Settled

Chapter 191 Settled

And so, after being given a huge fuss by his second uncle, the once-thriving hot pot restaurant, even after reopening, didn't feel as popular as before. Not only did it have to be renovated and decorated, but it also had to apologize to the diners whose meals had been disturbed.

Fortunately, Fang Shi had already made arrangements for fellow shopkeepers; otherwise, who knows how many people would have taken advantage of the situation.

"Master, don't worry. After things calm down in a couple of days, those who want to come will still come to eat."

That evening, Zhu Huan'e, who had been forced to work hard for several days, leaned back in her seat, looking somewhat haggard.

Although she had broken free from her past constraints, she faced even greater pressure. While she disliked the old rules of that family, she did not intend to abandon it. On the contrary, she hoped to use her own strength to change the outdated rules of the Xuandan Sect, so that everyone in the sect could be treated equally, without any inherent superiority or inferiority.

Although women of the Fire element are physically weaker, they have an advantage in alchemy. Their flames are more controlled, allowing for more precise control over the internal workings of the alchemy furnace. If male and female alchemists could cooperate and help each other, the Xuan Dan Sect would certainly be in a better position than it is now.

If you simply want to convey this idea to those within the sect, you won't get any listeners if you don't have the resources to do so.

Thinking of this, Zhu Huan'e mustered her spirits and sat up straighter.

Fang Shi thought his master was busy again and was about to try to persuade him, but his master turned around and looked at him, and then softened.

"Xiao Fang, can you give me a shoulder massage?"

"Oh, okay." Fang Shi came behind the chair and, looking down at his master, massaged his shoulders.

I had a feeling that this angle was a bit off. It was as if my master was doing it on purpose, his neck relaxed and his head was leaning back on my arm. I could feel his warm breath falling on the back of my hand, which was very soothing.

Hmm—Master has been getting more and more casual lately. Even if he's tired, he shouldn't be like this.

Having no other choice, Fang Shi, who respected his teacher, kindly reminded him, "Master, you're tired, why don't you rest early?"

"It's alright," Zhu Huan'e sighed lazily. "Just keep kneading it like that."

After saying that, the master gently rubbed his cheek against the ground, and then stopped moving after getting a more comfortable feeling.

Fang Shi: "..."

Putting aside other miscellaneous matters, if Master falls asleep, who will stop him? He's not a massage chair that can be turned on by electricity.

Zhu Zhu, come here quickly!

Bang! Just as you say "Zhu Zhu," Zhu Zhu arrives.

Zhu Zhu walked in angrily from outside, picked up the spiritual fruit on the coffee table and started to gnaw on it. Ever since Fang Shi came here, there has never been a shortage of spiritual fruit on the plate.

Disturbed by her, Zhu Huan'e could no longer pretend to ignore it and enjoy her leisure time with Xiao Fang. She opened her eyes and asked Zhu Zhu what was wrong.

When Fang Shi saw that his savior had arrived, he tried to sneakily withdraw his hand, but Zhu Huan'e pressed it back onto her fragrant shoulder without making a sound.

"Tch—" Zhu Zhu noticed the two's ambiguous little actions, clicked her tongue, and started talking about her own affairs, "It's all because of my father, that stinky old man. He practiced evil magic and went into a qi deviation, and was paralyzed in bed for several days. In the last few days, when I brought him food, he was unhappy. When we met, he told me not to be like Sister Zhu, and he kept saying nasty things and being picky."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Huan'e could only sigh, "My second uncle has practiced evil arts. I wonder if my father has as well—if that's the case, what righteous sect is the Xuandan Sect? What about the ancestral precepts and rules that have been passed down to us?"

Since Zhu Lie was subdued by Fang Shi the day before yesterday, his recovery has been extremely slow. Although Fang Shi absorbed the white flame, the main reason is that he himself had recklessly practiced evil magic and had some abnormalities.

