Chapter 45

"She has lost her martial arts skills but other than that, she's extremely weak and nothing seems out of the ordinary.""That’s good, that’s good. Losing one’s martial arts isn’t a big deal; it can be...Chapter 45

Upon hearing Ye Qingran's offer to make her fish, Yun Qianyue instantly felt half of the drowsiness dissipating. However, she was still reluctant to get out of the warm bed. She debated whether to sleep or go eat the fish.

"Why are you hesitating Go wake her up!" Ye Qingran urged Mo Li when he appeared hesitant.

"Young Marquis, you're a man and so am I; how can I go in there and wake my mistress" Mo Li immediately countered.

Ye Qingran frowned. "Where are her maids Why aren't any of them coming out Are they all sleeping"

"My lady has sent her maids to play, so she likely doesn’t want to go out with you," Mo Li said, adding that he had noticed Lady Yun recently developed a habit of oversleeping. She seemed determined to make up for lost sleep from the time when she couldn't get enough rest due to insomnia.

"She's quite capable! Such fine weather and yet she wants to sleep If you don’t go wake her, I will!" Ye Qingran pushed Mo Li aside and walked forward.

Mo Li tried to intercept him again. "Young Marquis, please wait until my lady wakes up on her own."

Ye Qingran was surprised by the strength of Yun Qianyue's personal guard, as his push didn’t budge Mo Li an inch. Although he had used only half of his strength, that would have been sufficient to move anyone else. He glanced at Mo Li curiously and asked, "Are you from the Mo family"

"Yes!" Mo Li nodded.

Ye Qingran waved dismissively. "I see! I never expected Yun Grandpa could summon a member of the Mo Family to protect his granddaughter." He looked at the closed door and said, "By the time she wakes up, it will be dark. Don’t worry; I won't enter her room, only calling out to her from outside."

Mo Li still hesitated.

"Are you sure you can stop me" Ye Qingran raised an eyebrow.

Moving aside, Mo Li admitted that he wouldn’t be able to stop the young marquis. The latter’s martial arts skills were as frightening as his reputation for being a little tyrant; otherwise, how would he have been able to run rampant for so long Besides, even if he could stop him, it might wake her up, which was not ideal. Moreover, since the young marquis seemed friendly toward Yun Qianyue, there shouldn’t be any harm.

Seeing Mo Li yield, Ye Qingran turned and strode to the door, calling out, "I don’t believe you’re still sleeping! Get up quickly. Using a lotus leaf from Half Lotus Flower to wrap freshly caught fish and roasting them over fire infuses the fish with its fragrance; it’s so mouth-watering that you’ll want more once you taste it."

After his words fell on deaf ears, Ye Qingran sighed after waiting for some time. "It has been seven years since I last ate this! Since she doesn’t wish to come out, I can’t wait any longer and will go alone." And with that, he walked off.

The door creaked open as Yun Qianyue glared at Ye Qingran’s back. "Wait! Who said I’m not coming"

"So you are coming That’s great; let’s roast some fish together!" Turning to look at her, he smiled.

Mo Li was embarrassed for his mistress that she could be lured out with such a simple offer of food. She must have no sense of propriety or decorum. Yun Qianyue touched her hair and found it neatly combed by Rong Jing, which made her satisfied. Looking down at her clothes, she saw that they remained undamaged despite being rumpled, indicating the quality of Cloud Muhan’s purchase. "Alright then; I haven’t eaten breakfast yet so you’ll have to roast more fish for me," Yun Qianyue told him as she closed the door and walked toward Ye Qingran.

"Sure thing! Whatever you want!" Ye Qingran glanced at her in amazement, noticing her changes since last time. "I heard you’ve been learning characters from Cloud Muhan for half a month Even Uncle Emperor issued an order" He knew she wouldn’t like it and intended to rescue her but his new position at the military headquarters prevented him from doing so. "You seem thinner these days; let’s eat more to regain your weight."

"Yeah, I’ve been learning for two weeks," Yun Qianyue said with a smile, knowing he wanted to help her before. She waved Mo Li away as she walked past him.

Mo Li nodded and quickly retreated.

Yun Qianyue admired his skill but didn’t use it herself. Maybe she should practice secretly someday...

Thinking this, she heard Ye Qingran mutter angrily, "Cloud Muhan is so harsh on his sister that he needs a good beating. I’ll give him one when we get back." He seemed to think the punishment was for himself.

Yun Qianyue looked at him amusedly and nodded in agreement. "Sure, beat him up hard and teach me some lessons so I won’t have to learn characters or accounts anymore."

"Alright! You can count on me!" Ye Qingran patted his chest as he promised.

Yun Qianyue felt glad about this development. Suddenly, she noticed how handsome he was and thought of Rong Jing’s words—she couldn’t have him anyway. "So... the military headquarters is fun"

"It’s full of men; there’s nothing fun about it!" Ye Qingran shook his head.

"There are no female soldiers Even in ancient times, some women served in the army," Yun Qianyue pointed out, thinking of Hua Mulan and Mu Guiying.

Ye Qingran shook his head. "No! And even if there were, it wouldn’t interest me!"

"So... there’s nothing fun about being in the military Tell me more so I can decide to join one day," Yun Qianyue asked.

She then felt ashamed of her previous thought that she wanted to rejoin a military unit. She was indeed unreasonably drawn to it, but she wondered what it would be like in this era.

"Why do you want to join the army" Ye Qingran asked with surprise.

Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow. "What’s wrong with that Women can fight just as well as men."

Ye Qingran looked at her seriously. "Forget about it! Not only is there no female army in this country, but your status alone disqualifies you from joining the military." He added that if she were to join, soldiers wouldn’t need training anymore because they would all be too busy looking at her.

"Who dares not obey me" Yun Qianyue said with confidence. Though it saddened her that no one could appreciate her beauty, she was a skilled makeup artist and could easily change her appearance to avoid recognition.

Ye Qingran laughed out loud at the sight of her animated face.

"Why are you laughing I’m serious about this! I will be an excellent soldier!" Yun Qianyue said, turning to look at him. She wondered if he would cause trouble in the army due to his good looks. However, no one would dare approach him because everyone knew of his reputation.

