Wuxia: Become the 100-Victory Sword King at the Beginning

Seeing that Yaoyue's expression was cold and her words were brief, Jiang Feng was filled with gratitude, but he also knew that she was aloof and should not disturb her too much.

He cupped his hands in thanks again and said earnestly, "I will never thank you for your great kindness. I will remember your kindness today. I will definitely visit you in person another day to repay your life-saving grace. Now I am seriously injured and unable to move, so I must take my leave first. If you ever need my help in the future, please just send someone to let me know, and I will go through fire and water for you."

Having said that, he forced himself to endure the pain, turned around and left. His tall figure swayed slightly in the sunlight, yet it exuded a stubborn determination.

As Yaoyue watched Jiang Feng's departing figure, a strange emotion quietly welled up in her heart. It seemed to be a sense of reluctance, mixed with a bit of unfamiliarity and resistance to this warmth. But as the high and mighty, cold and aloof palace master of Yihua Palace, she had always buried her emotions deep in her heart, so how could she easily reveal them?

She frowned slightly, a barely perceptible struggle flashing in her eyes. After a moment's thought, she turned to her maid, Hua Yuenü, and ordered in her still cold voice, "You escort Young Master Jiang back to his residence. Make sure he is safe and sound. The Jiang residence is over a hundred miles southwest of Yihua Palace. You must not be negligent in the slightest along the way. If anything happens to him, you will not need to return to Yihua Palace."

Her tone was cold, yet it also revealed a hidden concern for Jiang Feng's safety.

Hua Yuenü respectfully curtsied and replied, "Yes, Palace Master." After saying that, she quickly followed Jiang Feng. Along the way, Hua Yuenü smiled charmingly and took the initiative to chat with Jiang Feng: "Young Master Jiang, you really had a close call today, but with our Palace Master's help, those villains were naturally no match for you."

Jiang Feng smiled slightly, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, and replied, "Indeed, we owe a great debt to the Palace Master and Miss today. May I ask how Miss is addressed?" His smile blossomed on his face, like the warm spring sun, instantly brightening the slightly dull atmosphere around him.

Hua Yuenü blinked and smiled, "Young Master Jiang, you can just call me Yuenü."

The two chatted back and forth, their laughter echoing through the mountains and forests. Yaoyue remained standing there like a statue, gazing in the direction they had left, motionless for a long time. A faint light seemed to flicker in her cold, star-like eyes, but that light was quickly masked by the coldness in her eyes, as if all the emotional fluctuations just now were just an illusion.

When Yaoyue met Lianxing and Shi Feiyang, a hint of concern flashed in her cold, star-like eyes as she softly asked, "Was your journey smooth?" Upon hearing this, Shi Feiyang's heart clenched, like a startled rabbit, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, almost leaping out of his throat. He thought to himself, "If Palace Master Yaoyue knew I was a man, she'd tear me to pieces!" But he forced a calm expression, managing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Lianxing noticed Shi Feiyang's nervousness and, recalling the time she had spent with Shi Feiyang, which had fostered a sisterly bond, she spoke first: "Sister, this trip went extremely smoothly, all thanks to Chuntao's hard work. She was quick-witted and intelligent throughout the journey, helping me a lot. She was also fearless in the face of the gangs' difficulties and handled them very well." As she spoke, Lianxing affectionately patted Shi Feiyang's shoulder.

Yaoyue nodded slightly, but her gaze lingered on Shi Feiyang for a few more moments.

A sense of doubt crept into her mind. The "Chuntao" before her was tall, a head taller than herself. In her memory, what ordinary girl would have such an outstanding height? This made her doubt whether Shi Feiyang was actually a girl.

Shi Feiyang felt a chill run down his spine under Yaoyue's gaze, and a fine sweat beaded on his forehead, but he dared not show it in the slightest, and could only silently pray that Yaoyue would not investigate further. Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the slightly tense atmosphere.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Hua Yuenü riding a fine horse, galloping towards them. She dismounted, walked quickly to Yaoyue, and respectfully curtsied, saying, "Palace Mistress, Young Master Jiang has arrived home safely. He asked me to convey his gratitude to you."

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible emotion flickered across Yue's usually aloof face, and Jiang Feng's image instantly captured her thoughts.

