The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

Yin Kong poked half of his head out from Tang Xixue's embrace, his round eyes staring unblinkingly at the lake.

The lake water is so clear that you can see several meters below the bottom.

There, large patches of emerald green aquatic plants grow, and schools of luminous fish swim among them.

The fish were entirely silvery-white, with fins as thin as cicada wings, shimmering with a pale golden light, and swam in groups.

"What a beautiful fish."

Tang Xixue sighed softly, her starry eyes reflecting the golden glimmers swimming on the water's surface.

Silver Sky's little paws clung to her arm, its round eyes fixed on the group of fish.

If it hadn't been held by its owner, it probably would have already plunged into the lake.

Si Xingxuan followed her gaze, raising an eyebrow slightly:

"That's a moonfish, it tastes extremely delicious."

"Zhizhi, would you like to try some?"

Tang Xixue blinked, but before she could answer, her stomach let out a soft, uncooperative cry.

She had some tea and snacks during the day, so she was indeed hungry.

Si Xingxuan narrowed her eyes, averted her gaze, and looked at the lake surface as if nothing had happened.

But Tang Xixue clearly saw the corners of his lips secretly curl upwards.

"Zhizhi, you're so cute."

Bingyou flew across most of the lake's surface, and an island appeared in the middle of the lake ahead.

The island was small, only a few dozen feet in circumference. On the island grew an ancient tree of unknown origin, its branches gnarled and twisted, its canopy spreading out like a giant emerald umbrella.

The ground beneath the trees is covered with a thick meadow, soft and fluffy underfoot.

Several clumps of emerald green reeds grow in the shallow waters near the island, their plumes swaying gracefully in the wind.

"Let's rest here for a while."

Jiu Fangzhi looked around and found that the view was quite wide.

"It's getting late, there's no rush to continue our journey."

Bingyou slowly descended to the edge of the island, lowering its dragon head to allow the three to land steadily.

It then shrank back to a small dragon about a foot long, coiled around Jiu Fangzhi's shoulder, and gave a small yawn.

Tang Xixue placed Yin Kong on the soft meadow, and the little white cat immediately frolicked and rolled around on the grass twice.

Then he squatted by the lake, one claw dangling in mid-air, staring at the moonfish that occasionally leaped out of the water, ready to pounce.

"I'll go get some fish."

Si Xingxuan volunteered, rolled up his sleeves, and headed towards the lake.

He stood on a blue stone half-submerged in water, bowing slightly, his eyes fixed on the water's surface, his slender fingers half-suspended in the air, patiently waiting.

The moonlight shone on him, and his profile was focused and serene.

At this moment, he was not the legendary physician Zheyue, whose poisons were renowned throughout the land; he was just a young man who wanted to catch a few fish for his beloved to enjoy.

Normally she exudes a gloomy aura, but now she has a more vibrant and bright feeling.

He found some medicinal herbs, made them into bait, and sprinkled them on the lake surface.

"Splash!"

Suddenly, a tiny splash rose from the water's surface, and a moonfish approached, its silvery scales tracing a short arc.

Si Xingxuan moved with lightning speed, his fingertips precisely pinching the fish's body, and with a flick of his wrist, he steadily scooped up the palm-sized moonfish.

"One."

He put the fish into the bamboo basket and continued to stare at the water.

Before long, five or six lively moonfish appeared in the small basket.

"I never expected Zheyue to catch fish."

Tang Xixue was somewhat surprised. In her mind, Si Xingxuan was a delicate and sickly girl who never lifted a finger.

Now he personally catches fish for her.

She really couldn't believe it was true.

After all, that little madman used to hide under her bed, like a damp, sinister ghost.

I never expected him to have such a youthful side.

"I'll pitch a tent, and we'll take turns keeping watch."

When Tang Xixue followed the old medicine god to train in the wilderness, she also learned a lot of survival skills in the wild.

She used what was available, such as vines, large leaves, and branches, to build a tent.

"Junior sister is so skillful."

Jiu Fangzhi watched as she busied herself with the task, while he gathered some dry branches by the edge of the forest and piled them on a flat, open ground.

