Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 770 Yun Hu Bu Xi
"What are you laughing at?" Ming Qitian asked with slight curiosity.

"It's nothing." Pei Ye stood up from the rock and looked at her. "...Miss Ming, it's been a long time."

"Yes, we parted ways last September, and it's been a little over six months now, so it's been half a year," the woman said, glancing around. "Where is this place?"

"Miss Ming, do you think it's not pretty?"

"It's beautiful and very peaceful."

"Right? I specifically chose this place."

"A place you specifically chose?"

"Yes, this is a place specifically for welcoming Miss Ming."

Ming Qitian smiled and said, "What do I have to offer you? I know you are busy with affairs in the capital, which is why I mentioned in my letter that I would come to find you."

Pei Ye smiled, hesitated for a moment, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "To be honest, Miss Ming, I was just thinking about how to greet you. Miss Ming, you are so pure of heart that you don't have these worries, but I was afraid that we might become estranged after not seeing each other for so long... I was feeling a bit anxious."

“You are my only friend. If you don’t become my friend, I will have no friends. I should be the one who is anxious and insecure,” Ming Qitian said.

"...Miss Ming is just trying to coax people."

"No," the woman said sincerely.

Pei Ye seemed to recall the words and time they spent together in the autumn moon last year. The woman's calm and earnest tone was as always, whether it was discussing swordsmanship by the campfire or whispering in the rainy mountains.

“Liuli misses you too, but it’s a little shy right now.” Ming Qitian lowered his head, took the sword from his waist, and smiled. “Now you’ll have to hide again.”

The Heart-Slaying Glass stood up with a "whoosh" and circled the woman twice, as if in rebuttal.

Pei Ye looked at the familiar and long-lost famous sword. It was indeed the most beautiful one, clean and translucent, with red beads and fine lines, the two colors like snow plum blossoms.

The erosion of the immortal lord within its blade had long since disappeared, and it seemed to be in much better spirits at this moment, swaying gently without moving closer to Pei Ye.

Pei Ye had never seen any other sword with such a striking spiritual quality.

He smiled and reached out to take it in his hand. The cool, smooth blade was something he hadn't felt in a long time; they had spent almost every day and night together in Bowang.

"Long time no see, Liuli."

Liuli nestled affectionately against his neck.

Pei Ye scratched the small red jade bead on the sword's blade, and the bead slid down to the other side of his neck like a serpent.

Ming Qitian sat down beside the bluestone: "How have things been since you came to Shenjing?"

"It's all right, Miss Ming, I'm perfectly fine now."

“I heard on the way that you and Zhu Gaoyang were fighting with someone in Bashui.”

“Ah, yes,” Pei Ye said. “That was a confrontation with the Prince of Yan’s mansion… Miss Ming, you know I want to avenge Grandpa Yue.”

"Hmm. You've made such a name for yourself in the capital in just six months; you must have faced many dangers."

The woman's tone naturally carried no criticism, but Pei Ye suddenly recalled the letter he received when he entered the Sword Academy. In the letter, the woman wrote:
"From the moment we met, you were always ready to risk your life alone, and in the blink of an eye, we were separated by life and death. I would like to ask you to send me a letter if you ever have such a thing again, but as soon as I start writing, I am too lazy to spend any more time on it."

Considering the perilous situation at Shaolong and the various trials at Kongtong, we have come to understand each other after all.

Pei Ye smiled somewhat embarrassedly for a moment, but quickly composed herself and said in a low voice, "Miss Ming, you know me. We've been through life and death together. I can't leave dangerous situations; I might suddenly die at any time... So I'm very happy to see you today, Miss Ming."

Ming Qitian nodded and said calmly, "When we parted, I thought you might die in Shenjing. So I killed the person who killed you, and then I come to pay my respects to you every year."

"..." Pei Ye wanted to say the same to her, but when he connected the word "death" with the woman in front of him, a deep fear gripped him. He pursed his lips and blurted out, "I'm not the same, Miss Ming... I will never let you die."

Ming Qitian blinked: "Why are we suddenly talking about this?"

“…I don’t know.” Pei Ye smiled.

Ming Qitian smiled slightly.

"How is Miss Ming? How have you been these past six months?" Pei Ye asked. "Has her injury fully healed?"

“Yes, the ‘Ice and Snow Body’ has already healed. The conflict between Mingxin and Tianxin is also temporarily under control,” Ming Qitian said. “However, there is another matter to resolve—I would like to ask you for advice.”

