Chapter 868, I’d Like to Drink Fish Soup

Translator: Jon

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

After that day, Nian Yuexian would frequently give Lu Ye tasks through military tokens. Those were mostly trivial tasks that had something to do with food and beverages.

 

There was once when he was told to go to a nearby Pass to purchase some specially made wine.

 

The battle points he obtained after completing the tasks ranged from several hundred to two thousand. In just several days, he had accumulated about 10,000 battle points.

 

There was no doubt the rewards were handsome, but something felt off to Lu Ye. This wasn’t how things should develop.

 

One day, he came to the Spirit Peak where Nian Yuexian stayed and cooked food for her again. The meat was being roasted on a fire, and soup was being prepared in a pot. There were several jars of wine on the table. He was waiting for Nian Yuexian’s arrival.

 

Usually, the woman would only show up when Lu Ye was done with everything.

 

When Yi Yi caught a whiff of meat getting charred, she exclaimed, “Lu Ye, it’s overcooked!”

 

She rushed forward and took the meat from the fire, trying to save it from becoming inedible. Then, she turned her head and saw Lu Ye seated there with a frown, looking sulky.

 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, wondering why Lu Ye was frustrated.

 

“Something isn’t right.” Lu Ye shook his head.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“This is not how things should be.”

 

He had joined Bing Zhou Watch to protect the Grand Sky Coalition’s frontline in Bing Zhou, not to be treated like a servant. Although he was supposed to obey his higher-up’s orders, he was displeased with having been asked to do trivial tasks as of late.

 

Suddenly, he rose to his feet and kicked the pot of soup away. While Yi Yi exclaimed, he turned the table over, causing the jars of wine he had purchased from a nearby Pass to fall to the ground and break into pieces. He glanced at the bamboo house and cupped his fists. “There’s something I have to say, Madam!”

 

A beautiful woman appeared from the third floor and flew downwards. She looked at the mess on the ground and said impassively, “Go on.”

 

“Madam, please give me some serious tasks and stop assigning trivial jobs to me.”

 

“Are you saying the previous tasks weren’t serious?”

 

[Do you have no idea if those tasks were serious?] Lu Ye had nowhere to vent his frustration. Although battle points were wonderful, it shouldn’t come so easily. If things went on like this, he would become complacent.

 

“Madam, we’re in Blue Flame Mountain Pass, and both of us are members of Bing Zhou Watch. As such, we’re supposed to do something useful instead of spending time here like retirees.”

 

Nian Yuexian was initially on the third floor, but she suddenly stood only three metres away from Lu Ye the next instant. With a penetrating gaze, she asked, “Are you saying I’m old?”

 

“I’m just saying we’re spending time here like retirees, not that you’re old. Please don’t read too much into it, Madam.” Lu Ye couldn’t help but step backwards.

 

Nian Yuexian only stared silently at Lu Ye, causing him to feel uneasy. A moment later, she said, “Alright.”

 

Lu Ye let out a breath and said solemnly, “In that case…”

 

“I’d like to drink fish soup.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I haven’t had fish soup cooked with Blood Sturgeons in years.”

 

Lu Ye was suddenly lost for words. Also, how did she know about Blood Sturgeons, which were only found in Lunarmere of Crimson Blood Sect? Did she taste it somewhere else before?

 

“I want to drink fish soup made with Blood Sturgeons in five days,” Nian Yuexian demanded.

 

“Madam, I just said…”

 

“Are you going to disobey my order?” Nian Yuexian said impassively.

 

After they glanced at each other for a moment, Lu Ye replied through clenched teeth, “Order received!”

 

Then, he beckoned to Amber, which leapt into the air to land on his shoulder, but while in mid-air, the tiger was sucked away. When the tiger came to its senses, it was already in Nian Yuexian’s arms. The woman was touching its fur like it was a cat.

 

[Save me, Master!] Amber widened its eyes, motioning for Lu Ye to rescue it.

 

Lu Ye held the hilt of his saber and looked icily at Nian Yuexian.

 

“The two of them will stay here to keep me company. You’ll carry out the task on your own.” Ignoring his hostility, Nian Yuexian turned around as though she had put down her guard. “Don’t worry. I won’t eat it.”

 

Amber was initially fine with it, but upon hearing the woman’s words, the tiger started trembling.

 

Yi Yi placed her hand on Lu Ye’s shoulder and shook her head. “Don’t act on a whim. Go now and come back quickly. She doesn’t have malicious intentions.”

 

Most importantly, they weren’t a match for Nian Yuexian. The woman was a Divine Ocean Realm Master, after all. Even if she really wasn’t vigilant, Lu Ye couldn’t possibly harm her.

 

Moreover, in Bing Zhou Watch, it was taboo for a subordinate to go against his higher-up.

 

“Please take good care of them, Madam. They’re my… best friends.” Upon finishing his words in a grim voice, Lu Ye shot into the sky. His Spiritual Power surged and turned into a pair of red wings behind him before he left in a hurry.

 

“Best friends…” Nian Yuexian was motionless for a moment before she smiled and poked Amber’s nose.

 

When Amber saw her expression, it was flustered. The tiger rolled its eyes and passed out.

 

Nian Yuexian placed her hand over the tiger’s neck and said gently, “If you’re not going to wake up, I’ll prepare some tiger soup with your bones.”

 

Amber immediately opened its eyes, looking energetic. It was as though the tiger was saying it was only getting some rest.

 

…

 

Lu Ye had never expected that after he joined Bing Zhou Watch, he had to go back to his Sect before he even came across any cultivators from Thousand Demon Ridge.

