Moon Yingying had been quite troubled lately.
The main reason was still her disciple.
Ever since that time descending the mountain, Ling Xiaodong had been running to Qingfeng Temple every other day.
Although she did not neglect cooking or laundry, Moon Yingying still felt a vague worry.
What if her disciple was swayed by that group of bad women at Qingfeng Temple?
Where on earth would she find another disciple so useful?
Mainly, she knew she wasn’t as good to Ling Xiaodong as Ye Yiyun was. Moon Yingying understood she was an unqualified master.
She often compared herself and her father to Ye Yiyun and realized that her master could only reach her current level because she was uniquely her own.
Feeling guilty, Moon Yingying became a little uneasy.
So starting today, she—Moon Yingying—would strive to be a qualified master!
Gathering intelligence was the first priority. While Ling Xiaodong went to Qingfeng Temple, Moon Yingying secretly entered the temple as well.
“Ah! Daoist Mingyue!”
Know your enemy and yourself, and you will never be defeated. Moon Yingying first found Mi Xiaoyan inside Qingfeng Temple. She believed that as Ling Xiaodong’s childhood friend, Mi Xiaoyan must know secrets others didn’t.
“Xiaoyan, I have a few questions to ask you.”
Moon Yingying looked at Mi Xiaoyan seriously, making her nervous.
After all, the master was both teacher and father figure. In Mi Xiaoyan’s eyes, Moon Yingying was almost like a mother-in-law.
Mi Xiaoyan nervously said,
“P-please ask! Xiaoyan will answer everything truthfully and completely!”
Moon Yingying nodded slightly, satisfied with her answer.
“Do you know why Ling Xiaodong has been coming to Qingfeng Temple every day lately?”
“W-well…”
Mi Xiaoyan’s face flushed a little. She couldn’t very well say that every time Xiaodong came, he would tease her until she was red-faced and then leave happily.
“Brother Xiaodong follows the master every day to study alchemy in the Copper Fire Room. He’s very serious about it! That room is unbearably hot, but Brother Xiaodong and the master stay inside for two or three hours before coming out! When he comes out, his clothes are soaked through! Really hardworking!”
So Ling Xiaodong was so studious?
Moon Yingying felt even more guilty thinking about how she hadn’t seriously taught him for so many years.
It didn’t matter! Alchemy, huh? Ye Yiyun could do it, so why couldn’t she?
Not only could she do it, she would do it better than Ye Yiyun!
Moon Yingying secretly competed with Ye Yiyun in her heart.
“Anything else? For example, do you know what Ling Xiaodong likes to eat?”
“Likes to eat what?”
Mi Xiaoyan put a finger to her lips and tilted her head, thinking.
“I remember! Brother Xiaodong’s favorite dishes are stewed chicken with mushrooms and braised carp!”
“Isn’t it braised pork knuckle?”
Moon Yingying was surprised by the answer, since Ling Xiaodong always talked about the braised pork knuckle at Mingyue Temple.
Mi Xiaoyan shook her head: “No, it’s just that the temple’s cook often makes that.”
“Oh, I see!” Moon Yingying understood suddenly.
She then asked more questions about Ling Xiaodong’s hobbies and likes.
Mi Xiaoyan answered smoothly. These questions weren’t known by only her; the female disciples inside the temple kept a detailed record book about Ling Xiaodong’s height, weight, interests, and so forth. After all, Qingfeng Temple was full of Ling Xiaodong’s fans.
Mi Xiaoyan didn’t think she had much advantage over other senior sisters, but she was proud that Ling Xiaodong favored only her in the huge Qingfeng Temple.
“Hm? Master? Why are you here?”
Ling Xiaodong, who was approaching from a distance, saw Moon Yingying and Mi Xiaoyan.
“Brother Xiaodong! Master!”
Mi Xiaoyan waved to them from afar, and Moon Yingying looked over as well.
Sure enough, he looked like he had just come out of the Copper Fire Room. Ling Xiaodong’s forehead hair was damp and clinging together; his clothes were wet, seemingly soaked with sweat. The face of Ye Yiyun following him was a bit flushed as well.
Had they gotten heatstroke inside the alchemy room? Moon Yingying thought.
“Master, what are you doing at Qingfeng Temple?”
Moon Yingying didn’t want to reveal her plan yet, so she countered:
“What? You can come, but I can’t? Ye Yiyun, you’re the temple leader, do you think I can come or not?”
Ye Yiyun’s expression grew nervous and her eyes darted.