"You want to ask me for advice?"

"Hmm, you forgot? We pinned Gushe Tianxin to the cliff face together. I've tried to solve this problem several times in the past six months, but I've failed every time. I want to overcome it, and I probably can't do without your help."

“…Oh.” Pei Ye immediately became serious. “Then what do we do, now?”

“No rush, we can try to take it slowly later.” Ming Qitian smiled. “I’m also a little tired from traveling, let’s talk for a while first.”

"it is good."

Ming Qitian stretched his legs: "You mentioned in your letter that you are learning two sword techniques. Which two are they?"

“It’s the ‘Immortal in the Dark’ that I talked to Miss Ming about before, and the ‘Thunder Zither’ that I recently asked Dean Qiu for.” As soon as the woman asked about swords, Pei Ye subconsciously sat up straight. “Miss Ming, I want to ask you a question.”

"Ah."

"Dean Qiu said that it's best to learn some basic piano skills before learning 'Lei Qin,' so that you can really play these pieces," Pei Ye said. "I've asked several friends these past few days, but none of them are very good at playing the piano. Miss Ming, can you play the piano?"

Which pieces of music are they?

“‘Guangling,’ ‘Yu Hui Tushan,’ ‘The Lord of Water and Clouds’,” Pei Ye said, “I’ve heard they’re very difficult to write.”

Ming Qitian nodded: "I'll teach you."

Pei Ye's face immediately lit up with a smile, not because he had found a musician, but because this musician could actually be Miss Ming: "Miss Ming, you can play?"

"Hmm... I don't know how to play 'The Lord of Water and Clouds,' but I can ask Dongting for the sheet music. I'll learn it and then teach you."

"it is good!"

Pei Ye smiled and stretched out his arm.

The poolside was quiet for a while. The morning breeze caressed their faces. Liuli floated on the water. The black cat lightly leaped onto Ming Qitian's lap. The woman looked down at it and scratched its chin.

Pei Ye paused for a moment, then tilted her head: "Where is Miss Ming going next?"

Ming Qitian shook her head: "I have nothing to do today."

Pei Ye thought for a moment: "I haven't had breakfast yet. After we pass this block, there's a steamed bun shop on West Street that's really delicious. They're steaming hot and incredibly soft. Would Miss Ming like to have some too?"

Ming Qitian didn't need to eat, but she often shared things with Pei Ye in the past, so she nodded and said, "Okay."

Just then, the sun rose higher, and the sounds of children laughing and playing could be heard from not far away. Several people, some carrying small sticks and others carrying wooden birds, ran out and froze when they saw the two people by the pond.

Having previously taken over a child's territory, Pei Ye quickly stood up, took the hand of the somewhat curious woman, and the two left together.

“If we don’t leave quickly, they’ll come and kick us out,” Pei Ye laughed. “And if they can’t win against you, they’ll never come here again. We’re only here once, so let’s not take over their territory.”

Have you ever been kicked out before?

“Hmm. Last time it was at Leyouyuan.” Pei Ye was about to continue when she saw pedestrians on the street through the alleyway. She immediately remembered and stopped. “Miss Ming, do you have anything like this to cover yourself up?”

He handed Liuli back to the woman's sword sheath, but Liuli peeked out a little bit and looked at him.

"What are you covering up?"

“...Miss Ming.” Pei Ye gestured with her hands as if making a veil. “Won’t Miss Ming cover herself when she enters the city?”

Ming Qitian thought for a moment: "I don't wander around the streets much."

"Oh."

Since the woman was at the mountain gate and had no need for food or changing clothes, she probably rarely went into the city.

"Why cover it up?" Ming Qitian asked.

“Because the capital is crowded and full of people, and with the Feather Scale Trial approaching, the atmosphere of the martial arts world is very strong. Miss Ming’s arrival in the capital will definitely cause a stir,” Pei Ye said. “Moreover… Miss Ming is beautiful and will easily attract attention.”

Ming Qitian tilted her head slightly.

"Wait a moment, I'll go buy one for Miss Ming." Pei Ye said and left, returning in an instant with a bamboo hat adorned with white gauze.

Ming Qitian curiously accepted it. This was not at all the attire of a martial arts practitioner. Martial arts practitioners would describe it as a bamboo hat with a cloth hanging down, but it was very rare to use white gauze. This was because such a thing was light, easy to get dirty, and its color was eye-catching, which was completely contrary to its purpose. If someone wore it, it was mostly for the purpose of looking good.