He took a tinderbox from his sleeve, blew on it twice, and lit the campfire.

The orange-red flames flickered, appearing especially warm in the night.

He then found a few thin branches, used a dagger to peel off the bark, and carved them into simple roasting forks.

Silver Sky finally caught a Moonscale Fish. With a swipe of its claw, water splashed everywhere, and the unfortunate fish was stunned on the shallow beach by the shore.

The little white cat, carrying its prize, walked proudly to Tang Xixue, put the fish down, and looked on with an air of pride, as if to say, "Master, look how awesome I am!"

"Gin-sora is awesome."

Tang Xixue squatted down and rubbed its wet little head.

"Zhizhi, we'll be able to eat grilled fish soon. The grilled fish I made... is really delicious."

Si Xingxuan skewered the cleaned moon scale fish onto tree branches and slowly roasted them over the campfire.

"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it. Thank you for your hard work, Zheyue."

Tang Xixue said with a smile.

"It's not hard work."

Si Xingxuan's ears turned red, and she shook her head.

He had never served anyone else before, but he was willing to take care of her.

"I didn't grill fish very often before, but it was no different from refining elixirs..."

He is very organized and has some talent in cooking, unlike his older brother Si Xingzhou, whose cooking is simply terrible.

Orange flames licked the silvery-white fish's body, and the fish skin gradually turned a crispy golden brown.

Oil seeped from the fish's flesh, dripping onto the hot coals with a soft "sizzling" sound.

A mouthwatering aroma of roasted meat filled the air, mingling with the coolness of the lake water and the sweetness of the herbs, giving this small island in the middle of the lake a warm, human touch.

"Zhizhi, all done."

He handed the first skewer of grilled fish to Tang Xixue. The fish skin was grilled until crispy and golden, while the fish meat was still tender and slightly translucent with a layer of white jade-like luster.

The steam, carrying the fragrance, rose gently, and his fingertips were slightly red from the heat, but he didn't seem to care.

"Thanks."

Tang Xixue took the grilled fish, blew on it, and carefully took a bite.

The fish melts in your mouth, its freshness spreading across your tongue with a subtle sweetness.

That's the natural flavor nurtured by the waters of Linghu Lake.

The flesh of the moonfish is so tender that it requires almost no chewing, and its delicate fragrance spreads from the mouth all the way to the throat.

After swallowing, a faint, floral-like fragrance lingered on the lips and teeth.

She paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

"It's really delicious."

She nodded, her tone serious as if she were appraising a rare and precious medicinal herb.

"Zheyue's cooking skills are excellent."

"Yeah?"

Si Xingxuan's eyes lit up, and she smiled even more happily than the person who ate the grilled fish.

He lowered his head and continued to grill the second skewer of fish, his eyes reflecting the flickering firelight, and the slight smile on his lips he couldn't suppress.

"Junior sister, your senior brother made you a pot of mushroom soup."

Jiu Fangzhi sat on the other side of the campfire, where the mushroom soup in the small pot was bubbling away.

"Senior brother? Are you sure this isn't poisonous?"

Tang Xixue took a deep breath and asked a question.

These words left Jiu Fangzhi completely bewildered.

"Hmm?? Zheyue and I used to drink it like this."

He and Si Xingxuan were covered in poison, but they weren't afraid of it, so they never had to pick and choose when picking mushrooms in the wild.

"Ahem, Senior Brother, I may not be able to enjoy this soup."

Tangxi Xue was both amused and exasperated.

"Junior sister, don't be afraid. Even if you've been poisoned, Zhe Yue and I can cure you. This mushroom soup is especially delicious."

Jiu Fangzhi enthusiastically recommends it.

"Master is right."

Si Xingxuan nodded as well.

"That soup was indeed delicious."

"..."

Tang Xixue watched the two of them, master and apprentice, and in the end, she just ate the grilled fish with great concern for her life.

She thanked her senior for the invitation, feeling touched by his affection!

Yin Kong lay down beside Tang Xixue's legs, intently devouring his grilled fish, and then lay contentedly on the grass.

At this very moment, the Glazed Heaven has entered the darkness of night.

The lurking dangers also began to spread quietly.