Wait a minute, where is my master?

Outside the door.

Rejected, Chi Dao still didn't get discouraged and spoke kindly.

"Well then, I'll just go by myself.

"Oh, by the way, this morning I had that good-for-nothing little guy go to Yixiang Building to buy some steamed buns. Don't forget to enjoy them at the dining hall."

With those words,

without waiting for a reply from inside, the hurried footsteps of Kunlun Immortal Palace's Ancestor could be heard moving away from the door.

In the room,

the napping husky, hearing the word "steamed buns," instantly opened its eyes wide.

She poked half of her dog head out from under the table and said,

"Temple Master, Sister Little Yu, shall we go have breakfast?"

"No."

Sitting cross-legged on the couch, Jin Xu, with his eyes closed, responded stiffly.

In the corner of the room, inside a big water tank,

Yu Yaoer, still in her beauty sleep, used her tail to splash a bit of water, indicating her stance.

"But breakfast is steamed buns from Yixiang Building!"

Seeing that the two were reluctant to go out, Little White emphasized again—it was steamed buns.

So fragrant and white, fluffy and soft!

Big steamed buns made personally by the owner of Yixiang Building!

However, her emphasis proved futile; the two Taoists/fish still refused to leave.

"Alright... since you guys aren't going, then I won't go either."

The husky said, and silently withdrew her head back under the table.

Hearing his aggrieved tone, Jin Xu, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes and sighed softly. He hadn't lost interest in the steamed buns from Yixiang Building. After all, the buns were indeed tasty, and the owner's cooking was quite good.

It's just that...

The young Taoist was one hundred percent sure that if he went to the dining hall right now, he would "just happen" to run into Chi Dao.

Why did he know that?

Heh.

Jin Xu had been tricked into going just like that the day before!

"Little White, if you want to eat the buns, you can go by yourself. You don't have to wait for the two of us.

"Your Sister Little Yu's beauty sleep will last at least another hour, and me... well, you just go eat."

The young Taoist didn't want to explain too much to the husky who wasn't there when he was fooled yesterday.

Embarrassing.

"Slurp~ I can't, Temple Master. I can't just leave you two behind and eat by myself."

Even though Little White was salivating immensely, she still refused righteously.

But the next second,

her concern was dismissed by what Jin Xu said next.

"Hmm... well, how about this? You eat, then bring a few buns back for me and Little Yu. That way, it wouldn't count as eating alone, right?"

The young Taoist said, jumping off the bed.

"Eh~ Temple Master, you're right!"

Excited, Little White suddenly jerked her head up, standing up from under the table.

And then...

The poor jade table was struck by her and shattered into several pieces, flying in all directions.

"Dang, dang, dang..."

A few unlucky pieces of furniture in the room now bore different sized fragments of jade.

Two of the table's legs were sticking straight up, half-buried in the ceiling.

And the other two...

Quite coincidentally smashed into Yu Yaoer's water tank while she was still enjoying her beauty sleep.

With a splash, water splashed everywhere!

The golden-red carp leaped high from the tank.

She stared at the person and the dog in the room for a long while.

Then, opening and closing her fish mouth, she said,

"Hmm... Young Master, Little White, I think I had a nightmare where someone hit me with a stick.

"Twice!"

Yu Yaoer spoke in a aggrieved tone, transformed into a human form with a shake of her body.

She reached out, touched her unharmed forehead in confusion, looked into the jar, and then her sleepy eyes instantly turned into a face of shock.

"Hey! Young master, Little White, come and see, there really are two sticks in my jar!"

"..."

"..."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Little Fish Demon had already managed to curl the two table legs out of the jar with the water. Holding the two "weapons," she continuously examined them while muttering to herself.

"Strange, why do these sticks look so familiar."

Next to her, Jin Xu opened his mouth, then gave up on explaining.

"Never mind, since you're awake, go and have some steamed buns with Little White. As for what exactly happened in the room, let her tell you during the meal."

Thus.

The still groggy Yu Yaoer was pulled out by Little White and headed straight to the dining hall.

"Oh, and when you two come back, remember to bring another table."

The Taoist called out to the leaving pair, then cross-legged himself back on the couch.

——————

About a quarter of an hour passed.

Suddenly, there was a knocking sound from outside the door.

The young Taoist slightly frowned, surprised as he opened his eyes.

Although recently people had been coming to him as if they were salespeople, each visit was usually several hours apart.

But what was going on today?

He probed outside with his Spiritual Sense, holding a puzzled heart, and realized that he had misunderstood.

The visitor was not the latecomer, but a steward from the mansion.

At that time, the voice of the steward came from outside the door.

"Lord Uncle, are you available now?"

Jin Xu stretched his legs off the couch and stepped towards the door.

He reached out to push the door, intending to ask what the so-called early visit was about.

But just as his hand was about to touch the door latch, the young Taoist stopped his motion.

"Wait a moment..."

Jin Xu expanded the range of his Spiritual Sense a few circles further, until he clearly sensed that the Ancestor of Kunlun Immortal Palace was lurking behind the dining hall, next to the artificial hill, in a temporary hiding formation.

Only then did he confirm that the steward at the door was not an accomplice of the latecomer.

He pushed the door open and spoke warmly.

"Housekeeper Zhang, what brings you here at this hour?"

"I apologize for disturbing you so early, Lord Uncle. However, a young hero from Blazing Sun Sword Sect named Zhao Dabao has just arrived at the mansion. He says he is an old friend of yours and that it was you who invited him here."

"So I temporarily invited the young hero to the guest lounge and hurried over here," Housekeeper Zhang said respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Jin Xu's mind stirred, and his Spiritual Sense spread to the guest lounge.

In the lounge.

Zhao Dabao, dressed in oversized Blazing Sun Sword Sect attire, held a teacup with a nervous look but made no move to drink.

"It really is Brother Zhao who has arrived."

He gently nodded, confirmed the identity of the visitor with the steward in front of him, and instructed him to prepare some special snacks.

Then he strode toward the guest lounge.

...

Inside the guest lounge.

Zhao Dabao held a teacup, his expression no longer the jolly demeanor of the past but rather somewhat haggard.

Even his chubby face had slimmed down a bit, the previously visible fourth layer of his chin now reduced to only three layers.

Of course, this was understandable.

Anyone waking up every day to find that the Spiritual Power inside them had increased significantly, bringing them a day closer to self-combustion, would hardly feel cheerful.

Zhao Fatty had always felt that the speed of the Cultivation Technique within him was increasing.

Especially after he learned about the precise time when Taiyin Essence from White Emperor Pavilion ceased production.

The operating speed of that "Ice and Fire Nine Heavens" within him.

Seemed as if it couldn't wait to blow him up!