After laughing up to the sky, Yè Qiū, feeling that the advantage was on his side, was about to share the good news about his progress with Qiū Xiǎozhū.
However, halfway there, he suddenly remembered that today was his aunt's birthday.
His plan couldn't do without his aunt's help.
Therefore, for Yè Qiū, going to his aunt's house to win her favor was something very important.
"I must prepare a gift before I go; otherwise, it will seem like I don't have sincerity."
After thinking for a moment, Yè Qiū looked toward a nearby tree and decided to carve something from wood with what he had on hand.
While Yè Qiū was busy preparing his birthday gift, the Third Elder, who had brought him the big news, stopped in front of a grave without a headstone or status, a grave of clothing.
After pulling the weeds around the grave, the Third Elder took some candies from his pocket and placed them in front of the grave.
In the Alliance of the Nine Heavens, only a few people knew that this was the cemetery of the Third Elder's sister.
With a look of weariness, the Third Elder, like an old dog resting in that place, sat in front of the grave, his gaze somewhat lost.
The reason he had been deceived and accepted to cooperate with Yè Fēilóng was simply because he still couldn't let go of the obsession he felt in his heart.
When he was young, both he and his sister, who also possessed great talent, were highly regarded by the elders of the Qiū family.
His sister, since childhood, was very lively and had a great curiosity about the outside world.
However, the family rules of the Qiū family were strict: family members could not leave without permission.
If it was discovered that someone did, that person would be severely punished and expelled from the Qiū family.
But on the day of his sister's sixteenth birthday, she couldn't resist sneaking out.
Soon, the elders discovered what had happened.
When his sister was brought back from outside, punishment awaited her from the family.
That day, he knelt outside the ancestral temple and couldn't remember how many times he bowed.
Still, nothing could change.
His sister just wanted to see the outside world out of curiosity, but she was stripped of her cultivation and expelled from the family.
From that day on, he, who had previously not been very interested in cultivation, began to train with all his might.
He thought that one day he could become the most powerful person in the Qiū family.
That way, he could bring his sister back and change the Qiū family.
However, when he finally became an Elder, he sent his disciples to investigate and discovered that shortly after his departure, his sister had died from an illness.
Although he later became the Third Elder, he could never change anything about the Qiū family or the Alliance of the Nine Heavens.
Realizing that he couldn't change anything, he chose to continue living as it came, until Yè Fēilóng arrived.
That man was trying to take control of the family's ancient protective tomb, the Seven Dragons.
If he succeeded, the protection that had kept the Qiū family safe for centuries would fail.
But at the same time, that chain that had kept the Qiū family tied to that place for centuries would also disappear completely.
Deep down, the Third Elder didn't see this as something bad.
Surely, there were others in the Qiū family who thought the same.
It was precisely because of the family rules that the Qiū family had remained tied to that place for hundreds of years.
The most talented members of the Qiū family spent their whole lives in the Alliance of the Nine Heavens, dedicating themselves to martial arts cultivation.
The less talented, on the other hand, could only spend their lives cultivating the land, raising animals, and taking care of livestock.
Outside of those two options, there was no alternative for the members of the Qiū family.
How many were dissatisfied with this? But what could they do about it?
With a self-critical smile, the Third Elder murmured:
"I've been the tomb's guard dog for centuries. It's time for this to end. Xiao Qing, when the elder brother restores freedom to the Qiū family, I'll come down to see you."
The small white flowers in front of the grave swayed gently with the wind, as if old friends were nodding.
After almost an hour of preparation, Yè Qiū finally finished his gift.
Holding the carved wooden piece, he blew on it lightly, satisfied with his work.
The carving depicted three people.
A beautiful woman, holding hands with a young girl whose appearance was very similar to his own.
And the young girl, in turn, held the hand of a small child whose face also closely resembled Yè Qiū's.
"My aunt admires my mother a lot, so this gift should be the most suitable for her."
After murmuring this to himself, Yè Qiū smiled and quickly made his way to Qiū Xiǎozhū's house.
When he arrived at the garden door, he noticed that next to his aunt's garden there was a small bamboo house.
He glanced at it briefly but didn't pay much attention, thinking that his aunt had probably built it, and walked into the garden with firm steps.
