Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

"Really? Your Majesty!" the panda exclaimed excitedly.

"It's not steamed, it's baked," Zhuang Xing said with a smile.

Panda loves baked flatbread and potstickers the most. Zhuang Xing has made all kinds of delicious food, steaming, stir-frying, stewing and boiling, he has tried all kinds of methods. There are always a few days every month when he wants to have a treat, and Panda will enjoy the good food with him.

He had gone to the mountains to catch fish and to the foot of the mountain to cut meat, but among all the delicious food available, the panda still missed the baked flatbread the most.

Perhaps this is the charm of the white moonlight: when you are at your lowest point, the white moonlight is there to tell you it's okay, you still have me. After that, no matter how prosperous the world becomes, it can't compare to that simple greeting from back then.

With the promise of eating baked flatbread, the pandas were in a much better mood. When they got used to Yan Huai'an's touch and realized that being touched by this stranger wouldn't cost them anything, their nine-ringed tails started wagging.

The chill emanating from Yan Huai'an also relieved the sweltering heat.

Unlike humans, pandas wear a layer of "sweater" that they can't take off. Pandas can get through the winter with this "sweater," but in recent years, the increasingly hot summers have made this fur seem a bit redundant.

Zhuang Xing had considered shaving all their fur off to make them bald and cool them off, but as soon as they heard about shaving, the pandas darted away faster than monkeys. They would rather endure the summer than lose their precious fur, so Zhuang Xing had to give up the idea.

After the pandas experienced the benefits of Yan Huai'an as a portable air conditioner, they began to grow closer to it.

Red pandas are very simple-minded. When they are scared, they are terrified, but if you gain their trust, they are more sincere than humans and will believe you almost without reservation.

The little bear walked up to Yan Huai'an and nuzzled her hand.

Zhuang Xing noticed that the female warrior's hands seemed a little lost. She stared blankly for a while before reaching out to touch the panda.

Speaking of which, the female knight-errant traveled all over the country, yet she didn't even have a horse. She walked step by step wherever she went, and perhaps even the horses were afraid of her.

Zhuang Xing sensed that the female knight-errant was in a better mood, so he smiled faintly and continued to recount what happened last year.

Compared to the stories told in the novels, there is much to tell about the path he himself has walked.

Yan Huai'an sat opposite him. Gradually, the little panda got sleepy. One of them lay down on the table to sleep, while the other jumped off the stone table and curled up at Yan Huai'an's feet.

The two ate the snacks on the table and drank tea, while the clouds on the horizon turned from white to afterglow.

Zhuang Xing finally brought up the story of Hundred Flowers Valley. He said he had met the Valley Master, who looked exactly like Sister Yan, which greatly surprised him.

He said he heard about Sister Yan's past from the Valley Master, and the Valley Master also asked him to give a section of spruce tree to his sister. The thing he initially said he would give to his sister was that spruce branch.

"Sister, look, this is the spruce branch." He brought a jar filled with water from the bedside table in the bedroom.

Every morning, he would change the water for the spruce branches.

After being soaked in water, the leaves on the spruce branches will appear brighter, and the branches will have a faint woody scent.

Yan Huai'an gazed at the spruce branch. She reached out her hand, her slender white fingers gently brushing across the leaves. As if sensing her presence, the leaves trembled slightly.

The Valley Master did not ask Zhuangxing to pass on a message to Yan Huai'an; he didn't say a word.

Even if a tree spirit cultivates intelligence, it will not learn to speak before it encounters a human.

Zhuang Xing thought that the Valley Master probably learned to speak after the establishment of Hundred Flowers Valley. She learned to speak from people. But Yan Huai'an rarely spoke. Before, when it was just her and Yan Huai'an, they probably just sat there.

The tree spirit imitated the appearance of the person in front of her, and they remained silent, facing each other.

Zhuang Xing had initially thought that the branch contained the Valley Master's reply to Yan Huai'an, like a jade slip, and was some kind of technique that could record images and transmit sounds. But now that he saw it, he realized that the spruce branch was just a section of spruce branch.

What was the purpose of the tree spirit breaking off a section of its own spiritual branch and giving it to an old friend?

Perhaps it's just that I want this spruce branch to accompany my deceased friend a little longer, just like before.

Chapter 224 More food is coming!

