Into The Sea

For hundreds of years, Jixue City, nestled in the Northern Region, has been regarded as the most bitterly cold place in the Xuan Yuan Continent.

Even though it is the most prosperous city in the Northern Region—bordering Haochen Mountain, one of the three great immortal sects, and boasting magnificent, towering palace walls and orderly neighborhoods—it still pales in comparison to the bustling Central Region, the thriving Eastern Region, and the Southern Region with its Jiangnan waters and endless spring. It has always seemed a bit bland.

That was until Diancui Pavilion was established in Jixue City.

This suddenly emerging pavilion initially specialized in selling rare spiritual herbs and precious sea pearls. Later, it began to operate as a restaurant. In theory, cultivators no longer prioritize the pleasures of food, but Diancui Pavilion didn’t serve ordinary dishes. The mysterious head chef, who never showed her face, had somehow managed to completely remove the bitter taste from spiritual herbs without affecting their efficacy, seamlessly incorporating them into exquisite dishes that left people salivating.

Being the only place in the cultivation world that could make spiritual herbs, which had been unpalatable for thousands of years, taste delicious, Diancui Pavilion’s reputation spread rapidly across the continent within half a year. Countless cultivators flocked to it, and over time, the demand for its dishes far exceeded the supply, driving prices sky-high.

Now, Jixue City was no longer as quiet and peaceful as it once was. Even at night, Ping’an Street was brightly lit and bustling with activity, and the destination for the throngs of people was the magnificent building adorned with golden lanterns—Diancui Pavilion.

“Manager!”

“Coming, coming.” A woman in green robes, who was leaning lazily against the counter, turned around and walked to the table by the window, fanning herself. “What can I do for you, esteemed guest?”

“Why hasn’t my dish arrived yet?”

The woman glanced at the jade plate on the table and replied indifferently, “Didn’t you see? Your number is 131. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

“You can’t blame me for that.” She pointed her fan at the counter. “It’s clearly written there: only 70 servings per day. Such large characters, how could you have missed them?”

“I don’t care! I’ve been waiting here for two hours! You must serve me this dish today!”

The woman frowned and clicked her tongue softly. “You’re putting me in a difficult position. Our head chef only prepares 70 servings a day, no more.”

“You’re the manager! Can’t you control her?!”

“That’s right,” she admitted frankly. “Our head chef is the real boss here.”

“…You… you’re trying to fool me! Do you know who I am?!” The man, red with anger, stood up and reached for her collar. But she sneered and raised her fan. In the next moment, a black shadow flew out the window with a scream, landing with a thud on the bustling street below.

She raised her eyebrows, walked to the window, and gave a fake smile. “Esteemed guest, you’re welcome to visit again next time.”

Amid the man’s curses, she turned around gracefully, and the grand doors of Diancui Pavilion creaked shut in front of him.

A moment later.

The elusive head chef, after much deliberation, cautiously said, “Guining, sometimes you could be a bit more polite to the customers.”

Zhu Guining rolled her eyes. “Was I not polite enough? If you’re so picky, why don’t you find someone else to be the manager?”

“Don’t say that.” Yu Shanye quickly put on a friendly smile. “I was just making a suggestion. You’re the manager, so of course, it’s up to you.”

“What’s the point of being the manager when you’re the real boss? If it weren’t for the 50 spirit stones you pay me every month, I wouldn’t bother putting on a fake smile here.”

“Now, now, we’re a restaurant, not…” She was interrupted when a snow-white bird fluttered down to the window. “Senior Sister!”

Zhu Guining turned her head. “Oh, Danqing’s here!”

She casually picked up a plate from the table and fed a snack to the little bird. “You’ve come at the right time. I just made these, try them.”

Danqing instinctively pecked at the snack a few times, stuffing its cheeks full before remembering its mission. She quickly hopped to the side. “Senior Sister, Senior Sister, Ah Li is here!”

Yu Shanye was taken aback. “Ah Li?”

“Yes,” Danqing gestured with its wings. “She brought a huge rock as a birthday gift for Master. Although I don’t know why a rock can be a gift, but it feels really smooth. Danbai said it must be a rare stone. After all, Ah Li has a good personality and wouldn’t give something ordinary…”

Yu Shanye couldn’t bear it any longer. “Danqing, get to the point.”

“Oh! She also said she’s very busy and might have to leave soon.”

Yu Shanye’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?!”

She hastily threw off her apron and leaped onto her spirit sword, calling over her shoulder, “Guining, I’m leaving first. Please handle the rest!”

Watching the figure that quickly turned into a small black dot, Zhu Guining blinked and said after a beat, “Can I say… I don’t want to?”

Meanwhile, Yu Shanye arrived at the courtyard where Lan Wu was staying as quickly as possible and pushed open the door.

The moonlight was soft, and the warm glow of lanterns filled the space. The woman holding a teacup jumped in surprise, spilling some of the tea as she stared at Yu Shanye in shock. “What’s going on?”

Yu Shanye was speechless.