Ever since she rescued him that day, Jiang Feng's voice and smile have often appeared in her mind, lingering there.

After returning to Yihua Palace, Yaoyue often found herself alone, resting her chin on her hand, lost in deep longing. Jiang Feng's image would involuntarily appear before her eyes, whether he was smiling gently or frowning slightly, every move he made tugged at her heartstrings.

In the days that followed, Shi Feiyang plunged into the kitchen and began his "chef's career." On the first day, he confidently made a braised pork dish, but when it came out of the pot, the meat was burnt black and unrecognizable.

Looking at the dish, Shi Feiyang felt like crying. He thought, "This is terrible. I messed up on the first day. Master Lianxing is definitely going to be furious."

Having no other choice, he had to bite the bullet and serve the dish to Lianxing.

Lianxing frowned as she looked at the dark, unappetizing dish and asked, "Chuntao, what are you making?"

Shi Feiyang said with a smile, "Master Lianxing, this is braised pork. I may not have controlled the heat well, so it doesn't look very good, but it must taste good. Please try it." As he spoke, he picked up a piece of meat and held it to Lianxing's mouth.

Lianxing glanced at the piece of meat with disdain and said, "Can you even eat this? I think you did it on purpose. Do you not want to be punished properly?"

Shi Feiyang quickly explained, "Master Lianxing, I really didn't mean it. I'll go back and redo it right away. Please give me another chance."

Helpless, Lianxing could only say, "Alright, I'll give you one more chance. If you still can't do it well, then you can expect to be punished!"

Shi Feiyang slunk back to the kitchen and started making braised pork again.

This time, he carefully controlled the heat, never daring to take his eyes off the pot for a moment. Finally, a plate of braised pork, with excellent color, aroma, and taste, was ready. Shi Feiyang carried the dish and excitedly ran to Lianxing, saying, "Master Lianxing, please try it. This time it's definitely perfect."

Lianxing looked at the plate of braised pork, its color a bright red and its aroma enticing, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

She picked up a piece of meat, put it in her mouth and tasted it; it did taste quite good. She nodded and said, "Hmm, you did a pretty good job this time, but don't get too cocky. This is just the beginning. There are still twenty-nine days to go. If you dare to slack off, I won't let you off the hook."

Seeing that Lianxing was satisfied, Shi Feiyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Don't worry, Master Lianxing, I will definitely do my best and cook the most delicious meals for you every day." From then on, Shi Feiyang racked his brains every day to cook different dishes for Lianxing and the flower servants.

Although many unexpected situations arose during the process, he always managed to cleverly resolve the crises with his intelligence, ensuring that Lianxing and the flower slaves enjoyed their meal and filling the days of punishment with laughter.

Days passed, and Shi Feiyang's "labor" in the kitchen continued. Although he occasionally managed to cook a few dishes that Lianxing approved of thanks to his indomitable spirit, most of the time, his cooking was still unsatisfactory.

Lianxing found it amusing to watch Shi Feiyang frantically trying to make things go wrong in the kitchen, but she couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him.

After all, this kid usually serves me quite well, and the purpose of this punishment is to teach him a lesson, not to really stump him.

One day, after Lianxing finished eating the meal prepared by Shi Feiyang, she looked at Shi Feiyang's cautious and ingratiating expression and finally said, "Chuntao, although your cooking skills have improved, they are still far from meeting my requirements. Fine, today I will cook for you myself and teach you a few tricks. You must learn them well."

Upon hearing this, Shi Feiyang's eyes lit up like luminous pearls, and his face beamed with smiles. He hurriedly said, "Oh, Master Lianxing, you've really saved my life! With your personal guidance, my cooking skills will definitely improve by leaps and bounds. Maybe I can even open a restaurant and become a head chef in the future!"

The two entered the kitchen, and Lianxing put on an apron, instantly transforming from the aloof Second Palace Mistress of Yihua Palace into a kitchen expert.

She picked up a bunch of greens and began to wash them skillfully, saying as she did so, "Chuntao, you have to be careful when washing vegetables. Every single leaf has to be cleaned, otherwise there will be sand or grit in your mouth, which will ruin the taste of the whole dish."

