### Chapter Five: Not Good, That Kid Is Up to No Good!
Leaving Qing Hui Hall, Zhang Hainan took a shortcut through a small section of Dachunyang Palace and arrived at Hongyan Retreat. He stopped in front of Luxianbei’s residence in Hongyan Retreat and raised his hand to knock on the door.
After waiting a moment without a response, he grasped the doorknob and gently turned it. With a soft “click,” he pushed the door open and entered.
“If you have time, come by my place. If I’m not around, just come in and wait a bit,” Luxianbei had said to Zhang Hainan before.
He knew that Luxianbei was being polite, but he didn’t intend to reciprocate the politeness.
As soon as he opened the door, sensing something, Zhang Hainan, with his slightly squinted eyes, suddenly opened them wider. Looking around, he quickly locked onto the open-plan kitchen directly opposite the door.
On the stove in the kitchen, there was a purple clay alchemical pot the size of a sandy pot, simmering gently, releasing a tempting aroma that made one’s mouth water.
Oh? That kid is cooking something and went out? Isn’t he afraid of a fire?
Zhang Hainan shook his head and strode into the kitchen, lifting the lid of the alchemical pot.
As steam wafted up, he saw the slightly bubbling, creamy broth inside.
What a fragrant soup! Zhang Hainan raised his eyebrows, feeling as if something in his belly had been stirred, prompting a gentle pang of hunger that quickly made his mouth water.
No, no! I came here to wait for that kid. How can I eat what he cooked while he’s not here? What a disgrace!
Zhang Hainan thought, gently shaking his head, and replaced the lid on the alchemical pot before turning back to sit down at the table in the living room. The room fell quiet.
A small flame flickered beneath the purple clay alchemical pot, dancing as the broth bubbled, releasing a soft “gurgle, gurgle” sound as bubbles rose and burst.
The gentle sounds seemed to murmur stories of a broth that was perfectly balanced in flavor and saltiness.
Streams of steam carrying the rich aroma from the bursting bubbles seemed to flaunt the broth’s deliciousness, wafting freely throughout the room.
The aroma drifted to Zhang Hainan’s nostrils, teasingly tugging at his attention like countless tiny hooks.
In the silence, Zhang Hainan slowly looked toward the kitchen, furrowing his brow. That kid wouldn’t be back for a while.
Since I’m here waiting for him and feeling idle, it shouldn’t be a problem to help taste the soup, right?
Zhang Hainan thought, raising his hand and waving his wide sleeves. With a soft “ding,” the lid of the purple clay alchemical pot lifted into the air, a small portion of soup, wrapped in spirit energy, floated to his lips.
Slurp!
Taking a sip of the thick broth, the delicious flavor spread across his lips and teeth, and his eyes, which had only opened a crack, suddenly widened as if struck by lightning.
“Marvelous! Rich but not greasy, fresh and fragrant, the taste of the meat and the unique herbal aroma are perfectly integrated into the soup, and the flavor remains intact after cooking. It’s delicious!”
The taste of this broth reminded him of his youthful days working at Yan Zhi Tavern.
Perhaps it was because every day felt particularly fulfilling, and Luxianbei and Qing Ji’s culinary skills were indeed exceptional, that he always felt that everything he ate during that time was particularly delicious.
Unable to hold back his praise, Zhang Hainan glanced back toward the door, slightly furrowing his brow, lost in thought. It’s delicious, but it still feels like something is missing.
Maybe it was too little before; perhaps if I taste more, I can find out what’s wrong?
Zhang Hainan mused, concentrating. With a thought, the alchemical pot rose from the stove and flew to the table, landing steadily. Along with the alchemical pot, a spoon and a porcelain bowl flew in from the cupboard.
He lifted the lid, filled half a bowl with the soup, and savored it. Then he gently shook his head and filled another half bowl. With such a large pot of soup, tasting a bit more should be…
Hmm, no problem, no problem!
Thus, Zhang Hainan kept tasting bowl after bowl, until he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. He returned to his senses with a start, looking at the empty alchemical pot, lost in thought—
—
“One chicken in the left hand, one duck in the right hand ~ Hehe ~ And half a pound of shrimp!”
After parting from Fu Xinyi, Luxianbei cheerfully wandered around “Pure Yang Large Kitchen,” successfully gathering high-quality ingredients, and happily set off on his way back to Hongyan Retreat.
