Chapter 26

[Did anyone hear what the little one said to Captain Cheng? It was a bit unclear.]

[It sounded like, “Kid, you’re really amazing?”]

[You must have misheard. The little one wouldn’t say something so rude.]

[Isn’t there a recording? We can listen carefully later.]

The production team didn’t do their job properly, dropping the ball at a crucial moment. Curious viewers had to find clues about the father and daughter’s strange behavior in the live broadcast recording themselves.

Why did Little Qi Wu suddenly stop before leaving the fire station? She didn’t look at the bulletin board first but at the ground, then seemed to chase something as she anxiously looked toward the entrance.

The fan community was buzzing.

Qi Wu’s step-step-stepmother: “So now the questions are: First, what was the little one looking at by the entrance? Second, what was she looking at while leaning out of the taxi? Why did Su Wen decide to change the route to the scene after she turned her head without saying anything? Finally, after the little one said she wanted to go to the scene, Su Wen didn’t respond but told the cameraman they needed a break. Then the camera shifted, and they both woke up after the fire scene ended. In that environment, I can believe the little one fell asleep, but Su Wen? Impossible.

Moreover, after waking up, the two seemed to have already discussed it and went directly to the fire station to see the fallen heroes.

Even more, Little Qi Wu knew the heroes were from the third brigade and recited their names without missing a single one. Remember, when signing for the driver, she couldn’t even write her own name. Even if she saw the bulletin board, she couldn’t read. The father and daughter were live-streamed the whole time, and Su Wen didn’t tell her any names. Putting it all together, my worldview is slightly crumbling.”

The comment section was lively.

“Let’s make a bold assumption. What if there’s an element we can’t see? For example, the little one first saw XX, XX left, and then she looked outside. On the way, she saw XX again, deciding to change the route. At the scene, XX entered the fire, so the little one wanted to go in too. Does that make sense?”

“You guys are geniuses! That does seem more logical.”

“What if the father and daughter really followed XX during that time?”

“Even more logical, what if the little one was looking at XX every time she talked to herself?”

“Even more reasonable, the little one found the box with the paper effigy at Zhang Yuan’s house because of XX.”

“It’s a pity you’re not writing the script. You’ve rationalized everything.”

“Hey, upstairs, why don’t you come up with a logical cause and effect?”

“Where’s that picture of the little one cosplaying as the Little King of Hell? I’ll download it and pay my respects. I’m starting to believe it.”

“Everyone, don’t overthink it. It’s just a show. It could be a coincidence or something else. You’re all getting too emotionally invested.”

The viewers speculated endlessly but couldn’t reach a definitive conclusion. Meanwhile, the two protagonists of the story were oblivious, standing solemnly at the kitchen door.

Little Qi Wu nervously held Judge Dad’s hand: “Dad, we’re not frying eggs today, okay?”

She thought of those firefighter uncles and softly said, “That’s very dangerous.”

Su Wen hummed in acknowledgment, “It won’t be.”

He took out his phone, this time not only searching for recipes but also looking up in detail how to turn the stove on and off, and what pots and pans to use.

Little Qi Wu remembered his stern face and added, “And don’t blow up Dad either.”

Su Wen: “…”

Little Qi Wu clapped her hands to encourage him, “Dad, you can do it!”

Su Wen took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen, “Qi Wu, go play for a while and come back later.”

“Okay.”

[LOL, I’ve never seen Su Wen with such a serious expression.]

[If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was conducting some major experiment instead of stir-frying vegetables.]

[This is exactly how I looked the first time I entered the kitchen, haha, but I was better, I knew how to use household appliances correctly.]

Su Wen genuinely felt that cooking was much more difficult than battling evil spirits, especially since this was food for the Lord Yama.

All these bottles and jars, salt and sugar, getting even one wrong wouldn’t do.

He examined each one carefully, even labeling them to avoid mistakes.

Little Qi Wu rode on Di Ting, a bit worried that Judge Dad might blow up the kitchen again, so she cautiously guarded the doorway, not going anywhere, occasionally tiptoeing to peek inside, ready to rush in and save Dad at the first sign of trouble.

Di Ting comforted her, “Don’t worry, Lord, Judge can do anything, cooking is no problem.”

Little Qi Wu shook her head, saying earnestly, “No, Dad is still learning.”

[The kid looks just like my parents watching me cook.]

[Look! Who’s that behind!]

[My second husband is here again!]

