The Journey of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 29 It’s Fine This Way

Chapter 29: Chapter 29 It’s Fine This Way

While she was laughing happily here, someone else was immediately displeased.

Shi Jishan was very annoyed. She had taken great care to dress up before stepping out today, but Senior Brother Quan did not even spare her an extra glance. Despite her repeated smiles, his attention was still towards that mortal woman! What made this woman notice the demon spying behind the house before she did? How could she describe the demon’s appearance so vividly, thereby capturing Senior Brother Quan’s attention again? Was this all fabricated by her?

The most frustrating thing was, why did she manage to ingratiate herself with Senior Brother Quan’s grandfather so well! That was the elder he respected the most, having him speak well of her was far more effective than her own hundred attempts to win Senior Brother Quan’s favor.

She intently watched Quan Shifang and naturally noticed that he actually took the opportunity to steal glances at Ning Xiaoxian when she wasn’t paying attention. Every time Ning Xiaoxian smiled, he would also lift the corners of his mouth, and he seemed to fully perceive her satisfaction from tasting delicious food. Senior Brother Quan thought no one noticed, but she saw the curiosity, fondness, and a hint of infatuation in his eyes. That was exactly how she felt towards him, yet he showed such expressions not for her, but for that lowly, worthless mortal woman!

Unable to bear it any longer, she suddenly swapped to a smiling face and spoke to Old Huang:

"Old sir, you have a great chef sitting right beside you. A few days ago, under Master Mei’s orders, Miss Ning prepared a vegetarian banquet for the guests in the Chi Xiao Sect. Those of us who have tasted it all say, such exquisite dishes are seldom found in the mortal world, let alone tasted!"

However, she had heard from Senior Brother Quan long ago that his grandfather disliked vegetarian dishes. The fact that none of the dishes at today’s banquet was purely vegetarian proved it. What did it matter if Ning Xiaoxian was gifted? She was just an orphan girl from a small mountain village. On an ordinary day, she might manage some greens, tofu, eggplants, and mushrooms, but had she ever seen the real world, ever tasted delicacies like rare mountain treasures and ultimate gourmet dishes?

Old Huang was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed. He was already sixty-seven years old, which was considered a long life among humans. Nowadays, he had to restrain himself in household affairs, and holding gold and silver treasures in hand no longer thrilled him as in the past. As his other passions gradually dwindled, his pickiness and standards for "eating" increased, wishing for new flavors to taste every day. In his words, it was "fine food reminds me I’m still alive."

Now, this young girl in front of him was able to make dishes praised by the Immortal Sect Leader, which means her cooking skills must be at least on par with his own two chefs. No wonder he felt a connection when he first saw her. It turns out that in old age, intuition works better than the brain!

He glanced over the banquet attendees and seeing everyone nod in agreement, he knew Shi Jishan was telling the truth. His old face broke into a smile, and he stutteringly said to Ning Xiaoxian: "Miss Ning, see, could you perhaps showcase your skills for this old man?"

Quan Shifang was also stunned. What Shi Jishan could think of, he could naturally think of as well. He intended to support Ning Xiaoxian, but his grandfather had been affectionate to him since he was a child and was the elder he respected the most. He did not want to disappoint the old man’s eagerness, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

At this time, the members of Chaoyun Sect were all smiles. Although Shi Jishan’s words seemed to put Ning Xiaoxian in a difficult position, for them, it was an opportunity for a treat. The food she prepared for the vegetarian banquet at the Chi Xiao Sect was delicious, but the portions were small and quickly finished. Recollecting later, everyone felt unsatisfied. Now, with the chance to relish Ning Xiaoxian’s cooking again, they naturally couldn’t ask for more.

Each person at the dining table had their own thoughts, but when they turned to look at Ning Xiaoxian, they all got quite a shock.

She hung her head slightly, but people could still see her face flushed to a deep red, her brows furrowed, her lips bitten, her large, dark eyes brimming with tears, apparently on the verge of crying. Shi Jishan was dressed glamorously, and compared to her, the plainly-clad Ning Xiaoxian looked somewhat desolate. Now this little girl’s shoulders drooped, her eyes downcast as if she were a gentle and innocent little white flower, which made her seem helplessly and deeply wronged, stirring up a protectiveness in one’s heart, with the urge to pull her into an embrace and gently console her.

All the males present couldn’t help but glare at Shi Jishan, annoyed at why she had to bully this young lady, making her puzzled by their stares. Quan Shifang was no fool; he knew full well why Shi Jishan was targeting Ning Xiaoxian. He felt indignant because his own presence had caused Ning Xiaoxian this embarrassment and grievance, his chest filled with a smouldering anger he couldn’t dispel, and his gaze towards Shi Jishan grew colder.

With the Demon Eye Pendant on her chest, Changtian couldn’t see her expression, but seeing everyone’s reaction, he knew something was amiss. He asked:

"What sort of cunning plan are you thinking of now?" There was a tinge of curiosity in his voice. This little girl was full of tricky ideas, had it only been a few days of peace? And now she was scheming against others again.

Ning Xiaoxian struggled to maintain her facial expression, yet she sneered inwardly.

So, Shi Jishan, you are forcing me to vie with you for a man?

Since leaving Shallow Water Village, she did not wish to cause strife, but does that mean she would endure and be taken for a sick cat just because she was not fiercly tiger-like?

Indeed, the meek are subject to bullying. If she didn’t show some cunning, who knows how else this woman would belittle and slander her. Such a person only understands respect and fear after being harshly taught a lesson.

She thought coldly in her heart: "You think by wearing a few beautiful dresses and using some expensive makeup to appear like a peerless beauty, you can have all the men hold you in their palms? Today, Granny will teach you that to attract a man, just one clever strategy is enough to charm the world!"

"That is—acting pitifully. As long as you successfully arouse a man’s burning protective desire, he will feel you are especially gentle, innocent, needing of closeness, and in need of affection. Then, he will find you especially lovely, especially able to communicate with him, and he will never grow tired of you."

"Could the results of such sophisticated psychological manipulation be something you, thinking yourself noble yet stubbornly clinging to men, can even dream of achieving?"

Then she said to Old Huang in a soft, delicate voice: "I grew up in the countryside since I was young, my family was poor, and many precious ingredients, let alone tasting them, I had never even heard of them." Compared to the people of Chaoyun Sect, her background was pitiful enough, and this statement once again hooked the sympathy of the men present.

"Senior Brother Quan and Huang Dashan have been so kind to me, and all the fellow brothers of Chaoyun Sect appreciate my skills. I should have performed humbly, but..." She boldly called out "Senior Brother Quan," as if she wanted to infuriate someone on purpose, and as a result, she received two loud huffs—one from the jealous Shi Jishan, and the other from Changtian, who was silently observing the situation from the God Demon Prison.