RIIDMDR chapter 76

 

Over the next few days, Nan Xu carried wood home while surveying the area around the inn. Baking two hundred tiles bit by bit on a small stove was unrealistic. He needed to find a suitable location to build a large earthen kiln with an existing slope and stable surface to make excavation easier.

Fortunately, this type of terrain was surprisingly easy to find deep in the mountains. He quickly selected a spot just west of the house at the foot of the mountain. Nan Xu immediately took a liking to the terrain. After spending another hundred coins to have the system survey the area and confirm that all conditions were suitable, he returned home with a shovel and prepared to begin work.

Perhaps because he was working alone, Nanxu dug from mid-afternoon until sunset, barely managing to dig a shallow hole on the slope of the fault and getting his face and body covered in mud.

He was about to stop for the day and head home for dinner when he noticed his face was sallow. Suddenly, he heard the rustling of grass in the nearby jungle. He looked up and saw something emerge from the bushes nearby. Startled, the iron shovel in his hand trembled and nearly struck the person on the head.

Zhuang Wu had just emerged from the woods when he spotted a dark figure approaching and instinctively dodged it. He was clutching a rabbit and grinning from ear to ear. He looked up and saw Nan Xu retract the iron shovel. “Owner?”

Nan Xu had always thought Zhuang Wu looked rugged, but he had never thought he looked so much like a bandit.

He stood still, holding the shovel, and asked, “How did you get out of here?”

Zhuang Wu chuckled and raised the rabbit in his hand. He pinched its ears; the gray-haired creature was motionless in his hand. “I’m going to catch a rabbit in the mountains and bring it back to eat. It’s time for some good meat.”

Nan Xu almost wanted to remind him that just a few days ago, at the barbecue, he had eaten plenty of meat—almost all of which had been consumed by the two brothers—but then he remembered that he had punished him later by forbidding meat skewers. Even though he had eaten a lot, being stopped right when he was about to take that last bite must have left him unsatisfied, hence the lingering craving.

Nan Xu didn’t bring it up again and asked in surprise, “You’re not afraid of accidentally walking into the formation now?

He remembered how, when the brothers first moved into the mountains, they acted like timid daughters-in-law—never daring to step far from the flat ground behind the inn. Even when they talked about hunting wild boars, they hesitated for ages and eventually gave up. Now, after living here for a while, had they become bolder out of familiarity?

“Of course I’m scared,” Zhuang Wu said. “But I tried. No small formations have come over this small mountain area. I just catch pheasants and rabbits nearby. If I don’t stray too far, I won’t wander into a formation.”

He continued promoting the idea to Nan Xu: “Really, I tried it step by step. I even marked the safe zone. Next time you go up the mountain, just look for the marks I made on the trees, and you’ll feel safe.”

Nan Xu: …

Okay, his desire to eat meat finally won out over his fear. He even knew to mark a safe zone. Zhuang Wu is smart.

Nan Xu complimented him mentally on his intelligence, but Zhuang Wu felt awkward the moment he finished speaking. The mountain belonged to the owner, and he wasn’t afraid of the large formation. Why would he need to look at his marks? His efforts were completely unnecessary.

Seeing that Nan Xu remained silent, Zhuang Wu hesitated for a few seconds before handing the rabbit to him. “It’s a bit small, but it should be enough for you and Zhixing.”

Despite his pretense of generosity, Nan Xu could see that he couldn’t conceal his reluctance. He deliberately reached out to take it. Unsurprisingly, when he saw Zhuang Wu’s heartbroken expression, he redirected his hand in midair. He wiped the sweat off his own face and said, “We have some at the inn.”

Zhuang Wu immediately withdrew his hand upon hearing this, fearing that Nan Xu would change his mind if he delayed even a second. His gaze fell on Nan Xu’s shovel, and he asked, “What are you busy with, owner? Why don’t you ask us brothers to help?”

Nan Xu had assumed digging wouldn’t be difficult. Who would have thought he’d made so little progress in an entire afternoon? Since Zhuang Wu had offered to help, Nan Xu explained his plans.

After dinner, Nan Xu was planning wood in the yard. With the night pearl illuminating the work, he could see clearly, even at night. Zhixing wove a hollow ball out of vines for Guan’er and placed two pebbles inside. As the ball rolled, the pebbles collided, making a crisp clinking sound. Guan’er had a blast digging at it with his front paws.

“What is the owner planning to do with this?” Zhixing asked.

Nan Xu had washed his face after dinner and was now covered in greenish medicinal paste. “Tables, chairs, and cabinets.”

Zhixing grew even more puzzled. “Don’t all rooms have them?”

He arrived at the hotel a little late. Unlike Ting Chuan, he hadn’t seen the wooden house and courtyard transform in the blink of an eye. Therefore, he was unaware of the intricacies of the process. Nan Xu didn’t know how to answer him, only vaguely saying, “They’ll be useful in the future.”

Zhixing was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, “The things in the store haven’t broken down yet, and the owner’s already taking precautions.”

Nan Xu’s movements slowed down. He suddenly realized that he had gathered all the materials this time and that the room had changed overnight. How should he respond to Zhixing’s questions?

