Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 387 - 122: The Barbecue Shop Owner with a Cold Face, Warm Heart, and Perverse Tendencies

"Speaking of the sandstone barbecue in Shen City, it can be traced back to seventeen hundred years ago. During the period of great ethnic fusion, the spirit monsters brought a large number of fresh ingredients and curious cooking methods, forming a unique culinary culture that significantly impacted the local culture of Shen City. From that period onwards, strictly speaking, the oldest and most traditional foods that were exclusive to humans have almost vanished. What’s been passed down are culinary cultures that have been continuously improved and innovated over thousands of years. As for the ancient cooking methods recently hyped up, they’re just gimmicks to fool outsiders; the locals never bother with this so-called ancient ways."

At the dining table, the acting City Lord of Shen City was passionately and sincerely recounting the history of the city to two visiting tourists. Among the tourists, a tall man wearing a mask listened intently, while a petite woman beside him focused on eating her meat, ignoring the acting City Lord’s introductions.

"There’s a widely circulated saying in Shen City, ’A true cultivator never looks back at tribulations in the sky.’ We people of Shen City are accustomed to looking to the future, rather than obsessing over the past. Whether good or bad, once it’s past, it’s past, not worth fretting over. So... I sincerely hope you both can let go of some past unhappiness and try to look to the future. Because between Shen City and QingCyan Cloud yun City, there is a very bright and beautiful future."

At this point, Lu Xin, who was focusing on eating meat, couldn’t help but raise her head: "Your so-called bright and beautiful future, does it mean you can use official duties as an excuse to sneak over to QingCyan Cloud yun City every now and then to seduce married people?"

Shen Yueying blinked: "I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

To this kind of act of playing dumb, treating people like idiots, Lu Xin suddenly felt the veins at her temples start to clog and said with a snort: "Things with Cyan Cloud Li Family are now managed by me. Fengyun usually is reserved, focusing on closed-door cultivation and meditation, and doesn’t easily meet with outside guests."

Shen Yueying chuckled softly, "How can a sister-in-law be considered an outside guest?"

"You!?" Lu Xin was practically furious, the breakup between sisters Shen Yue’e and Shen Yueying over Li Fengyun was known by half of Xiangzhou, and now you have the nerve to call yourself sister-in-law?!

Moreover, Li Fengyun’s current wife is her! She certainly doesn’t have a sister with the surname Shen!

Shen Yueying continued, "Besides official business, I also have some personal matters to handle... My sister has been deceased for so many years, yet I haven’t even been able to visit her grave once. I feel very uneasy about it, so if there’s a chance, I really hope I can apologize for my past recklessness."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xin’s anger instantly subsided.

Facing a Shen Yueying willing to repent for past mistakes, what could she say?

But before Lu Xin could organize her words, Shen Yueying added, "And, my sister passed away too early, there are many things she didn’t get to do, as her younger sister, I sincerely hope to help her make up for some regrets."

Hearing this, Lu Xin suddenly felt something was off, make up for some regrets? What regrets?

"For example, personally washing clothes and cooking for the one she loves..."

"I knew you had bad intentions!" Lu Xin slammed the table, "In your dreams!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the barbecue restaurant owner shouted angrily: "Control your wild kid!"

Next, Li Fengyun had to use his Peak Mountain-Overturning Realm cultivation to suppress the enraged child, avoiding a massacre on the food street.

After being suppressed, Lu Xin also realized it wasn’t wise to act violently towards Shen Yueying in Shen City, not to mention the opponent’s home advantage, even if purely comparing individual combat prowess, she as a Rain Cover Realm cultivator couldn’t possibly outfight Shen Yueying of the Mountain-Overturning Realm.

So, she could only reason and said: "Shen Yue’e has been married to Li Fengyun for so long, she must have washed clothes and cooked countless times, what’s there to regret!?"

Shen Yueying smiled slightly, "Sister Yue’e was exceptionally talented since childhood, skilled at all magic, but she was clumsy in daily life and refused to learn. Our Shen Family’s daughters aren’t forced to learn needlework, but they can handle simple household chores. But sister was an exception, not only was she clumsy with chores, but she even struggled with dressing herself, and it was always me who helped her with it as a child."

Lu Xin listened, dumbfounded.

The woman she considered her lifelong nemesis actually had such weaknesses? But... she remembered Qingming mentioning having eaten meals cooked by Shen Yue’e when they were young.

Li Fengyun interjected: "She ordered takeout, changed the bowls and plates in the kitchen, and pretended she cooked it for Qingming."

Wang Jiu also said, "No wonder when she drank porridge at the store opposite Shen Garden, she said it tasted like mom’s cooking."

"..." Lu Xin was completely bewildered.

But she quickly realized she couldn’t afford to care about Shen Yue’e!

Because Shen Yueying continued: "Therefore, sister must have deeply regretted not being able to personally cook and wash clothes for her husband like other wives. As her younger sister, I am willing to make up for her regrets."

