Chapter 270: Beauty Like a Flower (7)
At noon, a torrential rain began to fall in the mountains.
Liu Sheng sat in a dilapidated temple deep in the mountains, listening to the rain and roasting two freshly caught pheasants.
Her expression was serious, and her hands rotated as if she were conducting some kind of research project.
In fact, it was quite similar.
In her mind, the World was constantly giving instructions.
“Yes, it’s time to flip it.”
“No, I meant the one on the left, not the one on the right.”
“Alright, thirty-eight seconds have passed. You need to roast the belly of the left one, placing it at a ninety-degree angle to the outer flame of the bonfire.”
This was also what the World had guaranteed: as long as Liu Sheng followed its instructions, she would be able to roast the most fragrant pheasant in the world.
During this time, Jiang Caibin kept drooling over the pheasants in Liu Sheng’s hands, occasionally sneaking glances at the pitiful figure huddled under the eaves outside, sheltering from the rain.
“She doesn’t seem to dare to come in.”
“Hmm, she’s afraid of me.” Liu Sheng focused on turning the pheasants, meticulously roasting them according to the World’s precise instructions.
The host had not invited, so the guest dared not enter.
Although this was just an ownerless, dilapidated temple, once Liu Sheng sat inside, she became the owner.
At least, that’s how it was for Xiao Hong.
“Afraid, then why did she still follow so eagerly?” Jiang Caibin asked, puzzled.
“Because she has something to ask of me.”
At this moment, Liu Sheng’s hands paused, and a voice echoed in her mind: “It’s done! The most fragrant roasted pheasant in the world is finally done!”
She propped the two roasted pheasants aside, and Jiang Caibin immediately became excited, looking at the fragrant, sizzling pheasants and rubbing his hands, ready to dig in.
But seeing that Liu Sheng had no intention of starting, Jiang Caibin could only sit obediently, watching with eager eyes.
“Are you hungry?” Liu Sheng asked.
Jiang Caibin nodded vigorously: “Liu Sheng Jie, I’m hungry.”
“I wasn’t asking you,” Liu Sheng said indifferently.
Jiang Caibin was heartbroken, and then heard a faint reply from outside the dilapidated temple.
“…Hungry.”
It was accompanied by the sound of a rumbling stomach.
“If you’re hungry, come in and eat,” Liu Sheng said expressionlessly.
This was also the first time she had spoken to Xiao Hong directly today.
Xiao Hong, blushing, slowly walked in, and as soon as her eyes met Liu Sheng’s gaze, she immediately recoiled.
“Xiao Hong, sit over here with me,” Jiang Caibin, noticing Xiao Hong’s discomfort, called out proactively.
Hearing this, Xiao Hong’s gaze wavered between Liu Sheng and Jiang Caibin.
Then she decisively sat next to Liu Sheng.
Jiang Caibin’s heart shattered.
Under Jiang Caibin’s longing gaze, Liu Sheng tore off a chicken leg and handed it to Xiao Hong, who was hugging her knees and dared not move.
Xiao Hong blinked, carefully took it, looked at the chicken leg, then at Liu Sheng.
“Eat,” Liu Sheng said, understanding her gaze.
When did she become so obedient?
Xiao Hong then began to devour it, her eating style could be described as wolfing it down.
Perhaps she was truly starving.
The farthest this little girl usually walked was from one end of Clear Water Village to the other; she had never before climbed mountains and traversed forests like today.
The physical exertion was immense, and if not for a surge of determination, she probably wouldn’t have been able to endure it.
After quickly gnawing down one chicken leg, Xiao Hong finally had time to say: “It’s…it’s so delicious.”
Her eyes were bright, and she stared at the remaining pheasant meat, drooling.
At this point, Jiang Caibin was already eating with oil all over his face, constantly praising it indistinctly through mouthfuls.
Liu Sheng’s eyes also lit up when she ate it; the skin was crispy, the meat tender and juicy—it truly was the most fragrant roasted pheasant in the world.
And so, the three of them quickly devoured the two pheasants, enjoying a full meal.
Outside the dilapidated temple, the rain had stopped.
“Rest for a bit, then we’ll continue deeper into the mountains,” Liu Sheng said.
Jiang Caibin made a long face: “Do we have to continue? Can we do it tomorrow?”
