Chapter 22 Yunniang Awakens
If we're talking about the food Qin Wuyan hates the most, steamed buns are definitely number one.
Mu Yao became curious: "Master, why don't you like steamed buns?"
His expression shifted slightly, the smile in his eyes vanished, and he seemed to see again the child from many years ago, beaten and covered in blood, cowering in a corner, so helpless, so terrified...
He closed his eyes, unwilling to recall that time. His calm eyes stared at the plate of plump buns on the table, his smile icy: "It's nothing, I just don't like them."
Sometimes, liking something doesn't need a reason, and neither does disliking it.
Seeing that he seemed unhappy but unwilling to explain why, Mu Yao rolled her eyes, tossed aside the half-eaten bun in her hand, and said angrily, "If Master doesn't like it, then I don't like buns either."
Qin Wuyan was amused by her words. "If you like it, then eat it. Why not eat it just because I don't like it?" As he spoke, he moved the bun in front of him closer to her.
"The steamed buns in the cafeteria come in many flavors; you can try a little of each."
Mu Yao shook her head: "I don't want to. I want to have the same taste as Master. Master, besides steamed buns, is there anything else you don't like to eat?"
No one had ever asked him such a question before, and Qin Wuyan couldn't answer it for a moment. After all, he had lived through days of hunger and deprivation; back then, having anything to eat was a blessing, let alone being picky about food. It was only after he had enough to eat and wear that he discovered he instinctively felt disgust for anything related to the humiliating experiences of that past.
After thinking for a long time, the sect leader of Tianli Divine Sect finally said, "Fish, I don't like to eat fish."
Mu Yao asked again, "Is there anything else?"
"There shouldn't be any more."
"What does Master like to eat?"
Qin Wuyan rubbed his forehead, feeling that she seemed to have a lot of problems today. Holding his chopsticks, he pointed to the pastries on the table and said, "Osmanthus cake, rose pastry, walnut pastry, dragon beard noodles, plum blossom soup dumplings. These are the things I eat most often. As for vegetables, I'm not picky about anything except fish and mildly spicy dishes."
After hearing this, Mu Yao's eyes lit up and she said, "So Master also likes osmanthus cake. I love osmanthus cake the most too, and I also love plum blossom soup dumplings the most."
She finished the last sip of soup with satisfaction: "My mother says I'm the pickiest eater."
She counted on her fingers: "I dislike garlic, cilantro, and houttuynia cordata the most. I don't want any of those dishes. I don't like chive dumplings either. But I really like stir-fried chives with eggs. I don't like spicy food either, but I feel it's boring if there's no spice at all. I love any sweet desserts, but I can't stand sweet dishes. Well, except for tofu pudding. I like sweet tofu pudding, but my dad has to eat savory tofu pudding. So my mom used to say that my dad and I have very picky tastes and are really hard to please."
Qin Wuyan listened silently without saying a word, but his smile remained. He waved to Elder Liu, who was not far away, and the man quickly ran over: "What are your orders, Sect Master?"
"Make a note of the vice sect leader's preferences. From now on, you will be responsible for her meals."
Elder Liu nodded and looked at Mu Yao: "Vice Sect Master, please speak. I will certainly keep it in mind."
Mu Yao had only intended to chat with Qin Wuyan about their favorite foods, but she hadn't expected him to have someone specifically write them down. Before she could speak, Qin Wuyan's voice rang out first:
"I'll speak for her, listen carefully. She likes all sweet desserts, her favorite is osmanthus cake. The food can't be too spicy, but it can't be completely without spice either. No garlic, herbs, or houttuynia cordata in the seasonings. No chives in the dumplings, but chives stir-fried with eggs is okay. She only eats sweet tofu pudding, not salty. Got it all?"
Elder Liu wiped his sweat and nodded, saying, "I've got it all in mind."
Mu Yao was stunned for a long time. Qin Wuyan could repeat her preferences word for word? She was overjoyed and full of admiration. She rested her chin on her hands and looked at him: "Master is so amazing."
