Yu Lan’s Care, A Meal to Remember

After completing his inspection at Flame Cauldron Peak, Liu Ming returned to Ancient Script Mountain with Yu Lan.

They chatted a lot on the way, though most of it was Yu Lan explaining why it was better for a senior sister to take care of her master instead of a junior sister. According to her, a senior sister knew more "toe-curling tricks" than anything a junior sister could offer.

"Lan'er..." Liu Ming called her name firmly.

A giggle escaped Yu Lan's cherry lips. "Tee-hee! I'm simply joking, Brother Ming!"

"Sigh~ I-, it doesn't have to be dirty jokes."

"Does it really matter, my lord~?"

"Don't call my name like that!"

────Tee-hee!

Yu Lan clearly enjoyed teasing her new master now and then.

For her, it was the best way to bond with him. She also felt quite bad for him after hearing the full story from Sect Master Maomao and her senior sister, Su Yan.

According to them, Liu Ming was meant to be the next great prodigy of Yuande Continent, with cultivation talent that could shake the Three Great Regions. But without any warning, he was sent to the farthest regions of the Eastern Reaches at the age of six to live alone, and he was forbidden from ever leaving Clear Water Village.

Liu Changsheng provided his grandson with a place to live, completely free and stocked with all his essentials. There was no need to send him money allowances for daily expenses like food because the Heavenly Sword Patriarch believed he should work for those things. And it made sense, considering Clear Water Village was a farming village.

Considering all these factors, Yu Lan decided to put more effort into taking care of her new patriarch while he was unconscious. She had feared he would be the typical prodigy with a serious and stoic demeanor, which wouldn't mesh well with her carefree and laid-back personality.

However, after interacting with Liu Ming, she was pleasantly surprised.

He was far from what she had expected.

'I want to build a strong, respectful relationship with my new master. This is not just to show gratitude to Sect Father for everything he's done for me, but also to support his descendant in any way I can. I'll do my best to make sure Lord Liu never regrets coming back to this sect.'

Yu Lan aimed to balance Liu Ming so he wouldn't get too absorbed in his work and become strict. She saw it as her mission to provide emotional support and occasionally lighten the mood with her more relaxed approach.

A solemn look appeared on her face.

'I don't want him to turn out like Elder Sister Yan…'

Her thoughts made her sad, like a rainy and gloomy day.

"Lan'er, are you okay?" Liu Ming asked with concern.

Realizing she might have been lost in her thoughts, Yu Lan chuckled softly and said, "Oh my~ I was just thinking about when Lord Liu will finally take me to his bed and do all sorts of naughty things to me." She placed her hands on her cheeks and moaned with satisfaction.

Haaunn~♡

With eyes as wide as flashlights, Liu Ming blinked rapidly as he tried to process what she meant. He then cleared his throat loudly to change the subject. "L-let's just head back to Ancient Script Mountain."

"So Lord Liu can spread my legs apart?" she asked shamelessly, but with an innocent tone.

"No..." Liu Ming replied bluntly, his eyes half-open.

Sigh~~

It was clear that Yu Lan would be the hardest for him to get used to.

Seeing the tired look on his face, Yu Lan gave him a warm, genuine smile.

'Tee-hee! He's quite handsome too. I guess this is what Sect Father meant when he bragged about being a lady-killer in his younger days.'

She gradually moved closer to Liu Ming until her shoulder playfully bumped into his.

"Oh? We're walking in the same lane now?" Liu Ming asked, his face brightening a bit.

Yu Lan clapped her hands with measured excitement and said, "Mhm! I'd rather walk the same path as my esteemed, handsome patriarch."

Liu Ming gave her a plain side-eye. "How generous of you," he replied.

With her voice soft and angelic, Yu Lan just giggled.

'Still, from the little I know about my patriarch... Liu Ming, his attitude and personality make him a very easy person to interact with.'

She clasped her hands against her large chest and kept her shoulder leaning against Liu Ming's.

'While I doubt I have what it takes, I'll make sure my presence helps humanize Lord Liu and provide him with a stable and reliable partner. After all... I couldn't do that for Elder Sister Yan... none of us could.'

