Chapter 56

This decision seemed completely unfathomable to both Yi Heng and Meng Jin.
But in Su Ling's value system, it was perfectly normal. People always have to distinguish between closeness and distance. In her heart, Yi Heng was currently her master and had treated her better. Now that he was being bullied, even though Meng Jin was somewhat a friend and they got along well, he still couldn't compare to Yi Heng. Naturally, at this moment, he had to step aside.
Moreover, she had no interest in being a "sea king", managing multiple relationships. When two people around her were fighting, regardless of the reason, she had to put an end to the conflict.
Most importantly, Su Ling had become aware of her own feelings, she didn't want Yi Heng to continue sulking and acting like a pitiful figure anymore.
Perhaps it started with his appearance, but she genuinely liked Yi Heng. Whether as a master or as someone she admired, his importance far outweighed that of Meng Jin, whom she had only known for a few days.
So, while eating, Su Ling had been thinking of a solution. She was angry at Yi Heng for not speaking up, forcing her to rely on her own guesses. If she had been any less perceptive, she might not have figured it out and let them continue their conflict.
But she had figured it out. No matter the reasons behind it, she couldn't just ignore it. After brief consideration, she came up with a simple solution, Meng Jin would leave.
Then all problems would disappear.
She said it lightly, but it had a significant impact on both Meng Jin and Yi Heng, especially Meng Jin, who looked at her as if completely lost, feeling deeply wronged: "Why do I have to leave all of a sudden? Are you two leaving?"
He seemed genuinely unaware of his own injuries and didn't realize what he had done.
Su Ling was thoroughly impressed by such masterful acting. However, Meng Jin had indeed been doing quite well lately, working without pay, studying culinary arts as she instructed, and even surpassing her skills. She had been enjoying the meals and hadn’t been harmed, so she saw no need to expose him. "Yes, something came up. I plan to leave early."
Meng Jin sighed regretfully, casting a longing glance at the vegetable garden in the courtyard before saying reluctantly, "Could you sell this courtyard to me?"
"No," Su Ling refused.
Meng Jin fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "Then let me fetch ink and brushes to sketch it as a keepsake."
With that, he dashed back to his room to gather his supplies, even forgetting his usual refined manner of speech in his haste, a clear sign of his low spirits.
Su Ling curved her lips into a slight smile, not disturbing him further. She asked Granny Li to tidy up while she returned to her room to practice the assignments Yi Heng had given her the day before.
Unbeknownst to her, Yi Heng next door was experiencing a tumult of emotions.
His expression was complex as he gazed at the ring in his hand, its glow had faded. The demonic cultivators who had been rushing over upon receiving the message had halted and returned to their posts.
Yi Heng pressed a hand to his chest, a look of bewilderment on his face. He found it strange.
Though he hadn’t gone out to eat, his spiritual sense had been following Su Ling. Hearing her words and learning of her actions had stirred a peculiar sensation in his chest, as if someone had poured a cup of vinegar over it, leaving a sour and astringent feeling.
Not just his chest, but even his eyes felt slightly warm.
This state was bizarre, something he had never experienced before. It left him feeling strangely comfortable all over, and his earlier murderous intent toward Meng Jin had vanished. Yet, the desire for Su Ling to see only him grew even stronger.
But Yi Heng knew this was impossible, as it would make Su Ling unhappy. Since she had been so good to him, he ought to suppress such selfish thoughts.
After this self-admonishment, the heart in his chest, which had been racing due to Su Ling’s actions, gradually calmed. However, a smile tugged irresistibly at his lips, and the dark energy in his eyes was no longer filled with killing intent but with an uncontrollable joy.
Yet, when he saw Su Ling again, he appeared exceptionally composed, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts. This nearly made Su Ling think her efforts had been in vain, leaving her sulking alone for half the day.
Until several wild boar piglets appeared before her!
They stood about knee-high, not exactly piglets in the truest sense, being wild boars with a certain ferocity. Their eyes were fierce as they charged toward Su Ling and the others.
