Chapter 69: A Slight Regret

"Xiao Yan, is it ready yet?"

Yun Zhi's voice was filled with nervousness, but Xiao Yan remained calm and spoke softly.

"Not yet... just a little longer..."

"Ah~ I can't wait anymore..."

Suddenly, Yun Zhi let out a murmured sigh, but Xiao Yan remained unfazed, raising a finger to his lips.

"Hush... just a little longer... we're almost there..."

"Mmm..."

Another dozen seconds passed, and Xiao Yan's pupils suddenly contracted as he loudly exclaimed, "Done!"

As Xiao Yan's words fell, Yun Zhi immediately picked up the roasted meat from the fire, and a delightful aroma filled the air, causing her eyes to shine with excitement.

Nineteen times! A total of nineteen times!

It had been a week since Yun Zhi and Xiao Yan began their journey, and during this week, Yun Zhi had stubbornly attempted to roast meat under Xiao Yan's guidance. She had failed eighteen times, but on the nineteenth try, she succeeded in cooking the meat!

Yun Zhi excitedly brought the roasted meat to her mouth and took a big bite. After a few chews, her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

It didn't turn into charcoal! And it tastes delicious! It's edible!

"Whew~"

While Yun Zhi was filled with excitement, Xiao Yan let out a deep sigh of relief and wiped off the residual sweat from his forehead.

Finally, he had successfully cooked the meat...

Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel helpless. Yun Zhi was a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level), and in his opinion, roasting meat shouldn't have been difficult for her. But it seemed that Yun Zhi truly had no talent for it. Over the past week, she had persistently challenged herself with his assistance, and today she finally succeeded.

To be honest, with Yun Zhi's culinary skills, she should be able to compete with his eldest sister, Xiao Ling.

But Yun Zhi was truly tenacious and stubborn. It was quite rare. Despite her obvious disappointment and impatience after each failure, she would eventually force herself to calm down and try again. It was quite remarkable.

Thinking about this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but pinch his chin and ponder.

This tenacity and stubbornness... it felt so familiar, just like someone he knew.

Who could it be?

Just as Xiao Yan searched through his mind for the target person, something suddenly flew towards him. Xiao Yan quickly snapped out of his thoughts and caught it—it was a half-eaten and still slightly hot piece of roasted meat.

"Let's eat together. This is the first time I've successfully roasted meat!"

Yun Zhi cheerfully invited him, her previously indifferent expression almost nonexistent.

Perhaps, this was Yun Zhi's true nature.

Xiao Yan looked at Yun Zhi and couldn't help but smile softly. Yun Zhi, seeing his smile, wrinkled her nose somewhat unhappily.

"What's wrong? Do you dare to mock me after I finally succeed?"

"No, no, no, I wouldn't dare!" Xiao Yan quickly waved his hand, holding the roasted meat in one hand and lightly resting his other hand against his cheek. He smiled and said, "I just feel that Yun Zhi has become much more cheerful compared to when we first met."

"Huh?"

Yun Zhi blinked in confusion, and then Xiao Yan added.

"When we first met, you were like a lofty Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level), looking down on the world from the clouds with indifference. But now, I can't see any trace of Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level). You seem more like a big sister next door."

"Is that so?"

After listening to Xiao Yan's words, Yun Zhi gradually came back to her senses and recalled the journey she had taken with Xiao Yan over the past week.

Come to think of it... it does seem like... I haven't been this happy in over a decade.

The number of genuine laughter from the depths of my heart in this week might be more than the total of the past ten years.

Gazing at the roasted meat she had cooked with her own hands, Yun Zhi couldn't help but drift into memories.

Since she could remember, Yun Yun(1) had been following her teacher, Yun Shan, to cultivate and learn the principles of being a good person. She steadfastly adhered to her true self, wholeheartedly striving to climb the path of cultivation, with hardly any leisure time of her own.

After succeeding as the sect master of Yun Lan Sect, Yun Zhi had even less free time. The heavy burden of the sect instantly fell upon her shoulders, and she had become accustomed to carrying it without any complaints.

Or rather, she hadn't even realized that she had complaints.

She hadn't even noticed that the weight of her responsibilities was suffocating her.

If not for that, Yun Zhi wouldn't have chosen to travel slowly in a carriage, nor would she have chosen to travel leisurely with Xiao Yan. Such behavior would have been considered a waste of time in her eyes before.

Perhaps deep down in her heart, she also longed to temporarily cast aside the heavy burden on her shoulders and take a good rest.

But to be able to rest so happily was truly unexpected.

No- that's not right...

Yun Zhi's beautiful eyes shimmered as she looked at Xiao Yan, who was eating the roasted meat she had made and continuously praising it. In her previously indifferent eyes, a hint of tenderness appeared.

He is deliberately guiding me to find joy.

Now that I think about it, the reason I was so focused on roasting meat was also because of his influence.

'No wonder Yanran clings to this child so tightly.'

Yun Zhi silently observed Xiao Yan. She had accompanied him on this journey to see what kind of person her beloved disciple was so infatuated with, to prevent her treasured disciple from being deceived by a petty person.

Now it seems that Nalan Yanran's judgment is completely accurate. Yun Zhi would even find it difficult to deliberately find faults in Xiao Yan. This young man is exceptionally outstanding and possesses a level of integrity that not even Yun Yun has achieved.

No... Xiao Yan's integrity surpasses even my teacher, Yun Shan!

As Yun Zhi thought this, she felt delighted to have found such a good match for Nalan Yanran, but a tinge of melancholy flashed in her eyes.

'For Yanran's sake, it's a bit of a pity...'

...

Huh?!

After a few seconds of daze, Yun Zhi suddenly startled, slapping herself on the forehead with a loud sound that shattered the silence of the night. Xiao Yan, who had meat in his mouth, choked for a moment, then struggled to swallow it and anxiously looked at Yun Zhi.

"Sister Yun Zhi! What's wrong with you?!"

"Ah- I'm fine-" Yun Zhi opened her eyes and looked at the flustered Xiao Yan. The calmness returned to her eyes, as if nothing had happened. "Don't mind me; it was just a mosquito."

"Ha~"

Xiao Yan tilted his head slightly and, seeing that Yun Zhi was indeed fine, he relaxed and sat back down.

Yun Zhi also sat cross-legged at this moment, closed her eyes, and began to meditate, calming her restless heart. She secretly complained to herself.

Yun Yun, oh Yun Yun, have you never seen a man?

This is your disciple's fiancé-to-be...

Absolutely not... intervene...

Seeing Yun Zhi suddenly start meditating in a seemingly inexplicable manner, Xiao Yan was filled with question marks in his head.

Just now... it couldn't have been a mosquito, right?

Just as Xiao Yan was puzzled, the voice of Yao Chen sounded from within the ring.

(Xiao Yan, based on my many years of experience in judging people, I can be absolutely certain that this girl has taken a liking to you.)

Yao Chen's tone was quite certain, but Xiao Yan firmly denied it in his heart.

(Senior Yao, please don't tease your disciple. A lofty Dou Huang (Battle Emperor, 7th Level) like her would never take an interest in someone like me.)

(Sigh~~~ Since you don't believe it, there's nothing else I can do~) Yao Chen sighed lightly from within the ring and casually asked, (If what I said is true, what do you think of this girl? Would you like to marry her?)

Upon hearing Yao Chen's question, Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment, then solemnly answered in his heart.

(To be honest, I do.)

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