Chapter 350 - Changes (VII)

It looked like a stew, smelled like a stew, and tasted like a stew.

It was... beautiful.

Oh my God.

We have a cook! We have a proper, middle-of-the-road, nothing-special-but-very-edible sort of a cook! The meat is a bit chewy, sure, and veggies are a bit undercooked, okay, but the combo is... beautiful. Spoonful after spoonful, I... I can't stop until I've finished.

I was apparently the last to do so, as the kids started asking for the seconds immediately, prompting that stupid-ass sneer to show up on his face.

"What about you, Master?" he looked at me. "Would you like seconds too?"

"I'm alright," I said. "The meat was a bit chewy, and some of the vegetables were a bit undercooked. You've also added a bit too much salt to compensate for the lower-quality ingredients."

"... I--I will try harder next time..." he tried to contain it, but a bit of anger leaked. It's my job to keep the arrogance--ah, who am I kidding? I'm also a petty-ass bitch.

But, honestly... I'm just happy that I won't be eating unseasoned when on the road.

As the kids began to slowly pack and clean up, I went for a quick swim in the lake. Now that I think about it, my habit of morning showers has been completely obliterated in this world. To be fair, I don't ever stink, and even if I do, I can just use Qi to quickly clean myself, but still... I've forgotten how nice a casual swim can feel.

"Zhao, let's see who can swim faster!!" Dai Xiu leapt in a beautiful arch, splashed into the lake... and then never surfaced.

--wait, what?!!

"DAI XIU!!" I rushed over and dived down, only to for her to immediately plop back up and start laughing, with everyone else joining her right after.

... wow. Did I really just fall for that?!

"Heh, silly Master. Even if I couldn't swim, can't I just use Qi to block my airways? He he~"

"..." I could only smile helplessly as everyone else jumped into the lake for a bit of frolicking.

It made me once again realize that, in some part of me, I still saw them as just kids. I mean, by now, it's kind of moronic, to be honest. But I couldn't help it. Even if they can pretty much raze an entire building by themselves, I also catch glimpses of who they are beyond their battle prowess. And within those glimpses... there's just a whole lot of humanity.

Insecurities, flaws, pettiness, desires, obsessions... it's not that 'adults' don't have those things (God, I wish there was this magic point in life when you just 'grew up' and those things disappeared), but there are differences when the kids are experiencing them for the first time versus some bitter, jade old ass who's been living with them his entire life.

... anyway.

There was one thing I wanted to do as soon as I saw the Heart-Stitching Art evolve--apply the 'Growth' freebie I got a while back. I've deliberated for a while, but wasn't sure due to its relatively low tier, plus it being the most ancient art I've made.

Even so, I was still fairly certain I'd do it, as it was the art that has helped me the most. For starters, I'm pretty sure the only reason I'm still even remotely sane is entirely due to it, and the reason Long Tao decided to follow me at the very least started with it.

Now that it has evolved, there was no further deliberation needed.

Nothing major changed in its description beyond the simple, addendum:

[Growth-type Art; its effects and complexity passively increase with one's understanding of it. Maximum tier it can reach: Divine]

It was just vague enough for me not to be sure precisely what it meant; does it mean that only my understanding of it would affect its tier? Or does it mean that every person who's contemplating it would have their own little variants?

... I guess we'll find out.

The night fell and we pitched the tent again, soon after eating the leftover stew from the morning. Just as the kids were about to disperse and cultivate on their own, I stopped them.

"Wait a moment, everyone," it was kind of funny how everyone--even Lao Shun--spun in place and sat back down, expectant looks on their faces. Do... do they just see me like some kind of a treasure chest by now? "Your Master had a small epiphany recently and contemplated a slightly higher variant of the Heart-Stitching Art. You all know well enough how indispensable the art has been to all of us, so I hope you'll study this variant deeply, too."

As I handed the tomes, I realized I'd actually stopped even bothering trying to make them look 'aged'. And, since nobody, in turn, bothered pointing it out... eh. I mean, they all know, one way or another. But the game of pretending is still fun.

"... you... had an epiphany?" Lao Shun questioned.

"Yes. Why? What is wrong with me having an epiphany?"

"Nothing, nothing," he said. "It's just, when normal people have epiphanies, they understand, maybe, how to just barely cover up a single flaw for the art. Not restructure it from the grounds up into a vastly better version."

"Heh, dummy alchemist," Light said. "That's because others aren't Master!"

"Exactly! Master could take one look at an ordinary piece of common trash art, and he would immediately turn it into Heaven-tier house heirloom!" Thank you Dai Xiu, but could you please not?

"Calm down everyone," ah, Wan Lan. Voice of reason--no, wait, what's with that look-- "And Dai Xiu, how can you disrespect Master like that?"

"H-huh?"

"You think our Master's greatness can only produce a Heaven-tier item?! No! A single thought of our Master can transform an ordinary pamphlet into a Divine-level art that even the Emperors would covet!"

"Oooh!"

"Master really is great!"

... look at Lao Shun and Long Tao, those bastards. Just look at them eyeing me. Even Rayce--no, he's look at me with pity. Pity... yeah, pity I can take.

"Pipe down, everyone," I said, and everyone indeed did. "Study this one from now on. If you have any questions... right, ask your Senior Brother Tao. He'll guide you properly." his eyelids twitched, but he didn't outright reject it... thankfully.

"Okay. Let's pack and get ready to leave."

Days were... peaceful. Honestly, too peaceful. Serene, even. Tranquil, some would say. Easygoing, to be--

They were boring.

Oh my God, they were so boring. I know I shouldn't complain, 'cause it will undoubtedly turn out the same way it did back on Earth whenever I'd bitch and moan about hot summers. Soon enough, winter would roll around and I would be begging for those scorching summer days.

I'm pretty sure it'd play out the exact same way here. The moment days like these are gone, I'd want them back.

... even if they are boring.

One good did come from it, however: I've been reaping a few points with the kids understanding the Harmonized Heart Sutra, and the Enduring Eternity even.

But, considering I've now got over ten thousand points... it's time to splurge a bit. I still have some rewards to doll out, after all.

---

Just the one chapter again, I'm afraid. Hopefully, I'll kick the damn thing by the weekend's end.

A small tidbit from the previous arc: if you recall the brief part of a chapter where the Silent Sage's Master is conversing with someone, originally, that person was supposed to come and avenge the Sage, with Eternity blocking the strike (consuming the freebie). I considered it only briefly, but as the guy who was supposed to attack them is a bit... weird, story-wise, I ended up scrapping that part.

One thing I am curious about, though: what's the question/mystery that you're looking forward to being resolved the most?