Chapter 290: Venomous Tongue Pony
Yan Qing was also a little surprised when he saw Ma Bingliang. He didn't expect that this senior brother would come back at this time.

He had lived in a Taoist temple since he was a child and had met this legendary senior brother several times.

Xuan Yue smiled and waved to Yan Qing, "Yan Qing is back, it's just right that your senior brother is back too."

Yan Qing first bowed and greeted Xuan Yue, then turned to the white-haired old man beside Xuan Yue and bowed, "Hello, Senior Brother."

His gaze lingered on the white-haired old man and the little girl standing behind him for a moment.

The white-haired old man was thin, with a straight back. His weather-beaten face was full of wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp and bright.

Ma Bingliang laughed, his eyes narrowed into slits to hide the brilliance in them, and he looked Yan Qing up and down, "Yan Qing has grown up so much, time flies by so fast."

"It's really fast. The child is already in his twenties. More than 20 years have passed in a flash." Xuan Yue said.

Xuan Yue then introduced the little girl to Yan Qing, "Yan Qing, that's your senior brother's apprentice, her name is Xiao Xiao."

The little girl looked to be only about ten years old. She was thin, wearing an ill-fitting Taoist robe, and had a round face like a small bean sprout.

It was obvious from her tense expression and the way her hands were tightly grasping the hem of her clothes that she was very nervous.

The moment Yan Qing's eyes fell on her, she became even more nervous, her face flushed red, and she stammered, "Master, hello!"

Yan Qing nodded slightly.

Xuan Yue seemed to be touched by her reaction and chuckled, "Xiao Ma, where did you find such a cute little apprentice?"

Hearing what he said, Ma Bingliang's body tensed up instantly. He slightly turned his body to block Xuan Yue's view of Xiao Xiao, and said vaguely, "I just happened to meet this child, and I thought this child had good character, so I took him in."

He particularly emphasized the word "character", as if he was implying something.

Xuan Yue seemed not to understand his hidden meaning and said with a smile, "This kid is really good."

Xuan Yue turned her gaze to the bag in Yan Qing's hand. Her eyes lit up and she said impatiently, "Yan Qing, quickly bring the fruit you brought back to me so I can try it."

This kid eats and drinks well there every day and doesn’t even come back often to bring some fruit to his master. Every time he gets something, he has to ask someone to send a courier and he has to go down the mountain to pick it up.

Yan Qing hummed, took the black bag, opened it and placed it directly on the table in front of Xuan Yue.

Seeing him placing the fruits on top like this, Ma Bingliang laughed with an ambiguous tone and told the girl behind him to wash the fruits, "Xiao Xiao, go help your master wash the fruits. How can you eat the fruits without washing them?"

"It's been so many years, and you still can't change this bad habit, little master."

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao stepped forward, but was rejected by Xuan Yue.

"No, you can't wash this fruit. It will lose some flavor if you wash it."

Ma Bingliang said venomously, "Is there less pesticide residue smell?"

Xuan Yue rolled her eyes at him, opened the bag completely, revealing the fresh and plump fruits inside, and retorted, "Xiao Ma, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you're old now, you should get glasses, don't save money."

Do I have to be like you, calculating and mercenary? Before Ma Bingliang could finish what he wanted to complain about, his eyes were drawn to the fruit, and his pupils widened slightly.
Xiao Xiao saw the subtle spiritual energy lingering around the fruit and exclaimed in amazement, "Master, this fruit has spiritual energy."

He saw it, Ma Bingliang's eyes widened even more, his pupils full of shock.

It turned out to be a spiritual fruit!
"Yan Qing, where did you find this fruit?"

Ma Bingliang has been practicing Taoism for so many years, but has never seen the existence of spiritual fruit.

Xuan Yue took a pear and threw it to Ma Bingliang. "Xiao Ma, where have you been these years? Don't you go online? The fruits of Shangyuan Village are very famous now."

Ma Bingliang took the pear in a panic and held it in both hands. The moment he touched it, he felt the abundant spiritual energy of the fruit.

It really is a magical fruit!

Xuan Yue picked up a bunch of grapes, ate several of them in one bite, and swallowed them directly without spitting out the skin.

"Xiao Xiao, come here and have some fruit. This fruit is so sweet." He did not forget to invite the children to come over and eat.

Xiao Xiao smelled the fruity aroma in the air, and looked at Xuan Yue eating so happily, and subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

She wanted to eat, but she didn't dare to eat until the master said something.

Xiao Xiao looked at Ma Bingliang and asked, "Master, can I eat it?"
Ma Bingliang threw the pear directly to Xiao Xiao, and then he ordered Yan Qing to get him some fruit.

Yan Qing said nothing, but handed him the pears and two bunches of grapes in a good-natured manner.

Ma Bingliang handed one of the bunches of grapes to Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao thanked him obediently, "Thank you, Master, thank you, Master-grandfather, thank you, Master-uncle."

Listening to the little girl's soft and cute voice, Xuan Yue's eyes were dazed for a moment, and the movement of eating grapes slowed down.

The past clearly appeared before his eyes. The skinny little girl seemed to be standing in that position, calling Master and Senior Brother softly...

Xuan Yue slowly put down the grapes in her hand, lowered her eyes to hide the turbulent emotions in her eyes, and changed the subject, "Xiao Ma, it's just right that you're back. You can also take Xiao Xiao to practice during the Zhongyuan Festival."

Being suddenly called out, Xiao Xiao immediately put down the pear, looked at Xuan Yue nervously, and did not dare to eat the fruit.

"I came back with this plan," Ma Bingliang's eyes suddenly shifted to Yan Qing, "But, I want Junior Brother Yan Qing to help take care of Xiao Xiao."

Xuan Yue: "Alright, let Yan Qing take the child to exercise."

Yan Qing: "Tang Yuanyuan and I have other plans for the Ghost Festival."

The voices of the master and the disciple sounded at the same time. Yan Qing was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Xuan Yue, with a look of confusion in his eyes.

Xuan Yue's expression was indifferent. "The underworld has been unstable recently. You, Xiao Tang and Xiao Xiao must guard the urban area well."

Didn't he tell him before he came back that he would stay in Shangyuan Village to guard the ghost gate during the Zhongyuan Festival? Why did he suddenly want him to go to the city?

Yan Qing: "But the Grandmaster..."

"The Grand Master can do it without you," Xuan Yue said bluntly, "You might even be a hindrance there."

Yan Qing: ...

Thank you, although it is true, he was hurt.

Yan Qing thought for a moment and said, "Then I have to talk to the Grandmaster first. If she disagrees, I will ask her to come to you."

Both of them are elders, so he has to listen to them. If they cannot reach a consensus, let them communicate on their own.

Xuan Yue: “……???”

Xuan Yue's mouth twitched, and she stared straight at Yan Qing's handsome face, trying to find any sign of a joke on his face.

How come this child has become so bad after staying there for such a short time?

Yan Qing looked him straight in the eye without feeling guilty at all, "Maybe you can talk to the Grandmaster directly about this matter."

"What ancestor are you talking about?" Ma Bingliang looked at the master and disciple with confusion.

Xuan Yue sighed and said venomously, "That's why I said that you, Xiao Ma, are old but still like to hide in the mountains. You don't keep up with the times. When you have time, go online more often."

Ma Bingliang: ???

I want to ask you, you are angry with your disciple, but you can't bear to say anything bad about him, so you take it out on me?

Xiao Xiao, the youngest of the three, is trying hard to minimize his presence.