As soon as he entered, a fragrance of food immediately reached him, and Yè Qiū, upon smelling it, couldn't help but feel his appetite grow.
Recently, due to focusing entirely on his meditation, he had been eating only dry bread and had almost forgotten what meat tasted like.
He quickly entered, and saw Qiū Xiǎozhū sitting with a big smile at the table, clearly enjoying the meal.
"Master, happy birthday! This is the gift I prepared for you."
He hurriedly approached and handed her the gift he had prepared.
He was already accustomed to calling her "master" to conceal his true identity.
"Huh? How did you know it was my birthday?"
Seeing her nephew come to congratulate her, Qiū Xiǎozhū felt even happier.
Over the years, she had stopped celebrating her birthday by herself.
This time, with the help of her disciple, she had prepared a large amount of food, and now her nephew had also come to congratulate her, making her feel truly warm inside.
"Master, you are the most important person to me in this world, so it's natural that I worry a little more about you."
Yè Qiū said emotionally.
Qiū Xiǎozhū smiled, touched, and began to carefully examine the carved wooden piece that Yè Qiū had given her.
The figure of the sister in the carving looked so much like her that, upon seeing it, she remembered the times she had spent with her sister.
Due to the early death of her parents, she had grown up under the care of her sister, whom she had come to regard as a mother.
That was why she had protected Yè Qiū.
Her sister, the only heir to the family, had been just a baby in diapers when everything happened.
Although the Yè family had many sins, they didn't deserve to be punished for them.
"Thank you for the gift, I like it very much."
After expressing her thanks, Qiū Xiǎozhū placed the carving on the nearby shelf.
Then she called to Yè Qiū:
"You surely haven't eaten yet, right? Come, try the food and tell me what you think."
"Of course."
Yè Qiū nodded, picked up some chopsticks, and took a bite. Suddenly, his eyes filled with tears, and drops began to fall.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Seeing Yè Qiū crying, Qiū Xiǎozhū became worried and quickly asked him.
"In my whole life, I've never had a home. The food you make, master, has shown me what the taste of a home means. If my mom were here, the food she would make would be exactly like this."
Yè Qiū wiped his tears and, looking at Qiū Xiǎozhū, said emotionally: "Master... Can I call you mom?"
"Silly child."
Qiū Xiǎozhū sighed, unable to avoid feeling a little hurt.
If her sister were alive, this child wouldn't have had to suffer so much.
"Mom...?"
As soon as Yè Qiū said "mom," Táng Yú entered from outside with a steaming plate of chicken with potatoes in oil.
She was wearing an apron, and upon seeing Yè Qiū, she smiled:
"Wow, looks like Brother Yè Qiū has finished his meditation."
Yè Qiū's tears dried instantly.
Upon seeing the dishes that Táng Yú brought, he felt incredibly uncomfortable.
After all, weren't these dishes his aunt's?
That's why the taste seemed so different from the last time.
------------------------
Attention, everyone!
Important! Although I don't upload the chapters here, they are still being uploaded regularly on Patreon every day. So don't worry, the content is being updated as always on my Patreon page!
Don't forget to check out the novel! There are new chapters available for FREE! If you notice any missing, let me know so I can update them.
I just uploaded a 100% R-18 story, but some platforms don't allow me to publish it. Don't worry! It's completely FREE on Patreon. Just go to the collections section, and you'll find it there.
The story has 23 free chapters and will be updated in the same way as here, but on Patreon.
Important: Due to my work, it's very hard for me to upload the chapters manually on all platforms. On Patreon, the chapters are scheduled for two daily updates, whereas on other platforms, I have to do it manually.
Want more exclusive content? On Patreon, you can already access up to chapter 700, along with 7 ongoing projects, including more R-18 content.
Current projects:
Goddess Training Manual – 100 chapters
Second-Generation Villain (modified version) – 22 chapters
Based on Detective Conan – 280 chapters!
After hearing my thoughts, the heroine wants to be part of my harem! – 750 chapters
I'm the father of the villain – 275 chapters
I have 90 million in funds – 11 chapters
Benefits of subscribing to Patreon:
✅ Two new chapters every day without interruptions✅ Early access to exclusive chapters✅ Direct support for the continuity of these projects
Don't fall behind! Join and enjoy all the content here:🔗 Patreon.com/LEYI396
Thanks for all your support!