"There’s no need for you to make up!" Lu Xin declared resolutely, "Over these years, I’ve been taking care of Fengyun’s daily needs, any regrets from Shen Yue’e’s time have all been compensated, no need to trouble the City Lord of Shen!"

Shen Yueying’s eyes widened with a hint of surprise: "So, you’re willing to make up for sister’s regrets?"

"Uh..."

Shen Yueying said, "I always thought you didn’t get along with sister, but it turns out it’s not like that at all. To think you’re willing to go to such lengths for Sister Yue’e, you two are truly close as sisters!"

Hearing this, Lu Xin felt as if she had eaten something filthy, utterly disgusted. Who was really close as sisters with that woman!

Shen Yueying’s eyes crinkled in laughter.

But inwardly, she sighed softly.

Sister, no wonder you chose her to take over caring for Fengyun. She’s truly a wonderful person, quick to ignite, but her temper flares up and dies down quickly. She’s lively like a teenager, standing with Qingming like real sisters... back then, you must have seen this in her, treating her as your grown-up daughter, right?

Yet these thoughts, Shen Yueying could only muse in her heart; if spoken aloud, it would inevitably lead to a bloody affair cleaning out the entire dining street.

However, before Shen Yueying could think of how to tease this little princess from the Lu Family, Li Fengyun suddenly said, "I want to visit my father-in-law."

At these words, everyone at the dining table was taken aback.

Wang Jiu was the first to ask, "You want to see Marquis Lu? Isn’t he deceased?"

As soon as the words fell, Lu Xin uttered a sound and cast a grateful glance at Wang Jiu.

Marquis Lu, the former patriarch of the Cyan Cloud Lu Family and Lu Xin’s biological father, passed away ten years ago.

Compared to those like Lu Xin who have taken over power, Marquis Lu, as a father, could only be considered a transitional leader in a large family, with both cultivation and methods being plain and unimpressive, hardly worth mentioning in the genealogy, far less comparable to City Lord Shen Ruoshi of Shen City.

But strictly speaking, Marquis Lu is indeed Li Fengyun’s father-in-law. Wang Jiu’s words not only confirmed Marquis Lu’s identity but also affirmed Lu Xin’s identity, naturally winning the woman’s favor.

However, Li Fengyun was clearly not referring to Marquis Lu.

"There’s something I want to clarify face-to-face with my father-in-law."

Shen Yueying’s expression turned serious, asking, "You know what you’re saying, right? After meeting, I can’t ensure your safety. Grandma Yueqin is sleeping now, won’t wake for years, and if Father goes mad again, no one can control him in the city."

Li Fengyun considered, "I think he can’t beat me now."

"Keep such talk private at most!" Shen Yueying broke out in cold sweat, deciding under no circumstances could she allow these two to meet.

"Why don’t you correspond by letter then," Shen Yueying suggested, "Father quite enjoys writing."

Li Fengyun shook his head, "I don’t like writing."

"I can write for you!"

"Thanks, but I’d like to talk to him personally; some things should’ve been said 20 years ago."

Finishing, Li Fengyun stood up, eyes casually scanning around before locking onto the direction of the Inner City.

Seeing this, Shen Yueying shook her head, knowing she couldn’t persuade him; whether 20 years ago or now, she probably has never truly entered his heart.

Still, she glanced at Lu Xin standing next to Li Fengyun, resembling a daughter, and her mood brightened somewhat; at least she’s stronger.

Helplessly, Shen Yueying stood up and took the initiative to lead the way, "Follow me then."

Then she disappeared in a flash, Li Fengyun shifted his gaze, transcending the boundaries of time and space to locate her, also disappearing in a flash.

Lu Xin quickly stood up, "I’ll go too," grabbing Li Fengyun’s sleeve, disappearing in a flash as well.

Only Wang Jiu remained sitting at the dining table, watching the others rush to leave, heart pounding.

Did none of you consider settling the bill!?

Reluctantly, he first paid out of pocket, then took the bill to chase those old creditors for meal money, calculating how to charge them reasonably as he walked.

If only he were dining alone, this meal would cost at most a few pieces of silver—this street-side restaurant lacks any true expensive ingredients. But with those three, the total soared, especially Shen Yueying, accustomed to luxury since childhood, truly demanding exquisite flavors, ordering several premium meat dishes meant to swindle outsiders, priced like gold, which promptly depleted Wang Jiu’s daily allowance.

"Li Fengyun, consumed premium thick-cut steaks, two plates, priced at 3 taels of silver, one Scorch bird, priced at 2 taels of silver..."

"Shen Yueying, consumed True Spirit Marrow Cleansing meat platters, two plates, priced at 2 Spirit Stones, one portion of Golden Sand Jade Rock roast, priced at 1 Spirit Stone..."

"Lu Xin, consumed premium steaks, two plates, priced at 2 taels of silver, Children’s Discount Day, overall 20% off, total discount 1 Spirit Stone plus 1 tael of silver..."