The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 71

“Good morning.”
Shi Qingqian suddenly spoke, a faint smile gracing her face. That single, simple word made the other three people in the secret chamber freeze simultaneously.
A’Ling felt her entire skull tingle. She felt like even her loose strands of hair were buzzing with numbness. This eerie sensation truly felt like being haunted in broad daylight. So much so that A’Ling quickly stood up, urging everyone to get out of the secret chamber at once. If they stayed any longer, she’d start worrying Shi Qingqian would ask if they’d slept well last night. This was too terrifying. Is this Shi Qingqian?
After A’Ling got up, she didn’t even look at Shi Qingqian. She walked straight to the empty chair by the cave wall. She carefully removed the white bone bracelet from her wrist, holding it in her hand. Silently, she spoke to Venerable Lan Huang, Jin Zhuyue, in her heart.
“Venerable, I don’t know why you chose me for this. If possible, please give me a dream or some kind of hint. I’ll hold onto this white bone bracelet for now. Please forgive me if I’ve offended you in any way. I’ll definitely protect this white bone bracelet with great care.”
After A’Ling finished speaking in her heart, she silently bowed to the empty chair as a junior showing respect.
After doing all this, A’Ling put the white bone bracelet back on her wrist. Because her other wrist was injured and had the Wulou Bone Tendon Silk attached, A’Ling placed the white bone bracelet on the same wrist as Little Wandering. Looking at the two accessories on her wrist, A’Ling suddenly remembered: The thousand-year demonic core she had obtained last time in the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider Demon’s cave in Kaiyao Mountain was meant to be sacrificed to Qiongdian Peak. By accident, she had unwittingly fused it into Little Wandering. Now, this white bone bracelet was formed from the remains of Qiongdian Peak’s disciple.
Both of these items were, strictly speaking, meant for Saint Venerable Dao Rong of Qiongdian Peak. A’Ling couldn’t help but feel a little worried. She had taken all these things. If the one from Qiongdian Peak found out, would he be angry? But she had no way to give the items to him now. She heard that Saint Venerable Dao Rong’s current seclusion would last a hundred years. It hadn’t even been twenty years yet. To see him, she’d have to wait over eighty more years.
A’Ling thought to herself, “I’ll just hold onto them for now. When I get a chance to meet Saint Venerable Dao Rong in the future, I’ll tell him about all this. That esteemed one has always been benevolent in the eyes of the world; he surely won’t blame me.”
By the time A’Ling finished, Lan Fushang had also finished packing up the items in the secret chamber, storing everything into her Universe pouch.
“Alright, we can go now.” Lan Fushang said, stepping forward to support Gu Jingyang. They slowly walked towards the secret chamber’s entrance. After only two steps, as if remembering something, she turned back to instruct A’Ling. “A’Ling, please look after Shi Qingqian. She has lost all her spiritual energy, and her internal injuries haven’t healed. Keep an eye on her.” After speaking, without waiting for A’Ling’s reply, she continued supporting Gu Jingyang and walking out. Gu Jingyang, on the other hand, looked thoughtfully back at A’Ling, but said nothing, continuing to walk out with Lan Fushang.
After hearing Lan Fushang’s instructions, A’Ling’s steps, which had just turned to head outside, paused. She tilted her head and glanced at Shi Qingqian, who was standing still, lost in thought. The bed behind her had already been put away. Yet, she was still standing there like a wooden post. Her face was pale, and it seemed as if just standing was difficult for her. A’Ling glanced disdainfully at Shi Qingqian. It had been a whole night, yet she still looked so useless. Instinctively, she wanted to blurt out a couple of sarcastic remarks. But quickly, she remembered Gu Jingyang’s words. She recalled Gu Jingyang saying Shi Qingqian had risked her life and exhausted all her strength to save her, ending up in this state. Those sarcastic remarks were like a ruptured fish gall. They were held back between her teeth and tongue, yet they burst, leaving her mouth full of bitterness.