Qin Wuyan blinked and smiled, "These meals aren't just for free. You need to work hard in your cultivation from now on and not be lazy. Otherwise, I won't let them cook for you anymore."
Seeing that he was constantly urging her to cultivate, Mu Yao couldn't help but feel like teasing him. She curled up her lips and smiled mischievously: "Yes, yes, yes, this disciple will obey the sect master's orders!"
Qin Wuyan gave a helpless smile, but his eyes were full of doting affection.
After the two finished their meal in the dining hall, Qin Wuyan took her back to Peach Blossom Garden to continue her cultivation. In the evening, she tried to infuse her spiritual energy into her mother's body again. Although Yunniang was still unconscious, her pulse was stronger than before.
For seven consecutive days, on this night, Mu Yao had just finished channeling her spiritual energy into Yun Niang when she caught a glimpse of the person on the bed. Her withered lips twitched slightly, her eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes, a faint but real radiance flowing between them.
She called out in a very soft voice, "Yao'er..."
Mu Yao was stunned for a moment before she reacted. Overjoyed, she grabbed Yun Niang's wrist and exclaimed, "Mother! Mother! You're finally awake!" She couldn't help but shout towards the door, "Master, my mother is awake! She's awake!"
Qin Wuyan rushed in upon hearing the noise, only to find Mu Yao holding Yunniang's hand. Overjoyed, she wept, hot tears streaming down her face and onto her clothes. Her voice choked with sobs, "Mother...you scared me to death! I...I...I thought I'd never see you again..."
The immense weight that had been pressing on his heart for days finally lifted, and Qin Wuyan breathed a long sigh of relief. He stepped forward to take Yunniang's pulse, and sure enough, it had returned to the normal pulse of an ordinary person.
But he was even more puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Yunniang, do you remember what happened?"
Yunniang nodded gently, struggling to sit up. Mu Yao quickly stepped forward to help her mother sit up, letting her lean against the headboard. At this point, she didn't know how much time had passed, only that she had just been rescued after being attacked.
“I received a letter from home. I was going to come back and tell Yao’er about it, but suddenly a plume of black smoke appeared on the way. The smoke seemed to be haunting my body. I couldn’t see or hear anything, and then I passed out. I have no idea what happened.”
Qin Wuyan asked, "Do you remember where we met?"
Yunniang said, "It's on the main road from Tianhu Mountain to Taowu Mountain."
The right path? Qin Wuyan recalled that Xie Qingqiu had told him that Yunniang was found on a small path and hidden in the grass.
"Did you hear anything? Or do you remember anything else from that day?"
Yunniang pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I didn't hear any sound. But the road was unusually quiet that day. I usually encounter other people when I walk that road, but I was the only one there. At first, I thought I had taken the wrong turn, and then the black smoke came out."
Recalling the bizarre situation at the time, she still felt a chill run down her spine.
Qin Wuyan then asked, "What about the letter you received? Who sent it to you? Was it really sent by your family?"
Yunniang nodded. "The letter is on me." As she spoke, she reached into her sleeve to retrieve the letter, but her sleeve was empty.
"That's strange, where's the letter?" She looked at Mu Yao: "Yao'er, did you put it away?"
"No, I didn't find any letter on my mother."
Mu Yao carefully recalled the day she found Yunniang. She and Xie Qingqiu examined Yunniang for a long time but found nothing suspicious, nor did they find any letter.
Yunniang was also puzzled, "Could it be that I fell somewhere after I fainted?"
Qin Wuyan frowned in thought. Xie Qingqiu had brought the person back that day. Xie Qingqiu was meticulous, and if he had really found the letter, he wouldn't have kept it from him. But it was pouring rain that day, and the letter could very well have fallen and been washed away by the rain.
He thought for a moment, then asked, "What did the letter say? Who wrote it to you?"
