen said very calmly.

"I'm jealous!"

"You shouldn't act like a child when you're jealous, and yet you're so aggressive" He laughed serenely, putting his arm around my shoulders and walking past the woman as if she were invisible.

"Aren't you moved" I nudged Mu Wanchen's chest with my elbow.

“If I hadn't been left alone in my boat, drifting to Penglai... if not for Xiao Qiao peeking at our fate, I wouldn't have believed that anyone could share their life with me until their hair turned white. For so many years, I’ve grown accustomed to keeping my heart and desires in check. If I had indulged in beauty, perhaps I would have missed this opportunity long ago.”

Dusk snow white head...

I looked at his hair, silver strands intermingled with white, in a fleeting moment.

One might think that a head full of silver hair is cool, mysterious and handsome if they haven't seen it in person...

But when you see your closest loved ones turn white as snow, the fear in your heart lingers.

Gray hair is not cool at all.

Streaks of white hair amidst the black, a sign that life is nearing its end.

"That's enough…" He lowered his head, lifting my chin to make me look at him, and whispered, "The time I have left is enough to be with you."

“....So the witch wants you to drink the immortal brew, wants you to stay here, by any means necessary, whether it's seduction or force. She doesn't want you to die, she doesn't want the witch clan's bloodline to dwindle in the human world.” I looked into his eyes.

His eyes were so serene, so tranquil. The azure flames flickered like distant stars, faint and elusive.

Sometimes I have the illusion of being haunted.

When I saw the witch's eyes, I understood a little more. This must be what they call blood—the hypnotic magic in her gaze.

The shaman, they need to guide the people forward, however, human hearts are the hardest things to control. How can one make so many people willingly obey orders

It all comes down to your own abilities and personal charm.

"...According to the original estimate, I have about one or two hundred years left to live, but after last time I used too much magic power, maybe there are only a few decades left. It's just enough to spend with you, so I don't have to watch you grow old, get sick and die, while I still have to endure a century of loneliness."

Mu Wanchen said it lightly.

"Decades have passed in the blink of an eye. I hope to fulfill my responsibilities and worries, and spend the rest of my time with you. Forget all the hustle and bustle, even if we live a simple life like wild cranes amidst clouds, I think it's worth it."

He shook his head. “So I will not agree to the witch’s demands. I don’t need other women, and I don’t want any power or responsibility.”

"You don't want to, but she does... Can you defy her" I looked back at my female disciple who glared at me with resentment.

Mu Wanchen suddenly smiled: "Everyone says that the Great Witch King is the legacy of the Divine Witch in the human world, but there are ten Witches in Ling Mountain, so the Great Witch King can't be the legacy of these ten people. Then, whose bloodline is it"

I was taken aback for a moment: "... I hadn't thought about that."

"I hadn't thought about it, but after coming here, the casual words of the Nine-Tailed Fox made me think about this issue." Mu Wanchen smiled.

That nine-tailed fox demon didn't know where to hide either. Hearing Mu Wanchen mention her, she instantly transformed into a cloud of smoke and flew to my side, revealing her half-human, half-demon form. Her upper body was human, but beneath the long robe trailed a massive tail that swept the ground.

I find her scent a little off-putting, even with the sachet. My nose isn't as keen as it used to be.

She smiled bashfully and said, "Your Highness, Lord Witch King, for such trivial matters, you can just ask me to do it. There's no need to do it yourselves."

I muttered under my breath, "So eager when you need something from someone. You're really practical... I can't even walk myself right now, let alone take you with me..."

She narrowed her eyes and smiled: "There will be opportunities. Let me go find the ingredients..."

Mu Wanchen nodded and said, "Xiaolu'er's body isn't suitable for walking too far on mountain paths. Let's go back first, and wait until she finds some."

She's a bit of a handful when she gets riled up.

"What's your name" I asked, frowning.

"Name" The nine-tailed fox demon paused, then giggled, as if she had heard a joke.

"Why are you smiling..." I frowned, displeased.

Mu Wanchen embraced me and whispered, "This kind of refined wild monster doesn't have a name."

"Why Even monsters should call each other by name, right" I asked, confused.

"...But they have no surnames. A yokai with a surname means it is a domesticated one. Who in an ordinary household could afford the fortune and ability to raise a yokai They are mostly shunned, so most yokai with cultivation do not have names and instead prefer to be called by their clans."

"But wasn't she appointed by the Divine Witch"

"Yes, but the shamaness disdains bestowing names, so her position remains merely that of a spirit or demon."

I understand a little bit.

As the story goes, a yellow-skinned being (hóng pí zi) needs to undergo a tribulation and transform into a human form. To achieve this, it requires a person to verbally declare that it "resembles a human." This kind of acknowledgement, akin to a contract, is necessary for a monster's cultivation to surpass a certain threshold.

A shaman of such status would certainly not bestow the identity of a spirit monster upon someone. Such creatures could only be lowly servants, unworthy of recognition.

As I was thinking about these things, the nine-tailed fox demon had already gracefully faded into a cloud of mist. By the time we returned to our temporary residence and tidied up the beds and rooms, the kitchen was in complete disarray.

The name "Dongchu" (東廚) originates from ancient architectural practices where kitchens were typically located on the east side of a rectangular building complex. Later, "Dongchu" came to also refer to the Kitchen God (灶王爺).

But this kitchen has been cold and unused for who knows how long. There's no Stove God here either.

The East Kitchen, still and cold like a tomb, suddenly erupted with all sorts of strange and eerie noises as if it were coming back to life.

I and Mu Wanchen rushed over to take a look, the kitchen was crammed full with no room to step!

Gray-white wild rabbits scattered across the ground, and long-tailed partridges ran about in disarray. The partridges even squawked and flew everywhere in panic.

The reason why Samkie was so terrified was that there were a few... snakes on the stove.

In the corner of the ceiling, birds were still hiding in terror, chirping so loudly it made my scalp crawl.

And the nine-tailed fox demon laughed mischievously, blocking the entrance to the kitchen, not a single thing could get out.

I looked at Mu Wanchen in speechless disbelief—this is the ingredients you had her procure I guess we were fools to believe a wild fox demon.

Mu Wanchen rarely lowered his head and lightly scratched his nose, with a shy expression. This was the first time I saw him show such a childish expression.

Seeing him so “cute,” I couldn’t hold onto any resentment. So, I turned my anger towards the nine-tailed fox demon instead.

"Are you trying to liven things up What are all these animals for" I asked.

The fox demon narrowed its eyes and smiled, "Princess, aren't you trying to replenish your body Dragon-Phoenix Stir-Fry is a great dish for nourishing..."

She pointed to the snake on the stove and the chickens scattering all over the floor.

"... These blood-heavy foods aren't suitable here, understand Just get some mountain produce!"

She raised an eyebrow: “Should I kill these and bring them over This is a place for worshipers to reside, not a shaman's dwelling. There aren't so many rules and regulations...”

"That won't do either, we can't eat this, it's Lent!" I pointed to the fresh asparagus. "Just make some fresh mountain produce vegetables."

The fox demon glared at me in dissatisfaction, raising a sleeve and waving it. A gust of demonic wind swept away those living creatures once more.

Mu Wanchen pinched the訣, his sleeve flicked and dissipated the chaotic energy in this place. He pushed open the window of the east kitchen, rolled up his sleeves and began to peel the fresh bamboo shoot.

How rarely seen is this sight—

>..."He let out a light chuckle, but didn't answer.In the room, Cheng Banxian suddenly jumped onto my dad's hospital bed and slowly climbed on top of him... My brother clenched his fists, looking like...