CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: FINISHING THE MEAL (PART 2) (PLEASE FOLLOW AND READ!)

Nezha was startled and asked, "Old man, your grandson?"

The old noodle-seller sadly lowered his eyelids, "Last summer, my grandson went to the private school and didn’t come back the same day. I went out looking for him, and the teacher at the school said he hadn’t come at all that day. We couldn’t find him anywhere and reported it to the authorities. Two days later, the official in charge sent back a message, saying he had been swept away by the waves while swimming in the sea.

Oh, my dear God, my poor grandson choked on water when he was little while playing by the sea. Since then, he has been too scared to even bathe in a basin, how could he possibly go swimming in the sea alone?"

Nezha bowed his head, looking at the fragmented noodle soup in his bowl, dotted with specks of oil and four pieces of chopped green onions, swaying gently.

Lu Zhu’er was carefully watching Nezha’s face, noticing that his expression was growing colder.

The old man fell into his memories and continued, "Ever since my grandson died, my son also went mad looking for him. Otherwise, why would I, at the ripe old age of seventy-six, still be picking up my old trade and earning money on the streets."

Nezha stood beside the old man, silently helping to sell noodles and wash bowls. Lu Zhu’er, although not knowing exactly what was happening, also helped diligently by their side.

Not long after noon, the noodles in the old man’s yoke had all been sold. Nezha helped carry the load and escorted the old man all the way to his doorstep.

The old man, like a family elder, patted Nezha’s shoulder, his eyes full of fondness as he sighed, "What a good child. Yet on this town, there are still some scoundrels whose hearts have been eaten by wolves, speaking ill of you behind your back. Next time I come across them, I’ll surely crack their heads open with my carrying pole."

"Thank you."

Nezha raised his head, looked into the old man’s eyes, and asked, "Grandpa, do you think your grandson really drowned?"

The old man was taken aback, then showed a mournful expression and shook his head, "Whether he did or not, what difference does it make now?"

Nezha said, "No, it’s not over yet."

In his heart, he thought that as long as Feng Xiaonian was alive, it would not be over.

He continued, "Grandpa, in these past three years, too many innocent people have died unfairly at Chentang Pass. Whether you believe it or not, I, Nezha, will handle this. I’m going to pluck the head of that murderous villain and pay for your noodles."

Having said that, Nezha turned around and walked away, Lu Zhu’er hurried along to keep up.

Only leaving the old man stunned in place, hand on the door frame, watching Nezha’s small figure disappear into the alleyway, mumbling, "Oh, my dear Lord."

Nezha walked briskly, and Lu Zhu’er had to jog to keep up. When she caught up to him, she was already out of breath and her face was flushed. She asked, "Young master, where are we going?"

Nezha picked up Lu Zhu’er and carried her on his back, speaking as he walked, "Grandpa treated us to a bowl of noodles, that’s a kindness, and I, as a young master, don’t like owing favors, so it must be returned."

Lu Zhu’er frowned slightly, she was smart, but at five years old, she couldn’t understand all of this, scratching her head, she said, "Young master, I still don’t understand."

"That’s alright, you’re not supposed to yet. Let’s go, I’ll take you home first."

Lu Zhu’er immediately responded, but perhaps due to the crowd being too noisy, he couldn’t hear her clearly.

At this moment, his mind was swirling with the scenes of Li Cunxin speaking to him in the past, the cold gaze of Feng Xiaonian when he spoke at Lu Zhu’er’s home, the threats from Li Jing, the words of the old man during their meal...

The world seemed to turn into an illusory chaos squeezing his spirit into a knot. From behind his Qi Sea, a shadow with bared fangs and claws seemed to crawl out, as if to drag him into an abyss, plunging him back into the muddled state of the past seven years.

"Young master, we’ve finished the noodles, don’t be upset."

Lu Zhu’er didn’t know what was wrong with Nezha, but she felt the weakening of his spirits and inexplicably felt fear and worry, so she lay on Nezha’s back and whispered comfortingly into his ear.

Nezha heard her, and so, he stopped walking.

Suddenly, he burst out laughing, the heaviness in his chest lifting, a sudden enlightenment breaking free.

"Little Piggy is right; we’ve already eaten their noodles."

Yes, having eaten their noodles, killing someone on their behalf to help them take revenge, wouldn’t that be fair?

Nezha was no longer confused. First, he sent Lv Zhu’er back home, then went to the tower of Chentang Pass to find Zhou Quan.