"You’re even more annoying than me," Ye Qingran shook his head and said with a smile. "Don’t think about it; you can’t join."

Yun Qianyue sighed, feeling disappointed but not willing to give up hope of joining the military someday.

"What’s your next question" Ye Qingran asked as he continued walking.

"But if you really want to go see the barracks, I can sneak you in once," Night Qingran whispered again.

"Really" Yun Qianyue's eyes immediately lit up.

"Hm, when have I ever deceived you" Night Qingran puffed out his chest right away.

"Alright then! You said so yourself, you must take me there," Yun Qianyue began to look forward to seeing ancient weapons and asked him in a hurry, "When can we go"

"Currently I don't think it's possible. Now that you are being watched by Yun Muhan to learn how to read and keep accounts, I haven't yet firmly established my footing in the military camp; there are many people looking for an excuse to get rid of me! Once I've taken care of those fellows and once Yun Muhan isn’t watching over you anymore, I'll find a time to take you inside again. How does that sound" Night Qingran thought about it and asked.

"Alright then! It doesn't matter whether it's sooner or later, as long as I get to go and have a look! Anyway the military camp won’t run away anywhere else. Let’s set things in stone!" Yun Qianyue agreed readily and extended her palm out, "Pinky swear that you can't take back your words!"

"Alright then, it's settled like this! I'm not going to change my mind!" Night Qingran was surprised and also stretched out his hand.

Three loud cracks echoed in the air as both of them sealed their deal with a clap.

The palm of Yun Qianyue’s hand hurt slightly, but her mood was good. She thought that this kid Night Qingran really wasn’t bad at all! He was much better than the dead brat Rong Jing who had a black heart.

But the palm of Night Qingran didn't hurt; it just felt slightly numb and tingly, until the tingle went deep in his heart. Subconsciously, he used his fingers to scratch the palm of his hand as if trying to erase the softness of Yun Qianyue’s palms that had touched him just now, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t go away. Frowning slightly and puzzled, he searched for an explanation.

"Hey, come on! You said you’re going fishing; where should we go to catch the fish" Yun Qianyue noticed that Night Qingran suddenly stopped walking and urged him forward.

Night Qingran waved off his strange feeling in his heart as he pointed towards a small pavilion half way up the mountain, "Did you see It's just over there. The place isn’t far from here; if we use light-footed movement, it will take only one stick of incense to get there." Finished speaking, his eyes lit up and he asked Yun Qianyue excitedly, “You’re not also good at light-footed movement We won't race on horseback today; how about a race using our feet”

Light-footed movement Yun Qianyue was somewhat tempted but she didn’t know how to do it! How did one fly in the air She hesitated.

"What's wrong Afraid Or are you sure that you won't be able to beat me" Night Qingran raised his eyebrows.

“Alright then, let’s race. Why should I be afraid of anyone” Yun Qianyue wouldn’t give in and immediately said. She could learn it if she didn’t know light-footed movement; she would just copy how he moved to fly! Thinking this, she felt confident all at once.

“Alright then!” Night Qingran was pleased that Yun Qianyue agreed with his idea, "We will use the small pavilion as our goal. Who reaches it first wins."

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue nodded and kept her eyes on Night Qingran's movements.

“Let’s start” Night Qingran asked.

"Let's go!" Yun Qianyue nodded.

Night Qingran lightly touched his toes and silently glided forward. Yun Qianyue only felt a flash of light in front of her eyes as the person easily glided out over ten paces away; she was instantly dumbfounded. He actually flew like that

"Hey, come on! Why are you standing there" Night Qingran sensed that Yun Qianyue wasn’t following him and stopped to call for her.

“I’m coming right away! Wait for me here; we'll start again!” Yun Qianyue secretly channeled energy into herself, feeling a surge of power in her lower dantian. She was immediately overjoyed. Not sure if she could fly like an airplane burning hydrogen gas, she hoped that the air in her stomach would help her to fly up; anyway, she needed to try it out first. The worst thing that would happen was for Night Qingran to mock her.

As expected, Night Qingran flew back over and once again lightly touched his toes, floating softly beside Yun Qianyue in a blink of an eye.

"Let's go!" Yun Qianyue gathered courage, spoke out the words, mimicked Night Qingran’s movements and touched her toes. Instantly feeling as if she was getting lighter, she flew up three feet from the ground just like that.

Heavens! Yun Qianyue didn’t know how to describe what kind of feelings were welling inside her heart at this moment! She thought about how amazing ancient humans were. It was too profound and vast for them not to leave anything for modern people; it was a pity.

"Good job, little miss! We'll see you at the small pavilion!" Night Qingran praised her with one sentence before easily surpassing Yun Qianyue’s speed in an instant. He flew ahead of her and reached out towards the pavilion on half way up the mountain.

Yun Qianyue felt a breath stuck inside her chest as she suddenly fell down from about eight to nine paces away. Luckily, she was prepared for it and merely stumbled but didn’t fall flat on her face. Seeing Night Qingran had gone far ahead, she took another deep breath and flew up again. This time it was somewhat better than the first attempt; when she was about eight to nine paces away from where she started, she landed firmly once before flying up again. After repeating this process a few times, she finally got her balance down; every time she landed, she stayed on the ground for less and less time each time. Still though, it wasn’t close at all to how fast Night Qingran was.

When Night Qingran sensed that Yun Qianyue wasn't following him anymore, he turned back around to look at her. Seeing her staring intently at his feet as she breathed heavily, he stopped and stood there in front of her with a smile on his face, “Don’t you know how to change your breath I heard Tianyu said that your light-footed movement is very good; could it really be this bad This was too eye-opening for me!”

"I haven't used my technique in a long time so I’m rusty. Otherwise, I wouldn’t lose to you," Yun Qianyue stopped and even though she was being mocked by Night Qingran, her heart felt happy; if it were on the modern side of things with that body, she couldn’t fly up even one ten-meter distance, let alone eight or nine meters. She was very satisfied.

"So you’re rusty" said Night Qingran as he stretched out his voice and smiled at Yun Qianyue.

“Hmph! What’s it to me if I don’t know how to change my breath You are only three years older than me, not several years. Is light-footed movement that great” Yun Qianyue glared at him and her mood was somewhat gloomy; how could she change her breath She really didn't know.

