Chapter 104 At this moment, everyone is having a lively and joyful meal together! ...

The tables and chairs were already neatly arranged, and a bunch of pots, pans, and dishes were also brought along.

Lu Changqing was the first to spot them, and hopped over like a rabbit, calling out, "Senior sisters are back!"

She seemed to have been pushed forward to persuade the two of them. Even though she had acted first and informed them later, she still blinked, clasped her hands together, and said pitifully, "You senior sisters would like to have dinner together, right?"

Seeing that she was about to burst into tears, Qiao Yanshen smiled and nodded in agreement.

The people in the courtyard all turned their heads at once. Shen Lixia raised her hand and pointed to the three people, "I can understand you being here, but who are the others over there?"

Qiao Yanshen greeted them: "Senior Sister Xie, Senior Sister Zu, Junior Sister Yan... Hello."

"Hello, junior sister." Xie Chunan shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We met on the way and came over when we heard there was food."

Knowing he couldn't freeload, Zu Lan pulled out a bag of wrapped mutton and waved it around; Yan Jue Shu, who was next to him, saw this and slowly rummaged through the bag as well, finally pulling out some bottles, jars and leaves.

"Uh, these can be used as spices. My mother asked me to take them with me when she saw me off..."

Seeing them magically produce so many things, Xie Chunan secretly used her divine sense to explore her mustard seed space—good heavens, it was full of all kinds of pills, ores, and spirit stones, a complete mess, but there was no food at all.

The boy chuckled awkwardly, quickly suppressing his embarrassment, and adhering to the principle that if he wasn't embarrassed, others would be: "I miscalculated. I only brought my mouth with me, but my junior sisters are kind-hearted, they certainly won't kick me out, right?"

As she was speaking, she was about to take out a handful of spirit stones, but a hand stopped her.

Shen Lixia pressed down on Xie Chunan's wrist, recalling her performance during the junior competition, and readily said, "Of course, I'll trouble Senior Sister Xie with chopping the vegetables."

As the early autumn chill set in, a few yellowed leaves twirled and fell. The sounds of clinking utensils and conversations in the courtyard added a touch of human warmth to the desolate bamboo grove. The ingredients they had brought were laid out on the table, and Shen Lixia picked some out, grabbed a bag of flour, and went into the kitchen to make dumplings with her senior sister.

While the group outside was left to be tormented, Lu Changqing made a startling statement: "Are you sure you don't need to send someone in to keep an eye on things?"

Yan Jueshu tilted his head in confusion, "Even if you make fifty dumplings, it doesn't necessarily require three people."

"No, I mean, what if these two start slapping each other or getting intimate inside later?"

"I can understand the latter, but what about the former?" Lin Yuxian stopped counting the ingredients. "The senior sisters have a good relationship."

Lu Changqing glanced at her and sighed, "I have nothing to talk about with you people who don't read storybooks. This is the hottest drama of love and hate lately, 'When a woman's slap comes down...' Hey, Xiao Wu, why did you hit me!"

Wu Zhuyue withdrew her hand and said coldly, "Stop overthinking. If we don't start now, we'll have to wait until tonight to finish."

Lu Changqing rubbed her forehead, which had been reddened by the tap, stuck out her tongue, and sullenly slipped away to the well to chop vegetables. Feeling comfortable with the sword, she didn't bother with the kitchen knife, but instead drew her longsword and began to wield it. The fruits and vegetables were easily sliced ​​like paper, though the cuts looked somewhat odd due to her initial lack of skill.

Tang Huairou was at a loss for words: "Junior Sister Lu, wait a minute, you can't use a sword to cut vegetables."

Lin Yuxian was silent for a moment, then said, "I think we should speak up for celery and shepherd's purse."

They probably never imagined they would die such a miserable death when they were picked.

Wu Zhuyue washed the fruits and vegetables in her hands without looking up, "Isn't there a well over there? You can wash your sword anytime."

