I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

Ning Qian looked at the fish still thrashing about on the table, and was about to bite the bullet and deal with this somewhat awkward ingredient, when she heard Fang Xuan's voice from behind her:

"Senior sister, let me do it."

She turned around in surprise, only to see Fang Xuan step forward and casually pick up the bamboo pole and the fish.

Her movements were so practiced that she was almost in a daze.

"Junior brother...you?"

"When I was a child, I was lazy during my training in the clan and was often punished by being sent to work in the kitchen. It was common for me to handle wild delicacies from the mountains, so I became skilled through practice."

Fang Xuan made up a reason on the spot, a relaxed smile on his face, while his hands kept moving.

With fingers held together like a knife, a wisp of spiritual energy gathers at the fingertips.

With a gentle stroke below the gills and a quick pull downwards, the scales peel off one by one like obedient falling leaves, revealing the delicate flesh beneath.

Next, he opened the abdomen, removed the internal organs, and performed the procedure smoothly.

They can even remove the main fish bones completely, leaving two almost intact pieces of the fish body.

In just a few breaths, the silvery-white fish was transformed into a plate of cleanly prepared fish slices, neatly arranged on a rough porcelain dish that Ning Qian had found.

Ning Qian stared blankly for a moment.

Those who cultivate themselves, especially those who are chosen as disciples by major sects, all come from distinguished backgrounds.

At the very least, they were local powerful families; more often, they were scions of prominent families or descendants of imperial nobles.

Such kitchen chores are usually handled by servants; few people would do them themselves, let alone be so skilled at them...

She had initially assumed that this junior brother Fang, coming from a prestigious family, would be someone who never lifted a finger...

Now it seems that this is not the case.

"Alright, Senior Sister." Fang Xuan pushed the plate towards her and said with a smile, "The rest is up to you, Senior Sister. My skills are only good at handling raw seafood; I'd probably ruin it if I put it in a pot."

His words weren't entirely modest.

In his previous life, he lived alone. Preparing ingredients was a basic skill, but his cooking skills... were only at the level of "edible".

He didn't want to ruin this rare opportunity, which could be the first meal to build a closer relationship, because of his terrible cooking skills.

Ning Qian snapped out of her daze and looked at the perfectly prepared fish slices on the plate.

"Hmm." She responded softly, rolled up her sleeves, and turned to go to a simple shed in the corner of the room, where there was an earthen stove and an iron pot.

She quickly started a fire and washed the pot.

Then, from the only small cloth bag left in the house, she carefully scooped out some glistening grains of rice.

This is the last bit of low-grade spirit rice.

Fang Xuan didn't sit idle; he took the initiative to help add firewood and tend the fire.

The flickering firelight illuminated Ning Qian's focused profile, making her appear less aloof and more like a heartwarming human being.

Heat the pan, add a little oil, then take out a few dried red chilies, break them into pieces and throw them in.

With a "sizzle," the spicy aroma was instantly released by the hot oil, filling the courtyard.

Fang Xuan's eyes lit up, and his throat bobbed involuntarily.

chili.

He had been in this world for several months, and what he ate was either bland and tasteless fasting pills or the classical spiritual foods in the sect's canteen that emphasized original flavors. His mouth was so bland that he was practically starving.

I didn't expect Ning Qian to have chili peppers here.

He couldn't help but ask, "Senior sister, could... could you add more spice?"

Ning Qian, who was focused on stir-frying the ingredients, turned to look at him upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes: "Ah? Um... okay."

She took a few more chilies from a small jar and put them in, making the spiciness even stronger.

"Junior brother...you're not a local from southern Xinjiang, are you?" she asked softly as she stir-fried the food.

"Although this place is in the southern wilderness, the nearby mortal kingdoms all have a sweet tooth, and the sect's cuisine is rarely so spicy."

Fang Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he followed up the conversation, saying, "That's right, in my hometown... the taste is quite strong, and we can't live without spicy food. The chili peppers you added reminded me of the taste of my hometown."

"Senior sister, maybe we're even from the same hometown..." he added.

This statement is half true and half false, but in his previous life he was indeed from a region that loves spicy food.

Ning Qian paused in her stir-frying, then suddenly lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions within.

Her hometown... no longer exists.

Her family was destroyed and her relatives were killed. She fled here alone and was taken in by the Qingyun Sect.

These chili seeds were given to her by an old woman from her village during her escape.

They say the climate in southern Xinjiang is humid, so eating spicy food is good. She's kept it, planting a little bit occasionally, as a nice keepsake.

The way Fang Xuan begged for spicy food somehow made her feel a strange sense of warmth...