"Little miss, you're fifteen this year while I am the same age as Yun Muhan, eighteen. So, we are only three years apart from each other in age. What’s with all these few years nonsense It sounds like I'm very old," Night Qingran knocked Yun Qianyue's head and said to her: "I heard that your martial arts were personally taught by Grandpa Yun; it's a mystery how he could teach you without teaching you the change of breath. Ah, let me tell you, use dantian breathing instead of normal breathing while flying. Otherwise, you won't be able to keep up with my speed."

Light-footed movement Yun Qianyue was somewhat tempted by it, but she didn’t know how! How could she fly if she didn’t know how She felt a bit hesitant.

"What's wrong Afraid you'll lose to me" asked Night Qingran as he raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not afraid. Let’s have a go and see who is the winner!” Yun Qianyue answered immediately, unwilling to admit defeat. She could learn light-footed movement; she would just copy how Night Qingran did it and try her best to imitate him. With this thought in mind, she felt more confident.

“Alright then! We'll make the small pavilion our destination, whoever gets there first is the winner,” replied Night Qingran when Yun Qianyue agreed.

"Okay," said Yun Qianyue as she nodded and focused intently on how he moved his feet.

“Shall we start” asked Night Qingran.

“Let’s start!” replied Yun Qianyue, nodding her head in agreement.

Night Qingran barely touched the tip of his toes and floated away lightly as if he were not there. Yun Qianyue just saw a flash of light before the person flew out more than ten paces; she was stunned right then and there. So this is how he flies

“Hey, come on! What are you doing standing there” Night Qingran felt that Yun Qianyue wasn’t following him so he stopped to call her.

"I'll be right there! Come back here and we’ll start again!" Yun Qianyue quietly channeled energy into herself, feeling the sudden surge of power in her lower dantian. She was delighted that she had it figured out; not sure if it could help her fly as well as an airplane burning hydrogen gas, she decided to give it a try anyway. The worst thing that would happen was for Night Qingran to mock her.

As expected, Night Qingran flew back over and lightly touched his toes once again, landing softly beside Yun Qianyue in the blink of an eye.

"Let's go!" said Yun Qianyue as she gathered courage, repeating what he had done. She touched her toes and felt herself suddenly become lighter; before she knew it, her feet were already three feet off the ground and flying upwards.

Heavens! Yun Qianyue didn’t know how to describe the feelings welling inside her heart at this moment! Thinking of the wonders of ancient humans, it was too vast and profound for them not to leave anything for modern people; it was a pity.

"Little miss, you're doing quite well! See you at the small pavilion," Night Qingran praised her as he easily flew ahead of Yun Qianyue in an instant, flying towards the pavilion on half way up the mountain.

Yun Qianyue felt a breath stuck inside her chest when she fell back down from eight to nine meters away; luckily, she was prepared for it and merely stumbled but didn’t fall flat. Seeing Night Qingran had gone far ahead, she took another deep breath and flew up again. This time it was somewhat better than the first attempt; when she was about eight or nine meters from her starting point, she landed firmly once before flying upwards again. After repeating this process a few times, she finally got her balance down; every time she landed, she stayed on the ground for less and less time each time. Still though, it wasn’t close at all to how fast Night Qingran was.

When Night Qingran sensed that Yun Qianyue wasn’t following him anymore, he turned back around to look at her. Seeing her staring intently at his feet as she breathed heavily, he stopped and stood in front of her with a smile on his face, “Don't you know how to change your breath I heard Tianyu said that your light-footed movement is very good; could it really be this bad This was too eye-opening for me!”

"I haven’t used my technique in a long time so I’m a bit rusty. If not, I wouldn't lose to you," Yun Qianyue replied as she stopped moving and smiled despite being mocked by Night Qingran. She was amazed that in the modern world with her old body, she couldn’t even fly for one meter; how could she compare with eight or nine meters She was already quite satisfied.

"So you’re just rusty" asked Night Qingran as he stretched out his voice and laughed at Yun Qianyue.

“Hmph, so what if I can’t change my breath You’re only a few years older than me! So what if your light-footed movement is amazing” Yun Qianyue glared at him angrily; her mood was slightly dampened since she didn't know how to breathe while flying.

“Little girl, you are fifteen this year and I am eighteen, only three years older than you. What’s the big deal about a few more years” Night Qingran patted Yun Qianyue's head gently as he said, “I heard that your martial arts were personally taught by Cloud Grandpa; it’s too bad that old man didn’t teach you how to breathe while flying. Otherwise, I wouldn't have such an eye-opening experience like this.”

“Dantian breathing” Yun Qianyue repeated the phrase as she was somewhat confused.

“You’re so stupid!” said Night Qingran again as he patted Yun Qianyue's head once more.

"Stop it, you’ll make me even stupider!" Yun Qianyue dodged his hand angrily; this person was just like that old man and enjoyed hitting her on the head! What a ridiculous habit!

“Shut your mouth,” said Night Qingran as he withdrew his hand and observed Yun Qianyue carefully. Seeing her listening attentively, he continued seriously: “Don’t breathe through your nose; instead, focus on your dantian where the air flows like a whirlpool and follow its flow to take in breath.”

Yun Qianyue nodded as she closed her mouth obediently. She focused intently on her dantian and found that there was indeed air swirling around inside, just as Night Qingran had described; she felt delighted when she quickly followed the swirls of air flowing in and out: “I’ve got it! It’s so simple!”

“You only learned this simple skill now Seems like you’re not stupid, but rather Grandpa Cloud is. He’s too incompetent to teach you,” said Night Qingran as he sensed Yun Qianyue’s body and was surprised at how quickly she had grasped the technique; even more so by the two conflicting streams of energy inside her, one cold and one hot, swirling around and seemingly merging together. This puzzled him: “What kind of martial arts are you studying How odd!”

During their first few encounters, Yun Qianyue hadn’t used any internal energy so he didn’t notice it; now that she was using her dantian breath and emitting internal energy, he could sense it.

"I don't know," said Yun Qianyue shaking her head. She didn’t mention the Phoenix Scripture since she feared Night Qingran would pry deeper into where she learned it from as she knew nothing else about it; so she decided to say that she had no idea instead. Furthermore, she wanted to say that the old man wasn’t really stupid but because she was not the real Yun Qianyue, she couldn’t learn anything! But of course, she could never tell him this so she let the old man bear his reputation for being incompetent.

