Watching the flustered Lumine bicker with Paimon, Su Ming let out a heartfelt smile.
Ah, this is the life.
This was exactly how life should be.
The scene of them messing around reminded him of his daily life on the mountain with his "cheap" Senior Sister.
"I wonder how Shenhe will react when she gets back to the mountain and finds everyone gone."
"I should have left a note explaining things."
"I hope she doesn't cause a scene..."
"She probably won't... right?"
On Mt. Aocang, a slender and graceful figure carried a medicine basket up the mountain path.
The basket was filled with freshly picked Qingxin, which was her daily staple.
Even though her Junior Brother had explained many times that cultivation didn't mean living like a hermit on wind and dew and that eating nothing but Qingxin was an unhealthy diet—she couldn't help it.
It was all because Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper didn't know how to cook, so they had made up those lies to fool her during her training.
Her Junior Brother cooked for her every day, and she truly loved his skills.
But habits formed in childhood were hard to break.
Even though she had started eating normally, she still couldn't resist snacking on Qingxin every now and then.
Fortunately, Jueyun Karst lacked many things, but medicinal herbs like Qingxin were everywhere.
Shenhe had gone to pick herbs as usual, but upon her return, things felt off.
Her Junior Brother, who was always practicing by the lake, was nowhere to be found.
She entered her master's abode, only to find that Cloud Retainer was gone as well.
A section of the pool at Mt. Aocang had been frozen over.
By the shore, there were traces of a cooking fire. Even the discarded charcoal was still emitting faint wisps of smoke despite being doused with water.
Shenhe set down her basket. Her Vision glowed, and the Calamity Queller appeared in her hand.
After a brief investigation, she found nothing suspicious.
She lowered the Calamity Queller with a dejected sigh, thrusting it into the ground. She formed a hand seal, attempting to track her Junior Brother's aura.
She failed, naturally.
Su Ming's physical body had undergone a total transformation; he no longer carried the scent Shenhe was familiar with.
However, she wasn't entirely empty-handed. She picked up two other traces.
Two auras that were heading toward Dihua Marsh.
Shenhe took a deep breath and pulled a photograph from her robes.
It was a side profile of a handsome young man focused on preparing ingredients.
It was Su Ming.
Over the years, Shenhe kept only two photos on her person at all times.
One was a picture of her long-abandoned home village.
The other was the side profile of her Junior Brother, taken when he had secretly accompanied her down the mountain to visit that abandoned village.
She had secretly taken it with a Kamera while he was preparing lunch.
"You are a Destined Solitary Star; you should never have ties with anyone again."
Her father's whisper echoed in her heart. She let out a long sigh, pulled the Calamity Queller from the earth, and began her descent down the mountain.
"Mmm! These Golden Shrimp Balls are delicious!"
"Wow! This Almond Tofu is great too!"
"Mmm~~~ How is everything here so tasty!"
Su Ming and Lumine looked in unison at Paimon, who was currently a whirlwind of gluttony at the dining table.
Finally, Su Ming couldn't help but ask, "How does she fit all that food into such a tiny stomach?"
Lumine facepalmed in resignation. "That's why nearly a third of the rewards I get from commissions go toward her food budget."
"Well, you keep eating. I'm going to find the Conqueror of Demons. Once I've briefed him, I'll take you back to Liyue Harbor."
"Okay." Lumine nodded, then suddenly asked, "What about after that? Will you... will you still travel with me?"
Su Ming smiled. "Who knows? Maybe I'll go back to the mountain to continue my cultivation."
He watched Lumine's expression with interest.
Sure enough, a hint of anxiety flickered across her face.
Su Ming quickly changed his tune. "But then again, traveling the seven nations as an adventurer sounds fun. A journey only takes a few years, and my master is practically immortal, so spending a few years away shouldn't be a problem."
"Whew..." Lumine let out another breath of relief.
But before she could celebrate, Su Ming added, "Then again, Rex Lapis has passed away, and Liyue Harbor is in need of people. As an Adeptus Disciple, how can I just sit by and watch?"
"If I were to abandon my home to go traveling, it would be a dereliction of duty."
Lumine wilted again.
This time, she finally caught on. "Hey! Are you messing with me!?"
Su Ming laughed and waved his hands. "Not at all, I'm just speaking from the heart."
Lumine puffed out her cheeks, asking with a hint of anger, "So, what's your answer?"
"It's a secret." Su Ming put a finger to his lips.
Then, before Lumine could lunge at him, he vanished into the inn and sprinted to the top floor to find the Conqueror of Demons.
He left Lumine behind, fuming in impotent rage.
"Argh! I'm so mad! That jerk Su Ming!"
Paimon, who had been buried in her food, finally looked up. "Lumine, why are you angry? Hey, if you're not going to eat your portion, can I have it?"
"In your dreams!"
Lumine glared at Paimon and began shoving food into her mouth, channeling her anger into her appetite.
On the other side, as Su Ming reached the top floor, he felt a sudden gust of sharp wind behind him.
He turned... or rather, looked down, and found the Conqueror of Demons standing right there.
"Yo, Xiao. Long time no see."
Xiao maintained his usual cool expression as he looked up at Su Ming. "Why have you come? If you have no urgent business, leave at once."
"Evil is stirring lately. I have no time to spare for martial arts instruction."
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