Lin Wan'er was jealous

Clouds and mist curl around, and the purple bamboo forms a sea.

Inside Tingxue Courtyard, the wind passes through the sparse bamboo, and the shadows of the leaves dance.

Su Ye comforted the somewhat embarrassed Lin Qianxue, and with a flicker of his body, he turned into an afterimage and disappeared from the courtyard.

In just a few breaths of time.

From deep within the bamboo forest came a few short and shrill chicken cries, which then came to an abrupt halt.

"Flap flap—"

A few startled birds took flight from the treetops, shaking loose several purple bamboo leaves.

A moment later.

Su Ye returned leisurely, treading on the fragmented light on the ground, carrying three large wild chickens with brilliant feathers in his hands.

These were no ordinary creatures.

They were "Five-Colored Spirit Chickens," possessing an extremely thin trace of the Phoenix Bloodline.

The meat was delicious and contained Spiritual Qi; eating it regularly could nourish one's Qi and blood, and even improve one's cultivation.

Furthermore, they were the favorite "pets" of his dear Revered Master, Yun Yuzhen, who was imprisoned in the Cold Jade Palace.

Usually, if even a single feather were missing, that cold Revered Master would be heartbroken for a long time.

Now, they had become the dish Su Ye used to win over his new Junior Sister.

"Senior Brother, this..."

Lin Qianxue looked at the bleeding spirit chickens in Su Ye's hands; their vibrant feathers made her vaguely feel that these creatures were extraordinary.

"Just things from the mountains, not worth mentioning."

Su Ye casually tossed the spirit chickens onto the bluestone floor, his smile as warm and gentle as jade, as if he wasn't the one who had just taken their lives.

"If those pedantic old men found out, they would surely say I'm 'burning a lute to cook a crane'."

"But in this Senior Brother's eyes, no matter how precious a Spirit Beast is, if it can't fill my Junior Sister's stomach, then it's worthless."

These words were spoken nonchalantly, yet they leaked a sense of dominance.

The slight discomfort Lin Qianxue felt due to the killing was instantly dispelled by these words.

In its place, a warm current surged into her heart.

Senior Brother... he did it for me.

"It seems Senior Brother not only has profound cultivation but is also exceptional at domestic life."

Lin Qianxue thought to herself, her cold eyes now staring unblinkingly at Su Ye's movements.

Su Ye went to a clear spring in the corner of the courtyard.

He flicked his fingertip.

A gentle stream of water appeared out of thin air, transforming into several small water blades.

Swish, swish, swish!

His movements were as fluid as floating clouds and flowing water, fast as lightning.

In the blink of an eye, the three Five-Colored Spirit Chickens had been plucked, gutted, and cleaned, then arranged neatly on washed lotus leaves.

There was not a hint of bloodiness; instead, a faint fragrance wafted from them.

Immediately after.

Su Ye took out a dozen jars and bottles from his storage ring.

Those were various Spiritual Plant spices he had collected—Violet Pollen, Star Sand Dust, Century-Old Dried Tangerine Peel... Each one, if taken out, would be a treasure hard to find for a thousand gold pieces in the mortal world.

Now, he applied them evenly and generously onto the chicken meat.

His slender fingers gently massaged the chicken, allowing the spices to fully penetrate the flesh.

His focused expression was as if he were carving a rare treasure.

Lin Qianxue watched, somewhat dazed.

She had never thought a man's hands could be so beautiful.

The joints were distinct, fair, and slender; if they held a sword, he would surely be a peerless sword immortal; if he was cooking, it was actually this pleasing to the eye.

"Junior Sister, help me get some yellow clay."

Su Ye said warmly without turning his head.

"Ah? Oh... okay!"

Lin Qianxue snapped out of it and hurriedly ran to the base of the courtyard wall. Not minding the dirt, she used her jade-like hands—which could drive countless Sword Cultivators crazy—to scoop up a handful of moist yellow clay.

Su Ye took the yellow clay, mixed in some spiritual spring water, and made it into a mud paste.

