Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 35

Gu Xiyan was actually at a bit of a loss holding the fish. She had been blind since childhood and grew up in luxury, making it nearly impossible for her to have ever set foot in a kitchen. Occasionally, she would ask questions out of curiosity, but she had never actually practiced cooking.

Pointing at the two fish in her hands, she hesitated before saying, “Preparing fish should require descaling and gutting, right? Do we have a knife?”

Ye Qinming raised an eyebrow and directly sent a surge of spiritual energy toward the fish. Gu Xiyan only felt a sudden heaviness followed by lightness in her hands, accompanied by the sensation of something falling away and a distinct fishy smell.

She froze for a moment, then lifted the fish in her right hand while carefully reaching out with her left. The two plump, lively fish, still tied with a grass rope, had been reduced to mere skeletons, with only a few bits of flesh left clinging to them.

Gu Xiyan: “…”

The silence around them made the atmosphere a little awkward. Ye Qinming was momentarily stunned before letting out a dry cough. “These fish were unruly—they splashed water at you, so I had to teach them a lesson. I’ll go catch two more obedient ones.”

With that, she leaped toward the deep pool. Behind her, Gu Xiyan’s soft and pleasant laughter drifted over, muffled but clear. Ye Qinming felt her face heat up.

At least she had learned from experience this time. When Ye Qinming returned with new fish, she made sure to hold back, ensuring they weren’t completely stripped away. Gu Xiyan placed the cleaned fish on broad leaves and used the dagger Ye Qinming had given her to make a few cuts along their bodies.

As for simple seasonings, they had prepared some in advance since they knew they’d be traveling. After salting the fish and patting the seasoning in, she set them aside while a fire crackled to life.

Ye Qinming watched her work with ease and felt reassured. So Gu Xiyan actually knew how to cook—she wasn’t just some pampered noblewoman unfamiliar with the basics of life.

Resting her chin on her hand, Ye Qinming reminded Gu Xiyan to be careful of the flames. She then watched as Gu Xiyan grilled the fish with such a serious expression that she seemed almost divine.

While waiting for the fish to cook, Ye Qinming decided to make two bamboo cups. She carefully smoothed them down to avoid any splinters and filled them with spring water for Gu Xiyan.

However, when she walked over with the bamboo cups in hand, she found Gu Xiyan looking a bit embarrassed as she held the fish. A distinct burnt smell was already wafting from the charred, blackened fish.

Gu Xiyan set the fish aside and admitted, “This is my first attempt… it got a little burnt.”

Ye Qinming chuckled. “You looked so confident—I thought you knew how to cook.” She handed over the water. “Here, drink some first. Luckily, I picked some fruit. Eat a little to fill your stomach while I go catch more fish.”

As she passed over the water, two fruits materialized in her hands, which she also gave to Gu Xiyan.

Holding the bamboo cup, Gu Xiyan thought about the bamboo house Ye Qinming had built and couldn’t help but ask, “You built that bamboo house really well. You seem quite skilled at it.”

Ye Qinming furrowed her brows slightly, thinking for a moment before replying, “I remember building a bamboo house a long time ago with someone. It took a lot of effort, so I ended up remembering how to do it. We still need to add some more furnishings, and the roof needs to be thatched.”

But deep down, Ye Qinming was well aware that while she remembered how to build a bamboo house, she had no recollection of who that person was. It was baffling. Now, stranded here and building a bamboo house with Gu Xiyan, it already felt surreal. Back then, she had been at the peak of her power as the Demon Emperor—why would she have ever been building a bamboo house with someone? The very thought was absurd.

Their first meal had been a failure, but fortunately, the fruit was enough to sustain them. So, together, Gu Xiyan and Ye Qinming began making a list of things they needed to gather.

When Gu Xiyan shared her thoughts, Ye Qinming was surprised. “Wait… are you reading my mind? How is it exactly what I was thinking?”

One coincidence was fine, but for Gu Xiyan to mirror her thoughts so precisely—it was unsettling.

Of course, Gu Xiyan couldn’t explain it either. By the end of the day, after gathering all their supplies, Ye Qinming proved incredibly useful once again. She seemed to carry a treasure trove with her—clothes, bedding, teacups, kettles—she had everything.

Gu Xiyan was amazed. “When did you prepare all of this? You can carry so many things with you?”

Ye Qinming was clearly pleased by her reaction and nodded. “That’s the advantage of cultivation—it makes carrying things incredibly convenient. Besides, I took all of these from your house.”

Gu Xiyan ran her fingers over the tea cup on the table. Wasn’t this the very Ru kiln porcelain set she had always used? After her initial surprise, she felt a deep gratitude… and an inexplicable warmth.