Therefore, these items were not originally sold to martial arts practitioners, but rather to the ordinary people of Shenjing who would impersonate them, displayed in shops alongside masks and wooden swords. Recently, it has become increasingly common to see people wearing gauze hats in Shenjing, a new trend.

Ming Qitian tried putting the bamboo hat on her head, turned it around, and awkwardly straightened the white veil. It was the first time Pei Ye had seen this woman act so clumsily in a certain matter.

After a little effort, the woman finished tidying up and turned to look at Pei Ye.

Now it's time to see who has the best look in the world. Pei Ye clapped his hands and laughed, "Beautiful."

“I’m showing you whether it can be covered up or not,” Ming Qitian said.

"It can be covered up, it can be covered up."

"Dressing up Miss Ming" was a rather novel experience for Pei Ye. In fact, he could still vaguely see the woman's appearance, but it was not a big deal.

"You can't just stick your head out like that, understand?"

After giving Liuli his instructions, Pei Ye and Liuli walked out of the alley and onto the street in the early morning.

There weren't many pedestrians yet. Pei Ye recalled that he and Piao Qing had walked slowly down the street like this the night before, but he immediately dismissed the thought, pursed his lips, and tilted his head to ask, "Miss Ming, besides participating in the Feather Scale Trial, do you have any other plans for coming to the capital?"

Ming Qitian noticed the fleeting fluctuation in his emotions, but didn't say anything. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Now that I've seen you, that's all. I'll take first place in the Feather Scale Trial, and the Sword Trial will be over. Then I'll resolve the issue with the 'Gushe Heart Sutra,' and then return to the mountain to break through to the next realm."

Pei Ye exclaimed in surprise, "You've broken through to a higher realm?"

"Ah."

"Miss Ming is really amazing."

What are your plans next?

Pei Ye thought for a moment, then looked up at the sky: "In these twenty days, there is only one thing I must do."

“Find a way to defeat the Prince of Yan’s heir, and then surpass him in the martial arts examination in the capital,” he said.

"Have you encountered any difficulties?"

“…I’m not very familiar with the methods of the Northern Frontier. Last time we fought, I could hardly find a way to kill him.” Pei Ye stared at the empty space, his face serious. “Besides, I had the upper hand back then. Once we’re on the arena, it’ll be hard to find that kind of opportunity.”

"The cultivators of the Northern Frontier have fought against the Wild People for thousands of years and extracted cultivation methods from them. They have established a body-refining method with the blood of mountains and seas as its core."

"Yes, that's what the Xianrendai files say too, but it's the first time I've seen it, so it's unfamiliar to me."

Ming Qitian nodded: "Then we'll study it together later."

"As a token of my gratitude, I'll treat Miss Ming to some steamed buns."

Pei Ye looked up and saw Baozi Xiaolou standing in front of him.

The two walked in, enveloped by the sounds of people and the heat. The woman was indeed somewhat unfamiliar with this environment, and stared blankly at the diners coming and going, talking and laughing as they chewed their food.

When Pei Ye tapped on the counter to order steamed buns, porridge, and side dishes, she stood quietly to the side.

Pei Ye turned around and saw the motionless woman: "Miss Ming, what would you like to eat?"

"Isn't it a steamed bun?"

"I mean, what kind of filling?"

"Just like you is fine."

"I eat a lot."

"I only need one of each."

Pei Ye turned and gave instructions to the waiter, then led the woman upstairs.

Seeing Ming Qitian glance back, she turned her head and asked, "What's wrong?"

The woman asked curiously, "I noticed that four groups of customers called out or placed orders within a few moments, and he responded to all of them. Is such a good memory?"

Pei Ye smiled: "Miss Ming, you may not know this, but all the waiters in the capital who are doing very well have 'quail heads'."

Ming Qitian smiled gently.

The two found a seat by the window and sat down. At this time, there were some real martial arts people. There were several tables on the first floor. They glanced at the newly arrived couple between their conversations, and then looked away when they saw the woman in white gauze.

There were many customers in the early morning, so the steamed buns would take some time to prepare. A cup of hot tea and some beans were served first on the table. Pei Ye had never been so formal when eating. He poured a cup for the woman first, and then they waited together with his robes tucked in.

Ming Qitian had probably never had the experience of sitting and eating with so many people before, and quietly observed her surroundings.

