Chapter 6: The Silent Watcher
It was late at night, and the streets of Mingzhou City weren't as busy as before. Everybody had all gone to their respective homes, and only a few were seen on the street. The last customer just left the Jade Swan Restaurant, greeting the staff and thanking them for the food.
"Ning'er, come see me again soon, Jiang'er misses you," an elderly lady who was passing with her stick said to Luo Ning.
The old lady had a bent posture and wrinkled skin, but she had the most beautiful smile, her eyes radiant even in the dark. One could mistake her for a young lady of noble status.
Luo Ning, who was clearing the plates, preparing to close the shop, looked at who was speaking to her, and when she saw the old lady, she wore a bright smile on her face.
"Aunt Ying, I won't. I will come see you soon. Take care," Luo Ning said, seeing the old lady off.
As she turned to enter the shop, a thud was heard inside. Luo Ning rushed to see what happened, and what she saw made her laugh. Her boss, Ban Shanzuo, was trying to lift a package that was delivered and ended up cracking his back. Shaking her head, she walked over to assist him.
"Boss Zuo, you aren't supposed to do this kind of work. Go and take a rest, let me take this package inside for you," she said, calling her boss by his nickname.
Ban Shanzuo stood up, rubbing his white beard. "I'm growing old, but I'm still strong. See?" he said as he tried to flex his muscles, earning a heartfelt laugh from Luo Ning.
"Yes, yes. Boss Zuo is the strongest in the whole world," Luo Ning emphasized more to boost her boss's ego.
Ban Shanzuo made a prideful look while stroking his beard lightly. "As long as you know."
When Luo Ning had taken the package inside, Ban Shanzuo wore a worried look on his face. He had seen when Luo Ning picked up the jade pendant at the back.
'I hope nothing bad happened to Ning'er's brother,' he thought to himself, looking in the direction where Luo Ning had entered.
---
Someone entered the restaurant, and when Ban Shanzuo turned around with a smile on his face, the smile instantly dropped when he saw who it was.
"Old man, is Ning'er around?" Shen Muo, the young master of the Celestial Pavilion Sect, asked as he took a seat on one of the restaurant seats.
'Why did this foolish man decide to come again today?' Ban Shanzuo thought to himself, his face visibly annoyed. They were just about to close, and this fool chose this time to come and pester Luo Ning. He was really ruthless.
"Ning'er left a while back. We just closed for the day, so I let her leave early," Ban Shanzuo said, trying to find an excuse to send Shen Muo away. Nobody but him knew that Luo Ning and her brother had been staying with him since their parents' death, and he wanted to keep it that way.
He continued to stand with his hands behind his back, his calm demeanor radiating, as he watched Shen Muo's reaction.
"Is that true?" Shen Muo asked, skeptical of the old man's excuse. He was liable to believe the old man because he didn't see Luo Ning when he was coming.
Luo Ning, who heard the whole conversation, thanked Boss Zuo inwardly, grateful that the stinky young master met Ban Shanzuo this time, letting her escape him.
"Old man, do you really think I'm a fool? That I'll believe your trash talk so easily?" Shen Muo asked.
'What?' Luo Ning thought, covering her mouth so as not to make a sound.
Ban Shanzuo heard her but pretended not to and continued to distract Shen Muo. "Believe whatever you want, Ning'er isn't here," he said nonchalantly, so as not to arouse any suspicions.
Shen Muo nodded but still didn't move, and it worried Ban Shanzuo. So he took the initiative to walk up to him as if rearranging the seats and tables.
"Young master, please can you give way? I want to lock my shop. It's already past my closing time."
"Alright, I'll let you have this victory, but you won't be so lucky next time," Shen Muo scoffed, flipping his extravagant clothing in the face of Ban Shanzuo.
Not wanting to cause any trouble for Ning'er or his shop, Ban Shanzuo slowly closed his eyes, sighing as he silently endured the humiliation. After the young master had left, Ning'er ran out from where she had been hiding to help her boss stand.
"No respect for his elders. Shen Muo really doesn't give you face," she said, wearing a frustrated look that Ban Shanzuo was quick to pick up on.
"Leave him, he's just a child throwing tantrums," he simply said with a smile on his face.
Luo Ning nodded but still felt bad for taking advantage of Ban Shanzuo's kindness. "Boss Zuo, Ning'er has implicated you, please forgive me," she said, going on one knee and pleading.
Ban Shanzuo was surprised at this but said nothing. He just smiled and touched her shoulder.
"Ning'er, I think of you like my own granddaughter and wouldn't want you to go through any harm. So naturally, I must protect you," he said with a slow and soft voice, wearing a big smile on his face.
Ning'er could tell that his smile was genuine, so she stood up and hugged him. "Then I will call you Grandpa from now on," she said.
Ban Shanzuo was deeply moved that he hugged her back, his face beaming with joy and satisfaction.
After a few seconds, Ban Shanzuo pulled out of the hug. "Alright, alright. You go inside now, I'll take care of everything else here," he said, turning to the side and waving his hands as if motioning her to leave.
Luo Ning understood what he said but saw that Ban Shanzuo was clearly embarrassed, so she decided to tease him a little. "Grandpa..." she said in her sweet voice, dragging the word.
"You..." he said, picking up something on the table.
Ning'er yelped and ran away laughing in satisfaction as she had accomplished her goal. Ban Shanzuo just smiled as he watched her leave, then turned around and proceeded to turn off the lights and lock his shop.
---
Back at the Cave
Tang Feng did a few signs with his fingers and then pointed them at the wall in front of him. An energy ball shot out of his fingertips and hit the wall, but it didn't explode. The array was clearly still active.
Tang Feng had only come across the Myriad Cloud Array in books, a terrifying array once created by a celestial emperor. "All arrays and formations have flaws, so I don't believe that the great Myriad Cloud Array is different," Tang Feng said.
"Break for me!" he commanded, forcefully exploding the beam. A smokescreen erupted as a result, blinding him momentarily.
Lin Zhang, watching, saw his chance and escaped. Meanwhile, Tang Feng struggled, realizing something was wrong. His divine sense was blocked. "Strange... could it be that this mist blocks divine sense and knowledge sea?" he muttered, trying to navigate the mist.