“Burp~”
“So satisfied~”
Huo Huang and Murong Qing lay lazily on the bamboo slats, contentedly rubbing their full bellies with expressions of pure bliss.
“Junior Sisters, it's not good to lie down right after eating.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister.”
The two sat back up. At that moment, Zhu Huai handed them two cups of iced fruit drinks, saying, “Have some fruit juice after your meal to help with digestion.”
“There's even fruit juice after the meal!”
The two took the ice-cold grape juice at the same time and took a small sip. Then, as if they had discovered a new world, they gulped it down in one go.
“Thank you, Senior Sister!”
Huo Huang stood up and bowed deeply, her attitude extremely sincere. Murong Qing copied her, shouting loudly, “Thank you, Senior Sister!”
“Hehe, you're welcome. It's only right for fellow disciples to help each other. If you really want to thank someone, you should thank Senior Brother,” Zhu Huai said with a gentle smile, completely devoid of any haughtiness of a senior sister.
Then, the two pitter-pattered over on their short legs to Wang Xuanyi, saying loudly, “Thank you, Brother (Big Brother), for the meal! We will never forget this kindness!”
The two of them seemed to have colluded, speaking in perfect unison.
Wang Xuanyi looked at the two little ones in front of him—one eleven or twelve, the other five or six—and asked in confusion, “Does no one cook for you?”
Plop!
Murong Qing didn't act like a stranger at all. She naturally snuggled into Wang Xuanyi's arms, sat on his lap, and said pitifully, “Big Brother, Tianyun Peak is no fun. There's nothing to eat, nothing to drink, and nothing to play with. Qing'er is about to grow mold.”
“...”
Huo Huang explained, “Brother, Master is often in seclusion, and Senior Sister Wen has always been the one cooking. Since the Ancient Immortal Realm is about to open, everyone has been busy cultivating and doesn't have much time to cook.”
“What about Fasting Pills?”
“We ate them for three or four days straight and threw up.”
Huo Huang crossed her hands behind her back, awkwardly turning her head away as she dragged her toe in circles on the ground.
Hearing this, Mo Yan and Zhu Huai sighed in amazement once again.
It was truly nice to have a grandson (senior brother) who could take a beating (doted on people).
If Wang Xuanyi knew what the old geezer was thinking, he would have swung his wok to beat him up.
“Brother, could you...”
Huo Huang blinked her cute eyes and asked tentatively. Before she could even finish, Wang Xuanyi waved his hand and cut her off. “No.”
How could Wang Xuanyi not know what she was plotting?
Wanting to come over to freeload food and drinks? Not a chance!
“Big Brother, please? Pretty please? Qing'er is so scared of going hungry,” the little one in his arms said, looking equally aggrieved.
“No...”
Wang Xuanyi crossed his arms, fully intending to reject them formally.
Seeing this, Huo Huang immediately stepped forward, pulled one of his arms open, and winked at Murong Qing, signaling her to grab the other arm.
A lightbulb went off in Murong Qing's head. Understanding immediately, she climbed out of his embrace and grabbed his other arm, shimmying up it almost like a caterpillar.
Then, the two girls divided the labor and began their pitch.
“Brother is the handsomest! The handsomest in the whole world! Not only are you handsome, but you're also super nice, cook delicious food, and dote on your sisters. You're simply the best and handsomest brother in the world!” Huo Huang wheedled, shaking his arm with sparkling eyes.
“Big Brother, Qing'er is so small and still growing. I can't skip meals. I know Big Brother definitely won't ignore Qing'er,” Murong Qing wheedled and acted cute.
“Brother~”
“Big Brother~”
The two girls went back and forth.
Hearing these compliments, Wang Xuanyi tried his best to suppress his urge to laugh, but he couldn't hold it in completely, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward.
Seeing this, the two girls knew they had a chance and immediately redoubled their cute pleading.
Finally, under their relentless persistence, Wang Xuanyi relented.
“Alright, alright, it's just two more pairs of chopsticks. Just come over yourself at mealtime.”
Wang Xuanyi waved his hand with an expression of utter disdain, but the upward curve of his lips betrayed him.
“Yay!”
The two girls shared a knowing smile and high-fived.