The spicy aroma in the pot gradually intensified, mingling with the delicate fragrance of the rice.

Ning Qian slid the fish fillets into the pan, stir-fried them quickly, and added a little salt and an unidentified herb.

Fang Xuan, watching from the side, felt his appetite whetted and inwardly gave it a huge thumbs up.

This is perfect! She's elegant in public and capable in the kitchen, and she's even destined to destroy the world... This senior sister has it all!

The key is spiciness, it's the spiciness, he's finally going to eat meat!

System: [Detected that the host has a strong expectation for the master's cooking skills, which is consistent with the slave's gratitude for the master's favor. Training value +0.1!]

...Thank you my foot, he just craves spicy food!

......

Before long, the food was ready.

Besides the main dish of spicy stir-fried fish slices, Ning Qian also made a clear soup with the leftover wild vegetables in the yard, sliced ​​some pickled bamboo shoots and salted vegetables, and added spirit rice, which surprisingly made up a four-dish-and-one-soup meal.

The two sat down at the stone table.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, dappling the rough porcelain bowls and plates, creating a uniquely warm atmosphere.

Fang Xuan couldn't wait to pick up a slice of fish with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The fish was tender and had a unique sweetness characteristic of spiritual creatures.

More importantly, that familiar spiciness instantly spread throughout my mouth.

"tasty."

He praised it sincerely and then ate another big mouthful of spiritual rice.

The spiritual rice melts in your mouth, releasing wisps of spiritual energy. Paired with spicy fish, it creates an unexpectedly delicious flavor.

Ning Qian watched him eat with a slightly satisfied expression, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a slight smile.

They're acting like little kids.

She ate slowly and deliberately, but it was clear that she hadn't had such a delicious meal in a long time.

At the dinner table, Ning Qian once again solemnly thanked Fang Xuan: "Junior Brother, I will always remember your kindness in saving my life and giving me medicine yesterday. In the future... if there is anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask."

After saying those words, she felt somewhat powerless.

Given my current situation, how can I possibly help him?

Fang Xuan swallowed the food in his mouth and waved his hand: "Senior Sister, you flatter me. It is only right for fellow disciples to help each other."

Besides, I also got a nice meal off my senior sister!

Seeing that his expression didn't seem fake, Ning Qian felt a warmth in her heart, and the sense of distance between them faded considerably.

Fang Xuan ate while pondering.

The relationship has now thawed and is developing steadily with a good atmosphere, but he hasn't forgotten his core mission.

He was told to look directly at Ning Qian's cool yet occasionally shy face and say, "Senior Sister, please train me..."

Just imagining that scene made him realize that he wasn't thick-skinned enough.

You have to subtly and gradually influence them.

He casually brought up the topic: "Senior sister, I think it's much more comfortable here, just the two of us, than those noisy places outside."

If things could continue like this, with companions to practice and discuss the Dao together, and cooking meals in our spare time, wouldn't that be nice?

Ning Qian was sipping her soup when she heard this. Her fair earlobes flushed slightly, her gaze drifted elsewhere, and she spoke softly:

"Those who cultivate themselves should prioritize the Great Way and be more tranquil... that's good."

She clearly didn't think of it as a "Daoist partner" or "companionship," but simply assumed that Fang Xuan was lamenting his surroundings.

Fang Xuan pressed on, putting down his chopsticks: "The path to enlightenment is long and arduous. If one could find a kindred spirit to share the same path, one would surely feel less lonely."

"A kindred spirit..."

Ning Qian repeated it, her eyes somewhat dazed, as if she had remembered something, but then quickly dimmed again.

"It's something that can't be forced, and people's hearts... are fickle."

Fang Xuan's heart skipped a beat; it seemed he had gone too far with his hints.

He quickly changed the subject: "What you say is true, senior sister. I was presumptuous, but this fish is really delicious. Senior sister's cooking skills are excellent."

Ning Qian glanced at him and, seeing his sincere praise of the food, softly hummed in agreement.

She lowered her head and continued eating, but her face seemed even redder than before.

Fang Xuan kept looking at Ning Qian's aloof and elegant face, which seemed to show a little shyness.

He was overcome by lust again.

She's so good-looking, and has such a great figure.

Anyone else could have handled it, but he couldn't.

What's wrong with people? Can't people be a little lecherous?

The system suddenly sent a notification.

[The training process has progressed by 0.1%!]

[Current overall training progress: 0.11%]

[Encouragement: Host, please keep it up and strive to become Master Ning Qian's sex slave as soon as possible.]

Fang Xuan: "......."

That works too...

Hmm, looks like I'll have to figure out how to mooch another meal tomorrow.