RIIDMDR chapter 124

 

Only a little over half a year had passed, yet the Bai couple was rather stunned by Zhixing’s change. Setting aside the fact that their son was much cheerier and got along well with the owner, his complexion was no longer pale and frail, as if a gust of wind could knock him down.

Now, Zhixing’s fair skin had a healthy flush. His brows, which had always been slightly furrowed from years of illness, were finally relaxed, and there was even a bit more flesh on his face. Without asking, it was clear that he had been living well.

Zhixing’s mother immediately hugged her son and cried, spilling out all the days of worry and longing along with unspeakable relief.

What mother would ever want to see her child tormented by illness, teetering between life and death every day? For two hundred years, she had lived with constant fear and sleepless nights. Now that she finally saw this day, her tears were almost tears of joy.

At a loss, Zhixing held his mother, not knowing how to comfort her. He opened his mouth several times, but no words came out.

“What kind of behavior is this? Aren’t you afraid of making a scene?” Zhixing’s father wiped his eyes and softly said to his wife,

Yaolin had just stepped into the courtyard when he saw this scene. He heard Zhixing’s father’s words and quickly turned on his heel, pretending not to have heard anything. “Ah, I think I saw a wild rabbit run by,” he muttered, tilting his head up as he hurried away so Zhixing wouldn’t be embarrassed.

Hearing Yaolin’s clumsy excuse, the tears in Zhixing’s eyes immediately vanished. He chuckled, patted his mother’s back, and said, “I’ve made quite a bit of money in the mountains. Mother, come with me and take a look.”

The Bai couple: “?”

Making money in the mountains? Could he have secretly sold the inn?

……

In the kitchen, Nanxu moved like a whirlwind, a spatula flying in his hand. Several stoves inside and outside were cooking at once. Before sunset, he had prepared a full table of dishes, including sweet and sour ribs, roasted whole rabbit, dry pot tofu, and braised ribbonfish. Even the rice was cooked with preserved meat.

Before he even lifted the lid, the courtyard was filled with a rich aroma that made one’s mouth water. Once the rice was cooked, he pulled out the fire and left it to steam for another five minutes. When the lid was finally lifted, a heavenly fragrance burst forth. Bits of preserved meat and mountain mushrooms lay atop the rice, their oils seeping down into the grains and making them glisten. Finally, Nanxu sprinkled freshly chopped green onions on top, their bright green color adding a touch of freshness.

Yaolin stood by, holding a pot lid in his hand, completely forgetting to put it down as he sniffed the air. “This preserved meat smells amazing! It didn’t smell like this before.”

“It was just cured back then. Now that it’s been hung for a while, the flavor’s richer,” Nanxu replied.

“No wonder, no wonder.” Yaolin suddenly remembered something and rummaged around until he found a bowl as big as his face.

Nanxu: “…”

Nanxu’s face darkened. “Didn’t you say you were trying to lose weight?”

Yaolin had stayed on the mountain all winter without getting much exercise, so his roundness was now quite noticeable. Nanxu was worried that if Yaolin continued like this, he might be too fat to fly back to the South Sea.

Yaolin shamelessly raised his bowl. “Yes, only one bowl tonight.”

By the time the food was served, the Bai couple had composed themselves and were trying their best to converse politely with Nanxu and the others.

Honestly, when they saw the pile of silver in Zhixing’s room, they were stunned for a while. It wasn’t because they couldn’t believe it; it was because Zhixing had never earned money before. Even when he traveled and healed injured demons, he never accepted payment. He regarded healing as sacred as life itself and cared nothing for silver, as if untouched by worldly desires.

So, when their son said that he made ointments from herbs that he grew and sold them to traveling merchants, the couple couldn’t help but feel a bit unreal. It was as if their son, who had once lived among immortals, had suddenly descended to the mortal world.

After learning the full story, they weren’t quite sure how to feel. It turned out he was influenced by the owner, which wasn’t a bad thing. With new goals in life, he wouldn’t rely too heavily on healing or risk his own life to save another.

The family of three talked for a long time in their room. Once they confirmed that everything in Zhixing’s letters was true, they were extremely grateful to Nanxu. They sat at the table unable to pick up their chopsticks, repeatedly expressing their thanks.

Over the past two hundred years, their family’s savings had nearly disappeared. They had even sold off the heirlooms left by their ancestors. They had no material possessions left to offer, so they could only express their gratitude with words.

Nanxu could only marvel at the earnestness of this awkward couple. He tried to change the subject, but he couldn’t find an opening until Tingchuan quietly reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a rib, and placed it in Nanxu’s bowl. The soft clink of porcelain stopped the couple mid-sentence, and silence briefly filled the room. Taking advantage of the pause, Yaolin quickly said, “If I’d known there were guests at the inn today and that there would be such a feast, I would’ve sent a letter to my clansmen to come visit, too.”

He held his face-sized bowl and stuffed mouthful after mouthful of rice into his mouth. He looked half-dazed by how good it tasted—it was hard not to laugh.

Nanxu glanced at him and teased, “You’re just a guest staying here. Do you think you should get the same treatment as the staff?”

