There was no problem a barbecue couldn't solve.
If there was, then two barbecues would do the trick.
Before the noble cause of barbecue, Bamboo Spring Sect's crisis was a mere trifle.
Lu Ya thought it was time to bring the great barbecue industry to the Immortal Realm.
Establishing a one-stop barbecue business was the best solution to their current predicament.
There were three reasons.
First, the Floating Mountain was vast, flat, rich in spiritual energy, and blessed with fertile soil and water. It could grow all kinds of spiritual grain, spiritual wheat, and spiritual vegetables. That meant they'd have vegetarian barbecue dishes.
Second, the deep lake at the mountaintop could raise big fish, while the streams below could raise small fish. Large-scale spiritual plantations would also attract a Beast Tide. That meant they'd have meat for the barbecue, too.
Third, Immortal Grain could be brewed into rice wine, and the local specialty, spiritual wheat, could be brewed into Immortal Beer. All kinds of spiritual fruit could be grown and juiced, then mixed with spring water from the mountaintop to make fruit juice. That meant they'd have drinks, too.
Meat, vegetables, drinks—the three essentials of barbecue. Everything was in place!
With Lu Ya's guidance, Bamboo Spring Sect could prepare carefully refined seasonings, then teach the villagers barbecue techniques on par with alchemy. They could absolutely develop the barbecue industry.
With food as delicious as pills, they could attract nearby rogue immortals and refugees and establish a barbecue street.
Once it became popular, it could draw in more businesses and support the creation of a commercial town.
The ingredients steadily consumed by the commercial town would attract large numbers of Immortal Commoners to settle down and farm.
Bamboo Spring Sect would then embark on the path to building a prosperous, powerful immortal city.
From then on, Lu Ya wouldn't have to leave the house to enjoy a Salted Fish life and a hundred percent happy experience.
Brilliant!
Muyu Feifei was completely swept up in the grand vision Lu Ya had painted. She'd even set aside her dignity and was willing to be at his beck and call.
Ning Zhongzi, meanwhile, was amazed by Lu Ya's imagination.
After all, the Immortal Realm had no custom of eating barbecue. She'd never seen that method of cooking before.
Since she'd never tasted Lu Ya's perfect cooking herself, she was a little skeptical about the grand vision he'd painted.
But she understood that as long as she could spur Lu Ya into action, it would do Bamboo Spring Sect far more good than harm.
Before the ceremony.
Lu Ya put Ning Zhongzi and the two girls to work on three tasks.
First, he had Ning Zhongzi prepare a large supply of high-grade seasonings.
Since crossing over, Lu Ya had been using low-grade Seasoning Fruit he'd picked at random. They hadn't brought out the full deliciousness and nourishing qualities of the ingredients.
Immortals in the Immortal Realm ate immortal pills directly, so they had no use for seasonings, and no finished high-grade seasonings were available.
Ning Zhongzi would need to buy high-grade salt stones, oil fruits, seafood, mushrooms, chili peppers, cumin, yeast, and wine-scented herbs from the rogue immortals, then carefully mix them according to Lu Ya's instructions.
Second, he had Muyu Feifei buy some spiritual wheat at the foot of the mountain. Using the yeast, diatoms, and wine-scented herbs Ning Zhongzi gathered, Lu Ya would put his max-level brewing skill to work and brew Immortal Beer himself.
Third, he had Muyu Feifei go down the mountain to chop bamboo and cut it into pieces two inches long and one inch wide.
Using his max-level engraving skill, Lu Ya would carve protective wards directly onto the bamboo pieces. They would block Liu Xuanye's sword intent from her wards and keep the guests safe.
In truth, Lu Ya was fully capable of temporarily sealing the ward sword intent inside Liu Xuanye, but that would consume a great deal of his spiritual power. That was why he'd gone out of his way to make protective bamboo pieces. It looked complicated, but was actually more energy-efficient.
That night, once everything was taken care of, Lu Ya flopped down on the bamboo bed in his quarters at Sword Terrace.
The bamboo bed Ning Zhongzi had made for him was small and hard. She'd meant to get him to sleep in the Sect Master's quarters.
But Lu Ya didn't fall for it. He soon fell fast asleep, courtesy of his max-level self-hypnosis skill.
"I've really worked myself to the bone."
While Lu Ya slept like a log, Muyu Feifei sprawled across him, arranging herself into the shape of two characters.
"You've got some nerve saying that! Do you know how hard we've been working?"
"Only by using a person as a bed can you steal a moment of pleasure."
"Feifei, what if the nanny sees us like this? Will we get beaten again?"
"Let her try! I hear they're supposed to consummate the marriage after the Partner Sealing Ceremony. That guy's definitely going to bully the Sect Master then, so we're just getting revenge on her behalf in advance!"
The following evening.
The sky was ablaze with rosy clouds.
The Partner Sealing Ceremony was held as scheduled.
They'd chosen dusk because after night fell, it would be harder to make out Liu Xuanye's figure and features, making things safer for the guests.
