Have You Heard?

By this time, Song Zi'an felt much better under Wugou's spiritual qi treatment.

He struggled to stand up and bowed deeply to Chen Zhou and Wugou.

"Thank you, Lord and Little Master Wugou, for coming to my rescue."

Afterward, he looked at the mess on the ground, a flicker of deep disappointment and self-reproach flashing in his eyes.

"It seems... my cultivation is still not enough."

He smiled bitterly. "I failed to complete the Supreme Delicacy, and Master... he didn't appear either."

Song Zi'an crouched down despondently and began to silently clean up the mess.

The spiritual porridge he had spent so much time and effort on was gone just like that.

It was as if that tiny sliver of hope regarding his master had been ruthlessly shattered by the golden light as well.

Seeing this, Wugou didn't feel good either.

Though he usually acted irreverent, this little chef was to his liking and was truly a sincere, good man.

Wugou sighed, walked over, and crouched beside Song Zi'an to help him pick up feathers from the ground.

"Benefactor Song, do not be so attached to appearances."

Wugou's voice wasn't loud, yet it brought peace and focus to the mind, sounding like the distant tolling of a temple bell.

"All things in the world go through creation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness; everything is predestined."

"Spilling this pot of porridge might be heaven's way of saying today wasn't the day to finish that dish, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing."

He picked up a piece of broken porcelain, placed it in his palm, and looked deep into the distance.

"Although your master didn't show himself, this monk believes that the old senior must be watching you from somewhere."

"The path of culinary arts is just like cultivation. It is not about momentary success or failure, but about that unchanging original heart."

"As long as the fire in your heart isn't extinguished, the Supreme Delicacy will be completed sooner or later."

"As for this upside-down world..."

Wugou looked up, a cold light akin to a wrathful vajra flashing in his eyes before turning into a soft sigh.

"Namo Amitābha."

"Since the heavens are blind, then we shall simply help to cure them."

With a professional persuader on the job, Chen Zhou wasn't worried anymore.

His precious Master Apothecary was physically fine; as for the mental burden, only the right words could heal it.

Chen Zhou stepped out of the kitchen and saw Jian Huaishuang standing quietly by the window, staring blankly at the golden light outside.

Chen Zhou glanced at the distracted Jian Huaishuang and asked casually.

"What is it?"

"You look like you have a lot on your mind. That doesn't seem like you."

Jian Huaishuang snapped back to reality, turned to face Chen Zhou, and bowed slightly.

In the presence of the Lord, he dared not hide anything.

"Lord," Jian Huaishuang said in a low voice, "this subordinate is worried about Bai and Xiaoye."

"Them?" Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow and set down his teacup. "What's wrong with those two little ones?"

"To report to the Lord... they secretly followed this subordinate to the provincial capital."

Jian Huaishuang reported truthfully, "This subordinate encountered them before entering the city. They said they came to lend the Lord a hand and cut down the injustices in this provincial capital."

"This subordinate is worried they are too young and do not know the dangers of the world. The provincial capital is a den of dragons and snakes, and now it is even bathed in this golden light."

At this point, Jian Huaishuang's brow furrowed even deeper; he really wasn't comfortable letting them get involved.

After hearing this, Chen Zhou was stunned for a moment before he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Heh, those two little ones certainly have their hearts in the right place."

He shook his head, and instead of the blame Jian Huaishuang had expected, there was a hint of praise on his face.

"Huaishuang, there is no need for you to worry."

"Lest you forget what their origins are."

"What kind of special souls, who were guided by the Heaven Grade building Myriad Herbs Life-Death Realm and had their bodies reconstructed, could possibly be ordinary?"

Chen Zhou glanced toward the kitchen. "Look at Wugou."

"He smiles and laughs all day, looking harmless as if he were a good-tempered fool."

"But do you really think that's all he is?"

Hearing this, Jian Huaishuang subconsciously turned to look toward the kitchen.

At that moment, Wugou was diligently helping Song Zi'an clean the stove, telling jokes while he worked to make the chef happy. He looked like nothing more than a common little monk from next door.

Jian Huaishuang fell silent.

After his seclusion, he had comprehended the Hidden Sword technique, and his sword-heart had reached the pinnacle, naturally pushing his cultivation to the seventh-stage.

Although he had not yet begun his first symbiosis contract, he did not possess a mortal body. With his special paper-man form, successfully forming a symbiosis contract with death qi was only a matter of time for him.

But even now, he still couldn't see through Wugou's true level.

In his perception, Wugou was like a mortal without a shred of cultivation, his body so clean there wasn't even a ripple of spiritual qi.

But Wugou obviously couldn't just be an ordinary little monk.

"Exactly."

Chen Zhou looked at Jian Huaishuang’s pensive face and said calmly.

"Special souls naturally have special traits."

"Bai and Xiaoye aren't ordinary people either."

"In their past lives, they were brilliant sword cultivators. Now that they have been reborn with their talents, their starting point is higher than ninety-nine percent of the people in this world."

"Combined with the nourishment of the Myriad Herbs Life-Death Realm, their potential is immeasurable."

Chen Zhou stood up, walked to Jian Huaishuang’s side, and patted his shoulder.

"A sword's edge is sharpened through grinding."

"You cannot protect them forever."

"Since they chose the path of the sword, then the chaos of the provincial capital is the best whetstone for them."

"How can they grow into powerhouses capable of standing on their own without weathering the storm?"

"If they can't even withstand this bit of wind and waves, then they aren't worthy of being people of my City of the Wrongfully Dead."

After hearing Chen Zhou's words, the flicker of worry in Jian Huaishuang's heart finally began to dissipate.

Since the Lord had said so, there must be a reason for it.

The Lord's insight was never wrong.

"This subordinate understands."

Jian Huaishuang said respectfully, "This subordinate was merely blinded by concern."

"As long as they don't cause too much of a stir and affect the Lord's plans, I will let them be."

Chen Zhou smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Cause a stir?

He was hoping those two little troublemakers would cause a stir.

The muddier the waters in the provincial capital, the more advantageous it would be for him.

At this moment, neither Chen Zhou nor Jian Huaishuang knew that the two little ancestors they spoke of as 'not causing too much of a stir' were currently on a killing spree within the provincial capital's borders.

With the Black and White twin swords Jian Huaishuang had lent them, Bai and Xiaoye had fought their way from the city gates all the way to the edge of the inner city.

Those who should be locked up were locked up, and those who should be guided were guided.

In short, whether they were good or evil, if they couldn't tell the difference, they would control everyone first and wait for the Lord's judgment!

For a time, the outer city district was in chaos, with the sounds of ghosts wailing and howling echoing incessantly.

The commotion was so loud that some rumors even reached the depths of the imperial palace.

"Have you heard?"

"It seems a riot has broken out outside."

"Apparently, some powerful demon lost control and distorted, killing every ghost it sees."

"It's terrifying. It's still safer here in the palace."

"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't let those above hear you. It’s been chaotic these past few days anyway; what does it matter if a few ghosts die?"

The palace servants whispered among themselves, but no one dared to look deeper into it.

In the Ghost Dynasty, such things were far too common.