Chapter 116: Fire in the Backyard

At present, only three individuals seemed to have discerned the flaws of the angel Ruoxi: besides Ye Qiu and Yue Chan, there was also the ascetic known as Dry Wood Daoist.

In the boundless sea realm, Dry Wood Daoist quietly observed the battle between the two but did not intervene.

The recent turmoil had finally subsided, though no one knew when the next upheaval would strike—or if it would be even more terrifying than this one.

The root of the chaos could not be so easily quelled; they were bound to return, inevitably, it was only a matter of time.

Of course, these were not matters Ye Qiu could concern himself with now. At this moment, there was only one thing he wished to understand: the nature of the power within him.

Earlier, in the chaotic heavens, after the battle with the immortals ended, Ye Qiu had hurried back and restored command of the chaotic heavens to Dry Wood Daoist.

“The issue with angel Ruoxi, let’s set it aside for now. Her talent is not lacking; she merely needs more experience,” Ye Qiu said, shaking his head and deliberately avoiding the topic. It was unrelated to them and didn’t warrant their worry.

Yue Chan nodded gracefully, reclining on a rocking chair as she gazed at the horizon, murmuring softly, “Sometimes, I wonder—what realm are you truly at now?”

“Huh?” Ye Qiu blinked in surprise. What realm? How would he know?

He couldn’t even comprehend cultivation manuals, so how could he be expected to cultivate to any realm?

It was absurd. He had simply read too much and, without realizing it, gained a certain cultivation. Even he was puzzled about where this power had come from.

Just then, a chicken strolled past nearby. Ye Qiu glanced at it and suddenly burst into laughter. Well, here was the perfect answer to that question.

Feigning ignorance, Ye Qiu suddenly struck.

“Quick, light a fire, light a fire—tonight, we feast on roast mountain chicken!”

With swift precision, Ye Qiu caught the chicken, gripping its neck as if seizing its very fate.

The poor fowl, enjoying a leisurely stroll, was suddenly seized by the throat, utterly bewildered by its sudden predicament.

This chicken was one of several domestic fowl raised in Ye Qiu’s backyard. In the harsh winter, when food was scarce, they would be used for meals—though, so far, none had been eaten.

Normally, these birds were penned in the backyard, so it was unknown how this one had wandered outside.

The noise drew the attention of the others, who looked over in astonishment. When they saw the chicken in Ye Qiu’s hands, all were dumbfounded.

“Ah, this…” Everyone was truly startled, caught off guard. Who could bear such a sudden shock?

“Wait, that’s… hiss, a Baobao Phoenix!”

“Damn, it’s the legendary Baobao Phoenix, a rare species comparable to the elixir of eternal life!”

“My god! This tavern actually keeps such a precious treasure—it’s like a living longevity pill!”

For a moment, all were frozen, even Yue Chan stared wide-eyed at what Ye Qiu called a mountain chicken.

Qingcheng exclaimed, “Oh my heavens, what kind of deity is this? Treating a Baobao Phoenix like a mere chicken—that’s just inhuman!”

Staring at the Baobao Phoenix in Ye Qiu’s hand, Tun Tianque suddenly felt a chill down his spine, tightening with fear. “This is bad! Now he’s developed a taste for this? Does that mean he’ll roast me next?”

Tun Tianque was terrified and slipped silently into a shadowed corner, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

Unaware of their thoughts, Ye Qiu glared at Cao He and snapped, “You fool, what are you standing there for? Go boil the water!”

“Cluck cluck…” The Baobao Phoenix panicked at the mention of boiling water, flapping wildly, struggling to break free.

Creatures of this caliber were usually sentient; it knew Ye Qiu intended to eat it and was terrified, its face turning green with dread.

Regretting ever venturing out, it thought it would have been far safer to stay quietly in the backyard.

Yet, no matter how much it struggled, it could not escape Ye Qiu’s grasp.

At that moment, Cao He hurried over, took the Baobao Phoenix, and without hesitation, began plucking its feathers.

“Good heavens, plucking alive? So brutal! Someone stop this—he’s killing a chicken! Is there no one to intervene?”

The Baobao Phoenix was left sorrowful and hopeless. It had hoped to enjoy peaceful twilight years in this unassuming tavern but had not escaped the fate of being roasted.

The commotion reached the ears of other small creatures in the backyard. A koi fish leapt from its pond in alarm.

“Everyone, the Baobao Phoenix is being roasted! He’s finally made his move! Run for your lives!”

“What? The Baobao Phoenix has been roasted? That’s it, I’m next!” a frightened mountain goat exclaimed.

From a burrow, a bamboo rat crawled out, dazed, and said, “No way. Last time, he said I was suffering heatstroke and planned to roast me by the river. But he didn’t follow through. Why attack now all of a sudden?”

“Who knows? This guy has no principles. He just does whatever he wants. You can’t predict his mind. Run now or it’ll be too late…”

In an instant, Ye Qiu’s backyard erupted into chaos. Goats, ducks, fish, bamboo rats, pigs, monkeys—every kind of animal grew agitated and burst from their homes.

“Everyone calm down…” Suddenly, a monkey spoke up. The other animals paused, and a pig asked, “Little Stone Monkey, what do you mean?”

This was no ordinary monkey but a stone monkey, born from a rock Ye Qiu had found long ago. He called it Sun Wukong, hoping it would be formidable and cherished.

Yet after more than ten years, it remained unchanged, seemingly no different.

What Ye Qiu did not know was just how many skills the little stone monkey had mastered over the years. Beneath the immortal realm, few could rival it.

It simply dared not reveal its strength in front of Ye Qiu.

The stone monkey explained, “Since we’re all running for our lives, why not raid his study for treasures? That way, once we’re out, we’ll have protective talismans.”

“Good idea!”

The suggestion was met with unanimous approval. Within minutes, Ye Qiu’s study was ransacked.

Weapons, paintings, books—all were overturned as these little creatures each seized suitable treasures for themselves.

Fortunately, they showed some conscience and only took what they could use; otherwise, Ye Qiu would truly be ruined.

“Hmm?” At that moment, Yue Chan, standing by the window of the tavern’s front hall, suddenly sensed a ripple of energy from behind. She asked curiously, “Do you raise mountain chickens back there? Or do you have other things too?”

Ye Qiu was momentarily stunned, his heart wary. Could she have taken notice of his treasures?

No, he could never tell her about the myriad animals hidden in his backyard. If she expressed a desire to eat them, how could he refuse?

Saying no would be awkward; saying yes, he could not bear to part with them.

After a pause, Ye Qiu replied cautiously, “Why do you ask?”

“Nothing, just curious…”

Yue Chan dismissed it, uninterested, and decided to ignore it. She had wanted to warn Ye Qiu but found he was unreceptive.