That afternoon, Shen Yuwei began teaching him the breath-concealment technique.
But before that, seeing that Xu Ning could cook, she first took out a basket of fresh meat and vegetables.
Looking at the greens still bearing dewdrops in the basket, then at the neatly sliced fresh meat beside them, Xu Ning’s expression turned somewhat strange.
Shen Yuwei noticed his gaze and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”
Xu Ning hesitated for a moment.
“Senior Immortal Shen, you’re quite different from the immortals I’ve met before.”
“Am I?”
Shen Yuwei said carelessly, “They’re just ingredients.”
On Cold Sword Peak, Xu Ning had mostly eaten spirit pills and spirit rice, completely devoid of flavor.
Shen Yuwei, on the other hand—
Not only did she carry ingredients with her, she clearly knew how to cook as well.
Xu Ning’s gaze fell on the basket of greens.
The water droplets on the leaf tips were still wet, as if they had just been picked from a field.
But there were no vegetable plots on Zhaoyue Cliff.
It seemed these things had been stored away in a treasure like a mustard-seed pouch all along.
He had read some miscellaneous books before, knowing that immortals possessed techniques like “sleeves of heaven and earth” capable of swallowing all things.
Such precious treasures ought to hold spirit pills, magical artifacts, flying swords, jade slips, and the like.
Using one to carry a basket of greens was honestly beyond his imagination.
Shen Yuwei could tell what he was thinking and laughed softly.
“No need to think so mysteriously. It’s just a storage pouch.”
She lifted her sleeve slightly.
“Since it’s empty anyway, I put some ingredients in. It’s convenient to take out on the road.”
Xu Ning looked at her with an even stranger expression.
“Do immortals get hungry too?”
Back on Cold Sword Peak, Lu Hanyi had never mentioned food or drink.
After waking, she mostly took pills, drank dew, and regulated her breathing, like a celestial maiden untouched by mortal affairs.
No, she was a celestial maiden to begin with…
Shen Yuwei was momentarily caught off guard by his question, then a smile rose in her eyes.
“Whether I get hungry is one thing; whether I want to eat is another.”
Her tone carried a rare note of righteous stubbornness.
“I just enjoy good food. So what?”
“Anyway, I’ve already formed my golden core. My foundation is set. It’s not like I’ll gain weight.”
Such an attitude, coming from her normally gentle and refined mouth, added a touch of girlish playfulness.
Xu Ning could only respond with silence.
But Shen Yuwei pressed on relentlessly.
“What about you?”
“A male pharmacist—how do you know how to cook?”
Xu Ning smiled helplessly.
“I lived alone in town.”
“How could I not cook for myself?”
—
This meal left Shen Yuwei quite satisfied.
Having someone to share a table with, and having her cooking skills affirmed, even Xu Ning rarely showed a smile.
After he cleaned up, Shen Yuwei washed her hands as well.
The two sat across from each other, and her fingertip pressed against his wrist.
Then Shen Yuwei carefully explained the breath-concealment method.
Following her guidance, Xu Ning attempted to circulate the spiritual energy within his body.
At first, the spiritual energy inside him still leaked out, causing the flower petals by the table to gently unfurl.
After several attempts, the petals stopped moving.
Shen Yuwei looked at him, surprise appearing in her eyes.
She had originally thought Xu Ning would need at least two or three days just to find the threshold.
She hadn’t expected that after half a day, he could already control the leaking spiritual energy.
With such natural talent, paired with a wood-attribute spiritual root, he truly was a good match for Hanyi.
If she had been able to see things clearly earlier, perhaps many matters wouldn’t have come to this point.
“Hanyi’s body has improved quite a bit.”
She suddenly brought it up as if with a sigh.
Xu Ning abruptly opened his eyes and looked at her in confusion.
Shen Yuwei softened her tone.
“She knows she’s owed you much over these years. It’s just that she’s always been cold by nature, not good at expressing herself.”
“You… can…”
Xu Ning was silent for a moment, then interrupted her.
“It’s good that Senior Immortal Lu has recovered. There’s no need to say anything more.”
“As for everything else, she and I are already even. There are no entanglements between us.”
Shen Yuwei looked at him, not knowing what else to say on her disciple’s behalf.
Xu Ning didn’t even ask for an apology.
Saying anything more would be useless.
She didn’t respond further, raising her hand to signal him to continue practicing the breath-concealment technique.
A day later, Xu Ning was able to completely conceal the spiritual energy leaking from his dantian.
For a cultivator, that time wouldn’t be short.
But for someone who had just drawn qi into their body, it was fast enough to exceed Shen Yuwei’s expectations.
Looking at Xu Ning sitting cross-legged before her with a proper posture, she couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m actually starting to look forward to it now.”
Xu Ning raised his head and looked at her in confusion.
“Look forward to what?”