Unfortunately, an invisible barrier blocked their path. Unable to break through, they ended up dizzy from the impact, their plump bodies collapsing to the ground, trembling.
In high spirits, Yi Heng smiled as he "watched" his little disciple and said gently, "I heard wild boars to the east and went to check. Thinking you might like them, I brought them for you."
Su Ling had intended to remain aloof, but her eyes lit up at the sight of the piglets. She couldn’t help but swallow and say, "Roast suckling pig is delicious. Let’s cook one and raise the rest until they’re bigger to eat later."
"Alright," Yi Heng nodded, leaving the decision to her.
Su Ling immediately brightened up, rolling up her sleeves to help Granny Li tidy up the items. A fire was built, and the suckling pig was tied up. She patiently brushed oil over it layer by layer, ensuring it would be perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!
By this point, Su Ling had let go of her earlier frustration. Yi Heng sat beside her, handing her tools as needed, and she couldn’t help but say, "If we stuffed the pig with something like crab, lobster, or scallops the flavor would definitely be even better."
It would also make the meal more varied.
Although she had never actually cooked these things before, only eaten them, now, in this world, she was relying entirely on her own culinary instincts to figure things out.
It might not turn out exceptionally delicious, but the taste was always decent, thanks to the foundation of spirit-infused ingredients.
Yi Heng nodded thoughtfully.

Roasting a suckling pig took a long time. Su Ling didn’t keep a constant watch over the fire. After sharing her insights with Granny Li, she pulled Yi Heng aside to practice spells.
Compared to Yi Heng’s expertise in swordsmanship, Su Ling preferred various magical techniques. When mastered to perfection, a single thought could unleash a surge of powerful spiritual energy to attack enemies.
However, this also meant she was like a stationary target, solely focused on output.
To avoid being too vulnerable, Su Ling began learning movement techniques to aid her mobility and used formation disks for assistance, making rapid progress.
After practicing for a while, the aroma of the roasting suckling pig grew increasingly rich, and Su Ling could no longer concentrate. She said eagerly, "Let’s go eat first."
"Alright." Yi Heng was unusually agreeable today. He didn’t insist she finish her practice and simply stopped, leaving Su Ling a bit bewildered.
The sauce was ready, and the roast meat was perfectly cooked. Shortly after arriving in the courtyard, Su Ling realized it was time to eat and immediately picked up a knife.
As a cultivator now, she wasn’t afraid of the heat from ordinary flames. She barehandedly lifted the roasted suckling pig and laid it on the table, then swiftly and precisely cut into it with the knife.
A crisp sound echoed as the golden-brown pig split in half, revealing the tender, juicy meat inside.
After that first cut, Su Ling worked with ease, swiftly slicing the suckling pig into palm-sized pieces and arranging them on a plate.
She set aside a portion for Granny Li and shared the rest with Yi Heng.
"Quick, try it! How does it taste?" Su Ling asked, her face full of anticipation.
This was her first time making it.
Under the gaze of her bright eyes, with no annoying people around to distract her, Yi Heng suddenly felt a bit nervous. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he took a small bite.
The skin, roasted to perfection over time, was wonderfully crispy. Infused with the sauce, the flavor was even more delightful. Since it was a young pig, the meat was tender and juicy, bursting with savory juices in his mouth without any unpleasant gaminess.
This was largely thanks to the spiritual plants Su Ling had cultivated.
After being dipped in sauce, the flavor of the roasted suckling pig took on another dimension, but both versions were exceptionally delicious.
Yi Heng nodded earnestly, struggling to organize his words in an attempt to make her beam with joy like Meng Jin had. Unfortunately, he had never tried to flatter anyone before and ended up sounding awkward: "It's very delicious, the skin is fragrant, crispy, and flaky, and the meat inside is excellent too. Your cooking skills are getting better and better"
"Pfft, " Su Ling laughed as he had hoped, her eyes curving into crescents.
Seeing Yi Heng, with his handsome face, close his eyes and speak so seriously was genuinely amusing. Especially since he was trying so hard to sound sincere, yet his earlier simple two-word compliment, "delicious", had felt more genuine to Su Ling.
