Junior Brother Pays Respect to You: Chapter 32 - It Might be Sugar
Chapter 32: It Might be Sugar
“I’m telling you, someone was found dead near the edge of the southern forest this morning. I heard that when they were discovered, their cheeks were sunken, like a female ghost had drained their life force!”
“What female ghost? It was a demon! Not long ago, someone from the neighboring village also encountered a demon in the mountains. And it was during the day!”
“Yes, yes, and even the village next to that one had someone run into a demon while chopping wood in the mountains. I heard that it was only thanks to a powerful cultivator that he managed to escape.”
“A few nights ago, when I passed by that southern forest, guess what I saw!”
“There were faint lights glowing in the woods, and it seemed like someone was wandering around inside. I got so scared I ran for my life!”
“Mount Yujing hasn’t been peaceful lately… Could it be that the mountain god has gone off traveling?”
……
The people at the nearby table all started chiming in, one after another, sharing the strange and mysterious things they’d heard or experienced.
Some of it was true, some false, but no one really questioned it—it was just for fun.
No matter how serious the matter was, it would always be treated like a joke as long as it hadn’t happened to oneself.
But their casual conversation just so happened to provide the exact information Qin Zheng and Qin Su were looking for.
“After the meal, we’ll head to the southern forest.”
“Mm.”
The conversation about strange happenings didn’t last long before they switched topics again.
Meanwhile, Qin Zheng, ears perked up, listened intently while enjoying the food on the table.
This had become a habit during his time doing fortune-telling at Tianque Temple.
Since there were hardly any clients, he would spend most of the day sitting around, listening to gossip from the temple visitors.
Qin Zheng looked up at Qin Su sitting across from him. His bowl was still empty. Although he’d obediently eaten the dish Qin Zheng gave him earlier, he hadn’t touched anything else.
Since Qin Su clearly wasn’t interested in eating, Qin Zheng didn’t push it and instead focused on wolfing down the food himself.
This restaurant was one he’d often smelled delicious food from but never got to try.
After all, he was just a poor fortune-teller—if he wanted to eat here, he’d have to starve for a month or two to afford a meal.
But since he was only immortal, not a god, he couldn’t go that long without eating.
So whenever he went down the mountain to buy food, he’d deliberately pass by the restaurant around noon when it was most crowded, and take deep breaths as he walked by to savor the smell.
Qin Zheng devoured everything on the table like a whirlwind, then collapsed on the table with a satisfied sigh.
“So full… I’m in heaven!”
A sharp-eyed waiter, noticing Qin Zheng had cleared all the food while Qin Su hadn’t touched a bite, came over with a cheerful smile. “Would the guests like to order anything else?”
Qin Zheng, still sprawled across the table, lazily waved his hand. “No more, I’m stuffed.”
The waiter glanced at the aloof Qin Su, then turned back to the more approachable Qin Zheng and hesitantly said, “But your companion hasn’t eaten anything.”
Qin Zheng joked, “He’s a celestial being—he doesn’t need food!”
Since they didn’t want anything else, the waiter politely asked, “Would the guests like to settle the bill now?”
“Sure, sure.” Qin Zheng looked up at Qin Su.
Clearly signaling for him to pay—because he didn’t bring any money.
But Qin Su just looked back at him, showing no intention of taking out any money.
Qin Zheng’s heart sank—could it be that Qin Su didn’t bring any silver either?
Very possible. He hadn’t reminded Qin Su to bring money when they left the mountain, and Qin Su did seem like someone who didn’t care about worldly matters.
Why would I even assume he’d carry money in the first place?
Qin Zheng ruffled his hair in frustration.
The waiter’s eyes darted between the two of them. After waiting a moment and seeing no one reach for their purse, his face darkened. “Don’t tell me… you two didn’t bring money?”
Qin Zheng leaned toward Qin Su and whispered, “Did you bring any silver?”
Seeing that the one who’d eaten the most really didn’t have any money, the waiter scowled and said loudly, “Dressed all fancy, and you’re trying to dine and dash?!”
His voice wasn’t quiet. As soon as he said that, everyone nearby turned to look, and the whole restaurant began whispering about them.
Just as the waiter was about to call for help, a folded piece of yellow paper was handed to him.
He looked at it suspiciously, then opened it—and it turned out to be a silver note!
Qin Zheng saw the waiter’s previously angry face suddenly blossom into a smile. He sat up to take a look and realized it really was a silver note—no wonder it looked familiar.
Now that the bill was covered, Qin Zheng puffed up with pride and shouted, “Do I look like someone who’d dine and dash?!”
“It’s just that I’m not the one in charge of the money!”
The waiter quickly bowed and apologized. “Yes, yes, my apologies—I was blind to your greatness.” Then, still smiling, he added, “Please wait just a moment while I fetch your change.”
He hurried away and soon returned with the change, neatly placing it in front of Qin Su.
