Chapter 78: I Do Not Know Its Name

Ji Huo blinked, then suddenly laughed and said, "Aunt Bai, why don’t you come to the capital someday? The cat my father keeps can do a backflip."

Bai Rou’s face turned bright red, flustered, "Ah? Th-th-this... isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"

Ji Huo sighed inwardly, unsure what was so appealing about his father. The man scratched his rear and farted without a care for his image; how could anyone pine for him?

Oh, his mother who passed away before they ever met didn’t count.

Ji Huo actually wouldn’t mind having another stepmother. In his view, the sooner his father remarried, the better—at least it would save him and his brother from being bothered all day.

It would be good to have someone keep him in check.

Ji Huo smiled, "What’s inappropriate about it? Aunt Bai, we hit it off right away. Inviting you to stay at our house for a few days is perfectly reasonable."

"This..." Bai Rou suddenly came to her senses, tapped Ji Huo’s forehead, and laughed, "You little rascal!"

Ji Huo grinned, "Then it’s settled! Come to the capital in a few days!"

"Alright." Bai Rou smiled, trying to act grown-up in front of the younger generation, but her smile was a bit stiff, as if she was nervous.

Suddenly, Bai Rou asked, "Is Brother Roaring Bear... doing well?"

Ji Huo replied, "He’s mostly fine."

He had examined his father's injuries, but his own medical skills were lacking, unable to discern what kind of wound could cause such lasting effects. That strange force clung to his father’s body like a parasite, and even his father’s robust internal energy couldn’t dispel it.

But as long as he didn’t engage in fierce battles, it wasn’t much of a problem.

Ji Huo asked, "Aunt Bai, do you know who hurt my father?"

Bai Rou’s expression grew solemn, "It happened when we encountered a great demon during our travels."

"That demon fed on human essence to cultivate, wreaking havoc in the area. We besieged it for three days and nights. In its dying counterattack, it aimed a blow at me, but Brother Roaring Bear blocked it, leaving him with a hidden injury. My brother was furious and slew the demon with a single sword strike."

"Afterward, Roaring Bear was unconscious for three days and nights before waking up, appearing perfectly fine, but the hidden injury remained. No matter how many renowned doctors or sorcerers we consulted, none could remove it."

A great demon... Ji Huo nodded and asked, "Where did you encounter it?"

"Within Liang Country’s borders," Bai Rou glanced at the sky, puzzled, "I don’t know why, there used to be so few monsters, but in recent years they’ve become much more active."

Indeed, even the capital had been invaded by monsters. Who knew if the Imperial Preceptor had caught that creature yet, or if it was still roaming the streets sniffing out women’s scent like a dog.

Come to think of it, Master Wen did the same thing, sniffing everywhere. The methods these sorcerers used to identify monsters were quite primitive.

Ji Huo stayed at Divine Sword Manor for a few days.

He had to admit, this place was truly brimming with spiritual energy, living here was refreshing and invigorating.

The only downside was the food—too bland, barely any meat.

After two meals, Ji Huo decisively started heading down the mountain at mealtimes to find better fare.

Passing the front of the mountain, he saw crowds of martial artists queued up, paying to walk the Sword Scar Stone Path—judging by the throngs, the daily ticket revenue must be substantial.

As he strolled along, he happened to run into Hou Baixi returning from a meal. They exchanged a smile, and Hou Baixi promptly recommended which restaurants in the nearby town had the best food; clearly, he was a regular on the hunt for good eats.

The competition among eateries in the town was fierce, but the dishes suited his taste. Ji Huo ordered steamed bass, braised lion’s head meatballs, braised pork, and wolfberry pork liver soup, feasting to his heart’s content and finally alleviating days of bland meals.

Passing a shop, Ji Huo spotted something familiar and went inside, pointing at a wooden fishing rod, "How much for this rod?"

"Twenty copper coins," the shopkeeper replied without looking up.

Ji Huo rubbed his chin, then asked, "What’s the most expensive one?"

The shopkeeper’s interest was piqued. He pointed to a finely-crafted rod displayed on the wall, "That one! The blacksmith spent three days and nights forging it, all top-quality materials! Just five silver taels!"

He chuckled, "Lots of folks fancy this rod. There’s a fellow in white who often comes by with a bamboo hat, staring at it but never buying—always goes for the twenty-copper one, probably keeps breaking them! If he’d just spend a bit more, he’d have caught plenty of fish by now."

Ji Huo handed over the silver without hesitation, bought the rod, and happily carried it back to Divine Sword Manor.

At the rear of the manor, sure enough, Sword Saint was leisurely fishing by the river.

He was just like before, unchanged even in his movements. For a moment, Ji Huo felt an illusion that Sword Saint had never moved from that spot, as if yesterday were repeating itself.

He paused, as if he had grasped something, but when he tried to ponder it, nothing came to mind.

"Bo-bo!" Ji Huo ran over and handed the rod, "This is for you."

Sword Saint turned his head, a spark of surprise and excitement in his eyes, but his face remained stern, "What’s the meaning of this? I’ve said before, I no longer care for such worldly possessions."

Ji Huo blinked, "But when I passed through town, I saw this rod matched your temperament perfectly."

Sword Saint’s mouth couldn’t help but curl upward, his chin lifted proudly, "I am attuned to heaven and earth, one with nature—anything suits me."

Ji Huo feigned disappointment and turned away, "Then I’ll be off?"

"Ah." Sword Saint hurriedly sighed, "Since you’re so filial, I’ll reluctantly accept it."

"Alright!" Ji Huo beamed.

Sword Saint grabbed the rod, quickly transferred the line from the wooden rod to the new one, then set the wooden rod aside, likely intending to keep it—it was still worth twenty copper coins, after all.

Ji Huo saw Sword Saint Bo-bo excitedly rubbing his hands, clearly eager to try out his new toy, so he decided to leave—if he failed to catch any fish, his mood might sour.

"Ji boy, what level have you reached in ‘Thunderous Fiery Bear Fist’?" Sword Saint suddenly asked.

"Perfected," Ji Huo replied honestly.

"Mm?"

"Mm!"

"Mm-mm?"

"Mm-mm!!"

Sword Saint stared at Ji Huo in astonishment. For that moment, his gaze was so intent that Ji Huo seemed to glimpse the vastness and grandeur of the heavens in his eyes.

To Sword Saint, Ji Huo appeared as a towering black bear, its body covered in dark fur, surrounded by lightning and flames. Thunder crackled overhead, and multicolored lights shimmered across its fur.

Those were the marks of at least twenty or thirty perfected body-tempering techniques.

Behind the bear stretched endless void, as if concealing some great terror—unseen, unheard, unknowable.

A single extra glance would be enough to make one’s mind explode.