Free Web NovelLeaving Qing Hui Hall, taking a shortcut through half of Da Chunyang Palace, Hongyan Villa was close at hand. Zhang Huainan stopped in front of Lu Yibei's residence in Hongyan Villa, raised his hand, and knocked on the door.
After waiting for a moment and receiving no response, he grasped the doorknob, gently turned it, and with a soft 'click', pushed the door open and entered.
"If you're free, come over to my place and sit for a while. If I'm not in, just come in and wait for a bit," Lu Yibei had previously told Zhang {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Huainan.
He knew Lu Yibei was just being polite, but he didn't intend to be polite with Lu Yibei.
As soon as the door opened, as if sensing something, Zhang Huainan's slightly narrowed eyes suddenly opened a crack. Looking around, he quickly located the open kitchen directly facing the door.
On the stove in the kitchen, a purple pottery Alchemy cauldron the size of a clay pot was simmering over a low heat, emitting bursts of enticing aroma that made one's mouth water.
Oh? Did this kid go out while cooking something? Isn't he afraid of starting a fire?
Zhang Huainan shook his head, ambled into the kitchen, and lifted the lid of the Alchemy cauldron.
Along with a mist of steam, he saw the gently rolling, milky white broth.
What a fragrant soup! Zhang Huainan's eyebrows twitched, and he felt as if something had stirred in his stomach. He swallowed lightly, followed immediately by his mouth watering.
No, no. This Old man came in to wait for that kid to return. How could I possibly steal and eat what he's cooking while he's out?
Zhang Huainan thought, gently shaking his head. He put the lid back on the Alchemy cauldron and turned to sit down at the table in the living room. The room fell silent.
A small flame flickered beneath the purple pottery Alchemy cauldron. The broth inside the cauldron rolled, and bubbles rose and burst, making soft 'gurgling' sounds.
The soft sounds were like whispers in a dream, quietly narrating the story of the broth's perfect consistency and seasoning in the cauldron.
Wisps of steam, carrying the rich aroma released after the bubbles burst, drifted freely throughout the entire room, as if showing off the broth's rich fragrance.
As they drifted into Zhang Huainan's nostrils, they seemed to grow countless tiny hooks, desperately pulling at his attention.
In the silence, Zhang Huainan slowly looked towards the kitchen, frowning. That kid wouldn't be back for a while.
This Old man is waiting for her here, and being idle is just being idle. It should be fine to help her taste the soup, right?
Zhang Huainan thought, raising his hand and flicking his wide sleeve. With a soft 'thump', the lid of the purple pottery Alchemy cauldron flew up, and a small ball of broth, wrapped in Spiritual Energy, flew over and was delivered to his mouth.
Slurp~!"
Taking a mouthful of the rich soup, the delicious broth spread between his lips and teeth. His eyes, which had only been open a crack, immediately widened, and it felt as if a flash of lightning had streaked through his mind.
"Wonderful! Rich but not greasy, fresh and refreshing. The freshness of the meat ingredients and the unique Fragrance of the herbs are perfectly blended into the soup. After being taken off the heat, the flavor is concentrated and doesn't dissipate. It's delicious!"
The taste of this soup reminded him of the good times he had when he worked at Yanzhi Wine Shop in his youth.
Perhaps because every day was very "fulfilling", and Lu Yanzhi and Qingji's cooking skills were indeed exceptional, during that time, he always felt that everything he ate was particularly delicious.
After Can't help it praising it, Zhang Huainan looked back at the direction of the door, frowned slightly, and was lost in thought. It was delicious, but he always felt like something was missing?
The amount just now was too small. Perhaps if he tasted a little more, he would be able to find the problem?
Zhang Huainan thought, and with a thought, the Alchemy cauldron rose from the stove and flew to the table, landing steadily on it. Along with the Alchemy cauldron, a soup ladle and a porcelain bowl also flew from the cabinet and landed smoothly.
He lifted the lid, ladled half a bowl of soup, and tasted it carefully, then gently shook his head and ladled another half bowl. With such a large pot of soup, if this Old man tastes a little more, it should be...
Well, it's fine, it's fine!
And so, Zhang Huainan continued, one bowl, one bowl, and then countless bowls, until footsteps sounded outside the door, and he suddenly came back to his senses, looking at the empty Alchemy cauldron and falling into thought—
—-
"A chicken in my left hand, a duck in my right hand~ Boom~ And another half pound of mantis shrimp!"
After parting ways with Fu Xinyi, Lu Yibei happily browsed around the "Pure Yang Grand Kitchen", successfully obtained excellent ingredients, and happily embarked on the road back to Hongyan Villa.
