Beginning with the Ubume Bird
Chapter 706 - Chapter 706 Chapter 14 Daily Life

Chapter 706: Chapter 14: Daily Life Chapter 706: Chapter 14: Daily Life Cha Xiaodao had been alone in undergoing the “Yi Yi’s Yan Fu Trial” for over half a month now.

Li Yan had handed over all the Dragon Elephant Pills, Taotie Essence, and previously obtained Thousand-Year Fire Essence to Cha, and with the many treasures that Cha Xiaodao himself had spent nearly a million to acquire, although his combat power was not as formidable as when he filled in for Taotie, the path ahead was clear and open. After this trial, Cha Xiaodao

Taking advantage of some free time, Li Yan spent the morning doing DIY renovations on the bar and after having lunch, he stood in the yard to practice spearmanship or engaged in the basic exercises like the Main Frame of Combat Sword.

The design of the Dragon Son Great Spear was even more exquisite. The dragon head’s mouth, scales, horns, and fine details were all visible, with the spine raised and the snow blades casting colorful patterns. Compared to the former Gold-engraved Tiger Head Spear, it had lost a bit of the old object’s patina but displayed the precision and neatness of modern craftsmanship. Holding it felt like grasping the vibrant energy of a newborn.

“…”

Li Yan held the spear shaft and then gently let go, and the Dragon Son Great Spear astonishingly stayed suspended in mid-air. It then began to whirl around Li Yan, suddenly shooting up into the sky to become a tiny white dot against the blue before eventually returning to earth with a sound of cleaving the air, blade half a meter into the soil and the shaft resonating with a tremor.

About fifty meters or so. Li Yan guessed this was the distance at which the Dragon Son Great Spear sought blood and enemies, but the thirst for blood’s lethality and speed were indeed mediocre. It was fine for dealing with lesser enemies, but against formidable opponents, it was still best to wield it in hand.

After playing with it a while longer, like someone who had obtained a beloved toy, Li Yan reluctantly took back the spear. He took a steel Han Sword from the rack and assumed the initial stance of the Main Frame in silence.

The sword thrust.

Seven Stances of Spear and Sword!

Li Yan closed his eyes tightly, this thrust, yet to be executed, was still just a stance.

Since the problem of the Divine Court couldn’t be solved in a short while, Li Yan simply stopped thinking about it and focused his mind on practicing spearmanship and swordsmanship. However, Li Yan’s Ancient Martial Arts Specialization had already reached 101%, and even considering all of Yan Fu, there were probably very few who could match him. He suddenly found himself without a clear direction for improvement, not due to any shackles or obstructions, but because he had reached the mountain’s peak and there were no paths left before him.

Had he not witnessed Yang Sanjing’s specialization at 153%, Li Yan might well have thought he had reached the pinnacle of his ability…

As dusk approached, Lady Dan, backpack in tow, returned home bursting with energy, apparently bearing good news for Li Yan. As soon she entered, she spotted Li Yan standing in the yard and, blinking, chose not to disturb him, instead quietly slipping into the house.

Another hour passed before Li Yan opened his eyes. As he did so, sweat burst from his pores and even made a sizzling sound; his entire body looked as if he had been fished out of water, his clothes and shoes soaked through.

“Huff~ Huff~”

Li Yan panted heavily as he placed the sword back on its rack, letting the steam evaporate from his body and nearly losing his balance in the process.

This was a method he’d recently discovered, a sort of shortcut, or rather something that could only be done with the complete Four Seasons Yak set, allowing some control over the Seven Stances of Spear and Sword’s threshold. His body and mind had been in a state of tension for a long time.

It naturally consumed a vast amount of physical strength and also taxed the soul; even Li Yan with his formidable physique could only sustain it for a maximum of two hours before ending up drenched in sweat as he had just been.

His purpose was nothing more than Li Yan’s desire to stay longer in the Mystic Realm that Yang Sanjing had introduced him to, at least to see clearly the fierce old man he had to look up to on the path of swordsmanship and to find out what exactly was under his feet…

After a while, when he was somewhat drier, Li Yan finally entered the house, where the simmering pot on the stove bubbled away.

“Your favorite beer brand sold out at the supermarket across the street.”

Lady Dan lifted her head to tell Li Yan.

Li Yan picked up the brown beer bottle from the table; indeed, it was not the brand he usually drank.

He pried off the cap, and the beer, originally at room temperature, instantly gave off an icy chill.

“I heard you’re going to perform at Mr. Zhong’s bar this weekend?”

Li Yan took a sip, finding it quite agreeable.

Lady Dan’s face quickly bloomed into a smile, “Yes, we had agreed earlier, but I’ve been too busy. How did you know?”

“How could I not know about your first performance? It’s such a big deal. Seven o’clock?”

Lady Dan nodded vigorously.

“I’ll take you there then. By the way, I’ll step out for a bit after dinner.”

“It’s late; where are you going?”

“To pay a visit to Yang Zheng. He’s seriously injured, and since he couldn’t make it last time due to a prior commitment, it’s only right and reasonable for me to visit.”

“Alright, come back early.”

…

Ssshhh~

As the crucian carp hit the wok, a plume of white smoke arose. Standing in front of the cupboard was a small boy, barely reaching 1.2 meters tall and having to stand on a stool to manage the frying pan. Despite this, his actions of stir-frying the fish were exceptionally skilled, clearly someone who often cooked.

“Dinner’s ready~”

The boy carried the plates to the flower-covered table. He then took out two bottles of milk from the fridge and called out to the bedroom.

“You said you’d take care of me, but now it turns out I have to look after you.”

