He Fanshuang’s home was located in Shengping Square, southeast of East City. It was a small residence with a courtyard or, one might say, farmland. The yard was planted with a variety of vegetables and fruits that were growing vigorously.
He Fanshuang’s parents were honest, simple farmers. When Princess Guanghua visited, they appeared nervous and uneasy.
So, He Fanshuang led the three into the inner room to discuss Cultivation.
"...So, the problem now is that you can’t sense Spiritual Energy?" He Fanshuang thought for a moment and said calmly, "I was cooking when I first sensed the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy. There have been cases before. Those with exceptional Spiritual Vein Talent naturally reach the Qi Sensing Realm when they are calm and focused on a particular task—for example, fishing by the lake, pruning flowers, or practicing calligraphy."
"Oh?" Li Leqing’s eyes brightened as she asked Chai Chai, "Cui Qiao, do you have any hobbies that help you calm down?"
"Ah?" Chai Chai blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then asked timidly, "Does eating count? When I’m eating or waiting for food to be served, my mind is very focused."
"...I suppose it does." He Fanshuang nodded. "Come on, let’s go to the kitchen." She led the three into the kitchen. After donning an apron, she used Telekinesis to lift pots and pans, then began washing and cutting vegetables. Li Leqing and Li Ang assisted her from the side.
The three worked in harmony, kindling the fire and cooking, while Chai Chai sat at the table, watching intently.
Cultivators were very efficient. However, to help Chai Chai stay focused for an extended period, He Fanshuang deliberately slowed her cooking. She also used Telekinesis to control the breezes, ensuring the aroma of food constantly lingered around Chai Chai.
"How much longer until it’s ready?" Chai Chai, holding a chopstick in one hand, eagerly watched the cooking process and couldn’t help but ask.
"You have to wait until all the dishes are ready before you can start eating," He Fanshuang, still wearing her apron, turned slightly and said calmly. "Until then, you can only look, not eat." Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
Facing the expressionless He Fanshuang, Chai Chai seemed a bit intimidated and whispered, "But if we don’t eat them right away, the dishes will get cold..."
"..." He Fanshuang paused for a moment, then gestured outside the house. Several blank talisman papers flew over. With just a few strokes, she drew talismans on the papers and affixed them to the bottoms of the plates.
Li Ang was somewhat surprised and asked, "Is that a Burning Temperature Talisman?"
"Mhm." He Fanshuang nodded.
A Burning Temperature Talisman could emit heat continuously for an extended period without producing an open flame or damaging the talisman paper and surrounding objects. Its writing difficulty was even higher than that of a Micro Flame Talisman. Normally, only Rain Listening Realm Cultivators could write it well.
He Fanshuang wrote them with such ease and a casual approach. This showed that her progress in Cultivation was exceptionally fast, and her talent in talismanic study was truly astonishing. Is this what a real genius looks like... Li Ang shook his head wistfully. If it weren’t for Mo Si, he could only marvel at the speed of the geniuses’ Cultivation.
In no time at all, He Fanshuang had written several Burning Temperature Talismans and continued cooking. Only after a dozen dishes were ready did she take off her apron and nod to Chai Chai. "You can eat now."
"Yay!" Chai Chai’s eyes shone. As she shook her arms, the plate holding the braised fish slid toward her with a SQUEAK.
"Eh?!" Startled, Chai Chai almost dropped her chopsticks. Li Ang, He Fanshuang, and Li Leqing looked at each other, all a bit hesitant.
"I didn’t use Telekinesis just now."
The three exchanged a glance and simultaneously turned their gaze toward the confused Chai Chai. Had she unconsciously released Spiritual Energy just now?
"Try it again?" Li Ang stepped forward, took the plate, and moved it to the other end of the table.
Chai Chai looked perplexed. "Try what?"
Li Leqing said, "Try using your Thought to move the plate toward you."
"Uh..." Chai Chai’s face showed she was struggling. Still grasping her chopsticks firmly, she stared at the plate of braised fish, muttering through gritted teeth, "Come here, come here, let me eat you, hehehehehahaha—"
What in the world? Why does she sound like a member of some cannibal clan?
Li Ang was exasperated.
Chai Chai tried hard for a while but still couldn’t replicate the previous effect. Her eyes rolled. Placing her hands under the table, she let out a loud "Ha!" and all the dishes on the table started sliding toward her.
Just as Chai Chai was about to start eating, Li Leqing used her Telekinesis to snatch away Chai Chai’s chopsticks. Li Leqing hummed, "Be serious. We’re all Cultivators here; you can’t fool us with that trick you pulled under the table. Don’t try to be sneaky."
"Ah—" Chai Chai sighed and turned to whisper to Li Ang, "Eldest Son, I’m hungry. We haven’t even had lunch yet."
"It’s okay, I’ll be hungry with you." Li Ang consoled her, "Missing one meal won’t kill anyone."
He Fanshuang was deep in thought for a moment. Suddenly, she looked up and snapped her fingers. "I’ve got it."
"What?" Li Leqing asked.
"The release of Spiritual Energy just now occurred because her prolonged longing, her inability to obtain something she desired, led to intense emotions. These emotions, in turn, activated her Qi Sea." He Fanshuang said indifferently, "A more effective method, then, would be to watch something you like being destroyed before your eyes."
She waved her hand, summoning a handful of sand from outside and slowly moving it over the dishes.
The muddy soil tilted slowly towards the dishes, forming a stream in midair. Chai Chai’s face immediately showed her discomfort.
The whole handful of soil dumped into the dishes with a dull thud, making Chai Chai flinch.
"Next, the second dish." A faint smile touched He Fanshuang’s lips. Using Telekinesis, she fetched a bottle of chili sauce, popped the cap with a SNAP, and poured the entire bottle into the Lotus Seed Osmanthus Soup.
Seeing Chai Chai’s expression tremble slightly, Li Leqing’s eyes brightened. Following suit, she picked up a knife that had been used to cut onions and garlic and rubbed it back and forth on the sliced watermelon a couple of times.
"Ugh—" Chai Chai clenched her chopsticks tightly, gritting her teeth. "This isn’t right! How could you use a knife that’s cut onions to touch watermelon? That’s just not done..."
"And this." Li Ang smiled faintly. He wrote a Liliang Talisman, which could cool things down, and stuck it on the bowl of noodles. The noodles quickly cooled, freezing into a solid clump.
He, along with Li Leqing and He Fanshuang, took turns tormenting the dishes on the table: adding soy sauce to desserts, honey cherries to spicy dishes, repeatedly reheating cold dishes, and freezing hot ones.
Veins throbbed on Chai Chai’s forehead, her blood pressure soaring. Finally, when Li Ang began to pour soy milk into the stir-fried pork, she couldn’t contain herself any longer. She closed her eyes and stretched out her hand.
WHOOSH! Accompanied by a dull, thunderous sound, the entire table was pushed away, allowing the remaining dishes to escape further torment.