The wedding banquet was set on a plain at the eastern edge of the Floating Mountain.
It was far from Little Bamboo Spring Mountain and relatively safe, too.
The banquet grounds were open and spacious, with lush flowers and grass and lovely scenery. A gentle cascade spilled into the depths below, birds and beasts lived on the underside of the Floating Mountain, and immortals streaked past on flying swords...
Ning Zhongzi was skilled at controlling plants and spiritual vegetation. With a wave of her sleeve, she built a bamboo platform over a zhang high. Its edges were lined with blooming immortal flowers and bamboo carvings of spirit beasts.
Hundreds of long tables and bamboo chairs were set around the platform.
The tables were piled high with delicious immortal dishes bought from East Floating City.
There were all kinds of fine dishes from among the common folk of Caiyun, spiritual tea and desserts produced in the immortal city, and Ning Zhongzi had even prepared some homemade Spirit-Moistening Pills.
At the edge of the Floating Mountain, an immortal orchestra played stringed instruments. Grand ceremonial music drifted on the breeze.
Blue immortal candles dotted the grass, their dancing flames blending with the rosy glow of the sky.
After finishing the banquet preparations, Ning Zhongzi wiped the sweat from her brow and looked around, sighing.
A feeling suddenly came over her as if her daughter had finally married: sorrow, reluctance, and yet the last glimmer of light in a desperate situation...
In truth, immortals rarely held celebrations when they took a partner in the Immortal Realm. She'd arranged the banquet according to the customs of the local Immortal Commoners, sparing no expense. The grounds were breathtakingly beautiful and utterly flawless.
According to her announcement, the Partner Sealing Ceremony guaranteed the guests' safety. Anyone could attend, and no gifts were required. The delicious food was free and unlimited, and the immortal wine flowed without end.
Even so, the sky was nearly dark, and barely over a thousand guests had shown up.
On closer inspection, seven in ten were Immortal Commoners from the Floating Mountain, mostly women.
The remaining three hundred or so were refugees from the surrounding area.
They were mostly Immortal Commoners at the bottom of the ladder, many driven from their homes by the depredations of unscrupulous rogue immortals. Most were women and children, with a few outright beggars among them.
Not a single rogue immortal had come looking for a free meal and a drink.
The neighboring sects had sent people with congratulatory gifts, but after dropping them off and exchanging a few pleasantries, they'd hurried away. Not one had stayed for the banquet.
Ning Zhongzi was disappointed, but she still had to force a smile.
Muyu Feifei, on the other hand, was in high spirits. She darted around everywhere, not forgetting to comfort Ning Zhongzi as she went:
"Isn't it better to have fewer people? That way everyone gets to eat more."
"Even if this food can't compare to Lu Ya's roasted hawk, we won't waste a single bite!"
"..."
Looking around, Ning Zhongzi saw that all the thousand Immortal Commoners were as lively as Muyu Feifei.
The refugees from outside were especially numerous, and many had clothes that barely covered them and no food in their bellies.
These gaunt women and children rarely got to eat a proper feast. How could they spare a thought for some witch? Filling their stomachs was their only concern.
Ning Zhongzi was moved. She quickly called out:
"Take your time, everyone. Don't choke. There aren't many people today, so if you can't finish, you can pack some up and take it home."
The children stared at her blankly as they stuffed food into their mouths, their eyes never leaving her.
The local Immortal Commoners also came up to congratulate Ning Zhongzi and Muyu Feifei. Some took the chance to gossip, some sang and danced, and some children snuck in for food and drink...
The children crowded around Ning Zhongzi, making a racket as if it were New Year's. They spoke with the uninhibited frankness of children.
"Elder, the sect will get better."
"The Sect Master's illness will get better, too."
"When I grow up, I'm still going to join the sect and cultivate!"
"Elder, why are you crying..."
Rosy light fell across Ning Zhongzi's solemn, beautiful face. Her eyes reddened, and she smiled as she said:
"Of course things will get better."
"When are the Sect Master and Lord Lu Ya coming out?"
"Once it gets dark."
"Why do we have to wait until dark?"
"Because the Sect Master looks even prettier after dark."
"Really? I can hardly wait!"
Just then—
An inebriated, Sect Master-level spiritual pressure spread out from the rosy clouds. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire gathering, making everyone dizzy and feel as if the whole Floating Mountain were shaking.
A moment later.
A wanton woman's voice, overlapped by a bewitching echo thick with drunkenness, wafted through the air like a mirage made of sound, circling endlessly above the Floating Mountain.
"Clear spring in the mountain, Outer Dao beyond; travelers outside the mountain, beauty within, smiling. The laughter fades, the voice falls quiet; a tender heart is vexed by a heartless one..."
"I foolishly thought that if little sister Xuan Ye couldn't find a suitable partner, she'd surely come back to me. Who'd have thought she'd give herself to a mortal?"
"Looking at all this green grass, it seems even that falls short of the color on my head."
Before you continue