After the meal, Huo Huang helped clean up the leftovers and wash the pots and dishes. Murong Qing insisted on sweeping and cleaning up. Unable to dissuade her, Zhu Huai let her be.
Before they left, Zhu Huai called out to them.
“Senior Sister, what is it?”
Huo Huang asked respectfully.
It was impossible for Huo Huang not to respect someone who hung around Senior Brother Wang, especially since Senior Sister Zhu Huai was so gentle and completely lacked any air of arrogance.
This only made Huo Huang admire her from the bottom of her heart.
“Junior Sister, take these five cold drinks back with you.”
Zhu Huai took five cups of chilled fruit juice from her storage ring, handed them to Huo Huang, and said softly, “When you come in the future, I'll tell Senior Brother to make extra food and leave it in the kitchen.”
“Senior Sister...”
“It's just a small token of fellow disciple friendship. No need to thank me.”
With that, Zhu Huai smiled faintly, turned around, and returned to the bamboo forest.
She had arrived quietly, bringing a light breeze.
And she left the same way.
Huo Huang stared blankly in the direction Zhu Huai had gone, then flew back to Tianyun Peak on her sword.
Tianyun Peak.
Leng Ning'an and Wen Sining, who had been waiting for a long time, were no longer in the mood to meditate. They were so hungry that they had no energy left to cultivate.
Long Zitian was doing slightly better, sustaining himself by drinking water to stave off hunger.
“Ta-da! We're back!”
A familiar voice rang out. The three of them looked up into the sky. Once they reached a safe height, Murong Qing leaped down, striking a perfect landing pose.
Huo Huang flew down on her sword, took out a food container, and said, “Senior Sisters, Senior Brother, the food is here.”
The food container had nine tiers in total: seven tiers of dishes, one tier of soup, and the bottommost, thickest tier was filled to the brim with steamed rice.
Gulp!
Staring at the food that seemed to be practically glowing, the three of them cast aside all gentlemanly manners and lady-like decorum, devouring the food and stuffing it into their mouths.
Even though these were leftovers, they were still incredibly delicious.
They ate with great relish.
Even Long Zitian, in a rare moment, praised Wang Xuanyi.
In no time, the plates were licked clean, almost to the point where they didn't even need to be washed.
Once they were full, Leng Ning'an and Wen Sining recalled the scene of Senior Brother Wang wolfing down his food last time. Their faces flushed slightly in embarrassment.
Huo Huang didn't tease them about it.
“Senior Sisters, Senior Brother, here's some fruit juice for after the meal.”
With that, Huo Huang retrieved five cups of chilled fruit juice from her storage ring and said calmly, “Senior Sister Zhu Huai prepared this for us.”
“Thank you.”
After taking the cold drinks, the three of them felt a bit puzzled, just as the other two girls had initially. They took a small sip first, and then downed it in one gulp.
It was a very peculiar feeling.
The sweet and sour taste perfectly cut through the greasiness of the heavy meal. It went down silky smooth, offering a refreshing sensation that left them wanting more.
Compared to the unbridled eating habits of Leng Ning'an and the other two, Huo Huang and Murong Qing appeared much more elegant.
Murong Qing sat on Huo Huang's lap, while Huo Huang leaned against the base of a large tree. The two of them watched the shimmering heat waves in the air as they savored their drinks.
At this moment, none of the five had any desire to cultivate.
“Junior Sister Huo, did Senior Brother Wang... say anything?”
Wen Sining approached them.
“Brother? He didn't say much, and he even told Murong Qing and me to visit often in the future,” Huo Huang replied as she sipped her cold drink, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
“Brother...” Wen Sining was puzzled, but she didn't pry. She continued, “Did Senior Brother not blame us for what happened last time?”
“No, Big Brother is super nice to us! Sister Zhu Huai is too. Not only is she gentle, but she also told me to come over and play with her often in the future.”
Murong Qing said happily.
“I see.”
Looking at the two of them, Wen Sining felt as if they were actually disciples of Tianzhu Peak.
In fact, the two of them really did consider themselves disciples of Tianzhu Peak—if only they hadn't chosen the wrong master at the very beginning.
In the afternoon, the weather cooled down slightly.
The five of them resumed their tedious cultivation.
The only difference was that Murong Qing and Huo Huang were exceptionally focused, no longer as lazy as they had been in the morning.
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