“Let’s go. Can you walk on your own?” A’Ling suppressed her awkwardness and turned to ask Shi Qingqian.
Shi Qingqian was still pale, but the dimness in her eyes now held a hint of morning light. She gently nodded.
A’Ling let out a sigh of relief. It’s good that she can walk. She turned and walked forward first, but this time, her steps were very slow. She would take a step, then turn back to see if the other person had kept up. So much so that by the time Lan Fushang and Gu Jingyang had opened the door and exited the secret chamber, A’Ling and Shi Qingqian hadn’t even covered half the distance.
Shi Qingqian could accurately anticipate A’Ling’s pauses every time. Before A’Ling turned her head, she would subtly lower her gaze, hiding the amusement in her eyes, making herself appear as if even walking was truly difficult. How slow were these few steps? So slow that A’Ling felt a one-hundred-and-eight-year-old elderly woman could easily overtake them, and then turn back to cheer them on.
A’Ling felt the time spent walking out was truly agonizing. To avoid making herself too awkward, she thought for a moment and spoke. “Do you know what was going on with that white bone? Why did it suddenly transform into a white bone bracelet?” Last night, she hadn’t had the chance to ask these questions. The sickly-looking person in front of her had simply fainted.
Shi Qingqian walked very slowly, as if every step required her to gather strength from scratch. Hearing A’Ling’s question, she subtly furrowed her brow. She actually didn’t want A’Ling to know too much. But the current developments had already surpassed her understanding. She also didn’t understand why the white bone bracelet had chosen A’Ling. After a moment’s thought, Shi Qingqian slowly spoke.
“This place itself should have been a refining vessel.” Shi Qingqian explained to A’Ling. “These remains were being refined here, and they have just now completed the refining process.”
“Ah?” A’Ling was greatly surprised. So this secret chamber was actually a refining vessel. She knew it! She had felt something strange about this secret chamber since she first entered it. She had a new question: “Who was refining these remains?”
Shi Qingqian shook her head: “I don’t know.”
A’Ling felt a surge of disappointment. She immediately asked another question she was very concerned about: “So, these remains are Venerable Lan Huang, Jin Zhuyue. What’s her relationship with you? Why are you so similar?”
Shi Qingqian’s steps paused. She tilted her head and glanced at A’Ling, then withdrew her gaze and continued walking forward: “I don’t know.”
The first time Shi Qingqian saw that person, she also wondered if it was her mother. But chronologically, their lifespans didn’t match up. Jin Zhuyue lived in an era before her mother’s. At that time, the Demon Lord was someone else. As for why they were so similar, she also didn’t know.
A’Ling felt a wave of disappointment. She thought to herself, ‘Sure enough, I knew it! Shi Qingqian isn’t my dog; how could she be so obedient and tell me everything she knows?’ This matter definitely had countless connections to Shi Qingqian. How could she know nothing at all? A’Ling didn’t quite believe it. She had originally wanted to ask about Saint Venerable Dao Rong, but now, she decided against it. This person might not be willing to talk, and even if she did, what she said might not be true.
Just as they reached the secret chamber’s entrance, A’Ling dropped the topic and led Shi Qingqian out.
As soon as they stepped out of the secret chamber, they saw Xing Yanchu hurrying over from a corner.
“You’re finally out! I’ve been waiting all night!” Xing Yanchu looked flustered and panicked. He casually wiped his face a couple of times and rushed up to the four of them. He anxiously said, “Go look outside quickly! Outside, outside, it’s very strange now.”
As the person approached, A’Ling’s hand moved to Little Wandering. This person was actually still alive. She hadn’t seen him at all before; where had he suddenly come from?