Earlier, when he left, he had simmered a pot of soup using chicken carcasses, duck carcasses, pork bones, and ham, combined with several common herbs.
Following the ratios and cooking methods taught by Qing Ji, he cooked it down, eliminating fishy odors and greasiness while preserving the freshness of the ingredients and the fragrance of the herbs.
Estimating the time, it had been simmering for over three hours. Now, he would return to strain the broth, adding chicken meat, duck meat, and dried shrimp, and simmering for another couple of hours. The broth would be ready for use the next day.
Tonight, he could sing and rest. In the scenic area of Zhenwu Mountain, he would find a quiet corner to use Zhang Shuo’s belongings to summon a spirit and pay a friendly visit.
Dangerous? It was indeed a bit risky.
Last time, during a targeted summoning, he inexplicably awakened Oujinbang, almost becoming a “calamity action figure,” leaving Luxianbei with a bit of a psychological shadow.
However, this was Dachunyang Palace. Even if there were truly dangerous entities, wasn’t the unmatched Black Emperor here to protect us?
Strictly speaking, this sort of situation felt like a group of Taoists playing a game with a pencil ghost in a Taoist temple—unavoidably evoking a sense of fishing enforcement.
Once the spirit summoning was over, he could take a hot shower, have a comfortable sleep, and tomorrow morning, catch a fresh big fish from the cold pond to make fish balls and cook a pearl jade and white jade soup.
Then, he would deliver the prepared dishes to Huasang, capping off this trip to Dachunyang Palace perfectly— it would be marked with “Please stay tuned for the next episode.”
If he could find a reason to ask Zhang Hainan, that old man, for a sword to keep by his side, that would be even better! Luxianbei thought he had the plot neatly planned out.
However, when he carried a series of ingredients, opened the door to his residence at Hongyan Retreat, and saw the scene inside, he became utterly stunned.
In a daze, he thought he heard the sound of a keyboard being violently smashed. Write? What the hell!
The lights in the room were on, and he could see at a glance that the stove in the open-plan kitchen facing the door had already been extinguished, and the alchemical pot used for cooking soup was nowhere to be found.
An elderly man, slightly thin but full of vigor, sat in the small living room, leisurely drinking from a bowl of soup, while the alchemical pot sat empty on the table amidst a pile of bone remnants.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Zhang Hainan set down the bowl in his hand, gently patted his belly, turned around, and waved, “Oh? You’re back? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Come sit!”
Luxianbei was stunned for a moment before recovering, pointing at the empty alchemical pot on the table, “This soup…”
“Soup?” Zhang Hainan turned his head for a glance, smiling as he replied, “Oh, when I came, I saw you simmering something on the stove. It smelled quite nice, so I helped myself to a taste.”
Luxianbei looked at the completely empty pot and was momentarily speechless.
The marrow from the pork bones used for the broth had all been sucked clean. Do you call that “helping yourself to a taste”? Wait, you old man, what’s going on?
Though he’s old and still can eat, how come he wasn’t this enthusiastic when eating melons before? Luxianbei felt a belly full of resentment.
Exaggeratedly speaking, it felt like a student from the agricultural academy had spent several years cultivating their “graduation project,” only to have it eaten by some b*stard right before the defense.
Frustrating!
“Senior?”
“Aren’t you afraid I poisoned the soup?” Luxianbei asked. “One pound of soup, three pounds of trouble, just so you know?”
“No problem! There’s no poison in this world that can harm me,” Zhang Hainan chuckled. “By the way, what was this soup made for? It doesn’t seem like a finished product, does it?”
After nearly finishing an entire pot of soup, he finally realized why this broth gave him the feeling of being nearly perfect, like the fourteenth moon.
Because this pot of soup was still only half-finished!
To be honest, he was quite looking forward to the finished product’s taste. “Oh, this soup was meant to be used for making pearl jade and white jade soup.”
“It was originally made for the old turtle in the cold pond,” Luxianbei replied expressionlessly, “but you drank it, so it’s fine.”
What do you mean “it’s fine”? Zhang Hainan’s lips twitched slightly as his expression darkened. “Come sit! I have some things I want to discuss with you.”
I initially wanted to gently advise you, but now I’m really going to push you down the mountain!
Of course, it was just a verbal push.
