"Cut it out. It's just cooking a meal. How tiring could it be?"
Xian Lin'er waved her hand dismissively, then picked up an apron and tied it around her waist. Her pretty face was alight with excitement and anticipation.
Hearing this, Qian Duoduo felt his scalp go numb, and his survival instincts went into overdrive. He braced himself and began, "Lin'er, how about I—"
Before he could finish, Xian Lin'er shot back without mercy, "Qian Duoduo, what do you mean by that? Do you think my cooking tastes awful?"
"How could that be? Getting to eat a meal cooked by your own hands, Lin'er, is the greatest honor of my life!"
Seeing that Xian Lin'er was on the verge of exploding, Qian Duoduo could only resign himself to going along with her.
If he said another word, Xian Lin'er would surely poke a few clear-through holes in him.
Thinking this, Qian Duoduo could only give Mu Guiyun a helpless look. The sight made Mu Guiyun feel a wave of disdain.
Ugh. No wonder he'd spent all these years fawning over her and still hadn't succeeded.
Decades ago, Xian Lin'er and Yan Shaozhe had been lovers. But that old geezer was too much of a playboy. He cheated on her, and Xian Lin'er caught him red-handed.
Because of that, the two had eventually split up. Then, not long after the breakup, Yan Shaozhe got married...
His bride was the very woman he'd cheated with: Cai Mei'er, now the vice dean of the Spirit Department.
In a fit of rage, Xian Lin'er had gone straight to Qian Duoduo, who'd been secretly in love with her for years, and married him.
But she'd only done it to make Yan Shaozhe angry.
For decades, they'd always slept in separate rooms. Forget kissing—Qian Duoduo had never even held Xian Lin'er's hand.
And yet Qian Duoduo was still patting himself on the back.
You had to admit, all four of Mu En's disciples had their own special talents. And, come to think of it, Mu En himself wasn't any better.
Not only had his good friend stolen his girl, he'd gone on to help raise their child...
If Mu Guiyun were in Qian Duoduo's place, he'd have put a brat like Xian Lin'er through the wringer!
Acting like Qian Duoduo wouldn't win Xian Lin'er's affection. If anything, it would have the opposite effect.
Unable to stop Xian Lin'er from cooking, Qian Duoduo paced around in a panic. He'd rather face an Evil Soul Master of Titled Douluo rank than eat Xian Lin'er's cooking.
Suddenly, Qian Duoduo thought of a brilliant idea. He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh, I completely forgot! That guy Fan Yu is waiting for me. I'll skip the meal, then!"
After giving Mu Guiyun a look that said "you're on your own," Qian Duoduo turned into a streak of light and vanished.
Xian Lin'er, who'd been brimming with enthusiasm, saw Qian Duoduo run off and flew into a rage. "Qian Duoduo! Get your ass back here!"
But all Qian Duoduo left Xian Lin'er was his dashing retreating figure.
"Just wait till you come back. I'll show you what's what!"
Xian Lin'er's fairly ample chest heaved with anger. Then she turned her sights on Mu Guiyun and said with a false smile, "Well, Little Guiyun, you haven't forgotten about some important business too, have you?"
Mu Guiyun: ...
It was one thing for you to be a simp, but why sell out your teammate? Didn't you have any shame?
Seeing this, Mu Guiyun hurriedly waved his hands. "Of course not! I came specifically to see you, Senior Sister. Why would I run away at the last minute?"
"Hmph. At least you have a conscience!"
Cai Mei'er gave a haughty snort and went back to the kitchen. Staring at the dazzling array of utensils, she sank into thought. "What was the first step again...?"
"Right, I should turn on the stove first! Then..."
Xian Lin'er held two jars of white crystals and puzzled over them for a long while, unable to tell the salt from the sugar.
Please, just stop with your magic already!
I'm afraid you'll serve up some intestine cooked nine times next!
Mu Guiyun nearly cried. For his own safety, he simply walked over and snatched the seasoning jars from behind Xian Lin'er.
Xian Lin'er frowned at once and cried, "You little brat, what are you doing?"
She was about to turn around and snatch them back, but suddenly noticed something pressing against her between the waist and thigh.
What was that?
Xian Lin'er's movements stopped. She blinked her beautiful eyes in confusion, then instinctively reached back with her jade hand...
Mu Guiyun: !!!!
That night, at Xian Lin'er's home.
Mu Guiyun and Xian Lin'er sat facing each other. Several delicate dishes were spread across the table, but the atmosphere felt a little strange.
Xian Lin'er lightly bit her chopsticks, her gaze drifting toward the figure across from her without her meaning to.
Whenever she thought about what had happened that afternoon, a blush crept across Xian Lin'er's cheeks.
"Gui Yun, you came to see me because you needed something, right?"
Unable to hold back any longer, Xian Lin'er spoke first. Even she didn't realize that her tone had unconsciously grown much gentler.
Hearing this, Mu Guiyun paused what he was doing and grinned. "Senior Sister, could you show me your Green Flame Dragon Spear?"
As he spoke, Mu Guiyun's gaze unconsciously fell on Xian Lin'er's jade hand.
He had to admit, it really was soft...
"That's all? Sure!"
Xian Lin'er raised her jade hand, and a long spear appeared in her grasp.
"Here, take a look!"
After accepting the spear, Mu Guiyun immediately studied it without blinking.
The spear was a little over two meters long, with the head alone accounting for a quarter of its total length.
Its shaft was dark blue-green, and the grip was wrapped with a lifelike azure dragon. Dark golden patterns covered the entire spearhead, around which an eerie blue-green "flame" curled.
But that wasn't the Fire Element at all. It was an illusion caused by the rapid movement of the Wind Element.
"Wow, it's beautiful!"
Mu Guiyun let out a heartfelt cry of admiration. No matter how old a man was, he couldn't resist a weapon like the Green Flame Dragon Spear, which was practically a work of art.
"Pretty, isn't it? This is the fruit of my life's work!"
Pride shone on Xian Lin'er's pretty face. The Green Flame Dragon Spear was not only the symbol of her status as a Level 8 Soul Engineer, but also a testament to her growth throughout her life.
As he examined the Green Flame Dragon Spear, Mu Guiyun voiced the question on his mind. "Senior Sister, how did you fuse those three things together—the Spirit Bone, the Soul Tool, and the Martial Soul Origin?"
Although Mu Guiyun was now a Level 3 Soul Engineer, he placed more importance on cultivating the traditional Martial Soul than on Soul Tools.
With the current level of technology, ordinary Soul Tools could, at best, serve as icing on the cake for true experts.
Seeing that Mu Guiyun had developed an interest in Soul Tools, Xian Lin'er was delighted inside. She patiently explained, "To combine three things that seem to have nothing in common, the first step is to..."
Time passed slowly as the two talked on until late at night.
"All right, that's enough for today. You know the saying: too much to chew means you choke. I'm sure you understand that, kid."
Xian Lin'er smiled playfully, then stretched. Her ample curves came into full view before Mu Guiyun.
But he wasn't in the mood to admire them just then. He was still mulling over all the new knowledge in his mind.