Sweets

Knock, knock, knock...

“Come in!”

Back courtyard, inner hall.

Mei Shuangfeng sat quietly behind a pearwood desk, dressed in an elegant, simple long robe.

On the table sat a small white porcelain bowl, a delicate wooden mallet, some maltose, and honey.

Without even raising her head, she focused on her work, gently pounding with the mallet.

Only when Shen Xiuhan pushed the door open and entered did she ask casually:

“Which family did you choose?”

Shen Xiuhan stepped forward respectfully and answered truthfully:

“Replying to Master, I chose the Ji family. I will be going to Yunyi Island as a resident Patrol Envoy.”

“Tap...”

The wooden mallet in Mei Shuangfeng's hand paused slightly before resuming its original rhythm.

She scooped a piece of maltose into the porcelain bowl, mixed it with honey, and methodically ground and crushed it.

“Yunyi Island... That place is close to Chenjian Dock and is a dangerous area. Have you thought it through?”

“I have,” Shen Xiuhan said in a deep voice. “The Ji family offered very good terms. They even specifically promised to let me enter their Library Pavilion to choose a martial technique or stance work.”

“Oh?”

Mei Shuangfeng raised her phoenix eyes slightly, seemingly somewhat surprised:

“...Did they say which floor they would allow you to enter?”

“The first floor.”

“Hmm... For the first floor, if you want fist, leg, or movement techniques, you can choose the 『River-Treading Torrent Step』, the 『Wind-Cleaving Kick』, or the 『Shattered Jade Returning Wind Palm』. These three are the most practical during the Mingjin Rank. If you are considering weapons, only the 『Weeping Willow Swordplay』 and the 『Gate-Breaking Saber』 are barely passable...”

“This... Thank you for your guidance, Master!”

Shen Xiuhan was shocked by how thoroughly she knew these details.

His master usually lived in seclusion and rarely went out. How could she know the details of the techniques in the Ji family's Library Pavilion so clearly?

It was as casual as picking cabbages in her own backyard.

Ignoring his shock, Mei Shuangfeng put down the mallet, retrieved an exquisite small green porcelain bottle from her sleeve, and pushed it to the edge of the table.

“Here, take this.”

“That Blue-Spire Chicken had quite vigorous blood qi. This batch of 『Jasper Blood Pills』 yielded six pills of superior quality, which will be of great help to a Mingjin Rank martial artist.”

“With your foundation, taking three to four pills will push your blood qi to Great Accomplishment, allowing you to prepare for breaking through to the Bone Tempering Rank.”

At this point, her expression turned solemn as she warned:

“But remember, pills refined from Tier Two Precious Beasts have domineering and violent medicinal properties. You must wait seven days before consuming another, and only after the medicinal power has been completely refined can you continue with the next.”

“If you are greedy for progress and take them consecutively, you risk bursting your blood vessels. Do you understand?”

“Your disciple understands!”

Shen Xiuhan took the green porcelain bottle, pulled out the cork, and took a light sniff near the opening.

The next moment, a rich pill fragrance rushed straight to his head, and the blood qi inside his body actually began to stir and boil involuntarily!

As expected of a Tier Two precious pill!

Excellent pill!

“And these Blue-Spire feathers.”

Mei Shuangfeng reached under the desk, pulled out a gray cloth bag, and casually tossed it onto the table.

Inside were the feathers from the Blue-Spire Chicken, which were as hard and sharp as fine iron.

“You can go to the South Market, find a weapon shop, and sell them. The good ones can go for ten coins a piece. If you have your own connections, you can also have a blacksmith forge them into arrows for your own use. It is up to you to decide what to do with them.”

“Your disciple understands.”

Mei Shuangfeng nodded slightly and added:

“Did the Ji family people specify when you are to take up your post on Yunyi Island?”

Shen Xiuhan recalled for a moment:

“Steward Ji Zhong told me to go to the Ji Mansion the day after tomorrow to choose a martial art. As for the date of boarding the island, he did not specify.”

“Then it should be early next month.”

Mei Shuangfeng said calmly, “There are still seven or eight days until next month. Spend these few days quietly in the martial arts hall consolidating your blood qi. Once the day to report arrives, go to the Ji family to register and board the boat.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

“When you work on the water in the future, do not neglect the 『Mystic Eagle Stance』. If you encounter any bottlenecks or difficulties in your cultivation, you can return to the courtyard on your rest days, and I will resolve your doubts.”

