I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

"I just don't know if there are any risks involved."

"Looks like I need to find a way to get stronger too, I've fallen too far behind this guy."

Having learned how Shuten-dōji would become stronger and confirmed that it wouldn't have any immediate impact on him, Ara still left. The difference this time was that he left not with disappointment, but with unwavering resolve.

If Shuten-dōji is working so hard, he can't fall behind.

Huang spent several days returning to his original small fishing village. Standing before the endless sea, he stepped into the icy water.

He really didn't want to experience that icy seawater a second time.

But this time it's different.

"I will show those people what the power of God is..."

·

"Hey, Wood, where are you going?"

The girl was dressed up in her finest attire, but the boy seemed not to see her and turned to continue walking.

There is only one person who can turn a blind eye to the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Cult—the Demon Sword Liu Changsheng.

The members of the Heavenly Cult were all wondering when Liu Changsheng would fall for the Holy Maiden's charms. But two years had passed, and while it was unclear whether Liu Changsheng had fallen for her, their Holy Maiden had become increasingly unreserved, openly pursuing the Demon Sword relentlessly.

What's even more outrageous is that the cult leader, who has always doted on his daughter, actually tacitly approved of this practice.

“I’ve been out for three years, and my Nascent Soul stage strength is nothing to speak of, but I feel I should go back and see her,” Liu Changsheng said quietly.

"Hey, who did you say you were looking for? I'll go with you."

“My aunt is my closest relative. She raised me from a young age.”

Liu Changsheng had been thinking, "I'm going back to see my family. You can't keep following me around forever, can you?"

Unexpectedly, when she heard that he wanted to find his aunt, the saintess's eyes lit up instantly.

Meeting the parents!

"I want to go, I want to go! Dad has already agreed to our relationship, as long as your aunt agrees too... Hey, wait for me!"

·

At the same time, the leader of the Fate Cult had been tossing and turning for several days without being able to sleep.

Ever since he found the Divine Phoenix, he had felt a strange unease in his heart.

He didn't know where he was, and he had no idea that he already knew the identity of the Divine Phoenix. She was just a demon with the strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator, without any background or identity.

A mere Nascent Soul cultivator can't cause any trouble and has no background, so why has he been so restless these past few days?

"Could it be that Tianyang Palace is plotting against my sect again?"

His small eyes narrowed into slits as he took out a communication talisman and sent out several messages.

Just as the Divine Phoenix was about to arrive, he absolutely could not let the Heavenly Sun Palace ruin his good deed.

"And that good-for-nothing Roche, he's so slow and incompetent he can't even handle the smallest things. If it weren't for me, the leader, preventing him from leaving Xishan so easily..."

"Rakshasa".

"Your subordinate is here." A figure appeared.

"Go find Luo Qie and bring the Divine Phoenix back to me. If Luo Qie dares to resist, deal with him according to the sect rules."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

The figure disappeared, and the short, stout leader of the Fate Cult arrived outside the main hall with his hands behind his back.

Gazing towards the central region, his small eyes were filled with fervor and longing. The Divine Phoenix was not his first step, nor his last, but it was certainly the most crucial one.

If the Divine Phoenix doesn't descend, who will deal with those karmic burdens?

Unless he's like that old monster from the Heavenly Cult who can absorb karma and turn it into his own strength.

Unfortunately, he didn't have that ability, nor did he possess the terrifying strength of that old monster.

Please vote for me, sob sob sob

Volume 1: Chapter 109 The Demon Bai Qingyu

It has been fifteen days since Bai Qingyu set off from Tongzhou and headed to the far western border state. He was leisurely and didn't feel he was traveling too slowly. He enjoyed the scenery along the way, appreciating the natural beauty of the mountains and rivers. Since he was alone, he didn't have to worry about taking care of his child or teaching his students; he was simply treating it as a vacation.