Zhixing is not Tingchuan. Perhaps being younger, he’s more curious and certainly not as calm as Tingchuan.

How frustrating.

Nan Xu kept sawing, but his mind kept wandering back to that slender figure. Half a week had passed, and they still had no idea where they were. He didn’t know how many days it would take to get out of the mountains or how far Donghai Mountain was.

At that moment, Tingchuan and Youan, whom he was thinking about, had found a cave to rest in. Two days ago, they left Zhu Yu Mountain, detouring around the valley where the Mole Tribe lived.

They weren’t afraid of the Mole Tribe, even though they were cunning and greedy. The two nine-tailed fox demons were much more powerful. The Mole Tribe resorted to harassing passersby because they couldn’t extract money from them. Tingchuan was preoccupied with the helpless human on Zhuyu Mountain and anxious to make his way, unwilling to pause for unimportant matters.

Since Tingchuan didn’t stop, You’an naturally had to follow. However, You’an had roamed the demon world for over a thousand years and was accustomed to a leisurely lifestyle. He had never been in such a hurry before, and this constant rush was irritating.

Inside the cave, Tingchuan and You’an found clean spots to sit down. They were accustomed to eating three meals a day with Nanxu on the mountain. Despite traveling day and night these past few days, every mealtime, they wondered if Nanxu had eaten and if he had come up with new dishes.

You’an quietly massaged his legs while he was lost in thought. After a while, his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, “Years ago, I heard that my uncle was on Donghai Mountain. Now, he’s getting along so well with my aunt. Did you two fall in love at first sight?”

Tingchuan’s train of thought was interrupted and he was stunned for several seconds. “My aunt?”

Seeing that he was still acting like a gentleman, You’an assumed that his uncle was just being arrogant. After all, they shared the same bed.

“Yes, the owner is a man, but to me, he’s my aunt,” You’an said matter-of-factly.

While romance between male demons is rare in the demon world, it’s not unheard of. They’re demons who have lived for thousands of years and have seen everything. You’an, in particular, grew up listening to Tingshu’s stories about his love affair with Yunyi, so the idea seemed normal to him.

In fact, he felt he had no interest in beautiful female demons.

Tingchuan was silent for a long moment before acknowledging the title. Inevitably, he felt some comfort in his heart.

His nephew was still quite perceptive.

You’an continued, “Auntie’s cooking is superb. he’s not the most beautiful, but few in the demon world can compare to the Nine-Tailed Fox clan. Your children will definitely look like you…”

You’an abruptly stopped speaking and patted his head as if mocking his own folly. “Oh, you’re both men. If you can’t have children, then you don’t have to worry about appearance.”

You’an spoke to himself, dismissing the flaw of his appearance. He genuinely believed his aunt was perfect in every way—good-natured, not spoiled, and a good cook. He grew increasingly excited as he spoke, completely oblivious to his uncle sitting across from him. His smile gradually faded, and his complexion darkened.

“He’s very handsome,” Tingchuan said.

You’an: “Huh?”

You’an looked at his uncle, who had a serious expression with no hint of joking. You’an couldn’t help but recall how his uncle had found that scarred face attractive.

—

Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu were strong, skilled workers. Nan Xu worked with them for three or four days, finally building a small kiln that resembled the ones he remembered from his rural childhood. It wasn’t large, but it was more than enough to fire a few hundred tiles.

Once it was done, Nan Xu left the finishing work to the two brothers and hurried to the river to fetch clay. He piled the clay near the kiln, added water, and stomped it with his bare feet.

The tile molds had been ready for days, so after kneading the clay, they could start forming tiles right away. Nan Xu was as busy as ever, pulling Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu into working nonstop. In just a few days, he’d lost noticeable weight from all the sweating and labor.

Zhixing was frantic. If this continued, what would he tell Senior Tingchuan when he returned?

So, Zhixing diligently researched the medicinal properties of various herbs. After careful consideration, he selected several beneficial herbs and brewed a soup for Nan Xu every day. A few days later, after lunch, Nan Xu suddenly started bleeding from the nose.

“Owner, you’re bleeding!” Zhixing cried out.

He hurriedly fetched a cloth and some water to clean him up, muttering to himself, “It seems I gave him too much. Human bodies are fragile, and such exertion will surely deplete them. It’s just a little tonic, how could it cause a nosebleed?”

Zhixing was deeply frustrated. Meanwhile, Nan Xu stared at the red drops on his chest, confused.

He’d been an abandoned orphan, half-starved, living in a village for more than ten years. The villagers had always said he was too skinny and malnourished. He never imagined there’d come a day when he’d be too well-nourished.

Leaning forward in his recliner, he pinched his nose to stop the bleeding and watched Zhixing busy himself in the yard. He felt an inexplicable sense of detachment.

When Zhixing arrived with the basin of water, he saw Nanxu’s condition and was startled. “Owner, don’t tell me you fainted at the sight of blood?!”

Nanxu came to his senses, shook his head, and a curious smile played on his lips. “I just didn’t expect my health to be so good.”

He had just had a strange thought. Since he was young, strong, and healthy, he must be superior to Tingchuan, that old fox who had been sick for thousands of years.

 

---

Author’s Note:

Tingchuan: Wait, your thoughts are dangerous!