"Quinn's back?"
Apothecary turned around, saw Quinn, and smiled. "I've been feeding your Dragon-Qilin well. He's gotten much bigger and stronger."
Quinn felt numb. "Stronger..."
The fat ball poked his head out of the cauldron, and when he saw Quinn, he was both shocked and delighted. He hurriedly paddled his short legs toward Quinn, but after two steps, his limbs couldn't reach the ground. His head thudded onto the floor, bounced up with a thump, and after a few more hops, he rolled over to Quinn, calling, "Cult Master, I'm fine, no need to help me! I just need to roll a couple of times and I'll get up myself!"
Quinn quickly dodged aside, exasperated. "Grandpa Apothecary, this is not what you'd call 'strong'! Where's Lina? Lina! How could you let Bruno eat so much and get this fat?"
Apothecary replied, "Lina went off to train with the Fox Immortal. She's not here. Isn't Bruno supposed to eat three meals a day, and for each meal, a whole bushel of spirit pills?"
Quinn was dumbfounded.
Bruno stopped rolling, his limbs sticking up in the air. He pawed the air a couple of times but couldn't flip himself over. His little tail stuck up, trying to push against the ground to help him turn, but even stretched straight, it couldn't reach.
Bruno panted, "Cult Master, give me a hand. Cult Master, Cult Master! Don't go... Who's going to flip me over?"
The First Ancestor looked on, unable to bear it, and stepped forward to give Bruno a push. Bruno rolled over, struggled to move, finally saw the First Ancestor, and hurriedly thanked him, "Thank you, senior, for the help. I haven't finished my lunch yet!" With that, he worked hard to waddle back toward the big cauldron.
The First Ancestor couldn’t help but say, "You’re still eating? Your master’s already mad. If you keep this up, he’ll put you on the table as the main dish soon enough."
Bruno the Dragon-Qilin jumped in fright and quickly stopped eating. After a moment’s thought, he started munching again, mumbling, "Well, dying with a full belly isn’t so bad..."
"You’re hopeless!" The First Ancestor shook his head and followed after Quinn.
Inside the monastery, Village Chief was chatting with Grandpa Mark. Hearing Quinn’s voice, he immediately floated up and saw Quinn approaching. The other villagers also heard the news and poured out of their meditation rooms, making a lively scene when they saw Quinn.
Seeing Village Chief alive again, Quinn couldn’t help but wipe away a few tears. Village Chief laughed, "Don’t act like a child—you're the Human Emperor, the Cult Master of the Heavenly Saint, and the Grand Rector of Heavenly Saint Academy. How can you keep sniffling? I’m alive, aren’t I?"
Despite his words, Village Chief’s eyes turned red. Suddenly, spotting the First Ancestor walking over, he thumped his cane on the ground and lay flat, straight as a board. "Junior Su Muche pays respects to the First Human Emperor!" he declared loudly.
The First Ancestor helped him up and settled him into a lounge chair. "Get up. You weren’t this formal last time you saw me."
Village Chief was bursting with excitement as he introduced, "This is my disciple! The current Human Emperor! Born Overlord Body! Quinn, Quinn, come kowtow to the First Ancestor, kneel down and give him a few bows!"
Quinn shook his head. "Why kneel? He can’t beat me. He even cried after I thrashed him in the Human Emperor Hall."
Village Chief fumed, "Outrageous! Defying your teacher and ancestors! The First Ancestor’s arts are all inherited from the Kaihuang era. If he teaches you even one move, you’ll benefit for life..."
Quinn reminded, "Village Chief, he’s already passed his techniques and seal arts to me."
"He already taught you?"
Village Chief instantly lost interest in the First Ancestor. "Please, First Ancestor, have a seat. Forgive this junior for not standing to greet you—old injuries, you know."
The First Ancestor looked bewildered, but found a seat and sat down.
Quinn said excitedly, "Village Chief, I’ve found a flesh-creation technique from the Chiming Era—an Emperor’s Throne Divine Art! It can regrow severed limbs! The First Ancestor was crippled, and I used this technique to restore him."
Village Chief was both shocked and delighted, his voice trembling. "Even lost legs and arms can grow back?"
"Yes!"
Apothecary asked tentatively, "Can a face grow back too?"
Quinn hesitated, troubled. "I haven’t tried. The First Ancestor only lost his jaw, and that grew back, but I’m not sure about an entire face."
Apothecary chuckled, "I once sliced off my own face to sever attachments, but I made it out of the Great Ruins and found my old feelings again. Now I kind of miss my face. My enemies don’t hunt me anymore, so if it can grow back, great—if not, I’m used to it. Can Deaf’s ears and the Mute Smith’s tongue regrow too?"