Kong Lin had timed his arrival perfectly today, walking in just as the smell wafted out from the kitchen, different from yesterday, with Little Yan Wang and Di Ting peeking in, seemingly wanting to enter but not daring to.

Di Ting, who heard the noise first, turned around and was about to speak when Kong Lin stopped him.

He walked over to Little Yan Wang, placing a finger to his lips just as she turned her head, “Shh.”

“Lord, don’t make a sound,” he asked with a mystic seal, “Is Su Wen cooking inside?”

Little Qi Wu nodded, “Why is City God here again? Is the Emperor feeling unwell today?”

Kong Lin shook his head, “Thanks to you, Lord, the Emperor is fine.”

He just happened to be passing by and wanted to see the spectacle of a certain Ghost and God blowing up the kitchen.

Little Qi Wu felt that City God wasn’t in a good mood, but she didn’t understand why. Noticing that City God Uncle seemed to be secretly watching Dad, she whispered, “Be careful, Dad doesn’t like being watched.”

“So that’s why you’re guarding here?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Kong Lin thought for a few seconds, then bent down to pick up Little Yan Wang, “Then I’ll take you to watch.”

By now, Su Wen had proportioned all the ingredients needed for stir-fried vegetables and, with a straight face, turned on the stove and poured in the oil.

When the vegetables hit the pan, the oil temperature was too high, causing flames to burst out momentarily, with oil, water, and fire sizzling and splattering everywhere. But now he knew this was normal and didn’t even flinch.

[What a brave soul, not afraid of oil splashing on him.]

[Didn’t even furrow his brow, I couldn’t help but get serious too, haha.]

[But, the garlic is burnt.]

Su Wen held the spatula, silently counting in his heart: one, two, three…

Just as he was counting, two heads slowly emerged from the window in front of him.

His movements abruptly halted, nearly flinging the dish out of the pan.

 Kong Lin  had Little Yan Wang perched on his shoulder and was about to watch Su Wen’s actions with great interest when Su Wen’s face darkened again.

Based on  Kong Lin ’s years of working alongside him, this Lord was probably itching to come out and start a fight right now. But with Little Yan Wang on his shoulder,  Kong Lin  felt emboldened: “What are you looking at? Oh no, the dish is burning!”

Little  Qi Wu  also anxiously reminded him: “Dad! The fire is roaring!!”

[ Kong Lin  is definitely here to watch the show!]

[So mean, hahaha!]

In the end, Su Wen managed to cook two dishes and make a soup. The appearance aside, the taste…

He leisurely served  Kong Lin  a bowl first: “Try it.”

The latter’s previously smiling face immediately turned hesitant: “You know, I don’t usually eat these things.”

Su Wen firmly placed the bowl in front of him with a clatter, raising his eyes slightly: “Or do you want  Qi Wu  to try it first?”

“…” Turning to look at Little Yan Wang, she was already eagerly leaning on the table, ready to dig in.

Her eyes sparkled as she asked expectantly, “Can  Qi Wu  eat now?”

Fine, if something happened to Little Yan Wang, The Underworld would be in chaos again.

 Kong Lin  retorted, “Can’t you try it yourself?”

Su Wen replied indifferently, “I made it. I can’t taste it.”

Alright, you’re ruthless.

After a long while,  Kong Lin  finally picked up the spoon with a look of resignation, took a sip of the soup, and his face immediately turned from red to white, then from white to green.

Wait, he didn’t understand. How could Su Wen, with all his grand preparations and precisely measured ingredients, manage to make the soup taste like this?!

Su Wen asked, “How is it?”

“A bit strange,”  Kong Lin  swallowed the soup, “Let me try again.”

This time, without prompting, he took another sip and tried the other two dishes.

Except for the scrambled eggs with tomatoes, the other two dishes were inedible, and the rice was mushy. But at least it could be eaten as porridge, as long as it wasn’t raw.

He took a sip of water to rinse his mouth and asked, “Why is it both salty and sweet?”

“Oh,” Su Wen, based on his reaction, first served Little Yan Wang some scrambled eggs with tomatoes, then slowly explained, “I mistook sugar for salt and added it wrong.”

“And then?”

“So I added salt,” Su Wen paused, adding without a hint of self-awareness, “To mask the sweetness, I added twice the amount of salt.”

The logic was clear, no flaws at all.

Hearing this,  Kong Lin  placed the cup on the table with a clink and asked seriously, “Do you have a grudge against  Qi Wu ?”

