After the brief interlude of Arden "legs evaluation and comparison," Master Yixuan and the disciples began to properly enjoy the food and wine, continuing until everyone was well-fed and satisfied.
It had to be said—ever since Arden exchanged for a copy of the [Little Master Chef's Complete Recipe Compendium] from the system shop and gifted it to Chef Pan Yinhu, Pan's culinary skills had only grown more refined. At this point, he was likely comparable to a top-tier master chef; if he ever opened a restaurant, it would probably be enough to support the entire Yunkui Summit.
At the end of the banquet, Yixuan solemnly announced that she would formally take Yiji in as her sworn younger sister.
After all, Yiji had even changed her name, and Arden's words had already spread—Yixuan's decision also served to put an end to certain rumors and gossip.
...
Among the mountains of Yunkui Summit, beneath the forest canopy by a flowing stream.
Chirp chirp… caw caw~!
With insects humming and birds calling, red branches and green leaves interwoven, golden autumn winds drifting, and fallen leaves rustling, everything spoke of a crisp, refreshing fall.
It's been so long, big sister!
Yixuan leaned against an orange tree heavy with golden fruit. Watching her disciples cleaning the graves, memories surged uncontrollably within her heart.
So many years have passed in the blink of an eye… yet even now, that day still…
Whoosh…
The cool autumn breeze brushed past like a gentle lullaby, and Yixuan slowly closed her eyes.
She dreamed—or rather, remembered—the past.
Living in hunger and cold together with her sister… being taken in by their master and entering Yunkui Summit… days of full meals and warm clothes, daily cultivation of spells and martial skills… everything had been so beautiful.
But beautiful times were always fleeting.
To protect everyone, their master had been stripped of the five senses, memories, and ultimately life itself by the Qingming Sword.
Her elder sister, Yijiang, inherited the position of sect leader and took up the Qingming Sword.
When the Old Capital fell, Yijiang also perished while protecting Yixuan and the disciples of Yunkui Summit. In the end, the only one who returned alive was Yixuan herself.
Taking on the responsibility of sect leader, and in order not to repeat the fate of her master and sister, Yixuan refined the Qingming Sword into the Qingming Bird.
[AN: There is a theory that Ye Shunguang inherited the Qingming Sword—pending verification.)]
The hardship of holding up Yunkui Summit alone, all the trials of the past, came flooding back at once…
A single tear slid down Yixuan's cheek.
Just as she was about to sink into the sorrow of old memories—
"Senior Brother Arden, here, eat some meat!"
"Chirp chirp chirp~~"
"Got it, I'll drop in some insect paste for you right away!"
"This meat is mine—don't fight me for it!"
"Fufu, remember to leave some for Master."
"..."
The noisy voices by her ear snapped Yixuan awake.
She opened her eyes and saw Arden, Ju Fufu, Yiji, and the Qingming Bird—three people and one bird—sitting around a steaming copper hotpot. Around them were mushrooms, greens, sliced meats, sesame paste, and oil dipping sauces.
That's right—they were having hotpot.
"..."
Seeing this, Yixuan's eyelid twitched.
Hotpot itself wasn't the issue—she often enjoyed such delicious food—but this was a graveyard. Their master, her sister, and many deceased disciples of Yunkui Summit were buried here. Cooking hotpot in such a place… didn't it seem a bit inappropriate?
"Master, you're awake!"
Noticing Yixuan stir, Arden turned around, shifted to make room beside him, and patted the spot. "Come on, eat with your disciples."
"Hehe, you lot~!"
Yixuan shook her head with a smile. Rather than criticizing them for disrespecting the departed seniors of Yunkui Summit, she joined them instead.
Yunkui Summit had always valued substance over formality, and Yixuan's personality was even more easygoing than most.
Master, big sister—I'm living well. There's no need to worry about me.
...
After fully integrating into Yunkui Summit and officially replacing the expelled Yi Jing as an executive of the Assembly Hall, Yiji carried out sweeping reforms to Yunkui Summit's operations.
As the primary source of income for Yunkui Summit, Suibian Temple naturally became the focus of Yiji's reforms.
She commissioned a construction company to renovate Suibian Temple, transforming it into a modern Taoist complex that combined incense offerings, prayer, divination, retail, medical services, tourism, sightseeing, and more.
To showcase her achievements, Yiji invited Master Yixuan, Senior Sister Ju Fufu, and Second Senior Brother Arden to personally visit the newly renovated Suibian Temple.
"Excellent—truly excellent!"
There were many visitors offering incense at Suibian Temple, yet the scene was not chaotic at all. Under the guidance of staff, everything was orderly, which greatly pleased Yixuan.
In truth, Yunkui Summit had far more disciples than it appeared on the surface, and the monthly expenses were no small sum. Most of these disciples were orphans Yixuan had taken in over the years, and their cultivation talent was generally average, so they lacked presence.
Because of this, Yixuan paid close attention to Yunkui Summit's Denny income.
"Yiji, I truly didn't misjudge you."
The affiliated shops and services of Suibian Temple were booming. While praising Yiji, Arden also silently applauded his own foresight in bringing her into Yunkui Summit.
"Munch munch~~ The taste isn't bad at all!"
Ju Fufu, meanwhile, was busy freely sampling snacks and sweets from the stalls.
"Master, Senior Sister, Senior Brother—this way, please!"
Encouraged by the praise, Yiji smiled as she led the three of them into the core area of Suibian Temple—the main hall.
Here, a large number of worshippers were burning incense and praying, while some Yunkui Summit disciples organized believers and offered life guidance oriented toward tranquility and non-action.
Some people who had endured hardships in life and urgently needed guidance toward renewal were even humming a song.
Using melody to guide the heart was nothing unusual—but the content of this particular song…
"Once~ I wandered forward~ on the path of dark night! A breeze~ stings the soul.... Let's soar together! A new creation!"
"..."
Arden's mouth twitched as he listened. He regretted teaching this song to Yiji, and even more so for fooling her into believing it was a divine (execution) hymn for turning over a new (criminal) leaf (brainwashing).
Still, after thinking it over, Arden chose not to intervene.
In his view, the focus wasn't the song itself, but the "purpose." As the Suibian Temple guided people toward goodness, helping them let go of their burdens and sincerely assisting every seeker.
"Life is such a journey… sob sob!"
Even so, Arden instinctively covered Ju Fufu's mouth while she hummed along.
Words aside, having someone hum "A New Creation" right next to him still sent chills down his spine.
I should think of a more suitable song and have Yiji replace it.
Better safe than sorry—if there happened to be another Earthling transmigrator in New Eridu besides Arden, and they heard this song coming from Suibian Temple, who knew if they might impulsively try to raze it to the ground?
If that happened, things would get really messy!
===BREAK===
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