Chapter 111 The dignified ancestor becomes a doorstep! The old monster transforms into a stone lion to freeload.
The night was deep, and a deathly silence hung over the northern outskirts of Qingyun City.
Outside the high walls of Mortal Dwelling, Cangqiongzi and Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo crouched in a corner, their eyes fixed intently on the tightly shut gates.
The wisps of savory aroma from the Void Giant Crab wafting from the courtyard were like hooked lines, reeling out the cravings of these two peerless old monsters.
"Old Man Cang, what I said just now wasn't a joke."
Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo swallowed hard, his voice carrying a sense of desperate resolve.
Cangqiongzi turned to look at his old partner. "You, a grand Ancestor of the Demon Realm, really plan to serve as a stone lion guarding the gate for the Young Master?"
"Ancestor my ass!"
Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo pointed at the gates of Mortal Dwelling and growled in a low voice, "Look at what the Young Master keeps in his courtyard! The number one Vicious Beast of the Primordial Era is kept as a common mutt, and the Dragon Emperor of the East Sea is an ornamental fish! Even a broken bowl for leftovers is stained with the Supreme Dao!"
"The two of us are working ourselves to death out here and can't even get a sip of hot soup. That was a million-year-old Void Giant Crab just now! We just stood by and watched the Young Master's dog eat every last scrap!"
Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo slapped his thigh, his Face full of bitter regret. "Can Face be eaten? Can Face help us Breakthrough to the Immortal Emperor Realm? As long as I can smell the aroma of the Young Master's cooking every day, I wouldn't just be a stone lion—I'd be a stepping stone if that's what it took!"
Cangqiongzi fell silent.
He felt the small bag of "Divine Plant trash" he had just received, then looked up at the towering lintel of Mortal Dwelling.
"You're right."
Cangqiongzi took a deep breath, an unprecedented fervor erupting in his eyes. "The Young Master's residence is grand, but the sides of the gate are indeed empty; it lacks something to guard the house. Let's go fill that vacancy right now!"
No sooner said than done.
These two supreme titans, who could cause massive earthquakes in the Shenhuang Continent with a single stomp, immediately began to circulate their life's cultivation.
The Immortal Path Laws of the True Immortal Great Perfection and the Demonic Path Origin comparable to an Immortal Emperor instantly intertwined.
There were no world-shaking phenomena; all the power was strictly suppressed within their bodies.
A flash of light flickered.
The two scrawny old men who had been crouching in the corner vanished.
In their place stood two majestic, giant stone lions, each nearly ten feet tall!
The stone lion on the left was the Incarnation of Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo; its body was a deep dark green, its eyes wide with fury, and its paw rested on a stone ball, exuding an aura of natural authority.
The stone lion on the right was the Incarnation of Cangqiongzi; its material was as white as marble, its head slightly raised with a haughty expression, looking incredibly lifelike.
The two stone lions took their positions on either side of the Mortal Dwelling gate, their breathing and heartbeats completely hidden as they turned into genuine stone.
"That's settled then," the stone lion that was Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo thought smugly. "Guarding the gate means that when the Young Master comes out to throw away the trash tomorrow morning, we'll be the first to benefit!"
...
Early the next morning.
The sun was bright, and the breeze was gentle.
In the backyard of Mortal Dwelling, Lin Yuan stretched and walked out of his room.
He had eaten his fill of steamed crab the night before and had slept exceptionally well.
"Old Wan," Lin Yuan called out toward the kitchen.
"This old servant is here!" Demon Venerable Wanhua walked out carrying a basin of water, a rag in his hand.
Lin Yuan pointed to the pile of leftover crab shells in the corner.
"Clean up those broken crab shells and put them in a bucket. While you're at it, pour in the leftover soup from the kitchen and take it out to dump. It'll attract flies if it sits too long."
"This old servant obeys."
Demon Venerable Wanhua nimbly swept the broken shells and a bit of savory crab soup into the wooden bucket and headed toward the gate.
"Creak—"
The moment the gate was pushed open.
Demon Venerable Wanhua's hand holding the bucket trembled violently, nearly spilling the crab shells onto his feet.
His eyes widened as he saw the two giant stone lions that had suddenly appeared on either side of the gate, his mind buzzing.
These two stone lions are carved way too realistically!
Wait, no!
Demon Venerable Wanhua was a demonic cultivator at the Peak of the Mahayana Stage; his sharp Divine Sense instantly detected the familiar and terrifying aura hidden within these two "stones."
The one on the left with its paw on the ball was clearly Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo, whom he had just met yesterday!
The one on the right with its head held high was definitely Cangqiongzi of the Zixiao Holy Land!