Su Wen glanced at him, moved all the edible scrambled eggs with tomatoes in front of Little Yan Wang, and gave the entire bowl of soup to  Kong Lin : “ Qi Wu  doesn’t like waste.”

[Hahaha, Su Wen, the Grandmaster of Logic, indeed flawless.]

[Maybe we should just order takeout. You can manage, but it’s a bit hard on the kid.]

[The only victim:  Kong Lin .]

Little  Qi Wu , seeing the expressions of the two Ghosts and Gods, guessed that the other two dishes weren’t good. But she didn’t want to waste her Dad’s effort, so she scooped a bit of soup with her little spoon and quickly drank it before the two could react.

She pursed her lips, swallowed hard, and then earnestly encouraged Judge Dad: “It’s drinkable.”

Su Wen blocked the little spoon she was about to reach out again: “You can’t drink anymore.”

Little Qi Wu: “Qi Wu likes it.”

Su Wen said expressionlessly: “No, you don’t like it.”

” Kong Lin  likes it, Qi Wu shouldn’t compete with him.” As he spoke, he glanced at  Kong Lin  without any emotion: If you don’t drink it soon, the Lord will drink it all.

 Kong Lin : “…”

He gritted his teeth: “Having you is truly our blessing.”

With that, he picked up the soup and drank it all in one gulp.

Yue.

“Alright,” Su Wen finally satisfied, “Now Qi Wu will have to settle for eating eggs.”

Little Qi Wu looked at the two Ghosts and Gods in confusion, then reluctantly nodded: “Okay then.”

[ Kong Lin : Let me tell you, thank you.]

[What did I come here for, haha.]

After the meal, perhaps feeling that he had been a bit unfair, Su Wen took the initiative to clear the bowls and went to the kitchen.  Kong Lin  sat on the stool, his soul almost leaving his body—the aftertaste of the dish was too strong.

Suddenly, his hand was gently pulled by a small hand.  Kong Lin  turned his head in confusion.

A piece of candy was placed in his palm: “Uncle, eat.”

Now,  Kong Lin  had a physical reaction to seeing food, but this was given by the Lord, so he couldn’t refuse.

Just as he was about to put it away to eat later, he heard the Little King of Hell whisper: “Qi Wu drank it, Dad’s soup is a little bit not tasty, but just a little bit.”

 Kong Lin  forced a smile: “You’re really flattering him.”

Little Qi Wu: “But Dad is very serious, the teacher said we should encourage.”

“We shouldn’t make Dad sad,” she pointed at the candy with her little finger, “Uncle, eat a piece of candy.”

 Kong Lin  felt a bit complicated—Su Wen wouldn’t be sad, but why was he the one suffering?

Under the Little King of Hell’s clear gaze, he had no choice but to eat the candy with tears in his eyes.

As the candy melted in his mouth,  Kong Lin  noticed that the Little King of Hell’s gaze was still fixed on the kitchen. He couldn’t help but say: “If he can’t even wash a bowl, maybe we should have Jin Wen come to take care of you in the future.”

[He mentioned Jin Wen again, it sounds like a girl’s name, I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.]

[There are many people with the same name, it’s not strange to have heard it.]

[Can it really depend on who takes care of her? Could these people be a family?]

[Wow, a big family.]

[ Kong Lin  said “you” to Zai Zai again, Zai Zai’s status is really high.]

[That’s normal, if it’s really a big family, it makes sense if the seniority is high.]

Little Qi Wu shook her head, her hands propping up her chin: “Dad is very good.”

The flesh on her face was pushed up by her little hands, making her look unbearably cute.

 Kong Lin  really wanted to reach out and touch her, but he was stunned by the Little King of Hell’s words: “Uncle, how did you grow up?”

“What?”

Little Qi Wu had never seen the parents of the Ghosts and Gods in the Underworld, but the Ghosts and Gods must have grown up too. If they don’t eat now, they must have eaten before. Now, Dad and Uncle don’t like the food Dad makes, Little Qi Wu noticed that Dad doesn’t understand these things.

So what did they eat before?

Better not trouble Dad.

Little Qi Wu said very considerately: “If Dad and Uncle grew up like that, Qi Wu can grow up like that too.”

“Qi Wu doesn’t have to eat.”

 Kong Lin  didn’t respond immediately this time, because he had almost forgotten how he grew up.

In the past, the great Ghosts and Gods were all enlightened by the Emperor after their deaths, severing their ties with the Human Realm from then on. For thousands upon thousands of years, they remained underground, and their already vague memories faded even more.

Once, Ghosts and Gods were also human.

