In the evening, the two found a secluded valley with several small streams flowing down from the mountain, a pond below that converged into a small river flowing into the distance, and a flat area not far from the pond, perfect for camping.
"Let's stay here tonight! There's water here, which makes cooking convenient."
Ye Liangchen took out pots, bowls, and utensils from his spirit tool, then moved some stones to set up a simple stove.
"You're going on a long trip, and you brought all this stuff?"
Zhu Zhuqing was very surprised to see Ye Liangchen carrying pots, bowls, and utensils with him. Spirit Masters usually only bring some dry rations when they travel. She never expected this guy to bring all these cooking utensils; it was unbelievable.
"What's the point of eating dry rations every day? Cooking by yourself is much more interesting."
"Xiao Maomi, let me tell you, food cooked in the wild tastes exceptionally good. You'll know in a bit."
Ye Liangchen smiled faintly. As a foodie, it was perfectly reasonable for him to carry pots, bowls, and utensils with him.
"Then I'll go gather firewood."
Zhu Zhuqing had never experienced outdoor cooking before and found it quite interesting, so she directly ran into the distant forest to look for some firewood.
After Ye Liangchen set up the stove, he went to the nearby stream to rinse the rice and fetched two buckets of water. Just as he returned, he saw Zhu Zhuqing coming back with a bundle of firewood, some dead leaves still clinging to her hair, which he found amusing.
"Hey! Zhu Zhuqing, you're from the Zhu family in Star Luo Empire, you probably haven't done this kind of work before, right?"
Zhu Zhuqing slowly said, "I haven't done this kind of work before, but it's very simple; you learn it quickly."
Putting the dry firewood on the ground, Zhu Zhuqing proactively used a flint to light the fire, helping Ye Liangchen. She knew she would be cultivating with him from now on, so she had to actively learn to do things, otherwise, she would just be like a vase.
Ye Liangchen placed the pot for cooking rice on the stove, then washed a small piece of cured meat and put it into the pot. He then looked towards the distant small river, a thought forming in his mind.
"Xiao Maomi, do you eat fish? There might be fish in that small river. Let's go see. If there are, we'll catch some and bring them back for an extra dish tonight."
Ye Liangchen knew that her Spirit was a Hell Civet, and she had absolutely no resistance to food like fish.
"Fish? Then let's go quickly and see."
As soon as she heard there was fish to eat, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes immediately lit up. Fish was one of her favorite foods, influenced by her Spirit, she naturally loved to eat fish.
"If we catch a big fish, I'll let you try boiled fish tonight. It will definitely be a feast for your taste buds."
"Boiled fish? What kind of dish is that?"
"Anyway, it's a delicious dish you've never tasted before."
"Then I'd like to try it."
The two walked and chatted, and soon arrived at the riverbank, where they indeed found fish in the river, so they immediately began to catch them.
"I'm blocking this side, Zhu Zhuqing, quickly make your move."
"Oh! Okay."
"There's a big one over there too."
"I caught it…"
Catching fish in the river is a very happy thing for many people. Whether or not you eat the fish is not important; what's important is enjoying the process of catching them.
Even the usually aloof Zhu Zhuqing was immersed in the joy of catching fish at this moment, a smile radiating on her face. Such enjoyment was a first for her.
"Ye Liangchen, thank you."
Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at the young man before her, who had allowed her to experience what true happy living felt like. At this moment, she wished this happy time would forever remain at this instant.
"What's wrong with you again? Don't just stand there, hurry up and catch fish! We're waiting for them to go into the pot!"
Ye Liangchen ignored her unusual gaze and quickly urged her to catch fish.
"Oh! I'll catch them right away."
Looking at the young man in front of her, his face smeared with some dirt, making him look very cute, Zhu Zhuqing also showed a brilliant smile and immediately cooperated with Ye Liangchen, then continued to catch fish.
As the saying goes, when men and women work together, they don't get tired. In a short while, the two had caught over a dozen fish, with the larger ones estimated to be about two catties.
"With so many fish, it's enough for the two of us to eat."
