Chapter 18: The Scent She Likes

Shen Qinghe stood quietly at the ferry of Yunlai Peak, her robes fluttering in the mountain breeze.

Before long, a piercing sound split the air as Jiang Yunfei arrived, piloting his cloud shuttle boat at great speed.

“Junior Sister Shen, come aboard,” Jiang Yunfei called out with a smile. Yet as he sensed the fluctuation of spiritual power around her, his expression changed slightly.

His gaze sharpened, unable to hide his surprise. “Junior Sister, did you just... break through?”

He remembered clearly that when he had brought Shen Qinghe here earlier, her cultivation was only at the first level of Qi Refining.

In just a few short hours, she had already broken through to the second level.

He could distinctly feel the restless spiritual energy swirling around her, her aura not yet fully restrained—a sign she had only just advanced.

Shen Qinghe stepped lightly onto the flying boat, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “It’s rather embarrassing to say, but I happened to meet Elder Mingxin in the Library Pavilion. Thanks to her guidance, I was fortunate enough to break through.”

“Elder Mingxin!” Jiang Yunfei’s eyes widened at her words, and his voice rose unconsciously. “She’s our Azure Cloud Sect’s youngest Golden Core elder! For you to receive her instruction, Junior Sister, your fortune is truly enviable!”

As they conversed, the flying boat slowly ascended, speeding toward Emerald Spirit Peak.

Soon, the familiar verdant mountain came into view.

“Junior Sister Shen, you must remember to patronize your senior brother’s business in the future!” As the boat came to a stop, Jiang Yunfei spoke enthusiastically.

“Certainly, certainly,” Shen Qinghe replied, forcing a polite smile. Her steps quickened imperceptibly.

Recalling the harrowing jolts she’d just endured on Jiang Yunfei’s cloud shuttle boat, she truly never wished to ride it again.

Watching Shen Qinghe’s hurried departure, Jiang Yunfei shook his head and sighed. “This junior sister’s luck is truly something to envy!”

The setting sun bathed the courtyard walls in a rosy glow.

When Shen Qinghe pushed open the wooden gate, the enticing aroma of food greeted her.

Through the open kitchen window, she saw Liu Qingqing at the stove, sleeves rolled up, busy with her spatula as fragrant oil wafted through the air.

Hearing the sound of the gate, Liu Qingqing paused in her movements.

She looked over, saw Shen Qinghe, and her face blossomed into a smile. But as she took a closer look, her almond-shaped eyes widened.

“Senior—Senior Sister!” Liu Qingqing cried out, not even bothering to set down her spatula as she rushed out of the kitchen to stand before Shen Qinghe. “You broke through!”

“Yes, I finally did!” Shen Qinghe couldn’t help but laugh, amused and touched by Liu Qingqing’s flustered excitement.

She pointed toward the kitchen, teasing gently, “If you don’t hurry back, I’m afraid the food will burn.”

“Burning is just as well—I’ll make you something even better!” Liu Qingqing’s voice caught with emotion, tears glistening in her eyes.

Shen Qinghe smiled, reaching out to brush away her tears. “It’s a good thing I broke through, so why are you crying instead?”

“I’m not crying!” Liu Qingqing quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, her tears sparkling even as she forced a smile. “I’m just... I’m just so happy for you, Senior Sister!”

Though she had only known Shen Qinghe for a year, no one understood better than she did how devoted her senior sister was to cultivation.

On countless nights, she had seen Shen Qinghe meditating alone in the courtyard, her brows knit with anxiety in the moonlight.

Many mornings, she’d noticed the exhaustion in her senior’s eyes, yet she persevered in her practice.

Whenever Shen Qinghe grew despondent over her stagnant progress, Liu Qingqing felt as though an invisible hand gripped her own heart.

She had longed to help, but could only worry helplessly.

Now, witnessing her sister break through the bottleneck with her own eyes, that long-suppressed joy surged like a flood, impossible to contain.

“Senior Sister, to celebrate your breakthrough, I’ll make you an extra special meal!” Liu Qingqing beamed.

“There’s really no need,” Shen Qinghe replied apologetically. “I’ve just broken through and need to stabilize my cultivation, so I’ll skip dinner tonight.”

“I understand!” Liu Qingqing said, immediately steering Shen Qinghe toward her room. “Go quickly, Senior Sister. Stabilizing your cultivation is most important.”

“You little rascal...” Pushed along, Shen Qinghe shook her head with a helpless smile, but she obediently entered her room.

As the door quietly closed, Liu Qingqing’s smile faded. Lowering her gaze to her fingertips, a hint of disappointment crept into her eyes.

“Could it be that my cooking no longer suits Senior Sister’s taste?” she wondered, glancing toward the kitchen, her resolve reignited. “I must work harder on my culinary skills, and make dishes that will truly please her!”

With that, she strode briskly to the kitchen, her sleeves fluttering as the clatter of pots and bowls soon rang out.

Inside the room, Shen Qinghe was already seated in meditation.

With the gentle circulation of her cultivation method, the restless spiritual energy gradually subsided, forming a stable flow between her meridians and core.

The sky brightened.

Shen Qinghe opened her eyes from meditation, exhaling a breath of turbid air, a subtle glimmer shining in her gaze.

After a night of adjustment, the turmoil within her spiritual energy had mostly settled.

Yet she could still sense a hint of instability in her newfound power. To fully stabilize, she estimated it would take another three to five days.

Until her cultivation was completely consolidated, she dared not use her spiritual energy lightly; any carelessness could cause her progress to regress, and all her efforts would be wasted.

In these next few days, Shen Qinghe decided not to use the ancient book to fuse and produce variant Purple Cloud Ginseng.

Everything would wait until her cultivation was completely stable.

She rose to wash up, then began organizing the jade slips she had recorded the day before.

Once everything was sorted and stored in her pouch, she heard Liu Qingqing’s voice call out.

“Senior Sister, breakfast is ready!”

At the call, Shen Qinghe put away the last jade slip and stepped outside.

In the dewy courtyard, the stone table was already laid with four dishes: jade-green stir-fried spiritual vegetables, golden crisp egg pancakes, pearly white spiritual rice porridge, and a plate of tangy pickled vegetables.

It was a much more lavish spread than usual.

Not thinking much of it, Shen Qinghe sat down, served herself a bowl of porridge, and took a sip.

The grains melted in her mouth, suffused with a gentle spiritual energy that lingered between her teeth, the warm porridge sliding down her throat and kindling a wave of warmth in her core.

She picked up a chopstick of vegetables—their crisp texture and sweet aftertaste, paired with the tartness of the pickles, whetted her appetite.

Before she realized it, she had already eaten three bowls of porridge, and when she finally set down her chopsticks, she saw the pot was empty.

“Qingqing...” she said apologetically, turning to Liu Qingqing. “I don’t know why, but I had an especially good appetite today, so...”

“It’s all right, as long as you enjoyed it!” Liu Qingqing’s eyes curved in delight. “Seeing you eat so heartily makes me happier than anything!”

She added, “If you have work to do, leave the dishes to me. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you,” Shen Qinghe replied gratefully, rising and heading out.

Watching her senior sister’s departing figure, Liu Qingqing couldn’t help but smile.

Once Shen Qinghe was out of sight, Liu Qingqing finally let out a soft laugh. “So this really is the flavor she likes!”

She then had a bowl of porridge herself, humming a little tune as she cheerfully tidied up and carried the dishes back to the kitchen.