Chapter 18
The moment Jiang Liuya opened the door, the blue-robed immortal master standing with his hands behind his back came into view.
At this moment, Danxi turned around, her clothes fluttering slightly.
The two looked at each other, and for a moment they didn't know what to say.
On the day they parted, Jiang Liuya sensed that the immortal master seemed to have something on his mind, but she didn't know how to comfort him.
"Immortal Master, I have achieved Foundation Establishment." Jiang Liuya forced a smile.
"Hmm," Danxi replied calmly.
At this moment, Song Chu and Li Yuan also arrived. Seeing the changes in Jiang Liuya, they happily offered their congratulations.
"Liu Ya, you've already reached the Foundation Establishment stage at less than twenty years old, that's amazing!" Li Yuan exclaimed in amazement.
"Yes, Senior Sister is now the youngest Foundation Establishment disciple in the history of our Imperial Pill Sect." Song Chu echoed, his eyes full of admiration.
Jiang Liuya smiled smugly and said proudly, "Of course."
"Willow Bud, what does it feel like to have reached the Foundation Establishment stage?" Li Yuan asked curiously.
“Of course I think I’m better,” Jiang Liuya said jokingly.
Amidst the lively atmosphere, Jiang Liuya inadvertently noticed that behind them, the immortal master quietly walked away alone.
His back view seemed somewhat lonely, and a faint sense of loss welled up in Jiang Liuya's heart.
"No way! I'm going to hunt a wild boar in the mountains today. On such a good day, I have to have a delicious meal!" Song Chu shouted excitedly, breaking the silence and pulling Jiang Liuya back to reality.
“Okay, I’ll go with you,” Li Yuan replied immediately.
"Looks like I've got some big stuff to do today," Jiang Liuya said, both amused and somewhat helpless. Another day as a cook.
In the evening, the three brothers and sisters sat together.
The campfire roared, and the pork, roasted over the flames, gradually turned golden and crispy, sizzling and releasing an enticing aroma. Combined with Jiang Liuya's secret spice blend, the fragrance was so rich it was enough to make your mouth water.
Immediately, Jiang Liuya opened a jar of aged highland barley wine, and a rich and mellow aroma slowly wafted out.
Jiang Liuya's eyes lit up when she smelled the aroma of the wine. She said, "I'll go invite the Immortal Master over now to enjoy this fine wine together. And it's a deal, none of you are allowed to start eating first."
As dusk settled, the sunset on the horizon resembled a magnificent painting.
Jiang Liuya walked through the corridor and came to Danxi's house, where the door was half-closed.
She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time.
She gently pushed open the door, but the room was empty.
Jiang Liuya turned around and looked around for a moment before seeing him standing by the porch.
He stood there quietly, tall and slender, exuding an extraordinary aura.
At that moment, he stared blankly at a green vine that meandered up the pillars of the porch, trembling gently in the breeze, as if having a silent conversation with the person in front of him.
The sunset cast its glow upon him, outlining a faint silhouette, conveying an indescribable sense of loneliness.
It was as if there was an invisible barrier separating him from the world.
Jiang Liuya softly called out, "Immortal Master..."
The immortal master in green robes turned around, the afterglow of the sunset shining on his face. His eyes were deep and distant, as if they held endless thoughts.
Jiang Liuya was slightly taken aback, thinking that the immortal master must be very sad. She suddenly appeared in an unfamiliar place, facing a group of unfamiliar people, while he was injured and had lost his memory, unable to remember anything.
Jiang Liuya stepped forward, breaking the silence with a sweet smile: "Immortal Master, would you do me the honor of sharing some fine wine with me?"
Soon, Jiang Liuya arrived with the cultivator in blue robes.
Song Chu and Li Yuan obediently sat down and waited.
Jiang Liuya specially prepared a small stool for Danxi to sit on, and thoughtfully filled his bowl with wine. The wine was fragrant and mellow.
Song Chu cut the roasted pork, put the most delicious hind leg meat into a bowl, and gave it to Danxi.
Danxi merely took a sniff, her brows furrowing, clearly disliking the smell of meat.
Jiang Liuya had already prepared two plates of pastries for him, which were sweet and soft, just the kind of flavor that the immortal master liked.
The three siblings grew up together and, after having a few drinks, started joking around.
With his mouth full, Song Chu confessed to Jiang Liuya, "Senior sister, meeting you is the greatest luck of my life."
"You little fellow Daoist, stop with your glib talk! I'll make it for you again next time," Jiang Liuya said with a smile.
Li Yuan downed two bowls of wine and was a little drunk: "Little Willow Sprout, your master has always doted on you since you were little, saying you're incredibly smart and incredibly capable... When I was little, I didn't understand and always thought your master was biased, but now it seems you really are talented..."
"So when you were little, you put a dead mouse under my pillow because I was distracting Master..."
Danxi watched the three of them laughing and joking together, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
This seemed to be a completely new and exciting experience.
Jiang Liuya came over to pour him more wine.
Danxi said calmly, "Thank you."
Jiang Liuya could sense that after the Foundation Establishment Pill was refined that day, the Immortal Master's attitude towards her was always somewhat cold and distant.
She didn't want it to be like this. They weren't like this before.
She suddenly remembered that day in the alchemy room, when her face got dirty and he gently wiped it with his sleeve.
The focus and gentleness in his eyes...
Even just a memory would make her heart skip a beat.
Jiang Liuya mustered her courage, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness: "Immortal Master, we're already so familiar with each other, there's no need to be so polite."
Danxi remained silent, letting out a barely perceptible sigh, her eyes filled with helplessness and melancholy.
She wanted to smooth away the melancholy in her eyes.
The firelight flickered, and as Jiang Liuya gazed at the dancing flames, a sudden impulse welled up within her.
She turned her head to look at Danxi beside her, her eyes sparkling.
Jiang Liuya suddenly asked, "Immortal Master, may I call you by a different name from now on?"
Danxi paused slightly, turned to look at her, her eyes full of confusion: "What should we call you?"
Jiang Liuya thought for a moment, her heart racing involuntarily. She tentatively asked, "I don't want to call you Immortal Master anymore. I'll call you... Brother Qingyi. Is that alright?"
Actually, she herself didn't know why she asked that question.
Perhaps he was a little tipsy after being given a few extra bowls of wine by A Yuan and Xiao Chu.
She looked straight at him, the campfire casting flickering light on her face, outlining her captivating features.
In those eyes, there was anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of shyness.
Danxi felt her mind go blank and her ears were ringing.
All the composure and self-control he usually maintained crumbled at this moment.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze lingered on her face for a long time, his eyes focused and burning.
After a long pause, he replied in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
After receiving the reply, Jiang Liuya felt both ashamed and excited, her cheeks burning.
After a long while, she continued to ask, "Then from now on, will you call me Liuya like Master and Senior Brother do, okay?"
"Mmm," Danxi said softly.
Sitting opposite them, Song Chu watched them chat quietly, the atmosphere tender and intimate. One dressed in green, the other in blue, they looked strangely well-matched sitting together…
"Senior sister, don't let someone kidnap you. You know I can't live without you..." Song Chu suddenly leaned over and hugged Jiang Liuya tightly.
As she spoke, she glanced at Danxi beside her and mumbled, "Well, you just need to win over the person you like, just don't run off with them..."
...
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