Chapter 25 – The Players Arrive

Ren refused to believe this was a fateful encounter or a reward for following his dao. This must be the karmic chickens coming home to roost. That Cheng Fu, who finished his trial, must be a great sinner if it resulted in this calamity arriving at his doorstep two whole years before schedule!

The same walking disaster was pouting at him, hands on hips, “How rude! I come to see you the first instant I can, and that’s all you can say to me?”

Knowing better than to annoy this little sister too much, Ren acquiesced. “I’m sorry, Meimei, I was just surprised. Come, let’s talk inside.”

He showed her in and put on a pot of his best tea. Xi Yuan looked around eagerly at his courtyard. Her eyes lingered on the plot containing his spirit herbs and the little tortoises. They were curious about the visitor and poked their heads out, leaving the assorted beast cores they had been gnawing on.

“How come you’re at the sect early? Didn’t you have almost 2 years left before your parents intended to send you here?”

“That was before Master found me. I’ve actually been here for almost half a year!”

That shocked Ren even more! A little uncertain on if he should pry, he waited for her to offer an explanation.

Xi Yuan obliged and provided more detail. “A few months after you left, we were visited by one of the elders of the sect. She saw me and thought I had talent. Before I even knew what happened, she said I passed her test and offered to accept me as an official disciple. I accepted and was brought here. But then Master said I could only go out once I broke through and restricted me to her mountain! Can you believe her? What a meanie! But I’m someone who can topple mountains and drain seas! I broke through in half a year!”

Her nose was halfway to the sky, and Ren knew exactly the response she wanted to hear.

Although what he really wanted to know was how she passed the elder’s test without even realizing it, instead he said, “That’s amazing! As expected from a heavenly genius! So what layer are you at now?”

“I’m at the second layer. It would have been faster, but Master made me slow down. She’s very bossy, but I still like her. She’s kind and guides me well.”

Ren was just thinking how half a year was a long time to only advance to the 2nd layer of the qi gathering realm when he remembered who he was talking to. A monstrous genius like her? There was no way she was slow! Almost afraid of the answer, he asked,

“You mean the foundation establishment realm?”

“Of course? That was Master’s condition. She said it was the least she could accept if I wanted to participate in the inheritance trial.”

Ren let out a long sigh. He was less surprised about her cultivation and more about how early the elders knew and prepared their personal disciples for the trial.

“Truly Little Sister is without compare! I’ll do my best to catch up soon.” He said without thinking. His reaction caught him by surprise. If it was him from before, he would have simply accepted her superiority and stepped aside. Feelings of wanting to reduce the distance were entirely foreign. It was a sign of how much his self-confidence had grown and how far he had come. He decided he liked this new self.

Xi Yuan certainly liked it. “I’ll not wait, so you better work hard, big brother!” Her smile was vibrant.

As he poured the tea, she asked about his life in the sect and how the past year had treated him. Glad to offer some light conversation, he talked about his experiences. His friends, his seniors and juniors, his lessons, and his adventures. He didn’t bother embellishing his accomplishments before her and only mentioned some amusing stories. She had already outpaced his cultivation in half the time. He didn’t need his face slapped any further.

Xi Yuan listened along and chimed in with sounds of appreciation and enjoyment. She always did love his stories. She didn’t have many stories to offer, but she spoke of her master, the beauty of the mountain she lived on, and her fellow disciples. They all doted on her as the youngest and gave her the best items. Ren glanced over her refined outfit and saw what was surely a spatial pouch and a flying sword. He made no comment.

Just then, he heard a knock at his gate. Bao Hua had come with a huge hunk of meat and two pots of wine.

“Come try my new wine, brother! I made it from those iceheart fruits Mei Ling gave me. I promise it’ll be cool and refreshing! She should be here any moment too. Oh, and who’s this young miss? Am I interrupting?”

Glad for the distraction, Ren quickly introduced them. “Xi Yuan, this is my brother. He’s accompanied me in the sect since the very beginning. Bao Hua, this is my childhood friend Xi Yuan. Treat her well!”

“Ohoho! So this is young Miss Xi Yuan! You are welcome to join the feast!”

Ren paused for a second and then realized what the feast really meant. “Brother, did you…?”

“That’s right! I’ve finally caught up with you two and entered the 9th layer!”

Ren felt a warmth in his chest. Even though he had never said it, Ren knew Bao Hua had always been worried about being left behind. This definitely deserved a celebration.

He brought out his best ingredients and prepared a feast as Bao Hua started chatting with Xi Yuan. Initially awkward, they were soon laughing along together. While Zhao Ren, the young master, had long been used to excellent food, Ren, the cultivator, had to strive to appease his own tongue. Over time after countless failures, he was armed with a new understanding of qi and qi-rich ingredients. He felt he had finally reached a level where his meals weren’t an ordeal but a pleasure. Ignoring the occasional culinary disaster.

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Soon enough, he was churning out side dishes even as the main course was roasting over the fire. While his forge wasn’t meant to be used this way, it did a great job sealing in the flavor and heating large hunks of meat quickly and evenly. The meat Bao Hua had brought should be from a lizard beast and of the lightning attribute, and Ren found the perfect pairings to enhance the taste. As always, the little tortoises gathered to bask in the warmth. The one Xi Yuan was holding on waggled its legs helplessly to escape, but she continued to pet it.