Chapter 68: Memories Recreated

The dusk had passed, and nightfall descended.

By the roadside, a bonfire burned brightly, with a young man and a young woman sitting on either side of it. They were none other than Xiao Yan and Yun Yun, who was using the alias Yun Zhi.

Faced with this Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level) sister, Xiao Yan, as a small Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level), couldn't shake her off but also didn't dare to drive her away. He had no choice but to embark on a journey with Yun Zhi.

Xiao Yan took the roasted meat off the bonfire and sprinkled some spices on it before handing it to Yun Zhi.

"Yun Zhi, here you go. Be careful, it's hot."

Although she insisted on following him, Xiao Yan was not an impolite person and wouldn't eat while being watched by Yun Zhi.

Of course, setting aside their personalities, Xiao Yan also wanted to avoid any possibility of provoking the displeasure of someone who could easily flick him away with a wave of her hand as a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level). Such a casual action would be unbearable for a small Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) like him.

"Thank you."

Yun Zhi calmly thanked him and took the roasted meat with her jade-like hand. She opened her small mouth and tore off a piece, slowly chewing it.

Compared to Yun Zhi's elegant eating style, Xiao Yan seemed a bit rough. He gnawed on the roasted meat while observing Yun Zhi, his mind filled with thoughts.

She's really beautiful... If he hadn't been accustomed to Senior Yao stunning beauty, Xiao Yan would definitely be captivated by Yun Zhi's appearance.

But now, after experiencing Yao Chen's charm, Xiao Yan's heart couldn't stir up much of a ripple when faced with such unparalleled beauty in the eyes of ordinary people.

Perhaps in front of Yao Chen, the appearance of all women in the world would pale in comparison.

With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Yan began to ponder Yun Zhi's identity.

Indeed, Yun Zhi should have come from a major sect. Eating roasted meat so elegantly in the wilderness indicated that.

However, as far as Xiao Yan knew, there shouldn't be any Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level) powerhouse in the Jia Ma Empire with the name Yun Zhi.

There was someone named Yun Yun, who happened to be the current sect master of the Yun Lan Sect and the teacher of Nalan Yanran.

Although Xiao Yan had never met Yun Yun, according to his guess, a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level) powerhouse like Yun Yun wouldn't have a reason to use an alias when facing a Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) like himself. Moreover, he was officially engaged to Nalan Yanran, so she had no reason to conceal her identity.

Therefore, Xiao Yan speculated that Yun Zhi should be a disciple of a hidden sect in the Jia Ma Empire, and she might not even be from the Jia Ma Empire.

If you ask why...

Xiao Yan couldn't help but look at the several charred and rock-hard pieces of meat beside the bonfire, his eyes filled with helplessness.

These were all Yun Zhi's creations.

When Xiao Yan took out the pre-prepared skewers of meat from the ring earlier, Yun Zhi curiously and eagerly volunteered to give it a try. As a result, she made these unappetizing things that couldn't be chewed, and Yun Zhi herself felt guilty about it.

Indeed, Yun Zhi couldn't be Yun Yun...

Xiao Yan was convinced of this.

Yun Yun was the sect master of the Yun Lan Sect, and she must have gone on numerous journeys and adventures. How could she not know how to roast meat?

It was clear that Yun Zhi was a disciple who had been practicing in a hidden sect all along and was only recently allowed to go out for training.

With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a hint of pity in his gaze towards Yun Zhi.

Having the strength of a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level) but being completely unaware of the outside world, her previous life must have been filled with nothing but cultivation. It must have been quite dull and miserable.

"Hmm?"

Yun Zhi, who was eating the roasted meat, noticed Xiao Yan's gaze and raised her eyebrows in confusion.

Clearly, Yun Zhi didn't understand that gaze; it was called sympathy.

Then Yun Zhi looked at the failed pieces of "roasted meat," which were actually charcoal, and a trace of embarrassment flickered in her eyes.

With her status and strength, she was usually taken care of when she went out, never worrying about food and drink. At the very least, she could find a restaurant in a small town to eat. But now, traveling alone with Xiao Yan, she had undoubtedly exposed how lacking her self-sufficiency skills were. She couldn't even roast meat properly, and she was even inferior to a sixteen-year-old boy.

It's truly shameful...

Yun Zhi thought to herself and couldn't help but vent her frustration at the roasted meat. Her eating manner became less elegant, and she tore off a large piece and chewed on it forcefully.

Seeing this scene, Xiao Yan became even more certain of his speculation.

That kind of hidden major sect, for the sake of cultivating the mind and spirit, would mostly eat delicate and refined food. How could they make their disciples eat this roadside roasted meat?

With this in mind, Xiao Yan's sympathy for Yun Zhi deepened, and he also became more convinced of the righteous path.

Indeed... the survival of the fittest should not exist in this world.

Those persecuted by this concept were not only the weak but also some of the strong who were forced to become powerful due to the survival of the fittest. They spent almost their entire lives on improving their strength, leaving no time to truly experience the beauty of life, not even knowing what they truly wanted to do.

In their empty world, there was only cultivation, cultivation, and more cultivation.

How hollow, how uninteresting.

Does this kind of life really have meaning?

Feeling his mood gradually sinking, Xiao Yan shook his head vigorously. Seeing that Yun Zhi had almost finished eating the roasted meat in her hand, he picked up a freshly roasted piece from the bonfire and handed it to her with a gentle smile.

"Yun Zhi, take your time. I still have plenty here."

Yun Zhi, who was venting her grievances towards the roasted meat, heard Xiao Yan's words. She first looked at the roasted meat in his hand, then her gaze moved to Xiao Yan's gentle smile. Under the illumination of the firelight, she suddenly felt a warmth that she hadn't experienced in a long time.

It was a gaze that showed genuine concern for a person without any ulterior motives.

Yun Zhi's thoughts couldn't help but go back to the past.

The young and naive boy before her seemed to overlap with the youthful and unaged face of her teacher, Yun Shan, from her childhood memories.

Back when she was still a young Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) , her teacher, Yun Shan, took her out to experience the world. When he handed her the roasted meat, he had the same gentle smile and passed it to her.

That should be the happiest moment of her life so far.

It was so happy that the young her couldn't help but believe that she was born into this world just for that moment.

There were no distractions, no desires, and the taste of the roasted meat couldn't compare to the luxurious feasts in those grand restaurants.

But Yun Zhi genuinely felt that that moment was warm from the bottom of her heart. Every time she thought of it, she would feel nostalgic.

However, Yun Zhi hadn't experienced that warmth she longed for in over a decade.

No one had ever given her that warmth again, including Yun Shan, who had once bestowed it upon her.

It wasn't just because Yun Shan went into seclusion, but also because the Yun Shan before his seclusion made Yun Zhi feel cold and distant.

Yun Zhi couldn't put it into words, but she had a faint intuition.

Her teacher had changed, and she couldn't pinpoint when it had started.

The beautiful memories of the past had become nothing but memories.

She had thought that they could never be recreated.

Yet now, it was being offered by this young man before her...

Yun Zhi slowly snapped out of her thoughts and gently reached out to take the roasted meat from Xiao Yan's hand. She said softly, "Thank you..." as she smiled once again, her gratitude evident in her eyes.

Hearing Yun Zhi's words of thanks, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a hint of confusion.

He couldn't shake off the feeling... that Yun Zhi wasn't thanking him for handing her the roasted meat, but for something else.

Well... it must be just his imagination.

Xiao Yan dismissed the meaningless thoughts and responded with a smile, "You're welcome~"

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