Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 446 The Roc Rises with the Wind
That night, Chen Ping experienced the most intense ups and downs of his life.

From indulging in love to being shocked by the truth.

He witnessed his beloved transform into a demon, and also saw a thrilling battle to subdue the demon.

After the war, mice started talking again, and hedgehogs started mimicking humans.

Chen Ping propped himself up on the ground, tilting his head back slightly, and for a moment he felt a strange sensation as if he were falling into a dream.

At this moment, on this night, under this moonlight, he couldn't tell what day it was, or whether it was an illusion or reality.
Until he saw his god-like second brother also cup his hands and return the greeting to the talking hedgehog, saying, "Brother Wei, it's been several days. I've relied on you a lot lately."

Chen Ping didn't really understand the meaning of Chen Xu's words.

What does it mean to say "I've been relying on you a lot lately"?
His second brother seemed to be thanking a little demon.
The hedgehog in front stepped aside and said, "Ashi and I can't be of much help either. It's all thanks to you for coming back in time."

After saying this, Wei Yuan's spiky hair, which had been standing up high, softened slightly, and his previous tense posture finally relaxed a little.

Chen Xu was very perceptive; he could sense that Wei Yuan had actually been holding his breath the whole time.

It's angry.

There are many ways to be angry.

But perhaps the most important part is Chen Xu's previous "disappearance".

Although Chen Xu had returned, and Xiao Shu greeted him warmly, it seemed that the matter had been put behind them. However, Chen Xu knew that he still needed to give a formal explanation.

At least, Wei Yuan's anger was clearly not going to dissipate so easily.

However, there are priorities, and Wei Yuan was by no means the type to act recklessly in a fit of anger.

That's why it didn't throw a tantrum earlier, but instead urged Chen Xu to resolve Mengniang's matter first.

Now that Mengniang has been dealt with, everything seems to have settled down, and Xiaoshu once again enthusiastically runs towards Chen Xu.

Wei Yuan, however, stood politely to the side.

Chen Ping thought the little demon was extremely gentle and polite, but Chen Xu knew that Wei Yuan was still angry.

This is not something that can be resolved in a short time.

Fortunately, Wei Yuan's attitude softened somewhat, and Chen Xu said earnestly:

"No, you and Shi are guarding the house, which means you are actually protecting the people in my family."

Even though you didn't directly intervene, the fact that my parents and others, apart from my elder brother, were able to remain unaffected by that demon must be thanks to your and Ashi's help.

Although you are also my family, there should be give and take among family members.

I cannot take your kindness for granted simply because we are close.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, recounting his thoughts.

After saying this, especially when he said, "You are also my family," Wei Yuan's spiky hair softened slightly.

The little hedgehog's tense expression relaxed slightly, and a hint of shyness and embarrassment appeared in its eyes.

Well, Wei Yuan was actually very happy.

But it refused to speak frankly, only managing to keep a straight face and say, "Brother Chen, if you want to thank me, then thank me."

Chen Xu smiled slightly and said, "It is not enough to just say thank you. Please wait a moment, Brother Wei and Ashi. I will present you with a gift of thanks later."

Wow, he even refers to himself as "this humble one".

With that attitude and that demeanor, who wouldn't be confused in front of whom?

Wei Yuan knew that now was not the time to reminisce, so he simply said, "Ashi and I are not here for your thanks."

After speaking, it leaped up and jumped onto Chen Xu's other shoulder.

The heavy hedgehog landed on Chen Xu's shoulder, looking dangerous and as if it might fall off at any moment.

But it stood firm until the mouse jumped over from the other side and got close to Wei Yuan.

Ah Shi muttered to himself, "Hedgehog, aren't you looking forward to the scholar's reward? I'm really looking forward to it..."

Wei Yuan remained silent, unwilling to respond to A Shi.

Chen Xu then came to Chen Ping's side, bent down and reached out to help him up, saying, "Brother, are you feeling unwell anywhere? Get up quickly, the ground is cold, don't catch a chill."

Chen Ping blushed. Was he lying on the ground and not getting up because he didn't want to?
But Chen Ping was too embarrassed to say that he had a chest pain.

He was afraid that Chen Xu would think he was still heartbroken for the monster, even though Chen Ping himself was not quite sure.

At this moment, was the pain in his chest due to the shock, or was it because he still had feelings for that demoness, which made the pain so unbearable?

Chen Ping considered his past feelings for Mengniang a disgrace, especially when facing Chen Xu, a victim—

Although Chen Xu had killed Meng Niang, how could Chen Ping deny the fact that Meng Niang had schemed and plotted against Chen Xu so meticulously?

Even though Chen Ping was less knowledgeable, he had begun to understand things at this point.

The reason Mengniang deliberately approached and seduced him was probably because she wanted to use him as a stepping stone to harm Chen Xu!
For some reason, Chen Ping felt extremely ashamed.

Until that hand reached out, Chen Xu said again, "Brother, let me help you up."

Chen Xu's attitude was surprisingly friendly, just like when he was still studying in his hometown.

At that time, the Chen family was so poor that they could hardly afford to buy paper and pens.

Chen Xu earned some money by taking on various private jobs from his classmates at the town's school, which he then used to buy books and writing materials.

He walked to town to study every morning and returned in the evening to chop firewood and feed the chickens. During the busy farming season, he also worked in the fields with his family.

Sometimes, feeling sorry for his hard work, Chen Ping would go up the mountain to raid bird nests.

They found bird eggs, cooked them, and secretly put them in Chen Xu's school bag so he could have a snack at school at noon.

The eldest brother is incompetent; all he knows is how to scrape by in the fields.

Only those few bird eggs could express their feelings.

At that time, Chen Xu would be overjoyed when he returned, and he would grab Chen Ping and Chen An and teach them to write and read.

Chen Ping was genuinely afraid of this, even though he knew his second brother was doing it for their own good.

But Chen Ping would rather his second brother not be so "good".

He felt ashamed and tried to run away.

One minute they have to fetch water, the next they have to chop firewood.

He would rather go to the field to loosen the soil again, even if it meant working from dawn till dusk.

Back then, Chen Ping could never have imagined that Chen Xu would come to this day.
He was like a fledgling bird spreading its phoenix wings, a roc soaring into the sky.

How does that sentence go?

By the way, my second brother once recited to him: "The roc rises with the wind in a single day, soaring straight up ninety thousand miles!"

He flew so fast and so high that even if those on the ground strained their necks, they probably wouldn't be able to see what kind of scenery the blue sky he was in was like.

Passing the imperial examinations, becoming a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations), passing the provincial examinations...

When good news kept coming in, Chen Ping was actually stunned.

Although it was a pleasant surprise, it didn't quite feel real.

Sometimes he even had a moment of doubt, wondering if the person in the good news was really his second brother.

Is it the second brother who used to sit on the threshold in front of the house, eating roasted bird eggs with them, chatting and laughing?

Chen Ping was genuinely in a daze.

until now.

Chen Ping knew; Chen Xu had never changed!

He seems to have grown far away from his family, but in reality, he's always been here.

Chen Ping suddenly felt a surge of warmth in his heart and grabbed Chen Xu's hand.

(End of this chapter)