First, he used the purple bamboo leaves unique to Purple Bamboo Peak to wrap the marinated spirit chickens layer by layer.

Then, he coated the outside with a thick layer of yellow clay.

Finally.

He casually drew a circle on the open ground of the courtyard and flipped his palm.

Whoosh—

A ball of pale golden Pill Fire leaped out from his palm.

That was the true fire unique to Golden Core Stage Cultivators, usually used for Alchemy and Artifact Refining, and it was indestructible.

Now, it had become the charcoal fire for roasting chickens.

If the old fogies of Alchemy Peak saw this, they would probably cough up three liters of blood in anger and curse him as a profligate.

Su Ye buried the three mud balls in the ground, suspended the Pill Fire above them, and precisely controlled the heat.

Time passed bit by bit.

The sun set in the west, and the afterglow filtered through the bamboo forest, spilling over the two of them and casting two long shadows.

The courtyard was very quiet.

There was only the occasional crackling of firewood and the slight humming of the Pill Fire burning the air.

Lin Qianxue hugged her knees, sitting on a stone stool with her chin resting on her knees, staring intently at the mound of earth.

Although she hadn't smelled anything yet.

But she seemed to already be able to imagine the deliciousness.

The gluttonous worms in her stomach were shouting wildly.

"Senior Brother, how much longer?"

She finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Her tone carried a hint of coquettishness that she herself hadn't noticed.

Su Ye was standing with his hands behind his back, seemingly controlling the fire, but in reality, he was checking Lin Qianxue's constantly fluctuating favorability on the System panel.

[Ding! Lin Qianxue has developed feelings of admiration for the Host, favorability +2!]

[Ding! Lin Qianxue has developed feelings of dependence on the Host, favorability +3!]

Hearing her question, he withdrew his thoughts, checked the heat, and a mysterious curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"When the heat is sufficient, it will naturally be delicious."

"Don't be in a hurry, Junior Sister. Haste makes waste, and you certainly won't get to eat this Purple Bamboo Beggars Chicken."

Just as he finished speaking.

Crack—

A faint cracking sound came from beneath the mound.

It was the sound of the mud shell drying and cracking.

Immediately after.

As if to confirm Su Ye's words.

An extremely rich fragrance erupted like a volcano from the cracks!

It was a fragrance that couldn't be described in words.

It was a blend of the spirit chicken's deliciousness, the fresh scent of purple bamboo leaves, the medicinal aroma of dozens of Spiritual Plants, and that unique earthy fragrance.

Before this fragrance, all the delicacies in the world seemed to become bland and tasteless.

Boom!

The fragrance seemed substantial, turning into a visible white wave of air that instantly swept through the entire Tingxue Courtyard.

And it spread in all directions at an astonishing speed.

Gulp.

Lin Qianxue subconsciously swallowed her saliva.

Her expression, which had been forcedly reserved, instantly collapsed.

In those cold eyes, only the steaming mound of earth remained.

Like a little gluttonous cat that hadn't seen meat for hundreds of years.

"So fragrant..."

She murmured to herself, her body uncontrollably leaning forward.

Su Ye waved his sleeve and withdrew the Pill Fire.

He made a grasping motion in the air.

Three mud balls, burnt yellowish-black, burst out of the ground and landed steadily on the stone table.

"Come, while it's hot."

Su Ye's palm was like a blade as he gave a light chop.

Crack!

The mud shell shattered, and the bamboo leaves peeled away.

At this moment.

The golden, oily chicken skin was exposed to the air, still sizzling with oil.

The fragrance that had been suppressed to the limit completely exploded at this moment, becoming more than ten times richer!

Lin Qianxue felt as if her Soul were being lured away by this fragrance.

She had never imagined that food could be this fragrant.

Even the Ice Spirit Root inside her body seemed to be awakened by this life-filled fragrance, jumping joyfully.

"Senior Brother, I..."

