Qiushui Pavilion.
At this moment, the aroma of cumin and grease wafted through the small courtyard.
“Barbecue, five taels of silver per skewer, pretty ones are on the house!”
“Here you go, since you’re a beauty, one skewer for you~”
Ke Mo pulled out a winter-time charcoal stove to use as a grill, skewering meat from the Beast Peak, sizzling and dripping with fat.
While grilling, he was also hawking his goods with a playful flair.
“Good disciple, were you a chef in your past life?”
Shang Wu took a bite and her apricot eyes glazed over with delight.
She had tasted barbecue before.
But why did her disciple’s taste so much better?
Especially that unique aroma combined with the charred meat—it was simply divine.
Ke Mo chuckled and picked up a few more skewers.
“Wow, another beauty! This blackhorn lamb meat nourishes and replenishes bl**d—here, enjoy!”
“It’s really delicious.”
Ying Bing took a gentle bite, savoring it.
The Ice Chunk gave a four-character rating that equated to quite high praise, indicating the flavor was indeed impressive.
“Hu-hah… Hu-hah…”
Shang Wu, loving spicy food, puffed out her breaths in delight.
Even Ying Bing, who usually preferred lighter fare, found herself indulging, completely losing track of how much she ate while grilling and munching.
“Little Ice Girl, you’re so good at respecting your master that you have to share a skewer of grilled fish with me.”
“But you’re not my master.”
“You’ve eaten a lot; little girls can’t eat that much without getting chubby.”
“But I’m in the growth stage!”
“Oh come on, you’re always hanging out with Ke Mo; just let him cook for you next time.”
Shang Wu crossed her arms, sulking.
Even with coaxing and sweet talking, she couldn’t score a skewer of grilled fish from the little girl, which left her quite exasperated.
Ying Bing, enjoying her grilled fish, tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, with a hint of a smile hiding there.
She reminisced about the past.
In her blurry memories of the Eastern Wilderness, only a few key people left a lasting impression on her.
One of them was Shang Wu.
When the Qingyuan Sect was overturned, without Shang Wu, she probably wouldn’t have made it out of Ziyang Mansion alive.
What a pity…
Shaking her head, Ying Bing dispelled her wandering thoughts.
In this life, those tragedies would never play out again.
“Good meat naturally deserves good wine.”
Ke Mo also sat down at the table to eat.
In his hand was a jar of wine, held in a jade-colored porcelain vessel.
As he opened it, a sharp and refreshing scent instantly filled the air.
When he poured it out, the wine displayed distinct red and blue colors in the cup.
“What kind of wine is this? It smells amazing!”
Shang Wu wrinkled her nose, taking a sniff, and instantly perked up, her apricot eyes widening.
“It’s Ice Fire Wine.”
Ke Mo grinned as he placed the wine cup in front of Shang Wu.
As he spoke, he poured another cup, which he handed to Ice Chunk.
Ying Bing raised an eyebrow, inspecting the cup curiously; her mirrored eyes reflecting the two-colored wine—a truly beautiful sight.
This wine came from Beihai Yuquan Island.
There’s a spring there that is half cold, half hot, with magical effects that refine the body.
The island is home to a family renowned for their winemaking, specifically utilizing this spring to produce their wine, hence the name Ice Fire Wine.
Even though this family was known for winemaking, they were still quite a significant force, more so than the Qingyuan Sect.
Every year, they would present hundreds of exquisite wines to the Gui Palace, including this Ice Fire Wine.
By then, she had long since lost her taste for it; typically, it was given as a reward to promising disciples.
How did Ke Mo come across this wine?
“Wow, good little disciple, where did you get this wine from?”
After drinking the Ice Fire Wine, Shang Wu’s face turned flushed, and for the first time, she spoke softly.
She blinked her apricot eyes, resembling rippling water.
“….”
Ke Mo leaned back, astonished.
It was hard to imagine that this delicate girl could pack a punch that could blow up a mountain.
“I stumbled into a place in the ton and got a few casks.”
Little Ke Mo could spit it out without a second thought.
“Oh? You had such luck, no wonder you made it through the third layer of the Divine Edge Cave without a scratch.”
Shang Wu didn’t think anything was odd about that explanation.
Ying Bing took a sip, her mind piecing things together.
She was beginning to form a theory.
Ke Mo probably gained a certain legacy from somewhere.
Using the treasures left behind in that legacy, he managed to transform his body; Ice Fire Wine was likely also a relic meant to refine the legacy holder’s physique.
