Chapter 69 The Cat Returns to its Hometown
The blue-gray brick walls appear somewhat mottled after weathering the wind and rain. The pedestrians and horses passing by the city gate move at a leisurely pace that is unique to this small town.
The last time he left here, he was still a young man with the reputation of being a good-for-nothing with five spiritual roots and an uncertain future.
Now that he has returned, he has become a foundation-building cultivator, and his state of mind has changed.
Mo Li looked around the seemingly unremarkable town curiously, then turned and asked, "Brother Qingchen, is this where you grew up?"
Bai Qingchen withdrew his gaze from the city wall and nodded lightly.
He dismounted and held the reins. Mo Li also dismounted and followed him. The two of them followed the crowd and slowly walked into the city gate.
The layout of the streets and alleys in the city remained the same, with familiar shops on both sides, selling groceries, blacksmiths, and tailor shops. Everything was the same as I remembered.
"Gurgle..." Mo Li's stomach growled at an inopportune time, breaking the somewhat solemn atmosphere. He scratched his head embarrassedly.
Bai Qingchen smiled, and the heavy feeling of nostalgia in his heart was diluted a little.
"Let's go, I'll take you to try a noodle stall that I used to eat at when I was a kid."
The two of them walked around and around until they came to the entrance of an alley where a simple noodle stall was set up with a few low tables and benches, and a stove steaming.
The stall owner is an old man with gray hair, but his movements are still nimble.
"Two bowls of plain noodles with a poached egg." Bai Qingchen said to the old man familiarly. He pulled Mo Li to sit at a relatively clean table in the corner.
Soon, two bowls of steaming noodles with the aroma of lard and chopped green onions were served.
Bai Qingchen picked up the chopsticks, picked up a few noodles, blew on the hot air, and put them into his mouth. The familiar taste instantly spread on his tongue.
"Hmm, it still tastes the same." He said softly, as if talking to himself, but also as if explaining to Mo Li.
"When I was little, my parents often brought me here."
Mo Li also followed his example and started eating in small bites. His eyes lit up as the noodles entered his mouth: "Delicious!"
He swallowed a mouthful of noodles, looked at Bai Qingchen's profile immersed in memories, and couldn't help asking: "Brother Qingchen has been away from home for so many years seeking immortality, and now he finally has the opportunity to come back. Uncle and aunt must be very happy."
Bai Qingchen paused in picking up the noodles, and the steam rising from the bowl blurred his vision.
He was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke, "They...are long gone."
Mo Li's hand holding the chopsticks suddenly tightened, and regret and self-blame surged on his face: "I'm sorry, Brother Qingchen, I didn't know..." He felt that he had touched the other person's deepest pain.
Bai Qingchen looked at the genuine apology on the boy's face, but instead smiled gently and reached out to rub the top of his head.
"It's okay. After so many years, birth, old age, sickness and death are normal. I've let it go long ago."
He paused, looked at Mo Li, and said in a softer tone, "Having you, a child, come to comfort me makes me, as a brother, seem hypocritical."
Mo Li lowered his head and looked at the clear soup in the bowl. He didn't say anything, but just nodded silently.
Bai Qingchen's thoughts drifted back to a more distant time along with the mist from the bowl of noodle soup.
In my memory, my mother was a heroic woman, not as weak as ordinary girls in the boudoir. There was always a sense of heroism between her eyebrows. It is said that when she was young, she traveled around the world and was an excellent swordsman.
My father is a typical scholar, gentle and elegant, who likes to hold books. He always speaks slowly and with a scholarly air.
After he was born, the couple often argued about whether to let their son learn martial arts to strengthen his body or learn civilization and reason.
It was not until he was six years old that a fairy master was invited from the city to test his spiritual roots.
When the test revealed a mixed group of five spiritual roots, the people around more or less showed expressions of regret and watching the fun.
But his parents didn't care about other people's opinions, and there was only undisguised joy in their eyes.
His father excitedly lifted him up high, while his mother smiled brightly beside him, saying repeatedly, "Great! Great! Our precious Qing'er will become an immortal in the future!"
That day, the Bai family held a grand banquet for the first time, celebrating for seven days and seven nights.
His parents protected him like the apple of their eye and praised him to everyone they met. Those were the few warm childhood memories Bai Qingchen had, but all this beauty was shattered when he was nine years old.
"Let me go! Help!"
"My dear, come back with me. There you can enjoy delicious food and drink spicy drinks. Isn't that better than staying in this shabby place?"
