Sixteen and the Three Flavors Study

"Please leave." Qin Sanyue's final words and the sound of the door shutting struck heavily in the woman's heart.

The sounds would have seemed utterly ordinary to anyone else, but to the woman in white, an immortal who had cultivated to the Heart-Connecting Realm, they were like a thunderclap crashing down on her head.

In that instant, with no time to stop it, a crack appeared in the Mind of a Clear Mirror she had cultivated for over twenty years. Yet this crack, which a cultivator would regard as utterly fatal, had been caused by just a few words. She realized she had fallen for it!

For a moment she stood stunned. Then the space between her brows reddened, and an ethereal presence came pouring out, like spilled water that could not be gathered back up.

In the blink of an eye, her face had turned pale and her eyes had grown lifeless.

Knowing she was in dire danger, she hurriedly formed Hand Seals with both hands, drew forth a golden light, and struck it fiercely against the space between her brows. Then the golden light became a net that bound every inch of her body.

This was her life-saving measure, the Spirit-Sealing Net. Once used, it would lock all her cultivation inside her body, leaving her unable to use it and making her no different from a mortal. But to keep her Qi from escaping, she had no other choice. If all her Qi were to drain away, not only would her cultivation of more than twenty years be lost, but her path of cultivation would also come to an end.

After doing all this, she sank to the ground in a daze, gasping for breath.

Once serene and immaculate, she now looked like an immortal fallen into the dust, utterly enervated.

She had been drawn here by the Qi of the pear blossoms, hoping to contemplate it, but she had never expected to end up like this.

"Long ago, Master warned me that mysteries lie everywhere in Black Stone City. It seems I was too proud and looked down on others, and so I came to this."

The woman in white looked dejected. She struggled to her feet and gradually made her way off, supporting herself against the wall.

In the courtyard, Ye Fu, who was tidying the kitchen, straightened up and glanced outside the gate. He sighed helplessly. "You think you cultivated a Mind of a Clear Mirror, but it crumbled after just a few words. Could it have been a clear mirror? You were simply too close to see clearly."

He knew exactly what had happened to the woman in white outside, but it had nothing to do with him. Her State of Mind had already been on the verge of collapse; she simply had not realized it, which was why she had been so unprepared when it finally fell apart. He gave it no further thought, though he kept Innkeeper Hu's words in mind: "Even in the most peaceful life, you'll encounter all sorts of people and things."

For now, though, he set those worries aside and simply tidied the house at his leisure, preparing to make a tasty dinner.

Chapter 19: Sixteen and the Three Flavors Study

After bathing and changing into new clothes, Qin Sanyue truly looked like a different person. Before, she could hardly have been called appealing; it would have been enough if she did not put people off.

But now that she was clean, her youthful charm was plain to see, and her fresh, innocent bearing showed itself to the full.

Looking at her, Ye Fu could not help recalling a saying: "At sixteen, one is like peach blossoms about to open but not yet in full bloom, lotus leaves dotted with dew, pure chrysanthemums peeking toward the sun, and wintersweet blossoms flecked with red amid the white."

Qin Sanyue had something of that quality, and her slender brows in particular added considerably to her looks.

Only the scar across her eye was still far too conspicuous, always adding a blemish to that vision of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Fresh from her bath, Qin Sanyue, who had never spent time before a dressing mirror, did not know how to make herself presentable. She had managed to put her clothes on neatly enough, but her shoulder-length hair simply hung loose.

"There's a dressing table in your room. Go fix your hair," Ye Fu said, handing Qin Sanyue the hair tie lying on the stone table.

Qin Sanyue took the tie and stood there, stunned. "I've never had to fix my hair before. When it got long, I just cut it. I was about to ask where the scissors were, Teacher."

"Keep it long. It looks nicer." With that, Ye Fu rose, walked past Qin Sanyue, and called, "Follow me."

He led Qin Sanyue into her room.

"Sit in front of the mirror."

Qin Sanyue obediently sat down.

Ye Fu found a comb and said as he fixed her hair, "I'll only do it for you once, so watch carefully. After this, you'll have to do it yourself."

Qin Sanyue's lips parted slightly, and she nodded blankly.

Ye Fu had indeed rarely combed a girl's hair, and he was not particularly good at it. But in this world, having inherited the character's max-level handicraft skill, he had hands that were both nimble and deft.

He did not think much of the hairstyles worn by women in this world, so he gave Qin Sanyue one from Earth. He left locks hanging at her temples, tied the hair on top of her head into a ponytail, and let the rest fall naturally down her back.

Ye Fu did not know what the hairstyle was called, but he thought it looked quite nice and suited Qin Sanyue's face and age.

"What do you think?"

"Pretty, pretty, really pretty." Qin Sanyue stared blankly at herself in the bronze mirror. As she spoke, she caught herself and blushed. Then she added softly, "I mean, the hairstyle you gave me is pretty, Teacher Ye."

Ye Fu smiled. "As long as you like it. Come on, it's time to cook."

At the mention of cooking, Qin Sanyue lowered her head again and reproached herself. "Teacher Ye, I can't cook. I'm really useless."

Ye Fu patted her head and chided her with a laugh. "Oh, come on. Even if you could cook, I wouldn't let you. I'm very picky about my food, so I'd only be satisfied if I made it myself."

Qin Sanyue held her head, looking as though she only half understood, but she nodded repeatedly to show her agreement.

Ye Fu had already been a good cook, and now his max-level handicraft skill was like flowers added to brocade. With all the ingredients he needed and passable cooking utensils, and Qin Sanyue tending the fire, he soon had a fragrant meal ready.

Homestyle twice-cooked pork, stir-fried eggplant, and egg drop soup.

The ingredients and dishes could not have been more ordinary, yet Ye Fu's understanding of cooking and his max-level handicraft skill had brought them to their utmost. If not for a few missing seasonings, they might have been elevated to an entirely new flavor.

Even so, young Qin Sanyue was moved to tears by the delicious food. In her excitement, she even said something out of character: "From now on, I never want to eat anyone else's cooking again."