Yun Qianyue frowned as she seemed confused; just as she wanted to say something, a fragrant aroma similar to lotus and snow wafted through the air from Yun Qianyue. Night Qingran immediately leaned in closer to sniff her gently and was surprised: "Why do you smell like that weak woman"

Weak woman Rong Jing Yun Qianyue frowned as she asked, “Is it”

"Yes!" Ye Qingran stared at Yun Qianyue.

The man looked as if he had caught them in the act and was watching her closely. She rolled her eyes, saying, "I rode in his carriage today. We were in the same compartment; how could I not have picked up his scent"

"That's not it. This fragrance is emanating from your body." Ye Qingran shook his head. "It couldn't be from picking it up."

"When we went up the mountain, I got motion sickness. He gave me a pill, and I took it," Yun Qianyue explained.

"Is it the Snow Lotus Flower" Ye Qingran was surprised.

"I don't know either. It tasted quite good, but he didn't give me more after that. What a stingy person!" Yun Qianyue recalled Rong Jing's white jade bottle in his hand. He had only given her one pill; wasn't he being stingy

The corners of Ye Qingran’s mouth twitched upon hearing this, and he looked at Yun Qianyue with an odd expression on his face. "He actually used the Snow Lotus Flower to treat your motion sickness"

"Snow Lotus Flower Is it that legendary Snow Lotus Flower It must be very precious then," Yun Qianyue asked. She knew that the Snow Lotus Flower was a super rare medicinal herb, but she didn't know if Rong Jing had given her one of them. However, since the flower turned into medicine pills after she took it, they might have been synthesized.

Ye Qingran snorted and looked at Yun Qianyue with disdain. "What nonsense is in your head Of course the Snow Lotus Flower is precious. There are only two left in the world. Even the imperial physician’s office doesn't have it. One was obtained by Venerable Ling Yin, but he used half of it to save your good brother Yun Muhuan and the other half went towards saving Prince Taizi of Southern Liang who suffered a similar calamity as Yun Muhuan. Only one is left now, but I don’t know how that weak woman got hold of it. He mixed it with various valuable herbs to make medicine pills for healing purposes, making no more than ten in total. It's been years and there are probably very few left by now. Yet he gave you a pill just because you were suffering from motion sickness, what a waste!"

Wow! Yun Qianyue was surprised this time. "So Rong Jing is actually quite generous then!"

Ye Qingran snorted. "He's certainly generous to you."

Yun Qianyue blinked, and blinked again before suddenly waving her hand and saying, "Humph! He only did what he was asked to do. Otherwise, my grandfather would hold him accountable if I died from the motion sickness in his carriage. It's just a desperate measure. Remember how I stepped on his carriage boards and said I'd pay for any damage The Snow Lotus Flower is much more precious than agarwood, right Agarwood may be expensive but it has a price. But according to what you're saying, the Snow Lotus Flower is priceless. How could he possibly treat me so generously"

"True! Who knows what schemes that guy's black hearted mind harbors! He wouldn't be generous like this," Ye Qingran agreed by nodding, and then grumbled with a mix of hatred and anger while recalling the past events. "That year when I wanted his Cold Warm Chess Set, he didn’t give it to me. Instead, I lost my blood horse as well. That hateful fellow just won the horse and immediately killed it to eat its meat without even giving me a chance to win it back. He’s too despicable!"

Yun Qianyue nodded in agreement with indignation. "He's really squandering divine treasures!"

"Indeed! Whatever good thing he gets his hands on turns into nothing," Ye Qingran clenched his teeth, still unable to forget the hatred and anger he felt when losing his blood horse a decade ago. He wished he could eat Rong Jing alive now just thinking about it.

Yun Qianyue wasn't the owner of the blood horse, so she was only angry. Seeing Ye Qingran in the mood to fight with Rong Jing at any moment, she thought that if he did, her roasted fatty fish would be ruined. She immediately tried to dissuade him saying, "Alright, it’s all old history now. I’ll help you get your revenge on him someday and give him a taste of his own medicine. Don’t be angry anymore; let's go eat the fish. We can use him as our fatty fish for justice!"

"Good, let's go," Ye Qingran indeed started walking forward.

Yun Qianyue followed behind him. She had just grasped the rudiments of lightness kung fu and naturally wanted to try it out now. Therefore, she didn't wait for Ye Qingran’s signal but instead lightly touched her feet against the ground and flew towards the pavilion on the half-way up slope. As expected, her true energy wasn’t interrupted this time, and in a few leaps, she arrived outside the pavilion. She turned back to look and saw that it took her only moments to cover such a long distance, marveling at how ancient people were truly divine.

"Little girl, you did well!" Ye Qingran came over too, praising Yun Qianyue as he walked up.

Yun Qianyue proudly lifted her chin. "That's right! I won, so now I'm commanding you to catch the fatty fish and roast it for me."

Ye Qingran was taken aback at first but then burst into laughter. When he finished laughing, he said, "Alright, I'll go catch them and roast one for you. Let's divide up the tasks: I’ll get the fish while you pick the lotus leaves from that side over there."

"No problem!" Yun Qianyue glanced at the terrain on half-way up slope and saw that the right of the pavilion was covered with blooming Half-Branch Lotus flowers, their roots entwined densely and vividly. On the left was a river not too wide but clear, where water plants and stones could be seen clearly underwater; there were natural waterfalls formed from the spring water flowing down the mountain slope into the river which flowed further downhill to the foot of the mountain. She couldn't help asking, "What is this river Where does it flow into"

"This is Fragrant Spring River. It flows 500 li away into Qinglin Town's canal system; that’s a major waterway for commerce and transportation like sea salt and passenger ships," Ye Qingran said as he walked along the riverside.

“Oh!” Yun Qianyue nodded, "Does this mean the fish in the river must be delicious"

"Not really. Only the fish raised here in Fragrant Spring Mountain's waters are fresh and tasty. Once they leave this mountain, you won't find such a delicious fish anywhere else because other streams flow into that canal too, bringing all sorts of impurities along with them. How could those fishes still be as fresh" Ye Qingran continued walking by the riverbank, breaking off a branch from a tree to illustrate his point. "Besides, only these Half-Branch Lotus leaves grown in Fragrant Spring Mountain's waters have this unique taste that makes the fish exceptionally delicious when cooked with it."