"You seem to have completely gotten used to her style." Lin Yuxian sat to the side, arranging the ingredients to create possible dishes, and wrote them down next to her. "By the way, do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"Junior Sister Shen can't handle spicy food," Tang Huairou suggested at the opportune moment. "It's best not to make every dish spicy."

Lin Yuxian crossed out a few dishes, deciding on the menu for the meal. Wu Zhuyue's voice then reached her ears: "True Lord Lanqiu sometimes does this too."

...Does it mean using your own signature knife to cut vegetables, or enjoying stories about lovers slapping each other, or something else?

Never mind. After a long silence, the boy finally managed to utter, "Well, thank you for your hard work."

After hearing this, she noticed that Wu Zhuyue's face was different from usual, and she felt that it carried a hint of numbness and indifference, making her seem even more miserable than she had been with her taciturn master. The day after Chi Yueying accepted her as a disciple, after explaining the rules, she suddenly said, "If someone always jokes with you because you are taciturn, or makes you feel like you can't fit in, you must speak up."

At that time, she didn't understand what was going on. Now, when they compared notes, the person Chi Yueying was talking about didn't seem like herself, but was closer to Wu Zhuyue.

Never mind, everyone has their own destiny. Besides, Junior Sister Wu doesn't seem as distressed as Master did when he said that; perhaps she's enjoying it.

Inside, Shen Lixia kneaded the dough, cut it into sections, picked up a dumpling wrapper, and pinched it into a small shape. On the other side, Qiao Yanshen had already mixed the filling and brought it over, placing it beside her.

The sounds of flowing water, clattering pots and pans, and the soft smacking of dough being kneaded in her hands blended together, bringing Shen Lixia a sense of complete relaxation. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she had returned to the days before she began cultivating, when she would prepare dinner in the same way after finishing her work.

Back then, my relationship with my senior sister wasn't this good. I only hoped she would come back because I wanted something new or a way to repair the spiritual veins. I didn't feel anxious and restless just because I didn't see her for a day.

Her first impression of her senior sister wasn't good either; she seemed like a glass doll. Just then, a hand reached out and took a piece of dough.

This hand clearly shows the changes: calluses and shallow scars mark its shape, the knuckles are more prominent, and it tightens gracefully, appearing more powerful—it is a true sword-wielding hand.

The traces will not disappear, and time cannot be turned back.

However, the palms are soft, and they are not as cold as I expected when I hold them; they gradually warm up.

Since the confession, her emotions had grown increasingly intense, as if boiling over. All Shen Lixia could do was keep pouring cold water on them. But the water itself was already scalding hot, churning countless times, constantly overflowing and stinging, releasing wisps of steam that dazzled her mind, briefly overshadowing the pain and longing, and giving her a slight feeling of happiness.

As long as I'm by my senior sister's side...

A person as gentle as water truly becomes water, lifting her up and letting her rise and fall.

"Senior Sister..."

Qiao Yanshen was slowly taming the dough in his hands when he heard her call and turned around: "What's wrong?"

Shen Lixia was silent for a moment, her voice trembling slightly. She raised her hand to brush away the stray hairs before regaining her composure and smiling, "Should we put something else in the dumplings?"

"Good idea." Qiao Yan pondered for a moment, then took out a piece of emerald green spirit stone. "Let's wrap this up."

Shen Lixia nodded. Only after Qiao Yanshen left to clean the spirit stones did she breathe a sigh of relief and place her hand on her chest.

"Thank goodness!" she thought, and the words slipped out unconsciously as she thought of her senior sister. She felt uneasy when she had her by her side, or sometimes she felt so at ease that she felt a surge of strength and confidence. Thinking back, her eyes welled up again. Shen Lixia remembered a phrase she'd heard before, something about how some people can't help but cry when they're overwhelmed with emotion; she guessed she was probably one of those people.

Her heartbeat calmed, a burning sensation spreading, bringing a kind of intoxicating, unsteady feeling. It was like the tide was surging in; her world had already fallen in love.

