BW Extra 14

About Raising Cubs (3)

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When children grew up, they would want to find dao companions. This was truly a completely normal thing.

After all, several of the children were not like him and Chu Jun, who in their youth had one cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness and the other the Path of Slaughter—the former cut off emotions and love, the latter was despised by people and dogs alike. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen years old were precisely the best ages.

Although Feng Zizhang had always been like a block of wood, he was earlier to understand matters of the heart than the others. When he was at Wanxuan Academy, he and a talisman cultivator young lady from Xuantian Sect were mutually in love, sweet and affectionate like glue.

To be fair, just from appearance alone, each of the children was more good-looking than the last.

Feng Zizhang was upright and handsome, Cui Yuanbai was refined and scholarly. Long Jin had the naturally beautiful features of the dragon clan—after growing taller, he looked even more delicate and beautiful than daughters. As for Ning Xiu, he combined the advantages of both his fathers, so naturally there was no need to mention it.

And the two daughters—Jiang Yizheng was tall, heroic, and beautifully elegant. Yang Lingzhu was gentle and dignified. Compared to the young ladies from other sects and aristocratic families, they were in no way inferior—those prettier than them couldn’t fight as well, those who could fight as well weren’t as pretty.

When Ning Buwei looked at his mischievous and troublemaking sons, sometimes he wished he could beat them three times a day. But when he looked at his daughters, the more he looked the more satisfied he became. They were not only well-behaved and filial, but also wouldn’t climb walls and houses to turn all of Chen City upside down.

Under the contrast of their brothers, the daughters who brought great comfort to their two fathers were not always so worry-free either.

Ning Buwei didn’t oppose them having romantic feelings with young cultivators and holding hands.

But at least those boys had to be pleasing to his eye first.

Unfortunately, up until now, no young cultivator had been fortunate enough to win the great demon’s favor.

For example, when he learned that Jiang Yizheng had finally broken up with that good-for-nothing from the Shen family, Ning Buwei happily drank half a jar of Immortal’s Intoxication.

“A complete waste, with ill intentions. The entire Shen family only produced one Shen Xi who was barely passable.” Ning Buwei, drunk and dizzy, leaned against Chu Jun and slapped the table in dissatisfaction. “Think about it—when they encountered danger in the secret realm, he could shamelessly hide behind Xiao Jiang, a weak woman. What kind of good thing could he be!”

After speaking, he wanted to stand up, but Chu Jun pulled him back down. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to see Xiao Jiang.” Ning Buwei said happily.

“…With you this happy, Xiao Jiang probably doesn’t want to see you.” Chu Jun tactfully yet directly reminded him.

For some unknown reason, among all the children, the older Jiang Yizheng grew, the more her personality resembled Ning Buwei’s. Father and daughter were both stubborn mules—they could start arguing at the drop of a hat. Sometimes even Ning Xiu didn’t dare to really oppose Ning Buwei, but Xiao Jiang dared.

Not only did she dare, but when Ning Buwei stubbornly refused to regulate his evil qi and even Chu Jun couldn’t make him budge, she would scold him while crying, forcing the great demon into submission and reluctantly beginning to regulate his evil qi.

Everyone speculated this was very likely because back when Ning Buwei taught her talisman drawing, the two of them argued every day, building up that confidence—Ning Buwei taught for a year, but Xiao Jiang hadn’t been able to learn even one talisman.

However, although Jiang Yizheng could argue face-to-face with the great demon who terrified all seventeen states, after her heartbreak she was still like other daughters, sad enough to secretly shed tears.

Ning Buwei knocked on the door. After a while, hearing no movement, he quietly pushed the door open and went in.

Jiang Yizheng was lying on the bed covered by a quilt, wrapping herself into a caterpillar, with her back to him, refusing to speak.

Ning Buwei sat by the bedside and said earnestly, “There are plenty of handsome, capable male cultivators from good families in the seventeen states. Father will introduce you to some new ones.”

“I don’t want to.” Jiang Yizheng’s voice came muffled from under the quilt, tinged with crying. “Men are all bastards! None of them are good!”

Ning Buwei touched his nose, not quite agreeing. “There are still good people, like your father me, like Chu Jun. Look how well we two are as dao companions.”

“Wuu wuu wuu wuu.” Jiang Yizheng’s crying sounds came from under the quilt.

“…Tsk, what’s so good about that Shen San anyway? Small courage, ugly as a crooked melon and cracked date, low cultivation, and full of schemes. Simply completely worthless.” Ning Buwei spared no effort in badmouthing. “Breaking up early is good.”