Lin Qianxue was about to reach out but then felt it wasn't ladylike enough; her hand froze in mid-air, her face turning bright red.

Su Ye broke into a laugh.

He directly tore off a plump chicken leg and held it out to her.

"Between family, there's no need for such formalities."

"Eat."

Looking at the golden, tempting chicken leg dripping with oil.

Looking at her Senior Brother's encouraging and doting gaze.

Lin Qianxue could no longer care about her Saintess image or her reserved coldness.

She took the chicken leg, opened her cherry-like mouth, and took a big bite.

The skin was crispy, the meat was tender, and the juices overflowed.

The ultimate deliciousness exploded on the tip of her tongue, slid down her throat into her stomach, and turned into a warm current that instantly traveled through her entire body.

"Mmm!"

Lin Qianxue's beautiful eyes instantly widened, then squinted into crescent moons with happiness.

Delicious!

It's so delicious!

Is this the taste of home?

Is this what it feels like to have a Senior Brother?

If it's like this, then cultivating... seems quite nice.

However.

Just as Lin Qianxue was immersed in the immense sense of happiness brought by the food and was about to feast.

An extremely discordant voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard wall.

"Well, well! I was wondering why it smelled so good!"

"It turns out you're eating good things behind my back, Eldest Senior Brother!"

The voice was charming to the bone, carrying the gentleness of a woman from a water town, yet also with a clear hint of coquettishness and jealousy.

Immediately after.

Splash—

The sound of water rang out.

Above Tingxue Courtyard, a crystal-clear stream of water appeared out of thin air, like a blue ribbon descending from the sky.

The water dispersed.

Revealing a graceful figure.

The newcomer wore a water-blue silk dress, her waist so slender it seemed one could wrap a hand around it.

Her skin was whiter than snow, and her features were as beautiful as a painting.

Especially those peach blossom eyes, watery as if they could drip at any moment, were Soul-stirring.

It was the Third Junior Sister of Purple Bamboo Peak, Lin Waner, who possessed the Primal Water Body.

At this moment.

Lin Waner stood with her hands on her hips, glaring angrily at Su Ye, looking exactly like a young wife who had caught her husband hiding private money.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you're too biased!"

"Waner has been cultivating the 'Flowing Water Art' to a critical moment these past few days, losing her appetite and getting much thinner from hunger."

"But you, you're hiding here all by yourself... here..."

As Lin Waner spoke, her little nose twitched, greedily sniffing the lingering aroma of meat in the air.

Her gaze scanned the courtyard like radar, finally locking onto the two remaining Beggars Chickens on the stone table.

Only.

When her gaze moved down and saw Lin Qianxue sitting on the stone stool, holding half a chicken leg, her mouth covered in oil, staring at her blankly.

Lin Waner's voice came to an abrupt halt.

The air fell into a deathly silence once more.

Lin Waner blinked.

Lin Qianxue also blinked.

They stared at each other.

Lin Waner's eyes, which had been bright because of the food, instantly narrowed, revealing a dangerous light.

She looked Lin Qianxue up and down.

Dressed in white, cold and ethereal, although her eating manner was a bit messy now, that bone-deep cold temperament and that face so exquisite it made even her feel a hint of threat could not be hidden.

Besides... hasn't this courtyard been abandoned for a long time?

Why would Eldest Senior Brother bring a woman here?

And even specifically make the Beggars Chicken for her, which she herself hadn't been able to get after asking for so long?

More importantly, the way Eldest Senior Brother looked at this woman... that doting, that tenderness.

Just like when he planted the Demon Seed... no, planted the Spirit Medicine into her body!

A strong sense of sourness and crisis instantly exploded in Lin Waner's heart.

She had no idea about their Revered Master taking a disciple today.

In her eyes.

This was a wild woman Eldest Senior Brother had abducted from some fox den while their Revered Master was in seclusion!

"Fine!"

Lin Waner took a deep breath, the stunning curve of her chest heaving violently.

