387: Chapter 387 The Taste of Mother

Canglan Peak.

The faint morning light filtered through the carved window lattices, casting mottled shadows into the quiet interior of the Canglan Peak villa.

The air was permeated with a sweet, cloying scent, a mixture of a woman's fragrance and something more ambiguous.

Everywhere one looked, there was a scene of beautiful disarray.

The brocade quilt on the couch was piled up in a mess, with one corner trailing on the floor.

A pale water-green gauze dress was half-draped over the top of the folding screen, one sleeve hanging limply, with a small patch of moisture seemingly dampening the cuff.

The floor was a veritable "battlefield," with various exquisite bodices and dainty embroidered shoes—lotus-root pink, smoky blue, black, moon-white, and rose-pink—scattered across the polished floor like carelessly discarded petals.

On the couch, amidst the bedding, were two dark, damp patches, round in shape. The edges of the stains had spread deeply, and the fabric showed dark wrinkles from prolonged heavy pressure and repeated saturation by sweat or other fluids, as if they were marks recording something.

In the lingering, evocative morning light, the door was gently pushed open.

The figure of Yue Xinxi appeared at the doorway. She had intended to call out, but her footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

Her cold, haughty face flushed bright red instantly, the color spreading to her earlobes, and she instinctively moved to retreat and close the door.

"Why, does Xinxi want to join in too?" A voice filled with lazy amusement rang out.

Yue Xinxi stiffened and looked toward the source of the sound. She saw Ling Hao half-leaning against the headboard, his toned upper body bare, his muscles flowing and full of power.

Xia Yingying was curled up in his arms, sleeping sweetly, her small face pressed against his chest. A satisfied, charming smile hung at the corner of her mouth, and a few ambiguous red marks were faintly visible on her bare shoulder.

Ling Hao's gaze was fixed on her.

Yue Xinxi felt her face burning. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, "Sect Leader Shi... Sect Leader Shi is here to visit and asks you to come over to discuss important matters."

After speaking, she was ready to turn and flee this suffocating space immediately.

"Wait." Ling Hao's voice carried a hint of playfulness, successfully pinning her to the spot. "Did you... not sleep well last night? Your dark circles are so heavy."

"How could a cultivator have dark circles? You saw wrong."

Yue Xinxi stood with her back to him, her slender spine held straight.

Ling Hao's gaze fell on a section of the wall near the door, and he smiled. "Liuli, you've been listening all night. Are you going to continue?"

There was a commotion at the doorway, as if someone had fled. Yue Xinxi also threw out a sentence and fled in a panic. "If you want to, let's talk about it when you come back!"

Ling Hao chuckled softly. "So haughty!"

He lowered his head and planted a gentle kiss on Xia Yingying's smooth forehead, then lifted the brocade quilt, rose, and got dressed.

Starfall Cold Jade Peak.

The closer one got to the peak, the more intense the cold became, while the Spiritual Qi grew increasingly pure.

Passing through an invisible barrier, the view suddenly opened up. This was a courtyard surrounded by black ice, yet it unexpectedly exuded a sense of warmth and gentleness.

A few exotic spiritual plants that did not fear the frost adorned the area, emitting a crisp, faint fragrance.

The air was permeated with a faint, extremely gentle and sweet milky scent, wafting in delicate wisps, refreshing the heart and soul, as if it could soothe all agitation.

Along the way, Shi Qingxuan was astonished. This Starfall Cold Jade Peak was her mother's Forbidden Ground for secluded cultivation. Apart from her, her own disciples like Yunjie, and the close Grand Elder (female), no one had ever set foot here, let alone a man.

Her mother actually allowed Supreme Moonshadow to enter the peak?

In the center of the courtyard, on a cold jade prayer mat, Shi Yunyu sat upright.

She wore a light apricot-yellow fine silk short jacket, covered by a wide, moon-white to ash-gray gradient cloak, and her ink-gray skirt spread out like waves of black ink.

Although her clothing was layered, deliberately concealing all her curves, that fullness and gentleness originating from her very bones...

When Ling Hao's gaze fell on Shi Yunyu, his heart was instantly filled with a strange and intense sense of comfort.

That gentle, calm, and maternal radiance, which embraced all things like the earth, made him feel exceptionally at ease.

Ling Hao remained calm on the surface, slightly nodding in greeting: "Lady Shi Ji."

Shi Yunyu's originally indifferent gaze lingered on Ling Hao for a moment. A flicker of something unusual flashed in those gentle, water-like eyes.

As expected... the aura of the Dao being perfect and flawless was somewhat similar to the feeling the Young Miss had given her back then... That first meeting the other day was not an illusion.

Her thoughts raced, but her expression had already returned to one of gentleness and peace. She raised her hand in a gesture: "Fellow Daoist Moonshadow, no need for formalities. Please, sit."

Shi Qingxuan, standing to the side, saw that momentary gaze of her mother clearly. Her heart skipped a beat, and an absurd thought uncontrollably popped into her mind.

Her mother... could it be that she... was experiencing a stir of romantic feelings?! This thought made her instantly feel at a loss.

After Ling Hao took his seat on the cold jade prayer mat opposite, the atmosphere fell into a subtly awkward silence.

In order to ease the atmosphere and fulfill her duties as a host, Shi Qingxuan took out a smooth mutton-fat white jade vial from her storage ring.

"Supreme, you have come from afar. Please taste the Jade Marrow Condensed Milk Tea, unique to our Baiyan Prefecture."