Yunniang sighed softly and said, "It was written to me by my elder brother. The contents of the letter..." She looked at Mu Yao, hesitating to speak.
Mu Yao asked, "Mother, what did Uncle say in his letter? Did he want you to come home?"
Yunniang sighed, her eyes filled with hesitation. After thinking for a long time, she finally spoke, "Yao'er, you'll be ten years old soon. There are some things I..."
Qin Wuyan seemed to guess what she was going to say, but Mu Yao was still young, how could he let her know that she actually had no father or mother?
"Wait!" Qin Wuyan interrupted Yunniang. His brows furrowed, his expression complex, his gaze deep, and he subtly shook his head at Yunniang.
Yunniang was surprised. Did Qin Wuyan already know what she was going to say?
In an instant, he shifted his gaze and looked at Mu Yao with a much gentler expression: "Yao'er, you go out first, I need to say a few words to your mother."
Mu Yao asked, puzzled, "What does Master want to ask? Why can't I listen?"
Qin Wuyan patted her head and said gently, "Some things are only for adults to talk about. Be good, why don't you go out first?"
Mu Yao remained unmoved. Her once bright and deep eyes seemed to freeze. She stared at Qin Wuyan and refused resolutely, "I don't want to. I want to listen. Mother hasn't said anything yet, so why does Master want me to leave?"
He couldn't help but gently scold, "Yao'er, be good!"
"I don't!"
She has always been stubborn, and she vaguely guessed that what Qin Wuyan and Yunniang were going to talk about must be related to her, so she was unwilling to go out no matter what.
Qin Wuyan was helpless and was about to pull her out when Yunniang stopped him: "Sect Master,"
Yunniang said softly, "Let her stay here. It's time for Yao'er to make her own decision."
“But…” Qin Wuyan paused, then sighed softly, “I’m afraid she’ll feel bad if she hears this.”
Yunniang was a little confused. How could Qin Wuyan have guessed what she was going to say? After thinking about it, she felt that Qin Wuyan seemed to treat Mu Yao very well. Even if Mu Yao didn't want to go with him, she would definitely be protected by him.
“Yao’er,” she said, taking her daughter’s hand, “it’s like this, your uncle and grandmother heard that I’m unmarried, so they wrote to me asking me to return to Heyang City. They’ve already found someone for me. They say they want me to remarry…”
She sighed and continued, "Your grandmother is getting old, and I must go back to visit her. But I don't know if you'd like to stay with your mother and let me find you another father, or stay on Fox Ridge Mountain and cultivate with the sect leader?"
Mu Yao's eyes widened. What had her mother just said? She wanted to leave Fox Ridge Mountain and remarry?
She found it hard to accept at first.
Qin Wuyan, who had been tense and worried, breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Yunniang's words. He had thought that Yunniang was going to reveal that Mu Yao was not her biological daughter.
Mu Yao was torn. She didn't want to leave her mother, but she also didn't want to leave Qin Wuyan. She held Yunniang's hand and pleaded, "Mother, don't go. Just stay with me on Fox Ridge Mountain. I'll protect you. I'll never let anything happen to you again. Please don't go."
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. How could they treat her like this? She had worked so hard to cultivate and revive her mother, yet her mother still wanted to leave her.
"Alas!" Yunniang sighed again. "Yao'er, for an ordinary mortal woman like me, I have no aptitude for cultivation and have never been to school. All I ever wanted in my life was to marry into a good family, be a good wife and mother, and live a peaceful and uneventful life. There's no use for me staying on Fox Ridge Mountain, and besides, your grandmother is unwell, and I don't want to go against her wishes. If you really can't bear to leave me, you can come with me. However, I don't even know what kind of person I'll marry, so I can't guarantee that I can provide you with a good life."
Mu Yao cried, "I don't want to, I don't want to leave you, I don't want to leave Master, I...I..." She had been channeling spiritual energy into Yun Niang these past few days, and each time she finished, her body would become extremely exhausted. Coupled with her current emotional state, she suddenly fainted.
