Jin Sanpang and Liu Hui launched into an epic war of words, but in the end, neither of them actually made a move.

"Hmph. For the master’s sake, I’ll spare you this time, fatty."

"Skinny, don’t talk so big. If Brother Mo weren’t here, San Pang would’ve beaten your ass today."

"Heh, bring it on then."

"You try it!"

"You first!"

"No, you first if you’ve got the guts!"

Mo Qi’s mouth twitched. ’With these two clowns around, I’ll probably never have a moment of peace again.’

"Master Mo! It’s really Master Mo! He’s back!"

A large crowd of disciples swarmed over, completely mobbing Mo Qi and his group.

"Master Mo, you’re finally back! I’ve been going crazy thinking about your Medicinal Cuisine!" Chen Liang shouted with immense exaggeration.

If Liu Hui hadn’t been staring at him from the side, he might have even latched onto Mo Qi’s leg and refused to let go.

"Master Mo, your Medicinal Cuisine is divine!"

"Yeah, Master Mo, you’re a blessing to all us disciples! You’re the lucky star of our Void Sect!"

"Master Mo, we were wrong before! We were blind not to believe in you! From now on, we’re willing to pay double the contribution points."

Mo Qi hadn’t expected that after his trip, with the passage of time, his Medicinal Cuisine would become so wildly popular in the Void Sect.

"Ahem, everyone, please calm down and listen to me." Mo Qi cleared his throat, and everyone quieted down, staring at him with eager eyes.

"I’m flattered and deeply moved by everyone’s enthusiasm, but the restaurant will not be open today. Let’s say in three days. We’ll open at the usual time."

After speaking, Mo Qi grabbed Niu Kexin, and with Liu Hui and Jin Sanpang clearing a path, they squeezed through the crowd and hurried toward the mountain’s peak.

Everyone was disappointed, but at least they now had something to look forward to. They all ran off to spread the word, and soon, news of Mo Qi’s return had spread throughout the entire Void Sect.

In front of the restaurant at the summit, Niu Kexin gazed at the "Uncle Niu’s Kitchen God" sign, knelt on the ground, and began to sob uncontrollably.

After Uncle Niu died, she, his daughter, had only received news of his death. She hadn’t even gotten to see him one last time.

In the entire, great Niu Family, Uncle Niu had been her only relative.

"Father, how could you be so cruel? You left your daughter all alone... What good is the family fortune you left behind now?"

Mo Qi stepped forward, helped Niu Kexin up, and pulled her into his arms, comforting her. "Sister Kexin, your crying is making my heart ache too. Uncle Niu may be gone, but you still have me."

Niu Kexin wiped away her tears and nodded. "I’m fine. I’ve already cried all the tears I had over the years. It’s just... seeing this place brought it all back."

Mo Qi was relieved to hear this. "The place where Uncle Niu is buried is a bit special. After some time, I’ll take you to pay your respects."

"Okay."

After calming down, Niu Kexin finally realized she was resting in Mo Qi’s arms, and her face instantly flushed red with embarrassment.

"Brother Mo, you’re back?!"

A surprised and happy voice rang out as Liu Ruyan rushed up the mountain, arriving just in time to see this scene.

The joyous smile instantly froze on her face. Her bright, clear eyes misted over, filled with a sense of grievance, resentment, and more than anything, unwilling resignation.

But she quickly composed herself and walked over, her smile unchanged.

"Ruyan?" Mo Qi smiled, released Niu Kexin, and walked over, habitually ruffling Liu Ruyan’s hair.

Liu Ruyan threw herself into Mo Qi’s arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, hugged him tightly, and buried her head in his chest.

She rubbed her head against Mo Qi’s neck like a cat.

"Brother Mo, Ruyan missed you so much."

As she spoke, Liu Ruyan glanced at Niu Kexin out of the corner of her eye, wanting to see her "love rival’s" reaction.

To her surprise, Niu Kexin had a faint smile on her face, watching them quietly without a hint of displeasure or anger.

