The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 183: Master, I've Given Up Spicy Food

With no one around, Mo Ran pulled Chu Wanning into an alley behind the Netherworld Empress's temple. The alley was unusually narrow; if another Mo Ran were to stand there, there would be no space left.

Stroking his peach, Chu Wanning glared at him.

Perhaps after enduring and holding back for too long, this young man filled with vitality couldn't control himself anymore. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his black eyes shining as he gazed intently at Chu Wanning. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled Chu Wanning into his embrace.

"My peach—!"

It was too late to say anything. The plump, juicy fruit tumbled to the ground, rolling into a corner, motionless.

"Master." The man's hot breath brushed against Chu Wanning's ear, torturous and eager. Yet, his tone remained composed, with a hint of restraint beneath the heat. His voice was slightly hoarse from desire, but he still didn't do anything more.

He simply held him tightly, whispering in a low, rough voice, "I'm suffering."

Chu Wanning's eyes widened abruptly. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

Mo Ran was initially taken aback, then he laughed. He caught Chu Wanning's hand, which was trying to feel his forehead for a fever, and kissed it.

Chu Wanning frowned in worry. "If you're sick, we should go see Elder Taixuan."

"Seeing him would be useless," Mo Ran said helplessly. "We need to see Little White Cabbage."

Only then did Chu Wanning realize what was happening, and his face immediately tensed up. He blushed with anger. "Who are you calling white cabbage?"

Mo Ran chuckled. "I was wrong."

Pausing for a moment, he then gazed at Chu Wanning with his moist, dark eyes.

"But Shifu, I missed you."

With Mo Ran hugging him and those eyes staring at him, Chu Wanning's anger at being called "Little White Cabbage" had nowhere to go but to turn into a faint blush on his ears. After a while, he said, "…We just ate at the same table."

"That doesn't count."

"…"

"Master, I just want to stay with you a little longer. Every time after you finish eating, you leave on your own, blending into the crowd where I can't even touch you..."

There was a hint of vulnerability in the man's voice.

"Stay with me a bit longer, don't go back yet."

Chu Wanning felt his cheeks grow hotter under the young man's words, his heart flustered. Not to mention, Mo Ran's aura was so intense, powerful, and eager. Being held tightly by him, he found himself unable to say a single word in the end.

Mo Ran murmured, "Master, let me hold you a while longer..."

For the two of them, finding natural alone time at the Summit of Life and Death was not easy. Especially recently, with visits from major sects increasing, Chu Wanning was often dragged away by Xue Zhengyong for consultations. Thus, the chances they had to meet were even fewer.

It was already hard enough to sit close during meals, always worrying about the bustling crowd around them. They feared that any slightest misstep would be noticed by sharp-eyed disciples, so since their confession, they had barely had the chance to hold hands.

After so much self-restraint, it was no wonder Mo Ran couldn't bear it anymore.

As dusk fell, more people emerged from the Netherworld Hall. A group of giggling female cultivators passed by the alley, accidentally bumping into Elder Xuan Ji's firelight rat. The tiny rodent, with its flaming tail tip, scurried around wildly, causing everyone to burst into laughter. Amidst this commotion, Chu Wanning grew restless, gently pushing Mo Ran.

"Let's go out."

"Just a little longer..."

"Someone will be coming soon. Leave."

Chu Wanning was, after all, accustomed to a life of secluded cultivation. Even if he was disoriented, he wouldn't lose his senses. Mo Ran sighed and, as he wished, released his arms from around him. Chu Wanning immediately stepped out of the dim, narrow alleyway and turned back to look at him.

"What are you still doing there?"

Mo Ran coughed softly, seemingly a bit awkward. He said, "Master, please go ahead. I'll stand here for a moment longer."

Confused, Chu Wanning was about to say something when he noticed that Mo Ran's tanned, handsome face seemed to have flushed slightly, and his dark, sparkling eyes were flickering like anxious stars in a clear night sky.

Suddenly, he understood what was happening. His gaze involuntarily drifted downward. When he saw a certain part, his ears rang, and he blushed fiercely, exclaiming, "You... You're just..." Before he could finish, he suddenly flung his sleeves and stormed off, seeming to emit steam from his head.

For more than ten days, they continued this cat-and-mouse game. Even though Mo Ran, the tamed wolf, had become gentle, the fiery blood in his veins grew stronger with each passing day, like the winds before a storm. During daily morning and evening practices, he gazed at Elder Yu Heng on the platform with desire that was impossible to conceal, becoming more obvious each day.

When one was infatuated with someone, no amount of effort could hide their love.

Occasionally, Xue Meng would accidentally catch sight of Mo Ran's gaze and jump in surprise. He would look at Mo Ran, then at Chu Wanning. As simple-minded as a phoenix, he never thought of any ulterior motives and thus became increasingly perplexed, unable to discern the emotions shimmering in Mo Ran's eyes.

