Chapter 50: Full Of Mystery
Golden rays of sunlight filtered gently through the delicate rice-paper windows of the temporary guest villa currently occupied by Lu Feng and his ladies, casting warm, tranquil unique patterns across the wooden floors as dawn broke over Crimson Vale City.
The morning air carried the faint, earthy scent of blooming mountain flora from the surrounding peaks, signaling the start of a brand-new day.
Han Lin was the first to stir awake. Rising from her comfortable bed with a quiet, practiced grace as she’d always done for the last three years she spent with Lu Feng, she stretched her arms overhead and tied her hair back neatly before stepping out into the hallway. Realizing that both Lu Feng and Ye Chenxue were still deep in their morning slumber, she decided to take advantage of the quiet kitchen.
She rolled up her sleeves, inspected the neatly organized pantry stocked with fresh provisions, and immediately set to work preparing a hearty, nourishing breakfast for the household.
Not long after the aromatic scent of boiling rice and simmering broth began to drift through the hallways, soft, measured footsteps echoed lightly against the floorboards. Ye Chenxue woke up as well, her dark robes already neatly fastened, her expression calm and composed as usual.
Without needing to exchange many words, the cold, ethereal cultivator stepped into the kitchen to assist. Working in surprisingly smooth harmony, the two women quickly finished prepping an array of delicious breakfast dishes, setting out steaming bowls of porridge, crisp pastries, and seasoned side dishes across the spacious dining area.
Once the cooking was complete and everything was laid out neatly, Han Lin hurried back to their room to wash up and change into a more comfortable attire—a sharp, elegant dress suitable for negotiating high-end real estate deals with city property agents. Or so she thought.
She returned to the dining table, quickly consumed her own portion of the breakfast to keep her energy up, and bid a brief farewell to the villa. Slinging a small ledger pouch over her shoulder, she stepped out the front door and headed briskly into the bustling streets of Crimson Vale, off to meet the property agents and secure their permanent estate.
Sometime after Han Lin had departed, Lu Feng finally woke up.
He climbed out of bed, stretched his stiff limbs, and walked over to the wash basin to splash some cold, refreshing water across his face, washing away the last remnants of sleep. Feeling thoroughly revived, he stepped out of his private quarters and entered the main sitting room.
To his pleasant surprise, the room was already occupied.
Sitting near the center of the spacious chamber was Ye Chenxue, calmly waiting by the low dining table. The table itself was crafted in the traditional, minimalist style—a low-slung piece of polished mahogany that required no chairs.
Instead, thick, plush silk pillows were arranged around it, allowing occupants to sit cross-legged and dine at floor level. It was the universal, comfortable standard for meals across most elite households in the region.
A fresh, warm spread of breakfast delicacies that Han Lin had left behind was neatly arranged across the low table, filling the air with an appetizing fragrance.
"Good morning, Ye Chenxue." Lu Feng offered a warm morning greeting, walking over and settling comfortably onto one of the silk pillows, crossing his legs as he picked up his chopsticks. Ye Chenxue joined him, gracefully pouring a cup of warm tea before helping herself to a small bowl of porridge.
As they ate in the peaceful morning quiet, Ye Chenxue glanced across the table, her piercing eyes softening slightly.
"What does your schedule look like for today?" she asked, her voice calm and steady.
Lu Feng took a slow sip of his tea, shrugging slightly. "To be honest, I don’t have any plans. I’ll probably just take a casual stroll through the city later, check out the local markets, and see what the atmosphere is like outside our doorstep. What about you? How are you planning to spend your day while Han Lin handles the real estate negotiations?"
Ye Chenxue lowered her chopsticks, her gaze turning inward with quiet determination.
"I intend to spend the entire day in deep cultivation," she replied evenly. "Before I begin, however, I want to take a complete and thorough record of my internal state—mapping out my current qi pathways, measuring my internal core density, and logging every minute detail of my internal structure. I want a precise baseline before I push my limits with high-intensity cultivation, so I can accurately measure how far my progress goes before we eventually relocate to the new estate."
Lu Feng nodded approvingly, chewing thoughtfully on a pastry. "That’s well thought out and awesome. Knowing your exact foundation before pushing forward is the hallmark of a true master. Proceed with whatever plan suits your training best."
Satisfied with his approval, Ye Chenxue nodded, and the two of them returned to their meal in comfortable companionship.