“What nonsense is this? Qingfeng Temple has always been your home. Your room is still reserved for you.”
“Hear that? Don’t look at the time! Aren’t you going back? Or do you want to live here?”
Moon Yingying skillfully tapped the head of her unruly disciple.
Ling Xiaodong had originally wanted to stay for dinner before going back, but after hearing Moon Yingying, he turned around to say goodbye to Ye Yiyun and Mi Xiaoyan.
At parting, Mi Xiaoyan blushed and hugged Ling Xiaodong in front of the two masters before finally leaving. Ye Yiyun watched with a somewhat sour expression.
Ling Xiaodong felt that his master had been acting strange lately.
Since the last time she was seen at Qingfeng Temple, she hadn’t been herself.
Originally, the master liked to lie on the bamboo chair in the courtyard, enjoy the breeze, read books, and occasionally order him around.
But lately, she went out early and returned late, frequently entering the mountain. He didn’t know what she was busy with, and each time she came back with mud on her shoes, making his laundry chores heavier.
One day, after Ling Xiaodong finished getting an injection from Ye Yiyun at Qingfeng Temple and returned to Mingyue Temple, he saw thick smoke billowing from his mountain.
Not good! There was a fire!
Ling Xiaodong hurried back inside the temple and found smoke pouring out of the kitchen.
“Master! Master!”
Moon Yingying’s voice came from inside the kitchen.
“Don’t come in! Cough, cough! Go wait in your room! Heaven and earth in use, essence of sun and moon. Brighten the four seas, break the demon’s mist. Remove filth and calamity, light up the residence. Divine water made, ten thousand ghosts subdued. Hasten swiftly as the law commands!”
A water incantation? What was the master doing inside?
Ling Xiaodong felt confused but since she didn’t seem to be in trouble, he returned to his room.
After waiting a while, Moon Yingying pushed the door open and entered.
Her pristine white Daoist robe was stained with black smoke, and her once flawless celestial countenance was blotched with black and white patches.
Seeing her like this, Ling Xiaodong was shocked:
“Master, did you burn down the kitchen?”
Moon Yingying didn’t answer, placing two plates on the table, hands on her hips, full of pride.
“The master burned it. How about that?”
Moon Yingying was filled with pride at being a qualified master.
The master could cook now!
Ling Xiaodong’s eyes were as wide as copper bells. This was as surprising as a rooster laying an egg or the sun rising from the west!
“Master, are you okay?”
Ling Xiaodong quickly stood up and felt Moon Yingying’s forehead.
No fever? Was she possessed by a demon?
He pointed his sword upward and shouted loudly, “Hey! Monster! Return my master!”
Moon Yingying impatiently smacked his head and glared:
“What nonsense! Sit down and eat!”
That familiar strength, that familiar voice—this was definitely the master!
Ling Xiaodong finally relaxed and sat down on the bench, looking at the food on the plates.
One plate was colorful mushrooms with a chicken that hadn’t been fully plucked. He said it was a rooster because the comb on its head was still bright red.
Ling Xiaodong poked the indescribable object on the plate with his chopsticks and asked:
“Master, what is this?”
Proudly, Moon Yingying said, “Stewed chicken with mushrooms! How is it? Isn’t it your favorite? The master is thoughtful, right?”
“Uh, why are the mushrooms red and green?”
“To look nice! Red and green, very festive!”
Ling Xiaodong flipped the chicken a few times and exclaimed, “The chicken’s innards aren’t removed?”
Moon Yingying was puzzled, “Innards? What innards? Why remove them?”
“Master, is this really edible?”
Seeing Ling Xiaodong hesitate, Moon Yingying’s phoenix eyes widened and she slapped the table, shouting:
“Of course it is! How could it not be? I painstakingly gathered everything from the mountain. Today you will lick the plate clean!”
Ling Xiaodong then looked at the other plate.
There was a fish on it, its eyes glowing with an eerie light, making Ling Xiaodong want to put a warding talisman on it.
Though somewhat charred, it was still clearly a fish. Ling Xiaodong decided to try it first.
As he pinched off a piece of fish, a gust of night wind blew through the cracked window, extinguishing the candle flame on the table.
It was already nighttime. Although the candle went out, the room was still visible.
Not because of the bright moonlight outside, but because the fish on the table was emitting a faint green glow.
The eerie green light illuminated the entire room!
Ling Xiaodong was so frightened he dropped his chopsticks and hurriedly said,
“Master, this fish—it’s glowing!”