Hearing these instructions, Shen Xiuhan felt a warm current in his heart. He immediately clasped his hands and bowed:

“Thank you for your kindness, Master!”

Mei Shuangfeng nodded, then picked up the purple clay teacup beside her, gently nudged the lid, and took a sip with lowered eyes.

This was a hint for him to leave.

Shen Xiuhan was about to tactfully take his leave.

But out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the porcelain bowl and wooden mallet on the desk, and his expression shifted:

“Master, are these... rare items used to assist in pill refining?”

Hearing this, Mei Shuangfeng looked down at the semi-finished sticky substance and laughed in spite of herself:

“No, I was just bored and making some sweets to pass the time...”

“Sweets?”

Shen Xiuhan's eyes lit up. As if suddenly intrigued, he took two steps forward and said:

“I wonder if Master could spare some of these sweets for your disciple?”

Mei Shuangfeng cast a sideways glance at him, a hint of eccentricity in her eyes:

“You're a grown man, yet you're still craving sweet snacks that only children eat?”

Stared at like this, Shen Xiuhan felt so embarrassed he wanted to dig a hole with his toes. He forced himself to say:

“Cough, I grew up poor and... have always had a weakness for sweets since I was a child...”

Seeing his embarrassed look, a faint, gentle smile—an absolute rarity—appeared on Mei Shuangfeng's usually frost-cold face.

But soon, as if she had thought of something, her gaze suddenly turned complex.

The smile vanished. She turned her head, closed her eyes, and said softly:

“The crushed maltose needs to be left in a well-ventilated area to dry and solidify... Come back to the rear hall in two days to collect it.”

“Thank you for the reward, Master!”

Shen Xiuhan was overjoyed and clasped his hands once more.

“Go on...”

Mei Shuangfeng waved her sleeve.

Once Shen Xiuhan's footsteps faded away and the room fell silent again, she silently lowered her head and picked up the small wooden mallet once more.

...

It was still early when he left the martial arts hall.

Shen Xiuhan was in no hurry to go home, so he took a detour to the South Market first.

He searched around, finding several decently sized weapon workshops, and took out the Blue-Spire Chicken feathers to gauge the market price.

It was exactly as his master had said.

Materials from Tier Two Precious Beasts were as tough as iron and extremely sharp at the edges, making them excellent fletching for crafting arrows. They were highly sought after by the shopkeepers of the weapon workshops.

Normal feathers usually went for seven or eight copper coins a piece;

While the dark, stiff tail feathers could fetch ten copper coins.

Shen Xiuhan did some quick mental math.

If he brought over the pile of blue feathers from home and combined them with the ones he had on hand, it would add up to about seven or eight strings of cash.

That was pretty good...

He had saved up a bit more for buying a house.

Thanks, Brother Chicken.

He picked an old, reputable weapon shop that offered a fair price and sold the blue feathers without hesitation.

Before leaving, he made an agreement with the shopkeeper to bring the remaining blue feathers for trade in a few days, then headed toward Xiaojing Bay.

He pushed open his courtyard gate.

Inside the thatched cottage, Madam Zheng was weaving a fishing net again.

Shen Momo sat obediently by her side, helping her out.

“Mother, I'm back.”

Madam Zheng quickly set aside the half-woven fishing net and stood up:

“Why are you back so early today? Go rest, I'll go cook for you.”

“Let's do it together.”

Shen Xiuhan rolled up his sleeves and smiled. “It's the perfect time for me to teach you how to make Blanket Noodles.”

“Noodles!?”

Nearby, Shen Momo, who had been listlessly handing bamboo strips to Madam Zheng, jumped up on her short legs upon hearing this. She looked up expectantly and said:

“Big brother, are you going to make noodles for Momo?”

“Yes, we're eating noodles.”

Shen Xiuhan smiled, picked her up, and pinched her little nose.

The little girl instantly became jubilant. She wrapped her chubby arms around him, buried her face in his shoulder, and rubbed against him, muttering:

“Big brother, I love noodles the most. I will be loyal to you forever!”

“Hahaha...”

Shen Xiuhan was thoroughly amused and burst into laughter. The room was filled with a rare, joyful atmosphere.

However, right at this moment...

Bang, bang, bang!

A sudden, violent pounding sounded from outside the courtyard, followed by a gruff voice:

“Open the door!”

“Luanbo Gang business! Whoever is inside, get the hell out here!”