Meanwhile, Luo Qie accompanied Bai Qingyu on her leisurely journey. In the past fifteen days, he had spoken no more than ten sentences to Bai Qingyu in total. He was like a transparent person, completely unnoticed. As long as Bai Qingyu did not stay in one place for too long or go in the wrong direction, he would not say a word more than necessary.

Bai Qingyu previously thought that Changsheng and the transformed Huang were already cold enough, like a piece of wood, neither happy nor sad, without their own emotions.

Seeing Roche now, I realize that Changsheng and Huang's personalities are actually quite good. Compared to them, they are both "eloquent".

Wearing a bamboo hat and a black-gray robe, he walked silently, his expression unchanging for millennia. He was extremely ruthless, regardless of whether the opponent was human or demon. As long as they blocked his way or showed any murderous intent towards them, he would kill them all with a single, clean, and decisive strike.

The key point is that this guy has an unusually good appetite.

Bai Qingyu had observed this guy over the past fifteen days and found that, on average, he ate eight steamed buns for breakfast, twelve for lunch, and occasionally five or six for dinner. When he was in a good mood, he would add extra food to his meals, sometimes finishing more than a dozen steamed buns in one sitting.

He eats dozens of steamed buns a day. Bai Qingyu even wondered if this guy's storage ring was filled with steamed buns.

What's even more impressive is that all the steamed buns he ate were ice cold and as hard as rocks.

Because she confirmed this, she was scolded by this guy for the first time; his protective look at his food was just like that of a hungry wolf.

It's clear that this food-protecting instinct is ingrained in his bones. Bai Qingyu guessed that it was probably some kind of childhood trauma that made him treat food this way: no matter what, he must eat his fill, he can't waste food, he must hide his food well so that others can't find it, and if someone covets his food, he must fight back forcefully.

In the market, Bai Qingyu swaggered down the street, surrounded by a bustling crowd, with human cultivators occasionally walking past him.

Bai Qingyu made no attempt to conceal his demonic power, releasing it freely. Since he had a free bodyguard, he figured he might as well use him and let himself go.

In addition, Bai Qingyu purchased a lot of ingredients and seasonings.

Since this free bodyguard likes to eat so much, let's make him understand just how different steamed buns are from real gourmet food.

Luo Qie followed behind Bai Qingyu, his cold and sharp eyes watching Bai Qingyu put one piece of food after another into his storage ring. What should have been a half-hour walk out of the county town took nearly two hours and they were still in the market.

Bai Qingyu wasn't just buying ingredients; she was also buying all sorts of trinkets from the roadside stalls, from dresses and coats to hair accessories and bells. Passing by another stall, she smiled and put a hair accessory in her hair, then bought it amidst the vendor's praise, her face beaming with satisfaction.

Before long, they arrived at a clothing stall and saw a small embroidered dress that they wanted to buy for their child. However, after haggling for a long time, they still couldn't get a price they were happy with, so they had no choice but to walk away angrily.

Today is a festival in the county town, and the town is bustling with activity. In the crowded streets, that white figure stands out so much.

After wandering around for a while, they finally left the city, but Roche remained silent.

Following Bai Qingyu to the riverbank, they watched as Bai Qingyu set up a small pot over the fire, with a jumble of seasonings scattered everywhere.

Seeing this, Roche became slightly interested.

He certainly knew that there were many ways to cook food, and he had tried them a few times. But in his opinion, these foods tasted worse after being processed in these strange ways, as they lost their original flavor and were filled with the taste of random seasonings.

Food is just something used to fill your stomach, isn't it?

Actually, it's not Roche's fault, since the cooking level was generally not high in that era, especially in some small towns or counties.

Lack of skill and creativity, coupled with a shortage of seasonings, led Roche to have this misunderstanding of food, much like Shuten-dōji back then.

Just like what Shuten once said, after trying his aunt's cooking, he realized that food can be more than just something to fill one's stomach; it can also be an ultimate enjoyment.

