Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Time flows like water, and another month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Life on Dazhufeng returned to its usual rhythm, but it was also somewhat different.

Two new faces appeared among the disciples practicing in front of Shoujing Hall.

One was a young man in a smart outfit with thick eyebrows and big, bright eyes. He practiced his skills the most diligently, and his movements were quite impressive. His aura was also much more solid than when he first came up the mountain. He was none other than Lin Jingyu, a newcomer to martial arts.

The other was an ordinary-looking, gentle-looking young man dressed in plain clothes. He spent most of his time not in the training ground, but busy between the kitchen and the dining hall. His face was often covered with soot from the stove, and he had a somewhat simple and honest smile. This was Zhang Xiaofan.

Lin Jingyu's talent was indeed amazing. In just a few months after arriving on the mountain, under Tian Buyi's personal guidance and his own hard work, he had already reached the first level of Yuqing. This made Tian Buyi very gratified. He felt that he had finally found a good material for Dazhu Peak. He often praised Lin Jingyu to Su Ru in private, saying, "Lin Jingyu is a promising talent."

In comparison, Zhang Xiaofan was... utterly unremarkable. He stumbled over the first level of the Taiji Xuanqing Dao's incantation, his breathing was chaotic during meditation, and drawing qi into his body was extremely difficult. After several months, he even experienced intermittent qi sensation.

At first, Tian Buyi patiently gave him some pointers, but later, seeing that Zhang Xiaofan's progress was really slow, he gradually shifted his focus to Lin Jingyu, who was more talented. As for Zhang Xiaofan, he only asked him to do his homework on time every day and did not force him to do so.

Although he was somewhat puzzled as to why the child's aptitude was so ordinary, he figured that since he had already brought him up the mountain, Dazhu Peak wouldn't need another mouth to feed, so he let him be.

Jiang Xiaochuan actually quite likes Zhang Xiaofan.

This young man was mild-mannered, reliable, and quiet, but quick-witted.

Once, after practicing his sword, he was starving and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He happened to run into Zhang Xiaofan trying to reheat leftovers. Zhang Xiaofan casually chopped some pickled vegetables and stir-fried them haphazardly, and the aroma was surprisingly delicious. Jiang Xiaochuan ate a large bowl of it and praised it highly.

He suddenly remembered that the book seemed to mention that Zhang Xiaofan was a good cook.

Not only is it good, but in the original work it is practically the "God of Cookery" of Dazhu Peak!

His eyes lit up when he looked at Zhang Xiaofan, who was standing there somewhat awkwardly wearing a greasy apron.

"Xiao Fan, who taught you to cook?" Jiang Xiaochuan asked, leaning closer to the stove.

Zhang Xiaofan scratched his head, a little embarrassed: "No... I haven't formally learned from anyone. I just watched my mother cook at home and occasionally helped out. After coming up the mountain, when Senior Brother Du cooked... um... I was afraid of wasting food, so I tried to cook it myself."

He spoke subtly, but Jiang Xiaochuan understood.

Du Bishu's cooking skills... well, I can only say they're edible.

"Xiao Fan, would you like to... take charge of the meals for our Dazhu Peak from now on?" Jiang Xiaochuan coaxed gently.

"Look, there are so many of us, practicing hard every day. If we can eat better, it will help our cultivation, right? You have a talent for cooking, don't waste it."

"Huh? Me? I cook all the time?" Zhang Xiaofan was stunned and waved his hands repeatedly.

"No, no, Senior Brother Jiang, I still need to practice my skills. Master said..."

"Practicing won't interfere with your training." Jiang Xiaochuan patted him on the shoulder.

"Cooking is also a form of spiritual practice, a way to cultivate one's mind. Besides, look at Senior Brother Du, he's cooking while you're tending the fire, which is interfering with his practice, isn't it? You might as well do the cooking so he can focus on tending the fire... no, on practicing his skills."

The more he thought about it, the better he felt it was. Didn't Zhang Xiaofan take charge of the meals later in the original story?

This earned him a lot of goodwill from Tian Buyi. Besides, Dazhufeng's stomach really needs saving!

He immediately went to find Tian Buyi. Tian Buyi was drinking tea when he heard him rattle off a bunch of things, such as "Xiao Fan has an extraordinary talent for cooking", "improving the diet is beneficial for cultivation", "let Du Bishu concentrate on practicing his skills and not waste his talent", and so on.