Sigh~

'I want Lord Liu to be strong, but not in a solitary way. Instead, his leadership and strength should give us, his disciples, a sense of purpose and direction in the cultivation world.'

...

After a little over an hour, Liu Ming and Yu Lan arrived back at Liu Ming's courtyard residence.

"Ahh~ we've finally returned to master's resting place."

Yu Lan always loved the peaceful and beautiful view of Liu Ming's place.

It was a small house, which made it fit perfectly with the surroundings.

The house was on the side of Ancient Script Mountain.

There were various potted plants and flowers that showed someone took care of the garden. These added color and life to the place.

"Are you coming in?" Liu Ming gestured toward his house with his thumb. "Or were you just escorting me?"

He was okay with either option, but he'd prefer it if she planned to stay longer. That way, it wouldn't feel like he'd just been stressing her out all day.

Yu Lan smiled gently and replied, "Well, I haven't cooked a decent meal for my master yet, so let me whip up something nice for you first." She tilted her head and her smile widened. "How does that sound?"

"Wonderful!" Liu Ming exclaimed. What else could he say?

They walked up the stone path leading to the house.

On either side, there were patches of grass and small plants.

Yu Lan noticed the overgrown weeds and asked, "Would you mind if I came here to trim these weeds for you?"

Following her gaze, Liu Ming realized the area looked a bit untidy with unwanted grass and plants everywhere. The plants had no medicinal properties, so they were useless for pill refinement.

"You know what, I'll just handle that myself. I don't want you to work that hard for me."

Yu Lan shrugged and said, "If you say so, my lord."

After a few minutes, Yu Lan finished preparing a small meal for Liu Ming. He sat at his table, and she served him a big bowl of fried rice mixed with vegetables, eggs, shrimp, and other meats, all perfectly seasoned for a balanced flavor. To the left of the bowl, there was a creamy and sweet mango pudding.

"This is..." Liu Ming began, but Yu Lan interrupted, "I know it's not much, but you'll have to manage. It's better than eating nothing, right?" Her tone almost sounded motherly.

Liu Ming gave her a small nod. "I was actually going to say it looks great."

Yu Lan's expression turned plain. "Oh, I see," she said.

After successfully serving him his well-deserved meal, Yu Lan gave Liu Ming an energetic wave and a warm smile.

"Eat it all, and make sure to rest a bit before you get back to your cultivation. I know you're eager to raise your cultivation level, but it takes time, okay?"

Her voice was sweet and caring.

Liu Ming grinned from ear to ear and nodded energetically.

With that, Yu Lan left him to enjoy his afternoon meal.

Alone in his cultivation room, Liu Ming's face lit up.

He picked up his wooden spoon, savoring the sight of the elegantly prepared dish.

'At first, the idea of inheriting Grandfather's disciples felt strange to me, but after seeing all the benefits, I must say I have the best grandfather ever. Back in Clear Water Village, all I ate was rice porridge and, on a good day, some corn porridge. Now, here I am, eating like an emperor! I'll never take these disciples of mine for granted!'

Liu Ming clapped his hands together with his wooden spoon in between and shouted, "Thanks for the food!"

He immediately dug his spoon into the rice and shoved a huge portion into his mouth. As soon as the food entered his mouth, he spat it out.

────Bleeerrggh~!

Liu Ming vomited painfully as the taste almost made his face turn green.

"THIS IS HORRIBLE!"

How could something that looked so good taste so bad? He grabbed the wooden cup of water beside him and drank it all in one gulp, hoping to wash away the poisonous taste.

But... that made things even worse.

A small plume of foam escaped his mouth, and he collapsed, twitching in a spasm.

'H-, how can the water taste worse than the dish?!'

Liu Ming went unconscious.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

Somewhere in the sect...

Su Yan sat cross-legged on a small boulder, her ornately designed saber resting on her fair laps. She was meditating peacefully when she suddenly remembered something. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Hmm, I forgot to tell him not to eat anything Junior Sister Lan makes for him," she muttered to herself.

The beauty then closed her eyes and resumed her meditation, feeling sure that nothing bad would happen.