CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: FAMILY MATTERS OF THREE TO FIVE (PLEASE FOLLOW!)

Nezha, carrying Lv Zhu’er on his back, turned around and whispered, "Daoist Bi Yun, follow me. I’ll take you to the kitchen."

"Alright."

Daoist Bi Yun, with his hair bun up, wore a grey Daoist robe and closely followed behind Nezha. Seeing that Nezha did not take the main path but instead, passed through several narrow alleys and stealthily bypassed two maids who were busy working.

The sun had just set, the night was sparse, and the moonlight that climbed over the high walls cast a dim light on the shoulders of the three.

Bi Yun, who was straightforward and spoke his mind, frowned and asked, "Daoist brother, why are you sneaking around like a thief in your own home?"

Nezha thought to himself, although he did not admit the punishment, he was supposed to be kneeling at the shrine at this hour. If someone talkative were to see him and report to Li Jing, that would surely bring a set of troublesome matters.

He wasn’t afraid of Li Jing, but Lady Yin had been unwell recently, and it wouldn’t be right to cause her more worry over this.

It was better to keep these things to oneself rather than share them with others.

Nezha replied, "Daoist Bi Yun, you don’t know, acting like a thief and actually being a thief are not the same."

"What?"

Bi Yun looked at Nezha, who was holding Lv Zhu, still asleep, behind his back and peeking through a door crack at the maid sweeping outside, his brow furrowing even more.

Nezha continued, "Firstly, although we are acting sneaky, we are in our own home, so it doesn’t count as stealing. Secondly, having the mindset of a thief versus actually stealing are not the same; as the saying goes, a gentleman is open and serene, while a petty man is forever anxious. You and I are clear of heart, so even if we truly stole something, it likely wouldn’t matter."

Bi Yun thought to himself, how can you dare say your heart is clear while looking like that, and why am I feeling so nervous when I haven’t done a thing?

He could only say, "You sure know a lot."

Seeing that the maid who was sweeping had left, happiness appeared on Nezha’s face, and he said, "Of course, but there’s one more thing. Daoist Bi Yun, if we are playing thieves, we should at least talk quietly, okay? Follow me."

The two entered the kitchen. Bi Yun looked around and saw a half ham hanging from the beams, rows of cured meat and dried fish on the shelves, candied fruits, dried fruits, sugar pieces, fine wines, delicacies from the mountains and sea stacked in baskets, a rice bin filled to the brim, and the oil drum brimming with oil, and even the piles of firewood in the corner were neatly stacked.

Bi Yun, who had grown up practicing ascetically with Shi Ji in the mountains, living on mountain dew and drinking wind, and at most roasting some mushrooms secretly in the mountains, which sometimes made him foam at the mouth and nearly die right after eating, had never seen such an abundance of food from the mortal world. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the rich worldly atmosphere, forgetting to even swallow his drool, which trickled down from the corner of his lips.

In his own home, Nezha didn’t hold back. He packed a selection of candied and dried fruits for Bi Yun and cut ten pounds of the finest cured meat as snacks for him.

Bi Yun, while receiving this bundle of food, hesitated and said, "Nezha, this isn’t quite right."

Though his mouth said no, his actions were honest. Nezha gave him a look. At this moment, Lv Zhu’er rubbed her sleepy eyes on his back, waking up drowsily, and said, "Young master, where are we? I dreamed you were cutting cured meat for me."

Nezha quickly sliced a piece of beautifully marbled translucent cured meat and stuffed it into the mouth of the little girl on his back, saying, "If you’re sleepy, continue sleeping."

"Okay, young master."

Lv Zhu’er continued to sleep, but perhaps because the meat was heavily salted during the curing, her face scrunched up from the saltiness, yet she was unwilling to spit it out.

Over here, three "minor thieves" were bustling about, just separated by two courtyards at a certain bedroom.

Li Jing had just rolled off the white belly of Lv Ping and was lying on the bed, his solid chest exposed, eyes vacant as he panted, looking at the ceiling.

As of late, as he aged, coupled with frequent frolicking with his concubines, his body suffered and his physical strength diminished greatly.

Lv Ping, lying beside him, whimpered softly, her coquettish demeanor clearly indicating she remained unsatisfied.

However, although Nezha always cursed Lv Ping as a fool behind her back, at times like these this woman proved to be clever.

She said nothing, gently snuggling into Li Jing’s arms, and said, "Master, didn’t you say we had to hurry on the road to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea? Why have we stopped once we reached home?"

Li Jing patted Lv Ping’s shoulder, knowing well the little schemes of the girl in his arms. Seeing she couldn’t possibly become the legitimate wife of the General’s Mansion, she aimed lower, seeking the status of a concubine.

Honestly, this request was by no means excessive; a concubine’s status at home was hardly higher than a servant maid’s, not to mention their future as they aged and lost their allure.

Li Jing also thought it was not too much, but he had too many considerations on his mind.

Recently, dealing with Fei Zhong and You Hun, both Upper Doctors, had cost no small fortune—his household treasury was drained, and they were somewhat scraping by.

Though owning a large household and business, life was not unbearable, but if it really came to a point of sparing expenses, where would Li Jing put his face?

At that moment, Li Jing remembered Lady Yin’s family was quite wealthy. But considering his recent neglect of Lady Yin due to his favoritism towards Lv Ping, he felt embarrassed to ask her for help, which prompted his journey to Wild Horse Ridge.

While hunting at Wild Horse Ridge, he planned an ’accidental’ death for Lv Ping, truly killing the bird without anyone noticing. Upon returning, he would reunite and mend fences with Lady Yin, performing a prodigal son’s return act.

After all, Lv Ping was just a pretty concubine. There were plenty of beautiful maids at home; if not, the Pearl Gatherers in the nearby fishing villages had been tempting him since his assignment at Chentang Pass, yet he had been too occupied with official duties to make a move.

Li Jing made all these calculations very carefully, but upon reaching Wild Horse Ridge and seeing Lv Ping’s charming demeanor, he couldn’t bring himself to harm her. Just as he steeled himself to act, house guards reported Nezha’s deeds.

Caring more about his pride, Li Jing feared anger from the East Sea, thus, he hurriedly led his men back home.

If truly in a hurry, he should have used the Five Elements Style Technique to reach the East Sea directly, but he carried some hope in his heart, wanting to return home to assess the situation.

The light in the room dimmed, Lv Ping draped a gauze dress over her shoulders and got up to add oil to the lamps. She added, "Master, how this matter ends eventually depends on how you view Nezha."

"How so?"

"If you treat Nezha as your own child, ultimately though he has made a mistake, he only killed a Yaksha in the sea. Haven’t you always said you have old ties with the East Sea Dragon King? Go there to apologize and perhaps propose to patron the rites of the Sea Dragon King again. Considering your face, the Dragon Palace will not be harsh with a child."

Li Jing remained silent; Lu Ping paused before continuing, "If you still have doubts about Nezha’s identity, it makes sense too. Nezha is just a seven-year-old child; even if he’s strong, how could he kill a Yaksha in the sea?"

As she spoke, Li Jing grew more irritated; apologizing would mean going to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea—such an apology could not be a minor one. They might really have to empty the coffers.

He stood up and walked to the window, opened it for some fresh air, and said, "Given what you’ve said, regardless of what I think about Nezha, I must first visit the Dragon Palace of the East Sea to apologize. Alas, the Li Family has been officials through generations with strict family teachings; how did such a calamity arise from it?"

Seeing this, Lv Ping walked over and hugged Li Jing from behind, speaking softly, "Master, this matter should not be delayed; delaying could lead to complications."

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