Chapter 136: Chapter 102: Tearing Each Other Apart (Part 3)

"No, I want to join in too."

Actually, if it weren’t for Qingqing’s presence, Gu Haitang would be more reserved, taking things slowly according to plan.

But watching Qingqing relentlessly pursue Chu Xuan, she couldn’t remain indifferent.

...

Chu Xuan naturally didn’t know that the two women had already discussed whether cultivators needed to understand household chores; as long as they were getting along, it was fine.

During his fortune-telling for mortals, he had witnessed the myriad facets of life - the bittersweet, the sour and spicy:

There was a limping peddler asking about marriage; there was a wealthy merchant inquiring about offspring; there was a poor farmer asking about fortune; there was a scholar asking about prospects; there was a hunter asking about livelihood; even common folks losing chickens or dogs would come to ask about their whereabouts.

There was also a worried farmer’s wife, carrying her feverish child, asking for peace.

Everyone has their fate; Chu Xuan generally wouldn’t change their future. Be it fortune or calamity, luck or misfortune, he would tell it as it is, even if it meant occasionally provoking someone to smash his stall.

Mainly, it was because his words were unpleasant. Saying the wealthy merchant’s ancestors lacked virtue, and if he didn’t accumulate good deeds, he might end up childless for life, resulting in the angry merchant calling people to smash his stall.

In such cases, Chu Xuan just laughed it off, not engaging in conflict.

Only in a few cases, like that of the farmer’s wife, her child was fated for an early death, and she herself was old, unlikely to have more children.

But seeing the farmer’s wife crying while constantly praising how obedient her "Little Dog" was, and the doctor saying there was no hope, advising her to prepare for the worst, Chu Xuan eventually couldn’t bear it.

He used some magical techniques to adjust the child’s heartbeat, supplement vitality, making the fever subside, and his rosy cheeks return.

Watching the grateful farmer’s wife leave, Chu Xuan didn’t know what the child’s future held, not even the woman’s fate remained clear.

Perhaps a few days later, the child would die, just in a different manner returning to the underworld, giving hope to the woman only to turn it into despair again — would that be more cruel?

Of course, the child might grow up safe and sound; no one can predict fate with certainty. Chu Xuan didn’t continue to pay attention to them, leaving for the next town the following day...

Just coming back from his memories, Chu Xuan instinctively looked towards the big banyan tree, and he was startled!

Where did everyone go?

For a moment, he even thought he had been abandoned, as if returned to the icy wastelands of the northern realm....

Immediately, Chu Xuan laughed at himself; his cultivation of the mind isn’t sufficient indeed.

Or, the damage caused by that woman is just too severe.

The wound seems healed long ago, yet it never disappears, beginning to ache unexpectedly under similar circumstances, reminding him of its existence.

Thinking of this, Chu Xuan’s heart grew even colder.

The truth, he desperately craves the truth; he wants to know, who exactly was in the wrong—him or her?

...

Calming down, Chu Xuan didn’t need to unleash his Divine Sense for a large search, just a quick calculation revealed the exact location of the two women.

Actually, they didn’t go far, just a few streets away, in a restaurant’s kitchen.

Chu Xuan wondered, why go to a restaurant at this time?

For Foundation Establishment cultivators, food is merely a physical indulgence, so hunger doesn’t spontaneously arise.

Let it be, he thought, as he continued to sit behind the stall, quietly observing the coming and going of the world’s beings.

...

At nightfall, as Chu Xuan packed up the stall, Gu Haitang and Qingqing returned together, looking cheerful. They approached Chu Xuan on each side.

Qingqing smiled, "You’ve worked hard. We cooked personally and made you something to eat."

Haitang seemed slightly embarrassed, "It’s my first time cooking; I hope you won’t mind."

Chu Xuan was amazed, "Wait, you two..."

He distanced himself a bit, scanning the women cautiously, "Are you scheming something? You didn’t drug the food, did you?"

"What are you talking about!" Qingqing retorted, a bit upset.

"We are daughters from reputable families who don’t usually lift a finger for chores. Seeing you experience mortal life, honing your Dao heart, we thought you’d appreciate some worldly comfort. If you don’t eat, just forget it."

Gu Haitang nodded, agreeing with Qingqing’s sentiment wholeheartedly, after an afternoon of effort.

"Alright," Chu Xuan replied, somewhat reluctantly, "But I still want to say, why didn’t you inform me before leaving for a bit?"

"I thought you were abducted by traffickers and got scared."

Qingqing burst into laughter, "Traffickers? We waved at you and called out but you were just sitting there in a daze, lost in thought."

"Since we didn’t go far, we didn’t want to disturb you."

Chu Xuan nodded, implying slightly, "In the future, just let me know."

Gu Haitang felt something off, as Chu Xuan always seemed laid-back to her. Why add that sentence?

Qingqing, perceptive as ever, didn’t ask but sweetly said, "Got it~"

Then the two led Chu Xuan to the restaurant for dinner.

...

Chu Xuan was slightly surprised to see before him a home-cooked meal, like stir-fried vegetables, pickled radish, scallion omelette, lotus leaf-steamed chicken, fish stew with beans, only the tofu soup and pike with winter cress were slightly more complex.

Upon reflection, it’s understandable; both women were new to cooking, and managing such a meal was already impressive.

Seeing Chu Xuan’s surprised expression, Gu Haitang and Qingqing felt rather satisfied. Fortunately, they had a chef guiding them step-by-step, seasoning measured by the quarter spoon.

Otherwise, if left to the two alone, just making something resembling a dish would be fortunate, taste would be unthinkable.

Then Qingqing proudly, like showcasing a treasure, took out two bottles of intoxicating brew from her Storage Ring, "Haha, this is what I stashed from the Flying Heaven Tower last time. We were so busy eating the dishes, didn’t even sip the wine."

"Come sit down, try our cooking." Haitang kindly tugged at Chu Xuan’s sleeve.

Watching the two, Chu Xuan felt touched; since arriving in this world, no woman had done this much for him.

His heart wavered a little; perhaps he should cherish the people before him rather than continually fantasizing about the woman who hurt him.