Chapter 244
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon Just Wants to Live Quietly (2)
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Geum Sihyeon had been on edge, fretting over whether the old folks might chase after them, right up until they slipped out of Xi'an.
But once they were fully clear of the city, he regained his composure and gently set Cheon Luri down from his back.
They strolled along together, soaking in the charm of the Central Plains.
It was late at night, but to call it a revival of past glories might be a touch exaggerated—Xi'an had blossomed into the heart of the Central Plains.
Even at this hour, bustling pedestrians and travelers hurried to and fro.
A soft, yielding touch grazed his arm, then coiled snugly into his grip as she matched her tiny steps with a rhythmic patter.
They wandered the quiet streets like that.
"Any place you wanna go?"
"Mm."
Luri tilted her head, pondering for a moment.
"Wudang Mountain."
She tossed out an answer he never saw coming.
Geum Sihyeon blinked in surprise.
"Why?"
At his question, Luri dredged up an old memory.
Why Wudang Mountain out of all the peaks in the world?
Man, Wudang Mountain back then was a real sight to behold. Watching those red maples blaze like flames really warmed this uncle's heart!
"Wudang Mountain. Blaze blaze."
She summed up her feelings in a nutshell, but Geum Sihyeon didn't catch on right away. It took a back-and-forth before he grasped her true intent.
"Ha, that crazy old coot..."
He vowed that if he ever crossed paths with his uncle again, he'd yank out every last beard hair.
In the midst of that exchange—and since it was on the way anyway—Geum Sihyeon gauged the direction to Wudang Mountain and plotted their route.
Tonight, they'd follow the official road and crash at an inn come dawn.
Then rise fashionably late around lunchtime and zip along using lightness skill.
Having already mapped out Xi'an's internals and surroundings for his real estate schemes—geography, prime locations, plots, and buildable volumes—finding an inn was a breeze for Geum Sihyeon.
He pushed open the door to a tidy-looking establishment.
"Welcome in!"
In an age of kiosks cutting labor costs, this inn's cozy human touch greeted Geum Sihyeon and Cheon Luri.
"Wanna grab something to eat?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, kid—got any hot dishes going?"
"Heh heh, you bet we do. Our hamburgers are the house specialty."
Hamburgers—made with lettuce, now two full years in cultivation.
The western-style dish born from Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress's investment and famed chef Old Man Song had become Xi'an's signature fare.
"Then two hamburgers, and throw in whatever else you've got handy."
Spotting the silver Geum Sihyeon offered, the waiter's face split into a massive grin.
Silver could make even an inn boy dance, as the saying goes.
"Oh my, for such a generous gentleman gracing our humble inn, we'll serve up white steamed buns topped with two slices of grilled beef, special-seasoned lettuce, fresh milk cheese, and crisp veggies—the one-of-a-kind flavor!"
When a big spender drops coin, it's inn-boy tradition to hype the food with the tongue.
True to form, the waiter rolled his words, lavishing praise on the hamburgers.
But that alone wouldn't quite justify a full tael of silver.
"What an honor to host such a mighty hero, and your daughter—such a bright-eyed little thing. She'll grow into the supreme beauty under heaven, ho ho!"
Even a hedgehog adores its own pups, they say.
No parent hates hearing praise for their kids.
Banking on that, the waiter kept buttering them up.
But the awkward response came from the girl herself.
"Not daughter."
Not his daughter?
She sure looked like one.
Sibling, maybe? The thought flickered through the waiter's mind.
But then.
"Wife."
"...Pardon?"
"My wife."
From the mouth of this adorable creature the waiter had never seen the likes of popped a bombshell.
The waiter couldn't help glancing between the girl and the man she'd pointed to in turn.
That annoyingly handsome face wore a sheepish smile.
The waiter's eyes wavered for a split second.
And Geum Sihyeon read all the implications in that gaze.
"...Just get the food ready, please."
Mumbling awkwardly, he couldn't help recalling his past life's sins.
Back before he was Geum Sihyeon, living his modern life.
He'd once found joy in dropping comments online.
— That crazy bastard Ganghwaon
Past memories flashed through Geum Sihyeon's mind.
A pang of regret: he never should've posted that one.
