Xie Tinglan rarely interacted with women. He could bicker with Yao Dai, but he truly didn't know how to handle this unfamiliar Junior Sister, and he certainly couldn't just resort to violence.
He pulled a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone from his storage bag and handed it to her.
“Is this enough?”
“Enough.”
Xin Jiuxian’s otherwise indifferent pupils brightened slightly as she took the spirit stone. She uttered the word coldly and quietly put away the zither she had been preparing to use as a projectile. See? Who said she had a bad temper? As long as someone admitted their mistake, she wouldn't hit them.
Xie Tinglan turned his gaze toward Yao Dai. Yao Dai shrugged and shook her head; she didn't quite understand this Junior Sister’s temperament either, but she seemed to share one trait with their Master: a love for money.
The four of them walked toward the canteen.
It was noon, the peak time for meals.
Suddenly, several figures landed on the plaza and headed toward the canteen as well. Many disciples of Tingyin Pavilion were also passing by.
“Hey, that looks like the Young Mistress of the Beast Taming Sect. I heard she came to our Tingyin Pavilion to convalesce.”
“Supposedly, a Beast Taming Sect Elder was even sent to accompany her. Look at the four cultivators around her—all of them are at Early-Stage Golden Core. The Beast Taming Sect Master really dotes on this daughter of his.”
“Huh? After the Xianle Grand Ceremony ended, many of the guests staying at Guest-Greeting Peak didn't seem to leave. I heard the disciples receiving guests in the Outer Valley say they’re still taking turns on guard duty. If we hadn't recruited some new disciples during the ceremony, the two-shift rotation would have been overwhelming.”
The idle gossip of the Tingyin Pavilion disciples reached Xie Tinglan’s ears.
The three words 'Beast Taming Sect' struck a chord in his heart. That was right—this was the Southern Province, the primary seat of the Beast Taming Sect’s power.
He paused for a moment, his cold eyes glancing toward where the five members of the Beast Taming Sect stood, specifically toward Jiang Nianyao, who was protected in the center.
The Young Mistress of the Beast Taming Sect...
Xie Tinglan’s gaze darkened. He retracted his look and clenched his right hand tightly as the deep-seated hatred in his heart surged. The images of being abused, imprisoned, and having his blood and flesh harvested for over a hundred years remained vivid in his mind.
Yao Dai, who knew of his history with the Beast Taming Sect, looked over and happened to lock eyes with Jiang Nianyao, who had looked up as if sensing something.
One was flamboyant in red; the other was elegant in green.
Yao Dai arched an eyebrow and smiled, giving a slight nod.
Jiang Nianyao’s pale, bloodless face froze for a second. She tried to recall if she knew this person, but out of politeness, she returned the greeting with a smile.
The two groups entered the canteen from opposite sides.
As it happened, someone of Jiang Nianyao's status would usually have food delivered directly to her room. However, she had been cooped up in the Tingyin Pavilion for seven days and was bored. She didn't like being pampered like a rare treasure; she longed for friends and new experiences.
So, despite the admonitions of the four cultivators ordered to protect her, she still came to the canteen to dine normally like the many disciples of Tingyin Pavilion.
Zongzheng Huangyue noticed the subtle change between the two and kept it in mind.
The four sat down after entering the canteen.
Meals here were ordered à la carte; you could eat as much as you liked as long as you paid.
Zongzheng Huangyue didn't know Xie Tinglan and Yao Dai’s appetites yet, so she politely handed the menu to them first. Once the two finished marking it, they passed it to Xin Jiuxian.
“...”
However, Xin Jiuxian was stunned when the menu reached her hands.
Her usually icy, paralyzed face showed a hint of speechlessness.
Sitting next to her, Zongzheng Huangyue noticed and looked over curiously. “What is it?”
“...” Every single item on the menu had been checked by the two of them, leaving no room for anyone else.
At this sight, Zongzheng Huangyue also fell silent. She couldn't help but look up at Xie Tinglan and Yao Dai sitting across from her.
Xie Tinglan and Yao Dai looked up calmly and spoke in unison.
“What?”
Zongzheng Huangyue pursed her lips and shook her head. “Nothing.”
She stood up and took the menu to the window. The Auntie in charge of orders thought she had misread it; she rubbed her eyes and double-checked.
“Little girl, can you four really finish all of this?”
At these words, the Tingyin Pavilion disciples lining up behind her looked at her with curiosity. How much had they ordered to make an Auntie who had worked at Tingyin Pavilion for twenty years so surprised? Did they order an entire table's worth?
Zongzheng Huangyue sighed softly and smiled. “Yes, we can. Please go ahead and prepare it.”
She placed fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones on the counter.
The disciples watching nearby widened their eyes.
“How many? Fifty!”
“Normally, a meal only costs us one or two spirit stones. How much did they order?” Are they feeding pigs?
Zongzheng Huangyue returned to her seat with an impassive face. She finally understood why their Master hadn't had the food delivered to the cave dwelling but had instead told her to bring the two to the canteen.
As the four sat at the table waiting for the food, they found themselves with nothing to say and a bit bored.
Judging that the food would take a while to arrive, Zongzheng Huangyue suggested, “How about we play cards for a bit?”
Yao Dai agreed. “Sure! Let's bet one Low-Grade Spirit Stone!”
Xie Tinglan frowned. He didn't lack money. Remembering something, he said, “No, let's bet a meal.”
Hearing this, Yao Dai remembered as well and quickly changed her tune.
“Fine! Let's bet a meal.”
Zongzheng Huangyue and Xin Jiuxian were confused, so Yao Dai explained, “Master doesn't like taking inedia pills. The Tenth Sect Rule states that every disciple must know how to cook. When we were in the Western Province, Xie Xiao’er and I took turns every day. Whoever loses today has to take over the winner's shift when it's their turn to cook.”
Zongzheng Huangyue knew about this; after all, she had cooked before. Her Master had even said it tasted good—better than Gu Linshu’s.
She nodded. “I can do that.”
The three of them looked at Xin Jiuxian, and she also nodded. “I can do that.”
The Second Elder, fearing she would starve to death or be bored in the forbidden ground, had taught her how to cook. After blowing up the kitchen a few times, she had eventually learned.
Xin Jiuxian: “But.”
Yao Dai: “But what?”
Her laconic way of speaking made the three of them hold their breath.
Xin Jiuxian said blandly, “I don't know how.”
If you don't know how, what do you mean by 'I can do that'? Do you mean you can learn?
“...” The three of them fell silent.
Zongzheng Huangyue was the first to speak. “It’s fine. I’ll explain the rules first, and then you can learn as we play.”
Xin Jiuxian went quiet. The three were waiting for her reaction. Finally...
She let out a breath. “Okay.”
Zongzheng Huangyue frowned and sighed. She clearly remembered that when Old Six had an explosive temper and fought with Hua Cishu, she would pick up her zither with one hand and smash people with it. Why was her way of speaking so...
Delayed.
If Zongzheng Huangyue knew there was an animal called a sloth, she would have found it a more apt description for Xin Jiuxian.
She pulled out the cards and distributed them to the three.
Rate on N.U.