Tian Buyi held his teacup and pondered for a moment.

Du Bishu's cooking skills... are indeed a major problem. Before, there were no other options, but now there seems to be someone who's passable...

"Do you really think Zhang Xiaofan can cook?" Tian Buyi asked.

"It'll definitely work! Master, please trust me this once and let him try. If it doesn't work, we can switch back." Jiang Xiaochuan patted his chest and assured him.

Tian Buyi glanced at him, then thought about the dark, indistinguishable dish of food or charcoal that Du Bishu had made at noon, and finally nodded. "Then let him give it a try. I'll talk to Lao Liu."

Thus, the kitchen at Dazhufeng quietly changed hands.

Du Bishu was "promoted" from head chef to full-time fire-making Taoist priest, responsible for tending the fire and chopping wood.

At first, he was not very happy, feeling that his status as a "chef" was being challenged, but after eating the first meal cooked by Zhang Xiaofan, he shut up and even chopped two more bundles of firewood.

Zhang Xiaofan officially took office. He does indeed have a unique talent for cooking.

The same ingredients, but in his hands, taste completely different. Simple green vegetables can be stir-fried to a sweet flavor, ordinary meat can be stewed until tender and flavorful, and even the most common white porridge can be cooked to be fragrant, thick, and delicious.

He would also devise his own ideas, such as using wild mushrooms picked from the back mountain to make soup, and frying small fish caught from the stream until crispy. Occasionally, he could even make some fancy desserts with limited ingredients.

In just over a month, everyone on and around Dazhu Peak, from Tian Buyi and Su Ru to the most boisterous Du Bishu, deeply understood what "it's hard to go from extravagance to frugality" meant.

After eating Zhang Xiaofan's cooking, and then recalling Du Bishu's cooking skills from before, it was simply unbearable to look back.

Tian Buyi silently ate three bowls of rice at the table, and finally, patting his stomach, he nodded to Zhang Xiaofan, who was standing nervously to the side, and said, "Not bad."

These two simple words made Zhang Xiaofan so excited that his face turned red, and he worked even harder.

Although his cultivation progressed slowly, he found his place and value on Dazhu Peak, and he became busy every day, with a more honest smile on his face.

Jiang Xiaochuan was very satisfied with this.

See, even though the plot has fallen apart, some beautiful things can still be preserved.

For example, the harmonious (?) meals at Dazhu Peak, and Zhang Xiaofan finding his own path.

In the afternoon, in the open space behind Shoujing Hall.

"Ogawa, watch your move!"

With a sharp cry, Tian Ling'er unleashed her amber crimson silk, which, like a serpent emerging from its hole, transformed into a red shadow, accompanied by the sound of wind breaking, and swept straight towards Jiang Xiaochuan's face.

Today she wore a sharp red outfit, her hair was tied up high, and she had a heroic air about her. Her moves were also more ruthless than usual.

Jiang Xiaochuan held the Xuechuan Sword and parried with it horizontally.

The Snow River Sword shimmered with icy blue and silver light. When it touched the red silk, it emitted a soft "hiss" sound. The cold air and the earth elemental energy on the red silk canceled each other out.

He flipped his wrist, and the sword slid in along the red silk, attempting to stab Tian Ling'er's wrist holding the silk.

This was his first formal sparring session with someone after obtaining the Snow River Sword.

His opponent was Tian Ling'er, a fifth-level Jade Purity cultivator, whose cultivation was slightly higher than his. Her Amber Crimson Silk was Su Ru's famous magic weapon from her early years, and its power was considerable.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a little nervous, and even more... hesitant.

He was afraid of hurting Tian Ling'er. He had gained a deep understanding of the sharpness and icy power of the Snow River Sword through his own practice these past few days; a light stroke could leave a deep mark on the bluestone. Although Senior Sister Ling'er's cultivation was high, she was, after all, a woman, and one of his own…

With this thought in mind, his sword strikes became less decisive and more hesitant. He only dared to unleash about 50-60% of the Snow River Sword's power.

Tian Ling'er seemed to sense his hesitation. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she wielded her crimson silk ribbon even more frantically, creating a dense, intricate web of red shadows that coiled around Jiang Xiaochuan from all directions. "Xiaochuan! Get serious! Is your weak sword just going to tickle me?"

Jiang Xiaochuan blushed at her words, gritted his teeth, and the lightning patterns on the Xuechuan Sword glowed slightly. A tiny silver arc of electricity shot out and struck the incoming Zhu Ling.