But it was just too funny.
Su Ling chuckled happily for a while before picking up a piece herself to eat. It truly tasted good, though it couldn't be called exceptional, as the suckling pig hadn't been raised on spiritual plants from a young age and didn't contain much spiritual energy.
Seeing her laugh so joyfully, Yi Heng secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quietly continued eating.
As they ate, they spoke very little, and for a while, the only sound in the living room was that of them enjoying their meal.
Midway through, Su Ling suddenly froze as she realized something, perhaps Yi Heng had brought the suckling pig to please her?
Connecting this to his hilariously clumsy compliments,
Su Ling stole a glance at the man, who was focused on picking up food to eat but had a slight smile on his lips, and confirmed her suspicion.
The smile in her eyes deepened, and a touch of sweetness welled up in her heart.
Meng Jin had left at just the right time.
Meng Jin seemed to have a carefree personality. Even when Su Ling asked him to leave, after a brief inquiry, he promptly packed his bags and departed, "waving his sleeves without taking a single cloud with him."
By lunchtime, only Su Ling and Yi Heng remained.
Granny Li ate in the kitchen and did not join them.
With the courtyard gate closed, the bamboo house could no longer be found by ordinary people, so they were completely undisturbed. Granny Li was quiet and reserved; after finishing her work, she would do needlework in her room, occasionally glancing at the sky and silently shedding tears.
Su Ling had considered sending Granny Li back but learned that she had no relatives left. Her husband had passed away early, and she had struggled to raise her daughter alone. Later, she and her daughter entered a wealthy household as servants, but her daughter was bullied and ended up drowning herself in a river.
Granny Li had thought about following her daughter but was afraid of death. She waited, and surprisingly, she remained healthy and efficient, never falling ill. Now that she had been sent to Su Ling, it was a good thing for her, far from the crowds, quietly awaiting death so she could reunite with her daughter.
Su Ling said nothing more after that.
With one less person in the bamboo house, life went on, and it even became busier than before, as Su Ling now had to take on the responsibility of cooking.
Occasionally, when Su Ling went out to shop, she would hear various rumors. Disguising herself and sitting in a teahouse, unnoticed by anyone, she would overhear people talking about how there was an immortal on the mountain, but ordinary people couldn't find them, only those destined to meet them could.
Now, Pingyue Town had become hugely popular because of this immortal, attracting countless seekers of immortality and causing a significant rise in local prices.
Su Ling found it amusing every time she heard such stories.
And she was immensely grateful that Yi Heng, for the sake of convenience, had set up a formation to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed.
As time passed, more and more people learned about the bamboo house, which meant this place was no longer safe.
Su Ling didn’t pay much attention at first, but by the time she realized it, it was already a bit late. In the middle of the night, she suddenly felt someone watching her. She snapped her eyes open and saw Yi Heng, his dark pupils fixed on her.
When he saw she was awake, he closed his eyes in a fluster and murmured softly, “Sorry.”
“Master, I told you I don’t mind your eyes,” Su Ling said sleepily, propping herself up to look at Yi Heng. “What’s the matter in the middle of the night?”
Yi Heng reluctantly stroked her loose, flowing hair and said gently, “My enemies have caught up. I have to leave. I’ve already sealed your constitution. Remember, don’t tell anyone you’re a natural-born spirit body! Once I’m gone, they won’t trouble you.”
Although there were bad people among the righteous path, they were all concerned with face and appearances, hypocrites who would never bully a novice who had just stepped onto the path of cultivation.
Especially since her spiritual energy was so pure.
Leaving her here was the safest option. Taking her with him would only drag her into trouble and hinder her future cultivation.
Demonic cultivation… wasn’t suited for her.
Su Ling quickly recalled the events from the plot and threw herself into Yi Heng’s arms, pleading urgently, “Master, what will I do if you leave? Take me with you!”
Yi Heng, who had been lost in the sorrow of parting from his little disciple: “!!!”