Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 65 Wood Wind
"The rice needs to be simmered until it's soft and tender, but don't add too much firewood, or the fire will be too high and it will dry out."

Anche Hexiang stood on a small wooden stool, earnestly imparting her experience.

Chang Ping'an and Murong Ruyan nodded frequently as they listened. Most of the time, they were eating the food their master gave them, which made them feel guilty. It was always the disciples who served their masters, never the other way around.
Chang Ping'an felt genuinely guilty, while Murong Ruyan felt embarrassed.

Although she joined the White Stone Immortal Sect, she always maintained a "cooperative" mindset.

Unexpectedly, although his master Zhang Chengdao didn't give him much guidance in cultivation, he took great care of his daily life, arranging everything from clothing and food to shelter and transportation. Even his senior brother had a "White Egret of Night Talk," and he himself had a weapon that his master said was being forged...

It can be said that, apart from her mother who died young, no one in this world has ever been so kind to her!

Even if it were for the sake of exchanging favors for the position of Grand Preceptor of the Bohai Kingdom, there was no need to go to such lengths. And if Master really did this, perhaps it really is as Senior Brother said...

Master is a true moral saint!

Even though she no longer believed in the existence of such a perfect person, Murong Ruyan couldn't help but feel a little moved.

In Murong Ruyan's eyes, if she could improve her cooking skills, she could at least repay her master in the future!

Therefore, she is now studying with extra care by Anche Hexiang's side.

"Lard can be used to make dishes fragrant; this is a cooking method from the Southern Chu region. However, they don't use lard; it seems to be oil extracted from radish seeds and rapeseed. I tried using lard last year during the Spring Festival, and it was very fragrant when stir-frying cabbage. It's a pity it was such a waste, and it seems you don't have lard here..."

At this point, Anche Hexiang shook her head regretfully.

"Oil? I think I have some! How about this?"

Murong Ruyan picked up a porcelain bottle from the counter next to the stove. It was filled with brownish-green oil, which looked a bit like sesame oil, but it was somewhat cloudy.

This bottle of oil is actually rapeseed oil. It was made by Zhang Chengdao when he had nothing to do. He collected the rapeseed that came with each harvest of the "green vegetables" produced in the market and pressed it into this slightly cloudy, brownish-green oil, which he called "rapeseed oil".

Anche Hexiang had never seen rapeseed oil before. She smelled it curiously and asked, "Is this sesame oil?"

Murong Ruyan replied, "It's rapeseed oil, pressed by my master!"

Anche Hexiang's eyes lit up, her face beaming with eagerness: "Rapeseed oil? We can try stir-frying cabbage with that!"

“Girl!” Anche Huaishan disapproved and stopped her, “You’ve never used rapeseed oil to cook cabbage before. If you make a mistake this time, wouldn’t it be a waste of these precious ingredients?”

Anche Hexiang found this to be true and sadly put the rapeseed oil back in its place, saying, "Brother is right. I've never tried using rapeseed oil before, and I don't want to waste it."

Murong Ruyan did not force her. Although her master had said that nothing in the warehouse was very valuable and that if they needed it, they could just tell Manager Xu and take it, she had personally witnessed how much effort her master had put into this small jar of "rapeseed oil"!
This thing is so precious, she would feel bad if it were wasted!
I've never even seen this in the palace!

So everyone started cooking in a more traditional way. First, they stewed a pot of wild pheasant and tofu stew, then steamed some vegetable buns, made a braised radish dish, and finally served pumpkin porridge. Although the taste was not as good as the dishes Zhang Chengdao always prepared, it was still much better than the food at the Sword Casting Manor.

Of course, Anche Hexiang's culinary skills are only a small part of the reason. The main reason is that the raw materials for these dishes are almost all spiritual ingredients, which naturally taste much better than ordinary ingredients.

Having learned a few cooking skills, Murong Ruyan became unusually lively, chattering away with Anche Hexiang, who was only three years younger than her. Chang Ping'an, on the other hand, kept in mind his master's instructions to establish a sect and tried to teach Anche Huaishan how to cultivate immortality, but he couldn't quite grasp the method. For a while, the entire thatched cottage courtyard was filled with laughter and chatter, very lively, except for Zhang Chengdao, who remained absent.

The next morning, a large group of people arrived on the mountain road, but they did not rush to knock on the door. Instead, they waited quietly under the arrow tower not far away, even speaking in hushed tones.

Chang Ping'an, who had gotten up early, looked at the group of people with curiosity. They seemed very familiar. Xu Ying took the initiative to invite them to have some tea, but they were unmoved and politely declined, saying that they would insist on waiting outside the courtyard.

Soon, Murong Ruyan also washed up in the neighboring courtyard and hurriedly went to the mulberry grove—she was still responsible for shaking the trees every day, and leaving a little earlier might allow her to run into that elusive little thief!

A while later, when the sun was almost directly overhead, Zhang Chengdao finally arrived, yawning.

He stretched and walked out of the courtyard gate, his expression seemingly a little embarrassed: "I'm really sorry to have kept you all waiting!"

Although he said that, Zhang Chengdao was actually doing it on purpose.

Because he almost didn't have time to break through to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment!
The elderly man at the head of the group opposite them had a kind expression and said, "It's alright, it's only just past 9 AM!"

"you are……"

The old man smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "This old man is Mu Feng, greetings to Immortal Zhang."

Zhang Chengdao hurriedly returned the greeting: "I dare not accept the title of Immortal from the Martial Envoy. I am merely an ordinary cultivator!"

Mu Feng said, "Ah, Immortal Zhang, you are too modest. Your name is now widely known throughout the Xiao Kingdom! To be honest, the 'immortal wheat' that comes out of your place has all ended up on His Majesty's table!"

Zhang Chengdao was somewhat surprised: "My 'Immortal Wheat'?"

He wasn't surprised that the wheat had reached the emperor's table—that was bound to happen sooner or later—but rather by the speed at which it was delivered!

It had only been a little over a month since he harvested his first batch of spirit wheat!
It takes several days to ride a horse from Mount Shiroishi to Kyoto!
Zhang Chengdao couldn't help but ponder.

It seems that the Xiao Kingdom's government's control over the martial arts world is not as weak as others think.

Mu Feng replied, "It was the 'Immortal Wheat' that Zhang Xianren used to help the old master of the Sword Forging Manor break through to the Grandmaster realm. His Majesty had been stuck in the martial arts realm for a long time, and it was Zhang Xianren's 'Immortal Wheat' that allowed His Majesty to faintly break through to the Acquired Venerable realm. For the court and for the country, it was truly a great achievement!"

"Hehehe, it's just a little bit of spirit wheat, Mu Wuzhi is too kind."

Zhang Chengdao smiled on the surface, but inwardly he thought to himself, "This is bad."

Is this some kind of scheme to monopolize every crop produced for the imperial use?
Big news! I missed the deadline today!!!

Although it's past the designated time, it won't affect today's third update!

Oh no, I messed up at the last minute! _(:з」∠)_
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(End of this chapter)