"Haha, you silly girl, still as mischievous as ever." Mo Qi gently patted Liu Ruyan on the back, took her hand, and led her over to Niu Kexin.

"Sister Kexin, this is the girl I told you about, Liu Ruyan."

On their way back, Mo Qi had given Niu Kexin a general account of his experiences at the Void Sect, hiding nothing except for matters related to the Chaos Scripture.

"Silly girl, this is my sister, Niu Kexin."

When she heard the name "Niu Kexin," Liu Ruyan froze, her expression completely blank.

"Hello, little sister Ruyan." Niu Kexin took the initiative to greet her, her eyes full of a deep, knowing smile.

"Ah... oh, oh! Hello, Sister Kexin." Liu Ruyan was like a startled rabbit, nearly jumping out of her skin.

Her face flushed so red it seemed it might burst.

’Oh god, what have I just done?’

’I investigated Mo Qi’s background thoroughly a long time ago, including Uncle Niu and Niu Kexin.’

’I know very well what place Niu Kexin holds in Mo Qi’s heart. I can be jealous of anyone, but not Niu Kexin.’

’Sister Kexin must have seen something. Will she be upset with me?’

’Will Brother Mo start to hate me because of this?’

’Aaaah, why did I have to be so impulsive!’

"Huh? Ruyan, what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?" Mo Qi noticed something was off about Liu Ruyan and asked with concern.

"N-nothing’s wrong." Liu Ruyan lowered her head and shook it weakly.

Mo Qi grew even more confused. Just as he was about to say something, Niu Kexin stopped him.

Niu Kexin stepped forward, took Liu Ruyan’s hand, and said with a smile, "Little sister Ruyan, come with me."

"Hey, where are you two going?" Mo Qi was completely bewildered.

"None of your business. This is girl stuff." Niu Kexin giggled, pulling the still-dazed Liu Ruyan off to one side.

"How weird." Mo Qi shrugged and muttered to himself. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Meanwhile, Liu Hui and Jin Sanpang stood with their eyes locked, glaring at each other and silently competing, neither willing to back down.

Seeing this, Mo Qi shook his head, walked into the restaurant, and slowly sat down. He leaned his back against a doorpost, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

It was unclear what Niu Kexin and Liu Ruyan had talked about, but when they reappeared, they were walking arm in arm, looking like the best of friends.

Niu Kexin still wore her faint smile, while Liu Ruyan looked shy, but with a hint of anticipation.

When the two of them walked into the restaurant and found Mo Qi slumped on the floor, unmoving, their expressions changed drastically.

Just as they were about to cry out, the Pig Emperor emerged from Mo Qi’s robes and sighed.

"Don’t be loud. Let him sleep for a while. He’s so, so tired."

Besides Mo Qi himself, only the Pig Emperor knew what he had been through recently.

"Little piggy, is he really okay?" Niu Kexin pinched the Pig Emperor’s ear, picked it up, and held it in her palm.

She was a mortal and didn’t know what it meant for a Demon Beast to be able to speak, but Liu Ruyan did.

The moment the Pig Emperor spoke, Liu Ruyan was so scared she almost sent a distress signal to Liu Hong, but she managed to stop herself.

Hearing the name "little piggy," the Pig Emperor wanted to die.

But Niu Kexin was Mo Qi’s sister and a mortal. What could it do? It was desperate, too!

Watching the chubby Pig Emperor being held in Niu Kexin’s hands and squished into various shapes, Liu Ruyan’s curiosity slowly overcame her fear, and she looked eager to try.

"Hey, you, little girl! Niu Kexin is a complete mundane when it comes to cultivation, so her ignorance is forgivable. But if you dare treat This Emperor the same way, believe me, I will flip out!" the Pig Emperor threatened, glaring at Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan, who had just been reaching out, instantly pulled her hand back.

"Little piggy, that’s not very nice of you." Niu Kexin patted the Pig Emperor’s bottom and shoved it into Liu Ruyan’s hands.

"Little sister Ruyan, don’t worry. Little piggy’s bark is worse than his bite. He’s actually very cute. Go on, try. You can play with him all you want."

Pig Emperor: "..."