"Tell me! What exactly happened?" Xing Yue asked with a hint of seriousness on her face.
After all, Xing Yuan was no longer a mere cub. How could she have gotten into trouble the moment she was out of sight?
Xing Yuan's gaze flickered. Then, as if remembering something, she indignantly claimed, "He provoked me first. He said I was pretty and wanted me to be his wife. In a fit of anger, I... I plucked his feathers."
"Bang!" The flower pot closest to Xing Yue instantly shattered. Xing Yue's eyes were filled with danger.
So! Someone, or rather, a bird, dared to covet the cabbage she had painstakingly nurtured. Hmph! Had she lost her ability to wield her sword? Bald? That was far too lenient for him. No, she had to make him abandon this thought completely.
That night, in the dead of silence, a scream suddenly echoed from Hao Yan Pavilion. Upon investigation, the Scarlet Scale Bird, which had only lost some of its feathers during the day, was now completely devoid of a single strand of plumage.
It was said that after being seen by so many without its feathers, the Scarlet Scale Bird was so stimulated that it lost a certain ability and turned into a monk bird. This, however, is a story for another time.
Xing Yue, having calmed down, immediately looked at Xing Yuan with immense sympathy. "Ah Yuan, you've been wronged!"
"Huh?" Xing Yuan was a little bewildered but quickly accepted the "fact" that she had been wronged. Yes, yes, she had been wronged, and her sister should comfort her properly.
She never expected to be comforted by her sister after causing trouble. She might as well let this misunderstanding continue.
Xing Yuan's eyes instantly "squeezed out" a mist of tears. She shook her head resolutely and said something irrelevant, "Sister, I want to eat something delicious."
"Alright, I'll take you," Xing Yue, her mind filled with her own imaginings, felt an overwhelming pity for Xing Yuan and readily agreed to her every request.
During this period, Xing Yuan had been exceptionally well-behaved in order to earn rewards. Xing Yue couldn't recall how rebellious her cub had been in the past, let alone how Xing Yuan had always been the most obedient in front of her sister.
"I want to eat what Sister makes," Xing Yuan pressed her advantage.
"Okay~ I'll make it for you." Xing Yue hesitated for a moment, then, looking at Xing Yuan's pitiful eyes, impulsively agreed.
After being forcibly pushed into the kitchen, Xing Yue looked at the unfamiliar cooking utensils. How was food made? She had been abstaining from food for so many years. Even if she had cooked before, she had completely forgotten by now.
After a long period of contemplation, Xing Yue pretended to go grocery shopping, and along the way, bought a cookbook.
She actually wanted to buy pre-made food, but Xing Yuan was watching her intently, so she couldn't find an opportunity.
Finally, before entering the kitchen, Xing Yuan kindly reminded her, "Sister, take your time. I'm not in a hurry."
Xing Yue: Õ_Õ
She was guilty. Now she deeply regretted being a sucker for appearances. Thinking about it carefully, Xing Yuan wouldn't have suffered any losses no matter what she said!
However, Xing Yue would never go easy on revenge.
The most pressing matter now was: how could she make something edible!
She opened the cookbook. Excellent, all the dishes were grand and difficult to make! Xing~ suppressing a smile~ Yue slammed the cookbook down. It landed on the floor, revealing the last page.
On it was clearly written: Plain Noodle Soup!
Xing Yue smiled sinisterly. That's right! She had only promised to make something for Xing Yuan to eat, not what specific dish.
Plain noodle soup! She remembered, all she had to do was add water and boil the noodles. It wasn't difficult, she just couldn't guarantee the taste.
Before long, a beautiful-looking bowl of plain noodle soup was ready.
Xing Yue, with a gentle smile, watched Xing Yuan, whose paws were not very convenient. She even thoughtfully used a spoon to feed her.
Xing Yuan didn't feel any danger and opened her mouth to swallow the noodles from the spoon.
She chewed carefully. There seemed to be no taste. Unsure, she tasted it again.
Xing Yue fed her, and she opened her mouth. Unknowingly, she finished the entire bowl of noodles.
"Was it delicious?" Xing Yue took a towel and wiped the corners of her mouth.
"Should be... delicious?" Xing Yuan said uncertainly. She carefully savored the taste of the noodles, but still couldn't discern any flavor.
Xing Yue laughed, gently stroking her head. "Alright, Ah Yuan doesn't need to force herself. After all, this noodle soup really has no taste."
"Hahaha!" Seeing the silly Xing Yuan, Xing Yue couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh heartily.
Xing Yuan realized what was happening. Her eyes instantly filled with accusation. Her sister had become wicked! She had never been like this before.
Successfully tricked, Xing Yuan, pouting, ran out again. Xing Yue quickly chased after her.
"Alright! I was just teasing Ah Yuan. During this time, Sister will study cooking diligently. Once I've completely learned, I'll make a grand feast for Ah Yuan, okay?"
After Xing Yue coaxed her for a long time, the pampered Xing Yuan reluctantly nodded.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after confirming that they had gone to Yuan City, Ying Qing also rushed to Yuan City to search for his senior brother.
When Ying Qing found Meng Li, he had just finished a fight with a great demon.
"Ah Qing is here!" Meng Li greeted. Before Ying Qing could speak, he said, "Master has already instructed me. We don't need to worry about her for now. We just need to ensure that she definitely enters the Myriad Races Realm."
"After she comes out, we won't need to manage anything else. Eldest Senior Brother will personally come to handle it," Meng Li said nonchalantly.
"Second Senior Brother, what exactly does Master want to do?" Ying Qing had held back for a long time. Finally, he had someone he could talk to with peace of mind, so he naturally wanted to understand these matters first.
"I'm not entirely sure. It seems to be related to a prophecy from the past. It's said that only the Demon King knows the specific content of the prophecy. Your senior brother doesn't have such great ambitions. What's the point of worrying about what she wants to do?" Meng Li's self-awareness was very clear, and this had been the foundation of his actions over the years.
"Don't overthink it. No matter the reason, it's a struggle between the higher powers. We'll know what it is when the outcome is revealed."
Ying Qing lowered his gaze, his tone filled with disappointment. "Alright! Then Senior Brother, please keep an eye on things for me! I think I need to go into seclusion for a while before the Myriad Races Realm opens."
"Go ahead!" Meng Li nodded.
The Demon Realm also attached great importance to this Myriad Races Realm. Although the lifespan of demons was generally longer than that of human cultivators, they had a fatal flaw: their cultivation breakthroughs were more difficult than humans. This was probably the balance that the Heavenly Dao sought.
It wished for all living beings in the world to live under its control and grow as it desired. However, regardless of which race, they could clearly feel: the spiritual energy in this world was weakening.
If this continued, it would likely become even more difficult for cultivators in the future. They had to find a way to identify the cause and solve this problem.