Chen Ye pushed open the creaking wooden door of Granny Li’s house, shaking the snow off his rain cape onto the doorstep.
Inside, it was as warm as spring.
The pine branches crackling in the stove filled the room with warmth, the steam melting the ice crystals on his eyelashes into a mist.
"Yuanyuan, don’t run!"
Qing Jun, riding on the black dog’s back, was pulling its ears. Seeing her master covered in icicles, with a wolf carcass slung over his back, she was so frightened that she tumbled off the dog’s back.
The little girl hurriedly tidied her clothes, the smile on her face disappearing instantly.
"Woo—" Yuanyuan whimpered, baring its teeth.
The harmonious scene was suddenly disrupted by her presence...
The former self was truly loathed by both man and beast.
Chen Ye was mocking himself when he suddenly noticed that Yuanyuan’s ear was losing fur from being pulled.
He frowned: "Qing Jun, don’t be so rough when playing with Yuanyuan. It’s not good to provoke it."
He hadn’t realized, his little apprentice, so small, could have such a heavy hand.
"Qing Jun understands..." The little girl weakly murmured, pinching her clothes.
Seeing his apprentice’s timid appearance, Chen Ye suspected he was being paranoid.
This child probably doesn’t have the courage.
Perhaps Yuanyuan is just shedding.
He dragged the gray wolf he carried on his back inside, its frozen skull wound seeped blood again when warmed by the fire, leaving a dark red trail on the floor.
"Did you just go hunting wolves in the Three Thousand Great Mountains?"
Granny Li, hearing the commotion, walked out from the back kitchen with tongs in hand.
The old woman looked surprised.
Did this drunkard really have the guts to hunt in the Three Thousand Great Mountains?
Chen Ye put down the wolf carcass: "Thanks to granny’s care these past days, this wolf isn’t worth much, just a small token of gratitude. We’ll head back with the kids later."
The wolf carcass was too cumbersome, and although his Heavy Body Technique was at Minor Achievement, he couldn’t carry it for long.
Might as well go along with it and earn some goodwill.
Granny Li’s cloudy eyes kept scrutinizing Chen Ye: "Is this rascal really turning over a new leaf?"
She poked her tongs into the wolf’s jaw, revealing its sharp white teeth.
This was a common gray wind wolf in the Three Thousand Great Mountains, a whole one could sell for fifty Spiritual Sand in the Market.
The old woman turned around and pulled out two gray, hardened lumps of material from the depths of a rattan basket, a layer of silver frost forming on the hardened fur in the firelight,
"Skin peeled last year, the stitches are rough, but it’s better than cloth! Wrap it around the girls, no need to pay!"
Chen Ye saw that it was a rabbit fur coat and scarf.
Probably made by Granny Li herself; she usually tanned animal skins and made clothes to earn a little Spiritual Sand.
Chen Ye’s face lit up with joy, and after thanking her, he hurriedly wrapped his apprentices, tying the scarf snugly.
Soon, the two little girls were bundled into puffy balls, with only their bright eyes peeking out.
Their cuteness nearly melted Chen Ye’s heart, and he couldn’t help but pinch Qing Jun’s little nose:
"Say goodbye to granny."
Qing Jun pouted her tiny mouth hidden in the scarf, and chirped: "Goodbye, granny!"
Zhiwei didn’t hesitate and followed suit: "Goodbye, granny."
The old woman couldn’t help but show a smile, repeatedly saying yes.
Even her gaze at Chen Ye became gentler.
Giving her the wolf carcass earlier, she hadn’t shown such a soft gaze.
The three of them had just stepped outside,
when the north wind swept in with snowflakes, instantly swallowing their outlines.
...
The snow on the road reached their ankles.
All he could see was the swirling heavy snow.
Chen Ye had the two apprentices walk ahead to avoid them getting lost.
The white breath he exhaled condensed on his stubble, quickly forming fine ice crystals.
Was the winter in this land always so harsh?
Chen Ye clicked his tongue in secret.
In his predecessor’s vague memories, it seemed the winters had become increasingly difficult these past few years.
The journey wasn’t long.
Soon, a corner of the dilapidated house peeked through the snow curtain.
Not only Chen Ye, but even the two little girls quickened their pace involuntarily.
This house, which had brought them so much torment.
At this moment, it was the only sanctuary from the wind and snow.
And Chen Ye’s neighbor next door, the door was wide open, the house empty.
These days, he hadn’t seen any sign of Taoist Zhang.
"Could that old man have fled to escape punishment..."
Chen Ye muttered, with Geng Metal Qi swirling at his fingertips.
Ding!
Proficiency increased by one!
His mood improved a bit, amusing himself by mentally adding sound effects to the panel.
The Spirit Medicine Ointment was worth a few Spirit Stones, but it was just a small amount, losing it was no big deal.
Fortunately, his apprentice hadn’t been in the house at the time.
The most important thing was that everyone was safe!
At home, unlike Granny Li’s house, there was no stove, and it felt even colder inside than outside upon entering.
Chen Ye repeated his old trick, digging a pit in the center of the room, reigniting a pile of firewood, and the blazing fire instantly dispelled the chill.
