Shan Yifeng gave a smile to Xie Ning'er.
"Sister Xie, if you're that curious, just ask. I recently broke through to Dark Gold rank."
Xie Ning'er froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Dark Gold? At this age?
She was a Major Gold rank herself, an achievent that set her apart even among the elites.
She achieved all this under twenty, which had her being hailed as a genius under the Head Huntress.
But...
Her gaze locked onto Shan Yifeng.
Ten? Eleven? No way he was anywhere near twenty.
This... This wasn't just talent. It was monstrous.
"Well, don't think too hard about it," Shan Yifeng said with a carefree shrug. "Master takes care of us pretty well."
Before Xie Ning'er could fully process his words, a sharp gasp cut through the air.
Liu i spun on her heel, eyes gleaming with excitent.
"Junior Brother, you're Dark Gold now?!" Her whole face lit up.
"Can we spar? Please, please, say yes!"
Shan Yifeng turned to Liu i, narrowing his eyes. "Hey, I just advanced. You've already solidified your Dark Gold realm."
Liu i's expression suddenly turned solemn, as if she were carrying the weight of a great responsibility.
"Junior Brother," she said, her voice filled with a dramatic sense of duty. "I'm doing this for your betternt."
She gave a light cough into her fist, looking every bit like a wise senior imparting wisdom.
"Listen, to truly stabilize your cultivation, you need real combat experience. You need to test your strength, refine your techniques—"
She paused, then spread her arms wide, smiling benevolently. "And lucky for you, I am generously offering myself as your punching bag."
Shan Yifeng shot her a deadpan look. "Yeah, no. You're not fooling anyone. I know how this goes. I spar with you, and the next thing I know, I'm getting tossed around like a ragdoll."
He quickly turned to Xie Ning'er. "Sister Xie, let's go. Master is waiting."
Liu i, not one to give up so easily, turned her attention to Xie Ning'er instead.
"You can find your way back on your own, right?" she asked sweetly, a little too sweetly.
Shan Yifeng quickly said, "Liu i, Master has a different task for you. We'll spar later."
Liu i squinted at him, clearly suspicious. "Oh? And what task might that be?"
Without missing a beat, Shan Yifeng straightened, adopting an air of utmost seriousness.
"Master has urgent orders for you to bring spirit cabbages and spirit tomatoes. Lots of them. Elder Lily must be inford imdiately."
Liu i didn't move right away. Her eyes narrowed further. "Why are you telling this now?"
Shan Yifeng kept his face perfectly straight. "Because Master told to tell you that he needs them. You do rember that Master once said they have strong healing properties, right?"
Liu i's brows furrowed. Wait... had Master really said that? She racked her brain, flipping through every lesson she could rember.
Nothing. But… wouldn't it be embarrassing to admit that?
Shan Yifeng gasped. "Wait… don't tell …" He leaned in slightly, eyes widening. "You forgot?"
Liu i straightened up in a panic. "Ahh, no, no! How could I forget Master's teachings?! Of course, I rember! I'll go tell Sister Lily right away!"
Shan Yifeng raised an eyebrow. "Elder Lily."
Liu i waved him off. "Pfft, she and I are pals. I call her Sister."
Shan Yifeng smirked. "Looks like soone forgot who made her unable to move properly for days."
Liu i stiffened for a second, then glared at him.
She then turned sharply to Xie Ning'er. "I hope you're nothing like that Hua Lesi," she muttered before hopping onto White Fur's back.
She took a deep breath, stretched her arms out dramatically, and pointed forward.
"White Fur! To the fields! We invade! Arrgh! War!"
With that, she and her spirit beast took off, leaving behind a very amused Shan Yifeng and a thoroughly confused Xie Ning'er.
By the ti they neared the house, the tension of their earlier exchange had faded, replaced by sothing far more pressing; the intoxicating aroma of cooked spirit chicken.
Shan Yifeng took a deep breath and smirked. "If Liu i catches a whiff of this, she might actually co flying through the door."
Pushing it open, they stepped inside.
Liu Hong stood calmly by the cooking table, directing Shane with a steady voice. "Not that one—that one. Yes, now just a pinch. This is chili. It's fine to eat, just adds a little pinch of it. Good."
Shane, the so-called spirit cook, nodded seriously, like an apprentice taking notes from a master chef. His brows furrowed in concentration as he carefully sprinkled the chili in.
Ace, anwhile, was doing absolutely nothing. Sprawled on a chair, an arm thrown over his eyes, he looked completely at peace.
He let out a lazy sigh, clearly enjoying the experience of watching a al be made rather than making one himself.
Hearing the door open, he lazily turned his head, spotting the two newcors. Without bothering to move, he waved them over.
"Xie Ning'er, co, co sit right here in front. We need to talk," he drawled, voice slow and relaxed.
Xie Ning'er sat down across from Ace, arms crossed as she t his gaze. "Well? What is it?" she asked.
Then, with a teasing smirk, she added, "Surely you're not suddenly interested in now… or are you?"
Ace's face twisted. Tch. What the hell went on in this woman's head all day?
Still, his lips curled into a mock smile. "Oh yes, absolutely. I'm suddenly very interested in you," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
His mind worked fast.
"I'm interested in what I can get out of you for going out of my way to save you," he added, his tone turning sharp.
Xie Ning'er's playful smirk faded, her expression cooling.
"Hey, as far as I know, you should be compensating for dragging into your ss," she shot back.
Ace narrowed his eyes. "Don't twist my words."
"Oh please," Xie Ning'er scoffed, leaning forward.
"I heard everything. So tell , what heinous cri did you commit to earn the personal hatred of the Xiao family head?"
"And tell .. Why the hell would the Hua family ancestor, of all people, go out of her way to protect you?"
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