Chapter 20: Words of the Machete

"Is that true?" Zhao Yu could not help but feel a surge of joy.

Promises from outsiders were never reliable, but since it had come from his wife... could it be that he was finally, truly able to begin cultivation?

Ying shook her head. "It is hard to say. I must verify it first. It may be possible, or it may not."

Zhao Yu did not mind at all. "That is fine. If it is impossible, then I suppose I am simply destined to be a mortal... It is just that I have burdened you, my dear."

"It is nothing. It is merely what I should do."

The two spoke for a while longer before Ying rose to leave. She walked slowly out of the courtyard, her figure vanishing in an instant, heading to parts unknown.

"Little Wanzi, I might be able to start cultivating very soon!" Zhao Yu could not help but share his excitement with his sister-in-law.

Little Wanzi licked her lips, a brilliant smile spreading across her face. "I am truly happy for you, brother-in-law..."

*Creak...*

His younger brother emerged from the side room.

Zhao Yu shared his joy once more. "Little brother, I might be able to start cultivating very soon!"

The brother grew immediately excited. "Once you begin cultivation, brother, you won't have to work so hard anymore... It is all my fault. If I weren't so frail, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much in the past."

The family was harmonious and content.

And so, the evening arrived. Seeing the sky darken, Zhao Yu, still buoyed by the joy shared with his family, patted his stomach. "I shall go prepare dinner."

The sun had set; it was time to eat. His brother and Little Wanzi nodded repeatedly.

As soon as Zhao Yu stepped into the kitchen, the countless faces on his brother’s body twisted into expressions of pure madness. Little Wanzi’s gaze toward the universe became increasingly greedy.

Presently, the brother looked at Little Wanzi. "Has she gone mad?"

Little Wanzi’s greed faltered, replaced by a sneer. "You should be asking whether the people outside have gone mad."

...

In the kitchen, Zhao Yu hummed a little tune, happily starting a fire.

The wood-chopping knife hopped onto the stove, its handle bearing a face that looked grave. "Zhao Yu."

"What is it?" Zhao Yu asked casually.

The knife’s expression turned even more severe. "You cannot cultivate."

Zhao Yu felt puzzled. "Are you running a fever? Didn't you always say that if I could cultivate, I would be able to catch rabbits on my own?"

"That was because I knew you couldn't. But if your wife says you can... and you do as she says, you really will be able to." The knife spoke as if it were a matter of fact.

Zhao Yu’s fire-tending faltered. He turned and glared at the knife with displeasure. He was not happy about his potential to cultivate; instead, he wanted to stop him? So, the brotherhood between him and the knife was a lie!

The knife’s voice rose slightly. "Are you listening to me?"

"I hear that our brotherhood is fading!" Zhao Yu gritted his teeth as he looked at the knife.

The knife was momentarily stunned, then let out a sigh. "Is that what I’m talking about? The point is, you cannot actually begin to cultivate!"

"Then tell me, why can't I?" Zhao Yu’s gaze was unfriendly. He decided that if the knife could not appease him today, he would bury it in the dirt and let it cool off in the embrace of Mother Earth.

The knife’s face turned serious again. "Once you begin to cultivate, your wife will want to eat you. Just like you catch rabbits to eat, she will devour you bite by bite! Your brother and your sister-in-law will leave, too."

"Even I—I have a premonition that I, too, will likely leave you then..."

"Once you set foot on the path of cultivation, your home will be gone!"

"Tell me, do you want your home, or do you want to cultivate?"

Having said this, the knife offered a smile. It believed this was not a difficult choice to make.

Zhao Yu was left speechless. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I don't know how to explain it to you, but just remember what I said. If you really want to cultivate, I cannot stop you. But if you do not wish to, no one can force you."

After a pause, the knife returned to Zhao Yu’s waist, looking dejected. "However, keep this in mind: do not tell anyone else what I just said, not even your wife. Otherwise, I will die... not the kind of death written in books, but the kind of death you understand."

Seeing this, Zhao Yu frowned. The knife’s behavior made him feel that it was not bluffing.

Yet, he truly wanted to cultivate. And if his home would vanish after he did, why would his wife be willing to let him?

How should he choose?

After pondering for a long while, Zhao Yu smiled again. He decided that when his wife returned, he would ask for her thoughts. The bond between them was so sincere; she would certainly never harm him.

If there were a problem in their relationship... if there truly were a problem, what purpose would there be in forcing it to continue? He was not a man who liked to force others.

As for his family... Mu Han and Little Wanzi, could they really stop being his brother and sister-in-law just because he started cultivating?

...

Time flowed slowly.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. For Zhao Yu, these three days were incredibly boring, as he had not stepped outside, spending his time at home in a daze.

For the Youxiong Tribe and those who had appeared in the million-mile Yin Mountains for various reasons, these three days had been agonizing.

With the descent of the Abyss of Despair, the Winds of Despair had swept across nearly half of the Yin Mountains, bit by bit! Furthermore, countless evil spirits had emerged alongside the arrival of the abyss. For reasons unknown, the million-mile Yin Mountains had even suffered several tremors of the earth.

Early that morning, Zhao Yu sat in the courtyard, looking into the distance. "Why hasn't my wife returned yet? Could something have happened..."

"No, that's not right. My wife is accomplished in cultivation; she wouldn't encounter trouble. It must be that the place she needed to verify is quite far..."

Muttering to himself, Zhao Yu returned to his daze. Staying at home doing nothing was far too boring.

Little Wanzi popped her head out. "Brother-in-law, since you're bored, why not go out and find some ingredients?"

Zhao Yu was troubled. "Little Wanzi, it’s not that I don’t care for you, but you know that the black wind has been blowing constantly lately..."

"Brother-in-law, I want to eat meat. And the sickly one... and Mu Han, his constitution is so weak, he should eat meat to strengthen his body." Little Wanzi looked pitiful.

Zhao Yu’s heart ached immediately. His sister-in-law had never been one to ask for meat, no matter how greedy she was. For her to ask now meant she must be unable to bear the hunger.

But going out to find ingredients... mushrooms were fine, one could always find those by walking through the mountains, but things like rabbits were a matter of luck.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Yu’s eyes lit up. "Right, I made a good friend recently who seems to live nearby. Perhaps when the black wind dies down, we could go see him?"

He remembered that Tieshi had intended to invite him over as a guest, but the sudden arrival of the black wind had interrupted them.

Little Wanzi began to drool. "Nearby?"

"Yes, right nearby. When he was about to take me to his home, I saw from the sky that there was a very, very large area of buildings over there." Zhao Yu pointed in the direction of the Youxiong Tribe. Although they were quite far away at the time, because he had been flying very high, he had naturally caught a glimpse.

Little Wanzi swallowed her saliva. "Brother-in-law, let’s go together. Since he invited you as a guest, I’m sure he won't be stingy with a bite of food... It would also save you the trouble of having to bring the ingredients back yourself."