Chapter 16: Lodging a Complaint

Feng Hanxiao hesitated and said, “These fish have no owner, and they’re not easy to catch or tasty to eat.” The memory of the taste from before made her expression crumple in distaste.

“What’s wrong with the taste?” Ji Jiuxuan was curious at first, but seeing Feng Hanxiao’s look of discomfort, she understood. “Sour?”

Feng Hanxiao nodded. “Yes, sour. Not good at all.”

Sour, huh! Ji Jiuxuan couldn’t help but think of pickled fish and sweet-and-sour fish—both absolutely delicious dishes that made her mouth water just at the thought. “Xiaoxiao, how did you cook them before?”

Feng Hanxiao answered with a hint of regret, “I tried all three ways to cook fish, but they all turned out sour.”

“Three ways?” In Ji Jiuxuan’s mind, there were far more than three ways to prepare fish. The culinary heritage of Huaxia was vast and profound—she could cook countless varieties. She was a bit puzzled as to which three Feng Hanxiao meant.

Misunderstanding Ji Jiuxuan’s confusion as unfamiliarity, Feng Hanxiao explained, “There are three ways: grilling, pan-frying, and stewing in soup. I tried them all, but they were just too sour and not good.”

“If I had another method, would you like to try it?” Ji Jiuxuan asked instinctively.

By now, the Earthwave Beast was carrying them into the inner reaches of the Spirit Beast Peak, and the surroundings had transformed into dense forest.

Hearing Ji Jiuxuan mention another method, Feng Hanxiao’s eyes sparkled. “Will it taste good?”

“It should be pretty nice, though it will need some other ingredients,” Ji Jiuxuan replied modestly, though with her culinary skills from her previous life, she was sure nothing she made could taste bad.

“What ingredients do you need? We can look for them and then come back for the fish.” Feng Hanxiao was full of interest and looked at Ji Jiuxuan with curiosity. “Xuanyuan, you know how to cook?”

But then she thought about it and doubted whether that was possible.

Ji Jiuxuan saw her uncertainty and laughed. “I know a recipe. We can try it ourselves first, and if it doesn’t work out, we can ask for help. Think about it! I have a fire element spiritual root—anything requiring precise control of fire, I’m bound to excel at.”

Feng Hanxiao felt something was off in her words, but couldn’t pinpoint what. She nodded. “Let’s try it then. Maybe it’ll turn out delicious!”

The thought of cooking herself made Feng Hanxiao a little eager.

As they discussed what ingredients were needed and where to find them, a loud crash alerted them. The Earthwave Beast halted, refusing to go forward.

From the woods ahead, thick smoke billowed, and several figures rushed toward their location.

Sensing danger, the Earthwave Beast sped off to a safe spot and activated its protective shield.

Ji Jiuxuan turned to look and found several giant spirit beasts fleeing in panic from the forest. “What’s happened?”

The spirit beasts didn’t run toward them, but circled around before darting back into the woods.

Spirit Beast Peak was teeming with creatures and boasted scenery unmatched by any other mountain—a true microcosm of rivers, mountains, and valleys, all contained within an array formation like a miniature world.

They thought they were safe, but two figures shot out of the smoke—one in red, one in blue—fighting as they came closer and closer. The surging waves of spirit power were nothing the girls could withstand.

Just as Ji Jiuxuan thought her life might end here, the Earthwave Beast suddenly released a powerful surge of spiritual energy. A solid wall of spiritual force appeared before them, blocking the violent energy and the smoke from reaching them.

“The Earthwave Beast from Wangchen Peak!” The fighting pair were distracted by the surge. The one in red, seeing the beast and the two little girls it was protecting, turned pale.

“Madman, stop! There are children here. If they’re hurt, you’ll have to answer to Peak Master Feng!” the red-clad one shouted to the man in blue, shifting from attack to defense.

The blue-robed man’s rough face turned toward the girls at the red-robed one’s words. He snorted coldly and ceased attacking, his voice harsh as he said to Ji Jiuxuan and Feng Hanxiao, “This is no place for you.”

His words irritated Ji Jiuxuan. Had she been alone, she would have retorted, but with Feng Hanxiao there, she wouldn’t risk her safety.

This incident made Ji Jiuxuan acutely aware of her own weakness—of the cruel reality of the cultivation world, where only the strong had respect.

She longed to become stronger.

Feng Hanxiao, who had been worried, now stood up and shouted at the blue-robed man, “Private fighting is forbidden within the sect. You two have broken the rules and will be punished!”

The blue-robed man sneered, “I’ll be waiting.”

Ji Jiuxuan, watching the two, immediately used her spiritual sense to contact Elder Nie Xingyuan through her communication jade. “Little Uncle, someone’s bullying Jiu. He even told the Discipline Hall to wait for him.”

Nie Xingyuan had once served in the Discipline Hall. Though he’d stepped down to help the sect leader with important affairs, his authority was even greater now.

Judging by the opponent’s strength, Ji Jiuxuan figured Nie Xingyuan would be enough to put them in their place.

She’d be a fool not to use her connections, so she complained without hesitation.

Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure bore down on them. The Earthwave Beast roared, dispersing most of it.

Feng Hanxiao burst into tears. “Father, someone’s bullying Xiaoxiao!”

These two were truly cut from the same cloth. In times of trouble, they handled things in almost identical ways.

No sooner had the words left their lips than a wave of spiritual energy swept in, dissipating the remaining pressure entirely.

The blue-robed man was sent flying far into the distance.

“How dare you bully my senior brother’s daughter? You must have a death wish.” The refined and elegant Nie Xingyuan now stood before the Earthwave Beast, his cold gaze fixed on the blue-robed man. He was nothing like the genial man Ji Jiuxuan had seen the day before.

Before her stood Nie Xingyuan, exuding a menacing aura. The red-robed man, clutching his injured chest, realized the gravity of the situation at the sight of Nie Xingyuan.

The daughter of the senior brother—she was the sect’s untouchable reverse scale!

He immediately dropped to his knees. “Elder Nie, I failed to recognize greatness and disturbed Little Martial Niece. I am willing to accept any punishment.”

Sensing the unusual spiritual energy, the Discipline Hall members hurried over. But arriving even before them was Feng Chen, the Peak Master of Wangchen Peak.

As soon as Feng Chen arrived, he checked his daughter for injuries. Seeing she was unharmed thanks to the Earthwave Beast, he was somewhat relieved, but the tear stains on Feng Hanxiao’s face instantly triggered his protective instincts.

“Xiaoxiao, did they bully you?” Feng Chen’s aura was so intimidating that Ji Jiuxuan thought the blue-robed man might be crushed to pieces.

Nie Xingyuan saluted Feng Chen, his former terrifying demeanor gone, restored to his usual gentle elegance. “Peak Master Feng, may I hand these two directly over to the Discipline Hall?”

Feng Chen regarded Nie Xingyuan for a moment, then nodded. “Very well.”

Not far away, the red-robed man was trembling like a leaf, not daring to resist in the presence of these two powerhouses.

The blue-robed man, lying on the ground unable to move, was only now beginning to regret his rashness.

Dealing with Feng Chen was one thing, but Nie Xingyuan—trying one’s luck with him was like walking a tightrope over a sea of fire. It was sheer folly.

Nie Xingyuan was infamous for his hidden ruthlessness. If they ended up in the Discipline Hall, they could forget about getting out in one piece.