Gu Jingyang’s expression was solemn. Looking at the person who had walked up to them, she waved a hand, signaling him to be quiet. She didn’t listen to Xing Yanchu’s suggestion to look outside; instead, she carefully scrutinized the person in front of her. She even used a set of magical techniques to check if the person in front of her was unusual, or if he was a demon illusion. After confirming that the person in front of her was Xing Yanchu, Gu Jingyang asked, “Where were you when we were fighting the mutated sword dragons?”
After Gu Jingyang made her move just now, Xing Yanchu knew he was being suspected by this group. But he was open and forthright. He allowed Gu Jingyang to examine him, and began to explain after she finished her scrutiny. “Yesterday, that demonic beast smacked me into the wall with its tail, and I directly fainted. When I woke up, I found myself buried in the earth. I managed to crawl out with great difficulty, and realized there was no one left in this demon’s cave. So I had to wait for you here.”
Gu Jingyang listened quietly, her face revealing neither belief nor disbelief. Only after Xing Yanchu finished speaking did she pick out a flaw in his words and continue to question him: “Since you fainted at that time, how did you know we were in the secret chamber?” Xing Yanchu’s first words upon seeing them had been, ‘You’re finally out.’
Xing Yanchu’s expression faltered, but only for an instant. He immediately reacted and explained, “When I woke up, you were all gone. I just saw this secret chamber door, so I guessed you must be inside.” As he spoke, he even pointed to the secret chamber door from which Gu Jingyang and the others had just emerged.
Gu Jingyang’s brows were lowered, her eyes unreadable. “When you were in the wall and earth, did you see anything?”
Xing Yanchu put on a bewildered expression: “See what? I fainted right then. When I woke up, this demon cave was empty. Where’s that demonic beast? Where did it go?” As he spoke, he deliberately looked around. It was foolish to the point of being laughable. Gu Jingyang, however, nodded, as if accepting this explanation. She said nothing more, turning to exchange a glance with A’Ling and the others. Everyone knew in their hearts that he was lying, but none of them exposed him.
Seeing that Gu Jingyang and the others believed his words, Xing Yanchu continued to anxiously urge everyone to go look outside the cave. That morning, he had only wanted to glimpse the situation outside. If he could, he didn’t quite want to wait for Gu Jingyang and the others. He wanted to leave alone. He was filled with dread for this strange place. Gu Jingyang saw that when Xing Yanchu spoke of the situation outside, his fearful and panicked demeanor didn’t seem like something he could fake. She thought for a moment, then tilted her head and whispered to Lan Fushang, “Go take a look. If the situation is not right, come back immediately. We’ll be ready to assist you inside the cave.”
Among the four of them, Lan Fushang was the most mobile, and A’Ling was a bit better. But A’Ling needed to stay in the cave to guard against Xing Yanchu. If he was colluding with something unknown outside, and trying to lure them out, then if they all went out together, they might be wiped out in one fell swoop. Lan Fushang didn’t ask Gu Jingyang why she chose her to go. After listening, she immediately agreed and walked out.
Xing Yanchu thought to himself, ‘Seeing Gu Jingyang’s arrangement, I knew she didn’t trust me. What a petty mind, thinking I was trying to trick her. Something really happened outside; I wasn’t joking. If the situation weren’t so strange, I would have run off long ago.’
After Lan Fushang flew out of the cave’s opening, she returned in less than half an incense stick’s time. A’Ling saw her solemn expression and surprised eyes. Thinking she had encountered some formidable mutated demonic beast, she immediately asked with concern, “What happened? Did you run into a powerful mutated beast? Are you hurt anywhere?” Lan Fushang saw that A’Ling had misunderstood and quickly shook her head. But she found it somewhat difficult to describe exactly what had happened. Thinking of the scene outside, she said, “Everyone, go take a look for yourselves. It should be safe outside now.”
Hearing her say this, everyone’s minds filled with questions. But they still trusted Lan Fushang’s words. So, one by one, the people in the demon cave walked out. This mutated sword dragon’s cave was located near the mountaintop. Stepping out of the cave and looking down, they could essentially see the entirety of Zhuoling Mountain. With just one glance, A’Ling knew why Lan Fushang had been so surprised. She was now utterly shocked as well. Gu Jingyang also understood why Lan Fushang wanted them to see it for themselves. This sight was truly indescribable; it was hard to believe without seeing it firsthand.