 

Having spent several days with Nian Yuexian, he discovered that the woman was unreliable. He had no idea why he was so unlucky as to be assigned to her. Moreover, he was the only one who was sent to Blue Flame Mountain Pass.

 

He wondered what was wrong with those from Grand Sky City.

 

Anyway, the mobilisation of soldiers was decided by the Commanders, so Lu Ye wasn’t in any place to resist anything.

 

The Crimson Blood Sect was far away, and Nian Yuexian had only given him five days. In other words, he had to return to his Sect in two and a half days.

 

Since the order had been passed down through the military tokens, he had to meet the deadline. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get any battle points, and Nian Yuexian might even flare up.

 

Lu Ye even suspected that the woman was trying to force him to leave Blue Flame Mountain Pass.

 

Before his arrival, she had always been on her own. He must’ve disrupted her tranquil life and made her feel a sense of discomfort. That was why she had been bossing him around and giving him insignificant tasks.

 

As a Divine Ocean Realm Master, she supposedly shouldn’t always crave food. She even told Lu Ye to purchase some specially made wine from a nearby Pass. However, Lu Ye had never seen her drinking wine before.

 

Since he had a tight deadline, he fully activated his power to fly forward. Fortunately for him, after he ascended to the Real Lake Realm, his speed had increased tremendously.

 

He could certainly get the fish and return to Blue Flame Mountain Pass in five days. If he was given such a task before his ascension, he would probably fail it.

 

He never got any shut-eye. Occasionally, he would land on the ground and restore his energy before continuing his journey.

 

Two days later, he finally arrived at Mount Ao. Instead of heading to the Summit of Fortitude, he went straight to Lunarmere. From afar, he saw Shui Yuan waiting for him there.

 

He had informed Shui Yuan about it while on his way here, so the woman knew he was returning.

 

There was another figure beside Shui Yuan. When Lu Ye was close enough, he realised the person was Pang Huanyin, who had returned from the Peerless Continent.

 

He soon landed in front of them.

 

“Senior Brother Lu!” Pang Huanyin greeted him with a smile.

 

“Palace Master Pang,” Lu Ye replied and turned to look at Shui Yuan. “Second Senior Sister, I’ll catch the fish first. Let’s talk later.”

 

With that, he leapt into Lunarmere and swam around. A moment later, he emerged from the water. Since he had Spiritual Power to protect him, he wasn’t wet at all.

 

“Congratulations on making it to the Real Lake Realm, Senior Brother,” Pang Huanyin said joyfully. The fluctuations of Spiritual Power coming from Lu Ye made her realise that the man had ascended from the Eighth-Order Cloud River Realm to the Real Lake Realm in a short time. She was envious of cultivators in Jiu Zhou who had all the conveniences to help them cultivate their powers.

 

“You’re not far from the Real Lake Realm too, Palace Master Pang.” Lu Ye dipped his head.

 

To begin with, Pang Huanyin was already a Peak Cloud River Realm Master. Due to the limitations in the Peerless Continent, she was unable to make it to the Real Lake Realm. Now that she was in Jiu Zhou, the Real Lake Realm wouldn’t be her final destination. She would certainly become a Divine Ocean Realm Master in the future.

 

Nevertheless, she had been bogged down by some affairs as of late, so she didn’t have time to cultivate her power.

 

Many of those from Purple Star Palace had arrived at Mount Ao with the help of the Divine Opportunity Column in the Crimson Blood Sect. They were now building the foundation of their Sect on the 30 Spirit Peaks that Pang Huanyin had chosen previously. When everything was done, they could establish Purple Star Palace in Jiu Zhou, and they would declare to everyone that the Crimson Blood Sect would be their parent Sect.

 

The news had spread, so many people in Bing Zhou were shocked. That was because there were many stronger Sects in Bing Zhou than the Crimson Blood Sect. These people didn’t understand why Purple Star Palace had chosen the Crimson Blood Sect to be their parent Sect.

 

Only a small number of people understood why Pang Huanyin even made such a decision. Since it was a jovial event for the Crimson Blood Sect, no one made a scene out of it.

 

“Second Senior Sister, do you know Nian Yuexian?” Lu Ye asked.

 

When he contacted Shui Yuan previously, he brought up the reason he was returning to the Sect. Naturally, he mentioned Nian Yuexian as well and went on to complain about the woman to Shui Yuan.

 

Shui Yuan didn’t say much. She only told him they would have a talk when he returned. Judging from her words, it seemed that she and Nian Yuexian were acquaintances.

 

“Yes. In fact, I should call her Senior Sister.” Shui Yuan bowed her head.

 

Lu Ye was astounded. “Is she from the Crimson Blood Sect?”

 

In that case, it wasn’t wrong that Yi Yi had called Nian Yuexian ‘Big Sister’. On the other hand, Lu Ye shouldn’t have called her ‘Senior’.

 

“She’s not.” Shui Yuan smiled helplessly. “She’s never joined any Sect before. Strictly speaking, she’s an independent cultivator.”

 

“An independent cultivator?” Lu Ye was amazed.

 

He knew how difficult it was for independent cultivators to cultivate their powers. On their cultivation journey, they had to put in more effort than disciples who belonged to a Sect. It was unimaginable how much hardship an independent cultivator like Nian Yuexian had to endure before becoming a Divine Ocean Realm Master.

 

For this reason alone, Lu Ye had a lot of respect for her.

 

“Does she hold grudges against our Sect?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why has she been abusing me, then?”

 

Lu Ye didn’t realise it initially. When he acquired some battle points every time he completed a task, he was elated. However, having spent some time with Nian Yuexian, he came to the realisation that the woman had been abusing him. He was a Real Lake Realm Master, after all. The woman wasn’t supposed to give him such trivial tasks.