Jiang Yizheng suddenly threw off the quilt and sat up.

Ning Buwei was startled and said irritably, “Making such a fuss, not ladylike at all.”

Jiang Yizheng, with messy hair, swollen eyes from crying, and dark circles underneath, stared gloomily at Ning Buwei. “Father, did you drink Immortal’s Intoxication again?”

“I was happy—no, I was drinking a few cups in my spare time.” Ning Buwei said with a stern face. “Look at what you look like now! It’s just a man!”

Jiang Yizheng sniffled.

“Is he better looking than me? Is his cultivation higher than Chu Jun’s? Does he treat you better than we treat you? And you foolishly gave him your whole heart! Useless!” Ning Buwei said dissatisfied.

Jiang Yizheng was now certain her father had drunk too much—not only did he reek of alcohol, he was also talking more than usual. But she was still very sad, “That’s different! You two are my fathers, he’s Shen San!”

Ning Buwei didn’t understand.

“And where would I find someone better than you and dad wuu wuu wuu wuu—” Jiang Yizheng cried. “Shen San, that bastard…”

Jiang Yizheng hugged him and cried breathlessly. Ning Buwei sighed, patted her head, and said melancholically, “When will you finally become a bit smarter?”

After finally comforting his heartbroken eldest daughter, Ning Buwei walked leisurely back to his room with his hands behind his back. Turning a corner, he saw a corner of clothing. “Stop right there!”

Yang Lingzhu’s back stiffened. She slowly turned around and smiled. “Father.”

Ning Buwei beckoned to her, indicating she should come over.

Yang Lingzhu walked to his side holding medicinal herbs. “Father, what is it?”

“What really happened between your second sister and that Shen San?” Ning Buwei asked.

Yang Lingzhu shook her head and pretended to be confused. “I don’t know either.”

Ning Buwei raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then how about we talk about Ge Qi running off to Jiting Sect to become a monk.”

“Father, second sister told me not to tell.” Yang Lingzhu sighed and said, “Ge Qi saw through the mortal world himself.”

Ning Buwei was puzzled. “How could he suddenly see through the mortal world?”

“Perhaps he was influenced by Buddhist teachings.” Yang Lingzhu looked profound and mysterious. “The love between men and women in this world is nothing but flowers in a mirror, moon in water. Rather than being stubbornly attached, it’s better to pursue the great Dao.”

“…” Ning Buwei stared at her suspiciously.

Unlike Shen San, that worthless wretch, Ge Qi was actually quite excellent in all aspects. Ning Buwei had just started to think this young man was barely acceptable—gentle and considerate in temperament, upright and responsible as a person, with decent cultivation and aptitude. Then he heard that the boy had gone to Jiting Sect to become a monk.

“You don’t like him?” Ning Buwei asked directly. “Weren’t you two always together these past years?”

“We’re just ordinary friends.” Yang Lingzhu smiled slightly. “Father, it’s getting late. You should go back and sober up, or dad will scold you again.”

She stuffed the sobering medicine packet into Ning Buwei’s hands, picked up her basket, and walked away unhurriedly.

If Jiang Yizheng was a stubborn iron plate, then Yang Lingzhu was a light, fluffy cotton ball. Whether it was an iron plate or cotton, the great demon was completely at a loss with both.

Raising daughters was much harder than raising sons.

Outside the corridor, Cui Yuanbai was chasing Little Black and Ning Xiu as they whooshed past, once again snapping in half the ten-thousand-year lotus bamboo he had painstakingly transplanted from Ruogu Peak. Countless green leaves scattered and hit him in the face.

The veins on Ning Buwei’s forehead throbbed.

But daughters were at least caring—when wronged, they knew to come cry to him, and when they saw he was drunk, they even gave him medicine packets… Sons were nothing but trouble!

The lotus bamboo was uprooted.

The lotus bamboo was turned to ash by true fire.

The seeds were chopped to pieces by sword energy.

…..

Ning Buwei’s drunken head throbbed with pain, then he was pulled into someone’s embrace.

A familiar bitter fragrance reached him, and he immediately relaxed.

Chu Jun flicked his sleeve, and the troublemaking little rascals were immediately frozen in place, staring at each other wide-eyed.

“Go rest.” Chu Jun said gently.

“Those few—”

Before Ning Buwei could finish speaking, Chu Jun flicked his sleeve again, and Cui Yuanbai, Little Black, and Ning Xiu disappeared.

“Let them go train in a secret realm for three days.”

“Three days is too short, make it a month.”

“Fine, then three months.”

Today at Chen City’s Ning residence, it remained quiet and peaceful as always.