Once the plates were cleared and the morning meal came to an end, Lu Feng wiped his hands with a cloth napkin and stood up, making a sudden decision.
"Actually, since I’m heading out for a walk through the city anyway," Lu Feng said, looking down at the cultivator, "is there anything specific you would like me to pick up for you while I’m out?"
Ye Chenxue paused for a moment, blinking in mild surprise at the offer. She tilted her head slightly, considering her immediate needs.
"If it isn’t too much trouble," Ye Chenxue answered after a brief beat, "I could use some new, durable practice robes for my daily forms. Additionally... if you happen to pass by any pastry shops, some of those sweet honey dumplings would not be unwelcome. And lastly, if by some chance you encounter an apothecary or a rare-goods merchant, I am always in need of high-grade medicinal pills to assist with qi stabilization and breakthrough momentum."
Lu Feng offered a confident, easy grin. "New robes, sweet dumplings, and cultivation pills. Consider it done. I’ll see what I can find."
Without giving her a chance to add anything further, Lu Feng closed his eyes for a split second, mentally issuing a swift command directly to the system interface that he was slowly becoming accustomed to.
’Provide ten Ice-Blooded Blossom Pills from the inventory.’
Instantly, a faint spatial ripple pulsed silently within the deep part of his outer robe, too hidden for Ye Chenxue to sense or even see. His hand instinctively dipped into his spacious sleeve, his fingers brushing against smooth jade.
With a smooth and effortless motion, he pulled out a small, exquisite porcelain vial stoppered with a wax seal, containing precisely ten glowing, high grade cultivation pills radiating dense spiritual energy.
Without breaking stride or even looking down at the bottle, Lu Feng casually flicked his wrist.
The small porcelain vial spun gracefully through the air, sailing straight toward Ye Chenxue across the low table.
"Take these with caution," Lu Feng tossed out smoothly over his shoulder as he turned on his heel and began walking toward the front entrance. "I’m heading out now to get the rest of your requests."
Before Ye Chenxue could even react, let alone reach out to catch and inspect the vial, Lu Feng had already crossed the threshold of the sitting room, his footsteps fading rapidly down the hallway as he exited the building entirely.
Left alone at the low table, Ye Chenxue caught the falling porcelain bottle out of mid-air, clutching it tightly in her palm.
Frowning in mild confusion at his sudden departure, she popped open the wax seal and peered inside the vial.
The moment her eyes landed on the contents, her words caught entirely in her throat. Her jaw dropped open, and her face froze in a mask of sheer, unadulterated astonishment.
Resting inside the small bottle were ten peerless, flawless medicinal pills—pills of a grade so astronomically high, so dense with pure, concentrated spiritual essence and rare heavenly herbs, that they belonged to a tier entirely non-existent in ordinary city markets.
They were priceless treasures, the kind of legendary elixirs that major sects would wage bloody wars over just to secure a single drop.
She snapped her head up, instinctively intending to interrogate him about where on earth he had acquired such monstrous treasures—and to properly express a deep, overwhelming wave of gratitude.
But the room was completely empty. The front door was already shut tight, and the faint sound of his boots echoing outside confirmed he was long gone.
Ye Chenxue sat frozen for a long moment, staring at the empty doorway. Slowly, a soft, helpless sigh escaped her lips. She gently secured the wax stopper back onto the vial, cradling the priceless treasure against her chest, and a genuine, beautiful smile bloomed across her usually icy face.
Deep down in the quietest corners of her heart, an immense wave of profound gratitude washed over her. She knew better than anyone where she would be right now if their paths hadn’t crossed—she would likely still be a starving, abused slave trapped within the miserable gutters of Silver Jade City, broken and forgotten.
Instead, here she was, sitting in a comfortable estate, handed legendary elixirs without a second thought by a man who continually defied all logic.
"Thank you." She muttered subconsciously.
Shaking her head with an affectionate smile, she carefully placed the vial of pills into her storage pouch.
She gracefully stood up, gathered the remaining breakfast dishes, and cleaned the low dining table until it was spotless.
"Hehe... he sure is full of mystery." Clutching her precious bottle of pills safely in her grip, she walked happily back down the hallway to her private chamber, climbed onto her cultivation mat, and instantly drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep, entirely at ease in her new life.