A master of comedy!

Chapter 198 Birthday
Zhou Sheng chuckled and scratched Hongxian's head, saying, "You really are my lucky star."

It can only be said that fools are often blessed; by sheer chance, Hongxian discovered a blind spot that Zhou Sheng hadn't even noticed.

This crow harbors a demonic aura; it must be an eye sent by Judge Lu to keep watch.

If it weren't for the red thread intervening and eating the crow, Judge Lu would have known about what happened tonight immediately.

His alliance with Bao Ying should not be known to the underworld for the time being, otherwise the Night Wanderer will definitely become alert.

Just to be on the safe side, Zhou Sheng quickly used the Luoshu divination method to confirm that only this one crow was secretly watching him before he felt relieved.

"Come on, I'll buy you some candied fruit."

Having slain twelve fire soldiers and accumulated a large amount of energy for Luo Shu, Zhou Sheng was in high spirits and offered to buy Hong Xian her favorite candied fruit.

But Hongxian stared at the jujube in his mouth and drooled.

"Boss, it smells so good!"

Zhou Sheng tossed her one, and Hongxian opened her mouth and bit it, instantly burning all her feathers red, with black smoke billowing from her mouth.

Even so, she still refused to give up and stubbornly finished the jujube.

"Is it tasty?"

"Good seven..."

She was so burned she couldn't speak clearly. With a bang, she transformed back into her true form, still wearing her tiger-shaped clothes and tiger-head hat, looking adorable, except her mouth was almost like a sausage.

"Want some more?"

Zhou Sheng handed her another one, and she shook her head like a rattle-drum, her two braids leaving afterimages.

"No more seven, but good seven!"

She repeatedly emphasized that her mouth was the most stubborn part of her whole being.

Zhou Sheng smiled and shook his head, then stuffed the remaining three jujubes into his mouth all at once.

It's crunchy and satisfying, like chewing on burning embers, yet it has a unique fruity aroma.

Flames shot out from Zhou Sheng's mouth, startling Hong Xian into taking a few steps back, but he ate with relish and was unharmed.

Eating fire is as commonplace as eating a meal.

His stomach was even rumbling, as if it had smelled something delicious.

After swallowing, Zhou Sheng looked up and spewed out a fire dragon, instantly illuminating the surroundings. Hong Xian was stunned and clapped her hands in approval.

"happy!"

Zhou Sheng touched his stomach and felt streams of heat flowing into his dantian, transforming into wisps of scorching magical power. His cultivation level had once again made a small improvement.

Three jujubes actually boosted his cultivation level by a full three years.

Zhou Sheng felt a pang of regret. If he had known this would happen, he should have tried to snatch more fire dates. Twelve fire dates could theoretically give him twelve years of cultivation.

Pity.

But in any case, tonight he took another solid step forward on his grand goal of a century-long cultivation of Taoism.

"Boss, from now on we can perform on the streets. You breathe fire and I'll collect the money!"

"Then we'll split the money, one for you, one for me, one for me, one for me, one for me, one for me, one for me..."

Little Red Thread started counting on his fingers, imagining a bright future, and chuckled to himself.

Zhou Sheng tapped her on the head, strode forward, and laughed, "Alright, if we don't leave now, the candied fruit shop will have to close down."

"Coming, coming! Wait for me, boss!!"

Little Red Thread twirled like a monkey, and after a few somersaults, it finally arrived beside Zhou Sheng. Its little hand tightly gripped one of his fingers, as if afraid that its sugar daddy would run away.

She was hopping and skipping, humming a folk opera tune.

……

A dark and windy night.

Two people, one big and one small, sneaked into the house.

"Wipe the grease off your lips, so that no one will notice later."

Zhou Sheng reminded Hongxian, and then, still worried, reached out to wipe the oil off her face.

He said he was going to buy candied fruit, but when he saw roasted mutton for sale next door, it looked very tempting, so he and Xiao Hongxian ate some first.

