When the Immortal Venerable Picked-Up the Demon Cub - Chapter 19

The kitchen occupied the middle of the secondary peak. Beyond the buildings, most of the area was covered in vegetable gardens. But it was winter, and there was no point in using magic to care for the plants, so everything lay buried under a thick blanket of snow.

Perhaps it was Lin Xiayan’s bright red robes that caught their attention, but the people inside the kitchen spotted Zhu Ning from afar. They wiped their hands and stepped out of the steaming building into the icy landscape.

Leading the group was an elderly man. His clothes were clean and neat, making it hard to believe he was just a cook.

“Lord Immortal Venerable, are you hungry?” the old man asked, slightly shorter than Zhu Ning. He bowed respectfully, showing no hint of nervousness. “What brings you here?”

Zhu Ning felt like crying. Why does everyone keep asking if I’m hungry? Was the original Zhu Ning always hungry?

Seeing Zhu Ning’s silence, Lin Xiayan spoke first. “Do you have any small pastries?”

The old man glanced at Lin Xiayan, curious but not pressing for details. He glanced into the kitchen before turning back. “Only date cakes, fresh from the steamer. We were just waiting for them to cool before sending them over.”

Zhu Ning’s face lit up, her eyes scanning the room with barely concealed excitement. No wonder she’d caught that mouthwatering jujube fragrance earlier. She’d loved jujubes since childhood.

Lin Xiayan noticed Zhu Ning’s change in expression out of the corner of her eye, secretly filing it away. Zhu Ning likes jujube cakes?

“Then we won’t trouble you any further. We’ll take them ourselves,” Zhu Ning said, rubbing her hands together, her eagerness to rush inside clashing with her desperate attempt to maintain her composure. Lin Xiayan found the sight amusing.

Fortunately, Lin Xiayan wasn’t bound by strict rules. She grabbed Zhu Ning’s wrist and pulled her inside, all the while chanting, “I love jujube cakes!”

Zhu Ning trailed behind, stunned. When did Xiayan start liking these? Could this be another accidental discovery? She didn’t dwell on it; the sweet, pure aroma of jujube cakes filled her senses.

Inside, the disciples had arranged the jujube cakes in neat rows on large platters. Their reddish-brown hue was enough to whet anyone’s appetite. Lin Xiayan picked up a piece with chopsticks and popped it into her mouth.

The sweet, rich flavor melted instantly in Lin Xiayan’s mouth. Her eyes lit up with delight; she had never tasted anything like this before. Her taste buds, long deprived of sweetness, were now flooded with the sugary sensation, lifting her spirits.

Zhu Ning watched Lin Xiayan’s expression closely. Only when she saw the satisfied look on Lin Xiayan’s face did she relax and pick up a piece herself.

The familiar sweetness spread across her palate. Zhu Ning even picked up a whole plate to eat. The disciples present were shocked. Hadn’t they heard that Immortal Venerable Zhu disliked sweets?

“Lord Immortal Venerable?” The elderly cook, a respected figure on Yun Cang Mountain whose words carried weight, spoke up. “Don’t you dislike sweets?” Though he spent his days in this small kitchen, he was a veteran who couldn’t be ignored.

Zhu Ning’s hand, reaching for another date cake, froze. She couldn’t recall any mention of her disliking sweets in the original novel. Perhaps because the original Zhu Ning was such a minor character, even this detail hadn’t been described.

Lin Xiayan glanced sideways and saw Zhu Ning’s awkward expression, clearly struggling to come up with an explanation. Though she didn’t know the real reason herself, they were now in the same boat, so she said, “She has a shoulder injury. The medicine leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, so she eats sweets to counteract it. You all should remember to make extra.”

The others straightened their faces, mentally noting this information. Only the old man looked slightly puzzled but didn’t press the matter, nodding agreeably as he began preparing the evening desserts.

Zhu Ning, now off the hook, stood with her plate, head bowed like a child caught doing something wrong. She didn’t even touch the pastries, which inexplicably softened Lin Xiayan’s heart.

Lin Xiayan walked over, took the plate from Zhu Ning’s hands, and strode out of the kitchen, Zhu Ning following dumbly behind.

“You didn’t used to like sweets?” Lin Xiayan asked as she walked, glancing at the pastries on the plate. She couldn’t shake the memory of Zhu Ning’s eyes lighting up earlier, a reaction she couldn’t hide no matter how hard she tried.

Something felt off.

Meanwhile, Zhu Ning was berating herself. Even after transmigrating into this book, I can’t shake my foodie instincts? What if the old man sees through my act and burns me as a demon?

Lin Xiayan called out several times, but Zhu Ning didn’t respond. She stopped walking, turning to see what Zhu Ning was doing, only to be bumped from behind.

“Ouch!” Zhu Ning cried out. Lin Xiayan turned to see her rubbing her forehead, her delicate brows furrowed in a girlish pout.

Lin Xiayan wanted to ask why Zhu Ning was being so clumsy, but the words wouldn’t come. She waited for Zhu Ning to recover before hurrying on toward Mùdōng Courtyard.

The cold wind whipped around them as Lin Xiayan used her magical power to protect the plate of jujube cakes in her hands. Zhu Ning glanced up at Lin Xiayan’s movements from time to time, then quickly lowered her head, her impression of the great villain shifting.

Maybe she’s not so bad after all, Zhu Ning thought. She wondered if she was too easily swayed, but after spending the day with Lin Xiayan, she genuinely didn’t sense any malice, except when Su Mi was mentioned.

They walked in silence, exploring Yun Cang Mountain. By the time they reached Mùdōng Courtyard, evening had fallen. The sunset after the snow was breathtaking, painting the sky in vibrant hues that held Zhu Ning rooted to the spot.

Just then, Lin Xiayan teleported inside the house, finally reverting to her little girl form. When she emerged from Mùdōng Courtyard, she looked exactly like she’d just woken up from an afternoon nap, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Zhu Ning was about to ask her why she was still pretending when it was almost evening when a memory flashed through her mind.

It seemed that on the night the original owner returned from her travels, Yun Cang Mountain had held a welcome banquet. During this banquet, Yue Qing had sent a ghostly creature to test Lin Xiayan, but Su Mi had taken the blow for her. The original owner hadn’t intervened at all, further straining the relationship between master and disciple.

Zhu Ning’s lips twitched. Could it be that I’m going to have to take the blow for Lin Xiayan this time? No wonder Lin Xiayan had transformed into a little girl so quickly; she clearly knew more about Yun Cang Mountain’s plans than Zhu Ning herself.

Too short to see Zhu Ning’s expression, the little girl Lin Xiayan stood beside her, following her gaze. The setting sun bathed the snow-covered ground in golden light, as if gilding it with a layer of gold, making it exquisitely beautiful.

Both women tacitly stopped eating the pastries, instead letting their magical power keep them warm. They knew this banquet wouldn’t be peaceful…

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