Bai Qingyu started cooking, and soon the rich aroma wafted into Luo Qie's nose on the breeze. He paused in his eating of the steamed bun, even slowing down his chewing. He looked at the plate of braised pork that Bai Qingyu had made, which was a feast for the eyes, nose, and taste buds, and suddenly felt that the steamed bun in his hand was rather tasteless.

It not only smells delicious, but it also looks incredibly appetizing.

Bai Qingyu always believed that food must be delicious, fragrant, and visually appealing. It's not enough for it to just smell good and taste good; it also has to look good. Otherwise, if the food looks like a lump of dark brown mud, it will affect people's appetite no matter how delicious it is.

"Oh dear, I haven't cooked for more than ten days, I've gotten rusty."

Bai Qingyu deliberately spoke up.

He took out a bowl and chopsticks from his storage ring, and began to eat slowly. The rich aroma seemed to have a fixed location on him, rushing into Luo Che's nose all at once.

After eating a few pieces of meat, Bai Qingyu clicked her tongue again, "Not very good. As expected, the conditions are too simple. It's not even half as good as what I usually make. Sigh, what should I do with the rest? I can't just waste it."

Splash!

Roche stood up abruptly, waited for two seconds, and then plopped back down.

Bai Qingyu stopped pretending and made an excuse to give the rest of the meat to Luo Qie. Watching him go from eating meat and steamed bun at the same time to gradually giving up the steamed bun and focusing on eating the meat, Bai Qingyu revealed a smug smile.

Even scholars know that once they've witnessed prosperity, they can't be content with mediocrity.

The same applies to food. When someone who loves food to the core discovers how delicious food can be, but then finds themselves surrounded by nothing but plain white steamed buns, the sense of loss can be quite terrifying.

Especially when the people around you can eat such delicious food every meal, while you only have steamed buns, and they're cold steamed buns at that.

After finishing the last piece of braised pork, Roche instinctively reached for his chopsticks, only to find that there was none left in the pot.

His usually calm face showed a rare frown.

As Bai Qingyu had predicted, over the next few days, Luo Qie, who used to be able to eat eight to fifteen steamed buns in one sitting, started to frown after eating two and would only eat three at most.

Sometimes, when watching Bai Qingyu eat, he could only eat half a steamed bun, saving the other half for the next meal.

He was probably praying that Bai Qingyu wouldn't be able to finish it all, so that he could take care of the rest.

However, ever since the "braised pork incident" by the river a few days ago, Bai Qingyu has become smarter. Every time she cooks, she only makes enough for herself and never makes half a bowl more.

What's worse, she comes up with different dishes every day, each one more delicious than the last, a dazzling array of ways to eat that has been tormenting Roche these past few days.

He completely rejected the notion that food is merely for sustenance, acknowledging that food can be a pleasure if the cooking skills are good enough.

For Roche, eating a full meal is a pleasure in itself, and if he can eat such delicious food until he is full, that is ten times the pleasure.

Bai Qingyu knew that if too much time passed, Luo Qie would eventually return to Mantou's embrace, so she had already made a plan: as soon as he showed the slightest sign of wanting to change, she would immediately give him some good food and then continue to keep him hanging on.

If Roche had only tasted the delicious food once, he would only remember the flavor, which wouldn't be considered torture. The real problem is that Bai Qingyu eats around him every day, and this behavior is much more torturous for Roche than Bai Qingyu imagined.

Without experiencing Roche's childhood, it's impossible to imagine what food meant to him.

On this day, Bai Qingyu, as usual, started a fire to cook.

Seeing that Roche's appetite had increased significantly in the past two days, she decided to go all out today.

"Roche, I bought a bit too much food. If there's any left over today, could you please help me deal with it? After all, wasting food isn't a good habit."

Bai Qingyu's smile was like a devil's smile. As soon as she said that, Luo Qie's eyes lit up. His expression didn't change much, but his eyes betrayed him.

He didn't even eat steamed buns at lunchtime, staring wide-eyed at Bai Qingyu cooking.

What Bai Qingyu makes today is not important; what matters is that this dish was made by Bai Qingyu.