Z Country people always like to compromise. If I say I want to push Luxianbei down the mountain, he’ll definitely resist, but if I ease it a bit and ask him to behave on the mountain, he’ll obediently comply.
That’s how Zhang Hainan’s plot outline was written.
But soon, he also heard the sound of a keyboard being smashed.
Luxianbei shrugged, walked forward, and sat down across from Zhang Hainan.
Before Zhang Hainan could open his mouth, Luxianbei quickly spoke first, “Actually, I just went to find you, but you were having visitors, so I took a stroll. Now that you’re here, it’s good. I won’t have to specially visit you.”
“I plan to leave Dachunyang Palace tomorrow, returning to Huacheng, wanted to say goodbye.” Zhang Hainan slightly parted his lips, wanting to say something.
Having his lines stolen by Luxianbei, he felt somewhat inexplicably like swallowing a quail egg whole while drinking soup, getting choked.
However, this sort of situation was small potatoes for an old monster like him. He showed no hint of embarrassment on his face. “Leaving? You haven’t been here long. Why not stay a little longer?”
After speaking, Zhang Hainan paused slightly. Seeing Luxianbei open his mouth to speak, he immediately activated his spirit energy, and with the power of thunder, he seized the conversational advantage with lightning speed, speaking so quickly his lips moved in a blur as small arcs of electricity flickered at the corners of his mouth.
“Alright!”
Zhang Hainan used the “an eye for an eye” tactic with remarkable effectiveness!
Luxianbei, “”
You old man, you really have a strong sense of revenge! Are you using spirit energy even in this kind of situation? Your voice even has an electric effect!
It turned out that to steal the spotlight from Luxianbei, even the Black Emperor would need to rely on suppressing spirit energy fluctuations—
One must admit, Qing Ji’s culinary skills, honed over many years at Yan Zhi Tavern, truly might surpass those of anyone else in the world, as he boasted.
Luxianbei had only learned seventy to eighty percent, yet he had already left Zhang Hainan unable to cope.
Not being careful, Zhang Hainan drank all the high-quality broth Luxianbei had prepared clean, and before he could escape the scene of the crime, was caught red-handed.
Although Zhang Hainan appeared calm, he felt a bit guilty.
Taking advantage of Luxianbei being suppressed into brief silence, he hurriedly changed the subject. “By the way Luxianbei, before you leave, I have some questions for you.”
“I recently received over a hundred complaints and reports from Dachunyang Palace disciples. Do you have any clues about this?” — here he employed the rhetorical device of exaggeration.
Everyone has made mistakes; how about we all take a step back? Taking a step back leads to greater heights, young man!
However, contrary to Zhang Hainan’s expectations, Luxianbei answered without thinking, seeming completely unrepentant for any wrongdoing. Absolutely not!
Although he had no idea what those complaints were about, they certainly had nothing to do with him!
During his time at Dachunyang Palace, he had always been helpful, charitable, and enjoying life. How could anyone complain about him? Luxianbei thought.
“None?” Zhang Hainan opened his half-squinted eyes, scrutinizing Luxianbei before asking, “Do you know who has been playing the suona in Dachunyang Palace at night recently?”
“It was me,” Luxianbei answered candidly. “Isn’t it because Huasang said that the senior brothers always have insufficient sleep? I thought I might help them out?”
If the morning bells don’t chime, nobody gets up, so they can all rest well, right? Sounds reasonable! Luxianbei thought.
Zhang Hainan fell silent for a moment, then pressed further, “And who stole the herbs from Qing Nang Herb Cottage a while ago?”
“Which b*stard is spreading rumors? How can you call it stealing? I call that collecting rewards!” Luxianbei defended.
He then recounted how he had decisively stopped a bullying incident and created magical girl transformations, detailing the process. This was a just act, totally reasonable! Luxianbei thought firmly.
Zhang Hainan fell silent again.
In the end, after secretly aiding, shouldn’t it be “after the matter is done, brush off your clothes and hide your achievements and name”?
After secretly assisting, he pops out to take the herbs, getting mistaken for someone taking advantage of the fire—it’s strange that he was not reported!
Of course, he hadn’t considered that Luxianbei’s involvement wasn’t a secret aid, but merely a straightforward mindset and means that were quite sunny.
After pondering for a few seconds, Zhang Hainan asked again, “And what about encouraging Fu Xinyi to have the disciples wear pink bunny ears and strange outfits to participate in the exchange meeting? How do you explain that?”
