Longing

The tongues of flame swept over the corpse, reducing it to ashes. A gust of wind rose, scattering the ashes on the ground.

The autumn wind was bleak and desolate. Some among them were ordinary people unable to cultivate; without cultivation, they could not withstand changes in temperature, and the autumn wind made them shiver with cold.

Qin Leyan saw this and stepped forward, gently telling them, "The night is deep and the wind is cold. You should all go back and rest first. Do not let yourselves catch a chill."

Hearing this, Bai Suji called for her brothers and sisters to return. They had only just regained their freedom—what a loss it would be if they caught a chill now!

After they left, Bing Ling returned carrying a pile of food. Of course, all of it was raw.

He had been hungry and wanted to wander around to see where he could find food. He could hardly take the pastries from other people's rooms, so he had gone to the kitchen.

There was food in the kitchen, but it was all raw.

Bing Ling did not mind. He packed up the raw ingredients directly, thinking that Qin Xiaoran often went out to train and should know how to cook.

"Xiaoran, I'm hungry. These ingredients from the kitchen are all raw—could you cook them for me?"

At the mention of food, Feng Wuhen and the others felt hungry as well. They followed Bing Ling's gaze toward Qin Xiaoran, who was sitting on the ground recovering.

Qin Xiaoran had only just regained a little strength through meditation, and these few gluttons were already thinking about making him cook. The key was that he did not know how at all!

"Why would you think I know how to cook?"

Hearing that, Feng Wuhen and the others looked at Bing Ling. He had been the one to say it first. Bing Ling looked at Qin Xiaoran as if it were only natural and said, "When you go out training, don't you eat? There may be inns, but often there aren't any. Wouldn't you have to cook for yourself then? So I think you know how to cook. That's perfectly normal, isn't it?"

Qin Xiaoran gave a soft laugh. "Heh, your guess is quite reasonable, but I am an immortal cultivator. I can practice Grain Avoidance.

"So I do not need to eat. Naturally, I do not know how to cook. Sorry to disappoint you!"

Qin Xiaoran's words were like a bolt from the blue striking Bing Ling's head. The ingredients in her arms fell to the ground as a result.

Seeing Bing Ling's expression as though she had been struck by lightning, Feng Wuhen suppressed a laugh and bent down to pick up the ingredients.

"I was originally thinking of tasting Eldest Senior Brother's cooking. Now, you can taste my cooking instead!"

After picking up the fallen ingredients, Feng Wuhen had Bing Ling lead him to the kitchen. Shen Ziheng, who doted on his younger brother to an extreme, did not leave his brother's side for even a moment.

He took half the ingredients from Feng Wuhen and followed closely beside him all the way.

Meng Hongying was very interested in the fact that Feng Wuhen was going to cook, so she pulled Qin Leyan along to join the excitement.

Mo Qingran looked at Qin Xiaoran, who had been abandoned by his junior brothers and sisters, and teased him, "Tsk, tsk. I never expected Fellow Daoist Qin, who is always called capable of everything, to have a day when he was disliked—by his own younger sister and junior brothers and sisters, no less."

Knowing that Mo Qingran was deliberately teasing him, Qin Xiaoran did not get angry. Instead, he walked in the direction Feng Wuhen and the others had gone, calling out to Mo Qingran and the others without looking back, "What are you three still standing around for? Aren't you coming along to see what delicious food Junior Brother Feng has made?"

Feng Wuhen brought the ingredients into the kitchen. Seeing Shen Ziheng and Bing Ling follow in, he immediately put them to work. "Brother, help me wash these vegetables. I'll steam the rice."

After hearing him, Shen Ziheng and Bing Ling searched around the kitchen. Each took a wooden basin, then scooped water from the vat until the basins were full.

Then they put the vegetables in, but the water was so full that it immediately overflowed.

Neither of them cared. They squatted beside the basins and carefully washed the vegetables.

After setting the rice to steam, Feng Wuhen thought it was already late and decided not to make several separate dishes. It would be too much trouble.

He planned to make one of his specialties—a grand mixed stew. He washed the ribs and chopped them into pieces, then chopped the whole chicken into chunks. He also took out a piece of pork belly and sliced several pieces from it.

Then he chopped the scallions, ginger, garlic, and the vegetables Shen Ziheng and Bing Ling had washed. Next, he lit the stove and stuffed several pieces of firewood into it so the fire would burn longer.

After washing his hands, he tossed the slices of pork belly he had cut earlier into the wok and rendered out the fat. Once he saw the golden oil, he added the scallions, ginger, and garlic, stir-frying them until their fragrance rose.

Then he added the chopped vegetables one after another. When they were nearly done, he added the chicken and ribs as well, then various seasonings—salt, chili powder, soy sauce...

Meng Hongying and the others stood at the doorway watching. The longer Meng Hongying watched, the more she felt that something was off. "We all eat the same dishes. Though there are side dishes too, I've never seen anyone like Junior Brother Feng, tossing everything into one pot to stew. Can that really taste good?"

Qin Xiaoran, Mo Qingran, and the others had traveled and trained for many years, visiting countless places, yet they had never eaten anything like this either. But judging by the fragrance drifting through the air, it certainly would not taste bad.

Shen Ziheng had a good temper and was very tolerant. Even though Meng Hongying could be somewhat willful much of the time, he had never said a word about it.

But this time, hearing Meng Hongying's words, he could not help but sharpen his tone. "My little brother's cooking will definitely be delicious. If you don't want to eat, give me your portion."

Bing Ling had long been drooling at the aroma. Hearing Shen Ziheng's words, she raised her hand and said, "Give me half too!"

Meng Hongying had merely been puzzled and curious, yet the moment the words left her mouth, she was snapped at. Speechless, she rolled her eyes skyward.

She had known Shen Ziheng for quite a few years. How had she never noticed before that this fellow was a younger-brother fanatic?

Looking at the huge pot of stew and the basin of steamed rice beside it, Feng Wuhen was afraid there would not be enough to eat, so he planned to bake a few flatbreads.

By the time everything was ready, dawn had already begun to break. It was just in time for breakfast.

Looking at the huge pot of stew, Feng Wuhen directly ladled it into a wooden basin that had been used for washing vegetables. Just as he was about to carry it out, someone squeezed him aside.

"I'll do it, I'll do it. Junior Brother Feng has been working hard for half the night. Leave carrying the food to me."

Hua Yichen had watched him bustle about for half the night. How could he possibly let Feng Wuhen carry the food himself? He squeezed over, lifted the huge basin of stew, and headed outside.

Everyone else had already taken their bowls and chopsticks, merely waiting for Feng Wuhen to come before eating. Once the huge basin of stew was brought over—

Bing Ling could not wait to pick up a piece and eat it. "Mmm, so hot, so hot—but it's really, really delicious."

Hearing her, everyone picked up their chopsticks. Every one of them was amazed by the flavor. Meng Hongying especially—she had previously worried it would not taste good prepared this way, but now she was eating more eagerly than anyone, even fighting Bing Ling over the ribs.

Seeing how happily they were eating, Feng Wuhen was happy as well. Yet this basin of grand mixed stew reminded him of his former life in the village, and of the villagers who had treated him so kindly.