After that, Geum Sihyeon tried coaxing and convincing Luri over and over.
"On a trip like this, wouldn't it be better to play it as me being your big brother?"
"Hmph."
But Luri flatly refused.
She still had plenty of growing to do, sure.
Twenty-one. Twenty-two next year.
Full-grown adults. What was there to be embarrassed about between adults?
Geum Sihyeon, his social face not just in the dirt but getting trampled flat, was at his limit.
"You embarrassed?"
Her words carried a hint of hurt, stabbing right to his core and shutting down any sibling talk for good.
"Eek."
Cheon Luri showered affection without a hint of restraint.
Their path naturally veered toward quieter, less populated routes—no coincidence there.
And whenever someone approached them.
"Haha... Thanks for the kind words."
"Mmph."
Luri's mouth was reliably stuffed with candy.
Nothing beat capitalism and materialism for a surefire fix.
.
.
.
Of course, the journey didn't drag on forever.
Geum Sihyeon, a Harmony Realm master whose lightness skill now rivaled the world's best after relentless training.
"Still blows my mind every time..."
"This body's amazing."
Petite as she was with her short stride, Cheon Luri had mastered the essence of Shadowless Step, gliding effortlessly half in the air.
Not only did she charge ahead at blistering speed.
"Carry me."
"Sure."
When fatigue hit, she'd flip on full auto-pilot without hesitation, letting them reach the outskirts of Wudang Mountain in no time.
And then.
"Whoaaa..."
A new vista etched itself into Cheon Luri's world.
Near Wudang lay Danjiangkou.
No modern reservoir, but untouched by climate change, a vast lake rippled gently, asserting its majestic presence.
"Come to think of it, this is your first lake, huh."
"Yeah."
Geum Sihyeon himself had been awestruck by Dongting Lake's continental scale on his first glimpse.
A bit of a hassle, but worth bringing Luri—he ruffled her hair fondly.
Not a tourist hotspot, so foot traffic was light, but a few still came for the lake's beauty.
Geum Sihyeon aimed to skirt the crowds.
Off a ways.
"Hm..."
He sensed a familiar presence.
Title: Yeonhongnyeo~ Off air for a month...😭
Been feeling so rough lately, gonna take some recharge time🤧!
I'll rest up and come back as a healthy Yeonhongnyeo~~!😍
Yeonhongnyeo hot hot~~~ ❤️.❤️
My horns are throbbing...
Yeonhong, no way, right? I believe in you?
(Deleted comment.)
No bad words no no no no no no
A few days prior.
The true identity of martial world vtuber Yeonhong, who abruptly announced an indefinite hiatus.
Yeonhong Un sat surrounded by his wives, beaming contentedly.
Watching the vtuber he'd invested in heavily fool around with women and tank profits made Geum Sihyeon's gut twist heavily.
And then.
Yeonhong Un spotted Geum Sihyeon too.
He masked it with a smile, but unease tugged at his lips.
"Seeing a dear friend's face—I'll step away briefly for a chat."
Like a thief with guilty feet, he left his wives and hurried over.
"I, uh, just needed some recharge time..."
"Yeonhong. Business booming? Must be nice."
"Not that name out here, please..."
The charming smile he'd flashed for his wives vanished; the illicit-hiatus vtuber Yeonhong Un groveled pathetically.
Then his gaze drifted to Geum Sihyeon's side.
Cheon Luri, sucking sullenly on her candy with a pout.
He knew who she was.
He'd glimpsed her from afar, toddling around Hundred Flowers Academy as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's young lady.
But up close like this? First time.
Like it or not, his intimacy sense kicked into overdrive.
Yeonhong Un alternated looks between her face—practically clinging to Geum Sihyeon's arm—and Geum's own.
"Geum Sihyeon, you crazy bastard..."
Forgetting their debtor-creditor dynamic, he spat the most normal jab imaginable.
At a loss for words, Geum Sihyeon just waved him off dismissively, shooing him away.
The lake remained stunning.
Wudang Mountain's distant peak gleamed beautifully.
That dawn.
While his wives slept in their lodgings.
"The title 'lecher demon' doesn't suit me anymore."
"Shut it. Before I broadcast to the Central Plains that Yeonhong's really a guy."
The two men reunited at the inn.