Chapter 11.1

He Has an Extra Xiao-shimei1 (1)

Ji Qingzhou really couldn’t control her body. Her forehead rested against Shen Rongyu’s chest, but his whole body had an invisible barrier, which relieved some of her tension.

She still closed her eyes. She was afraid she would lose her balance if she moved. Eventually, Shen Rongyu let go of her wrists.

As for Shen Rongyu, it really was his first time to have such close contact with a woman. Ji Qingzhou was light. When she leaned over, he seemingly didn’t feel anything, however, it made him freeze for a moment.

Ji Qingzhou took a deep breath, but it took a long time for her to calm down. Her hand clenched into a fist, and she gently pushed at Shen Rongyu’s shoulder, trying to back away.

But she was still stepping on a long, thin flying sword, so she failed to stabilize herself again under the blistering wind.

Shen Rongyu’s hand was quick. He swept her waist up, and she fell back into his arms.

Her whole body was taut and stiff, and her waist gave off the feeling that he was holding a piece of wood.

Ji Qingzhou’s heart was beating like a drum. She didn’t dare to move any more. She just lowered her head and listened to her increasingly rapid heartbeat.

She wanted to draw the system out to say a few words to her, but her system was quite tactful. As long as she was close to Shen Rongyu, it would rarely speak, as if it was deliberately leaving space for them.

Shen Rongyu wrapped a hand around her waist. It was overpowering, powerful and courteous. The thin air current diluted his body temperature a lot, but there was still a slight warmth from the waist. Ji Qingzhou felt as if her flesh didn’t belong to her.

She might as well leave it to Shen Rongyu. She didn’t want it. She went off into wild flights of fancy.

Meanwhile, Shen Rongyu was hugging her but his movements remained calm and steady. Except for the moment when Ji Qingzhou slammed into his arms, and he was stunned for a moment, his movements were natural and smooth the rest of the time, as it should be, and ironed to perfection.

If she were any other Xiao-shimei (Little Junior Martial Sister), she probably would have fallen in love with him by now. He was her only support in the sky, and such an extreme environment easily evoked emotions.

But Ji Qingzhou was busy counting her heartbeats.

By time she counted to 6300, they finally came to the other side of the White Water Lake.

In Xuanyun Sect, meals were prepared for the cultivators in need, and priority was given to those in the immortal abodes of elders who were inclined to provide them. Elder Qiao Shu, who lived by White Water Lake volunteered to prepare food for ordinary cultivators.

Perfected Qiao Shu was a senior elder in Xuanyun Sect. His cultivation wasn’t low, but not considered at the top either. He neither completed nor scrambled for anything. Most of his thoughts were not used to cultivation. Instead, he preferred the ordinary joys of life, and studying cooking was also one of his hobbies.

His immortal abode was named Mingxin Lake. When Shen Rongyu brought Ji Qingzhou to the place, the courtyards were still lit. There was a small bamboo building above the blue lake, and the orange lights were warm and bright.

Qiao Shu had white hair and looked very old. He bowed slightly, and when he saw Shen Rongyu, he called out, “Rongyu?”

Shen Rongyu led Ji Qingzhou to the ground, loosened his grip on her waist, nodded and answered, “Elder Qiao.”

“This is the new disciple, a mortal, right?” Qiao Shu noticed Ji Qingzhou and gave her a smiling glance. “I remember that there was also a donkey with her.”

Ji Qingzhou withdrew from Shen Rongyu’s side, and when she heard Elder Qiao call her, she immediately raised her head and politely answered, “Elder, it’s me.”

“Why are you here so late?” Qiao Shu put both hands behind his back and said to himself, “My disciples have all gone to cultivate, so they didn’t have time to cook.”

Speaking of this, Ji Qingzhou was a little embarrassed, because in the end it was her procrastination that caused her to disturb such a grandpa at night.

She thought that Xuanyun Sect’s eating place should be the same as a modern canteen, with standardized windows where everyone could grab a rice plate and go to cook. She didn’t expect that Elder Qiao’s apprentices actually cooked by themselves.

Ji Qingzhou did not say anything, but her stomach growled again.

After Qiao Shu heard it, he smiled and said, “Little girl, I’ll go cook for you.”

“Rongyu, do you want to eat?” Qiao Shu asked.

Shen Rongyu shook his head as he held his sword and stood aside.

Qiao Shu’s residence was a little more elegant, and it looked well taken care of by the owner. A cluster of bamboo houses were built on the shore of the lake with corridors winding on the lake. When walking in the corridor, creaks could be heard.

Flowers and trees covered with valuable mortal flower species flanked both sides of the passages. These plants could not be brought to life by spells and had to be carefully tended to, step by step.

Ji Qingzhou whispered her thanks to Qiao Shu, who waved at her, gesturing for her to follow him.

She looked at Shen Rongyu, her gaze resting on his hand holding his sword. “Xiao Yu-shixiong?”

“Yeah?” Shen Rongyu replied, looking at the reflection of the moon on the lake.

Ji Qingzhou watched Qiao Shu prepare food by lighting a fire. He then reheated the steamed buns and the porridge leftovers.

She was actually easy to feed, and she ate anything be it steamed stuffed bun or steamed bread.

“If you’re still coming tomorrow, you can tell me what to eat. There are few disciples who eat mortal food in the Xuan Yun Sect,” Qiao Shu amiably said to Ji Qingzhou after serving the buns and porridge on the table.

“Anything is fine,” Ji Qingzhou’s voice still sounded soft and gentle.

Qiao Shu was kind to these young disciples. After delivering Ji Qingzhou’s meal, he leisurely strolled out of the house.

Footnote:

1 Xiao-shimei – literally Little Junior Martial Siste