Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoqiang's mood eased considerably. He nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go take a look. If the talent is truly good, we can consider cultivating them with focus."
After Zhang Xiaoqiang got into the car, Chen Yanqing glanced at Peng Chuzheng beside him and whispered, "Don't anger Master in the future. You're not him, and you don't know how serious the consequences of his anger can be."
"I..." Peng Chuzheng felt wronged and helpless.
If Master hadn't been unwilling to delegate power, allowing the elders of the sect to handle these matters, would he be this tired?
Could the Yan Shu Sect truly be considered a sect anymore?
Half of the sect members were former members of the underworld and prisoners.
Peng Chuzheng felt helpless, but he could only keep these thoughts to himself.
Early morning~
Yu Daochen was still fast asleep when Yu Shuntian yanked him up, "Good grandson, the sun is already shining on your backside. Hurry and get up."
Yu Daochen rubbed his still groggy eyes, "What time is it?"
For the past few days, he had been worried about those two fellows and hadn't slept a good night's sleep.
It was a rare chance to return to his old home and get a good night's sleep.
"I've already cooked noodles. Go light some incense for your parents and grandmother, then come and eat. They'll get cold and won't taste good if you wait," Yu Shuntian said before walking out of the room.
"Okay," Yu Daochen replied as he sat up. The burden on his shoulders instantly felt much lighter.
Sleep could not only replenish physical strength but also heal a wounded soul.
As the saying goes, there's nothing a good nap can't fix. If it can't, it just means you haven't slept enough.
When facing troubles, sleep it off, and all the unpleasantness will pass.
He went to the memorial tablets of his parents and grandmother, lit nine incense sticks, and inserted them into the iron bowl holding the ashes. Then, he knelt and kowtowed three times.
"Mom, Dad, Grandma, Yu Daochen is here to offer incense. I hope you are all well in the afterlife."
For people in their line of work, offering incense was rare. Apart from paying respects to parents and one's own ancestors, they rarely offered incense.
This was because they knew that offering incense to Buddha for protection was meaningless.
If the heavens truly had eyes, there would be no evil spirits in the human world.
He went to the main hall, where Yu Shuntian had already brought out the noodles.
Yu Daochen sat down at the table, and Yu Shuntian handed him the chopsticks, "Eat while it's hot. Grandpa's cooking is still good. Your father loved my noodles when he was a child."
Taking the chopsticks, Yu Daochen looked at the clear broth noodles with chives and two fried eggs in the bowl. A happy smile appeared on his face, but his heart felt a sense of helplessness.
He couldn't taste anything at all.
Ever since he lost his sense of taste, Yu Daochen's meals had become more casual.
If Yu Yijun, that little girl, wasn't at the shop, he would just make do with something simple.
Sometimes it was a pack of instant noodles, and sometimes it was just two steamed buns.
It wasn't that he was short of money, but rather that he preferred a simpler life.
After all, no matter how high-quality the ingredients were, he wouldn't know their taste. Apart from the texture, they were no different from steamed buns.
However, it had to be said that even though he couldn't taste, he was an excellent cook.
Yu Yijun, that little girl, always praised his cooking.
But because she was spoiled with snacks, the girl only ate a little each time.
This habit needed to be corrected.
Yu Daochen began to eat. Yu Shuntian, who was beside him, also picked up his chopsticks and started eating. Suddenly, he asked, "How is it? Are Grandpa's noodles delicious?"
Yu Daochen was taken aback, unsure what his grandfather meant, but he still nodded and said, "Yes, they're delicious."
"As long as they're delicious," Yu Shuntian nodded, a meaningful expression on his face.
Yu Daochen glanced at the backpack beside him, his brow furrowed. He asked, "Grandpa, are you going out?"
Yu Shuntian nodded and smiled, "That's right, I'm going out for a while. I'll be back in about a week."
Yu Daochen immediately asked, "Is it something important? Is it dangerous?"
Yu Shuntian coughed slightly, a hint of awkwardness in his voice, "It's not a big deal. I'm worried about that little girl being alone at the shop, so I'm going to stay with her for a few days. You should rest well for a few days. Your current state of mind isn't suitable for cultivation. Rushing it will be counterproductive."
"This... (So love disappears, right?)"
Yu Daochen was instantly speechless. "It's still early. You can eat lunch before you go."
Upon hearing the mention of cooking, Yu Shuntian immediately refused, "There's no time to delay. The roads in the village are not good, so I should set off quickly."
Yu Daochen was completely bewildered.
The roads in this village were all paved with cement. How could they be bad?
Even large trucks could drive in. How could they not be passable?
Moreover, there was a bus to the county town every half hour.
He felt that his grandfather was hiding something from him.
"Grandpa, please eat lunch first..." Before Yu Daochen could finish his sentence, Yu Shuntian immediately stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and said,
"There's no time to delay, I'm leaving immediately. That little girl is probably waiting impatiently."
Yu Daochen was confused but still nodded, "Then Grandpa, be careful. Call me if anything happens."
Yu Shuntian nodded, turned, and left without looking back, as if his grandson wasn't there.
Yu Daochen felt a little helpless, thinking that his grandfather seemed to dote on that little girl.
He walked outside the door and Yu Shuntian let out a long sigh, "Finally, I don't have to eat this kid's cooking anymore."
This old man had wandered the martial world for so many years, seen all sorts of storms, and no ghosts or monsters had managed to kill him.
But he was almost salted to death by his good grandson's cooking.
However, speaking of which, how heavy was this kid's palate?
Half of one dish was salt.
Although it looked good, the moment it entered his mouth, it was life-threatening.
There's an old saying, "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice."
He thought it was just a joke, but if he had to eat his grandson's cooking for another six months, this saying would truly become a reality.
Last night's meal was so salty that he couldn't eat it.
But out of consideration that it was the first meal his good grandson had cooked for him, he gritted his teeth and finished it all.
That meal was the most painful experience of his life.
That night, he didn't know how much water he drank or how many times he went to the toilet.
You could imagine how salty it was.
"Beep—"
His phone suddenly vibrated. Yu Shuntian took out his phone and opened WeChat.
It showed a message from the little girl.
(Great-grandpa, did you escape? *^_^* )
Yu Shuntian's old face broke into a smile, and he typed a few words back.
(I escaped. Your dad's cooking is truly awful!)
A moment later, the little girl sent another message.
(I eat like that normally, and not just one or two meals, but every meal like that o＞_＜o.)
Yu Shuntian now deeply understood the suffering the little girl had endured. He typed a few more words back.
(It's tough on you, girl. No, Great-grandpa needs to eat a hot pot to rinse his mouth.)