Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Dare Not! Dare Not!
Translator: 549690339
After Xue An emerged from the great hall, Old Daoist Zhai was approaching the chicken coop, sharpening his knife with a vigorous air.
He had caught a few wild mountain chickens a while ago and had been keeping them in the coop, intending to wait for their eggs.
But today, since Xue An had brought his two adorable daughters along, naturally, he wanted to treat them well.
However, seeing his skilled chicken-slaughtering technique, Xue An couldn’t help but wonder if the old Daoist often partook in meat dishes when on the mountain alone.
The two little girls were brimming with excitement as they darted in and out of the rooms, embarking on a game of hide-and-seek.
As for Tan Xiaoyu and Hua Tingting, they were both captivated by the picturesque surroundings.
The two little girls had now ventured into the great hall and, far from being afraid of the statues of deities, they knelt on the cushions quite seriously.
“Bodhisattva, please ensure my papa is always safe and sound!” Xue Xiang and Nian Shuang said with their hands pressed together in prayer, their expressions earnest.
But no sooner had their wishes been voiced than the deities’ statues seemed to smile wryly, and a faint, misty voice was heard.
“We dare not!”
Xue Xiang and Nian Shuang, the two little girls, couldn’t help but startle.
“Sister, did you hear someone talking?”
“Yeah! I heard it indeed!”
Far from being frightened, the two little girls became even more thrilled.
“It seems like these statues are talking!” Xue Xiang said.
“How awesome!” Nian Shuang remarked.
What the two of them didn’t know was that their wishes had given the deities a shock, inducing a cold sweat.
What a joke!
Ensuring the safety of Immortal Venerable? First, gauge whether you have the power to do so!
At this point, the two little girls shifted their interest to the Fox Immortal statue in the corner.
“Is this a fox?” “It looks like one!” “Shall we pay respects?”
“Of course!”
Taking the lead, Xue Xiang guided her sister as they were about to kneel.
Crack.
The Fox Immortal statue actually split open.
The noise drew Old Daoist Zhai over.
“Eh, what happened? How did this statue crack?” Old Daoist Zhai was completely puzzled.
Xue An, however, smiled slightly.
He knew what had transpired.
Clearly, the Fox Immortal preferred to destroy itself rather than let his daughters kneel before it.
After all… his daughters were not ones to kneel carelessly.
Naturally, dinner was crafted by Xue An’s skillful hands.
He transformed the wild mountain chicken into Beggar’s Chicken and concocted some exquisite dishes with fresh seasonal wild vegetables.
Xue Xiang and Nian Shuang ate joyfully, while Hua Tingting and Tan Xiaoyu buried their heads and devoured the food voraciously.
There was no other reason but the sheer deliciousness of the meal.
Old Daoist Zhai then took out a gourd, took a few sips of his homemade pear wine, and whispered to Xue An, “What’s the story with these two beauties?
They’re like flowers and jade.”
Xue An’s expression remained unchanged, “Just friends!”
Old Daoist Zhai curled his lip, “Who’d believe that? How come I never have such beautiful female patrons as friends?”
“That’s because you’re both ugly and lazy!” Xue An said bluntly.
Old Daoist Zhai didn’t mind and chuckled to himself, continuing to drink his wine leisurely, occasionally serving dishes to the two little girls.
It was evident he had taken a liking to Xue Xiang and Nian Shuang.
After dinner, the two little girls went inside the house with Tan Xiaoyu and the others.
Xue An and Old Daoist Zhai sat opposite each other in the courtyard, starting their game of chess.
But what they were playing was neither Go nor Xiangqi.
It was Five-in-a-Row.
Expressions of difficulty frequently appeared on Old Daoist Zhai’s face, sometimes even hissing in pain.
“You’ve lost again!” Xue An placed down his chess piece and said indifferently.
Old Daoist Zhai, with a gloomy face, said, “You little rascal, ever since we started playing this Five-in-a-Row, I have never beaten you!”
“Not just that, from the beginning with Go, later with Xiangqi, you’ve never won against me, and now you can’t handle Five-in-a-Row either. Are we going to play military chess next?” Xue An said.