The thought that Yao Taifeng had already prepared a meal and was waiting for them made Zhou Sheng feel a little guilty.

"Mmm, don't worry, boss, I won't let Sister Feng find out—hiccup!"

As she spoke, she let out a burp, and the rich aroma of mutton wafted over. Zhou Sheng could only sigh and shake his head in resignation.

Unexpectedly, after entering the room, Yao Taifeng did not complain at all and warmly invited them to sit down. Her master even made an exception and personally poured him a glass of wine.

Jinse even played the zither for him to enjoy.

Even the master's wife, who lived in the ghost town year-round, made a rare appearance here, looking at him with an inexplicably loving gaze.

Zhou Sheng was flattered and overwhelmed.

"Congratulations to our Boss Long! He's twenty-one years old today!"

Happy birthday!

After Jinse finished playing a piece, Yaotai Feng suddenly smiled and said something, then gently nudged Jinse.

"Yes, happy."

Jinse's words were concise, yet her music was unmistakably gentle and tender.

"Happy birthday, boss! This is for you!"

Hongxian tiptoed and tied a red rope she had made herself to Zhou Sheng's wrist. Surprisingly, her craftsmanship was not rough at all; it was exquisitely made.

Given her carelessness, the fact that she managed to weave it like this shows how much thought she put into it.

Yao Tai Feng looked at Yu Zhensheng, the old man blushing and hesitant to utter his blessing.

Then Yaotai Feng looked at Aunt Zhu again.

As Aunt Zhu secretly pinched him, Yu Zhensheng gasped and quickly and vaguely said, "Cough cough, happy birthday."

Aunt Zhu smiled gently, and unusually, she didn't smoke her pipe, but instead took out a brand new dress.

“He is such an irresponsible master. How can he let his disciple have only a few clothes all year round? Since you call me Master’s Wife, I will make you a dress every year on your birthday.”

Zhou Sheng touched the moon-white brocade robe and could feel its softness and silkiness on his fingertips. Even the finest brocade probably couldn't match this feel.

"This is a silk robe woven from century-old silkworm silk. It weighs less than an ounce, yet its defensive power surpasses that of armor, and it can also automatically remove dust and filth."

"Danshan, consider this a birthday gift from your master and me."

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Sheng's eyes glazed over for a moment, and he remained silent for a long time.

It turns out today is my birthday.

Over the years, he had almost forgotten, because in his memory, his master had never celebrated his birthday. Both of them were taciturn and not good at communicating.

"Thank you everyone, I..."

Zhou Sheng was somewhat moved and was about to say something when the old man quickly interrupted him.

Despite the sharp pinching on his waist, Yu Zhensheng pushed a plate of fried eggs over while his face twitched.

"What's with the pretense, you real man? Come on, eat an egg, eat an egg!"

Looking at the large plate of fried eggs, Zhou Sheng was suddenly touched.

He loves fried eggs. In his childhood memories, his master would occasionally cook a large plate of fried eggs for him.

On that day, the master would be in a good mood, and even if he made a mistake while practicing, he wouldn't be punished.

It turned out that day was his birthday.

"Okay, let's eat."

Zhou Sheng smiled and sat down, and Xiao Hongxian quickly squeezed next to him to grab an egg.

"Didn't you eat enough mutton? Your belly is already bulging, and you're still eating!"

"Let's eat! Let's eat!"

With a bang, the little red thread turned into a pig.

"This way my stomach will grow bigger, hehe, and it really isn't so full anymore!"

At the dinner table, a wild boar began rooting at the food, causing a commotion.

"Red line!!!"

Inside the room, there was a cacophony of sounds: Yao Taifeng's exclamations, Yu Zhensheng's reprimands, Zhou Sheng's slaps, and the wild boar's screams, like a chaotic stage where chickens and dogs were running wild.

Jinse shook her head helplessly, then reached out and closed the door.

……

(End of this chapter)