Xue Meng only had an intuitive sense of discomfort, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

One morning during cultivation, taking advantage of the absence of others, Xue Meng softly called out to Mo Ran, "Hey, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"Has Shifu fallen ill?"

Mo Ran was startled. "Why do you say that? Where does Shifu seem unwell? How come I didn't know?"

"You didn't know?" Xue Meng touched his chin. "That's strange. Then why have you been looking at him so much lately, always with such a caring expression?"

"..." Hearing Xue Meng's words, Mo Ran finally understood. He coughed softly and looked down, saying, "What are you thinking about? Don't curse Shifu like that."

"I'm not cursing him." After a pause, he muttered, "Then why have you been staring at him all the time?"

"You're mistaken."

"I'm not blind."

"You're blind."

"I'm blind? Then you're a dog!"

Two grown men in their twenties were bickering childishly. Upon hearing the commotion from afar, Chu Wanning, standing on the dais, glanced down with a cool and detached expression. The two instantly fell silent, lowering their heads to copy and recite the herbal scrolls before them, though their elbows still pressed against each other in a subtle contest of strength. Mo Ran, after a moment of resistance, abruptly relaxed his grip and withdrew his hand without warning.

Xue Meng, having exerted too much force, suddenly lost Mo Ran's obstruction and tumbled onto him with a loud thud.

Mo Ran burst into laughter, "Hahaha."

Enraged, Xue Meng ignored the serene atmosphere around them and raised his voice, "You have no shame! You ambushed me!"

"Mo Weiyu, Xue Ziming," Chu Wanning's patience was wearing thin at the sight of his disciples embarrassing themselves. He lifted his phoenix eyes, knitted his brows, and spoke in a low, stern tone, "If you want to argue, do it outside. Don't disturb everyone else's meditation here."

"Yes, Master." Mo Ran immediately composed himself.

Reluctantly, Xue Meng also fell silent. Still fuming, he felt that his fall had been rather humiliating. After some thought, he tore off a small piece of paper, wrote a few bold characters on it, crumpled it up, and tossed it towards Mo Ran's desk.

"Pat."

To his surprise, the paper ball sailed over the top, landing in a delicate, fair hand that picked it up from between the open book pages. Shi Mo unfolded the crumpled paper with a puzzled frown, glancing at the scribbled words.

---

"You're staring again! Do you have some ulterior motive? Are you trying to get Master to pass on his unique cultivation techniques to you?!"

Below these words was a drawing of a dog, crossed out with a heavy black mark.

Shi Mo: "............"

After the morning meditation session, Xue Zhengyong approached Chu Wanning. He mentioned that after several investigations in Lin Yi, it had been confirmed that due to the disaster caused by the inferno, the area would be uninhabitable for the next five years. Thus, the refugees they brought from the Upper cultivation realm now needed to be settled within the villages under the jurisdiction of Death and Life Peak.

"I've already arranged for assistance in settling those I brought back in Impermanence Town, Fung Ho Town, and White Water Village," Xue Zhengyong said. "And the ones you and Ah Ran brought back."

"The villagers you brought should indeed be settled in Jade Cool Village," Chu Wanning replied.

Xue Zhengyong nodded. "Jade Cool is not too far away. You should go sooner rather than later. There are quite a few people to settle, and Meng doesn't have a grasp of such logistics. I'll ask Shi Mo to accompany you; he can lend a hand."

Chu Wanning responded, "...Alright."

To the villagers of Jade Cool Village, Chu Wanning and Mo Ran were already familiar faces. The village chief, having received news from Xue Zhengyong two days prior, had been waiting at the entrance since early morning for the Immortal Lords of Death and Life Peak to arrive. Miss Ling'er was also there. It had been a while since they last met, and she had blossomed into an even more lovely young woman. Upon seeing Mo Ran, she hurried over to greet him.

Mo Ran was somewhat surprised but still smiled. "Miss Ling'er hasn't gone to the Upper cultivation realm?"

"No, I'm glad I didn't," Ling'er said, patting her ample chest in relief. "If I had gone to Lin Yi, I might not have made it out alive. For now, it's safer for me to stay in the Lower cultivation realm. Our village has been improving these days... In the past, we yearned to go up to the Upper realm, but this is the first time we've seen people from the Upper realm coming down here. I'm staying, I'm staying."

"That's right," someone agreed upon hearing her words. "Life is like a revolving mountain and flowing water. With Lord Xue around, perhaps in another ten or twenty years, people from the Upper realm will be clamoring to come here."

Shi Mo spoke softly, "The Lower cultivation realm has suffered for a hundred years, but as the saying goes, there's always a riverbank on the other side, and an end to the sea. It can't be that only we have been enduring hardship. Now, it's our turn to enjoy better days."

As he spoke, he distributed the herbal ointment that Madame Wang had asked him to bring, and Mo Ran took a jar to examine it. He noticed the snake emblem of Solitary Moon Night on it and was surprised. "This... is medicine made by Cold Scale Holy Hand?"

"Mm, it was sent by Sect Leader Jiang some days ago," Chu Wanning replied.