Ye Liangchen directly butchered the fish by the river, and Zhu Zhuqing also helped clean them.
After the two returned to the campsite, they found that the rice was already cooked. Ye Liangchen took out a cutting board, deboned the fish, and sliced the fish meat into thin pieces. His smooth and flowing movements left Zhu Zhuqing, who was watching from the side, stunned.
Ye Liangchen, what else can't you do?
Zhu Zhuqing thought of the young man before her, whose strength was formidable, whose endless martial skills were dazzling to behold, whose medical skills were superb, and who, crucially, could also cook, was super handsome, had a cheerful personality, and was very kind. He was simply the perfect man, the best of the best.
Alas! Such an excellent man, who knows which woman will benefit from him in the future?
Zhu Zhuqing, coming from the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire, had seen countless handsome men, but no one could compare to the young man before her.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing had a bold idea in her heart: she wanted to stay by this man's side forever. However, this idea was just a fleeting thought; her fate was already sealed. She was not yet strong enough to change her destiny, so she dared not think in this direction for now. It would be terrible if she were to harm the young man before her because of her own affairs.
After Ye Liangchen finished slicing the fish, he saw Zhu Zhuqing next to him, lost in thought, and felt quite speechless.
"Hey! Xiao Maomi! Why are you spacing out again? Hurry up and add more firewood! I'm about to make boiled fish, and I'm starving after all this work."
"Oh! I'm sorry, I got distracted. I'll add the firewood right away."
Zhu Zhuqing was startled awake by Ye Liangchen's voice, a blush flashed across her cheeks, and she quickly grabbed some dry firewood and put it into the small stove.
Ye Liangchen heated oil in the wok, then added mountain spring water, and a little spicy sesame oil. Once the soup boiled, he added the fish slices.
In a short while, a pot of spicy, fresh, and fragrant boiled fish slices was ready, sprinkled with a little wild onion, and the aroma instantly became intoxicating.
Ye Liangchen also made a stir-fried Blue Silver Grass and sliced the cured meat, arranging them on the small table.
"Zhu Zhuqing, let's eat."
Ye Liangchen called Xiao Maomi to eat. After a long period of work, they could finally start eating.
"Ye Liangchen, thank you."
Zhu Zhuqing picked up a piece of boiled fish slice and put it into her mouth. In an instant, the spicy, fresh, and fragrant taste exploded.
"Wow! This is too delicious."
The fish Zhu Zhuqing had eaten before was usually fried, and she had never seen this kind of boiled fish slices. At this moment, she was completely captivated by this deliciousness.
"It's delicious, right! Then eat more."
Ye Liangchen smiled. Spicy boiled fish slices were a delicacy only found on Blue Star in his previous life. He had never seen them in this different World, Douluo Continent.
Both of them were Spirit Masters, and a small table of dishes was quickly devoured.
"Ye Liangchen, this is the best dinner I've ever had. Thank you."
Zhu Zhuqing helped put away the pots and pans while expressing her heartfelt gratitude to Ye Liangchen. She had lived in fear and unease for years, and suddenly experiencing such a peaceful and wonderful life was truly marvelous.
"You're welcome, it's just a simple dinner."
Ye Liangchen waved his hand indifferently. The delicious food he made himself gave him a great sense of accomplishment, which is why he found it so tasty.
As dusk approached, Ye Liangchen set up two tents, then chopped some tree trunks to make a simple bed, and laid two layers of cushions, preparing to rest.
Zhu Zhuqing also helped out, but when she saw the two tents, she was very happy, yet also a little disappointed. Was she not pretty enough? Did he not have any thoughts about her?
Zhu Zhuqing thought her beauty was quite good; countless ordinary men almost always had thoughts about her when they saw her. But this young man, ever since they met, had not shown a single inappropriate thought towards her, which was truly unusual.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing began to doubt her own beauty. As a woman, failing to attract a man's gaze could lead to a sense of frustration.
"I'm going to take a bath in the pond over there. Make sure you don't peek!"
After Ye Liangchen finished his post-dinner tasks, he planned to take a bath and instructed Zhu Zhuqing before leaving.