She pointed at Lin Qianxue and turned to look at Su Ye, her eyes instantly reddening, looking so aggrieved as if she would burst into tears the next second.

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

"I was wondering why you hadn't come to see Waner for several days!"

"It turns out you've hidden a beauty in a golden house and are keeping some other little vixen outside!"

"Which peak is she from?"

"Is it because those men from Heavenly Sword Peak who've broken their brains practicing the sword are boring, so she ran to our Purple Bamboo Peak to seduce my Eldest Senior Brother?"

Lin Waner grew angrier as she spoke, and the water spiritual power around her began to fluctuate, faintly showing a tendency to transform into a water dragon.

"Even..."

She glanced at the Beggars Chicken, filled with grief and indignation.

"You even stole Revered Master's most beloved Five-Colored Spirit Chicken for her to eat!"

"That's Revered Master's lifeblood!"

"If Revered Master finds out when she comes out of seclusion, you... you're betraying the sect!"

"Waaa... Eldest Senior Brother, you don't love Waner anymore..."

"You used to say Waner was the most supple and the most sensible..."

"Now that you have a new love, you won't even give Waner chicken to eat..."

This string of questions and complaints, like a barrage of cannon fire, left Lin Qianxue completely dazed.

Little vixen?

Seduce?

Most supple?

What... what kind of bold words are these?

Lin Qianxue's already rosy face now turned so red it seemed about to drip blood.

Although she was inexperienced in worldly matters, she could hear the ambiguity in those words.

This... should be the Third Senior Sister Senior Brother mentioned, right?

Why does she seem... not very bright?

And her relationship with Senior Brother... seems... very unusual?

Lin Qianxue subconsciously looked at Su Ye, her eyes holding a bit of inquiry and a bit of confusion.

Su Ye's mouth also twitched slightly at this moment.

He had expected this girl Lin Waner to be very jealous, after all, she had been planted with a Demon Seed and had a morbid attachment to him.

But he hadn't expected her to imagine so much.

And she even blurted out those private words in front of the new Junior Sister.

If this made Lin Qianxue misunderstand him as a profligate playboy, wouldn't his previously established persona of a 'gentle Eldest Senior Brother' collapse?

However... looking at Lin Waner's jealous and bristling appearance, Su Ye didn't feel much panic.

Instead, he found it somewhat... interesting.

A jealousy field?

For a villain, where was the crisis in this?

This was clearly just seasoning to spice up life.

Su Ye unhurriedly took out a silk handkerchief from his robe, stepped forward, and gently wiped the oil stains from the corner of Lin Qianxue's mouth.

He completely ignored Lin Waner, who was already about to explode with anger.

This action undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.

"Eldest Senior Brother!!"

Lin Waner screamed, a flash of water light in her hand, and a Green Water Longsword appeared in her grasp.

"You're actually showing off your affection right in front of me!"

"I... I want to duel with her!"

"Today on this Purple Bamboo Peak, it's either her or me!"

With that, Lin Waner pointed her sword tip directly at the bewildered Lin Qianxue, and her Foundation Establishment Sixth Heaven Aura burst forth.

"You vixen!"

"State your name!"

"How dare you trick my Eldest Senior Brother for food and drink!"

"Today, I, Lin Waner, will clean up the sect on behalf of Purple Bamboo Peak!"

Lin Qianxue: "..."

She looked at the half-eaten chicken leg in her hand, then at the murderous Lin Waner.

She silently hid the chicken leg behind her back.

Then she looked up, her cold eyes regaining some of their usual indifference, though there was still a bit of oil at the corner of her mouth that hadn't been wiped clean, making her look somewhat unexpectedly cute.

She looked at Lin Waner and said calmly, yet every word was like a needle:

"First, I am not a vixen."

"Second, Senior Brother made this for me of his own accord."

"Third..."

Lin Qianxue paused, her gaze sweeping over Lin Waner's heaving chest, and said indifferently:

"You're too noisy."

"You're affecting my eating of Senior Brother's chicken."