Qian Renxue

The woman in the mirror wore a long red dress.

Her waist was slender, her figure curvaceous and exquisite, like a lychee at the peak of its season. Such red should have been a passionate, flamboyant color, yet the curled golden hair falling beside her neck lent her a touch of gentle grace.

An exquisite forehead ornament hung between her brows, making her seem like a celestial spirit descended into the mortal world.

Her lips were painted scarlet as well, carrying a hint of seduction.

"Is this really me?" Qian Renxue could hardly believe it.

To maintain Xue Qinghe's image as a courteous and refined man who valued talent, she had never used colors this bold.

"Of course it's you, miss. Come, put this on." Aila took out a red veil and draped it over Qian Renxue's face.

Watching her reflection become blurred, Qian Renxue could not help frowning.

"What is this for?" Qian Renxue rarely wore dresses, and she did not want to hide her face.

"Now that you're wearing a dress, don't you want to go out for a stroll?"

"From now on, I'm Xue Qinghe. Aila, go bring me dinner from the kitchen. Remember, I want food made by that white-haired boy." Aila spoke with a mischievous blink, stuffing the food box into Qian Renxue's hands.

Holding the food box, Qian Renxue pursed her lips and hesitated for a while. Then she let out a soft breath and tapped Aila's nose with her fingertip.

"You..."

Then she lifted the curtain and walked out.

The sky had already begun to darken. With her face veiled and dressed in Aila's clothes, the upper ranks of the caravan all knew her identity was anything but ordinary. Naturally, no one dared step forward to stop her.

By the third day, Huo Yuhao's cooking skills had reached the caravan owner's ears. After sampling his food once, the owner directly offered to hire him. When Huo Yuhao refused, the offer became food and lodging, plus one hundred Gold Soul Coins, in exchange for teaching cooking for several days.

With Huo Yuhao's skills, that amount was actually a loss for him. But he did not care; he truly did not have much money left.

Before ascending, he had given all his money to the Tang Sect and Shrek.

Killing City did not use currency at all, and people had constantly been transporting away the Gold Soul Coins left there. Two years had passed. Even though Huo Yuhao had collected two or three storage soul tools, there had only been a scattered couple of Gold Soul Coins inside.

His most recent income had come from the assassins who had pursued Zhu Zhuqing.

Qian Renxue walked very slowly. She rarely had the chance to freely wear women's clothing, so she did not want to return too soon.

But no matter how slowly she walked, the kitchen was still there.

She arrived before long.

The caravan cooked much like the military did, building stoves directly on the ground.

The caravan's own head chef was fairly skilled too, though his seasoning was far inferior.

Huo Yuhao did not need to handle the caravan's meals. He only needed to offer guidance during the final seasoning. He was solely responsible for cooking his own food.

He knew his own appetite, and this was not the time for complicated dishes. So Huo Yuhao stewed a pot of braised pork, paired with an enormous pot of rice, barely enough to fill him halfway.

Qian Renxue swept her gaze through the crowd and easily spotted the only white-haired person.

The boy was tall and slender, around twelve or thirteen years old, yet his temperament was remarkably steady. The vertical eye tattoo between his brows gave him an air of mystery.

"Not bad. His cooking really is astonishing."

Qian Renxue had only taken two steps closer when the fragrance rushed into her nose. Seeing that the boy was still busy with his own work as if he had not noticed her, the corner of her lips lifted beneath the veil.

"Little brother, come home with your sister. How about becoming my personal chef? The price is negotiable."

Qian Renxue bent slightly and looked at the boy as she spoke with a smile.

The boy was not short, but he was still young. She was already an adult woman and rather tall even among adult women. At present, the boy only reached her chest.

Qian Renxue had approached openly, so Huo Yuhao had naturally noticed her long ago. But adhering to the idea that less trouble was better, he had said nothing.

Now that she had taken the initiative to speak, he naturally could not pretend not to see her.

The caravan chef beside him nudged Huo Yuhao's arm as a reminder. "Brother Huo, be careful how you receive her."

Huo Yuhao nodded in thanks.

"Thank you for your kind offer, miss, but my teacher said that my cooking has not yet reached its peak. I need to travel more and see more. This isn't the time for me to stay in one place for too long."

"Oh? If you're traveling around to see the world, why can't you come see your sister's place?" Qian Renxue continued smiling. For some reason, she felt that the boy carried an aura similar to hers—similar, yet seemingly completely opposite.

Coming out this time had truly been the right choice. She had actually encountered such an interesting boy.

"..." Huo Yuhao did not know how to respond. Her aura was pure, without any hostility. She was merely teasing him.

Seeing that he had fallen silent and that even his ears had reddened a little, Qian Renxue lost interest in teasing him further. "All right, pack me some food. Just what you made for yourself." As she spoke, she handed over the food box.

She did not even ask whether Huo Yuhao was selling it.

Huo Yuhao did not think anything was wrong either. He took the food box directly, filled it with two generous portions, carefully packed them, and only then handed it back to her.

Qian Renxue took it and weighed it lightly in her hand before extending her other hand.

Her fingers were slender, her nails dyed golden. She raised a brow at Huo Yuhao.

"?" Huo Yuhao stared at her outstretched hand, completely baffled.

"The money for the food. You don't think your sister would eat without paying, do you?" Seeing the boy's blank expression, which had utterly washed away his earlier air of mystery, Qian Renxue could not resist teasing him again.

Only then did Huo Yuhao extend his hand, and a small handful of Gold Soul Coins fell into his palm.

After putting away the money, he looked up to find that she had already left.

Only then did the caravan chef beside him dare speak. "Brother Huo, there's a Soul King behind that woman. Don't get any ideas, or you might not even know how you died."

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao immediately shook his head awkwardly. "How could that be? I already have... a family..."

Since teaching them cooking, Huo Yuhao had become quite familiar with the several chefs. This was the first time they had heard that Huo Yuhao had a wife.

The chefs immediately became interested. Although people in this era generally married young, it was rare to marry this early. And from Huo Yuhao's words, it sounded like he had already been married for some time.

"Hey! Brother Huo, you have a wife? No wonder you refused when Old Liu wanted to introduce his daughter to you. By the way, what's your wife's name? Is she pretty?" Men were never lacking in curiosity for gossip. Besides, compared to the distant world of high-ranking soul masters, low-ranking soul masters with skills that could put food on the table were more suited to ordinary life.

"She... is called Xue'er."