"Lily, bring the animal feed over," Ace called lazily, stretching his arms as if he had all the ti in the world.
A beautiful lady appeared in view.. Lily, the spirit bot, now officially nad, marched over with a deep scowl—well, as much of a scowl as her artificial face could manage.
"This is a waste of resources, Master. A complete, utter, indefensible waste of resources," she grumbled, but despite her protests, she still carried over a woven basket filled with biscuit-like animal feed.
Ace simply smirked. "And yet, here you are, doing exactly as I asked."
Lily huffed, setting the basket down with an exaggerated thud. "Only because my efficiency protocol demands I follow orders."
The mont the basket touched the ground, Dixie, Zhao Yun's summoned beast, perked up. Its nostrils flared as it caught the scent, and in an instant, its sharp eyes locked onto the feed.
Zhao Yun, who had been ntally preparing herself for the glorious al she was about to devour, paused mid-thought. Wait… did Dixie just… drool?
She tilted her head, watching her usually prideful summon stare longingly at the simple biscuits. Its mouth trembled, a faint sheen of moisture collecting at the edges.
"Dixie?" she called hesitantly.
The beast's large, intelligent eyes darted toward her before quickly snapping back to the basket.
Zhao Yun narrowed her gaze. Oh no. No way. Is my grand, majestic, awe-inspiring summon actually about to beg?
For a mont, she forgot about the promised chicken—the olet, the feast, the al she had been dreaming about all day. Instead, curiosity took over as she observed Dixie inch forward, acting like a well-mannered but desperately hungry stray.
Ace, of course, was already enjoying the show.
"Looks like soone's interested," he mused, plucking one of the biscuits and casually tossing it in the air. Dixie's gaze followed it with laser focus.
Lily folded her arms. "I told you. High-quality feed, perfectly balanced for optimal beast developnt. But nooo, Master insists on treating it like common treats."
Zhao Yun crossed her arms, a smirk tugging at her lips as realization dawned on her.
"Master Xiao... what exactly is in those?"
Ace grinned, flipping the biscuit between his fingers before tossing it toward Dixie.
"Oh, nothing much. Just a little sothing I whipped up… with a few spirit-enhancing properties."
Zhao Yun's eyes twitched. "You an to tell my summon—my strong, noble, battle-hardened beast—is about to turn into a glutton for fancy snacks?"
Ace shrugged. "Hey, you never asked what I do in my free ti."
Dixie, anwhile, had long since abandoned its pride, gobbling up the treat with such enthusiasm that even Zhao Yun had to look away.
"Give a briefing about what happened in the city."
Ace's voice was calm but firm as he glanced at Zhao Yun.
"Okay, Master Xiao," she responded, though there was a brief hesitation in her eyes. It was subtle—just a flicker of sothing unsaid.
Ace caught it imdiately. "You seem like you want to say sothing else."
Zhao Yun coughed lightly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ahem… can I say it after food. Of course, I can brief you right away too."
Ace raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. Instead, he chuckled and gestured toward the table. "Fine, food first."
He led her over to where Liu i was already eating—her small hands carefully picking out the juiciest pieces of at.
Across from her, Shan Yifeng was diligently scooping rice into bowls for everyone, his brows furrowed in deep concentration as if proper rice distribution was the most important task of his life.
"Make sure it's even, Yifeng," Liu i mumbled between bites.
"I am making it even!" Shan Yifeng shot back, holding up two bowls and squinting at them like a seasoned rice inspector.
Zhao Yun, despite herself, let out a chuckle and took a seat.
"The Hua family wants Shan Yifeng to represent them in the upcoming Dragon and Phoenix Tournant."
Zhao Yun casually relayed the information as she picked up a bowl, gracefully maneuvering her chopsticks to grab a bite.
Across from her, Liu i was happily stuffing her mouth with her hands, unconcerned with etiquette. She hadn't grown up using chopsticks, and neither had Ace. anwhile, Shan Yifeng, having had the chance to learn, ate with chopsticks like Zhao Yun.
Ace barely blinked at the news. "The Hua family, huh? Sure, if they're handling everything. Tell them Liu i will also be participating."
"Sure, sure." Zhao Yun nodded without even looking up, her focus entirely on the food. She reached for another piece of the olet—her priority was clear.
As promised, Ace had made an absolutely massive olet—one using a hundred eggs. It was golden, fluffy, and irresistible.
Well… not that he made it. Lily did. But he did tell her to, so that counted.
Ace glanced at the table, watching the enthusiastic foodies in action. Zhao Yun was thodically devouring her al, savoring each bite with unwavering dedication, while Liu i was practically inhaling her food, her cheeks puffed like a chipmunk's.
On the side, Shan Yifeng was locked in his own battle, tearing into his pork as if it were his last al. The boy barely ca up for air, his focus as intense as if he were training for the tournant right then and there.
Ace sighed, shaking his head. "It's like feeding a pack of starving wolves."
Lily continued grilling pork, her movents swift and efficient as she worked through batch after batch. The oil sizzled, the rich aroma filling the room, and the golden-brown pork glistened under the light.
Ace, arms crossed, leaned against the doorway, silently observing. At one point, he even caught Lily sneaking a piece or two for herself.
A spirit bot—eating?
He didn't call her out on it, but it was still weird. She wasn't supposed to have taste buds… right?
After who knows how many plates, Shan Yifeng was the first to tap out.
"I'm full," he groaned, pushing his plate away with dramatic exhaustion.
Then, with an exaggerated wobble, he got up, staggered a few steps, and all but collapsed onto the ground. His chest rose and fell deeply as he exhaled and inhaled.
Ace raised a brow. "Are you okay?"
"Cultivating," Shan Yifeng murmured, barely moving.
A few minutes later, Zhao Yun finally put down her chopsticks, her face a mix of triumph and regret. She had finished the entire gigantic olet—whether out of pride or obligation was debatable.
Without another word, she folded her legs beneath her and sat down to ditate as well, her stomach clearly in need of a reset.
Ace, however, remained silent. His gaze shifted to Liu i.
She was still going.
The sa speed. The sa rhythm. Like a machine designed for consumption.
He barely ate anything himself, too distracted by the sheer determination on the little girl's face. Occasionally, he'd wander into the kitchen, only to catch Lily sneaking another bite—sothing he chose to ignore for now.
Finally, he spoke. "Liu i… don't you think you've had enough?"
Liu i paused, looking up with wide, innocent eyes, her mouth still full. "Master, my mother always said—marry a person who can always feed you."
Ace blinked. "Okay…?"
"But now that I'll be a cultivator, I heard cultivators don't need to eat anymore," she continued, stuffing another piece of pork into her mouth. "So I'm stocking up."
Ace stared at her.
"Huh."
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