Qin Zheng, rubbing his overstuffed belly, saw Qin Su still hadn’t taken the money, so he quickly grabbed a few of the coins and said, “I’ll take these spare coins as a donation.”
Having eaten too much, Qin Zheng urged Qin Su to leave the restaurant with him right after paying. He needed to walk it off.
He was seriously bloated.
The two walked along the street.
“Are we heading there now?”
Qin Su looked at the sky and said, “Let’s go now.”
“Alright.”
There were too many people around, so the two decided to keep walking until they were outside the city and then use their swords to fly.
At a street corner, Qin Zheng’s sharp eyes caught sight of a bun stall tucked into a corner.
He looked up at Qin Su walking ahead, then quickly darted over to the stall.
Qin Su, walking in front, only noticed that the familiar presence behind him had veered off slightly. Thinking Qin Zheng had spotted something interesting, he didn’t turn around—just subtly slowed his pace.
Qin Zheng stood before the bun stall, looking at the plump, white buns in the steaming baskets, which looked far better than the ones he made himself. He reached into his robe, pulled out a few coins he'd just gotten from Qin Su, and bought a large bun.
Then he turned and quickly caught up with Qin Su.
“Here!”
A steaming hot bun was suddenly held out in front of Qin Su, passed over his shoulder.
“You didn’t eat anything earlier—I thought this might be good.”
Qin Su turned and looked at the bun, stunned for a moment, but eventually raised his hand and took it.
Qin Zheng followed behind Qin Su, watching him lift the bun, inspect it, and slowly bring it to his mouth, taking a graceful bite.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: Even eating a bun, my junior brother is ridiculously handsome.
The two of them walked leisurely together to the outskirts of the city. Qin Zheng had long since finished his bun.
Qin Su summoned his flying sword, and the two of them stepped on it, heading toward the southern part of Yu Jing Mountain.
Qin Su landed at the edge of the forest, and they prepared to enter on foot.
The enemy was hidden while they were exposed—they’d have to use themselves as bait.
After entering the forest, Qin Zheng looked left and right but didn’t feel that anything was off. Thinking his low cultivation made his perception unreliable, he patted Qin Su and asked, “Do you sense anything?”
“No.”
Hearing that even Qin Su couldn’t sense anything strange, Qin Zheng breathed a small sigh of relief.
Suddenly, Qin Zheng remembered how Qin Su always seemed to get injured whenever there was danger. He couldn’t help but ask, “What level is your cultivation now? You really shouldn’t use those weird techniques so casually.”
Qin Su looked at him and replied, “The monsters here can’t hurt me.”
Hearing that, Qin Zheng finally felt completely at ease. With such a powerful ally, there was nothing to fear.
But after Qin Zheng looked around the forest for a moment and turned back, he realized with alarm that he was suddenly alone. Just a moment ago, Qin Su had been walking on his left—but now he’d vanished!
Qin Zheng was no stranger to danger and didn’t panic. He cautiously called out:
“Junior Brother?”
“Qin Su?”
“Heh… I’m right here.” Qin Su’s voice suddenly came from behind him.
Qin Zheng turned quickly, but the "Qin Su" in front of him had a strange smile on his face—clearly a fake.
Although the appearance was identical, the moment he smiled, his entire aura changed.
Qin Zheng looked at the fake Qin Su with disdain and said, “You messing with me?”
“Heh, not bad—you’ve got a good attitude.” The figure seemed to be playing around. Since Qin Zheng called him out so quickly, he dropped the act and transformed into an unfamiliar man.
The man suddenly moved in close, his face nearly touching Qin Zheng’s.
With eyes closed and a look of excitement, he took a deep breath right next to Qin Zheng—only to open his eyes in confusion.
He circled around Qin Zheng, then suddenly grabbed his hand.
Qin Zheng felt something strange probing into his body from the point of contact.
The man quickly let go and chuckled. “Interesting… Not human, not celestial, not demonic. No wonder I couldn’t absorb your spiritual energy.”
“To think someone out there would do something so vicious.”
“But if I can’t use you, that handsome young man should do just fine.”
As soon as he said that, Qin Zheng saw Qin Su suddenly appear in front of him—but bizarrely, another Qin Zheng was also standing beside him.
The man smugly said, “My illusions are unrivaled. Back in the day, even Yu Jingchen couldn’t easily see through them.”
“And I’ve noticed that young man has some rather... special feelings toward you.”
Qin Zheng rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and I can see you’ve got some rather special feelings for him too.”
The man laughed indifferently. “You’re the first one to mock my illusions like this.”
Then he smiled flirtatiously at Qin Zheng and said, “Unrequited love is so pitiful.”
“And the one who loves you—he’s even more pitiful. You’re full of selfish motives.”
“Well, out of the kindness of my heart, I’ll help him fulfill one wish before he dies.”
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