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Chapter 194: Sheng Sheng, the Apprentice
🕑 Added 2024-09-15 04:42:32 +0000 UTCAfter chatting with everyone for a while, Lin Xiao took out a silver-tailed fish over a meter long from his storage and handed it to Jiang Youfu.
“Fuzi, this is for you. This fish, called the Silver-Tailed Fish, is a delicacy from the Icefield Secret Realm. Its taste is exceptional. Take it and see what you can do with it.”
Jiang Youfu accepted the enormous fish with joy, patting his chest in assurance. “I’ll get to work right away. I promise to prepare a feast that will have everyone licking their plates clean!”
With that settled, Lin Xiao and Tuzi made their way to the mountain path entrance. Upon seeing the transformed entrance, Liu Yunan was stunned.
This was far more astonishing than the ice pool he had seen earlier beside the large boulder. After all, the entire mountain path was now lined with peach trees, and the path itself had been paved with neat stone steps and blue slate.
“Wow—Xiao-ge, this looks amazing!” Liu Yunan exclaimed, spinning around in circles on the newly formed path. “Is this going to be our sect’s mountain path from now on?”
Seeing Liu Yunan’s excitement, Lin Xiao smiled faintly. Then, he began using his spiritual sense to configure the heart-reflecting criteria for the Path of Reflection.
As he started the setup, he realized it wasn’t as straightforward as he had initially thought, like adding labels such as ‘kindness’ or ‘justice.’ Instead, it was more about conceptualizing a feeling. Lin Xiao needed to input the sensation he believed was appropriate, and the Path of Reflection would handle the rest.
Once Lin Xiao finished his configuration, he opened his eyes and noticed that Tuzi, who had been happily spinning in circles on the path, had suddenly found himself standing in the village, directly facing the home of his detested uncle.
...
Lin Xiao blinked and saw that Tuzi had stopped moving on the path.
Ah, he had forgotten about that.
Oh well, no big deal—after all, they’d have to walk this path every day. Tuzi might as well get a head start on refining his character. Hopefully, walking this Path of Reflection every day wouldn’t gradually twist everyone’s minds.
It shouldn’t, right?
After all, it’s a Path of Reflection—it’s supposed to strengthen their resolve.
Since Tuzi was currently preoccupied with his own thoughts, Lin Xiao decided to head to Guiyuan Mountain Residence to visit Liao Pantu. After spending over ten days together, Lin Xiao found himself slightly unaccustomed to being apart from the elder.
Meanwhile, near the ice pool, the onlookers had dispersed, each returning to their respective activities. The weather had been sweltering recently, and Old Man Lin had been struggling with the summer heat. Every day at noon, Lin Dayou and Lin Yun would take turns using their spiritual energy to regulate the old man’s body temperature. Lin Yun had even learned to carve a small cooling array, placing it in his grandfather’s room.
Thanks to their growing proficiency in farming spells, the workload on the farmers had significantly decreased, giving them much more free time each day. The others had also found ways to occupy themselves—some were learning how to craft talismans, while others focused on carving arrays. Among them, Mo Yuanjiao was the busiest. Not only did he need to cultivate and study the four arts of cultivation, but he also had to find time to teach martial arts to the students at the private school.
Perhaps the most relaxed person was Jiang Youfu. His interest in the four arts of cultivation waned after the initial novelty wore off, leading him to a more laid-back approach. However, his passion for cooking remained unwavering. Whenever he had spare time, he would head to the kitchen area at Guiyuan Mountain Residence and experiment with various dishes and flavors.
Thanks to the financial support from Jiang He, the kitchen was fully stocked with all kinds of seasonings, turning it into a paradise for Jiang Youfu. Now, he was at the stove, preparing to handle the large silver-tailed fish that Xiao-ge had entrusted to him earlier.
Behind him followed a small shadow—Liu Shengsheng. For some reason, despite the many fascinating activities around her, Shengsheng always followed Jiang Youfu whenever he went to the kitchen.
In private, Yang Jinshu had once asked her youngest daughter why she kept doing this, and Shengsheng’s answer was simple and honest: “Because there’s always something good to eat when I’m with Brother Fuzi.”
When Yang Jinshu heard this, she didn’t scold her daughter; instead, she nearly burst into tears. She knew her daughter’s behavior stemmed from the fear of hunger that had haunted her in the past. After all, Shengsheng had lost her father not long after she was born. Later, due to the bullying from Liu Da Bo’s family, they had always lived in a state of poverty, lacking both food and clothing. Her son, Liu Yunan, often ran off before meals to find something to eat outside because there wasn’t enough food at home. As a result, both Liu Yunan and Shengsheng were as thin as twigs, and Yang Jinshu herself wasn’t much better off.
Now that her daughter’s actions were driven by a desire for good food, Yang Jinshu fully understood and didn’t stop her. Instead, she encouraged Shengsheng to watch Brother Fuzi cook closely. If she truly enjoyed it, she could even learn a thing or two. Yang Jinshu also visited Jiang Youfu with a few gifts, asking if he could teach Shengsheng a bit of cooking in his spare time.
So now, Liu Shengsheng had become a little shadow following Jiang Youfu around, practically his half-apprentice. It turned out that Shengsheng had a knack for cooking, especially when it came to preparing ingredients. Her nimble hands outshone even Jiang Youfu’s chubby ones, and Jiang Youfu often preferred to let her debone the meat or handle other tasks suitable for her age—after all, she was only seven years old. While preparing each dish, Jiang Youfu would also instruct her, and he soon discovered that Shengsheng was an attentive listener and a quick learner, which filled him with pride. This encouraged him to put even more effort into teaching her.
So there they were, the big and small figures standing at the stove, with Shengsheng perched on a small stool to reach the countertop. The two worked harmoniously together, teaching and cooking in unison, as gentle wisps of smoke rose from the stove and drifted lazily into the air.
Above this peaceful scene, at Guiyuan Mountain Residence, Lin Xiao sat across from Liao Pantu, sipping the tea the elder had brewed.
“What? You’re planning to enter seclusion until you reach the Golden Core stage? And you want to achieve this within six months?” Liao Pantu asked, incredulous.
Had he misheard? Or had Lin Xiao become overly confident after reaching the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm in just over two months?
Otherwise, why was this boy talking nonsense in broad daylight?
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