Hearing this, Mo Ran murmured, "Jiang Xi is better at giving gifts than the Flame Torch Pavilion. There are many ghosts and demons in Sichuan, so they must be lacking in spirit medicines. Lord Xue would definitely accept such gifts."

"Indeed," Mo Ran continued. "And all of them are elixirs refined by Cold Scale Holy Hand. If I may exaggerate, they can even revive the dead and heal broken bones. Sigh..."

He left the rest unsaid—sigh, Jiang Xi is really rich.

Back in the Xuan Yuan Pavilion, Chu Wanning had only purchased a few bottles of the Dream-devouring Fragrance, and they were priced at two million five hundred thousand. Yet, when Sect Leader Jiang waved his hand, he gifted them an entire carriage full.

Mo Ran quietly put the medicine jar back into his bag, sighing inwardly. The Confucian Wind Sect was indeed finished, but the next one to rise would clearly be Solitary Moon Night. It wouldn't be the Summit of Life and Death's turn for a long time. The Lower cultivation world's resurgence might take a hundred years.

After a busy day, it was evening when the necessities for the former residents of Lin Yi were arranged, and their houses were cleaned. The three disciples prepared to leave, but the village chief insisted on inviting them to share a meal. Unable to refuse such a sincere invitation, they followed him to the Ancestral Hall of Jade Cool Village.

The village's ancestral hall was always used for significant events, like New Year's Eve feasts or watching operas during Lantern Festival. On this day, with many Upper cultivators settling down in Jade Cool Village, the villagers had prepared over thirty tables of food, including roasted lamb and beef, steamed rice, and noodles, as a welcoming gesture.

Surprisingly, the village chief remembered that Chu Wanning didn't eat spicy food, so he arranged a table of mild dishes, inviting Elder Yu Heng and those from Lin Yi who couldn't handle spiciness.

These people had been rescued by Mo Ran and Chu Wanning, and they had met the cold Lord Mo on the Island of Fluttering Petals. However, knowing him was one thing, sitting down to eat with him was another. Everyone at the table was tense. Out of etiquette, they couldn't get up and change seats, making the meal very awkward. While other tables laughed and drank, theirs was silent, with everyone quietly picking at their food.

Mo Ran, skilled in cooking, helped in the kitchen until the last dish was served. He emerged from the kitchen, his honey-colored face glistening with a fine sheen of sweat, his eyes bright, and his nose straight, making him stand out among the crowd.

"Steamed soup dumplings are here!" cried the auntie, holding a large tray piled high with small steaming baskets. Her voice boomed. "Each table gets a share, twelve per table, six with chive and pork filling, and six with mushroom and pork. Enjoy them while they're hot!"

With a smile, Mo Ran helped the auntie distribute the steamed dumplings to each table.

"Thank you, Lord Mo!"

"Thank you, Lord Mo!"

A child who was familiar with Mo Ran chimed in, "Thank you, Little Rain brother!"

Ling'er's gaze lingered on him, unable to look away, even though she knew he didn't like her and never would. She couldn't help but watch him—

Well, it couldn't hurt to look, after all.

"Thank you, Lord Mo," she whispered, her rosy lips parting softly as she expressed her gratitude.

Mo Ran smiled at her, a bright and unguarded smile that held no hint of ambiguity, making Ling'er, who had tried to sneak a glance, feel a little embarrassed. She lowered her head bashfully.

There were only two tables left: one with Chu Wanning, the other with Shi Mo. They had different tastes and thus didn't sit together. Mo Ran first delivered to Chu Wanning's table, where the latter frowned and said, "Stop bustling about; the food will get cold."

When he brought the food to Shi Mo's table, the latter smiled and said, "Ar Ran truly has skilled hands. Thank you."

"Haha, not much, really. I just lent an old lady a hand."

As Mo Ran turned to leave, Shi Mo thought he was going to fetch another bowl, so he made room on the bench and offered, "Sit here. I ordered an extra bowl earlier, so you don't need to get one."

Mo Ran paused, then scratched his head and chuckled. "I'll sit at Master's table."

"...When did you stop eating spicy food? That table is for those who don't eat spicy."

"I've quit," Mo Ran said.

Shi Mo fell silent for a moment, his eyes dark but suddenly lit up with a smile. "I've heard of giving up alcohol and tobacco, but never chili peppers."

"In fact, it's not really quitting. I haven't had it in so long that I don't crave it anymore," Mo Ran waved at Shi Mo before dashing towards the kitchen with a grin. "I'll get a bowl. You behave and eat, or your soup dumplings will get cold."

Author's Note: Mo Ran says, "I'm going to quit spicy food."

Chu Wanning responds, "Why torture yourself?"

Junior Apprentice Sister comments, "It won't matter if you give up spice. You can't mimic Master's taste for sweets; he loves excessively sweet things."

Xue Mengmeng remarks, "I'll never understand gay guys. Why involve my beloved chili peppers in your love life?"

Chili Pepper cries out, "Quack?"