Chapter 9 The Approaching Storm

Lu Xueqi shook her head without saying a word, nor did she show any signs of anger. She simply placed the cherry blossom cake on the side table. Leaning against the windowsill, she supported her rosy jade cheeks with her delicate hands, her eyes unfocused as she gazed at the weeping bamboo outside the window. The weeping bamboo was planted by Lu Xueqi herself after the battle between righteousness and evil to commemorate those who had passed away in that battle, including her late master, Shuiyue. Remembering the events of yesterday, she couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

As time passed, almost imperceptibly, it had already been ten years. The small, weeping bamboo had now grown tall and strong. Due to Lu Xueqi's occasional care and pruning, it looked different from other weeping bamboos, with small pink spots adorning its emerald green stalks, making it exceptionally beautiful.

Beyond the weeping bamboo was an endless expanse of vast starry sky. The scenery was picturesque, and the moonlight remained the same. Lu Xueqi stood there motionless, her eyes filled with infatuation and full of love. Tonight, Xiaofan looked so beautiful. Ahem! Tonight, the moonlight is so beautiful!

A gentle breeze caressed her face, causing her three thousand strands of hair to cascade like a waterfall. Clad in white, she quietly blended into the serene moonlit mountains and rivers.

Dazhu PeakZhang Xiaofan had already returned to his room. As he opened the door, the furnishings in the room remained the same as they had been twenty years ago when he first entered Dazhu Peak. Besides being spotlessly clean, everything was familiar. There were also more furniture and plants added. Seeing how lush the plants were, it should be either Song Daren or someone else who regularly arranged them, fearing that one day when Zhang Xiaofan returned from outside and wanted to stay for a few days, he would rush back and forth in a hurry, so they had kept Seventh Junior Brother's room clean for ten years.

Zhang Xiaofan looked around, his gentle gaze filled with anticipation, but he quickly reverted to the slightly shy Zhang Xiaofan of the past. At this moment, a loud snoring sound came from beside his ear. Zhang Xiaofan turned his head to see two furry creatures lying together on the bed, sleeping in each other's arms. They were none other than the previously missing Xiao Hui and Da Huang.

Zhang Xiaofan walked over and shook his head with a mix of annoyance and affection, intending to wake them up and ask whose bed this was. However, seeing them sleeping so soundly, he decided to let it go.

After all, he wasn't the least bit tired himself, and there was still the lingering fragrance of Lu Xueqi on his lips, which made him reluctant to leave. With his soul captivated, Zhang Xiaofan couldn't help but smile affectionately, looking quite silly.

Unable to tolerate the loud snoring of Xiao Hui and Da Huang any longer, Zhang Xiaofan stepped out of the room. His eyes were as sharp as torches, gazing into the distance where the eastern sky was turning slightly white, emitting a colorful glow. He took in the scenery with a commanding presence, as if he were overlooking the world.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo..." A crisp crowing of a rooster sounded resonant and awe-inspiring, heralding the beginning of a new day and the start of a new story.

The disciples of Qingyun Mountain rose with the crowing of the rooster, jubilant and lively.

Zhang Xiaofan washed up leisurely. Then he walked into the kitchen, found some soft grass, lit the clay stove, and set up a few pieces of black bamboo. Seeing the fire burning vigorously, he threw in some dry wood. In an instant, a blazing fire lit up the surroundings with a fierce glow, illuminating the area.

After a while, he put cold water in the pot and poured the washed rice into the iron pot to cook. Then he caught two lively sleeping fish from the fish pond. These fish were caught by Zhang Xiaofan in Hongchuan before. With a swift movement of his knife, Zhang Xiaofan skillfully cleaned and gutted the fish, sliced the meat, chopped the bones, and prepared everything in one go. He then marinated the fish slices and bones with a little salt and pepper before adding some lard and waiting for the porridge to boil. At this time, he didn't rest either. He picked up some flour and warm water to knead the dough, and in a moment, under the pressure of the rolling pin, it turned into a soft and moderate dough. He covered it with a towel to let it rest for a while, preparing to make some steamed buns. Then, he chopped up a small handful of green onions and cut the ginger into fine strands.

