After obtaining the sand sculpture of Xitian Temple, Yun Mengmeng couldn’t stop fondling it. It was exquisitely crafted and perfectly captured the temple’s appearance before the battle.

“Did something happen to Xitian Temple? Why is it no longer intact?”

Lu Yang slammed his fist against his thigh, his voice filled with indignation. “It’s all because of Great Qian’s Timekeeper Divine Lord. He attacked Xitian Temple for his own selfish gain and reduced it to ruins.”

“How could he be like that? That’s so despicable.” Yun Mengmeng felt outraged on the Xitian Temple’s behalf. The Timekeeper Divine Lord is truly a bad peach.

“Right? I think so, too.” Lu Yang concurred.

Just then, Gan Tian walked over. Hearing their conversation, a peculiar expression crossed her face, but she made no comments.

“Big Senior Sister said that this is the first time that four of us disciples are gathered together, so we should all have a meal tonight. Little Junior Brother, she asked if you have time to barbecue tonight?”

“Of course, I have time. Why would Big Senior Sister think otherwise?”

“She said you might be too busy going around boasting about becoming an immortal in the Buddhist Kingdom.”

Lu Yang’s eyelids twitched. Big Senior Sister really knows me well.

“Second-in-Command, you’ve become an immortal?” Yun Mengmeng gazed at Lu Yang with admiration. As expected of the Second-in-Command! He’s so capable!

Lu Yang couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at his lips. “To be honest, it was all forced by circumstances. Let’s go down the mountain to buy some ingredients. I’ll explain on the way...”

~~~

By the time Lu Yang and Yun Mengmeng returned from shopping, the sky was already getting dark. Lu Yang carried ingredients he had taken for free from One More Time Barbeque Shop, while Yun Mengmeng had brought dishes from the Hundred Fragrance Restaurant.

Ye Zijin set up a long table and arranged the Hundred Fragrance Restaurant’s dishes on it. Lu Yang tossed out his Three Flavor True Fire and began grilling skewers, something he hadn’t done in a long while. Soon, the aroma of barbeque wafted across the mountain.

Gan Tian fiddled with her guqin and infused it with spirit energy. Soft, unhurried music began to play without anyone plucking the strings. Though not as melodious as if Gan Tian had played it herself, it still carried seventy or eighty percent of her charm. This tune was known to aid breakthroughs. A single performance would be priceless and hard to come by in the outside world.

“Third Junior Sister, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to leave our shifu out of our gathering?”

Gan Tian continued to fiddle with her guqin, not turning around. “Who knows where the old man is right now? Even if we call him back, it would be too late, wouldn’t it?”

“Your senior brother has an idea.”

Ye Zijin placed a portrait of the Taciturn Daoist Priest at the end of the table, placing wine and dishes before it as a display of filial piety.

“This is much better.”

“Barbeque skewers are ready!” Lu Yang called out like a seasoned vendor, bringing over two large plates of grilled skewers. He even kindly set a few aside and placed them before the portrait.

Yun Zhi arrived late, and her presence signaled that their dinner had officially begun.

Yun Zhi, Lu Yang, and Yun Mengmeng sat in one row, while Ye Zijin and Gan Tian sat across from them. The five raised their cups to celebrate the reunion of fellow disciples under the same shifu.

“To our shifu, who is far beyond the horizon.”

“Shifu, can you see it? All four of your disciples have returned.”

“Shifu, all four of your disciples have made something of themselves.”

Ye Zijin took a bite of a skewer, and his eyes widened. “Little Junior Brother, your barbecue skills are truly something! If I’d known you were this good, I wouldn’t have treated you to that paste hotpot in Xitian City. You could have treated me to barbeque skewers instead!”

After centuries of being tormented by the Buddhist Kingdom, Ye Zijin’s taste buds finally began to recover upon tasting the barbeque skewers that had taken Great Xia by storm.

Damn, what the hell was I eating all those years in the Buddhist Kingdom?!

Yun Mengmeng ate with both hands, wishing she could manifest three heads and six arms. Her lips were covered in barbeque seasoning, but even then, she didn’t forget her good sister. “Little Zhi, let’s toast.”

Yun Zhi picked up her teacup and gently clinked it against hers.

Yun Mengmeng downed her peach juice in one gulp and sighed with emotion. “Little Zhi, I never imagined you’d meet so many people out here. Back home, you always had your nose buried in a book and barely spoke to anyone. When you left with that bad peach, I was really quite worried about you.

“It’s really wonderful that you’ve met so many people.” Yun Mengmeng was genuinely happy for her good sister.

“Big Senior Sister, let me toast to you, too. My achievements today are thanks to your help.” Lu Yang seized the opportunity to clink cups with Yun Zhi and express his gratitude.

Gan Tian also raised her cup. “Big Senior Sister, when our shifu was away, you guided me in my cultivation. Whenever I ran into problems in the Demon Region, you resolved them for me. Thank you.”

“We’re fellow disciples; it’s what I should do. There’s no need for thanks.”

The two clinked cups.

“Big Senior Sister, let me toast to you. If you hadn’t sent me to train in the Buddhist Kingdom, my cultivation wouldn’t have advanced so quickly. It’s only today that I truly understand your painstaking intentions.”

“Second Junior Brother, you exaggerate. The Buddhist Kingdom is barren, and you’ve spent all these years training while searching for clues about the Epoch Immortal. It hasn’t been easy on you. Now that you’re back, focus on your cultivation at the sect in peace.”

Ye Zijin was meticulous and knew that Yun Zhi’s greatest taboo was her age, which was why he had ended up in the Buddhist Kingdom. This time, I’ll be sure to flatter Big Senior Sister in a way that pleases her.

“What are you saying, Big Senior Sister? At such a young age, you’ve been managing the sect in our shifu’s stead. You’re the one who’s had it the toughest.”

Clang. Lu Yang’s teacup fell onto the table without him even realizing it. His mouth hung open as he stared at Ye Zijin in a daze.

Second Senior Brother, so there’s a reason you were banished to the Buddhist Kingdom. Lu Yang subtly edged to his right, closer to Yun Mengmeng and farther from Yun Zhi. If Big Senior Sister really decides to act, I’ll quickly hide behind Yun Mengmeng.

