Chapter 5: The Ailing Sister and the Frail Brother

Reflecting on how he had skipped washing the vegetables and prepping the rabbit fur out of concern for his family's health, Zhao Yu felt a sense of relief.

Indeed, he remained the same Zhao Yu who always put his family first.

He skillfully continued to feed the fire. After about a quarter of an hour of busy work, Zhao Yu finished preparing the noodles. He lifted the lid of the pot. The beautiful mushrooms were clearly cooked to perfection, and the rabbit meat was thoroughly stewed. A rich, savory aroma filled the air, whetting the appetite.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but wipe the corner of his mouth. "It's been nearly half a year since we last had meat..." No wonder Xiao Wanzi had been so excited earlier; who wouldn't be tempted when meat was on the menu?

He quickly grabbed two bowls and filled them with generous portions of noodles. He gazed at the mushrooms, lost in thought. "These mushrooms are so beautiful, they must taste delicious... I’ll have my wife and I eat a little less, so my brother and Xiao Wanzi can have more."

As he muttered to himself, he distributed the majority of the mushrooms evenly into the two bowls. Then, he looked at the rabbit meat, deep in contemplation. If there were four rabbits, everyone would get one, but with only one, how should it be divided?

"They say you should eat what you need to nourish yourself. My brother and Xiao Wanzi are not as grown as I am, so they need more brain food... They are still young, and their internal organs need to develop, so they should have those too."

"I have to go out every day to forage for mushrooms and such, so I definitely need to eat the rabbit's hind legs. The front legs will go to my wife... the rest of the meat will be divided evenly..."

"Yes, that's it..."

Zhao Yu picked up the cleaver, cut the rabbit's head into two, and evenly distributed the head and the organs into the two bowls.

"Xiao Wanzi must be dying of hunger by now..." Muttering to himself, Zhao Yu carried the two bowls of mushroom rabbit noodles out of the kitchen.

As soon as he stepped out, he froze. The scene in the courtyard was rather complicated.

First, there were the three old men—Ling Xuzi and his companions—crouched in the corner of the courtyard, trembling. Perhaps it was too hot, as sweat was pouring down their foreheads, soaking their robes completely.

Then there was Xiao Wanzi, sitting on a stool, looking very happy and humming a little tune. A faint trace of red liquid was visible at the corner of her mouth.

At the same time, by the door of another side room, a man leaned against the wall. He appeared younger than Zhao Yu and was dressed like a scholar, holding a fan. But his face... the scholar had no features! Where his face should have been, there were no eyes, no nose, no ears, no mouth—he was a completely faceless man.

Scanning the area, Zhao Yu felt puzzled... where was the red-haired man?

But for now, business came first. Zhao Yu glared at the faceless man, his voice trembling: "Didn't I tell you not to come out when there's no need? Your constitution is weak; you can't be exposed to the wind or light! Do you have any idea how worried I am about your illness and Xiao Wanzi's? You... you..."

That was his younger brother, Mu Han.

Xiao Wanzi’s illness wasn't severe; she just acted a bit strange during her episodes. But his brother’s condition was much worse. Not only did he act strangely when he was ill, but even when he wasn't, his constitution was extremely frail; he couldn't handle wind or light.

And yet, his brother had actually opened the door and come out? Zhao Yu was heartbroken and furious! Because his brother was so fragile, he couldn't even discipline him with a stick. He was truly frustrated!

"I was wrong, brother. Don't be angry, I'll go back inside right now," the faceless Mu Han replied with a very obedient voice emanating from his stomach, turning to head back into the room.

Still angry, Zhao Yu hurriedly called out: "Come back."

"Brother?" Mu Han twisted his head 180 degrees to face Zhao Yu, his tone questioning... though it was a pity he had no face to show his expression.

Zhao Yu gestured with the bowls in his hands. "Time to eat."

"Coming." The faceless man immediately approached Zhao Yu and, very thoughtfully, took both bowls to carry them toward the main hall.

"Time to eat!" Xiao Wanzi stood up and skipped toward the hall. It was clear that she was very happy.

Zhao Yu, who had just been about to return to the kitchen, stared at the corner of Xiao Wanzi's mouth. That was blood, wasn't it? The smell was unmistakable.

"Brother-in-law?" Xiao Wanzi paused after a few skips, tilting her head toward Zhao Yu with a puzzled look.

Zhao Yu pointed to the corner of her mouth without speaking. In his heart, he felt a secret pang of sadness. Could the cleaver have been telling the truth? He had denied the cleaver's claims so righteously just moments ago, and now... Heavens, he didn't know how much the cleaver would mock him in private.

Xiao Wanzi touched the corner of her mouth, looking very innocent and aggrieved: "Brother-in-law, you don't know, I was just... I was just so angry that I coughed up blood."

"So angry you coughed up blood?"

Zhao Yu was stunned for a moment, then immediately drew his cleaver, gnashing his teeth: "Who did it?"

His sister-in-law was so adorable; who could be so heartless as to make her cough up blood? He would definitely chop that person to pieces!

"I... you should ask them..." Xiao Wanzi’s mouth twitched slightly as she covered her face and headed toward the main hall.

She looked very heartbroken.

Zhao Yu didn't speak; he just walked toward the corner with a cold face. The sweat on the foreheads of Ling Xuzi and the others intensified.

Zhao Yu brandished his cleaver, his face full of fury: "Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you are cultivators. Let me tell you, my wife is a cultivator too!"

There were no outsiders here; if Xiao Wanzi had been angered to the point of coughing up blood, it must have been these three.

The terrified trio trembled even more, their expressions growing increasingly horrified. Sweat dripped from their foreheads like rain.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but wonder: "Are you all so intolerant of the heat? Why are you sweating so much?"

Were they afraid of him? That shouldn't be the case; after all, Ling Xuzi hadn't taught him how to cultivate yet—he was just a mortal.

"Yes... yes..." The three of them nodded subconsciously, forcing a smile. They then scrambled to add: "It has nothing to do with us."

Zhao Yu felt even more frustrated. So, it was all the red-haired man's doing? No wonder that guy had disappeared; he must have run off out of a guilty conscience.

Thinking of this, Zhao Yu's eyes blazed: "Where did the red-haired man go?" This grudge had to be avenged!

Hearing this, the three men subconsciously glanced toward the main hall. They could see the faceless man and Xiao Wanzi sitting around the table. At Zhao Yu's question, they both tilted their heads to look over. Xiao Wanzi’s eyes flashed with a cold, sinister light, and the faceless man's featureless visage seemed to have countless faces flickering across it.

Ling Xuzi and his companions grew even more terrified. They would never forget how, just moments ago, Mu Han and Xiao Wanzi had devoured the red-haired man, leaving not even a scrap of bone behind.

Recalling that sight, Ling Xuzi shivered and quickly stammered: "He... he left. He knew it was wrong to make Xiao Wanzi cry, and in his shame, he left under the cover of night."

In their hearts, they were cursing wildly: *A whole family of psychotic monsters! If you want to kill us, just get it over with; why must you torture us like this?*

Zhao Yu grumbled: "I suppose he ran away fast."

Human hearts aren't what they used to be! He had kindly invited these people into his home, and this was the result... No, in the future, if anyone else came to stay, he would have to add a clause to the contract: *You are not allowed to make the family angry.*