These two old fogies—a grand righteous Old Ancestor and an Ancestor of the Demon Realm—actually came to the Young Master's doorstep overnight to turn themselves into stone doorsteps?!
Demon Venerable Wanhua felt a literal headache coming on.
To curry favor with the Young Master, these old monsters had completely thrown their dignity to the wind. They were even using such low-handed tactics to compete for attention!
"Old Wan, why are you standing at the door dazed?"
Lin Yuan strolled over leisurely, fanning himself with a folding fan.
He stepped out the gate and immediately spotted the two imposing stone lions.
"Oh?"
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up, and he circled the stone lions, looking surprised. "When did this pair of things appear at our gate? They weren't here yesterday."
Demon Venerable Wanhua swallowed and forced a smile. "Replying to Young Master, it's likely... those Masons brothers from yesterday. Seeing that the new house was finished and the outside of the gate looked bare, they probably brought a pair of stone lions overnight as a housewarming gift."
"Sent by the Masons brothers?"
Realization dawned on Lin Yuan, and he reached out to pat the head of the stone lion that was Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo.
"Bang, bang, bang."
The sound was dull, and the touch was cold and hard.
Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo was terrified by the patting; he held his breath tightly, not daring to let even a hint of Devilish Qi leak out for fear of his disguise being seen through.
"The stone quality is quite good, and the carving is intricate."
Lin Yuan nodded approvingly, then walked over to the white stone lion that was Cangqiongzi and stroked its mane.
"This white one looks quite festive too. Those Masons brothers are truly thoughtful; not only did they work hard, but they're also so polite. I'll have to thank them properly the next time I see them."
Hearing Lin Yuan's praise, the two stone lions roared with excitement in their hearts.
The Master praised us! The Master touched our heads! This is a massive win!
Lin Yuan turned to look at the wooden bucket in Demon Venerable Wanhua's hand.
The bucket emitted the enticing aroma of the Void Giant Crab—a supreme delicacy consisting of mixed crab shell fragments and rich soup.
Although the two stone lions couldn't move, the moment they smelled the aroma, saliva began to churn wildly within their stone bellies.
"Old Wan, dumping this liquid directly onto the road outside will easily dirty the street."
Lin Yuan looked around, his gaze falling on the square stone bases in front of the two stone lions. The bases were carved with a slight indentation, forming a shallow stone trough.
"Just pour those broken shells and leftover soup into these two stone troughs."
Lin Yuan instructed casually, "This seafood soup has a strong smell. There are many stray cats and dogs around here. Pouring it into the stone troughs will leave it for those stray little animals to have a taste. It's a good deed."
As soon as those words were spoken.
Demon Venerable Wanhua nearly bit his tongue.
Using the leftover soup of a million-year-old Void Giant Crab to feed stray cats and dogs?!
And pouring it onto the bases of these two ancestors!
Demon Venerable Wanhua cast a sympathetic glance at the two motionless stone lions, sighing inwardly. You two just had to come and be doorsteps; now look, you've become food bowls for stray dogs.
"Yes, Young Master."
Not daring to disobey, Demon Venerable Wanhua obediently stepped forward and evenly poured the crab meat soup and broken shells from the bucket into the troughs in front of the two stone lions.
The rich seafood aroma, mixed with fragments of Void Laws, instantly swirled around the stone lions' noses.
Lin Yuan clapped his hands in satisfaction and turned to walk back into the courtyard.
"Old Wan, once you're done pouring, hurry in and close the gate. This seafood smell is too pungent."
"You got it."
Demon Venerable Wanhua retreated into the courtyard with the empty bucket, cast them one last sympathetic glance, and closed the gate with a thud.
The moment the gate closed.
A bizarre scene instantly unfolded on the previously silent street.
The two imposing stone lions remained motionless, still looking like stone on the outside.
But inside the two stone troughs filled with Void Crab soup, a miniature tornado seemed to whip up out of thin air!
"Slurp—!"
"Gulp—!"
In the blink of an eye, the soup in the troughs, along with the hard crab shell fragments and even the bits of oil that had seeped into the stone surface, were instantly sucked clean by an invisible force!
It was a hundred times cleaner than if a dog had licked it!
Inside the dark green stone lion on the left, Ancient Ancestor Yuanmo was so excited he nearly fainted.
"Such rich Void Laws! Such overbearing million-year blood vitality! The Master actually bestowed food upon us!"
Inside the white stone lion on the right, Cangqiongzi was also moved to tears.
"Even though it was poured on the ground for us to lick, this is a gift from a supreme existence! From today on, I'm staying put at the entrance of Mortal Dwelling! If anyone dares to drive me away, I'll use this stone lion body to smash their head in!"