ARLQLCC chapter 17

 

Suddenly hearing about the Sword Trial Tournament, Su Ji was a little dazed.

The last Sword Trial Tournament had been hosted by Chenxin Sect, but he had not attended because he was in seclusion trying to break through to the Soul Transformation realm. After that came twenty years at the Reflection Cliff, and now hearing it again gave him a feeling as if a whole lifetime had passed.

During the Sword Trial Tournament period, each sect would close off less important teleportation arrays within their sect. At that time, visiting disciples from other sects would definitely be eating within Yunxian Sect.

With the teleportation arrays closed, there probably would not be many customers during those days. Instead of earning those few spirit stones at Linggu Mountain, it would be better to take Ma Tuan out for a change of scenery and relax.

Yunxian Sect had scenery like a painting, built around six mountain peaks. Walking through it felt like stepping into an ink-wash landscape painting.

Since coming to Linggu Mountain, Ma Tuan had rarely gone out to play. This time would be a good opportunity.

Su Ji only thought for a moment before nodding at Yan Shao. “Then I’ll respectfully accept. It just so happens I can take a few days off too.”

Seeing his agreement, Yan Shao’s face flushed slightly, his happiness very obvious.

Yun Xicheng let out a long sigh. “We were worried you were too dedicated to your job and wouldn’t agree to come with us to play.”

Su Ji smiled. “How could I? When the major sects all come to Yunxian Sect for the competition and the teleportation arrays are shut down during the event, I won’t have much business here anyway. I might as well go with you and take a look around.”

Hearing this, Yun Xicheng clicked his tongue in discomfort. “Although our sect is good in every way and even spent a huge amount of money rebuilding the central arena for this Sword Trial Tournament, the tournament lasts half a month. All those disciples will be eating in our sect, it’s truly miserable.”

Yun Che added, “Exactly. Chef Lin’s food will finally get to torture every single disciple.”

“I haven’t tried Chef Lin’s cooking yet. I might as well try it during the tournament,” Su Ji said.

Yun Xicheng said helplessly, “Chef Su, no offense, it’s good to have a spirit of trying new things, but being too willing to try isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Su Ji said mysteriously, “Don’t worry. I’ll bring some dry rations. If it’s bad, I’ll stop immediately.”

Hearing this, Yue He’s eyes lit up. “Chef Su, the Sword Trial Tournament lasts half a month, and your cafeteria won’t be operating anyway. Since you’re coming to our sect, why not make some snacks to sell to the disciples participating in the tournament?”

Yun Xicheng immediately agreed. “Good idea! With Chef Lin’s ‘rocks and rubble’ food in front, your snacks will look like salvation!”

Su Ji also felt this idea was good and praised her. “I didn’t think of that. Does Yunxian Sect have a private small kitchen? I need to bring some ingredients.”

Yan Shao nodded. “We do… we do. In mine, Xicheng’s, and Yun Che’s courtyard there’s a small kitchen. We used to use it ourselves, but none of us are very good at cooking, so it eventually became abandoned.”

Yun Xicheng said, “Right, right. Chef Su, you can just stay in my courtyard. There’s still an empty room. I’ll have the servant disciples clean it up, you can move in directly.

Yan Shao lives in the room next to yours. If you need anything, you can ask him. You can also ask us, but Yun Che and I are at the other end of the courtyard.”

Having help arranging things was naturally good. Su Ji thanked them. “Then I’ll trouble you all.”

Yan Shao’s face turned red. “N-no problem.”

Yue He elbowed him. “Useless, blushing again.”

Yun Xicheng: “Haha, don’t expose him!”

Yun Che: “Pfft, stop it. Yan Shao is about to combust.”

Su Ji looked at Yan Shao, who had already buried his face in his outer robe from embarrassment, then at the other three who were clearly enjoying themselves, and found it a bit funny.

It seemed Yan Shao really could not hide his feelings. Every day his expression said everything even when he said nothing.

Chu Zhaoye had been listening the entire time in Su Ji’s hands. He stared at Su Ji’s delicate jawline while mentally trying to calm himself: It’s fine, fine, fine… don’t be angry, don’t be angry… Su Ji didn’t respond, Su Ji didn’t respond…

But the self-suggestion did not help much. Chu Zhaoye “plop” buried his face in Su Ji’s palm—out of sight out of mind.

Su Ji felt the fluffy sensation in his hand and knew the kitten was unhappy again.

He was already very skilled at coaxing the little cat. He bundled the kitten up and lifted him in front of himself, then kissed him.

The faint fragrance belonging to Su Ji brushed past Chu Zhaoye’s face. Normally he could smell it when curled in Su Ji’s arms, but now that he was kissed directly, the scent became overwhelming, making him dizzy.