Still feeling sleepy, Zhao Mutou stood at the kitchen door, his eyes wide open and his jaw dropping in amazement. He was completely mesmerized. He had heard that the Seventh Senior Brother was exceptionally skilled in Dao techniques, but he never expected him to be such an excellent cook. The disparity between their cooking skills was like heaven and earth.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Mutou summoned his courage and walked over to Zhang Xiaofan. Then he scratched his head and looked up with a pair of innocent, large eyes. "Good morning, Seventh Senior Brother. Your cooking skills are amazing! Can you teach me?"

Zhang Xiaofan turned around and saw a boy of about ten standing outside the old kitchen door, dressed in the attire of a Qingyun Sect disciple. With a dark complexion and a sturdy figure, he had a pair of large black grape-like eyes shining with intelligence. With handsome features, the person standing there was none other than Zhao Mutou, a disciple of Song Daren.

Zhang Xiaofan gazed gently at Zhao Mutou, his right hand kneading dough. "Mutou, come here."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mutou jumped with joy, his limbs dancing lightly. The fatigue vanished instantly as he quickly ran to Zhang Xiaofan's side and took two pieces of dough from his hand, imitating Zhang Xiaofan's actions of kneading the dough.

Seeing Zhao Mutou's intelligence, Zhang Xiaofan said gently, "Mutou, whether the technique is important or not doesn't matter. What's important is to understand it with your heart! With your heart, you can comprehend the true essence, and everything will follow your desires and flow naturally."

Zhao Mutou listened with great interest, seeming to understand something. Previously, he had been imitating Zhang Xiaofan's actions, and the dough he kneaded was somewhat ugly. Now, following his own instincts, although the speed was slower, the appearance and elasticity of the dough had greatly improved. A smile crept up on Zhao Mutou's lips, his face full of joy, as innocent and colorful as a rainbow after the rain.

Finally, Zhang Xiaofan placed the fish bones into the cooked rice porridge, then poured it into a clay pot and added fish slices and ginger strands. A rich aroma of fish instantly spread hundreds of miles away, whetting the appetite. After sprinkling some chopped green onions for decoration, Zhao Mutou proudly picked up the fish porridge and carried it to the living room.

Zhang Xiaofan looked pleased as he picked up a plate of freshly made steamed buns that he had just made with Zhao Mutou. Remembering his appearance when he first entered Dazhu Peak, with the breeze blowing through, tousling his hair, and his mature and handsome face covered with wind and frost, who could remain untouched by the vicissitudes of time? In the living room, Song Daren and Wen Min had already sat down. Song Daren looked quite satisfied as he watched his disciple Zhao Mutou serve the porridge, while Song Yanyan and Lin Xuan arrived soon after. Smelling the rich aroma of fish, their eyes lit up, and they quickly sat down. But when they saw Zhang Xiaofan holding a plate of steamed buns, they hurriedly greeted him, "Good morning, Seventh Senior Brother."

Zhang Xiaofan, who had just reacted, was stunned for a moment. "Morning, morning."

Song Daren picked up a bowl of fish porridge and started eating. "Old Seven, you're already an elder now. Let the younger ones handle the kitchen work. There's no need for you to personally do it."

Chewing on the steamed bun, Zhang Xiaofan felt that today's bun was quite special. He glanced at Zhao Mutou and said, "It's okay. I'm used to doing it myself, Big Senior Brother. If I don't do it, I'll feel uncomfortable."

Song Daren felt that the fish porridge today was particularly delicious and took a few more sips. "Ha, Old Seven, you can do as you like. Just now, the Sect Master sent someone over and said that there has been an incident in the mysterious formation at Huqi Mountain, and some disciples have died. Sixth Junior Brother encountered a mysterious dark object. They want the senior elders to go over early to discuss countermeasures."