“Oh! I see now!” Yun Qianyue nodded.

"Quickly go and pick a lotus leaf for me," Ye Qingran instructed her.

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue turned to walk toward the right side of the pavilion. There was nothing but Half-Branch Lotus flowers, their blossoms in purple, red, orange, yellow, and white hues, releasing a faint fragrance that seemed to cleanse one’s entire being. She took several deep breaths before picking a leaf and tossing it at Ye Qingran with great force.

The lotus leaf flew straight out like an arrow propelled by her throwing power.

Yun Qianyue was startled, looking down to see how strong she had thrown the leaf. She realized that once again, as when she snapped Prince Si's hand before, her internal energy flowed through her arm and into her hand instantly, giving her strength and control over whatever she held.

Ye Qingran was also surprised; he saw the lotus leaf flying straight toward his chest with surprising speed. He quickly dodged to one side and caught it just in time but felt a tingling sensation in his hand from the impact. “Moon, are you trying to kill me” he asked her incredulously.

Yun Qianyue looked up at him, equally shocked. She moved her face muscles awkwardly and said with an air of confusion, "Why would I want to kill you You haven't done anything bad to me. But how is this possible"

"Who am I supposed to ask about that Your internal energy must be quite vast for me to have used seven-tenths of my strength just to catch the leaf," Ye Qingran replied sarcastically, looking at her bewildered expression and then explaining further. "If anyone else tried this, they would probably get skewered by a flying lotus leaf."

"Is internal energy really that terrifying" Yun Qianyue mused aloud while looking at her hand and the lotus leaf Ye Qingran was holding. She recalled how in ancient times, martial arts heroes could kill people with just flowers and leaves, which she used to think were purely fictional tales from wuxia novels.

"Why would it be terrifying if you can control it" Ye Qingran smiled and added, "If you learn to master your energy flow and use it effectively for self-defense, even someone who spends their whole life trying to achieve what you have now wouldn't reach such a level. Your internal energy is merging from two different sources, which could potentially make you incredibly powerful."

"Indeed, this must be good!" Yun Qianyue felt much happier, realizing that she had gained something useful despite her initial reluctance.

“Tell me about your martial arts skills. I've never seen such moves before,” Ye Qingran asked curiously, standing a short distance from Yun Qianyue. “Show me some techniques.”

Yun Qianyue’s mouth twitched at the suggestion of demonstrating her fighting style, which she didn’t really have since she wasn’t the real Cloud Shanyue and had no knowledge of Phoenix Scripture’s moves.

“Hey, stop hiding things from me,” Ye Qingran teased with a laugh. “Don't be so stingy.”

"Why wouldn't I show you Wait, let me demonstrate two techniques for you," Yun Qianyue replied immediately.

"Alright, watch closely!" Ye Qingran moved back from the riverside to observe her closely.

Yun Qianyue also stopped to demonstrate the Tai Chi she used to practice every morning to Ye Qingran.

Ye Qingran's eyes immediately widened, "What is this move"

"This is the True Classic of Tai Chi!" Yun Qianyue said as she continued her demonstration.

"The True Classic of Tai Chi This was taught to you by Grandpa Yun" Ye Qingran asked intently, his gaze following every movement. He couldn't help but marvel at its infinite depth and beauty, "I didn't know that Grandpa Yun had such a superb martial art hidden up his sleeve! No wonder your body is so unique. I still hadn't figured out why there were two streams of energy in your body — one icy and the other fiery — until now. They are yin and yang, just as the name Tai Chi implies!"

Yun Qianyue lowered her lashes as she thought to Mr. Zhang, "I'm sorry for using your martial art to spread it far and wide in another world. I don't think you'll be upset with me though since this is a form of passing on the legacy, right I'll just accept that I have to acknowledge you as my teacher inside my heart." But her body did indeed contain two streams of energy — one icy and fiery — which used to run independently but now seemed to be merging. Was it because the Phoenix True Classic and Tai Chi were so similar or was this martial art really a part of another She could only speculate, yet either way, she had managed to fend off Ye Qingran.

After practicing for a while, Yun Qianyue sensed that her dan tian energy started circulating around her body in a circle. The warmth it brought was so comfortable and soothing that she couldn't stop. So, she continued with the Tai Chi movements.

Ye Qingran was initially intrigued but as he watched on, his wonderment turned to shock. He finally opened his mouth, looking utterly astonished. Yun Qianyue's surroundings had become clear, only a breeze passed by her. Then gradually, mist began gathering around her until it enveloped her entirely and she disappeared in the middle of it. This was something he'd never seen before.

Yun Qianyue finished one round of Tai Chi and slowly stopped. All of her true energy returned to her dan tian. She felt light and fresh, as if her entire body had brightened up several times over. With joy in her heart, she couldn't help but look at her hands.

Forget it! There's no need for me to seek the Phoenix True Classic anymore. I'll just stick with Tai Chi every day from now on. It is simple and effective, and doesn't require much thought — a win-win situation!

She raised an eyebrow at Ye Qingran and said teasingly, "Hey, how was it Did you figure out anything" Her eyes sparkled even more without her noticing.

Dressed in purple, she looked like a fairy emerging from the mist. Ethereal and indistinct.

Ye Qingran's expression had become dazed as he stared at Yun Qianyue motionless.

"Hey, are you okay" Yun Qianyue walked up to Ye Qingran and waved in front of him, "Come on, snap out of it! Did I really bewitch your soul with a few Tai Chi moves That's terrible!"

Ye Qingran was finally startled into awareness. His gaze slowly focused as he looked at Yun Qianyue, gradually regaining his senses. Shocked and awe-struck, he said, "You... "

"What is it Is there something wrong" Yun Qianyue thought about how Tai Chi was a common sight on the streets in her world but had managed to shock a handsome man here. She couldn't help but feel speechless. However, with its thousand-year legacy and profound depth, it certainly was an excellent martial art form. So she felt rather proud, wondering if Mr. Zhang would also have come through time to praise her for promoting Tai Chi in another world.