Shi Feiyang watched intently, nodding occasionally and muttering, "Yes, yes, Master Lianxing, I used to be so careless when washing vegetables. No wonder my dishes were always a bit lacking." Then, Lianxing began chopping vegetables. Her knife skills were superb; the greens were chopped into evenly sized pieces in her hands, her movements as fluid as flowing water. Shi Feiyang watched in astonishment, unable to help but exclaim, "Wow, Master Lianxing, your knife skills are amazing! When I chop vegetables, they're either too big or too small, and sometimes I almost cut my finger!"

Lianxing rolled her eyes at him and said, "Chopping vegetables requires steadiness and precision. You're usually clumsy, so naturally you can't do it well. Here, you try." With that, she handed the knife to Shi Feiyang. Shi Feiyang took the knife and started chopping vegetables, imitating Lianxing, but his hands seemed to have a mind of their own, and the vegetables he chopped were all different sizes and shapes.

Lianxing watched from the side and shook her head, saying, "You're still too impatient. Cut slowly and keep your knife steady."

With Lianxing's patient guidance, Shi Feiyang's knife skills finally made some progress.

Lianxing started cooking. She poured oil into the pan and waited for it to heat up before adding the chopped greens. With a "sizzle," the greens jumped around happily in the pan.

While stir-frying, Lianxing said to Yang Xi, "When stir-frying, the heat is very important. If the heat is too high, the vegetables will burn easily; if the heat is too low, they won't have any aroma." Shi Feiyang, who was watching intently, suddenly said, "Master Lianxing, I feel like stir-frying is a bit like practicing martial arts. Both emphasize the control of heat and rhythm." Lianxing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled and said, "You're quite clever, lad. Now that you mention it, there's some truth to it."

Under Lianxing's patient guidance, Shi Feiyang's cooking skills gradually improved.

That day, he made a delicious stir-fried vegetable dish and served it to Lianxing with a hopeful look on his face, saying, "Master Lianxing, please try it. I made it according to the method you taught me. See if you have improved."

Lianxing picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. After savoring it, she nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, you did well this time. It seems you've been learning diligently. But don't be arrogant. You still need to keep working hard in the future."

Upon hearing this, Shi Feiyang jumped up with joy and said, "That's wonderful! I've finally received praise from Master Lianxing! I will definitely work harder in the future and cook more delicious dishes!" The relationship between the two became even more harmonious, like that of siblings.

What's lacking in Yihua Palace is men. Currently, Shi Feiyang is the only man there.

Although Shi Feiyang is not as handsome as Jiang Feng, there is no other man as handsome as Shi Feiyang besides Jiang Feng.

If it weren't for Jiang Feng's appearance, all the girls in Yihua Palace would probably have married Shi Feiyang.

However, Jiang Feng's appearance caused Shi Feiyang's life trajectory to deviate from its intended path.

In late spring, peach blossoms drifted like snow in the Yihua Palace. Shi Feiyang squatted in front of the kitchen stove, his nose covered in flour, poking at the newly made peach blossom pastry with his chopsticks.

The sound of the Jade Flute of the Palace Master Lianxing grew louder as it approached. He hurriedly hid the burnt pancake behind his back, grinning to reveal two rows of white teeth: "Master, you've come at just the right time! I just made a dish called 'Moving Flowers and Reflecting the Moon.' Try this crispy crust; I guarantee it's even crispier than the icicles from the Rebirth Pool!"

Lianxing picked up half a peach blossom pastry with her silver chopsticks, the pink and white petal-shaped pastry fluttering from her fingertips. She took a small bite, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up: "The pastry is quite ingenious, but the filling..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang had already picked up the jar of osmanthus honey: "I knew the master had a sweet tooth! Look at this honey from the Western Regions, mixed with Tian Shan snow lotus honey, it's even sweeter than the temperamental Tian Shan Child Granny!"

"You're such a chatterbox." Lianxing lightly tapped his forehead, but couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.

Shi Feiyang touched the spot where he had been knocked, feigning ignorance, when he caught a glimpse of a guard rushing past the window—Jiang Feng had arrived. He immediately jumped up: "Master! I heard that Young Master Jiang brought a dowry of eight-bearer sedan chair, and even the luminous pearl from Persia!"

