Ying Bing was cooking for the first time, seriously.
With a firm grip on not wasting food, she ended up plating a few dishes for the table.
On the table.
Several dishes sat in their plates, emitting a vibe that screamed “Supernatural Horror.”
“So… what exactly are you making?”
It’s common knowledge that Little Li had exceptional culinary skills.
But for Ying Bing to whip up these particular dishes? That was a little beyond her usual repertoire.
“Eggs with tomatoes.”
Ying Bing wiped her face with a handkerchief and said coldly.
“… And this one?”
Li Mo fell silent for a moment before asking again.
“Spicy stir-fried meat.”
At this, Ying Bing caught the astonished look on Li Mo’s face.
How could she even recognize that?
“And this one now…”
“Nine-turned intestines.”
She even jumped in to answer.
Li Mo gasped in shock. Was she doing this on purpose or was it an accident?
He quickly averted his gaze, unable to bear looking at her:
“Okay… um, so you’re cooking for yourself now… heh, impressive. Have you been eating like this these past few days?”
“I only cooked once today,” Ying Bing replied softly.
Li Mo: “?”
So instead of cooking before, she decided to make her debut on the day I come back?
It clicked—she was doing this on purpose.
Of course.
For Ice Chunk to voluntarily cook was like the sun rising in the west.
“Don’t just look at the surface of things.”
“Perhaps the appearance is lacking, but the taste might surprise you.”
Ying Bing spoke seriously, her red lips parting.
Let’s not get too philosophical here!
Li Mo realized why Ice Chunk would bother making a whole array of dishes.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful, but deep down, she harbored pride. Though she never outright stated it, her every gesture revealed that.
Ice Chunk wasn’t someone who settled for mediocrity; she wanted everything to be perfect.
Including cooking.
But then again, it’s like God opens a door for you and nails shut a window with cement.
To be so beautiful and then, bam, her culinary skills were just… shocking!
“If you don’t eat soon, it’ll get cold.”
Ying Bing spoke softly, cutting off the excuse Little Li was about to come up with.
The power of her words was reminiscent of “Hey, dear, drink the medicine.”
“Alright then!”
“Today, I shall sacrifice myself to accompany you, my lady!”
Li Mo fervently nodded, ready to embrace his fate as he picked up his chopsticks.
His hand trembled slightly as he clamped down on a piece of food.
But perhaps Ying Bing was fed up with his slow pace, as she quickly snagged a piece of the nine-turned intestines for him before he could reach for the eggs.
As soon as he bit into it, a fantastic flavor erupted in his mouth, extraordinary enough to make him think of his past lives.
It was a mix of sour, bitter, and twisted, leaving him stunned.
That flavor was something that could wake you from a nightmare at midnight!
“Y-You’re crying…?”
“Grandma…”
“Are you thinking of your grandma’s cooking?”
“No, I saw her!”
As a tear fell from Li Mo’s eye, Ying Bing furrowed her brows.
The reason she cooked was actually twofold.
First, she couldn’t quite believe she could mess up at cooking.
Second, if she asked Li Mo for help, it would also create a personal debt he’d feel obliged to repay.
So she had been seriously researching it for days.
Take spicy stir-fried meat, for example; the recipe insisted it had to be super spicy, bursting with flavor as soon as it hit the mouth.
So she went to Danding Peak and borrowed a few bottles of Black Evil Wood Oil from Elder Xue. This ingredient was generally used when the alchemical temperature was too low and you needed powerful fire to ignite impurities.
Elder Xue assured her it was safe to eat, so she confidently brought it back to cook.
However, she had trouble interpreting how a tablespoon was defined.
Especially since the recipe didn’t specify the size of the spoon.
So, she added ten seconds’ worth of oil.
Not delicious?
Ying Bing clamped down on a piece of spicy stir-fried meat.
…….
Half an hour later.
A table full of strange dishes was set.
Looking at Ice Chunk’s rosy lips, which seemed ready to burst, Li Mo sighed:
“Honestly, I didn’t help you much; you didn’t need to go through this much effort to cook.”
“Mm.”
“Let’s eat.”
Li Mo rinsed his mouth and devoured a couple of bites of his own stir-fried greens before feeling alive again.
Ying Bing’s eyes glimmered and she asked:
“How… how is she doing?”
“I left some healing supplements for Chu Long, and I bought the place she’s staying in. She doesn’t have to worry about daily life; I instructed the Murong family to send her things regularly.”
“Mm?”
A hint of surprise flickered across Ying Bing’s beautiful face.
She understood Jiang Chulong’s character; she was someone very closed-off and couldn’t express herself clearly.
For Jiang Chulong to willingly share her name with Li Mo? They must have had a decent interaction.
Watching Li Mo feast on his food, Ying Bing’s gaze softened.
If it were him, that wouldn’t really be much of a shock.
“Thank you.”
“Just a small effort.”
Li Mo cleared his throat and said seriously, “We’re familiar enough now that we don’t need to make a big deal out of minor favors.”
Having learned about Ice Chunk’s cooking experience, Little Li thought…
Being serious was a good thing, but sometimes it’s just unnecessary.
Considering Ice Chunk’s character.
Li Mo added:
“If you really want to thank me, help me out with one thing.”
“How can I help?”
“For instance… discussing sword techniques with me?”
Li Mo didn’t really have anyone else to consult.
After thinking hard, only Ice Chunk came to mind.
What could he do?
He was seriously at a loss about how to clarify things for Jiang Chulong.
That girl’s head was probably filled with all sorts of mysteries.
“Discuss sword techniques with you?”
Ying Bing raised her eyebrow slightly.
Teaching and discussing were two different things.
In Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, there were few who qualified to discuss sword techniques with her.
She once wielded her own sword path, meaning her understanding of swords was close to touching the essence of swordsmanship, standing at the pinnacle of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Based on Li Mo’s previous sword talent, he wasn’t really qualified to discuss it with her.
Deeper discussions were more harmful than helpful for him.
“Let’s hear your questions first.”
“I’ve made a list.”
Li Mo grinned, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket.
He was worried he would forget, so he jotted down all his questions.
Ying Bing glanced over it.
Her clear eyes suddenly focused, narrowing as she read.
These questions…
Were subtly targeting the roots of swordsmanship?
Of course, she could answer them.
But for Li Mo to even ask such questions?
Asking questions required a certain level of understanding; the doubts that genius and mediocrity held were entirely different.
Um…
It’s like someone got hit on the head with an apple and asked why the heavens were so unfair.
A genius wonders why apples fall instead of flying up…
Ying Bing stared at Li Mo, her icy gaze reflecting the young man, as if she were trying to read his face for something extraordinary.
His previous talent was merely peculiar, nowhere near genius.
It was strange because Li Mo was sometimes dull, yet occasionally had profound insights—simply “easier to have realizations” than others, not that he possessed extraordinary talent in swordsmanship.
Had she underestimated him?
Ying Bing couldn’t quite pin down the specific reason:
“Is that all?”
Li Mo instinctively tapped his cheeks and nodded:
“Yeah, for now, that’s it.”
