“Ximeng, where’s Young Master Su?”
By now, Yanhuang had already recovered from her earlier shock.
Normally, whenever she visited, she would always see Su Chen and Ruo Ximeng together.
But today, there was no sign of Su Chen.
“My master is probably in the kitchen… working on a new dish.”
Ruo Ximeng tilted her little head and thought for a moment before replying, sounding a bit uncertain.
‘Working on a new dish? Could it be related to cultivation?’
Yanhuang thought to herself, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t figure out the logic behind it.
There was nothing she could do about it—there was simply too large a gap between her and Su Chen’s level of cultivation.
Many things at Su Chen’s level were far beyond her comprehension.
Just like how Su Chen had Ruo Ximeng train by playing a simple paper game—it looked like child’s play to any ordinary cultivator.
Yet Yanhuang had seen it clearly earlier: Ruo Ximeng had made obvious progress.
She had already grasped the sophisticated techniques of shifting between light and heavy force at will, mastering her strength with ease and precision.
After Yanhuang arrived, Ruo Ximeng wrapped up her morning training and headed with her to the spare kitchen within the estate to learn cooking.
“Ximeng, the Lantern Festival is in three days. Do you want to go see the lantern parade?”
The Lantern Festival was one of the unique celebrations of the Great Yan Empire.
On that day, people from the capital would skillfully craft beautiful sky lanterns and lotus lanterns to make their wishes.
Aside from the New Year, it was the most festive and lively occasion in the entire empire.
“Um… maybe?”
“Maybe I can go…”
Ruo Ximeng actually really wanted to go.
But she wasn’t sure if Su Chen would take her.
It was also possible that he would have her continue training inside the estate.
***
On the roof above the kitchen, Su Chen was lying down lazily, sunbathing.
His senses were far sharper than any ordinary person.
Even though Ruo Ximeng and Yanhuang were speaking softly, he could hear every word.
Besides, he had come here on purpose to secretly observe Yanhuang’s cooking.
After all, her culinary skills were top-notch—easily surpassing the capital’s so-called top chefs by a dozen streets.
Watching the little expressions on Ruo Ximeng’s face, it was obvious she was quite interested in this upcoming Lantern Festival.
‘The Lantern Festival, huh? I should take Ximeng out to enjoy it. Cultivation is about balancing work and rest—how can you expect good results if you’re stuck training inside the estate every single day?’
Su Chen thought to himself.
Just then, his expression shifted slightly.
While Yanhuang’s cultivation level wasn’t anything special, her cooking skills were truly remarkable!
Two narrow knives danced in her hands, creating whirling patterns like flowers blooming in midair.
The ingredients were all chopped up in the blink of an eye.
That knife work alone put her in a completely different league from the capital’s so-called master chefs!
Then came the oil in the pan, the searing flames, the rich aroma, the constant stir-frying, and finally the plating—all her movements were smooth and unbroken, done in one continuous flow without the slightest hesitation.
‘Sigh! What’s the point of being a war god in Great Yan when you’ve got skills like that? Not becoming my personal chef is such a waste!’
Su Chen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly from the rooftop.
***
Before long, a table full of delicious dishes was carried out and placed on the dining table by Yanhuang and Ruo Ximeng.
Over the past few days, Yanhuang had been dropping by every few days, and Su Chen was certainly enjoying the benefits.
Even the emperor of Great Yan wouldn’t have the honor of having the War Goddess Yanhuang cook for him personally.
Not only was her cooking outstanding, but she also occasionally joined Su Chen for a few drinks.
Good wine, a full table, a lovely woman by his side, and a sweet little disciple nearby—such a carefree life was truly full of charm.
Cups clinked and glasses passed from hand to hand in lively celebration.
After three rounds of wine and five courses of delicacies, Su Chen felt completely at ease, while Yanhuang, on the other hand, was beginning to feel a headache coming on.
Ever since she had witnessed Ruo Ximeng’s profound and unfathomable control over her powers, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.
She had hoped that during the meal, Su Chen would offer Ruo Ximeng a bit of guidance.
But to her surprise, Su Chen had been talking non-stop about food, drink, and entertainment the entire time.
At this point, Yanhuang was starting to get confused.
If Su Chen’s heart was filled only with indulgence in pleasure, how had he managed to cultivate to such a terrifying level?
Unfortunately, she probably wouldn’t be getting an answer to that question any time soon.
“By the way, Ximeng, how’s your cultivation going?”
***
After chatting for a while about trivial things, Su Chen suddenly remembered that this wasn’t exactly the image of a respectable teacher.
As someone with unmatched cultivation, peerless in his generation, and known for his vast knowledge and refined demeanor, it was only right for him to show some concern for his disciple’s training.
Of course, the concern was fake.
The real reason was simply that he had run out of things to say about food and fun, and just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
As for how Ruo Ximeng’s cultivation was progressing—he couldn’t care less.
The cultivation technique was fake.
The star chart was fake.
Even the so-called energy control method had been made up on the spot.
‘How could Ruo Ximeng possibly make any real progress?’
‘He’s finally getting to it!’
Though Su Chen had spoken casually, Yanhuang was listening intently.
She had been holding in her frustration, but hearing Su Chen finally shift toward the topic of cultivation made her instantly perk up.
Her previously stiff expression gave way to a faint, enchanting smile, full of anticipation for the conversation that would follow between Su Chen and Ruo Ximeng.
With her exceptional talent in cultivation, Yanhuang believed she didn’t need full explanations to gain insights.
With just a hint or example, she could extrapolate and learn volumes.
As long as Su Chen said something—anything—related to cultivation, she was sure she could gain something valuable!
Her confidence soared, and she waited eagerly for Su Chen to begin instructing Princess Ximeng.
“Forget it. Cultivation’s not that important.”
But right then, Su Chen casually waved the topic off.
‘Pfft!’
Yanhuang nearly spat blood.
Even years of self-discipline couldn’t stop her from nearly losing it.
If she were strong enough to beat Su Chen, she definitely would’ve thrown hands right then and there!
‘Cultivation wasn’t important?! Then what was?!’
‘Damn it! Unbelievable!’
“Ximeng, let’s go out and have some fun during the Lantern Festival in three days.”
Su Chen said it casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ruo Ximeng blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that.
“Really, Master?”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Clearly, she was looking forward to it too.
Still, she hesitated a little.
‘Would going out to play disrupt her training?’
“Of course! Cultivation shouldn’t be rushed. As they say—if you’re too lazy, you can’t refine your mind. If you’re too reckless, you can’t temper your nature. Chasing after quick results is a major taboo in cultivation! Those who are impatient—at best, they go astray; at worst, they burn out and perish. You must always remember this.”
Su Chen spoke with a lofty, mysterious tone, as if delivering profound truths.
“Yes, Master! I’ll remember that!”
Ruo Ximeng nodded obediently, earnestly committing his words to memory.
‘Is it really that serious? Some schools of cultivation rely on rapid progress to succeed…’
Yanhuang pouted slightly, mentally questioning his claims.
Still, looking at how serious and confident Su Chen appeared, she started doubting herself.
Maybe she really had misunderstood something.
Little did she know—Su Chen was just making it up as he went, spouting nonsense with a straight face.
***
Over the next two days, Yanhuang continued visiting Su Chen’s residence when she had time.
Everything remained peaceful and uneventful.
Until the Lantern Festival finally arrived.
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