“Sister Yan, I’ve kept this spruce branch for a year,” Zhuang Xing said. “Now that I’ve finally seen you, it’s time to return it to its rightful owner.”

Zhuang Xing thought Yan Huai'an would take the spruce branch away, but to his surprise, Yan Huai'an shook his head and pushed the jar containing water and origami back.

Zhuang Xing didn't understand her intention. Did she think it was inconvenient to carry the tree branch with her?

"Sister Yan, don't you want this spruce branch?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"No need," Yan Huai'an said.

She stood up and looked at the sky outside. The sun was about to set. Zhuang Xing and she had met under the big birch tree in the afternoon, and before they knew it, an afternoon had passed.

The summer sun sets late, and although the sky looks a bit dark, there is still some time before night falls completely.

But she didn't seem to intend to spend the night at Xuanqing Temple. She picked up the sword from the table and said, "I'm leaving."

"Sister, please stay for a meal," Zhuang Xing urged.

Whether the heroine takes the spruce branch with her is her own business, but once she leaves, who knows how long it will be before we see her again.

The heroine had her own things to do, but Zhuang Xing hadn't seen her for a long time and wanted her to stay a few more days.

Work always requires a balance between work and rest. Taking a break for two or three days occasionally is necessary to recover one's energy. Everyone needs a vacation.

His house was quite large, with several rooms. In addition to the study, there was also a guest room with a bed. It was originally a place for the pandas to sleep, but the pandas didn't like sleeping on the bed and preferred to curl up in the corners. In the summer, when it was hot, they would sleep on the roof beams, in the corners of the walls, or under the bed. In the winter, they would simply come and squeeze in with Zhuang Xing. So the room became just for show, which was conveniently made available for the female knight to sleep in.

Yan Huai'an hesitated for a moment after hearing his attempt to persuade her to stay. Judging from her expression, she might be missing Zhuang Xing's cooking.

Several years have passed, and wheat-based pasta dishes have appeared in various places, but it is still in its infancy. Many techniques are not yet mature. Simple foods like noodles are easy to make, but baked cakes and flatbreads, which require precise control of heat and experience to make delicious food, are hard to satisfy people when eaten outside.

It's not that Zhuang Xing is bragging, but he has tasted the imperial cuisine in the palace. The imperial chefs mostly rely on the quality of the ingredients, and basically just steaming and boiling, or at most, they might splurge a little and deep-fry. Zhuang Xing's variety is much greater than that of the imperial chefs. At least when it comes to the use of flour, he dares to claim that he is the best in the world.

Now his kitchen is fully stocked with all kinds of seasonings. After all, he was a wealthy man who had been rewarded by the emperor. He didn't care much about other things, but when it came to food, he never skimped on himself.

There's a whole jar of rendered lard in the house, sesame oil, pickling jars, and even some extremely rare pepper, which he managed to get at the market in the capital. He even brought back pepper seeds for Yunling to cultivate. He also has spices like bay leaves and star anise. He's looking forward to showing off his culinary skills.

As Yan Huai'an hesitated, three small figures appeared at the door.

The three pandas who went out to play have also come home for dinner.

"Your Majesty, we've got food again!" the panda said happily.

The pandas came back carrying things on their backs. I don't know where they went to roll around and act cute. When they came back, they brought small pieces of jerky and fried pastries, which were packed in special packages.

The package was bought by Zhuang Xing so that they could bring their meals from the canteen.

Although pandas have cultivated the ability to walk on two legs, their original appearance was merely a way to make themselves appear larger and intimidate others, much like a cat arching its body. Unless necessary, they prefer to walk on all fours most of the time.

To make it easier for them to carry things, Zhuang Xing bought several cloth bags and made them into the shape of shoulder bags. The blue shoulder bags fit perfectly from their necks to their waists. Because they were sewn up, they fit snugly and wouldn't be loose and affect their walking.

Hearing what they said, Zhuang Xing knew what the three pandas had been doing outside that day.

They are naturally cute, and when others see them, they inevitably want to feed them. Over time, they learn to bring the snacks that others give them home.

It wasn't this audacious before; at most, it would use its paws to carry a little bit back. But now, it's really something else—it goes out to buy goods with its own little backpack.

It's not easy; in this sweltering heat, they still have to go out to supplement their family income.

Three pandas wagged their tails as they entered the house. The sunlight stretched their shadows long. Outside, it could smell that there was another stranger inside, but it could also smell Zhuang Xing's scent.