Back to his old self, although he had the heart to endure hardship and improve, it wasn’t much; half a day of mountain travel was already his limit.
“Look at my feet!”
He didn’t shy away, taking off his shoes and socks and lifting his feet; his soles were covered in bloody blisters.
Liu Sheng and Xiao Hong both covered their mouths and noses, leaning their upper bodies back to distance themselves from the sight.
Seeing Liu Sheng’s gaze turn sharp, Jiang Caibin reluctantly lowered his feet, pouting and pleading.
Liu Sheng truly had no sympathy for him, but she still pulled out a small porcelain bottle from her medicine basket.
Jiang Caibin reached out to take it, but saw the small porcelain bottle placed in Xiao Hong’s hand.
“You apply the medicine first,” Liu Sheng said.
Xiao Hong held the porcelain bottle, her face blank, then instantly flushed with a blush.
She took off her shoes and socks, and perhaps because her skin was delicate, her feet were even more miserable.
Jiang Caibin then stopped complaining and waited obediently.
Xiao Hong opened the medicine bottle; inside was finely ground green powder, and it smelled of a fresh medicinal fragrance.
When sprinkled on the wound, there was a sting, but it was followed by a cool soothing sensation, and the blood was covered by the dry powder, slowly stopping.
Xiao Hong couldn’t discern the uniqueness of this medicine, but Jiang Caibin knew.
“This medicine looks good!” Jiang Caibin exclaimed.
“Yes, I formulated it according to a recipe.”
Of course, it was a recipe from the World’s database.
When moving through the mountains with a mortal body, wound medicine was essential.
After Xiao Hong finished applying the medicine, Jiang Caibin again reached out to take it, but Xiao Hong ignored him and directly placed the medicine in Liu Sheng’s hand.
Liu Sheng saw all of this and secretly chuckled in her heart.
It seemed Xiao Hong had a lot of grievances against Jiang Caibin!
“Xiao Hong, why are you like this to me?”
Jiang Caibin took the medicine bottle that Liu Sheng handed him, full of grievances he didn’t know how to express.
“I should be pretty good to you, right?”
“Hmm, alright,” Xiao Hong thought for a moment, then nodded.
Seeing that Xiao Hong even had to hesitate and think, Jiang Caibin became even more heartbroken.
“If you wanted to cut off a hand, it didn’t have to be my hand, did it? There are countless ugly hands in the world, why did you have to do this to me?”
It turned out Jiang Caibin was still upset about yesterday’s events.
“How did I offend you? Xiao Hong, haven’t I been good enough to you? If there’s anything fun, you’re the first person I think of; if there’s anything delicious, I can’t even bear to eat a bite myself, and I immediately give it to you.”
As he spoke, Jiang Caibin was almost in tears.
“Yes, you are a good friend,” Xiao Hong admitted.
“But, you also disliked my hand.”
“When?” Jiang Caibin scratched his head, completely unable to recall such an incident.
“The first time we met.”
Xiao Hong stated this with a cold expression, leaving Jiang Caibin stunned.
Then a scene surfaced in his mind: when Xiao Hong wiped his face, his first reaction was indeed disgust and avoidance.
He hadn’t expected her to remember it until now.
Jiang Caibin made a long face; it turned out beautiful young girls were so vengeful.
“Because he disliked you, you want revenge?” Liu Sheng suddenly asked from the side, “If in the future more people slight you or bully you, what will you do?”
Xiao Hong froze, momentarily unsure how to answer.
They all failed to notice that the sky outside the dilapidated temple was growing darker and darker.
The mountains also became quieter, with bird calls and insect chirps silenced in the darkness.
Inside the temple, Liu Sheng looked at Xiao Hong, waiting for her answer.
Xiao Hong thought for a while, then looked up with a determined expression and said: “Kill them all.”
“Is that why you’ve been following me?” Liu Sheng asked.
“Yes, I want to have power like Liu Sheng Jie, to bully back everyone who has bullied me.”
Xiao Hong said seriously.
At this moment, an old voice sounded.
“Indeed, vengeful, that is her.”
The voice was hoarse, indistinguishable as male or female.
The three of them were startled, simultaneously looking up in the direction of the sound.
A figure dressed in a black Dao robe appeared at the entrance.
Behind him was the pitch-black night.