Zhu Ling paused slightly, but immediately the red light intensified, engulfing the electric arc.

With a flick of her wrist, Tian Ling'er's crimson silk, like a leech clinging to a bone, seized the moment when Jiang Xiaochuan's old strength was exhausted and his new strength had not yet been generated, and suddenly wrapped itself around the blade of the Snow River Sword!

"Not good!" Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat. He tried to draw his sword, but the red silk was wrapped very tightly, and a hot and supple force came through the silk, making his arm numb and almost unable to hold the sword.

He wanted to unleash the power of the Snow River Sword's ice and lightning to shake off Zhu Ling, but he was afraid that if he didn't control the force well, he would hurt Tian Ling'er instead. Just as he hesitated, Tian Ling'er had already exerted her strength!

"Let go!"

The red ribbon was twisted and torn!

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a sharp pain in his tiger's mouth. He could no longer hold onto the Xuechuan Sword, and it flew out of his hand. With a "clang," it stuck diagonally in the muddy ground a few steps away. The sword still hummed and trembled slightly, its blue and white light flashing, as if it were somewhat aggrieved.

Jiang Xiaochuan gripped his numb right wrist, looked at Xuechuan stuck in the ground, then at Tian Ling'er standing opposite him, slightly panting, and his face fell. "I lost."

Tian Ling'er calmed her breathing, walked up to him, picked up the Snow River Sword, and handed it back to him. Her tone was reproachful, but her eyes were concerned: "What was wrong with you just now? You were so timid, you didn't even use half the power of the Snow River Sword, did you? Were you afraid of hurting me?"

"I..." Jiang Xiaochuan took the sword, lowered his head, and acquiesced.

"Idiot!" Tian Ling'er reached out and poked his forehead, quite hard.

"In a competition, one should naturally go all out; otherwise, how can one improve? I have the Amber Crimson Silk protecting me. Is my fifth-level Jade Purity cultivation just for show? How could I be so easily injured? The more restrained you are, the more likely you are to have an accident!"

She paused, her voice lowering slightly, tinged with a barely perceptible hint of disappointment: "Or... in your heart, am I so weak that you need to give in to me?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Jiang Xiaochuan quickly looked up and hurriedly explained.

"Senior Sister Ling'er, you're amazing! It's my fault... I didn't control myself well, I'm sorry."

Seeing his eagerness to defend himself, Tian Ling'er's disappointment dissipated, and she even felt like laughing.

"That idiot." Just as she was about to say something more, a clear, cold voice suddenly came from the side.

"He's right, you didn't give it your all just now."

The two turned their heads at the same time, only to see that Lu Xueqi was already standing quietly under an old pine tree not far away.

Wearing a moon-white Taoist robe and carrying the Heavenly Sword on her back, her cool eyes were fixed on Jiang Xiaochuan, or rather, on the Snow River Sword in his hand. Sunlight filtered through the pine needles, casting dappled patterns of light on her.

Tian Ling'er frowned immediately, silently complaining to herself: Here we go again! Why is Lu Xueqi here again? She's running to Dazhu Peak every other day, isn't she annoying! Doesn't Xiaozhu Peak have anywhere to stay?

Jiang Xiaochuan was also somewhat surprised: "Junior Sister Lu? What brings you here?"

"Just passing by," Lu Xueqi replied briefly, her gaze shifting from Xuechuan Sword to his face. "How's your Xuechuan Sword doing?"

"It's...it's alright," Jiang Xiaochuan said, a little guilty. Xuechuan's performance in the battle just now was indeed unsatisfactory, mainly because his master was too useless.

"I saw the battle just now." Lu Xueqi walked over and stopped a few steps away from the two of them, analyzing the situation in a calm tone.

"You were too cautious and did not bring out the full potential of the Snow River Ice and Lightning power. Ice is slow and sluggish, while lightning is swift and paralyzing. When facing Junior Sister Tian's Zhu Ling, you should have slowed her down with ice energy and disrupted her spirit with lightning force, instead of simply blocking. You should not have allowed her to get close and entangle your sword so easily."

She looked at Tian Ling'er and nodded slightly: "Junior Sister Tian's use of the Crimson Silk is skillful, using softness to overcome hardness, and her timing is excellent."

Hearing her calm, almost rigid, comments, Tian Ling'er's slight sense of pride from winning vanished instantly, replaced by a feeling of frustration.

