On the way to the backyard, Longbrow Master tugged at Ye Qiu’s sleeve. The two deliberately slowed their pace, trailing behind the others.
“Little brat, were you serious when you told Cow-nose you’d take me away from Kunlun Mountain?”
“Yes,” Ye Qiu nodded.
Longbrow Master said, “Are you planning to go to the cultivation world?”
“Yes,” Ye Qiu nodded again, adding, “After we return, we’ll prepare and head to the cultivation world.”
He was mainly concerned about Lu Wushuang’s safety.
“Great,” Longbrow Master beamed, saying, “This godforsaken place, I’ve long wanted to leave.”
“Little brat, after we leave, I’ll head back to Dragon Tiger Mountain to sort things out, then meet you in Jiangzhou.”
“Alright,” Ye Qiu agreed readily.
At that moment, Xiao Zhan’s voice came from ahead, “Boss, come quick, there’s something good here.”
Hearing there was treasure, Longbrow Master ditched Ye Qiu and zipped forward with a whoosh.
Ye Qiu entered the backyard and found it resembled a large garden, filled with various unknown flowers in full bloom.
Suddenly, a rich fruity aroma hit him.
Turning his head, Ye Qiu saw an ancient fruit tree growing in a corner of the backyard.
The tree was as thick as a washbasin, over ten metres tall, with lush branches bearing dozens of bright red fruits.
These fruits looked like hawthorns, roughly the same size, vibrant and glossy, exuding a tempting fragrance that whetted the appetite.
A group had gathered under the tree, their faces full of curiosity.
“What are these fruits? I’ve never seen them before.”
“This place is frozen year-round. For fruits to grow in such conditions, they must be extraordinary.”
“Have you noticed? The fragrance is so strong that just one whiff swept away all my fatigue.”
“These fruits must be treasures!”
“Treasures, my foot!” Longbrow Master scoffed, “These fruits are highly poisonous.”
What?
The group stepped back at his words.
“Old man, you know these fruits?” Chongxu Taoist asked.
Longbrow Master shook his head, “No, I don’t.”
“Then how do you know they’re poisonous?” Chongxu Taoist asked, puzzled.
Longbrow Master explained, “As the saying goes, the prettier something is, the more dangerous it is. Like women, the more beautiful, the more vicious their hearts. Why else would there be the term ‘femme fatale’?”
At this, Fairy Hundred Flowers and Lüluo shot cold glares at Longbrow Master.
Damn, I forgot about them.
Longbrow Master gave an awkward laugh, quickly clarifying, “I was just using an analogy. I didn’t mean you two. Everyone on Earth knows you’re both beautiful and kind-hearted.”
Then he added, “If you think I’m exaggerating, I can prove it to you.”
Whoosh!
As he spoke, Longbrow Master leapt lightly onto the fruit tree.
Just as everyone wondered how he’d prove it, they noticed the old man swiftly plucking fruits with both hands.
“Damn it, this old dog’s tricking us!”
“Quick, grab the fruits!”
Chongxu Taoist reacted first, flying onto the tree and frantically picking fruits.
Ye Qiu stared at the fruits, sensing something off. Activating his Heavenly Eye, he saw a faint black aura hovering over the vibrant red fruit skins.
“Poison?”
Ye Qiu was taken aback. The poison wasn’t strong, and he considered warning Longbrow Master and Chongxu Taoist. But the two old men were so engrossed in picking, as if afraid someone would steal their share, that he held his tongue.
“They won’t learn without a lesson,” Ye Qiu thought.
Seeing Longbrow Master and Chongxu Taoist eagerly picking, Fairy Hundred Flowers felt tempted to join but was stopped by Ye Qiu, “Don’t go.”
“Why?” she asked, confused.
Ye Qiu smiled faintly, whispering, “You’ll see soon enough.”
Fairy Hundred Flowers hesitated but chose to trust Ye Qiu, staying put.
In moments, the tree’s fruits were completely picked by Longbrow Master and Chongxu Taoist.
“Old dog, how many did you get?”
“Thirty-one. Cow-nose, you?”
“Eleven.”
“Not bad, twenty less than me.”
“Hmph,” Chongxu Taoist snorted, then said, “You sneaky dog. These fruits are treasures, yet you lied about them being poisonous.”
“If I didn’t trick you, how could I have picked so many? But Cow-nose, you reacted pretty quick. Come, let’s taste these fruits.”
Longbrow Master grabbed a fruit, wiped it on his robe, and popped it into his mouth.
The fruit melted instantly, a refreshing sensation sliding down his throat.
“Good stuff!”
Longbrow Master’s eyes lit up, and he began devouring the fruits.
Seeing him eat with relish, Chongxu Taoist took a fruit and put it in his mouth.
It melted on contact too.
A cool sensation followed, like drinking Sprite on a scorching summer day, utterly refreshing and exhilarating.
One word: awesome!
“Cow-nose, tastes good, right?”
“Yeah, not bad at all.”
“Eat quick, or that little brat will snatch them, and we’ll get none.”
Xiao Zhan, standing under the tree, watched the two old men eat heartily, grumbling, “I found this tree first, and these old guys took all the fruits without sharing. Shameless.”
“Don’t be mad. There’s a good show coming,” Ye Qiu whispered.
A show?
Xiao Zhan paused, then asked, “Are those fruits…”
“Shh!” Ye Qiu gestured for silence.
Xiao Zhan grinned.
Longbrow Master soon finished his fruits, let out a satisfied burp, and jumped down from the tree, saying, “Little brat, sorry, I meant to save you some, but they melted so fast I accidentally ate them all.”
Chongxu Taoist jumped down too, adding, “The old dog’s right. They really do melt instantly.”
“How’s the taste?” Ye Qiu asked with a smile.
Chongxu Taoist said, “In all my years, I’ve never tasted such delicious fruits. Shame there weren’t more. I could eat hundreds.”
Longbrow Master added, “They leave a lingering fragrance in the mouth. Really top-notch…”
Before he could finish, a sharp pain stabbed his abdomen. The next second, he clutched his stomach, rolling on the ground in agony.