“What? Strange outfits?” Luxianbei tilted his head. I am confused; when did I teach her that?
She has her own eccentricities. Please don’t throw mud at me, okay?!
Zhang Hainan shot a glance at Luxianbei and then recounted what he had seen in Qing Hui Hall. After hearing it, Luxianbei rested his chin on one hand, falling into silence.
Didn’t expect that after letting loose, the senior sister could have so much fun?
It was like going to the hospital for a CT scan; the doctor asks you to take off your top, but you knowingly strip completely bare. “What? Can’t speak anymore?” Zhang Hainan looked sideways at Luxianbei.
Luxianbei shrugged, countering with a question, “You just tell me, whether the outcome was good or not!?”
A group of Dachunyang Palace disciples, wearing bunny ears in odd clothes, mingling with disciples infected by the pink fluffy rabbit…
Hearing Zhang Hainan describe the scene at the exchange meeting, Luxianbei knew the outcome had to be good. After all, collective embarrassment isn’t real embarrassment; instead, it fosters feelings and deepens friendship!
Zhang Hainan silently scrutinized Luxianbei for a moment before asking, “So, do you think you’re doing good deeds?”
“What do you mean, think? I’m already doing good!” Luxianbei proclaimed confidently. “Besides, didn’t you ask me to help more others?” Isn’t it unreasonable to be reported for doing good deeds?
Zhang Hainan blinked in surprise before giving Luxianbei an odd look, as if he had discovered something interesting about him.
That kind of calm and unfathomable gaze sent a shiver down Luxianbei’s spine, and he instinctively shifted backward. What does that old man mean? Is he planning to do something harmful since he can’t argue against me?
…
Doesn’t seem like he’s lying? Could it be that this kid really took my advice and started helping others? It seems different from the previous reading of his fortunes?
However, if he keeps this up, he’s likely to get killed within half a month after descending the mountain? Zhang Hainan thought.
Such matters resemble a classic villain acting in a traditional way but doing good deeds—it’s always easy to misunderstand.
Zhang Hainan thought, rubbing his slightly aching temples, and then waved his hand dismissively. “Forget it. I’m not here to make a scene with you.”
“Your recent actions in Dachunyang Palace have made many disciples and elders unhappy. I merely wanted to remind you to be careful. Since you’re leaving the mountain, I won’t say much more.”
While speaking, Zhang Hainan stood up and slowly walked towards the door. Just after walking a few steps, he suddenly heard a soft call from behind. “Wait!”
Zhang Hainan paused, turning back to ask, “What else is there?”
Luxianbei glanced at Zhang Hainan, then at the empty alchemical pot on the table, rolling his eyes, “You happily drank my soup meant for the old turtle and then just leave? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
“I merely tasted it!” Zhang Hainan maintained his composure, correcting, “I was just helping you check the flavor, how could that be called stealing?” You brat, I’ve been so kind to you. What’s wrong with drinking a bit of soup?
“So, are you not planning to admit it?”
“Nothing happened, so what’s there to admit?” Zhang Hainan replied shamelessly.
How could I admit it? As the grand master of Dachunyang Palace, it would be somewhat embarrassing if word got out that I couldn’t control my desires and snatched someone’s food.
Later, I’ll have Xuanji Zi make a pot to compensate Luxianbei. Xuanji Zi’s cooking isn’t bad either. Zhang Hainan thought.
Luxianbei looked at Zhang Hainan, pondering for a few seconds, not knowing what evil plan he was concocting. Then he expressionlessly responded, “Oh, then you can go. I won’t see you off.”
At Luxianbei’s words, Zhang Hainan suddenly felt an unspeakable sense of satisfaction, nodding nonchalantly before leisurely leaving Luxianbei’s residence. As soon as he stepped out of the house, Luxianbei slammed the door shut, locking it with a “click.”
Looking at the firmly shut door, Zhang Hainan shook his head, turning around to take a few steps down the corridor before his body stiffened, halting his steps.
He suddenly had an indescribable sense of special intuition, and an ominous premonition gradually rose in his heart.
He stopped and squinted slightly, glancing back at Luxianbei’s residence, pinched his fingers, divined with a simple toss, and the next moment, his eyes widened in shock.
Not good, that kid is up to no good!