Zhu Lie has now been detained by the Ministry of War of Emerald City, because the Fire Control Puppet is an absolutely evil technique that is intolerable to the righteous sects. In addition, he caused trouble and vandalized shops in the city, so he should be punished according to the law.

Ordinary people would be questioned after being tortured, but since he is the second-in-command of the Xuandan Sect and has a cooperative relationship with the Ministry of War, he needs to be temporarily imprisoned and a decision can be made after negotiations with the Xuandan Sect.

Of course, given the resources of Emerald City, the Xuan Dan Sect is merely a partner; they may or may not exist.

If the practice of evil arts was solely Zhu Lie's doing, then Emerald City and the Xuan Dan Sect will jointly punish him in public to restore their reputation. Otherwise, the Xuan Dan Sect's name will have to be removed from the city's register, and the alchemy shops will have to change hands to other alchemy sects or families.

Generally speaking, even officials wouldn't want this, since elixirs are a crucial part of military supplies, and it's best to avoid any supply gaps at any time. Fang Shi asked, "Zhu Zhu, it's been so many days, haven't we heard any news from home yet?"

"No." Zhu Zhu was a little angry just now, but now she seemed a little down.

She did hate her father, Zhu Lie, but unlike Zhu Huan'e, she hadn't broken free from the family rules and still felt uneasy.

Ultimately, regardless of what happened at home, her father's fate was sealed. The Heartfire Evil Technique was a heart-nourishing elixir that absorbed the heartfire of others to replenish one's own.

Those with excessive internal heat will experience mild symptoms such as weakened heart function, frequent illnesses, and a short lifespan; in severe cases, they may die from heart failure on the spot.

Zhu Lie will either be severed ties by his family and executed by both sides' envoys, or the Xuandan Sect will be designated as an evil sect, and Zhu Lie will still not be released and will be executed on a later date.

Clearly, the Xuan Dan Sect, now in a weakened state, will only choose the former option.

"Sigh—" Zhu Huan'e's face showed worry again. "Although the matter of the evil magic has not yet been made public, if it gets out later, I'm afraid the hot pot restaurant will also be affected."

Fang Shi immediately said, "It's alright, it's alright. Master, you have lived in this city for many years and are already considered a city dweller by the locals."

"But those who usually fawn over the Xuan Dan Sect may not think that way."

"Then Master, you can also break free from the influence of the Xuandan Sect and build your own network of connections."

Zhu Huan'e thought about it and agreed.

Now that her second uncle has passed away, the family dares not send anyone else. She even understands why the family has not forced her to return over the years. It is probably because there are few people left in the sect. The Emerald City Pill Shop, as an important foundation of the sect, has been managed by her for many years and has always been stable and sound. If she leaves, who knows what trouble will arise.

According to Zhu Zhu's recollection, the Xuan Dan Sect's main family is still doing alright. They can survive for a few more years thanks to the support of their unaffected border base, which has given Zhu Huan'e time to accumulate wealth.

"Hmm—Sister Zhu, you must become very powerful so that we can go back together and Zhu Zhu won't have to marry someone randomly."

Zhu Zhu's nose tingled with sadness. Once her father was punished, her mother's situation at home would likely become difficult—her father was strict and rigid towards her, but her mother had always been kind to her, and she didn't want her mother to suffer any injustice.

Zhu Huan'e comforted her, "Don't worry, we'll work hard together from now on. Your mother and your brothers and sisters are here, so don't worry."

After all, it's a cultivation world with a wide age range, so it's not unusual for a couple to have three or four children.

However, Fang Shi sighed silently as he listened to Zhu Huan'e say "let's work together".

Now that the hot pot restaurant is basically on the right track, the master has a new self, and he has also learned pharmacology. Everything is in order. How should we say goodbye when he leaves in the future?

Hopefully, it won't be too sad then. All good things must come to an end, and parting is for a better reunion.

This was true for Master and Aunt, and it was also true for Luohe and the others.

>