"Whoosh! Take this!"

A shout came from outside, instantly waking Shen Lixia and shattering the invisible pink bubble floating around her.

"Uh..." The boy patted his face and exchanged a glance with Qiao Yanshen, who had also heard the shout. "I'll go out and see what's going on."

Qiao Yanshen nodded, wiped the spirit stone clean, held it in his palm, and carefully used his spiritual power to carve strokes on it.

As soon as she stepped outside, Shen Lixia saw a chaotic scene in the courtyard—she didn't know what the group of people were doing, pots and pans were overturned, several fruits were rolling on the ground, and the small green vegetables were wilted and looked like they wouldn't live much longer.

She thought it was a spirit beast from some mountain that had run down, and she knew something was wrong. She quickly drew her sword, but then she heard a soft "poof" sound, and a cool sensation spread across her face as a persimmon bloomed on her cheek.

She wiped away the sticky juice, looked in the direction the persimmon had come from, met a pair of smiling eyes, and understood what had happened.

On the other side, Xie Chunan was still throwing fruits, which were quickly sliced ​​and scattered in the air by Wu Zhuyue and Yan Jueshu. Fortunately, Zulan was quick-witted and reached out a plate to catch them all.

"Excellent knife skills!" After saying that, she picked up a leg of lamb, her spiritual power surged, and she actually used it to slash out a sword aura.

Lu Changqing, who was nearby, changed his expression and waved his hand to block with water.

Whoosh!

The woman in blue beside her was splashed with splatter, and she could still faintly smell the incense.

Tang Huairou: ......

"Stop for a second..." Lin Yuxian ran away with the pot lid on her head, but she choked on half a bun as soon as she opened her mouth.

Shen Lixia smiled and withdrew her hand. "Sneak attack successful."

If you can't beat them, join them.

The atmosphere was tense, with spiritual energy surging. Xie Chunan took a deep breath and swung a lamb leg, unleashing streaks of swift sword energy. In an instant, fruits and vegetables flew through the air, pots and pans clattered, and the small courtyard became a fighting arena, where a chaotic battle was taking place.

With a snap, Lu Changqing flipped onto the table and shouted, "Occupy important cities!"

Wu Zhuyue, expressionless, tugged at her arm, but before she could even regain her balance, Lu Changqing tumbled off the long table. Startled, she quickly reached out to catch her, managing to hold Lu Changqing securely in her arms.

After a moment of silence, the clinking of the jade pendants ceased, leaving only the astonished gazes of her and Lu Changqing meeting. The boy, like a startled deer, sprang from her arms and shrank to the other side.

How strange. She usually tries to get close to her, but once you actually get close, she acts like this again. Wu Zhuyue turned around in annoyance, raising her hand to brush away the lingering floral fragrance on her body.

Suddenly, a clapping sound came from the other side of the house. Shen Lixia's hand, which was holding a carrot, froze. She stood at attention and tried to wink at the others.

The group, engrossed in their game, hadn't realized something was amiss when they heard a gentle voice:

Have you had enough fun?

Seemingly praising the exciting scene, the woman standing in front of the house smiled gently. Xie Chunan felt a chill run down her spine, and the other teenagers were also sweating profusely. Seeing that Qiao Yanshen had no intention of giving each of them a bump on the head, they hurriedly said in unison, "We'll clean up right away."

Qiao Yanshen nodded, but he didn't get angry. He just walked over and flicked Shen Lixia's forehead: "Are you joining in the fun too?"

Shen Lixia stuck out her tongue and obediently let her be flicked, without crying out in pain as usual. "I was wrong..."

Lin Yuqian, who had been running around, finally settled down, put the pot lid back, and stood close to Tang Huairou, whose clothes had dried, looking at the messy scene on the table with great distress.

Everything that needed to be cut was cut, and apart from some cooked food being eaten, the losses weren't too great. Lu Changqing and Xie Chunan, who started the chaos, were sent to buy new groceries, while the rest of the group obediently continued preparing the meal.