"Yao'er!"
Yunniang and Qin Wuyan exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
Qin Wuyan quickly caught her, checked her pulse, and said, "Don't worry, she's just exhausted from consuming too much spiritual energy and needs to rest."
Yunniang was relieved after hearing this.
Qin Wuyan carried Mu Yao back to her room to sleep, and fearing something might happen to her, he also cast a protective barrier.
He returned to Yunniang's room, bowed his head and looked down respectfully before her bed, and said, "Yunniang, I have a request to make."
Yunniang smiled and said, "Is what the sect leader wants to talk about Yao'er's background?"
Qin Wuyan nodded slightly: "Not bad."
Yunniang wasn't too surprised. Three years ago, when Qin Wuyan took the initiative to find Mu Yao, she felt there must be a reason behind it, but Qin Wuyan appeared too infrequently at that time, so she didn't want to ask. After her husband passed away suddenly, and Qin Wuyan took Mu Yao under his wing, she became even more suspicious of the relationship between Mu Yao and Qin Wuyan.
She asked curiously, "Then what is the relationship between Mu Yao and the Sect Master...?" She had suspected that Mu Yao was Qin Wuyan's daughter, but Qin Wuyan was too young and had never married. Her husband had also said that Qin Wuyan didn't seem like the type to abandon his child, much less disown him. Therefore, she found it difficult to guess the true relationship between the two.
Qin Wuyan said, "She is the daughter of an old friend of mine. Her father passed away six years ago. I was entrusted by my old friend on his deathbed to find his daughter and protect her for the rest of her life."
Speaking of which, the Ghost King was indeed an old friend of his. Although he had no intention of entrusting Qin Wuyan to anyone, he had never forgotten that year when he expressed his intention to propose marriage to the Ghost King. The Ghost King had said that if Biyao agreed, then it would be fine.
Now that Biyao has been reborn, although she has lost her memory, she will never forget her promise.
If the Ghost King has a spirit in heaven, he certainly wouldn't object to what he said.
Yunniang looked slightly surprised and murmured, "So that's how it is. I was thinking before, the sect leader is so young and unmarried, Yao'er doesn't seem like your child... Besides..." Her voice was very soft at the last two words, barely audible from a distance. Yunniang wanted to say, "Besides, although you treat her like a daughter, the way you look at Mu Yao is very different from how a father looks at his daughter."
She felt that besides doting and care, there was also a hidden affection in those eyes that was hard for others to detect.
But she didn't say it out loud. After all, they were now master and disciple, and Mu Yao was still a child. It wouldn't be good if people heard gossip about it.
Qin Wuyan was unaware that Yunniang had seen through so much. He was only worried that Mu Yao would have more questions after learning about his background, so he said, "However, although she is the daughter of an old friend of mine, she is still young and has lost her father. I would like to ask you not to tell her about this."
Yunniang nodded with a smile, suddenly understanding why Qin Wuyan had asked her to leave when Mu Yao was there. She said, "Sect Master, don't worry, I didn't plan to tell her anyway. Although she's not my biological daughter, she's called me 'Mother' for so many years. I've always considered her my own child. Besides, Yao'er will have to stay on Fox Ridge Mountain from now on. With you as her master to teach and take care of her, I can go back with peace of mind."
Qin Wuyan said, "Since you want to leave, I won't force you to stay. However, you just woke up today and are still very weak, so it's not advisable for you to travel and exert yourself. I also need to go to Heyang in two months. In my opinion, you should write back to your family first and say that you will return in two months. Even if they have found you a husband, they probably aren't in a hurry. You can rest and recuperate in Fox Ridge Mountain, and you can spend more time with Yao'er. In two months, Yao'er and I will personally escort you back to Heyang. What do you think?"
Yunniang pondered for a moment, then said gratefully, "That's fine, but I'll have to trouble the sect leader."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