The boy mumbled a complaint.

Yang Zheng hobbled out of the bedroom, leaning on crutches.

According to Commissioner Bai’s advice, he was supposed to recuperate in the hospital for half a year, but Yang Zheng had insisted on being discharged and refused professional care. The boy was Mou Gang’s orphaned son, named Mou Yong, and Yang Zheng had registered as his guardian. Naturally, the two lived together.

“It’s a work-related injury, isn’t it?”

Yang Zheng cracked his neck; the boy knew little about the affairs of Yan Fu, and Yang Zheng had only vaguely told him that he was resting due to injuries from a mission.

“You should look on the bright side, if I had been killed, you’d get a compensation, right? The enemy’s dead, and you still got money. You should be happy and setting off firecrackers to celebrate.”

The boy snorted coldly without a word.

Yang Zheng struggled with the milk bottle for a while before clearing his throat, “Eh, do you have a bottle opener?”

The boy walked over, snatched the bottle from Yang Zheng’s hand, twisted off the cap with his bare hands, slapped it on the table, and then returned to his seat, silently shoveling rice into his mouth.

Yang Zheng turned on the TV and hummed contentedly to himself, taking a bite of fish. He smacked his lips a couple of times before shaking his head. “It’s not done yet, pay attention next time.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Eat it if you want.”

Mou Yong found the man before him somewhat incomprehensible. He wore an ugly blue scarf that he never changed, regardless of the season, and the songs on his phone were all sung in hoarse voices. Initially, Mou Yong had thought that the man took him in because his conscience wouldn’t allow otherwise, but after living together for two months, this man–who frequently couldn’t even keep track of how many socks were in the house–needed taking care of most of the time himself. He would often disappear, leaving Mou Yong a couple of hundred-yuan bills as if that were all the care he needed. He had a rough and unpleasant personality and was utterly irresponsible, yet he had the nerve to act like he was in the right.

Moreover, the man had blood feuds with his own father. For a time, Mou Yong believed he had no hope of vengeance… but then suddenly, news of his near-fatal injuries arrived.

A gentle knock at the door interrupted Mou Yong’s thoughts. Without waiting for Yang Zheng to say anything, he got up to open the door and, sure enough, Bai Xiao was outside.

The woman was visibly startled to see Mou Yong but quickly smiled brightly. “Have you eaten?”

She held up a large bag full of food containers. “I just bought some pork knuckle; it’s still hot. Want some?”

“I’ve eaten already.”

Mou Yong said softly and turned back to the table to clear away his bowl and chopsticks, then slipped into the kitchen alone.

“You can have a little more even if you’ve eaten.”

“No need. I’m full.”

The boy’s voice floated in from a distance.

Bai Xiao and Yang Zheng exchanged looks, both a bit awkward.

The sound of water running filled the kitchen. Yang Zheng walked in silently and cleared his throat. “Uh, Mou Yong, I need to ask you for a favor. I’ll give you a hundred yuan to go buy me a pack of cigarettes. There’s that internet cafe downstairs, right? You just hang out there for a while, and come back when I call you.”

“I don’t know how to use the internet.”

Mou Yong’s expression was blank.

Yang Zheng scratched his head.

“You can learn. I’ll give you an extra hundred, buy whatever you’d like. Go on, off you go.”

Yang Zheng half-pushed and half-persuaded Mou Yong out the door.

At the door, Mou Yong said to Yang Zheng, “I want to watch TV at eight o’clock. Finish whatever you’re doing before then.”

Yang Zheng was taken aback, but Mou Yong had already left.

…

Outside, Mou Yong could faintly hear the conversation inside the house.

“How did you end up actually bringing him back to Beijing?”

“What else could I do? Where could he go?”

“It’s not that it’s not okay, but it’s inconvenient…”

Mou Yong pursed his lips. He didn’t know how to use the internet and disliked crowded places, so he huddled alone at the base of the residential building, blankly watching passersby. It was getting into winter, and Mou Yong felt both cold and hungry, when in reality he hadn’t been full at all.

Clenching the two hundred-yuan notes in his hand, Mou Yong jogged across the street to the internet cafe where he bought a roasted corn cob and two roasted sausages, then hurried back and wolfed them down at the base of the residential building without a care for his image.

“Hello, young man, I’d like to ask, 302, it’s the Yang residence, right?”

Mou Yong wiped his mouth and, looking up with an annoyed expression, stared at the tall and thin man in front of him.

His gaze flitted over the bottle of Moutai in the tall, thin man’s hand, and his face twisted into an indescribable expression: “Yes, but don’t go up now. He’s busy with something?”

“What’s that?”

The tall, thin man raised an eyebrow.

Mou Yong thought for a moment, placed the plastic bag with the corn and sausages on his lap, and clapped his hands three times in quick succession at the man.

“What’s your relationship with Yang Zheng?”

The tall, thin man asked.

“He’s my guardian.”

Mou Yong’s face was expressionless.

“…Oh.”

The tall, thin man looked enlightened, an interesting expression on his face.

“How about you wait here with me? We’ll go up together later?”

Mou Yong asked with a sneer, surprisingly, the man actually squatted down beside him. He took out a pack of cigarettes and shook it at Mou Yong, “Do you mind if I smoke?”

Mou Yong shook his head blankly.

Li Yan lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. The two of them, one big and one small, squatted by the entrance of the residential building, looking like a pair of door gods.

“Tell me,”

Li Yan called to Mou Yong, pointing upstairs. “Isn’t this bastard just terrible?”

Mou Yong blinked at the man, unsure of what to say at the moment.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.