Perhaps… it was during those few days when she was in Ziyang Mansion, opening her meridians?
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*
At the very least, he has a chance to inherit Shang Wu’s teachings and become a future elder of the Qingyuan Sect.
That would certainly change his fate massively.
“Hmph, indeed.”
Shang Wu pouted and downed her glass.
“If there are a few casks of Ice Fire Wine left and you like it, why not take one with you?”
“No need, you keep it; I won’t benefit from it since it’s for refining the body.”
“Then I’ll bring a few more casks of wine back for you when I come down from the mountain.”
Ke Mo was somewhat surprised and took a sip from his cup.
But.
In the next moment, he realized something was amiss.
He remembered that he hadn’t poured himself any wine, so the drink he just had… was Ying Bing’s cup?
“Little Ice Girl, what’s with you?”
Shang Wu tilted her head as she noticed that Ying Bing seemed a bit dazed.
“Nothing.”
Ying Bing frowned and shook her head lightly.
“Wow, then you really ought to drink a bit more; this wine’s great for your bl**d and qi.”
As Shang Wu spoke, she took out a small gourd from her waist and chugged down a few gulps.
Ke Mo cleared his throat and handed her a fresh cup, filling it up.
“Mm.”
Ying Bing sipped the wine.
Earlier, she seemed to have sensed a faint ripple in her heart that felt strange.
This was the odd bit that caught her off guard.
Men who pursued her possessed talents unprecedented in history, unmatched gifts, terrifying backgrounds, and even among the Nine Heavens, even the Celestial Emperor had expressed admiration for her.
Not to mention making grand gestures.
She hadn’t even entertained the thought.
Over time, people all said that the empress residing in the Gui Palace had a heart as cold as ice, devoid of emotions.
In reality, she was merely steadfast in her pursuit of martial arts.
The mortal world dulled the bones of heroes; love and affection were but stumbling stones.
But just now, when a strange feeling arose in her heart, she found she didn’t entirely reject it…
“Perhaps it’s because of the Ice Fire Wine…”
Ying Bing finished the drink and didn’t taste the exquisite flavor of the wine in detail.
“Given my current level, I can’t afford to ignore the effects of intoxication.”
Pulling her focus back, she silently guided the liquor’s essence as it circulated within her body.
“For the time being, I’ll just practice.”
“In the near future, the sect will have a trial for new disciples; don’t embarrass your master, okay?”
Once Shang Wu completed her statement, she yawned.
“Trial?”
Ke Mo’s face showed confusion.
Shang Wu wiped the corners of her mouth, still glistening with remnants of the wine:
“They’ll send you all into the Qingyuan Mountain Range to collect herbs and hunt some exotic beasts.”
“For the bl**d Qi Realm, that’s considered somewhat of a challenge, I’d say. There’s some ninth-grade demonic beasts out there that are quite tough to handle.”
“At that time, you and Little Ice Girl can look out for each other.”
Ke Mo nodded, relatively aware of what was going on.
Such scenarios were often seen in novels.
He felt somewhat speechless:
“Master, Ying Bing is the sect master’s disciple; her treatment is way better than mine! She doesn’t need to look out for me.”
Speaking of which, when Master picked him, it seemed it was because she had an interest in Ying Bing?
Just getting to know each other, and she was already calling her Little Ice Girl.
Ying Bing didn’t seem to mind either; it looked as if they were long-time friends.
“Who said your master doesn’t care about you?”
Shang Wu twitched her nose, pulling out a small booklet:
“Take this and practice; it’s a middle-grade martial art, which should suit your current level; after all, it’s definitely better than the Six Harmonies Fist.”
The booklet was titled:
“Blazing Sword Technique.”
Don’t let its middle-grade status fool you.
Plenty of sects would absolutely use this as a last-resort treasure to guard their dojo.
Many smaller sects even treat lower-ranked and less mainstream martial arts as prized possessions.
“Thank you, Master.”
“Hmph, you were just complaining about me!”
With that, Shang Wu waved her hand, hoisted her small gourd, and exited Qiushui Pavilion.
At the table, Ying Bing set down her cup, her mind returning to calmness.
For the sect trial, she needed to rely on her own strength—no one could help her.
She sought to obtain a legacy.
While unsure of what Ke Mo’s legacy involved, compared to what she was about to acquire, it was undoubtedly worlds apart.
After all, no strong individual would leave a legacy in the desolate Eastern Wilderness.
That legacy was something she could not afford to ignore.
It wasn’t left by mere “humans.”