As she introduced it, Shi Qingxuan carefully opened the bottle stopper. "This tea is rare. A single drop into the spring water creates a scent of elegant milky fragrance, but when drunk, it transforms into the rich flavor of spiritual tea, which has the effect of nourishing the Divine Soul."

As she spoke, she dripped a drop of milky-white, viscous liquid into the cold jade cup in front of Ling Hao, then poured in clear spiritual spring water.

The spring water and the jade dew merged, and the liquid in the cup turned a pure milky white, emitting a sweet fragrance.

Shi Yunyu's gaze swept over the jade vial, and her expression changed slightly, but it was instantly concealed by her lowered eyelashes.

She glanced at Shi Qingxuan helplessly, sighing inwardly. This child...

Shi Qingxuan was focused on pouring the water and did not notice Shi Yunyu's unusual behavior.

Ling Hao, however, keenly captured that fleeting anomaly in Shi Yunyu. He remained calm on the surface, secretly channeling the power of the Dao to investigate the liquid in the cup.

It was non-toxic and harmless, and instead contained extremely pure and gentle essence of heaven and earth. He picked up the cup and, under Shi Qingxuan's expectant gaze, took a light sip.

Upon entering his mouth, there was a rich, mellow milky fragrance, carrying a hint of the crisp sweetness unique to rock, sliding gently down his throat, nourishing his entire body, feeling incomparably comfortable.

However, the expected tea fragrance was nowhere to be found.

Ling Hao put down the cup, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, and looked at Shi Qingxuan: "Sect Master, this 'tea'... tastes very good, but it seems I didn't taste any tea fragrance?"

Shi Qingxuan was stunned. She looked down carefully at the jade vial in her hand, and when she saw the mark on the bottle, her face turned deathly pale in a flash, and her voice stammered: "Th-this... this is..."

She recognized it; this was not the 'Jade Marrow Condensed Milk Tea' for guests at all, but the bottle containing the rock milk that her mother had given her earlier!

She had been thinking about whether her mother was experiencing a stir of romantic feelings, and she had taken the wrong one!

Shi Yunyu's cheeks flushed. She coughed lightly and, forcing herself to remain calm, took over the conversation, her voice gentle: "Ahem... Xuan'er was in a hurry and took the wrong one. This is the newly collected 'stone heart jade marrow', which hasn't been blended with tea leaves, so it only has a pure milky fragrance."

Shi Qingxuan, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly agreed: "Yes, yes, yes! I took the wrong one! This is the 'Jade Marrow Condensed Milk Tea'!"

She scrambled to put away the jade vial and quickly took out another almost identical bottle, brewing it again for Ling Hao.

This time, the liquid in the cup appeared a pale amber color.

Ling Hao drank again as instructed. The tea fragrance was elegant and the Spiritual Qi was sufficient, but compared to that pure, rich, and soul-reaching milky fragrance from before, it felt much more insipid.

He put down the cup and spoke bluntly: "Sect Master, Lady Shi Ji, forgive me for speaking plainly, but I still think that 'stone heart jade marrow' from before... tasted better. I wonder if... I could have a little more?"

Shi Qingxuan froze instantly and looked at Shi Yunyu for help.

The blush on Shi Yunyu's cheeks seemed to deepen. She lowered her eyelashes, was silent for a moment, and finally nodded gently: "...It is not some rare treasure. Since Fellow Daoist Moonshadow likes it... then I will grant your wish."

Her voice carried a slight tremor.

He must absolutely not know the origin of this stone heart jade marrow!!!

Shi Yunyu took the mutton-fat white jade vial from Shi Qingxuan's hand. Her slender, lustrous fingers were trembling slightly at this moment.

She tilted the bottle, her movements so slow they were almost frozen. A plump, round, milky-white drop emitting a rich milky fragrance hovered at the mouth of the bottle for a moment before slowly dripping down, falling into Ling Hao's cup and splashing up tiny ripples.

The gentle, sweet fragrance in the air instantly became several times richer, wafting into Ling Hao's nostrils, carrying a strange warmth that refreshed his heart and soul.

Ling Hao watched her cautious, almost stingy movements and felt amused, thinking to himself: It's just a bit of spiritual milk essence, is it worth treasuring so much?

Shi Qingxuan watched from the side, only feeling that the atmosphere was indescribably strange. Her mother's movements, Ling Hao's focused gaze, the rich milky fragrance in the air... everything made her feel restless.

It's all my fault!!!

Ling Hao picked up the cup again.

This time, he savored it carefully. The rich milky fragrance mixed with the crisp rock charm melted in his mouth, a gentle warm current sliding down his throat, as if even his Divine Soul was gently wrapped and soothed, bringing an unprecedented sense of peace and comfort.

He closed his eyes, immersed in that wonderful sensation, savoring the endless satisfaction, and sighed softly: "Hmm... it tastes like... Mother?"

"Clatter!"

The mutton-fat white jade vial in Shi Yunyu's hand became unstable and nearly slipped from her grasp.

Her face, gentle as a full moon, instantly flushed with a deep red, spreading all the way to her earlobes and slender neck, as if it were about to drip blood.

Shi Qingxuan's eyes widened instantly. She looked at Ling Hao, who was wearing a look of aftertaste, seemingly completely unaware of what he had said, and then looked at her mother, who was so ashamed she wished she could disappear.

Her mind was struck by a thunderclap, and countless absurd, scalp-tingling thoughts flashed instantly—Mother's taste?!

This Supreme Moonshadow... is he implying something?!