Upon seeing Nezha, Zhou Quan was also baffled. Hearing that he was looking for his superior, General Feng Xiaonian, Zhou Quan was even more at a loss and honestly replied, "Replying to the young master, General Feng received a military order to go to Sanshan Pass to support in a major battle and gathered his troops yesterday to head to Sanshan Pass."

Sanshan Pass.

At this moment, Duke E Shun of the South was avenging his father, leading an army of two hundred thousand, attacking Sanshan Pass day and night.

Nezha stepped down from the city wall with a cold smirk on his face.

He finally understood why Li Jing had sealed his Five Elements Escape Technique. It was because he had foreseen that Nezha wouldn’t let matters rest so easily; using an army order, he first sent away the main culprit, General Feng Xiaonian, then prevented him from using the Five Elements Escape Skill, making it hard to pursue.

"What a knowing father, but just because I don’t have the Five Elements Escape Skill, does that mean I can’t travel and kill?"

As his words fell, Bi Yun appeared by his side, asking, "But there are four or five paths to Sanshan Pass, how would you know which one Feng Xiaonian took?"

Nezha glanced at Bi Yun and said, "Daoist, do you know?"

Bi Yun shook his head, "I don’t know either."

Nezha said, "It doesn’t matter. Since he’s going to Sanshan Pass, I’ll just take the shortest route, riding a fast horse to wait for him there."

Hearing this, Bi Yun was startled, "The shortest route to Sanshan Pass also involves crossing mountains and valleys, spanning three thousand miles. With your Five Elements Technique sealed, you’re going to kill that man, just for a bowl of noodles?"

Nezha took another careful look at Bi Yun and smiled, "It seems the Daoist brother has been here for a while. May I know the purpose of your visit this time?"

"Not for very long," Bi Yun muttered to himself, then said, "Her Majesty recently wants to enter seclusion for cultivation. Before entering seclusion, she divined and foresaw your long journey, needing a swift horse, and entrusted me to deliver it to you."

Bi Yun clapped his hands gently. Immediately, the sound of horse’s hooves entered their ears as a majestic, powerful horse stepped out from the pine forest, its body completely free of any stray hairs, measuring ten meters from head to tail, and eight feet tall from hoof to top, neighing loudly as if about to leap into the sky.

Nezha exclaimed, "This is truly a fine horse."

Bi Yun nodded, "More than fine. This is simply the best horse from Skull Mountain. Well cared for, it can travel eight hundred miles in a day. With General Feng accompanying the wagons and provisions, even if he rushes, he surely won’t reach Sanshan Pass before you."

Nezha nodded, "That makes sense, but wouldn’t it be better if the Teacher Brother took me to the Skull Mountain White Bone Cave and let Her Majesty lift the prohibition on me? Then I could use the Five Elements Escape Light to find him, and the round trip would only take a day.

Bi Yun replied calmly, "Nezha, you are mistaken. Didn’t I just say, Her Majesty has already entered seclusion, and if she truly wanted to lift the seal on you, she wouldn’t have sent you a horse. Set off quickly, Her Majesty said there is no time to delay."

Nezha grabbed the reins, sighing, "Her Majesty is truly divinely calculative, a moral exemplar indeed."

However, Bi Yun shook his head, "Her Majesty indeed possesses great divine skills, but she’s not very adept in divination. Besides, Her Majesty mentioned that the heavenly secrets and fate on you are obscured by someone, completely hidden. If it weren’t for her recent sudden inspiration, she couldn’t even glimpse a shadow of your fate."

Upon hearing this, Nezha pondered, then mounted the horse and said, "Bi Yun Daoist, when you return, thank Her Majesty for me."

Bi Yun responded, "You command, and I shall do it. I never realized you were such a ruthless person; eating someone’s bowl of noodles and then willing to travel three thousand miles to kill, I mustn’t offend you in the future."

Hearing this, Nezha laughed heartily, spurred the horse, and first went to Bailing Town to find Mr. Fan’s servant and ask him to send a message to his family. Then, he rode swiftly towards Sanshan Pass.

Bid farewell to Nezha, Bi Yun did not hurry back to the mountain but instead sneaked to the noodle seller’s house.

He watched the old man laboriously carrying water and chopping wood in the yard, the smoked black dried meat hanging from the kitchen beam, and the steaming large pot in the corner with the firewood burning vigorously beneath it.

Bi Yun swallowed and frowned in wonder, "Are these noodles really that delicious?"