The entire Zhuoling Mountain was scorched black. Billowing black smoke rose from numerous holes of various sizes. Smoke and dust filled the air everywhere, as if it were a battlefield where millions of soldiers had clashed. Yet, this Zhuoling Mountain, as desolate as a battlefield, had not a trace of blood, nor a single wail. Zhuoling Mountain was so silent, as if all life had vanished.
Xing Yanchu looked at the eerie scene again. He said to the others, his lips trembling, “When I saw this ghostly sight this morning, I was startled too. All the demonic beasts are gone; it’s as if the entire mountain has been massacred.”
Shi Qingqian gazed into the distance, quietly observing the situation before her. Her face showed no excessive emotion, as if she had simply seen what there was to see. Gu Jingyang was similarly calm. After she clearly saw the scene, she asked Xing Yanchu, “Did you hear any strange noises last night?” All the mutated beasts on the entire mountain had been annihilated. There couldn’t have been no sound at all. Xing Yanchu instinctively wanted to shake his head, but suddenly, as if remembering something, he said with doubt, “Last night, there was thunder all night long. The thunder roared as if it would collapse the heavens.” He had been so scared in the demon cave that he didn’t dare move at all. Only when the thunder ceased in daylight did he dare to come out and take a look.
After glancing at Xing Yanchu, Shi Qingqian looked at Gu Jingyang. Gu Jingyang saw that she seemed to have something to say, so she walked to her side and asked in a low voice, “Do you know what happened?”
Shi Qingqian nodded. “Someone used divine lightning to purge this mountain. Those black plumes of smoke should be the corpse smoke of the slaughtered mutated beasts.”
“Ah?” Gu Jingyang was surprised. “What a grand gesture! Using divine lightning to purge a mountain… What was this person’s purpose?” She immediately thought of the crucial point. “Oh no. We originally wanted to capture a mutated beast whose body had partially transformed into a plant. Now, it seems not a single one exists.” And A’Ling had said last night that the two mutated sword dragons had also been pulverized by Shi Qingqian. Now there wasn’t a shred of evidence left. “After we go back, relying solely on a few of us saying that never-before-seen mutated demonic beasts appeared here, I don’t know if the people in the sect will believe us.” Gu Jingyang was a little troubled.
A’Ling was surprised: “Why wouldn’t they believe it? There are so many of us, and so many pairs of eyes saw it.”
Lan Fushang agreed: “Mhm, I can draw the various mutated beasts I’ve seen; that should help with the description.”
Gu Jingyang glanced at the two naive individuals, didn’t refute them, and after a moment’s thought, said, “This place is not suitable for prolonged stay. We need to leave quickly.” The two mutated sword dragons in the demon cave seemed to have been artificially bred. The mutated beasts on Zhuoling Mountain had been cleared out overnight. This could not possibly be a coincidence. She felt that their actions this time had probably been under surveillance for a long time. She didn’t know what the person behind all this truly intended, but no matter what, they had to leave Zhuoling Mountain first.
Xing Yanchu was the first to agree. He didn’t want to stay in this cursed place for another second. Who knew what strange things might ‘grow’ from underground next? He was the first to fly up on his sword, urging the others to hurry. If he hadn’t been worried about encountering blocking mutated beasts while flying, he truly would have left these dawdling people behind.
Although Gu Jingyang felt that this place was not suitable for a long stay, she wasn’t in a rush to immediately flee. She took out her Cosmos Orb to record the current scene of Zhuoling Mountain. She then had Lan Fushang fly around on her sword to see if any mutated beasts had escaped the divine lightning purge of the mountain. Only after confirming that not a single living mutated beast could be found did Gu Jingyang give up.
