While Yue Jiuling and Ya Zi were happily eating in the restaurant, Yue Jiuli, in the bamboo forest, could only miserably eat takeout. Moreover, Feng Meng hadn't even bothered to place the order carefully, and the food he ordered was simply not tasty.

"Tsk~ Feng Meng is asking for a beating. The food he ordered for me is awful, absolutely disgusting."

Yue Jiuli grumbled as she poked at her lunchbox with her chopsticks. She squatted down in front of a bamboo stalk and said to the big crow, "Hey, do you want some? I can't eat anymore."

The big crow was still watching the flock of little crows 'eat' when Tai heard Yue Jiuli's words and turned around to say, "Wow~ Aren't you going to eat?"

"I can't eat anymore, it's too awful. The food at this restaurant is terrible. Do you want some? I can give you the rest of the food."

"Wow~ Okay, thank you~"

When the big crow saw that Yue Jiuli had so generously given him her food, he immediately nodded happily and said, "Wow~ Okay, thank you~"

"You're welcome, I'm too full anyway."

Yue Jiuli put her lunchbox on the ground for the crow to eat, and even took a few pictures with her phone and sent them to Feng Meng, noting that the food was terrible, the rice was hard as if it wasn't cooked, the vegetables were dry, and the meat was awful. She asked Feng Meng to order her another takeout meal.

"Ugh, Feng Meng is really something. Couldn't he have picked a better restaurant for me to order from?"

After venting her frustrations, Yue Jiuli turned to look at the large crow that was munching on leftovers. She looked at the crow and said, "Tsk~ Only you guys can eat this stuff. I really can't eat anymore."

The big crow was eating with great satisfaction. Without even looking up, it said, "Wow~ This is delicious! I haven't had food like this in a long time. It's wonderful, thank you!"

"Well, haha, as long as you enjoy your meal."

Seeing how happily the big crow was eating, Yue Jiuli didn't say anything.

Not long after, Yue Jiuli received a message from Feng Meng. Feng Meng said that he had already placed a new takeout order for Yue Jiuli from the most famous restaurant in the vicinity, so he asked Yue Jiuli to wait patiently.

"Wow~ the most famous restaurant, I wonder if it's any good. If it's not good, I won't eat today. It's so frustrating, even eating is such a hassle."

Yue Jiuli stared at her phone, muttering to herself. She turned to the bamboo beside her and said, "By the way, I was saying you've been sleeping for so long, and that guy Ya Zi Ye has given you quite a bit of spiritual energy, why aren't you improving? You could at least increase your cultivation a little bit! You still can't wake up and talk to me for even a few minutes. This is making me really anxious!"

The bamboo, which Yue Jiuli was talking to, didn't react at all, just like an ordinary bamboo. However, Yue Jiuli wasn't unhappy. She just sighed helplessly, then moved closer to the bamboo and gradually merged her soul into it, becoming one with the bamboo.

"Aww~ Yue Jiuli, where did you go?"

The large crow, while eating nearby, suddenly noticed that Yue Jiuli was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, it looked around the bamboo grove and called out, "Yue Jiuli, Yue Jiuli, where did you go? How could you disappear in the blink of an eye?"

"Hey, I'm here!"

Suddenly, a human arm emerged from the bamboo grove and slapped the large crow on the head. Then, Yue Jiuli's voice came from inside the bamboo: "I'm in the bamboo, you big, stupid crow!"

The big crow was almost scared to death by Yue Jiuli's slap, but after hearing Yue Jiuli's voice, it wasn't so scared anymore. It shouted, "Wow! Yue Jiuli, you scared me to death!"

The big crow turned to look at the bamboo that had 'grown' arms and said, "So, what are you doing inside the bamboo? Is there anything fun about it?"

"Fun my foot! I just came in to take a look. Oh, and could you keep an eye on things outside for me? And remember to call me when the delivery guy arrives!"

Wow~ Okay, sure~

The big crow obediently agreed after hearing Yue Jiuli's words.

Yue Jiuli withdrew her arm from the bamboo and began to study the real bamboo spirit within the bamboo world.

Inside the bamboo, Yue Jiuli was in a kind of independent space, filled with white mist. There was nothing else there, it was empty and desolate, but there was a faint spiritual energy.

Yue Jiuli traversed many layers of white mist within the space, and after walking for a short while, she finally reached the end. However, at the end, instead of a wall, there was only a vast expanse of white mist. But Yue Jiuli could not pass through that white mist no matter what she did. In a corner of the boundless white void, a small, green bamboo shoot was growing.

That's right, this little bamboo shoot is the original owner of the bamboo; it is the bamboo spirit of the bamboo.

Yue Jiuli squatted down next to the little bamboo shoot, reached out and touched it, then sighed, "Sigh, I've been gone for so long, why haven't you grown up yet? Why don't you wake up? What am I going to do? Hao Zhu was even punished because of you. Now I'm not going to take over your spot anymore, so please wake up and grow up quickly!"

Yue Jiuli kept nagging and pleading with the little bamboo shoot, but the little bamboo shoot still didn't react at all, which made Yue Jiuli feel very distressed.

Yue Jiuli stayed in the bamboo's space for a short while, chatted with the little bamboo shoot for a few words, and then went out. She didn't want to stay there for too long, fearing it would affect the original form of the bamboo's consciousness. Besides, she needed to go outside to wait for her takeout.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!