~~~

Ye Zijin was someone who couldn’t stay idle. Unwilling to remain in the sect, he voluntarily requested to go out for training. By the time Lu Yang emerged from seclusion, Ye Zijin was already gone, leaving only a letter behind, not even giving him a chance to say goodbye.

“By the way, Second-in-Command, I forgot to give you these yesterday. These storage rings are yours.” Yun Mengmeng fished out several storage rings.

Lu Yang took the storage rings in puzzlement and found them packed with spirit stones.

“Where did all these spirit stones come from?!”

“They were sent by the Qiongqi Tribe. They said the recording orb business is doing well and that they want to give you a ten percent share. You were away, so Little Zhi said I should hold onto them for you and give them back when you return.”

“I see. It seems that Senior Jin Caiwei’s business is doing well.” If Yun Mengmeng hadn’t mentioned it, Lu Yang would have almost forgotten that he had once suggested Jin Caiwei create three-dimensional recording orbs.

“If I’d known that three-dimensional recording orbs existed, I would have used one to record my battle with the Timekeeper Divine Lord!” Lu Yang was overwhelmed with regret. If not for the need to keep my identity as the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign a secret, I would have made millions of copies and handed them out for free on the streets.

“The Qiongqi Tribe is finally doing well. Xiao Yangzi, by giving them advice, you now bear a share of the karma from their business.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy popped out, feeling quite moved. I never imagined the little tiger would one day earn money through commerce.

“It must be that your fate profile is tough enough to suppress the Qiongqi Tribe’s fate of poverty, Xiao Yangzi.”

Yun Mengmeng curiously asked, “Second-in-Command, if your fate profile is so tough, why does something happen everywhere you go?”

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy waved her hand. “That’s because their fate profiles aren’t tough enough.”