The ice-jade floor tiles of the main hall of Yihua Palace gleamed with a chill. Jiang Feng, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, had a sandalwood box carried by servants behind him that shimmered in the sunlight.

He gazed at Yaoyue, who sat high in the main seat, and as he bowed, half of a gold-embroidered scroll was revealed in his wide sleeves: "I am willing to repay the Palace Master's life-saving grace. This small gift is just to add some nourishment to the Palace Master's peach blossom forest."

Inviting the Moon's fingertips traced the icy jade armrest, her Mingyu Kung Fu condensing into frost flowers in her palm: "Young Master Jiang, being a member of the martial world, should know the rules of the Yihua Palace—"

Before she could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang suddenly darted out from behind the screen, his hair disheveled and a spatula hanging from his waist: "Palace Mistress! The osmanthus sugar cakes made by the kitchen are ready. Would you like Young Master Jiang to try some? Our Yihua Palace's pastries are much sweeter than the luminous pearls in his box!"

Jiang Feng raised an eyebrow and sized up the impetuous servant, only to see Shi Feiyang suddenly lean close to his ear: "Young Master Jiang wants to see Miss Hua Yuenü?"

He winked and grinned like a rat stealing oil. "But you have to get past me first—guess what treasure I've hidden in this pot?" He then lifted the lid of the food box, revealing a pile of fake jewels carved from carrots.

Yaoyue's face darkened, but Shi Feiyang chuckled as he twirled the spatula: "If Young Master Jiang guesses correctly, I'll take you on a 'special route'! But let me warn you, this route is more convoluted than the Persian Merchant's Maze. If you get lost, don't blame me for not warning you!"

Hua Yuenü covered her mouth and chuckled, but Jiang Feng became interested: "Alright! If I'm wrong, this box of Persian carpets is yours." He leaned closer to the food box and suddenly smelled a faint aroma of wine: "Is it drunken crab?"

Shi Feiyang slammed the lid shut: "Wrong! It's osmanthus cake marinated in drunken crab sauce!" He lifted a corner, revealing the dark cake. "Look at this color, doesn't it look like the black jade on the Palace Master's hairpin?"

Yaoyue snorted coldly, and ice shards suddenly appeared from her sleeve. Shi Feiyang immediately hid behind Lianxing: "Palace Master, spare me! I just wanted Young Master Jiang to witness the 'extraordinary culinary skills' of Yihua Palace!"

He suddenly raised the spatula and drew the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) shape in the air, "Just like our Peach Blossom Formation, it looks like pastries, but it actually hides a trap!"

Jiang Feng clapped his hands and laughed: "Interesting! In that case, please lead the way, young brother."

Shi Feiyang walked ahead, shaking his head, deliberately leading the group into the winding corridor.

At each doorway he passed, he would ring a copper bell with a spatula: "Look closely, everyone! This is the 'Shifting Shadow Door.' One wrong step and you'll fall in..."

Before he could finish speaking, he slipped and fell into the pond in the artificial hill.

Hua Yuenü cried out and went to help him up, but Shi Feiyang, with his head covered in water plants, scrambled to his feet, clutching the food box tightly in his arms: "It's alright! I'm just demonstrating 'drowning escape techniques' to you all!" He wiped the water from his face and suddenly pulled out a crystal-clear block of ice from his robes. "Look at this ice, it was taken from the bottom of the Rebirth Pool, it's even colder than snow lotus from the Heavenly Mountains!"

Looking at this clown, Jiang Feng suddenly realized that none of the peach blossoms in the Yihua Palace were as interesting as him.

Meanwhile, Yaoyue, hidden in the shadows, gripped the armrest tightly. The ice flower formed in her palm by Mingyu Gong suddenly shattered—she couldn't tell whether it was the Qi Shi Feiyang acting up or the undisguised smile in Jiang Feng's eyes.

When Shi Feiyang finally led everyone to the edge of the peach blossom grove, Jiang Feng gazed at the layers upon layers of peach branches and suddenly recalled a rumor circulating in the martial arts world: "The Peach Blossom Formation of the Yihua Palace appears beautiful, but in reality, it conceals deadly dangers." (End of Chapter)