Keep up the good work

At that very moment, both of them were drawn by sounds emanating from a nearby thicket.

One after another, small figures darted out, and upon seeing Mù Qīngyǔ, they all excitedly rushed towards her.

“It’s the big sister!”

“Brother Xǔ, we found the big sister!”

“The big sister is here to pick us up!”

‘Hmm?’ Féng Yè raised an eyebrow.

Xǔ Tiānlí’s figure also emerged from the woods, and despite the paleness of his face, a relieved smile spread across it upon seeing Mù Qīngyǔ.

“Master…”

“How did you get yourself into such a sorry state?”

“My apologies, it seems I still couldn’t satisfy you.”

“Never mind, as long as you’re alright.”

Watching the interaction between master and disciple, and seeing the rescued children, Féng Yè instantly understood everything that had transpired.

‘So, this is a good person after all.’

‘She split a mountain not just because her disciple was humiliated, but also because these children were kidnapped?’

‘Tsk, I actually misunderstood a good person.’

“Excuse me, who is this?”

Xǔ Tiānlí also noticed the self-reproaching Féng Yè.

“Ah, I am from the Heaven’s Will Bureau…”

However, before Féng Yè could finish his sentence, Xǔ Tiānlí suddenly felt his vision go dark, and he collapsed to the ground.

‘Ah, to give out at precisely this moment.’

Before his consciousness completely faded, Xǔ Tiānlí saw the change in Mù Qīngyǔ’s expression.

It seemed to be… panic?

‘Could Master actually show such an expression?’

The activation of the Heavenly Thunder System quickly became front-page news.

Yet, within a few days, the public’s attention was diverted by another major event: the annihilation of the Wolf Fang Gang.

Many connected it to the Heavenly Thunder System incident, giving rise to various speculative theories.

Some, having witnessed the Heavenly Thunder System’s might, suffered nightmares for several consecutive nights, fearing that the lightning might strike them someday.

Others believed it was a positive development.

If the power wasn’t formidable, how could ordinary people survive the divine battles of Spirit Wielders?

Beyond these events, another tale began circulating among the populace.

“Do you know?”

“The Wolf Fang Gang brought about their own demise because they kidnapped children, incurring the wrath of that reclusive master.”

“Are you still a child? I don’t believe such things are real anymore.”

“Why would I lie to you?”

“How else do you explain the strange phenomena that occurred a while ago?”

To verify their theories, some even attempted to ascend the back mountain to investigate.

However, beyond a scorched, deep pit and a cleaved mountain, no other clues remained.

Some also tried to extract information directly from Director Wang, but he merely responded with ‘I don’t know,’ leaving them to return disappointed.

Whenever such uninvited guests arrived, there was always someone watching them from the side.

She would not speak, simply stare.

Feeling the hostility in those golden eyes, the people who came to inquire, though chills ran down their spines, didn’t think much of it, simply believing they had been rude.

All these events transpired while Xǔ Tiānlí was unconscious.

He awoke several days after the battle on the back mountain had concluded.

The first thing Xǔ Tiānlí felt upon opening his eyes was: aches and pains all over!

It was as if he had been punched repeatedly by several burly men for several nights while fast asleep.

“Hiss, it hurts.”

“What happened to me?”

Xǔ Tiānlí attempted to recall the preceding events.

He remembered going to the back mountain for an appointment, driving away the Wolf Fang Gang leader, and rescuing the unfortunate children.

After that, he escaped with the children and encountered his master halfway.

Then, Xǔ Tiānlí’s consciousness had simply cut out.

‘Those little rascals, they should be fine, right?’

Xǔ Tiānlí muttered to himself.

‘With Master there, she could certainly protect them better.’

Waking up to find himself back home, to awaken in the bed he had slept in for over a decade, was truly a blessing.

‘I’m hungry.’

‘I’ll go get something to eat first.’

Xǔ Tiānlí stretched after getting out of bed, his bones crackling as if protesting his days of lying still.

‘My shoulders are still a bit sore.’

‘If only someone would make me a meal.’

No sooner had the words left his lips than Xǔ Tiānlí couldn’t help but chuckle self-deprecatingly.

It was too much of a pipe dream.

In the past, if he fell ill, his father would anxiously prepare nutritious meals to help him recover.

But now, no matter how tired or weary he was, he had to manage all three meals on his own.

For some reason, that figure flashed through Xǔ Tiānlí’s mind, and he mumbled, “If it were Master, would she be willing to prepare some food for me, even if just a bowl of porridge?”

Xǔ Tiānlí even pictured Qín Yuè, wearing an apron, bustling in the kitchen.

He stopped himself halfway through the thought.

Qín Yuè was merely his master.

Even if she was adept at caring for others, she wouldn’t go to such lengths for a disciple she had only recently met, would she?

Perhaps she would even be angry, because Xǔ Tiānlí had disappointed her once more, even causing her to abandon him as a disciple.

This was not good.

Xǔ Tiānlí quickened his pace, intending to make himself some noodles before going to find his master.

Thinking this, Xǔ Tiānlí opened his room door and descended the stairs with a thud.

Then he saw her, Mù Qīngyǔ, sitting in the living room, dressed in black, eating steamed buns.

Sunlight streamed in from the window, making her radiant golden eyes shine even brighter.

More importantly, a bowl of porridge sat on the table before her, which she was slowly spooning into her mouth.