When she went out earlier, she had already started a pot of soup using chicken bones, duck bones, pork leg bones, and ham, paired with several common herbs.
Cooked according to the proportions and methods taught by Qingji, it could eliminate the fishy smell and greasiness while retaining the freshness of the ingredients and the Fragrance of the herbs.
Calculating the time, it had been simmering for nearly three hours now. When she went back, she would strain out the dregs, add chicken, duck, dried shrimp, etc., and simmer for another two hours or so, and the stock needed for tomorrow would be ready.
Tonight she could rest her voice, find a quiet corner within Zhenwu Mountain Scenic Area, use the item left by Zhang Shuo to perform a Directional Soul Summoning, and have a friendly chat.
Dangerous? It was indeed a little dangerous.
The last time she performed a Directional Soul Summoning, she inexplicably summoned the okin rod, almost turning it into a "Disaster-bodied figure gold edition", which still gave Lu Yibei a bit of psychological trauma.
However, this is Da Chunyang Palace. Even if there was really some dangerous existence that came following the Directional Soul Summoning, wasn't there the invincible Black Emperor to handle it?
Strictly speaking, this kind of thing is like several Taoists...
...playing the Ouija board game in a Taoist temple, which inexplicably feels like fishing for law enforcement.
After the soul summoning is done, she would take a hot bath, sleep comfortably, wake up early tomorrow morning, catch a fresh big fish from the Cold Pool, make it into fish balls, and cook a dish of Pearl Emerald White Jade Soup.
Then she would send the finished dish to Hua Sang, which would mark a perfect end to this trip to Da Chunyang Palace, and she could label it 【Please listen to the next chapter】.
If she could find some excuse to ask Zhang Huainan, that Old man, for a treasured sword to carry with her, that would be even better! Lu Yibei had already written the plot outline, feeling that the plot was perfect.
However, when she carried the chicken, duck, and other ingredients and pushed open the door of her residence in Hongyan Villa, seeing the scene inside, she was completely stunned. freēwēbnovel.com
In a trance, she seemed to hear the sound of a keyboard being smashed forcefully. Write? Write my ass!
The lights in the room were on, and she could see at a glance that in the open kitchen directly facing the door, the fire on the stove had gone out, and the Alchemy cauldron used for simmering the soup was nowhere to be seen.
A slightly thin but energetic Old man was sitting in the small living room, leisurely drinking the soup in his bowl, while the Alchemy cauldron on the table was already empty, and there was a pile of bone residue on the table.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Zhang Huainan put down the bowl in his hand, let out a soft burp, turned around, and waved, saying, "Oh? You're back? This Old man has been waiting for you for a long time, come and sit!"
Lu Yibei was stunned for a long time before she came back to her senses, pointing at the Alchemy cauldron on the table, "This soup..."
"Soup?" Zhang Huainan looked back and smiled, "Oh, when I came, I saw you were simmering something on the stove. It smelled quite fragrant, so this Old man helped you taste it."
"..." Lu Yibei looked at the empty clay pot, speechless for a moment.
Even the bone marrow in the pork leg bones used for the soup was sucked dry. You call this 'tasting'? No, Old thing, what's wrong with you?
Although being able to eat a lot when you're old is a blessing, why didn't you see him so active when eating melon before? Lu Yibei thought with a belly full of resentment.
Her current feeling, to put it exaggeratedly, was like a student of agricultural science whose "graduation project", cultivated over several years, was eaten by some bastard on the eve of the defense.
Annoying!
"Senior... huh?"
"Aren't you afraid I put poison in the soup?" Lu Yibei said. A pound of soup, three pounds of calamity water, want to know more?
"It's fine. You can't produce a poison in this world that can poison this Old man," Zhang Huainan said with a smile, "By the way, what was this soup for? It doesn't seem to be a finished product yet, right?"
After drinking almost an entire pot of soup, he finally realized why this pot of soup gave him a feeling of being slightly less than perfect, like a fourteen-day-old moon.
Because this pot of soup was only a semi-finished product!
Honestly, he was quite looking forward to the taste of the finished product. "Oh, this soup was meant to be used for Pearl Emerald White Jade Soup."
"Originally, I made it for the Old Wang in the Cold Pool to drink," Lu Yibei said expressionlessly, "However, it's the same if you drink it, it doesn't matter..."
What do you mean it's the same? Zhang Huainan's mouth twitched slightly, his face darkened, "Come and sit down, this Old man has some things to talk to you about..."
This Old man originally wanted to gently persuade you, but now this Old man really has to drive you down the mountain!
Of course, it was just saying it verbally.