Just then, a clear voice came from up the stairs: "Ladies and gentlemen! The latest edition of 'The Sword of Chang'an' is fresh out of the oven, still piping hot! Ten coins a copy, first come, first served!"

He was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, with short brown hair and a neat appearance, standing in the hall holding a stack of newspapers.

"Young man, shut up and bring me two portions." The person at the drinking table frowned as he looked over.

"Twenty servings, please!" It was two lively girls at the next table who raised their hands. Judging from their clothes, they had a southwestern style, and their figures suggested they were martial arts practitioners, but it was impossible to tell which sect they belonged to.

"okay!!"

Ming Qitian glanced at Pei Ye, but since the boy didn't raise his hand, she remained silent.

“There are many swordsmen in Chang’an, and many things happen there, so there are a lot of local sword reports. But I haven’t read them much,” Pei Ye said. “Actually, there’s nothing exclusive. Miss Ming, I can tell you anything you want to know.”

Ming Qitian shook her head: "I have nothing to know."

At this moment, the girl at the next table turned her head and said in a crisp voice, "Friend, you're really behind the times this time. There hasn't been any big news about 'Chang'an Sword Chronicles' in the past seven days, but this morning's news is different—"

She held up a document, and at the top of it was a large line of text: "Report on the Tianshan Sword Banquet".

"—You saw it, didn't you? At yesterday's Tianshan Sword Banquet, 'The Story of Chang'an Sword' was published the fastest and most completely, and... and there was that astonishing accident, wasn't there? I wonder if it was mentioned in a few words." The girl said mysteriously.

Pei Ye laughed: "Then even if you buy ten copies, there's still no extra information."

“We bought it for our friends at the same inn!” the girl said. “We chatted about it for a long time last night, and we were all waiting to see it this morning.”

Pei Ye then seemed to realize what was going on: "What were you talking about?"

The girl's eyes widened in surprise: "You don't know this? The Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet! It's all the rage among the sects—I can tell you're a swordsman too."

"...What's going on so wildly?"

"That Pei Ye offended Yun Lang at the Tianshan Sword Banquet,"

Ming Qitian listened quietly, holding her teacup, then turned her head slightly, slightly startled: "How did Pei Ye offend Yun Lang?"

"You all don't know. At the sword banquet, he publicly defied Yun Lang's order and performed a swordplay with the people of Kongtong. His reputation for arrogance has spread far and wide—he really doesn't know his own limitations. Think about it, how often does Yun Lang actually issue a Jianghu order? People say the entire garden was silent, but he actually stood up and directly talked back to Yun Lang's senior." The girl said, "In the past, Shenjing always said he was powerful, but unfortunately no one had ever seen him. Now we know he is such a person."

Another chimed in, "That's right. Mu Xiufeng is gone. I heard he's still studying at the Sword Cultivation Academy. How could he dare offend Yunlang Mountain?"

Ming Qitian said, "Everyone has their own ambitions. Having different ideas doesn't mean you're offending Yunlang Mountain. Besides, even if you were, the consequences might not be that serious."

"Of course it's serious. Yun Lang has given the order, and his tone is very stern. That senior said that before he died, he was not allowed to enter the area within three hundred miles of Yun Lang Mountain, nor was he allowed to learn the Yun Lang sword technique."

Ming Qitian was slightly taken aback: "Oh, then let's not go. Three hundred li isn't a very big place..."

She glanced at Pei Ye: "There's no need to learn the Cloud Lang Sword in the Sword Ladder."

“Why don’t you understand?” the girl frowned. “This isn’t just about these two things; it’s about attitude! Yun Lang, the number one sect in the world, carries the weight of every word and action. How can a mere Pulse Realm swordsman bear the weight of Yun Lang’s hostile attitude? I heard that after the Heavenly Sword Banquet, no one even spoke to him.”

Another person said seriously, "Moreover, Master Mingjian will be arriving in the capital soon. Which swordsman in the capital wouldn't want to meet Master Mingjian? That's the real hot topic. If Master Mingjian refuses to give him face, his reputation in the sword world will truly be ruined."

Ming Qitian was taken aback again: "Ming Qitian...why wouldn't he give him a hard time?"

“He has already offended Yun Lang, how could Young Sword Lord pay any attention to him?” The girl glared. “Such an arrogant and rude person, Sword Master Ming would never bother with him.”

"..."

Ming Qitian turned to look at the boy sitting opposite her.

The boy had been looking down and picking at the fried beans in front of him from the very beginning.

(End of this chapter)