"Alright!" Ye Qingran averted his eyes. He thought how could this not be terrifying He couldn't describe the shock he was feeling right now. After glancing around and seeing that there were no people around, he sighed with relief before looking at her seriously, "You mustn't practice Tai Chi in public from now on. I won't mention anything about today's events either. Unless it is absolutely necessary, you should refrain from revealing your abilities. Return to being as foolish as before."

Yun Qianyue twitched at the corner of her mouth. What did he mean by 'foolish' like before

"Listen carefully," Ye Qingran said seriously, "especially in this stage where your true energy is unstable and blending together. If someone maliciously noticed your condition and intended to harm you, it wouldn't be good."

"Alright, I'll listen to you!" Yun Qianyue smiled and nodded sincerely. Since she had Mo Li by her side, there was no need for her to worry about anything. She would probably have very few opportunities where she needed to use her abilities anyway. From now on, she could practice Tai Chi in private inside the house until she became adept enough that others couldn't recognize it at first glance.

She wanted to be like Rong Jing as Xiang Ge had described him and also like Ye Qingran standing before her.

"Alright!" Ye Qingran smiled.

"Quick, go catch some fish. I didn't eat breakfast this morning and am starving," Yun Qianyue finally realized the emptiness in her stomach.

"Alright!" Ye Qingran tossed the lotus leaf he was holding into the river and leaped onto one of them using his feet as a springboard. Using a broken branch, he started fishing and caught a hefty fish that weighed around two kilograms within moments without even getting his shoes wet at all.

"Amazing!" Yun Qianyue exclaimed with her mouth agape in amazement.

Ye Qingran threw the fish over to Yun Qianyue, "Catch it!"

Yun Qianyue immediately reached out and caught the fish. Being trained from a young age by the military and with her current energy reserves, she easily managed to catch the fish that Ye Qingran had thrown. The plump fish smelled of aquatic herbs and already made Yun Qianyue's stomach growl.

"Here, catch this one too!" As Yun Qianyue was still examining the first fish, Ye Qingran threw another over.

Yun Qianyue caught it quickly. Admiring the skill and grace with which he fished, she asked, "Are you doing nothing all day except fishing"

"Yes," Ye Qingran said proudly, "I used to come here when I was free to fish and grill them for myself. The fish are happy whenever they see me coming." He looked quite pleased with himself.

Yun Qianyue laughed as she watched him. This scene truly delighted her eyes: mountains, waterfalls, the clear river, lotus leaves dancing on the surface, and a beautiful woman standing amidst it all holding fish in hand. She wished that there were cameras here so she could capture this moment but then remembered she knew how to paint. So, after returning home, she would be able to recreate this scene.

"What are you thinking about Quickly catch the next one!" Ye Qingran threw another fish over.

Yun Qianyue quickly let go of her current two to catch this one. When she felt its weight, however, she gasped. This fish must weigh around seven or eight kilograms! Seeing that Ye Qingran was still fishing, Yun Qianyue immediately stopped him, "Wait, don't catch anymore. We won't be able to finish them all anyway."

"But three fish aren’t enough!" Ye Qingran said.

"No need," Yun Qianyue replied, "Two of us can easily manage the current ones." She didn't think they would have a chance to eat more than that. Besides, there was no point in catching too many and wasting them.

"Alright!" Ye Qingran agreed.

Yun Qianyue then thought about how she should thank Mo Li for everything after this meal.

"Good luck eating these fish," Yun Qianyue said, "I’ll go gather some lotus leaves and dry wood."

Ye Qingran nodded and continued fishing. He soon caught another hefty fish of around seven or eight kilograms before finally stopping when he saw the look on Yun Qianyue's face.

"Wow!" Yun Qianyue couldn't help but stare in amazement at his skill.

Ye Qingran handed her the last fish, "Here, catch it."

Yun Qianyue caught it with ease and admired how beautiful Ye Qingran looked as he fished. She then started collecting lotus leaves and gathering dry wood from nearby trees.

Ye Qingran watched her, admiring the way she moved among the plants and flowers, her silhouette graceful against the backdrop of nature. He felt a strange sensation in his heart that he couldn’t quite describe. He finally managed to bring himself back down to earth, took out his knife from his waist, and began cleaning the fish.

Yun Qianyue turned around to look at him as she worked. It was a sight that would be impossible to replicate in any other world or time: a handsome man dressed elegantly killing a fish with such grace amidst nature's beauty. She sighed, wishing there were cameras here so she could capture this moment, but then realized she had her painting skills.

Ye Qingran looked up after cleaning the fish and saw Yun Qianyue watching him intently. He felt proud to see the admiration in her eyes.

"Let me see your knife." Yun Qianyue walked over to where he was standing, admiring how easily he had cleaned the fish.

Ye Qingran handed her his knife and watched as she admired it. "It’s well-made," she said, turning it over in her hands.

"Indeed." Ye Qingran nodded, pleased with his tool of choice for fishing.

Yun Qianyue then turned to gather more materials, looking forward to the meal ahead and thanking Mo Li again silently.

Ye Qingran washed the internal blood stains of the fish and then wrapped it with lotus leaves from Banzilian. He took out a small package from his inner pocket, spilling out a pile of things under Yun Qianyue’s wide-eyed stare. She saw various sachets.

Yun Qianyue’s mouth twitched as she rubbed her forehead and exclaimed, "You truly have many confidantes!"

Ye Qingran paused in his movements before getting annoyed and said, "Little brat, what are you saying This package contains the things needed for grilling fish!"

"Oh, I see! You need these things to grill fish," Yun Qianyue was enlightened but then asked with confusion, "Why don’t you use a cloth bag instead of sachets Aren't these supposed to be gifts that women give men as tokens of affection"

Ye Qingran’s face twitched upon hearing this. He said, "This Prince would never use such tattered bags. Hence, I asked someone to make me these sachets, and they turned out quite nice."

"Mm-hmm, the sachets are indeed very beautiful. Look at those embroidered mandarin ducks playing in water! There’s also a phoenix and dragon together, oh, there is even an orchid tree! Who made them for you What amazing skill!" Yun Qianyue was amazed by how detailed the embroidery on the sachets were. It would be hard not to misinterpret these things.