Lying in Su Ji’s hands, he thought dazedly: If I kissed Su Ji, would I be able to taste this scent?

…

Late night, Yunxian Sect.

Under the moonlight, shadows slanted across the trees. A sneaky figure walked out from the dining hall, looked around carefully, and then quietly slipped toward the teleportation array.

He stared at the formation before him, his eyes cold.

.

With the help of the hired assistants, Su Ji’s daily work became much easier. Last night he cultivated the entire night, and the long-stalled bottleneck at the mid Soul Transformation stage showed faint signs of loosening.

Perhaps it would not be long before he could break through.

After preparing the dishes for the day, Su Ji waited for Yun Xicheng and the others. However, when it reached mealtime and the teleportation array opened automatically—when disciples from other sects had already come and gone—he still did not see a single Yunxian Sect disciple.

Looking at the entrance where people kept coming in, but no familiar figures appeared, Su Ji lowered his head and said, “They’re so late today… it seems the teleportation array has been destroyed again.”

Following his gaze, Chu Zhaoye looked over. At that moment, the teleportation array flashed again with white light, and in the next second, Yun Xicheng and the others rushed out in a hurry.

“Meow!” Chu Zhaoye: They’re here!

Yun Xicheng hurried over to Su Ji without even eating. “Damn it! The teleportation array was destroyed again. I just repaired it and came over.”

Su Ji said, “I already guessed it when you didn’t show up for so long.”

Yun Che said, “While we were repairing it, some disciples stayed behind, but others were worried that if it got fixed too late there would be no food left, so they went back to the sect dining hall to eat.”

Su Ji said, “That’s exactly why he’s destroying the teleportation array.”

Yan Shao went to get food for all four of them and came back a bit late.

After thanking him, the three of them began complaining while eating.

“He really has the nerve to do it again right after getting caught!”

“We need to catch him. If this keeps going on, repairing it every day is exhausting.”

“He doesn’t feel guilty at all making dirty money like that.”

After thinking for a moment, Su Ji transmitted a set of incantations directly into Yun Xicheng’s mind.

A string of instructions formed in his consciousness. Yun Xicheng looked up. “…What is this?”

Su Ji explained, “A small spell to strengthen formation defenses.”

Yun Xicheng praised it. “Good idea. I’ll try reinforcing it when I go back!”

And so, the teleportation array connecting Yunxian Sect and Linggu Mountain received a not-so-skillful reinforcement after being destroyed twice.

This time, the sneaky black shadow did not appear at night, but instead just before dawn, once again arrived at the teleportation array.

With a loud explosion, Yunxian Sect disciples were awakened in the light of dawn.

With the Sword Trial Tournament approaching, there were many people with malicious intentions taking advantage of the chaos. A group of disciples did not even have time to properly dress, grabbed their swords, and rushed toward the direction of the sound.

But apart from faint smoke rising from the teleportation array, there was no other trace.

The disciples gradually woke up in the cold morning air, looking at each other in confusion, and then surrounded the smoking formation.

The courtyard erupted in discussion—

“Who the hell is doing this so early in the morning?!”

“I thought we were under attack. I even lost one shoe running out!”

“Don’t let me catch whoever did this!”

“It’s the teleportation array again! It broke before too!”

“Yesterday it broke again as well!”

“This is too much! Someone is clearly targeting our food!”

As they were still cursing, footsteps came from outside the crowd.

“Move, move, everyone move!”

The disciples turned around and saw Yun Xicheng pushing through the crowd.

Everyone made way for him.

“Senior Brother Yun! It’s been attacked again!”

Yun Xicheng said angrily, “I knew it. That guy doesn’t give up. I added a defensive barrier yesterday. The explosion this time was probably because his spiritual energy was blocked by the barrier!”

He stepped forward and inspected the formation. After a moment, he relaxed.

Everyone asked, “How is it? Is it still okay?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Yun Xicheng said, cupping his hands. “Luckily I learned the incantation from Chef Su, otherwise this would not have survived the night.”

“Chef Su even knows formation incantations?”

“With his cooking skills and unknown cultivation level, it makes sense he knows a few incantations!”

“Good thing it’s fine. I really can’t stand eating our sect’s food anymore!”

Yun Xicheng waved them off. “It’s fine, everyone disperse. There’s still a long time before morning classes. Go back and sleep a bit more.”

The disciples slowly dispersed.

Yun Xicheng crouched back down and added several more layers of defensive barrier to the formation while muttering angrily.

“This is what you get for causing trouble at dawn and disturbing my sleep!”

 

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