Wayfarer

Chapter 431: The Chef Returns

The capital of Wu was a mess; everyone was worried for themselves. Xiao Nanfeng and Lady Yaoguang fled from the capital of Wu. After nearly a day of travel, the two of them stopped in a secluded valley to rest.

Xiao Nanfeng began to cook, roasting meat on a spit and steaming delicacies by the side. Hot air wafted up with the delicious scent of food as Xiao Nanfeng took on the mantle of chef once again.

Lady Yaoguang beamed as she ate what Xiao Nanfeng had just prepared from a small bowl.

Xiao Nanfeng was rather speechless. "Why don't you switch to a larger bowl? Isn't it rather inconvenient for you to have to refill it each time you finish such a small portion?"

"What would you know? You have to be more refined while eating, don't you see? Go on, keep roasting that meat! It's been far too long since I've had anything like it," Lady Yaoguang urged.

Xiao Nanfeng watched as Lady Yaoguang polished off a huge rack of spiritbeast all by herself. This was 'refined'? Did she perhaps have some mistaken understanding of what 'refined' meant?

"My palace has a dedicated kitchen with chefs of particular skill. If you return with me, I can guarantee you a daily feast that won't repeat itself," Xiao Nanfeng joked.

"No, no—I want your cooking!" Lady Yaoguang stretched one of her feet lazily. Then, thinking that what she had said could be misinterpreted, she immediately added, "You surely cook better than the others. I'll only have the best."

"Then I'll prepare more food for you in the future." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"Good!" Lady Yaoguang smiled back at him.

The two of them ate as they talked about what each of them had undergone in each other's absence.

"You killed Nalan Qiankun and even established your own empire?!" Lady Yaoguang gaped in astonishment.

"That's right. You don't have to worry about the cursed kings by my side. Not only have they not hurt me, they've even provided me with incredible support. Otherwise, I would never have been able to cultivate so quickly," Xiao Nanfeng explained.

"That can't be right. Those cursed kings must want something from you, or they'd never treat you so well. Don't let them hoodwink you!" Lady Yaoguang warned sternly.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled. He was aware of this, of course, but sometimes it would be better to pretend otherwise.

"I've started cultivating the Shangqing Yin Body that you transcribed for me. I'll be alright. Please don't worry." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"That's not sufficient! Allow me to help you. This cursebane sword is a peerless treasure of the Shangqing holy land and specifically designed to counter cursed effigies. I can deal with them on your behalf," Lady Yaoguang said, drawing her sword.

"Don't! I really am alright. I get along very well with them." Xiao Nanfeng hurriedly held Lady Yaoguang back.

None of the cursed kings hounding him would be easy to deal with. Each had hidden reserves of energy, and even the most active among them, the blood peach tree, was incredibly strong, even if it had been pretending to be weak all along. He didn't want Lady Yaoguang to suffer while attempting to rid him of them.

"In the end, they'll only hurt you," Lady Yaoguang said again, refusing to give up.

"It's alright. Come on, let's talk more while you eat. If I really need your assistance, I'll let you know." Xiao Nanfeng passed her another serving of food.

"Hmph!" Lady Yaoguang seemed a little upset, but she still took the proffered food and began to eat with gusto.

"Then, I came to Fengdu in order to investigate the death of that Martial Aspect," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"That Martial Aspect? The man my uncle brought with me? He looked displeased all the time and would frequently rub a jade carving of a woman, like a trinket. Allegedly, he entered the Netherworld Palace in search of some Records of Life and Death in order to revive the woman from the carving. He seemed rather obsessed. I once heard him refer to that woman as a princess," Lady Yaoguang recalled.

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng seemed surprised.

"I'm not too familiar with that Martial Aspect. Keep going," Lady Yaoguang said.

"Then, on the night of a full moon... Your father entered the abyss too..." Xiao Nanfeng recounted.

"My mother was possessed by the Rabbit Yanluo? Truly? And my father's here too?!" Lady Yaoguang fretted anxiously.

"Don't worry. Finish this meal first. Tomorrow, I'll have the members of the cultivators' alliance help us investigate their whereabouts. We should hear about it in no time at all."

Lady Yaoguang seemed rather frustrated, but she forced herself to remain calm. She knew that rushing such a matter wouldn't help.

Xiao Nanfeng's story allowed her to understand just what had happened to him over these last few years, and Xiao Nanfeng inquired as to her situation as well.

"The last time I came to Fengdu and had my father contact my uncle, I intended to help you deal with the cursed kings hounding you by using the sword that my mother once wielded. My uncle brought me to the Shangqing holy land to evaluate my constitution—only to find that I was particularly suited for Shangqing techniques. My mother's cursebane sword even attuned to me, and the Shangqing sect master conferred it to me as a gift."

"This blue sword was once your mother's?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"It was. My mother used to be a Shangqing holy maiden. Then, despite countless warnings, she chose to marry my father and roused significant ire from the Shangqing holy land. The Shangqing holy land reclaimed the sword that was given to her and attempted to coax my mother into returning. As long as she changed her mind, she would be able to reclaim the sword. My mother, however, was particularly stubborn. She chose not to do so—and I, I suppose, was lucky. To my surprise, I was even more compatible with the sword than my mother, and I even felt a fragment of will left behind by the Shangqing Grandmaster, who imparted countless techniques to me and recognized me as a cross-generational apprentice."

"A cross-generational apprentice... That must be no small matter within the Shangqing holy land. No wonder you were forbidden from leaving." Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"Indeed. If my uncle hadn't secretly brought me out, I would have had a hard time leaving. Now that I've left, however, I don't intend to return. No one will be able to stop me!" Lady Yaoguang laughed.

"Good!" Xiao Nanfeng smiled as well.

Just then, the two cultivators suddenly felt life-threatening danger envelop them. They blanched and activated their defenses at full strength.

A huge palm appeared out of nowhere and struck the two cultivators. A blue moon barrier instantly flashed into existence around Lady Yaoguang, while Xiao Nanfeng was batted away by the palm.

"Nanfeng!" Lady Yaoguang cried out.

Her blue moon barrier was particularly potent, and her cursebane sword provided an automatic second layer of defense. She was only flung a limited distance away, whereas Xiao Nanfeng crashed into a nearby mountain and broke a hole in it.

Lady Yaoguang rushed over to see Xiao Nanfeng clambering out of the ruins of the mountain, staring in warning at the white-robed man not too far away.

"Oh? The two of you are rather lucky to have survived my sneak attack unscathed." The white-robed man laughed coldly.

"Another Heaven Immortal?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"Nanfeng, do you recognize him?" Lady Yaoguang asked in surprise.

"He's one of the eight Heaven Immortals working under the crown prince of Dayin. I mentioned them just now," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Lady Yaoguang understood what was going on immediately. Xiao Nanfeng had already killed one Heaven Immortal. Now, another one appeared.

"How did you find us?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"Everyone knows of the commotion in Wu. How could someone like you have managed to steal even the Horse Yanluo's Yanluo Court? And you even fled this far—we had a hard time finding you," the white-robed man replied.

"The rest of you are here too?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"We split up to search for you. I'm the only one here for now. You risked your life for a woman? You dared to barge into the nexus of a cursed effigy's strength for her? She is a beauty, I have to admit, even compared to the crown prince's concubines. However, the crown prince has his eyes on her. You won't get a turn." The white-robed man laughed again.

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