Lan Fushang flew on her sword, carrying Gu Jingyang. She glanced at A’Ling, who had already taken out her iron sword, and then at Shi Qingqian, who made no move. “A’Ling, you fly on your sword and take Shi Qingqian. Let’s fly out of Zhuoling Mountain first.” After speaking, without waiting for A’Ling’s agreement, she immediately rose on her sword, carrying Gu Jingyang and flying out of Zhuoling Mountain.
“Wait—” A’Ling’s shout couldn’t keep up with Lan Fushang’s sword-flying speed at all. She turned back in annoyance to look at Shi Qingqian, who had been standing silently by her side since before: “Can’t you use spatial teleportation to go back?”
Shi Qingqian pursed her lips, a fleeting trace of amusement in her eyes: “Mhm, no spiritual energy.”
A’Ling took a deep breath: “Not even sword-flying?”
Shi Qingqian’s expression remained unchanged. She nodded again, her words identical: “Mhm, no spiritual energy.”
A’Ling was so amused by her self-righteous attitude that she almost laughed: “You’re really something! You’ve got no spiritual energy, yet you speak with an advanced sense of pride. I think you shouldn’t be called Shi Qingqian; you should just be called ‘No Spiritual Energy’!”
Shi Qingqian subtly raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
A’Ling immediately reached out and poked Shi Qingqian’s face, which looked as if she were seriously considering changing her name: “Alright, you win. I’m scared of you now.” She gave up struggling and resignedly flew on her sword, carrying Shi Qingqian.
Because of the battle with the two mutated sword dragons yesterday, everyone was injured. Thus, on the return journey, they traveled much slower than when they arrived. They generally flew on their swords for two hours, then stopped to rest for two hours. Xing Yanchu hadn’t sustained any serious injuries, and was very dissatisfied with this pace. But Gu Jingyang and the others simply didn’t listen to him, or rather, they didn’t even acknowledge his presence. He could only follow their rhythm, flying for a while and resting for a while. He had actually considered leaving by himself first. But just now, he had asked if there were any treasures in the great demon’s cave or, rather, in the secret chamber. Although Gu Jingyang and the others said there weren’t, Xing Yanchu didn’t believe them. He worried that as soon as he left, they would start dividing the spoils. And then there was Shi Qingqian, who had somehow tagged along. He didn’t know when she had joined them. There must be some treasure in this great demon’s cave; otherwise, why would she have come along too? Xing Yanchu kept watching them the whole way, but he never saw them gather to divide anything. He began to suspect that the four of them had already split everything in the secret chamber. He was furious about this. He decided to keep watching them the entire way. If he saw any good items, even if he couldn’t snatch them, he would at least note them down, so he could report them to the sect masters upon their return.
Their journey here had been fraught with wind and rain. On the way back, however, it was bright and sunny. As the dark sun sank in the west, and the setting sun melted into gold, by evening, Gu Jingyang spotted a mountain peak with a purple tasselled fish-scale flag flying on it. She immediately declared they would rest here and continue their journey tomorrow.
“It’s not even dark yet, and we’re resting again? At this rate, we won’t reach the sect for half a month!” Xing Yanchu grumbled, then indignantly plopped down in a corner. He bitterly cursed Gu Jingyang as useless. “She had people looking after her, treating this return journey like a vacation. But he was suffering, eating in the wind and sleeping in the open.”
As soon as they arrived, Lan Fushang took out reclining chairs, so Gu Jingyang and A’Ling, the two injured ones, could lie down and rest. She set up all the necessary equipment, intending to make dinner. After A’Ling lay down, she let out a big sigh. The sword-flying journey had completely exhausted her too. She turned her head to look at Gu Jingyang beside her. Seeing that no one else was around, A’Ling immediately continued the conversation from last night.
