Chapter 45 – Antechamber (I)

Chapter 45

Antechamber (I)

A new dawn came, and with it a new visitor–Spirit Sage’s servant here to whisk away the pair of my disciples for one of their awards: Antechamber.

Back when I proposed the bet to Elder Qin and asked for the Antechamber specifically to be one of the rewards, I didn’t really know anything about it. I mean, I still don’t, but I didn’t back then, either.

All I know is that it’s some sort of a hallowed place of cultivation that’s occasionally been offered as a reward in the sect for monumental deeds. How I got the Elder to promise he’d arrange for both of them to attend… I will never know.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said as I joined them; maybe it was a bit of paranoia in me, but I didn’t want to leave them alone with Spirit Sage. Not that I’d be able to do anything if that demonic bastard decided to kill them or take them in, but for the peace of my mind, I want to escort these rattling buses while they’re getting polished. “Hua, make lunch and dinner for Light. I’ll also swing by the Resources Department today and order us a new batch of materials to build her house, so finalize the measurements.”

The boy nodded, and I wondered silently if he ever got tired of pretending to be a mute weakling while he was a half-god…

Anyway, the descent was speedy; the servant that came to fetch them didn’t speak, and Long Tao certainly didn’t speak, leaving only Dai Xiu and me to chat on occasion.

“Cherry pie? That’s your favorite?” I asked while the girl beamed.

“Yes! I only had it twice, but… I can’t forget about it, Master! When I get my first stipend and when I am allowed to leave the Sect, I swore the first thing I would do is buy a cherry pie!” She seemed more determined about this than she did cultivation, if I’m being honest. Well, not fully, but it’s also kind of scary how close it got.

One notable thing is that she knew just how many Spirit Stones I had… yet she still said she’d used her own stipend. Maybe I’m worrying too much about her? I mean, it’s cherry pie, in the end–how many Spirit Stones could it possibly be? A hundred?

… damn. Money really does change you. Khm.

“I really like cherry pie too,” I said. “I actually tried making it once before.”

“Eh? Really?! Master knows how to make it?!” she asked, suddenly seeming electrified.

“No, no, I said I tried making it,” correcting her, my mind swiveled back to the distant memory of me being a bit… drunk, to be honest, and trying to follow an online video on how to make a cherry pie. All was going well until I put it in the oven, set the alarm to check on it every 10 minutes, and… fell asleep.

Woke up to the raunchy scent of the burnt crust, and oh boy, was it ever raunchy.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

It kind of soured me on making it ever again. Then again, I tried doing a whole lot of things while drunk that I never did sober.

Wow. That sounds kind of… depressing.

“Maybe I should try it again soon?” Her expression truly was like a world wonder. From excited to disappointed and back to jubilant all in the span of a literal 5 seconds. There were some people who wore their hearts on their sleeves, and they’d all feel she was too open with her emotions. “You really that excited to try Master’s cherry pie?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Hm!” she nodded. “Master is amazing, so your cherry pie must be the best in the world!”

“…” I paused because I noticed Long Tao’s shoulders briefly bounce up and down. At least, thank God, he stifled a laugh; it’s one thing when he’s his disrespectful self back on the Peak when it’s just us, but there’s a third party here (Sect Master’s servant, no less). It’d do neither of us any good if the word got out that he openly laughs at me and I just brush it off.