"Ah… Oh!…"
Zhu Zhuqing was completely stunned by Ye Liangchen's sudden remark. Shouldn't that be something a woman would say?
Seeing Xiao Maomi's bewildered expression, Ye Liangchen found it amusing. He used a woman's words to leave a woman speechless.
After a comfortable bath in the pond, Ye Liangchen returned to the campsite, ready to cultivate.
"Ye Liangchen, please stand guard for me. I'm going to wash up too."
Zhu Zhuqing said softly to Ye Liangchen, picked up her toiletries, and quickly ran towards the pond. At this moment, her heart felt like a little deer was wildly bumping, thumping rapidly.
"Xiao Maomi! Don't worry, there are no Spirit Beasts here, and no other people. I'll stand guard for you."
Ye Liangchen said a few words calmly, then added some more firewood to the bonfire to make the fire bigger. He then flew up to a large tree, took out his HK416, and used the night vision function in the scope to observe the surroundings, preventing any animals from approaching.
On the other side, Zhu Zhuqing soaked in the pond, allowing herself to calm down. Meeting him again, the one she had been thinking about, and spending the night with him in this small valley, made Zhu Zhuqing feel both thrilling and nervous.
Zhu Zhuqing recalled how she and her aunt were rescued by Ye Liangchen and his group in the Star Dou Forest, and then got to know him. At that time, he was also a six-year-old child, and he even shared candy beans with her. From then on, Ye Liangchen's small figure was forever etched in her mind.
However, the thought that this man seemed to have no feelings for her made Zhu Zhuqing feel a little disappointed.
Time slowly passed, and nearly an hour had gone by. Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing still hadn't returned, Ye Liangchen worried that something might have happened to her, so he called out towards the pond.
"Xiao Maomi, what are you doing? It's been so long, why haven't you come out yet?"
Ye Liangchen's words immediately brought Zhu Zhuqing back to reality, and she quickly replied to him.
"I'm fine, I'll be out in a moment."
Zhu Zhuqing quickly emerged from the water, changed into clean clothes, then washed her previous clothes, and quickly walked towards the campsite.
"I thought you had fallen into the water." Ye Liangchen sat not far from the bonfire, watching Xiao Maomi finally arrive, and couldn't help but tease her.
"I'm sorry, I made you worry."
Zhu Zhuqing felt a little guilty. Taking so long to bathe had caused him to worry about her.
"Ye Liangchen, you go to sleep! I'll stand guard for you."
It was late at night, and Zhu Zhuqing voluntarily offered to stand guard.
"No need, I need to cultivate. You go rest!"
As a man, how could Ye Liangchen let a woman stand guard? Moreover, with Xiao Maomi's meager strength, he wouldn't feel at ease letting her stand guard.
"Then I'll stand guard with you. We Spirit Masters can also use meditation instead of cultivation, so staying up all night is fine."
Zhu Zhuqing also felt uncomfortable resting alone, so she accompanied Ye Liangchen in cultivation.
"Suit yourself! If you can't hold on, then go rest."
Ye Liangchen saw that she was still trying to be strong and didn't try to persuade her further.
"I can do it. I want to ask you some cultivation questions, if that's okay?" Zhu Zhuqing was very curious about Ye Liangchen's dazzling spirit ring combination.
"Ask away!"
Since she wanted to follow him now, Ye Liangchen could tell her some things.
"How old is your first spirit ring? The color of your spirit ring is much deeper than mine."
"My first spirit ring is 999 years old, just one year short of a thousand years. The second ring is 3800 years, and the third spirit ring is 12000 years."
"Ah! That's amazing! How did you do that?"
"To break through the spirit ring limit, you have to strengthen your physical body. Only then is it possible to break through…"
Ye Liangchen told Zhu Zhuqing some simple body-training methods. As for the profound ones, he couldn't tell her; those required cheating.
Zhu Zhuqing at this moment transformed into a little fangirl, listening to him explain some cultivation methods for strengthening a Spirit Master's physique, her eyes constantly sparkling with stars.