She silently scanned the scene before her.

Lan Wu was sitting in a chair by the stone table, a fluffy white cat lying on her lap. Opposite her sat Ah Li, also holding a cup of tea.

Compared to the last time they met, Ah Li seemed to have matured a lot. Her features were delicate and lively, resembling a eighteen-year-old human girl. But her demeanor was no longer as gentle as before.

In recent years, the Dragon Clan Leader had been deliberately cultivating her to be her successor, keeping her by her side almost all the time. Yu Shanye was in the Northern Continent, not to mention seeing her often, seeing her once a year was considered a lot.

She blinked and walked over as if casually. “When did Ah Li arrive?”

Ah Li nodded. “I Just arrived. Tomorrow is Master’s birthday, so I brought the gift in advance.”

“Couldn’t you have sent someone else to deliver it? Why come all the way here yourself?”

Lan Wu also chimed in, “That’s right. I heard from Aunt that you’ve been working hard at cultivation lately. It’s rare to have a break, you should rest when you can. You could have asked someone else to deliver the gift. You didn’t have to come all this way.”

Ah Li glanced at Yu Shanye before saying indifferently, “It’s Master’s birthday. Of course, it’s more sincere if I deliver the gift myself.”

Yu Shanye raised an eyebrow, nodding in agreement, “The little girl has really grown up. She’s very respectful and devoted to her master.”

“…”

Lan Wu couldn’t help but frown. She felt that the atmosphere was a bit off, but couldn’t figure out what it was. She looked left and right, and said hesitantly, “It’s getting late. Ah Li, you must be tired after such a long journey. Why don’t you rest early?”

Ah Li was about to nod when Yu Shanye suddenly said, “Aren’t you busy? Can you afford to waste time resting here?”

The girl paused, looked at Yu Shanye again, and her face gradually turned cold. “You’re right. I am busy, or else I wouldn’t…”

“Don’t listen to her nonsense.” Lan Wu quickly interrupted her. “Who leaves right after arriving, especially at night? Especially at night. Listen to me, get some rest. I happen to have a spare room in my courtyard. Come, let Ah Yue take you there.”

The little cat, who had been half-asleep, was suddenly picked up and stuffed into Ah Li’s arms. It opened its eyes wide, “Meow?”

Lan Wu smiled at her, grabbed Yu Shanye, and walked out. “Shanye and I will take a walk. We’ll be back soon.”

After walking out of the courtyard, the cool night breeze blew in their faces. Yu Shanye shivered, belatedly realizing how inappropriate her behavior had been. She pursed her lips and glanced at Lan Wu cautiously, only to find her frowning, deep in thought.

This is bad.

After walking in silence for a while, Lan Wu stopped and turned to ask, “Do you dislike Ah Li?”

Yu Shanye was speechless.

Yu Shanye: “Huh?”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me. Do you dislike her?”

“Why would I dislike her?”

“Then why were you trying to get her to leave earlier?”

“I wasn’t.”

Lan Wu frowned. “You weren’t?”

“Of course not. I was just… casually asking. There was no hidden meaning.”

Lan Wu looked skeptical. “Really?”

Yu Shanye nodded. “Really.”

“…Then your communication skills need work.”

Yu Shanye breathed a sigh of relief and laughed dryly. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been working at Diancui Pavilion lately and have been a bit stressed. You know, there are so many difficult customers there.”

Lan Wu nodded. “You’ve been working hard.”

“It’s nothing, haha.” She laughed awkwardly for a while, feeling that Lan Wu’s gaze was becoming stranger and stranger. She quickly shut her mouth and said seriously, “It’s late. I should get some rest. You… you should sleep early too.”

Lan Wu: “Okay.”

Yu Shanye pretended to be calm, turned around, and walked along the winding stone steps towards her courtyard. She turned her head and found that Lan Wu was still standing there. “Why haven’t you gone back yet?”

Lan Wu looked puzzled. “What’s wrong with me standing here and enjoying the moonlight?”

Yu Shanye choked. “Nothing, then you stand there. I’m going back.”

After saying that, she turned around and quickly returned to Jianzhi Courtyard, throwing herself onto her bed. Even so, she could still hear the movements from the other courtyard not far away.

It was the soft murmur of Lan Wu and Ah Li’s conversation.

The discontented meows of the cat.

The fluttering of Danqing’s wings as she returned home.

After what felt like an eternity, everything quieted down, and Qianyun Peak was left with only the faint chirping of insects. She rolled over and lay on her back, staring blankly at the dark ceiling.

At this moment, a gentle breeze stirred the wind chimes on the eaves.

Ding-ling—

Yu Shanye’s lashes fluttered, and she instinctively turned her head. A slender white Dragon had slipped through the window, transforming into a delicate figure in the moonlight.

She opened her eyes wide. “Ah Li…”

The girl hummed in response, silently gliding into her arms like a breeze, her voice laced with amusement. “Yu Shanye.”

Yu Shanye blinked uneasily.

“Are you sulking?”