Ye Qingran looked down upon seeing what Yun Qianyue had pointed out and his face went stiff, with dark clouds gathering in his handsome features as he gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it!"

He suddenly flung the sachets away.

"No, no! If you throw these things away, we won’t be able to grill fish," Yun Qianyue jumped up from the rock and rushed beside Ye Qingran. She caught his hand before he could throw anything else and sighed with relief when she saw that the sachets did not fly off. "Thank goodness."

Ye Qingran’s face darkened as he glared at Yun Qianyue, seemingly about to explode.

"They are just decorations anyway; they don’t matter much. Quickly prepare the fish! I’ve been waiting for you to cook me grilled fish all morning," Yun Qianyue said dejectedly.

Ye Qingran’s anger slowly dissipated as he muttered angrily, "I’ll deal with him later."

"Who" Yun Qianyue asked shamelessly.

"My grandfather!" Ye Qingran replied.

"Uh… your grandfather gave you these sachets" Yun Qianyue was dumbfounded by this unexpected revelation.

"He didn’t give them to me; seven years ago, I asked my personal attendant to buy some sachets for grilling fish. My grandfather happened to be there and said that he had prepared something for me. He then gave me these later on without paying attention to the designs on them," Ye Qingran was furious.

Heavens! So they were in his possession for seven years!

Yun Qianyue picked up a sachet and examined it, before picking another one. She saw that each sachet was intricately sewn with high-quality silk fabric. Furthermore, the stitches and craftsmanship differed for every sachet, meaning they were made by different people who must be daughters from noble families. The embroidery on them could not have been done by an ordinary girl’s hands. She admired Ye Qingran’s carelessness and his grandfather’s generosity.

How early was he given these sachets Was it because he might feel lonely during journeys and need something to entertain himself with

Ye Qingran would never be lonely!

"Let’s start grilling the fish. I’m starving," Yun Qianyue put down the sachet, trying not to laugh.

"If you want to laugh then just laugh!" Ye Qingran gritted his teeth.

Yun Qianyue burst out in laughter, a clear and open sound. Seeing Ye Qingran’s darkened face made her laugh even harder.

Ye Qingran stared at her with wide eyes. The girl was too honest! She actually laughed when he told her to!

Yun Qianyue continued laughing for a while before she finally stopped under Ye Qingran’s glare. Panting, she waved him off and said, "I’m done laughing, really. I’m starving; it’s exhausting! Quick, let’s grill the fish."

Ye Qingran harrumphed as he started making fire with a flint stone. A spark soon emerged from the rock when he scraped the flint against it. He then put dry wood in the shape of a tent and placed the fish wrapped in lotus leaves on top. The sound of sizzling was heard immediately, followed by the aroma of lotus.

Yun Qianyue stared at the flint stone Ye Qingran held in his hands. It appeared to be made of flint. She asked, "Do people still use such things to make fire nowadays"

"Hmm!" Ye Qingran nodded. "You haven’t seen this before"

"No," Yun Qianyue replied truthfully. Who would use these in modern times

Ye Qingran said matter-of-factly, "It makes sense that you don’t know what it is since you have servants to make fire for you."

Yun Qianyue thought about it and agreed. The owner of this body was a noble lady who would never be required to do such things.

As they talked, the lotus leaves began to stick tightly around the fish like an additional layer of skin. Ye Qingran then opened up each sachet and sprinkled their contents on the fish before turning it over with a branch and doing the same again.

Yun Qianyue watched without blinking. Soon, the fragrance of fish mixed with lotus leaves formed a unique scent that wafted into her nose. She licked her lips; she wanted to eat right away!

"You’re such an impatient brat," Ye Qingran looked at her and smiled.

"Everyone says people who are good at eating tend to be gluttons, just like you!" Yun Qianyue ignored him as she stared hungrily at the fish.

Yun Qianyue had never cooked before; therefore, she always admired chefs. In her eyes, Ye Qingran was a towering figure now.

"Hmm," Ye Qingran nodded and turned the fish over with his branch. "If that’s true then Rong Jing must be the biggest glutton of them all! He would even eat that weak-looking beauty!"

"Because it wasn’t his own horse, so he wouldn’t mind eating it," Yun Qianyue said.

Ye Qingran nodded. "That’s true." Then with a thoughtful look, he added, "But the meat was really delicious."

Yun Qianyue looked up to the sky and thoughtlessly remarked that it must have been worth it for Rong Jing and Ye Qingran to eat a horse just so they could taste its flesh. At least she would remember the experience forever.

"We’ll need to wait a while longer," Ye Qingran asked, "are you still standing"

Yun Qianyue shook her head and looked at him with a smile. She did not feel tired when she was so close to eating such delicious food.

Ye Qingran said nothing more as he continued turning the fish over carefully.

Yun Qianyue also picked up a stick and helped turn it.

The mountain breeze was still, yet the smell of the grilled fish spread everywhere.

About a quarter of an hour later, the two smaller fish were cooked. Ye Qingran picked up one and handed it to Yun Shanyue, who immediately reached out to take it, eager to put it in her mouth. However, Ye Qingran stopped her abruptly, "Slow down, it's hot!"

"I'm not afraid!" Yun Shanyue dodged his hand and bit into the fish right away. As expected, it was very hot, but also fragrant and tender as Ye Qingran had said. The aroma lingered in her mouth, making her lips feel tingly. She didn't even have time to say a word before she started eating big bites of the fish, surprised that there was only one bone in the whole fish, saving her from having to spit out any bones.

Ye Qingran watched Yun Shanyue and was delighted by how much she enjoyed it. He also picked up another fish and began eating as well.

The only sound that could be heard was them chewing quickly as if they were in a race to eat the most fish.

Soon, both of the two-pound fish had been devoured by the pair. They threw away their fish bones, licked their mouths, and glanced at each other before focusing on the larger fish over the fire.

Ye Qingran hesitated, "How should we eat this one" Should he take a bite and then me It didn't seem right!

"Go use your dagger to carve two sticks for us as chopsticks. We'll use them to pick up the fish." Yun Shanyue instructed Ye Qingran while turning over the big fish. The fire had reddened her face, making her look even more charming.