Yaolin froze mid-bite, clearly having forgotten that fact. With a pitiful expression, he said, “I thought I counted as half the owner’s apprentice… Turns out, I was just flattering myself.”

His tone rose and fell as if he were deeply wronged, making everyone at the table laugh.

Yaolin was truly a mood lifter, keeping the conversation light and cheerful. Even the Bai couple relaxed.

After dinner, the Bai couple said they should be going. It was already dark outside, and of course, neither Nanxu nor Zhixing would allow them to walk down the mountain at night. With kind words, they persuaded the Bai couple to stay.

For some reason, even though Nanxu didn’t charge them for lodging, a system message appeared that night as he lay in bed.

[Main Mission 3-2 reward issued.” Reward list: Item Retrieval Function Unlocked, Blind Box ×2.]

Item Retrieval?

There was no description for the function. Out of curiosity, Nanxu opened the system interface as usual. The screen was covered in a gray grid, with icons of sweet potatoes, eggplants, rice, and other items in each square. However, when he tried to click on them, nothing happened.

Puzzled, he tried to summon the system, but there was no response. After thinking for a long time without finding a clue, he gave up in frustration.

After sitting silently for a while, his expression turned gloomy. Seeing this, Tingchuan tilted his head and asked, “Why that look?”

Nanxu slid down until he was lying flat with his hands on his stomach. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking of someone rather untrustworthy. We made a deal: if I did what it wanted, it would reward me. But now it keeps giving me useless things. When I try to confront it, it hides like a turtle.”

Tingchuan stayed quiet for a few seconds, mentally running through everyone Nanxu might be talking about. None of them fit, though.

“Do you dislike him very much?” Tingchuan asked.

Nanxu shook his head. “Not really. He’s helped me a lot.”

Tingchuan hummed softly. “Then, if it upsets you, don’t do what it wants.”

Nanxu nodded, rolled over, and hugged Tingchuan. He didn’t speak; he just thought back over everything that had happened since arriving in the demon realm. At first, he followed the system’s orders because supplies were scarce. It was easy money, so he went along with it—even spending his days guarding the mountainside to recruit employees. Later, when he no longer needed to, he still completed missions—not out of necessity, but to pursue a better life. He could somehow feel the system’s goodwill and believed that it meant well for him, even though it often ignored him.

In truth, the system hadn’t bound him at all. Rather, it helped him meet the bird tribe, Zhixing, and through them, Tingchuan, bringing him love in another world, among other things.

“Not sleepy tonight?” Tingchuan asked when he saw Nanxu’s wide-awake eyes.

Nanxu came back to himself—he really wasn’t sleepy.

He shook his head. Thinking of Zhixing happily reuniting with his family earlier, Nanxu couldn’t help but feel envious. He didn’t know where his parents were or why they hadn’t wanted to stay in touch. He wondered if they had no choice or if he was simply unwanted from birth.

Normally, he rarely thought about it. At most, when he saw others with loving families, he’d feel a brief pang of emotion before moving on. But tonight felt different—maybe because he knew someone was beside him to comfort him, allowing the thoughts to run deeper and linger longer.

When Tingchuan asked what he was thinking about, Nanxu mentioned his feelings briefly. He couldn’t openly talk about the system, but he could speak of family.

Tingchuan listened, but didn’t respond for a long time. Nanxu looked up, puzzled. “Did I make you miss your family? I was just talking casually—don’t feel sad.”

Tingchuan pulled him close and kissed his forehead as if to soothe him. “No, I wasn’t thinking of that. You were born to be cherished in this world. Someday, you’ll understand—you are the most beloved child in this world.”

Nanxu laughed, saying that Tingchuan really didn’t know how to be subtle. “Who would abandon their most beloved child to suffer in the mortal world, enduring wind and rain?”

Still, Tingchuan’s words brought him some comfort. He nuzzled against him and closed his eyes. “Let’s sleep.”

……

Before dawn the next day, Nanxu was woken by shouting from outside the courtyard. Half-asleep, he thought the voice sounded familiar, as if someone were calling for Yaolin.

Nanxu opened his eyes and sat up, feeling dazed for a moment. Since his room wasn’t fully soundproofed in case he missed guests at night, he could faintly hear the noise. Tingchuan got up and lit a candle. Nanxu rubbed his eyes and asked, “Did I hear something?”

Tingchuan murmured a spell, and in the blink of an eye, he was dressed in his usual robe. “Yes, I’ll go take a look.”

Hearing that someone had arrived, Nanxu quickly woke up and hurried to get dressed.

By the time he went outside, Tingchuan had already brought two bird demons into the inn—Ning Sui and Ning Ju, the brothers. They looked dusty and travel-worn, clearly in a hurry. After a brief greeting, they anxiously asked where Yaolin was.

Since the other rooms were double soundproofed, shouting outside wouldn’t wake Yaolin, so Nanxu went upstairs and knocked on his door.

A few minutes later, in the main hall downstairs, Yaolin, who was barely awake, received shocking news from Ning Sui: Senior Jingyuan of the South Sea was critically ill and already showing signs of spiritual collapse.

---

 If you’re enjoying my translations, feel free to leave a comment or support me on Ko-fi ☕