He struggled to search through his memories and finally found some fragments—all dark and gloomy, filled with bloodshed, noise, and people living in misery. In the era he grew up in, there were none of the things available now. Having enough to eat and wear was already the greatest luxury; how could one be picky about taste or cooking methods?

In the past, people were either trying their best to survive or trying their best to die.

According to past accounts, the great Ghosts and Gods were once revered figures in the Human Realm.

But because of this, they had witnessed how people from all walks of life struggled.

Those people placed all their hopes on them. In the face of life and death, basic sustenance was insignificant.

 Kong Lin  was still deep in thought when Su Wen suddenly approached: “No.”

“Huh?” Little  Qi Wu , who had been secretly talking to City God Uncle, was caught and felt a bit embarrassed, but she still asked, “Why not?”

“Because it’s different.” Su Wen placed the washed fruit in front of her and sat down. ” Qi Wu  is different from us.”

“How am I different?”

“In every way.” Su Wen said, ” Qi Wu  can grow up well.”

“People nowadays are meant to grow up well. That’s the meaning of modern society.”

After a pause, he added, “Doesn’t  Qi Wu  also want everyone to have a better future?”

That seemed right. Little  Qi Wu  had seen the desolation of The Underworld and heard the sighs of Ghosts, which was why she wanted everyone to have a better future.

So, was it the same for Judge Dad and the others? Because things were bad in the past, they wanted her to have a better life now?

It was a bit complicated. Little  Qi Wu  was confused, but the only thing clear to her was that Dad and Uncle didn’t seem very happy. Thinking she had said something wrong, she quickly added, “Then  Qi Wu  will eat a lot.”

Su Wen smiled slightly. “Mm.”

[It sounds like these two had a tough time growing up.]

[It’s like what elders say to kids, haha.]

[But it’s true. The older generation plants the trees, and the younger generation enjoys the shade. Isn’t the effort of our predecessors meant to ensure everyone lives well?]

[How did the conversation suddenly become so profound? This doesn’t seem like you.]

Little  Qi Wu  finished all the fruit Judge Dad had given her and looked up: ” Qi Wu  is done!”

 Kong Lin  smiled. “Well done.”

As he said this, he thoughtfully glanced at Su Wen.

Previously, he had noticed that Su Wen’s temper had changed a lot, more like the person he had known when Su Wen first became a Ghost or God. But now, it felt somewhat different.

Su Wen was the last of the great Ghosts and Gods to be enlightened. When he first took office, he was quiet and didn’t interact much with other Ghosts and Gods, often keeping to himself. That’s why he earned the reputation of being the “Cold-Faced Judge.”

Back then, no one could have imagined that the youngest among them would later become the head of the Three Bureaus. Decisive and unfeeling—that was how all Ghosts and Gods described him.

Even the Ten Kings of Hell sometimes found him a headache.

He wasn’t close to the other Ghosts and Gods either. Later, when The Underworld fell into chaos, it was he alone who took the Judge’s Brush and went to the Netherworld Gate, holding The Underworld together.

It’s said that when he was enlightened by the Emperor on Mount Luofeng after his death, he was still covered in blood, his face unrecognizable.

How to put it? He seemed like an exceptional Ghost and God by nature, yet there wasn’t a trace of human warmth about him. Probably, apart from the Emperor, no one knew what he did in his past life.

This was the first time  Kong Lin  had heard Su Wen mention even a little about his past, although it was directed at the Little King of Hell.

But at least, it managed to pry open his mouth.

Though it might not be entirely appropriate, it did make him seem a bit more human.

Is the Little King of Hell really that formidable? Even the Judge can be swayed?

Su Wen now took out his phone. He remembered the driver saying that they could find the Little King of Hell and himself on various short video apps, and that many people liked her.

He wanted to take a look.

However, a problem arose.

What is an app?

The Judge, who only knows how to write by hand, doesn’t understand English or pinyin.

Su Wen slowly turned to  Kong Lin , who was still deep in thought, and asked, “Do you know what an ‘app’ is?”

 Kong Lin , also an old-timer, replied, “What ‘app’?”

Su Wen repeated word by word, “An app.”

 Kong Lin : “…”

He improvised on the spot, “Why don’t you Baidu it?”

Su Wen frowned, looking serious, “I can’t find it.”

Little  Qi Wu , upon hearing this, also worriedly said, “Oh no, is it something very difficult?”

Even Baidu can’t find it!

Su Wen and  Kong Lin  said in unison, “Probably.”