Zhuang Xing had brought people back more than once or twice, and they were already used to it. So they swaggered in, but once inside, they found the room surprisingly cool. Before they could even feel happy, they saw Yan Huai'an with his sword, and they all suddenly stopped in their tracks.

The little paws with their paw pads hovered in mid-air, hesitant to fall.

They looked at Zhuang Xing. The third and fourth brothers got up when they saw their older and younger brothers come home.

Zhuang Xing smiled faintly, then advised, "Sister, why don't you stay for a meal?"

He went over and pulled out a chair for Yan Huai'an, saying he was going to the kitchen to cook, and his sister would wait in the main room for a while. He also told the panda to stay in the main room. The third and fourth pandas had already become familiar with Yan Huai'an, and the other three, under their brother's guidance, were no longer so afraid of Yan Huai'an.

Yan Huai'an finally put down his sword and sat down silently.

The three pandas circled around her feet, looking at her with a subtle distance and curiosity.

The bold Shoumu washed his hands in a basin, took off his satchel, and pulled out a small piece of dried meat.

It is the panda's eldest brother, and it took the first step by setting an example by holding the jerky to Yan Huai'an's side.

The female warrior sat upright and motionless, taking the dried meat.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The female knight and the panda got along very politely.

Zhuang Xing breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that she was finally willing to stay, he went into the kitchen to cook.

Yunling used to come to his place for meals. When Yunling was busy, he would bring her food. When Yunling wasn't busy, she would come to his room.

However, they can't be together every day. He told Yunling yesterday that he was going to the Sword Forging Hall to look at swords. Since he didn't know when it would be his turn and it might take longer, he told Yunling that they wouldn't be eating together today. Therefore, Yan Huai'an was the only guest at home today.

In a way, Yunling shouldn't be considered a guest; she should be a member of his family.

Thinking about random things, he went to the kitchen. The fifth brother, being timid, seemed a little afraid of Yan Huai'an, so he ran into the kitchen to help him burn firewood.

He didn't force the panda. He went to the vegetable field outside, picked a few cucumbers, dug up a cabbage, and went back to the kitchen to prepare to cook.

Making only flatbread was a bit monotonous, so he planned to make something else.

Chapter 225 Is she alive?

Zhuang Xing kneaded flour and eggs into a dough, added salt and pepper to taste, and set it aside to rest. In the hot summer, the dough would be ready in fifteen minutes. While tending the fire, he also smashed some fresh cucumbers.

He still had a few pieces of cured pork ribs left from the Chinese New Year last year, and the fresh meat was gone today. He planned to cook a pot of cured pork rib and white radish soup, and then stir-fry a plate of green vegetables with lard.

Let's make do for today. We'll leave the female warrior here and go get some meat tomorrow to make something more substantial.

After putting the radishes and ribs into the pot, he took out the rested dough, coated it with oil, and prepared to put it in the pot to bake.

Just then, Xiao An suddenly popped out from behind the wall.

"Brother Zhuangxing, who is that lady outside? She looks so familiar," Xiao An asked.

“That’s Lady Yan Huai’an,” Zhuang Xing said while kneading dough. “Didn’t you go to Hundred Flowers Valley? The Valley Master looks exactly like her.”

"Oh right." Xiao An suddenly realized.

She was hiding in the stone at the time and hadn't spoken to the Valley Master, seemingly having forgotten about it. It was only when Zhuang Xing reminded her that she remembered.

"Do you remember the fox we met in Xizhou? Didn't the fox say there was a female swordsman who went up Tiger Great Sage's mountain with her sword? That female swordsman is her too." Zhuang Xing laughed. "The heroine is very powerful. She was the one who eliminated Tiger Great Sage. She has also eliminated many monsters around Yidu before."

"That's the powerful swordsman..."

Xiao An circled around Zhuang Xing. Seeing that she seemed hesitant to speak, Zhuang Xing flattened the dough and put it in the oven to bake, then asked, "I feel like you're acting strange today. Is there something you want to say?"

Xiao An glanced out of the kitchen and nodded.

"Just say what you want to say, why are you hiding it?" Zhuang Xing put the lid on the stove.

Xiao An hesitated for a moment, then came close to Zhuang Xing's ear and spoke in an extremely weak voice.