Seeing that Lu Qiancha only responded with a simple “oh” before falling silent—her small head already turned away, clearly no longer focused on her—a sudden shadow flickered deep within Ling Wanbai’s gray eyes, which usually lacked any trace of emotion.
However, that slight abnormality vanished without a trace in a mere heartbeat.
Ling Wanbai rested her chin on the crown of Lu Qiancha’s head, idly blowing warm air toward one of those small ears that would occasionally twitch or stand upright.
In response—
Lu Qiancha’s body trembled slightly before she turned around, huffing as she unleashed a flurry of a meow meow punch at Ling Wanbai.
After a brief bout of playfulness, the kitchen in the corner of the small courtyard quickly became lively.
Xun Xue rolled up her sleeves and tied on an apron, naturally taking charge as the head chef.
Her movements were skilled and efficient; her fingers flew as the ingredients made crisp sounds against the cutting board, and the spatula clattered rhythmically against the iron wok.
Ling Wanbai silently took on the role of kitchen assistant.
She washed and sorted the vegetables, slicing ginger into strands as fine as hair and garlic into pieces as thin as a cicada’s wing, quietly completing every task Xun Xue assigned her.
As for Lu Qiancha, who was also supposed to be helping, she simply spun around the kitchen. One moment she was helping peel garlic, and the next she was handing over a plate.
Most of the time, however, she was leaning over the stove, her nose twitching and her small tail wagging rhythmically to the rich aroma wafting from the pot.
Several times, she almost couldn’t resist the urge to sneak a bite with a pair of chopsticks she had pulled from who-knows-where, but each time, she was warned back by Xun Xue’s smiling gaze.
The three of them had a clear division of labor and worked together with perfect chemistry. The enticing aroma of food quickly permeated the entire small courtyard.
***
Soon, plate after plate of dishes, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, were laid out on the stone table in the yard.
Just as the steaming, fragrant dishes were set and everyone was preparing to dig in—”Senior Brother!”
A bustling figure dressed in a mix of blue and pink rushed into the small courtyard.
Gantang’s voice arrived before she did, sounding incredibly excited. “Something strange happened outside just now, something really strange!”
“Hmm?” Lu Qiancha, who had just picked up a piece of crispy Guobaorou and was about to put it in her mouth, suddenly looked as if someone had pressed a pause button.
She strained her neck, trying to look past Xun Xue’s tall figure standing in front of her to see Gantang, who was jumping anxiously at the entrance. “What kind of strange thing?”
‘Is it possible that group of painted-skin demons suddenly went mad and started hurting people at random?’
Her heart tightened, and she nearly dropped the meat.
Gantang’s gaze was briefly and intensely drawn to the mouthwatering feast on the table, and her throat moved involuntarily as she swallowed.
However, she managed to force down the gluttonous urge within her.
Gantang lunged forward to stand in front of Lu Qiancha and then squatted down directly to look the wolf cub in the eye.
With her hands resting on her knees and a serious expression, she reported, “Senior Brother, I just saw a group of Yamen Constables arrest that old painted-skin street vendor who sold jujube cakes—the one we let go yesterday.”
“They locked him up right in the middle of the street. That old man was screaming so pitifully.”
“Oh, is that all…” The tension in Lu Qiancha’s heart instantly deflated like a popped balloon.
She had thought the painted skins had come out in full force to start a massacre in the city; it turned out it was just a scapegoat being arrested.
Her suspended chopsticks immediately returned to their target, steadily delivering that golden piece of Guobaorou into her mouth.
Her cheeks puffed out with satisfaction as she replied indistinctly, “Mmm, it’s not strange, not strange at all…”
“Senior Brother.” Seeing her Senior Brother’s indifferent attitude—with a heart and eyes full only of the food in front of her—Gantang was so anxious she nearly stomped her feet.
She couldn’t help but reach out to cup Lu Qiancha’s small face, turning it so they were looking directly at each other.
With an expression that screamed disappointment, she said, “Don’t you think this is fishy? What if the local County Yamen has already discovered the traces of the painted-skin demons and is secretly investigating and purging them?”
“If that’s really the case, wouldn’t that be a good thing?”
Lu Qiancha tilted her head, not quite understanding her junior sister’s line of thought.
“Senior Brother, how could that be good!”
Gantang’s voice grew urgent.
“If the merit for exorcising demons and defending the Dao—and for reporting back to the immortal sect—is snatched away by those mundane constables, won’t our trip have been for nothing?”