“Pah, who’s going to play military chess with you? Next time I’ll play Fight the Landlord with you!” Old Daoist Zhai said resentfully.
“Sure! I hope you won’t cheat then!” Xue An said indifferently.
“Enough of this, time to sleep!” Old Daoist Zhai yawned and went inside.
There were only two guest rooms.
Tan Xiaoyu and Hua Tingting shared one, while Xue An and his two daughters shared the other.
They had played so hard today that the two daughters lay in bed and soon fell into a deep slumber.
Xue An sat by the window, sipping tea slowly.
The clouds outside had already scattered, the moon was high in the sky, casting a silvery white glow over everything.
Time passed without knowing how long.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and then an ethereal voice carried through.
“Old man Zhai, today is your day of death!”
The door of the main room was flung open, and Old Daoist Zhai, usually lazy, was now clear-eyed.
As he arrived in front of Xue An’s room, Old Daoist Zhai solemnly said, “No matter what you see, don’t come out! I will keep you safe. Remember!” Xue An said nothing, simply nodding his head.
Old Daoist Zhai stood in the courtyard, tilted his head up, and said in a deep voice, “No matter what I do, you still won’t leave me alone, will you?”
A series of eerie laughter echoed, and then a man and a woman suddenly appeared atop the courtyard wall.
The man was tall and imposing with a cold expression.
The woman was petite and delicate with a sweet appearance.
This combination gave off a very odd feeling.
However, Old Daoist Zhai’s expression became even more solemn, “So it’s the mighty Niu Yiwan and the delicate Yue Xiaoqian. What brings you two ghosts here in the middle of the night? What are you up to?”
Yue Xiaoqian covered her mouth with a giggling smile, “Old man Zhai, why say we won’t let you off? Just hand over the Dragon-seeking Disk, and we will turn around and leave without disturbing you further!”
Old Daoist Zhai shook his head, “I know what kind of schemes you people are plotting, especially now with the dragon energy on Mount Qingmang growing stronger, signalling that Jiaolong is about to transform. You lot are harboring wicked thoughts! But let me tell you, the Dragon-seeking Disk is not with me! The idea that you can subdue Jiaolong with the Dragon-seeking Disk is nothing but a foolish fantasy!”
Yue Xiaoqian let out a captivating, seductive laugh before saying, “Whether it’s with you or not, we are well aware. And for one mere beast, to oppose our Wangui Sect, do you really think it’s worth it?”
“There’s nothing in this world truly worth or not worth. My master tasked me to guard this Jiaolong here, and so I shall guard it well. Whether you’re from the Wangui Sect or the Thousand Ghosts Sect, don’t even dream of laying a finger on it.”
Yue Xiaoqian’s smile gradually vanished as she spoke indifferently, “Old man Zhai, you’d better think this through. With your abilities, you are no match for the two of us, and also… I seem to be smelling the scent of living beings.”
Old Daoist Zhai’s complexion changed, then he said in a heavy tone, “They are just ordinary people, unrelated to all this!”
“Whether they are related or not isn’t up to you to decide! Hand over the Dragon-seeking Disk, or else await your death!” Yue Xiaoqian sneered.
With a roar, Niu Yiwan charged fiercely towards them.
Old Daoist Zhai’s expression turned grave as he dodged the assault with a swift movement, then began entangling himself with Niu Yiwan in close combat.
Niu Yiwan was robust as an ox, but for the time being, he couldn’t get the better of Old Daoist Zhai.
Yue Xiaoqian huffed disdainfully, her form suddenly vanished into the moonlight.
When she reappeared, it was behind Old Daoist Zhai, where she struck his back with a palm.
Old Daoist Zhai stumbled, lurching forward precariously, nearly collapsing to the ground with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
With a cold smile, Yue Xiaoqian said, “Old man Zhai, I’ll give you one more chance. Will you hand it over or not?”
Old Daoist Zhai was resolute, “Never!”
“Then go to your death!” Yue Xiaoqian smirked as she raised her hand. But just at that moment, the door of the guest room creaked open!