Friendly reminder: The Website is about to be revised, which may cause the reading progress to be lost. Please save your "book shelf" and "reading record" in time (screenshot saving is recommended). We apologize for the inconvenience!
Z Country people always like to compromise. If he said he wanted to drive Lu Yibei down the mountain, Lu Yibei would definitely be unwilling, and then compromise slightly, telling Lu Yibei to behave on the mountain, and Lu Yibei would obediently listen.
Zhang Huainan's plot outline was written like this.
But soon, he also heard the sound of a keyboard being smashed.
Lu Yibei shrugged and walked forward, sitting opposite Zhang Huainan.
Immediately after, before Zhang Huainan could speak, he preemptively said, "Actually, Senior, I went to look for you just now, but you were meeting a guest, so I went for a stroll first. It's good that you're here now; it saves me the trouble of specifically visiting you."
"I plan to leave Da Chunyang Palace tomorrow and return to Hua City first. I wanted to say goodbye."
Being preempted by Lu Yibei and having his lines stolen gave him a strange feeling, like accidentally swallowing a quail egg whole while drinking soup and getting choked.
However, for an Old man like him, this was a small matter. Not a trace of embarrassment showed on his face. "Leaving? You haven't stayed long. Why not stay for a few more days?"
After saying that, Zhang Huainan paused slightly. Seeing Lu Yibei open his mouth to speak, he immediately activated his Spiritual Energy, and with the enhancement of the power of thunder, he seized the right to speak with lightning speed. His lips moved extremely fast as he spoke, and tiny electric arcs sputtered from the corners of his mouth.
"Alright."
Zhang Huainan used "Returning the Favor in Kind" on Lu Yibei! The effect was remarkable!
Lu Yibei, "..."
Old man, your vengefulness is too strong, isn't it? Do you even need to use Spiritual Energy in this situation? Your voice even has an electric effect, hey!
Facts have proven that to snatch the conversation from Lu Yibei, even the Black Emperor needs to rely on the suppression of Spiritual Energy fluctuation levels—
It must be said that Qingji's cooking skills, honed for over a decade in the Yanzhi Wine Shop, perhaps truly are as he boasted: looking at the world, those who can surpass him can be counted on the fingers of two hands.
Lu Yibei had only learned seventy to eighty percent of the technique, and it was already enough to make Zhang Huainan lose control.
Carelessly drinking the broth Lu Yibei had stewed completely dry, he was caught red-handed before he could escape the crime scene.
Although Zhang Huainan appeared calm, he was somewhat guilty.
Taking advantage of Lu Yibei being suppressed and falling into a brief silence, he quickly changed the subject. "Oh, right, Lu Yibei, before you leave, this Old man has some questions for you."
"This Old man has recently received over a hundred complaints and reports from Da Chunyang Palace disciples. Do you have any idea why?" (This uses hyperbole).
Everyone has made a mistake, how about we both take a step back? A step back opens up a vast sky, young man!
However, to Zhang Huainan's surprise, Lu Yibei answered without thinking, seemingly completely devoid of the guilt one would feel after committing a crime. "Absolutely not!"
Although I don't know what those complaints are, they definitely have nothing to do with me!
During my time at Da Chunyang Palace, I've always been helpful, generous, and enjoyed myself. How could anyone complain about me? Lu Yibei thought.
"No?" Zhang Huainan opened his slightly narrowed eyes, sized up Lu Yibei, and asked, "Then do you know who has been playing the suona in Da Chunyang Palace late at night recently?"
"That was me," Lu Yibei said frankly. "Didn't I hear Hua Sang say that the Senior Brothers always lack sleep, and I was thinking of helping them out?"
If the morning bell doesn't ring, everyone can't get up, wouldn't they be well-rested? Logical! Lu Yibei thought.
"..." Zhang Huainan was silent for a moment, then pressed, "Then who was it that stole the herbs from Qingnang Grass Hut a few days ago?" "Which bastard is spreading rumors? How can you call that stealing? I call that collecting payment!" Lu Yibei argued.
Immediately after, he recounted in detail how he righteously stopped the bullying incident and created the magical girl. This was an act of justice, extremely reasonable! Lu Yibei thought firmly.
Zhang Huainan fell silent again.
After secretly helping, shouldn't one "leave with a flick of the sleeves, and hide their accomplishments and fame"?
After secretly helping, you jump out and take the herbs, and they mistakenly think you're taking advantage of the situation. It would be strange if they didn't report you! Zhang Huainan muttered to himself.
Of course, he hadn't considered that Lu Yibei wasn't secretly helping at all; his mindset and methods were simply more "sunny."