The brown sugar glutinous rice cakes sizzled as they were added to the pan, releasing an aroma that instantly filled the air. Qiao Yanshen felt relieved and murmured, "This is really nice."

Seeing Shen Lixia's cautious look, she smiled and added, "It's good to make a fuss."

This means you're not angry. The boy leaned over and nuzzled her hair before returning to the stove to scoop up the glutinous rice cake. "Senior sister actually smiled just now."

Shen Lixia hummed a tune she couldn't remember the song title softly, but she no longer missed home. This moment felt more real than any past memory; the people around her vividly intertwined, creating the purest, most beautiful colors of autumn. She seemed to have no desire to go back.

Here she has a revered master who is like a mother, friends who care about her, and her eldest sister.

Tang Huairou came into the room at this moment. It was not advisable to drink alcohol tomorrow, so she took the kettle and began to boil water to make flower tea.

The gurgling sound of water echoed, and the sweet aroma of brown sugar filled the room. The three were busy with their own things, remaining silent. The young man sat leisurely by the kettle, then suddenly remembered someone and asked, "Speaking of which, I wonder how Fellow Daoist Xi is doing now? Did you encounter her in the past four years?"

Shen Lixia was speechless for a moment.

“Hmm, she…” Qiao Yanshen pondered for a moment, “We did run into her once, but we don’t know where she went after that. However, she said she would write to us.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of the window, flapped its wings, flew into the room, and landed on Qiao Yanshen's shoulder.

“This is—” Shen Lixia’s gaze fell on the uninvited guest, which was entirely black.

This was clearly a messenger. It carried a letter in its beak, and after regaining its balance, it nuzzled Qiao Yanshen's cheek, gesturing for her to extend her hand. Qiao Yanshen placed her palm in front of it; the handwriting was unfamiliar, seemingly hastily written—

"If fate allows, we will meet again!"

It's not hard to guess who would send them a letter with such words, and who would happen to choose a raven, a rare breed among messengers, to deliver it.

Tang Huairou walked over curiously and, reading the writer's expression, laughed, "Looks like whoever she mentioned will receive it."

Shen Lixia took the letter and examined it from all angles, as if she wanted to tear off the words and savor them to see if they were real. She took a deep breath, her lips curving upwards involuntarily, and her eyes gleaming.

Qiao Yanshen moved slightly closer to her, went around behind her, and gently took her hand.

"Don't cry." Her gentle voice rang in Shen Lixia's ear. "Smile."

Dinner wasn't served until evening. As darkness fell, lamps were lit in the courtyard, and a fire was lit to dispel the damp chill. Aside from stewed mutton, the dishes on the table were mostly stir-fried, with little oil or sauce.

Two plates of pastries were placed near the younger people, but the first bite was taken by Chen Lixia.

Qiao Yanshen's eyes flickered, and he placed another piece of brown sugar glutinous rice cake on her plate. The stewed meat was steaming hot, and there was a special dipping sauce dish next to it, the chili oil gleaming with a reddish luster.

The group consisted of people who either rarely attended such banquets, or who had secluded themselves in the mountains since joining the sect and never ventured out into the world. Some, however, observed that no one had raised their glasses and thus hadn't mentioned it. They chatted and ate for a while before remembering to clink glasses, and couldn't help but laugh.

Nine cups clinked in the air. Qiao Yanshen looked at the smiles on everyone's faces, and thought that this scene was probably the "only time" that would never be repeated. But there are too many "only times" in the world. Perhaps it is not good to always be anxious about gains and losses.

She calmly picked up a piece of honey-smeared steamed bun and placed it in Chen Lixia's bowl, no longer thinking about it. Not far away, Yu Xiang floated in the air, quietly capturing this scene in her image.

"Wait a minute, don't rush to eat dumplings." Shen Lixia tapped the rim of the bowl. "There's something inside. Everyone take one and see who gets to eat it."