Qing Jun curled up on a bench, her wet cloth shoes placed by the firepit to dry, wisps of white steam rising from them.
The rabbit fur coat was laid over her lap,
She comfortably crossed her little feet, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Chen Ye couldn’t help but glance at his little disciple’s feet.
Her feet were not coarse at all, just overly thin.
But this phenomenon was strange.
Qing Jun had worn tattered straw sandals before and usually didn’t get enough nutrition.
How could her skin be so well-grown?
The little girl quickly glanced at her master, a bit nervous.
Seeing this, Chen Ye turned his gaze to Zhiwei.
And Zhiwei’s appearance was quite normal.
The older girl wasn’t as open as Qing Jun, sitting silently by the fire, warming her hands.
Her hands were slightly rough, and her fingertips were cracked from long-term Fire Stone selection.
There were also chilblains on her ears.
Despite looking miserable like this, she was actually the disciple with a special physique.
Bearing the ancient Immortal Body — the Purity Glaze Body.
The Purity Glaze Body was extremely special, said to have transformed from the World-purifying Cyan Lotus at the beginning of chaos.
It gradually causes the loss of all emotions and desires until all humanity fades away.
But at the same time, it sheds the mortal shell, becoming extraordinary.
Every time a layer of the mortal shell is shed, one must endure the bitterness of hate encounters, love partings, unfulfilled desires, and encountering the undesirable.
Once all emotional tribulations are overcome, one can sever worldly ties and ascend to the immortal realm.
By then, black hair like ink and eyes like cold pools, untouched by any worldly causes and effects.
These four sufferings faintly corresponded to Lu Zhiwei’s storyline in the game.
Hate encounters, being forced to associate with those one detests.
No need to say, this refers to Zhiwei and her past self.
Love partings, separating from loved ones.
This should correspond to the original storyline where Zhiwei was forced to separate from Qing Jun.
As for the unfulfilled desires and encountering the undesirable after that, they were not reflected in the storyline.
Strange... did I miss something in the plot?
"Zhiwei, take off your shoes, wearing wet shoes is uncomfortable." Chen Ye stopped his thoughts, suddenly speaking.
The furry little ball quickly drew back her foot as if electrocuted, her thin ankle appearing pale blue in the firelight.
Even frozen like this, her voice remained calm: "No need."
Indeed, it’s uncomfortable.
But she actually liked it this way...
Only when these discomforts appeared could she feel her own existence.
Lu Zhiwei profoundly disliked Chen Ye’s tenderness.
She was clearly numb to the point of losing feeling in life.
Yet, he still pretended to be compassionate...
"You child."
Chen Ye was helpless, this child had never been normal since childhood.
Maybe Zhiwei still didn’t understand, but the Purity Glaze Body was gradually causing her to lose emotions like a normal person.
In the game’s plot, this future Divine Maiden often ascended the Immortal Slaying Platform, voluntarily enduring the agonizing pain of lightning strikes and bone peeling.
She once frankly stated that these pains were not even a fraction of what she endured under her past self in childhood.
But Chen Ye thought it was simply because her Purity Glaze Body awakened, detaching from the mortal shell, that she couldn’t feel the pain.
Now with him here, why let Zhiwei endure these pains for nothing?
Currently, Zhiwei’s physique hadn’t awakened at all; she, like any ordinary child, felt pain and hunger...
Chen Ye pulled out a piece of coarse cloth from a newly bought storage cabinet,
and without further ado, stepped forward to grab Zhiwei’s little foot, helping her take off the cloth shoes.
Appearing before Chen Ye’s eyes was a pair of pale, thin feet, cold as ice.
Chen Ye grunted: "Already like this, still not warming your feet?"
Amid the sound of cloth rubbing, the older girl’s eyelashes below her forehead trembled violently like a startled butterfly.
She dumbly watched as Chen Ye wiped her feet for her.
Chen Ye, actually helping her wash her feet?
Especially after seeing Chen Ye bring another basin of hot water, seriously washing them for her.
The older girl’s pale face showed some discomfort.
Feeling uneasy about her master’s tenderness.
She bit her lip: "Master, Zhiwei can do it herself."
"Hmph, didn’t you say no need before? Now that you’re regretting, it’s too late!"
Chen Ye casually infused spiritual power into the disciple, promoting blood circulation.
Zhiwei’s feet were so pale, like a corpse.
At least Qing Jun’s soles had a slight flesh pink, but hers were pale blue.
Fortunately, as they were kneaded, blood circulation improved, and they gained a bit of healthy redness.
He blew warm air and rubbed those five icy toes: "Zhiwei’s toes are almost frozen into little carrots."
Zhiwei tightly clenched her coat corner, silently turning her head away.
Master, becoming more and more excessive!
"Hmm, washed nice and fragrant. Feels comfortable, right?"
Chen Ye held his disciple’s little foot, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Pulled out a pair of furry slippers, personally helping the elder disciple put them on.
"Master, Qing Jun also wants her feet washed..."
The little disciple looked enviously, washing feet seemed quite comfortable?