After pondering for a few seconds, Zhang Huainan asked again, "Then how do you explain instigating Fu Xinyi to mobilize the disciples to wear pink rabbit ears and strange clothes and attend the exchange meeting?"
"What? Strange clothes?" Lu Yibei tilted his head. I'm speechless. When did I ever teach her that?
She has a fetish for cross-dressing herself, don't try to smear me, okay?!
Zhang Huainan rolled his eyes at Lu Yibei and recounted in detail what he had seen in Qing Hui Hall just now. After listening, Lu Yibei propped his chin with one hand and fell silent.
I didn't realize Senior (female) was quite the player after letting herself go?
It's like going to the hospital for a CT scan, and the Doctor asks you to take off your top, but you cleverly take off your entire upper body instead. "What? Can't speak?" Zhang Huainan looked sideways at Lu Yibei.
Lu Yibei pouted and retorted, "Just tell me, was the result good or not!?"
A group of Da Chunyang Palace disciples, wearing rabbit ears and strange clothes, mingling with disciples who were being eroded by the Pink Fluffy Rabbit...
When listening to Zhang Huainan describe the scene at the exchange meeting, Lu Yibei knew the result would be good. After all, collective social death isn't social death; instead, it promotes relationships and deepens friendships! freёwebnoѵel.com
Zhang Huainan silently examined Lu Yibei for a moment and asked, "So, you think you're doing good deeds?"
"What do you mean 'think'? I am!" Lu Yibei said righteously. "Besides, didn't you tell me to help others more?" Doing good deeds and still being reported? That's unreasonable!
Zhang Huainan was slightly startled, then examined Lu Yibei with a strange look in his eyes. It was as if he had discovered something interesting on him.
That ancient, unmoving, unfathomable gaze sent shivers down Lu Yibei's spine, and he subconsciously moved back a bit. What does this Old man mean? He's not going to poison me because he can't out-talk me, is he?
...
Doesn't seem like he's lying? Could it be that this kid really listened to this Old man's advice and started helping others? It seems to be different from the divination result at that time?
However, with the way he's helping, he'll probably be chopped to death within half a month of going down the mountain? Zhang Huainan thought.
This kind of thing is like a major villain, with the traditional villain's way of doing things, doing a good deed. It's always easy to cause misunderstandings.
Thinking this, Zhang Huainan rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and then waved his hand, saying, "Forget it, anyway, this Old man didn't come here to question you."
"Your actions in Da Chunyang Palace recently have displeased many disciples and Elders. This Old man originally just wanted to remind you to be careful. Since you are about to go down the mountain, this Old man will not say more."
As he spoke, Zhang Huainan got up and slowly walked towards the outside. After taking a few steps, he heard a light call from behind. "Wait!"
Zhang Huainan's footsteps paused, and he turned back to ask, "Is there anything else?"
Lu Yibei looked at Zhang Huainan, then at the empty clay pot on the table, and rolled his eyes, saying, "You stole the soup I was feeding the turtle, and now you're leaving? Isn't that inappropriate?"
"Tasted!" Zhang Huainan's expression was normal as he corrected, "This Old man was just helping you taste it. How can you call it stealing?" You brat, this Old man is so good to you, what's wrong with drinking a little of your soup?
"So, you're not going to
Admit it?"
How can I admit to something that didn't happen?" Zhang Huainan said shamelessly.
How could he admit this? The dignified Head of Da Chunyang Palace, momentarily unable to control his desires, stole and ate something someone else cooked. It would be quite embarrassing if it got out.
He'll have Xuanjizi stew a pot to compensate Lu Yibei later. That kid Xuanjizi's cooking skills aren't bad either. Zhang Huainan thought.
Lu Yibei looked at Zhang Huainan, pondered for a few seconds, not knowing what kind of mischief he was brewing, then responded expressionlessly, "Oh, then you can go. This junior won't see you off."
Hearing this, Zhang Huainan didn't think anything of it at first, nodded indifferently, and slowly left Lu Yibei's residence. As soon as he stepped out of the room, Lu Yibei, who was following closely behind, slammed the door shut with a "bang!" and locked it with a "click."
Looking at the tightly closed door, Zhang Huainan shook his head. Just as he turned around and walked a few steps along the corridor, his body stiffened, and he stopped.
He suddenly had a certain indescribable special feeling, and an ominous premonition gradually rose in his heart.
Stopping in his tracks, he slightly opened his eyes, looked back at Lu Yibei's residence, pinched his fingers, and performed a simple divination. The next second, his eyes widened.
Not good, that kid is going to cause trouble!