Skipping over the part that had led to their unpleasant parting, A’Ling still wanted to ask Gu Jingyang if she knew why Shi Qingqian could revert from her demonic transformation to a normal state. After Gu Jingyang heard A’Ling’s explanation last night, she had also thought about it for a long time. She had originally planned to tell A’Ling about it today anyway. She saw Shi Qingqian on the other side of the mountain peak, looking at something unknown. In any case, Shi Qingqian hadn’t noticed them.
“I guess this should be related to her special physique,” Gu Jingyang said. “She can suppress demonic energy very well, or rather, demonic energy might be a part of her body. Generally speaking, when mortals cultivate the demonic path, demonic energy entering their bodies doesn’t become a part of them. Even if suppressed, it’s usually confined to a specific area and typically manifests in some form.”
A’Ling nodded at this point. She herself had originally suppressed the demonic energy to the pad of her left index finger, where it condensed into the shape of a phoenix feather.
Gu Jingyang continued: “According to what you said, A’Ling, Qingqian’s mother is a demon. Then I guess her mother shouldn’t have been an ordinary lesser demon. Also, you said her father was a cultivator; he should also have been a powerful one. Perhaps they had some special cultivation technique.”
A’Ling nodded decisively; it was very possible. Shi Qingqian had even come to examine the demonic energy in her body before. That set of demonic cultivation techniques was certainly not something one could learn at Hongjian Academy. It might very well have been left behind by Shi Qingqian’s mother.
“No matter what, Qingqian normally wouldn’t use demonic cultivation techniques,” Gu Jingyang reminded A’Ling with a solemn expression. “This time, she only chose to fall to the demonic path because she had lost all her spiritual energy and had no other choice, all to save you. This matter must not be spoken of to others.”
A’Ling nodded. She wouldn’t have spread this matter even if Gu Jingyang hadn’t told her not to. She wasn’t someone who was ungrateful or repaid kindness with enmity. No matter what, regardless of Shi Qingqian’s intentions, the fact was that she had indeed saved her.
After Gu Jingyang finished reminding A’Ling, she looked up at Xing Yanchu, who was squatting under a nearby tree, and felt a little worried. “I wonder if Xing Yanchu saw Qingqian’s demonic transformation. If he did, that would be a bit troublesome.”
A’Ling raised an eyebrow and also looked at the distant Xing Yanchu. After thinking for a moment, she got up from the reclining chair. Xing Yanchu saw A’Ling, who had been lying down nearby, walking towards him for some reason. He grew vigilant and grasped his Riftsplitter Sword, which was placed beside him.
“What do you want?”
A’Ling scoffed. She wasn’t planning to attack. “I’m just here to remind you: if I hear you spreading any nonsense after we return to the sect, I’ll beat you to death!” After speaking, A’Ling saw the look of horror on his face. She felt satisfied, thinking, ‘Good, he’s scared.’
After hearing A’Ling’s warning, Xing Yanchu was greatly alarmed. He had guessed correctly; A’Ling really had something going on. The demonic energy in that demon cave was very likely hers, which was why she came to warn him.
After A’Ling finished speaking, seeing Xing Yanchu’s fearful expression, she thought her goal was achieved, and turned to go back to lie down. Seeing Lan Fushang standing next to Gu Jingyang, A’Ling thought it was time to eat and quickly ran back.
“Fushang, what’s up? Is dinner ready?” A’Ling thought to herself, ‘How is it ready so quickly this time?’
Lan Fushang shook her head and pointed towards the campfire. A’Ling followed her finger with her gaze, her brow twitching, and her eyes wide. Shi Qingqian, clad in white robes, her hair coiled into a high bun, her sleeves rolled up, was currently chopping vegetables…
She slowly withdrew her shocked gaze and looked at Gu Jingyang. Gu Jingyang’s face showed no less shock than hers. And Lan Fushang, standing nearby, had an expression that was simply indescribable. The three looked at each other, then all looked at the figure cooking. In the hearts of the three people, to the ‘clang-clang-clang’ sound of Shi Qingqian chopping vegetables, their hearts were ‘thump-thump-thump’ pounding.