Qiao Yanshen said, "Be careful not to bump your teeth."

The remaining few exchanged glances silently, feeling that the plate of dumplings on the table, even without sugar, tasted sweeter than if they had been sweetened, carrying the unspoken tenderness and affection between the two ambiguous individuals. They wondered if taking a bite would be too cloyingly sweet.

However, they still ate, one chopstick for each person, and the rest were fried dumplings, piled up to one side.

"Hmm..." Wu Zhuyue frowned slightly and put down the dumplings. Her voice drew the attention of all eight people, and those who were nearby even squeezed in to see if she had won the jackpot.

Upon closer inspection, a jade-green spirit stone was indeed found inside the dumpling, which she picked out with her chopsticks. Wu Zhuyue thought it was a bit silly, but since it was a token of her two senior sisters' kindness, she didn't say anything directly. Instead, she picked up the spirit stone and examined it carefully.

Yan Jueshu exclaimed, "I thought it was a gold ingot! What can you do with a spirit stone? A jar of preserved plum candy costs three spirit stones."

Shen Lixia smiled silently. Tang Huairou noticed something amiss, and after examining it closely, read aloud the two small characters engraved on the spirit stone:

"As one wishes?"

Combined with the peace pendant around her neck, it created a sense of good fortune, like a waning moon becoming full, perfectly fitting.

Lu Changqing wasn't drunk, but he was already dizzy from the warm atmosphere, and he laughed foolishly: "Oh dear, now Xiao Wu has 'peace and good fortune'!"

Qiao Yanshen smiled and said, "I wish Junior Sister Wu peace and happiness."

"May all your wishes come true!" Shen Lixia replied, clinking glasses with Wu Zhuyue. The young man's face flushed, and he seemed somewhat flustered.

It was supposed to be a farewell banquet for her senior classmates, so why were they suddenly congratulating her? She couldn't speak, but her heart was filled with warmth. The depths of her heart, which had been relatively calm, were now overflowing with a gentle yet strange feeling, as if she were no longer there, and no longer alone. Although being alone wasn't bad, having these people around her seemed even better. The word "happiness," which she had never thought about before, suddenly took on a concrete shape.

It even surpasses the peace of mind one feels when staying by their master's side.

Several more people then offered their blessings to the junior sister who had only been there for a year. Lin Yuxian, who rarely spoke, was the last to speak and complained indignantly, "You've all said your piece! I might as well say some blessings to Senior Sister Chen and Senior Sister Qiao, since they're about to leave the sect again."

Although leaving the sect for a mission might only last a week or two, it could also mean not seeing each other for four years, like last time. She thought for a moment, then decided that such a broad term wasn't appropriate, so she raised her voice slightly and said:

"Each strives on their own path, though separated by a thousand miles, we share the same wind. Wishing all my fellow disciples abundant opportunities on their journey."

Even though they had only known each other for a short time, Xie Chunan and the others naturally felt a sense of closeness. As fellow women and disciples of the sect, they were all in the prime of their lives and had an innate affinity for each other without needing to say much. An invisible force bound them together. As the saying goes, "No fight, no friendship," and after a small competition, the sect was no longer silent but instead became incomparably vibrant.

"Have a safe journey!" The boys raised their glasses again, their voices filled with laughter, offering their congratulations.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, only Qiao Yanshen heard the young man beside him sigh softly, "How wonderful."

Unbeknownst to them, on the other side of Siling Peak, the same bright lights were shining and the same laughter was echoing.

What is the best moment?

Perhaps this is the best moment.

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Author's note: Okay, finally finished writing after all that dragging on. And now it's time for another long trip!

I actually wrote a Qingming Festival side story, but I'm worried I won't remember the details, so I've decided to release it later. It's about Teacher Xueya and her (former) senior sister.

I'm so busy preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam and my thesis at the same time TVT But I'll finish it properly, don't worry about me messing it up.