I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 162: Spring Palace God

Duan Rong looked at the entrance of the mansion, where the busy servants each carried various items, and asked, "Are you moving house?"

"No! I’m going on a picnic! I asked Jiang Qingyu to come with me, but that guy actually called me crazy." Ximen Kankan said, somewhat puffed with anger.

Duan Rong touched his nose and laughed silently. It’s not even the pleasant autumn weather; going on a picnic now is a bit nonsensical, isn’t it?

"I sent Shi Kang to the escort agency to find you the other day, but you weren’t there? I thought you were out on an escort mission again?"

"No. I went out to take care of some business." Those few days, he was naturally at Wild Boar Mountain.

"You should come with me. We can have a picnic, fly kites... I’ve even brought cooking utensils..." Ximen Kankan invited enthusiastically.

Normally, Duan Rong would have refused, but this time he had something to ask Ximen Kankan, so he smiled and nodded in agreement.

Seeing Duan Rong nod, Ximen Kankan was overjoyed, pulling Duan Rong by the hand and saying, "Big brother, you really have good taste. Unlike Jiang Qingyu, who only knows how to run to Huaying Building to find that Lan Ying. With that unpromising attitude, no wonder Lan Ying is not interested in him."

If Jiang Qingyu heard this, he could probably vomit blood on the spot!

Ximen Kankan pulled Duan Rong onto the carriage in front, which had two beautiful maids attending inside.

The carriage behind was driven by two servants, following closely the first one.

Sitting in the carriage, Duan Rong chatted with Ximen Kankan, and only then found out that the two maids in the carriage usually served Ximen Yong. Ximen Kankan actually had them serve him for the outing while his father was away - wasn’t this undermining his father?

The two maids had not met Duan Rong before, but seeing Ximen Kankan speak so warmly and familiarly with Duan Rong, they were slightly surprised, their curious eyes flickering over Duan Rong from time to time...

The two carriages stopped by the woods next to the lake outside town. The servants lit a fire and set up a pot, and the two maids flew kites by the river, with clear and lovely laughter occasionally drifting over...

Ximen Kankan and Duan Rong, meanwhile, chatted casually while catching fish and rabbits. Duan Rong noticed that when Ximen Kankan was fishing, his gaze was bright and focused, almost more attentive than when he wielded his saber.

Both of them were skilled in martial arts, and in no time, they caught two large fish, two rabbits, and a wild chicken.

Ximen Kankan, along with the servants, began preparing the game, while Duan Rong took the opportunity to go over to the river and play with the two maids flying kites...

When Duan Rong had enough playing and returned to the woods, he saw a large pot of fresh fish soup simmering there, with Ximen Kankan sprinkling spices on the roasted golden-brown chicken and rabbit. The savory aroma of the fish soup and the rich scent of roasted meat mingling together made Duan Rong’s mouth water...

Ximen Kankan saw Duan Rong returning from the river and smiled, "Did you have fun?"

"Not bad!" Duan Rong plopped down on the grass next to Ximen Kankan.

Ximen Kankan glanced at the two maids still flying kites by the river and said to Duan Rong beside him, "I didn’t invite them to come! They insisted on coming to fly kites when they heard I was going on a picnic!"

"Actually, you don’t have to explain." Duan Rong said, biting a piece of foxtail grass. What he meant was that explaining is just covering up.

Ximen Kankan could naturally hear the meaning in Duan Rong’s words and sighed, "They are my father’s women; I’ve always kept a respectful distance."

Duan Rong leaned forward slightly, glanced at Ximen Kankan, and found that his expression was serious, with no intention of joking.

Duan Rong’s eyes flickered; he remembered that along the way, Ximen Kankan hadn’t said much to the two maids, and there seemed to be an intentional distance when they reached the river.

At this time, the two maids seemed to have had enough fun and returned, wiping fragrant sweat from their brows.

Afterwards, everyone had lunch by the river, and the delicious wild game was a refreshing change for Ximen Kankan, who was used to gourmet food.

Ximen Kankan had also brought along some fruits and snacks in the carriage, and after lunch, everyone enjoyed some desserts.

After having lunch, Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan lay on the grass by the woods, chatting aimlessly.

"Duan Rong, what is your dream?" Ximen Kankan suddenly asked in a low voice.

"Dream?" Duan Rong chuckled silently, biting the foxtail in his mouth. Isn’t this Wang Feng’s question?

"Yeah." Ximen Kankan pressed his right hand under his head and turned to look at Duan Rong.

"My dream is to become a god." Duan Rong said calmly.

Ximen Kankan burst out laughing, "You already are a god!"

"Really?"

"You’re the Spring Palace God." Ximen Kankan said.

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong almost choked on his own saliva.

Ximen Kankan continued, "My dream is just to live this life naturally."

"A little bigger, I want to help my father manage the herbal shop business. Then get married and have kids. If I could marry Xia Shuangshuang, that would be great; if not, it’s fine."

"Actually, I don’t enjoy practicing martial arts at all. But my father tells me to do it, so I do it. When my mother died, she told me to listen to my father."

"When I was little, I couldn’t understand why my father made me learn this and that. Especially with martial arts, he was so strict with me! It was practically inhuman life!"

"But over the past two years, I’ve slowly come to understand my father; he’s doing it for my own good!"

"So, even if it’s something I don’t like, if he asks me to do it, I’ll definitely do it!"

As Ximen Kankan spoke, he suddenly felt a bit surprised; he didn’t know why he was sharing these deep feelings with Duan Rong...

Duan Rong listened, touched, and felt some envy towards Ximen Kankan.

He had lived two lifetimes but never had a family. He never asked for great wealth or status, just an ordinary, warm family, but he had never experienced the warmth of a family.

Duan Rong glanced at Ximen Kankan and realized this guy was not as frivolous as he seemed. He actually had his own principles. Although obsessed with the Spring Palace and often mischievous, his nature was not bad.

Duan Rong suddenly recalled a sentence he had seen in his previous life, said by a person from the Ming Dynasty: "A person without quirks cannot be befriended, as they lack depth of feeling; a person without blemishes cannot be befriended, as they lack true qi." He strongly agreed with that.

"Shall we spar a few moves?" Duan Rong sat up and said. Having just devoured the Great Success Realm, his hands were itching.

"I’ve already said I don’t enjoy martial arts."

"Just to digest..."

"Well, okay then!"

Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan stood on the grass at the edge of the woods, their blades in hand. Duan Rong suddenly flashed his saber, attacking Ximen Kankan!

Ximen Kankan’s short and stout body suddenly leaped up, agile and swift, his Moon Blade Scimitar flashing afterimages!

The two instantly engaged in combat, the crisp sound of weapons clashing overlapping...

Ximen Kankan was surprised; unlike previous times when Duan Rong showed slight improvements just by thinking, this time, Duan Rong’s saber technique was not just a little better; it was a significant leap upward!

How many days has it been? This is bizarre!

Ximen Kankan’s competitive spirit was stirred. His saber technique became more fierce, and his eyes brightened with sharpness.