Hearing this, Lu Qiancha felt a bit speechless. She raised her hand and pressed it down in front of Gantang, signaling for her to be quiet.
Lu Qiancha then scooped up a spoonful of glistening rice and said slowly, “The ones who took that old vendor away weren’t constables at all.”
She paused, looking up at Gantang with a flat tone. “Those so-called Yamen Guards are just like that old man selling jujube cakes. They are nothing more than painted-skin demons wearing official skins.”
“Oh… so it wasn’t constables who caught him, but painted-skin demons…” Gantang followed along subconsciously.
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly reacted, her voice rising sharply, “Wait, Senior Brother, what did you say? Those constables are also painted-skin demons?!”
“Mmm, that’s right.” Lu Qiancha’s expression remained normal.
She even had the leisure to gently move Gantang’s hand, which was pressed against the table in excitement, before calmly picking up a piece of spicy chicken and chewing it slowly.
“Even the County Yamen has been infiltrated?” Gantang sucked in a breath of cold air, her face instantly turning pale and her voice trembling. “Then isn’t the situation in this city looking grim?”
“The situation isn’t looking grim,” Lu Qiancha said, shaking her head. She looked at Gantang with a calm gaze and spoke one word at a time. “It is absolutely wretched. I estimate…”
She thought back to the secret realm ancient city and the search network within it, slowly uttering a suffocating number.
“In this Wanghai City, I estimate that at least eighty percent of the people have already been replaced by painted-skin demons, walking around in human skins.”
“Ei… Eighty percent?!”
Gantang felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. She bolted upright, her eyes wide as saucers, her voice nearly breaking. “Then haven’t we been living in a literal demon den this whole time?”
“Pretty much.” Lu Qiancha nodded.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s contact the elders investigating outside the city immediately. We need to gather our forces and conduct a thorough purge of this city.”
“We must put every single one of those skin-wearing monsters to the sword!”
Gantang clenched her fists, eager to act.
*Thump.*
Lu Qiancha curled her finger and ruthlessly flicked Gantang’s smooth forehead, creating a crisp sound.
“Ouch!” Gantang cried out in pain, clutching her forehead as she squatted back down.
“Stop acting on every whim.”
Lu Qiancha couldn’t help but lecture her. “Are you implying there are no living people left in this city? The citizens who haven’t been harmed by the demons are essentially their hostages.”
“The enemy is in the shadows while we are in the light. If we provoke those monsters into a desperate corner because of our recklessness, they might slaughter the entire city out of spite. We would be punished once we return to the sect.”
Clutching her reddened forehead, Gantang felt Lu Qiancha’s words hit her like a bucket of ice water, snapping her back to her senses.
She shrunk her neck in fear, her voice weakening. “Senior Brother is right. I didn’t think it through…”
Like a startled little quail, she asked in a small voice, “Then what should we do now?”
“What should we do?” Lu Qiancha picked up her chopsticks again and shoveled a large mouthful of rice into her mouth.
With her cheeks stuffed full, she spoke four words clearly despite the food: “Stay our hand.”
“Eh?” Gantang was dazed. “We’re not going to investigate?”
“What’s the rush?” Lu Qiancha swallowed the food with some effort and used a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth. “I did a small thing earlier today.”
A flash of cunning crossed her blue eyes. “The commotion might have been a bit large. I expect those painted skins are jumping at shadows and suspecting everyone right now.”
“We need to let their tension ease first. Once they think the danger has passed, we can proceed with our next plan.”
“…Senior… Senior Brother?” Looking at Lu Qiancha’s seemingly relaxed expression, an extremely ominous premonition suddenly surged in Gantang’s heart.
The last time her Senior Brother had used that “I did a small thing” tone of voice, Gantang had ended up accidentally eating a ling fruit that her Senior Brother had sprayed with mountain-wide pesticide.
She had suffered from abdominal pain for three entire days and nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Thinking of this, Gantang’s voice turned nervous. “Senior Brother, what exactly was this ‘small thing’ you did?”
Lu Qiancha blinked her clear, innocent blue eyes and gave a mysterious smile. “As for that, there’s no rush to say. We’ll discuss the details once Junior Sister Shangguan returns. For now…”
She pointed at the fragrant dishes on the table, her tone light. “In the whole wide world, eating is the most important thing. Let’s eat first.”
Gantang thought back to the “small thing with a large commotion” her Senior Brother had mentioned, and she felt the temptation of the feast before her diminish significantly.
She sighed with worry, but seeing no other choice, she could only pick up her chopsticks and transform her anxiety into an appetite, burying her head in her food as well.