Chapter 22: Tormenting the Blood Demon Patriarch

"Master, at the time, I had already hinted quite clearly. It's not my fault you failed to understand," Mu Wanqing said, shaking her head. "Besides, Young Master Chen has an air of transcendence and only wishes to live as a mortal. If he were to see through our intentions, it might only displease him."

"Wanqing speaks the truth. It was my own dullness that led to this. Back then, I even blamed you for lacking propriety," Bai Li Song sighed, wishing he could slap himself. He felt hopelessly foolish and utterly unforgivable.

After a pause, he continued, "This time, Young Master Chen not only indirectly saved our Tianyun Sect, but also helped you directly break through to the Third Realm of Dao, thereby extending my life by a thousand years. Such a tremendous favor—we must return and prepare a grand gift to express our gratitude."

"The sect master is right," Mu Wanqing nodded. Preparing a generous gift was not only a gesture of thanks—it would also give them another chance to drink water and eat grilled fish here, killing two birds with one stone.

A recluse of such caliber must be approached and flattered by any means necessary.

"Let's go back at once and bring out the most precious spiritual herbs from the sect as our offering. I only hope Young Master Chen will not find them beneath him," Bai Li Song said with a helpless smile. To someone like Young Master Chen, the most valuable treasures of the Tianyun Sect were probably as worthless as dirt.

But that was all they had to offer.

...

On the mountain.

Chen Changsheng said to Chen Die'er, who was studying a necklace, "Die'er, I'm going to water and fertilize the new fruit saplings. Would you like to come with me?"

"Dad, I'll stay here. You go ahead," Chen Die'er replied, wholly absorbed in her study of the necklace.

"Alright, I'm off then. Die'er, don't wander about. Stay inside the house and wait for me to return," Chen Changsheng reminded her.

"I understand, Dad," Chen Die'er nodded obediently.

Chen Changsheng soon arrived at an orchard. It was quite large, planted with various kinds of fruit trees, some already bearing fruit.

At first, he was very much against planting these trees. To have crossed into this world only to become a fruit farmer—wasn't that absurd?

But the wretched system insisted he plant them, and later, when he discovered how much Die'er loved fruit, he decided to cultivate this entire orchard.

To his amazement, after the trees were planted, their growth was unbelievably rapid. From seedling to fruit-bearing, it took at most a month.

He had no idea whether it was the nature of the saplings in this world, the soil, or the methods taught by the system that accounted for this.

The orchard was divided into two halves: fruit trees on the left, vegetables on the right.

The vegetables grew just as rapidly—within two or three days of planting, they were ready to be harvested and eaten.

With such a vast vegetable patch, and such rapid growth, he and his daughter could never finish it all. Sometimes, Chen Changsheng would purposely deliver some to the residents of Qingshui Town.

"Actually, I could plant something else beneath these fruit trees," Chen Changsheng mused, looking at the soil. "I'll have to think about what would be best."

After living here for three years, he had grown quite fond of this courtyard lifestyle, though he always regretted that the system had never allowed him to cultivate as a practitioner.

He then busied himself watering and fertilizing the new saplings.

...

In front of the wooden house, Chen Die'er was still engrossed in the study of her necklace.

She had a reason for not joining her father in the orchard: she had discovered that the little wooden figurine attached to the necklace seemed to harbor a secret.

"Let me see what's inside," she thought, her bright eyes full of curiosity. She drew forth a wisp of spiritual sense and probed into the wooden figurine.

"Ah!" she cried out in surprise. "There really is a secret—a soul is sealed inside!"

She was utterly shocked. The little wooden puppet that had appeared out of nowhere actually contained a sealed soul.

Then, muttering to herself in curiosity, she said, "What kind of soul is this, to be sealed here? Maybe I should release it and take a look..."

Within the puppet, the old Blood Demon Ancestor heard her words loud and clear and was overjoyed. "Ha ha, little girl, hurry up and let this demon out. Good girl!"

But even his voice was sealed by a powerful force, so Chen Die'er could not hear him. She stretched out a small finger and pointed at the wooden puppet.

Immediately, a surging force burst forth from her fingertip and rushed into the figurine.

Buzz!

The puppet trembled violently.

The sealing force was clearly shattered.

A wisp of black smoke wafted from the puppet, rising into the air and condensing into a giant demonic shadow.

"Uh..." Chen Die'er stared in astonishment at the Blood Demon Ancestor. "It's an old demon... Have I caused trouble?"

Dad, this world is crazy—a little wooden puppet at our doorstep actually held an old demon.

Oh no, I really didn't mean to release this old demon.

Chen Die'er was thoroughly bewildered, lost in shock.

"Ha ha ha! At last, I am free again!" the Blood Demon Ancestor laughed madly, overlooking her from above. "Little girl, go to hell for me!"

He raised his leg and stomped down at her without hesitation, as if crushing an ant.

A terrifying pressure swept down from the sky.

Snapping back from her astonishment, Chen Die'er quickly waved her little hand. A tremendous force like a surging wave blasted out and swept toward the Blood Demon Ancestor.

Boom!

The demonic shadow of his body shattered in an instant.

"You... you..." the Blood Demon Ancestor, recondensed and much fainter, stared at Chen Die'er in utter shock.

A child had, with a casual wave, dispersed him completely.

Was this real?

Was he dreaming?

On the ground, Chen Die'er looked up at the old demon, blinking wide-eyed in disbelief.

She was deeply shocked. How could an old demon have been sealed in a little wooden puppet, then end up on her doorstep?

Just what was the origin of this puppet? And how had it come to be here?

"I am a being of boundless power—there's no way I could lose to a child!" the Blood Demon Ancestor snorted coldly and stomped at her again.

But—

Boom!

He was shattered once more by a mere gesture of her hand.

"Ahhh! This can't be real—am I really being tormented by a little girl?" the Blood Demon Ancestor, recondensed yet again and now terrified, screamed internally.

"Impossible! After sleeping for a million years, has the world become so fearsome that even a little girl can crush me? This can't be happening!"

It was terrifying, utterly terrifying. A child of only eight or nine was so powerful it defied belief.