Once Scorned for My Mixed Spiritual Roots, Now They Weep at My Power! - Chapter 24 - For the Freedom of Gourmet

Atop a millennia-old snow-capped mountain in the far north.

Yan Qinghui had been standing guard here for three whole months.

With the Ice Soul Sword about to emerge, various factions, both righteous and wicked, were converging on this location.

Yan Qinghui’s gaze was cold as she surveyed the hundreds of experts from both sides, including some formidable Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.

These were her competitors.

Everyone was waiting for the Ice Soul Sword to appear, each with a covetous eye, determined to obtain it.

Initially, everyone was acting independently, but now it seemed some had formed alliances, gathering in small groups.

Only Yan Qinghui stood alone, proudly atop the snowy peak.

“This Ice Soul Sword is perfect for Qing Er’s Ice Spiritual Root. With this Divine Weapon, Qing Er is sure to triumph at the Seven Peaks Martial Conference. No matter what, I must acquire the Ice Soul Sword!”

Just then, Yan Qinghui suddenly felt a tickle in her nose and couldn’t help but sneeze lightly.

“What is this? Why do I suddenly feel uneasy?”

“Could something have happened to Qing Er at Xiaozhu Peak?”

“I’ve been away for over half a year. Qing Er must be very worried about me. Could she have come looking for me?”

“No… Before I left, I asked the sect master to look after Qing Er. She should be fine at the Spirit Sword Sect. I’m overthinking it.”

“It must be the imminent emergence of the Ice Soul Sword that’s making me anxious.”

…

Back at Xiaozhu Peak.

Wen Qing was devouring the braised pork knuckle, her mouth glistening with oil.

“Junior Brother, this braised pork knuckle is simply too delicious. When Master returns, you must let her taste your cooking.”

Xiao Yun shook his head silently, sighing.

Wen Qing took a big bite of the knuckle, then noticed her Junior Brother seemed unhappy and hadn’t eaten much.

She quickly chewed and swallowed her food before asking with concern, “Junior Brother, what’s wrong? You seem troubled.”

Xiao Yun sighed again and shook his head, “Senior Sister, don’t ask. You can’t help me.”

“Come on, tell me. I’m a Golden Core Realm expert, there’s no problem I can’t solve.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you,” Xiao Yun said, hesitating.

“Go on, with me here, any problem can be solved.” Wen Qing, in high spirits from the meal, spoke with confidence.

“Senior Sister, do you know why my cooking is so delicious?” Xiao Yun asked mysteriously.

“It’s those little powders you sprinkle, you call them seasonings.”

“Exactly, and that’s what I’m worried about,” Xiao Yun sighed again.

“What’s wrong with the seasonings?”

Concerned about food, Wen Qing was all ears.

“These seasonings need to be bought with spirit stones. Now, I’ve run out of the ones I carry with me, and you know the financial state of Xiaozhu Peak.”

“Without spirit stones, we won’t be able to enjoy such delicious meals in the future.”

“What! That won’t do, Master hasn’t even tasted it yet!”

“What are we going to do? We don’t have any spirit stones! And you disagreed with charging for the Green Rock Bamboo. We’ll be left with nothing but scraps and gruel…”

Xiao Yun sighed deeply once more.

Ever since returning to Xiaozhu Peak with Wen Qing, she had been increasingly uneasy about charging for the Green Rock Bamboo. With Master away, she couldn’t make such decisions on her own!

If spirit stones were to be collected, it would have to wait until Master returned to discuss the matter.

“What… what… what should we do…” Wen Qing reluctantly placed the braised pork knuckle back onto the plate.

“This delicious meal… we might not be able to enjoy it in the future… I’ll save this piece for Master to try when he returns.”

Xiao Yun chuckled inwardly, though outwardly he appeared distraught. “Who knows when Master will be back? By then, this braised pork knuckle will be spoiled.”

“Senior Sister, if you ask me, merely saving isn’t enough. We need to find new sources of income. Why don’t we start by charging only Qingmu Peak for spirit stones, even if we set a lower price?”

“That’s not possible, Junior Brother. This decision must be made by Master. I can’t decide,” Wen Qing replied, looking troubled.

“With Master absent, you’re the one in charge of Xiaozhu Peak, Senior Sister. How can you say you can’t decide? Even if the sect master asks, you can explain the situation with Qingmu Peak, and the sect master surely won’t blame you.”

“They dared to sell us overpriced Foundation Establishment Pills, so why can’t we charge them for the Green Rock Bamboo?”

“This… I’ll think about it,” Wen Qing still felt it was inappropriate.

“What is there to think about? Senior Sister, don’t you want to enjoy braised pork knuckle every day? Don’t you want to eat Spicy Shredded Chicken? Braised Pork Ribs…”

“Senior Sister, I have many more dishes I haven’t cooked yet, ones that are even more delicious. Don’t you want to try them?”

“Even if you don’t want to eat them, wouldn’t you want Master to taste them?”

Wen Qing instinctively swallowed, her gaze fixed on the braised pork knuckle on the plate.

After a moment, her expression became resolute, and she nodded, saying, “Alright, for the sake of the braised pork knuckle… no, for the sake of Master enjoying delicious braised pork knuckle, I’ll follow your lead, Junior Brother.”

“That’s the spirit!” Xiao Yun slapped the table and continued, “I’ll go draft a pricing standard right away!”

“Wait, Junior Brother… remember, we’re only charging Qingmu Peak. No other peaks!” Wen Qing said loudly, taking a bite of the knuckle.

“Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I’ve got the justification ready: Qingmu Peak constantly refines pills, consuming too much Green Rock Bamboo, which severely disrupts Xiaozhu Peak’s ecological balance. Without charging spirit stones, the creatures on Xiaozhu Peak won’t survive!”

Before long, Xiao Yun presented the prepared pricing list.

“Senior Sister, take a look.”

Wen Qing, having eaten her fill, sat back in her chair, one hand gently rubbing her slightly rounded belly, while the other took the pricing list from Xiao Yun.

She glanced at it briefly before handing it back to him.

“Junior Brother, you handle it. I have no objections.”

“Alright, tomorrow we’ll take this pricing list to collect spirit stones from Qingmu Peak’s disciples!”

“Okay, sounds good.”

Suddenly, Wen Qing remembered something and quickly retrieved a small porcelain bottle from her Bag of Holding.

“By the way, Junior Brother, there are still four Foundation Establishment Pills left from the ones I bought for you. Even though you’ve reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, these pills can still be quite beneficial for you. Take them.”

Xiao Yun quickly declined, saying, “Senior Sister, these are worth four hundred spirit stones. I can’t bear to use them. You should keep them for yourself.”

“Silly Junior Brother, I’m already in the Golden Core Realm. Why would I need Foundation Establishment Pills? They were meant for you. Take them; they’ll be very helpful during your cultivation sessions.”

“Then I won’t hold back. Thank you, Senior Sister.” Xiao Yun finally accepted them.

At the same time, he took out a pill from his pocket.

“Senior Sister, look what I have.”

Wen Qing smiled, “An Enhancement Pill, right? You should store it safely in your room.”

“You won’t need this kind of pill for now, so don’t carry it around. If you lose it, it would be a real shame.”

Xiao Yun chuckled softly and offered the Enhancement Pill to Wen Qing, saying, “Here, Senior Sister, this Enhancement Pill is for you.”