It seemed like she won not because of her skill, but because her opponent was too bad? She snorted and didn't reply.

Lu Xueqi didn't mind and looked at Jiang Xiaochuan again: "Xuechuan is newly formed, and you still need to get used to it. The way of sword cultivation lies in the unity of man and sword, and the connection between mind and intention. If you have concerns, your sword intent will not be pure, and its power will naturally be greatly reduced."

She paused.

"If you want to master Xuechuan as soon as possible, starting tomorrow, I can come and spar with you every afternoon."

"Ah? This...isn't this too much trouble for Junior Sister Lu?" Jiang Xiaochuan was flattered but also felt embarrassed. Lu Xueqi was usually very busy with her cultivation.

"It's no trouble at all." Lu Xueqi shook her head, her tone matter-of-fact. "Helping you is helping me."

These words sounded a bit strange, but Jiang Xiaochuan didn't think too much about it, taking it as just politeness.

Tian Ling'er, however, was enraged. Helping you is helping me? What does that mean? Is this a declaration of sovereignty?

She stepped forward, blocking Jiang Xiaochuan's path, and glared at Lu Xueqi: "I appreciate Senior Sister Lu's kindness. But I can guide Xiaochuan in sword practice. I am his senior sister, it is only right for me to guide him, so there is no need for Senior Sister Lu to trouble herself and always run to our Dazhu Peak."

She specifically emphasized "our Dazhufeng".

Lu Xueqi calmly met Tian Ling'er's hostile gaze, her voice still cold and unwavering: "Sparring among fellow disciples is perfectly acceptable, as it allows us to learn from each other's strengths and compensate for our weaknesses. Moreover, Xuechuan's sword nature is unique, and my Tianya is also of the ice element, which might help him better grasp its essence. Junior Sister Tian's Zhuling is of the fire element, which clashes with Xuechuan's, making her practice somewhat restrictive and hindering her mastery of the sword's nature."

Her words were logical and well-founded, leaving Tian Ling'er speechless for a moment. Indeed, their attributes clashed, and she had felt a bit awkward when they fought earlier; the icy and lightning energy made her very uncomfortable.

"Then you don't have to come every day!" Tian Ling'er gritted her teeth.

"The key to spiritual practice is perseverance; only through daily practice can one make progress," Lu Xueqi said calmly.

His gaze shifted to Jiang Xiaochuan, questioning him.

"What does Senior Brother Jiang think?"

Jiang Xiaochuan glanced at Tian Ling'er, whose expression was displeased, and then at Lu Xueqi, whose expression was calm but whose eyes were determined. He was at his wit's end. He felt that Lu Xueqi was right; sparring with a master would definitely lead to faster progress.

Senior Sister Ling'er was clearly unhappy...

"I...I'm fine with anything." He finally managed to stammer out this sentence, trying to smooth things over.

Tian Ling'er stomped her foot in anger, glared at Jiang Xiaochuan, then at Lu Xueqi, and said, "Whatever!" before turning and storming off.

Jiang Xiaochuan watched her retreating figure, opened his mouth as if to call out to her, but didn't know what to say, so he could only look awkwardly at Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi's face remained expressionless; she simply said, "Tomorrow afternoon, here."

After saying that, he turned around and flew away on his sword, leaving Jiang Xiaochuan standing alone on the open ground, looking at the Xuechuan Sword in his hand with a troubled expression.

Sigh, what a mess this is. He sighed, put his sword back into his body, and walked back dejectedly.

He didn't notice that behind the kitchen window in the distance, Zhang Xiaofan was kneading dough while secretly watching them, a simple and thoughtful expression on his face.

Further away, Du Bishu was chopping wood while muttering to He Dazhi beside him, "Old He, look at Lao Qi... tsk tsk, a love triangle is brewing."

He Dazhi adjusted his glasses and smiled mysteriously: "No, no, this is because Heaven is about to entrust a great task to this person. It must first test his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body, empty his resources, and disrupt his actions... so as to strengthen his resolve and increase his abilities."

Du Bishu: "...Speak like a human being!"

"It means that the best days for the seventh brother are yet to come." He Dazhi shook his head and walked away with his precious book in his arms.

Du Bishu scratched his head, glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan's dejected back, chuckled twice, and continued chopping wood. He wondered to himself, "What delicious food will Xiaofan cook tomorrow? Yesterday's braised pork was really good..."