"Okay!" Ye Qingran immediately stood up with his dagger in hand.

A short time later, he returned with two pairs of chopsticks. He handed one pair to Yun Shanyue and kept the other for himself.

"Alright, let's eat!" Yun Shanyue thought that the fish was cooked enough and started picking it up first.

Ye Qingran found this interesting as well and didn't lag behind. The big fish was divided into portions by them right away. As they ate happily, they hadn’t noticed anyone else had come to the back mountain at all. All their energy was focused on eating the fish.

Until a few steps approached, and they realized someone had arrived. They simultaneously raised their heads; familiar faces appeared in front of them: it was Ye Tiansheng, Rong Linglan, Leng Shuli, Yu Ning, and finally the fourth prince, Ye Tianyu, whom Yun Shanyue only saw once before when she first came to the palace.

"You really are like a ghost that won't leave!" Yun Shanyue muttered as she pulled her gaze away.

Ye Qingran only glanced at them for a moment and then looked away, giving a slight snort.

The two continued their actions without stopping. One chopstick from him, one from her; the movements were swift and smooth, acting as if they hadn’t seen anyone arrive.

"I was wondering who dared to set fire here at Lingtai Temple! It turns out to be Qingran and Miss Moon!" Ye Tianyu spoke up first. He seemed to glance at Ye Tiansheng before smiling at the two people sitting side by side, "Brother Emperor, no wonder we couldn’t find Miss Moon. Even after hearing that Qingran had come, I didn’t see anyone around. It turns out you two were hiding here eating grilled fish."

"Killing life in Lingtai Temple—if the Venerable Ciyun and Master Linyin knew about it, how would you explain yourselves This is truly a reckless act!" Ye Tiansheng looked at them with his gaze falling on their side-by-side figures. They were eating fish by themselves with wooden chopsticks, moving in unison; he could not help but frown and sternly call out.

"Prince Imperial, why don’t you arrest us to hand over to Venerable Ciyun and Master Linyin" Ye Qingran said without looking up. "Anyway, we have eaten."

"You…" Ye Tiansheng was infuriated and speechless for a moment; he couldn't possibly hand them over.

"Wasn’t it said that meat passes through the intestines but is retained in Buddha’s heart Even if we’re eating fish here, as long as there's Buddha in our hearts, isn’t that enough" Yun Shanyue also didn’t look up. She certainly wouldn't want to be led by these people to face Master Linyin for analysis.

"Haha, you're right! Meat passes through the intestines but is retained in Buddha’s heart. Even though we’re eating fish here, as long as there's Buddha in our hearts, that isn’t disrespectful." Ye Qingran suddenly laughed and thought that this person next to him was truly excellent.

Ye Tiansheng remained silent, his face darkening.

The fourth prince glanced at Ye Tiansheng before looking at Yun Shanyue and Ye Qingran. He then smirked and said with a laugh, "Miss Moon seems to be closer to Qingran than me; you two are now eating a fish separately. This truly saddens me."

Yun Shanyue rolled her eyes. The fourth prince was typical of being both good and bad.

Ye Qingran lightly reprimanded, "Don't look in the mirror to see your own virtue. Can you race horses Roast fish Play games Roll dice for mahjong You can’t do any of these things, right Of course she’s closer to me."

The moment Yun Shanyue finished rolling her eyes, she did it again. Ye Qingran wasn't embarrassed by his lack of seriousness.

"Who said I don’t know how I can do all those!" Ye Tianyu came over and reached for Ye Qingran's chopsticks but missed as Ye Qingran dodged; he immediately remarked, "Go to the side! There’s no place for you here!"

"The roasted fish from Fragrant Spring Mountain is the best. Since I happened upon it now, how can I not eat" Ye Tianyu didn’t get Ye Qingran's chopsticks but reached for Yun Shanyue's instead; she dodged his grab and he frowned at them both. He took out a dagger from his waist and picked up the remaining half of the fish, biting into it right away. Looking at the two who were glaring at him, he muttered, "Look at all these bones! Are you afraid of being stuffed I'll eat what's left; if you want more, go catch some to roast!"

Ye Qingran looked at Yun Shanyue.

Yun Shanyue patted her belly. She was already full and put down her chopsticks, shaking her head: "I’m stuffed! No more eating!" She had felt full the moment those people appeared earlier.

"Alright then, I'm also full." Ye Qingran followed by putting down his chopsticks as well.

The fourth prince was pleased and raised an eyebrow; he ate big mouthfuls of fish while saying, "It’s so fragrant and tender—delicious! In the past seven years since you left, I secretly caught some fish to roast too, but it never tasted like this."

Yun Shanyue felt humbled. She hadn’t realized that the fourth prince was also knowledgeable about roasting fish.

"How could your skill compare to mine" Ye Qingran scoffed.

"Then roast another one for me; these aren't enough!" Ye Tianyu said, "You two have had your fill, but I can’t go hungry!"

Ye Qingran stood up and looked at Yun Shanyue: "We've been here half the day. We're full now—shall we visit the Bodhidharma Hall Maybe the old monk and the weak maiden will be discussing doctrines then; let’s see if that weak maiden will enter a nunnery!"

"Ha, you think just like me! It would be best if she entered one," Yun Shanyue laughed. However, remembering what Cailian said about how divine the old monk was and his skill in reading faces, she shook her head: "No way, I'm sleepy. What’s interesting about discussing doctrines I want to go back to sleep." With that, she yawned widely without any grace, stretching across her waist: “After eating and drinking so much today, a good nap is the best thing; with this delicious fish, I’m sure to have sweet dreams.”

"Alright then, I'll send you back to sleep," Ye Qingran nodded.

"Let’s go!" Yun Shanyue agreed. She had originally planned on sitting under the waterfall at the top of the mountain to enjoy the view after eating fish, but now she didn’t want to stay another second.

“Do you still want a competition Lightness skills” Ye Qingran asked.

"Yeah!" Yun Shanyue answered while lightly tapping her foot and floating down the mountain.embered Lingtai Temple and Rong Jing’s ability to merge their energy streams together. When he mentioned it was the Heaven-Earth Scripture at the time, she asked: "If Rong Jing practices the Heaven-Ea...