Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Both sides had their own version of events. Lin Feng and Ye Shuang were very certain that they had never seen any little boy; Xuan Feng and Lin Yue Ru, on the other hand, were adamant that they had indeed dealt with the child just now.

Finally, all four pairs of eyes fell on Shen Jingshu, hoping she would give an answer.

Shen Jingshu slowly said, "That's right, we did encounter that little boy just now."

"I knew it!" Lin Yueru blurted out, but as soon as she finished speaking, a sudden realization struck her, and her face filled with shock. "That's it! I finally understand! Everyone else in this village is like an NPC, endlessly repeating predetermined behaviors, without any self-awareness. Only that little boy can talk normally, has emotions, and his behavior is not bound by the illusion. Could it be... that the key to breaking the formation lies with this child?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Shen Jingshu with expectant eyes, waiting for the other party to judge her guess.

Shen Jingshu looked at her and nodded with satisfaction: "You're right. All living things here are on a trajectory set by the array, repeating day after day. Only that little boy is an anomaly, and there's definitely more to it than meets the eye. When you disturbed him with your voice just now, he vanished without a trace in an instant, deliberately hiding himself."

"Then how do we find him? Should we split up and search again?" Lin Yueru asked anxiously.

"No need. If he intends to hide, you won't find him."

Shen Jingshu already had a plan in mind. She gestured for the four people to come closer, lowered her voice, and whispered the plan to each of them.

After hearing the instructions, the four immediately dispersed. Before long, they returned one after another, carrying bundles of dry firewood and a cleaned chicken, which they had probably found in the courtyard of a villager in the illusion.

Following Shen Jingshu's instructions, the group moved stones of various sizes and built a makeshift grill. Xuanfeng took out a bamboo pole he had prepared, skewered the whole chicken on it, and placed it on the stove. Lin Feng and Ye Shuang started a fire, and flames crackled and leaped up.

The five of them sat in a circle, unhurried and unperturbed, slowly roasting a chicken in this illusory village where everything was a mirage.

The charcoal fire emitted warm steam, and the chicken fat slowly seeped out as it heated, releasing an enticing aroma that gradually permeated the quiet streets.

Seeing that the chicken was almost cooked, Shen Jingshu magically produced several jars of seasoning from her backpack. These were all supplies she had stored in her storage space.

Previously, she traveled with her master, Xuanjizi, spending most of her time wandering in desolate mountains and wilderness. The two often went up the mountain to hunt and down the river to catch fish to fill their stomachs. The conditions in the wild were rudimentary, and most of the time they would skewer their prey and roast it directly over a fire, and Shen Jingshu was usually the one who did the roasting.

This barbecue seasoning powder was personally formulated by her based on the seasoning recipes required for modern barbecues. Xuanjizi especially loved the food she grilled, so to save time, she ground and made a large batch of seasoning at once, storing it all carefully in her space. It just so happens to come in handy today.

It had been stored for many years; normally, ordinary seasonings should have expired and spoiled long ago. However, her storage space was spotless, free of dust, moisture, and oxidation, so it shouldn't have gone bad. Besides, everyone present was a cultivator with robust physical bodies; it was unlikely they would have problems from eating a little bit of old seasoning.

Shen Jingshu unscrewed the jar, grabbed a handful of mixed barbecue seasoning, and sprinkled it evenly over the sizzling, oily chicken.

The already rich and enticing aroma of meat, mixed with the mellow flavor of spices, instantly intensified, and the fragrance drifted far away on the wind.

The four people sitting around the fire couldn't help but secretly swallow their saliva. They had eaten all sorts of delicacies, but for some reason, this simple roast chicken was incredibly tempting. Its rich aroma filled their nostrils and made their stomachs rumble.

Shen Jingshu glanced at the several adults beside her who were already distracted by the fragrance, and chuckled to herself.

She refused to believe that the little devil, who loved sweets and whose tastes were controlled by desire, could resist the aroma and hide from the world.

Shen Jingshu had considered using other food to lure the little devil, but apart from the candy she had taken out earlier, she had no other snacks on her, so she had to make do with what was available. She knew that there was no real food in this illusion, so she came up with the idea of ​​roasting chicken.

Although the little boy kept saying he only loved sweets, Shen Jingshu was quite confident in her barbecue skills. Back in the day, even her master, Xuanjizi, who was as ethereal and detached from worldly desires, couldn't help but be tempted by the smell of her grilled meat.

The other four people beside them were also captivated by the aroma, their minds filled with the desire to try a bite of roast chicken.

Just as the charcoal fire was crackling, a series of light footsteps suddenly came from the side.

Lin Feng, Ye Shuang, and Xuan Feng immediately stood up, their expressions wary, and quietly circulated their spiritual energy. Lin Yue Ru reacted a beat slower, but also quickly stood up, focusing her gaze on the direction from which the sound came, preparing to deal with any unexpected situation.

Only Shen Jingshu remained seated steadily by the fire, without moving an inch.

Just as the four were about to take action, they suddenly sensed a chilling aura appearing beside them. They quickly turned to look at the fire, and what they saw was both eerie and somewhat comical.

Shen Jingshu's hand was firmly gripping the wrist of a small child, whose little hand was stretched out straight, the fingertips almost touching the sizzling roasted chicken leg. The little boy had appeared out of nowhere in front of the fire, preoccupied with the roasted chicken, and hadn't realized he'd been caught red-handed.

The two people, one human and one child, were frozen in time by the fire, their postures both bizarre and comical.

Lin Feng and Ye Shuang's pupils constricted, their faces filled with shock. They had been trapped in this illusion for days, searching day and night, but had never seen a trace of this child. They never imagined that this strange child actually existed!

Xuanfeng and Lin Yueru instantly tensed up, their spiritual energy circulating quietly as they watched the child with high vigilance, not daring to relax for a moment.

Only Shen Jingshu remained calm, a faint smile playing on her lips as she quietly watched the greedy little boy in front of her.

"What, want some of my roasted chicken?"

Her tone was calm and composed, with a hint of certainty. "It's not that you can't have it, but you have to answer a few questions for me. If the answers satisfy me, this whole roast chicken is yours."