A shrill noise and a woman's crying suddenly came from across the street, interrupting Bai Qingchen's thoughts.
He frowned and looked up, only to see a man dressed in silk and satin, with greasy hair and powdered face, leading a servant who looked like a house servant, pulling a woman with tear marks on her face.
The woman struggled desperately but couldn't break free from the young man's grip. The young man had a frivolous smile on his face. He was none other than Zhang Peng, who had always made things difficult for her when she was an apprentice at Renjitang!
Now, four years have passed, but the domineering and harsh look in his eyes has not changed at all.
There were many onlookers, but they were angry but dared not speak out. Although the Zhang family was not as strong as it used to be, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and no one wanted to cause trouble.
Just as Zhang Peng was about to forcibly hold the woman's waist, the bamboo chopsticks in Bai Qingchen's hand flew out of the air like an arrow!
"ah!"
Zhang Peng let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered, and the arm he was holding on the woman's arm was as if it was burned by an iron. He pulled it back suddenly, and his wrist instantly became red and swollen.
The woman took the opportunity to break free and ran into the crowd without looking back.
"Damn it! Who dares to ruin my good deeds!" Zhang Peng covered his painful wrist and roared in frustration. His fierce eyes swept around and finally stopped at Bai Qingchen in the corner of the noodle stall.
He was stunned at first, and then a look of strong contempt and disdain appeared on his face, as if he had seen something dirty.
"Oh! Who was that heroic fellow I thought he was? Turns out to be my runaway slave Bai Qingchen! What's the matter? Can't make it out there anymore, so he's back?"
Mo Li was originally sitting quietly beside Bai Qingchen, but when he heard Zhang Peng's slander and insults, the aura around him suddenly turned cold.
He stood up suddenly, his small body emitting a chill that could not be ignored. He stared at Zhang Peng and said clearly, "Watch your mouth."
Zhang Peng was startled by Mo Li's cold gaze, but when he saw that the other party was just a teenager, he immediately became arrogant again. He pointed at Mo Li and cursed, "Who do you think you are? You little bastard who hasn't even grown all his hair yet dares to tell me to teach my own runaway slave a lesson? Get out of here!"
As he said that, he waved his hand and slapped Mo Li in the face.
Mo Li's eyes became fierce and his fingers moved slightly, as if he was about to take action.
However, before Zhang Peng's hand could fall, and before Mo Li could fight back, an invisible force slammed into Zhang Peng and his servant like a sledgehammer!
"Bang! Bang!"
With two dull thuds, Zhang Peng and his servant flew backwards screaming like broken kites with broken strings, slamming hard into the wall across the street, and then rolled to the ground, covered in dust and looking miserable.
Zhang Peng was knocked unconscious by the fall. He struggled to raise his head and looked at Bai Qingchen who was walking slowly towards him in horror.
At this moment, Bai Qingchen's face was calm, but his eyes were as cold as ice, and he exuded an aura that made his soul tremble.
Bai Qingchen walked up to him, looking down at him. His voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone present: "You will pay the price for talking nonsense."
The moment he finished speaking, he raised his foot and stepped on Zhang Peng's calf.
“Crack!”
There was a teeth-grinding sound of bones cracking.
“Ah ...
Zhang Peng let out a shrill scream, rolled around on the ground holding his broken leg, tears streaming down his face.
Bai Qingchen looked at his twisted and painful face indifferently: "If I find out that you continue to bully men and women, you won't even have the other leg."
That calm tone was more frightening than any threat.
"Afu! Afu! Where have you been? Quick! Help me get back! Quick!"
Zhang Peng almost fainted from the pain, and roared at the servant who had also fallen and was unable to get up, with a look of horror on his face.
Under the mocking gazes of the crowd, the two men, one dragging a broken leg, the other limping, supported each other and fled the scene in a miserable state.
Mo Li walked over to Bai Qingchen and looked at the two men's hurried backs. His eyes were as cold as a poisoned knife, but his voice was filled with a subtle concern: "Did this person bully Brother Qingchen before?"
Bai Qingchen looked at the direction where Zhang Peng disappeared, his expression calm and unperturbed. "It's all in the past. After my parents passed away, I worked as an apprentice in his family's pharmacy for a while."
He didn't elaborate on how much trouble and contempt he had endured, but Mo Li, looking at his calm profile, could imagine the days when he was living under someone else's roof and was bullied. The dark coldness in the boy's eyes became even more intense.
"Brother Bai? Is it really you? Brother Bai!" A surprised voice came from the crowd.
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