“To what you’ll become once you find a suitable cultivation technique in the future.”
Xu Ning glanced at his wrist, which was still slightly numb.
“I’ll worry about passing the assessment first.”
His words were calm, but his ears were faintly warm.
Seeing that he still had a bit of youthful shyness, blushing even at praise, Shen Yuwei’s smile deepened.
“Of course.”
…
The next day, Xu Ning made some preparations and followed Shen Yuwei to the Precepts Hall.
The Precepts Hall was on the western side of the Taiwei Immortal Sect, with a sprawling complex of buildings covering a vast area.
The two soon landed before a wide plaza.
“This is Si Ji Hall,” she said.
“Most sect business is handled here—disciple registrations, guest elder records, and mission documents.”
Xu Ning looked up.
The plaza was several times larger than the training platform outside Cold Sword Peak.
Blue stone paved the ground, with stone steps rising layer upon layer.
A great number of cultivators came and went before the hall, and several outer disciples were gathered around the announcement wall, craning their necks to look at the newly posted assessment rankings.
So the Taiwei Immortal Sect actually had such a lively place.
Watching those elegant cultivators pass by, a trace of longing inevitably appeared in Xu Ning’s eyes.
Back then, he had been drawn in by Lu Hanyi’s sword light.
The moment Shen Yuwei landed, someone recognized her from afar.
“Senior Immortal Shen.”
“We pay our respects to Senior Immortal Shen.”
“Senior Immortal has returned to the sect?”
Those voices came from different directions—some respectful, some delighted, and some carrying a barely restrained admiration.
Shen Yuwei simply smiled and nodded, occasionally offering a reply.
Xu Ning stood beside her, but not many people noticed him at first.
All gazes fell on Shen Yuwei first.
Only after a moment did someone notice the thin young man at her side.
Those gazes grew more subtle.
Curious.
Probing.
And carrying whispers that couldn’t quite be hidden.
Xu Ning could guess what they were probably thinking.
Walking side by side with Shen Yuwei here, it was only natural to attract attention.
He could tell she was extremely popular within the sect.
If he had once been Lu Hanyi’s unrecognized mortal husband, then Shen Yuwei, to him, was truly an awkward elder.
Her features were striking to begin with, and she possessed the mature, full figure unique to a grown woman.
Her sash cinched a slender waist, and her robes stirred gently as she walked, drawing more eyes than the deliberately ornate female cultivators.
Thinking of Lu Hanyi’s crowd of admirers, it wasn’t hard to understand why mother and daughter were both so adored.
Shen Yuwei seemed not to notice those gazes, leading Xu Ning to one side of the plaza.
“Wait here for me for a moment.”
Xu Ning nodded.
Shen Yuwei added, “I have some matters to handle.
Someone will come looking for you shortly.”
Xu Ning was taken aback and instinctively asked, “How long will it take?”
It was just an ordinary question.
He was new here, didn’t know the way, didn’t understand Si Ji Hall’s rules—of course he needed to ask.
But when Shen Yuwei heard it, she seemed to misunderstand something.
She looked at him, a hint of amusement surfacing in her eyes.
That smile wasn’t the gentle one of an elder soothing a junior.
Instead, it carried a barely contained mirth.
“Don’t worry.”
Her expression was teasing.
“Sister Shen is going to find your guardian. She’ll come greet you on her own soon enough.”
Xu Ning froze.
“Sister… Shen?”
Before he could figure out where that form of address came from, Shen Yuwei had already turned and walked away.
Her robes swept across the stone steps.
She moved quickly, disappearing into the crowd before Si Ji Hall within a few steps, her figure vanishing from sight.
Xu Ning stood in place, her words still echoing in his ears.
The plaza before Si Ji Hall was noisy with voices.
Someone descended the stone steps nearby and passed by his side, their gaze pausing briefly on the Zhaoyue Cliff guest elder token at his waist.
Xu Ning only then realized he stood out a bit.
Most of those who came to Si Ji Hall were cultivators of the Taiwei Immortal Sect.
No one would treat him as an ordinary mortal.
More than anything, they were curious about his relationship with Shen Yuwei.
Xu Ning was about to step aside when someone suddenly called out from behind him.
“Xu Ning?”
The voice was light and cheerful.
Xu Ning turned around and saw a girl in green robes standing at the bottom of the stone steps.
The girl was slender, with delicate, pretty features.
Her green skirt was cut perfectly to fit, and a pale white ribbon tied at her waist made her appear bright and full of life.
A small silver leaf hairpin rested in her hair, swaying gently as she tilted her head up—unlike the usual aloof demeanor of ordinary sect disciples.
Having grown used to Shen Yuwei’s plain and simple attire, Xu Ning couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned by such a vivid outfit.
The girl seemed to find his reaction amusing and winked at him.
“Have you been waiting long?”