“You’re awake, do you want to eat…”

No sooner had Mù Qīngyǔ opened her mouth than Xǔ Tiānlí, maintaining a rigid posture, quickly retreated upstairs.

Bang!

Closing his room door once more, his expression swiftly turned peculiar.

‘Am I still dreaming?’

‘Or perhaps, was my head damaged by the Wolf Fang Gang leader, causing me to hallucinate?’

Counting to three, Xǔ Tiānlí descended the stairs again, meeting Mù Qīngyǔ’s strange gaze.

It wasn’t a hallucination; it was real.

“Master, good morning?”

“It’s almost lunchtime.”

“Ah, haha, then good afternoon.”

Xǔ Tiānlí sat opposite her, watching what she was eating.

She was indeed using his family’s bowls and spoons, but the porridge appeared to be simple lean meat porridge, with a few vegetable leaves added.

“There’s more in the pot.”

“If you’re hungry, it’s all yours.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Is it… made specially for me?” Xǔ Tiānlí carefully observed her expression, afraid of saying the wrong thing and truly angering her.

“If you want to think that, it’s fine.”

In truth, Mù Qīngyǔ had made it for herself.

If Xǔ Tiānlí hadn’t woken up, the leftovers in the pot would have gone into her stomach.

To be honest, she had been utterly bored during Xǔ Tiānlí’s unconsciousness.

It wasn’t out of worry, but rather like a child fearing their toy might be broken.

Xǔ Tiānlí, to her, was not just a toy, but also a very important tool.

Of course, Xǔ Tiānlí, having just returned with his bowl of porridge, couldn’t possibly know Mù Qīngyǔ’s thoughts at that moment.

His gaze fell upon her face, his expression somewhat dazed.

“Why are you staring at me?” Mù Qīngyǔ asked.

“Nothing, I just feel that if I hadn’t met Master, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here like this right now.”

Xǔ Tiānlí’s mind replayed the scene he witnessed before losing consciousness.

Despite her cold words, his master not only worried about her student’s safety but was also willing to cook for him while he was unconscious.

“It’s truly wonderful to have met Master.”

‘This guy, did someone hit his head too hard?’ Mù Qīngyǔ felt as if he was about to burst into tears at any second.

However, his awakening genuinely brought Mù Qīngyǔ a sense of relief.

The expression on her face softened, even carrying a hint of a smile.

With his spirits lifted, Xǔ Tiānlí devoured his meal while listening to Mù Qīngyǔ recount the events that transpired during his days of slumber.

“So that’s how it was.”

“The Wolf Fang Gang leader was later intercepted by Master.”

“It’s just a pity; before you could make a move, his kill was stolen.”

Xǔ Tiānlí briefly scrolled through his phone.

One of the photos prominently displayed the mountain that had been pierced through.

No matter how he thought about it, Master must have done it.

To even intimidate the enemy before making a move, Master had a playful side to her.

After finishing a whole bowl of porridge, Xǔ Tiānlí felt completely re-energized.

“How does it feel to advance to the First-tier?”

“Master, how did you…”

Xǔ Tiānlí stopped mid-sentence, realizing she had been watching him all along; how could she not know?

“I feel much lighter and refreshed, with inexhaustible strength, and my perception of my surroundings has become much sharper.”

“So this is what a Spirit Wielder is like?”

“This is just the beginning, understand?”

“Yes, Master!” Xǔ Tiānlí stood up with force.

“Then, how many points do I get for my performance this time?”

‘More points?’

‘Does this kid really love those numerical scores so much?’

Mù Qīngyǔ leaned back, crossing her long, black-stockinged legs, her slippers dangling from her toes.

After a moment of thought, she lazily delivered a score:

“Hmm, 80 points.”

Xǔ Tiānlí’s delight was evident on his face.

“But nearly getting yourself killed deducts 15 points.”

“Isn’t that about the same as last time?”

“Do you have an objection?”

“No, none at all.”

“I will definitely try harder next time.”

At the very least, Xǔ Tiānlí experienced the joy of achieving a high score, which was even more gratifying than getting good grades on his middle school final exams.

“Oh, Master, if possible, next time you want to teach me something new, could you make it a little more obvious?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the second stage of the Qi Accumulation Art.”

“I know my talent is poor, so…”

“What did you say?” Mù Qīngyǔ interrupted him.

“Are you saying you learned it?”

“Yes.”

To prove himself, Xǔ Tiānlí performed a small spell of accumulating and then dispersing qi right in front of her.

Although it no longer caused the same destructive force as the first time he used it, Mù Qīngyǔ’s expression was as unsightly as if she had found a cockroach in her food.

‘Damn it, I can’t casually display spells in front of this guy anymore.’

‘Otherwise, sooner or later, he’ll steal them all, and then how will we decide the winner of our three-year pact?’

The sense of crisis she had just managed to suppress surged back like a tide.

Meanwhile, at the Heaven’s Will Bureau branch.

“How is the investigation into the Wolf Fang Gang progressing?” Féng Yè, the Director, asked from his office.

“We have results,” his subordinate replied, a hint of surprise on their face.

“Hèlóng’s corpse actually showed traces of demonic energy.”

“Demonic energy, as expected.”

Féng Yè narrowed his eyes slightly.

“The Wolf Fang Gang truly had a connection with the otherworldly demons that have recently appeared in Wufeng City.”

However, only Hèlóng likely knew the full extent of the truth.

And now, he was nothing but a charred corpse, severing the lead.