A’Ling knew Shi Qingqian could cook, but that was back at Ningyin Herb Garden, where Shi Qingqian cooked for Apothecary Yang Xia. Moreover, she had never personally witnessed Shi Qingqian cooking. Here, in the wilderness, without even a proper kitchen, Shi Qingqian stood by a simply constructed stove, billowing grey smoke, her hands moving with swift, clean cuts as she chopped a radish. After finishing the chopping, A’Ling saw her pale hand make a gesture. All the vegetables on the cutting board flew into the steaming iron pot.
A’Ling swallowed hard, and turned to Gu Jingyang: “Tell me, do you think she’ll poison us?”
The Shi Qingqian Gu Jingyang knew was like a radiant moon hanging high above the nine heavens, or the ice and snow on the pine trees atop a snowy peak. Chopping vegetables and cooking, such mundane, everyday tasks, she couldn’t possibly imagine connecting with such a heavenly talent. She also swallowed hard, and looked at A’Ling. Such a bizarre sight could only be happening because of the person in front of them who couldn’t grasp the situation.
“You eat first.” Gu Jingyang made a decisive choice.
A’Ling raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of protest: “Do you have any humanity left?! How could she make her eat first? If there was poison, she’d be the first to be finished.” Though she didn’t know why, she didn’t really think Shi Qingqian would poison the food she cooked herself. If Shi Qingqian wanted to kill them, she wouldn’t need to be so complicated. She just needed to wait to recover her spiritual energy; the three of them—her, Gu Jingyang, and Lan Fushang—wouldn’t be enough to fight Shi Qingqian alone.
Gu Jingyang’s gaze fell upon the person stirring the food in the iron pot, elegantly adding seasoning. The words from her mouth were directed at A’Ling, in response to A’Ling’s question about her humanity. “Not much.”
Lan Fushang listened to their bickering. She felt her low mood, which had just been ‘invited away’ by Shi Qingqian, had greatly improved. Sigh, she really needed to work hard when she got back. It was one thing for her healing elixirs to be disliked – Shi Qingqian’s really were much better – but her cooking being disliked, that truly made her a little sad. But this sadness only lasted for a short while. After tasting Shi Qingqian’s cooking, Lan Fushang immediately stopped feeling sad. Generally speaking, if someone is just a little better than you, you might feel sad due to your slight inferiority. But if someone is overwhelmingly better than you, on a level that’s completely incomparable, in such a situation, you can only look up in awe. You wouldn’t even think of comparing yourself, let alone feel sad.
Lan Fushang was precisely in this state. She had never in her life tasted anything so delicious. She even wondered if the white item in her bowl was still the ordinary radish she had brought. How could it be so incredibly savory?
Initially, A’Ling and Gu Jingyang had squabbled over who would eat first. But after they started eating, they wished the other would stop so they could have it all. In their scramble, both ended up stuffed to the gills.
After dinner, Lan Fushang took out all the sleeping items from her Universe pouch. Looking at the three tents on the ground, she looked troubledly at A’Ling and Gu Jingyang, who were too stuffed to move from their reclining chairs. “There are four of us, but I only brought three tents…”
Xing Yanchu happened to walk by and snorted coldly. Just now, he had smelled the delicious aroma and wanted some food, but these people hadn’t left a single bite. Now they were explicitly saying ‘four people, three tents.’ So, in their eyes, he wasn’t even human, was he?
A’Ling slightly propped herself up. She looked at the tents on the ground: one, two, three. She tilted her head and glanced at Gu Jingyang beside her, then at Lan Fushang in front of her, and then followed her gaze into the distance. By the river, shimmering under the moonlight, Shi Qingqian, with rolled-up sleeves, was washing a large iron pot. As she moved, a strand of loose hair fell from her bun onto her forehead. It swayed gently in the soft night breeze.