Chapter 210
Chapter 210
Chen Daji did not get angry when his father scolded him. Instead, he grinned cheekily.
“Dad, you’re worrying for nothing! Grandmother has already taken care of the whole wife business for me!”
With that, he sidled up behind Hemp-clad Grandmother with a fawning smile and began massaging her shoulders.
“Isn’t that right, Grandmother?”
Hemp-clad Grandmother chuckled, then took out a short knife and a length of hemp rope and tossed them onto the ground.
“Don’t you worry, you little bastard. When Grandmother handles something, you can count on it!
“Pick one. Would you rather slit your throat or hang yourself?”
At that, Hemp-clad Grandmother turned to Chen Fu.
“Fu, why don’t you and your wife come along too? Hemp-clad Mountain has plenty of room-more than enough for the whole family.”
Chen Fu was timid. He did not dare joke around with Hemp-clad Grandmother the way Chen Daji did.
“There’s no rush, Old Auntie. Give us another few decades, and my wife and I will go serve you then.
“If… if you’re truly lonely, you can take the little bastard with you now. I won’t miss him…”
After raising a ruckus all night, Hua Jiunan and Chen Daji fell into a deep sleep once they had eaten breakfast.
It was already six in the evening when Zhao Fei woke them.
“Big Brother, Little Chick, stop sleeping! Grandma told me to call you for dinner!”
Chen Daji cursed as he got dressed.
“Fatty Zhao, next time you wake me up, can you keep that big face of yours farther away? Fuck, you scared the hell out of me!”
By the time the two reached the dinner table, the whole family was already there. Even the five great spirit mediums were present without exception.
Only Eighth Master Chang, hampered by his enormous size, was alone in the corner, balancing a pot of instant noodles and slurping away.
“Our respects, young master physician.”
Led by Old Sixth Hui, all but Hu Qingshan saluted Hua Jiunan in unison.
Hua Jiunan hurriedly returned their salute.
“Brothers, there’s no need for such courtesy! Please don’t do this in the future.”
During dinner, Huang Zuo suddenly sighed.
“I used to think I was rather formidable. But after encountering that evil god, I realized just how great the gulf is between us and cultivators with a proper lineage!”
How could Huang Zuo’s wife not understand what her husband wanted? She immediately chimed in.
“Enough, dear. We were simply born to a bitter fate! ‘Spirit mediums’ may sound grand, but in truth, we come from the Animal Realm. No matter how desperately we plead, no one is willing to teach us.
“Five hundred years ago, I knelt outside Qingfeng Temple for three days and three nights, hoping to become a disciple and learn their arts. Not only did they refuse to teach me, they nearly captured me instead…”
The couple played off each other, and the insinuation behind their words could not have been more obvious.
Their behavior infuriated Old Sixth Hui. He slammed a palm onto the stone table and shot to his feet.
“You two have gone too far! Are you trying to pressure the young master physician into giving you what you want?!”
(The original expression refers to ministers forcing a king or emperor to abdicate. Here, it means using one’s recent contribution to pressure Hua Jiunan into teaching the Dao.)
As Old Sixth Hui erupted, Hu Qingshan and Chang Huaiyuan also put down their bowls and chopsticks and stared coldly at Huang Zuo and his wife.
The couple realized that their impatience had led them to say the wrong thing and hastily rose to apologize.
“Young master physician, brothers, please don’t misunderstand! I had a couple of drinks and let my mouth run away with me. I’m sorry, truly sorry!”
Hua Jiunan stepped in to smooth things over.
“I understand what Brother Huang means. I’ve said before that if you wish to learn, I’m willing to teach you at any time.”
With that, Hua Jiunan took the *Baopuzi Inner Chapters* from inside his robe and respectfully placed it on the stone table.
“Brother Huang, Sister-in-law, you may look through it as you please.”
With such a treasured Daoist canon right before them, how could Huang Zuo and his wife not be excited?
Even Bai Wuwei’s eyes gleamed, though he swiftly suppressed the desire with immense willpower.
Huang Zuo reached out with a trembling hand, only to stop abruptly halfway. He glanced guiltily at Old Sixth Hui, Chang Huaiyuan, and Hu Qingshan.
Old Sixth Hui sighed inwardly.
He knew that Huang Zuo and his wife were not bad people. They could even be called eager to help others. Their problem was that they loved taking advantage of any opportunity. They were shrewd in all the wrong ways and forever imagining conspiracies where there were none.
Right now, the couple must have assumed that Hua Jiunan had secretly taught his Daoist arts to the other Immortal Spirits while deliberately leaving them out. That was why they had voiced their desire immediately after rendering meritorious service.
“Brother Huang, Sister-in-law, I don’t mean to lecture you, but when will the two of you ever change this temperament of yours…”
Hu Qingshan gave a helpless smile as well.
“Brother Huang, Sister-in-law, since Xiao Jiu has already brought out this treasured canon, go ahead and read it if you wish! But don’t say I didn’t warn you…”
Before Hu Qingshan could finish, the impatient Huang Zuo reached for the *Baopuzi Inner Chapters*.
“My deepest thanks to the young master physician for teaching us the Dao! My thanks to all my brothers for making this possible-ah!”
Huang Zuo cried out in pain. The instant his hand touched the book, a bolt of dark thunder sprang from the void and struck it hard.