***

That night, Ye Qinming began teaching Gu Xiyan how to regulate her breathing and circulate spiritual energy. The first step to cultivation was guiding one’s own energy through the meridians, laying the foundation for refining one’s spirit. Once she could draw in external energy and harmonize with the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, she would be able to start practicing basic spells.

After explaining the internal circulation paths of cultivators and a few crucial acupoints tied to life and death, Ye Qinming instructed Gu Xiyan to sit cross-legged and focus her mind.

“Do not let your eyes wander; let your spirit return to the heart—this is the foundation of tranquility. When the mind is calm, everything follows naturally. Maintain this natural state. Breath regulation involves guiding the breath of yin energy to meet the inner qi and spirit, condensing it within the energy core.”

Gu Xiyan closed her eyes, listening to Ye Qinming’s deep and steady voice beside her. Focusing and calming her mind was effortless for Gu Xiyan. Even as she contemplated Ye Qinming’s words, her thoughts remained undisturbed.

“The Great Dao is simple, existing between presence and absence. Yet, when unfolded, it becomes infinitely complex, requiring meticulous effort. A small deviation results in complete failure. Three returns to three, two returns to one, one returns to nothing, and from nothing, something arises. The path of reversal is to gather countless thoughts into a single thought, then reduce that to no thought, from which true thought is born.”

Gu Xiyan exhaled slowly, attempting to follow Ye Qinming’s teachings. As she practiced, Ye Qinming’s solemn and steady voice gradually became ethereal and distant, yet it remained exceptionally clear, like a sacred chant resonating in the void.

Ye Qinming kept her gaze fixed on Gu Xiyan as she recited the incantation. Her eyes never left Gu Xiyan’s face. Gu Xiyan’s mind was pure and free of distractions. For someone attempting cultivation for the first time, being able to instantly enter a meditative state and focus her energy so effortlessly was exceptionally rare.

Ye Qinming infused a trace of spiritual energy into her voice as she chanted, deliberately guiding Gu Xiyan’s breath control. As she fell silent, a faint, shimmering light began to radiate from Gu Xiyan’s body, and a thin layer of spiritual energy gathered around her.

At this moment, Gu Xiyan seemed to be enveloped in a soft, moonlit glow, giving her an ethereal, dreamlike presence. Under the dusky twilight, the gentle radiance illuminated her delicate features with remarkable clarity. Bathed in that light, her refined and elegant demeanor became even more striking, exuding an air of transcendence and natural grace. She appeared almost otherworldly—like an immortal descended from the heavens.

Ye Qinming stared at her in a daze, unable to look away. She had to admit that, at this moment, Gu Xiyan was utterly mesmerizing. As she continued watching, an unfamiliar yet strangely familiar emotion stirred deep within her. It was an uncontrollable feeling, one that Ye Qinming instinctively tried to suppress. Lowering her head, she pressed a hand against her chest, then composed herself before looking up again, her expression once more calm and composed.

Even so, she couldn’t help but marvel at Gu Xiyan’s extraordinary aptitude for cultivation. Just by listening to the incantation once, Gu Xiyan had not only entered deep meditation with ease but had also instinctively learned to manipulate the spiritual energy within her body. By now, she was already capable of absorbing the natural energy of the heavens and earth.

Ye Qinming’s eyes gleamed with intensity as she observed her. Perhaps Gu Xiyan had already learned to integrate the absorbed energy into her being.

***

Gu Xiyan remained in this meditative state for six whole hours. By the time she finally stirred, the sun had already risen outside the bamboo house, and golden morning light streamed through the window, lazily pooling on the floor.

Ye Qinming had been keeping watch, worried something might go wrong. Now, she lifted her gaze slightly, glancing at the sunlight before turning her eyes back to the figure sitting cross-legged before her.

The golden light settled on Gu Xiyan’s pale, flawless skin, making it glow with a luminous softness. Even the tiny, fine hairs on her face, touched by the light, seemed almost adorable.

Ye Qinming stretched her body slightly and shifted forward, half-crouching in front of Gu Xiyan. She admired her quietly for a moment, and then Gu Xiyan’s eyelashes trembled slightly before she opened her eyes.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the sunlight that struck her first—Gu Xiyan instinctively reached up to touch the sunlit side of her face, then tilted her head toward the window. “Qinming, did I cultivate all night?”

She sounded a little uncertain. When she had begun learning from Ye Qinming, the sun had just set, and there had been no light inside the house. But now, warm morning sunlight was pouring through the window. It could only mean that she had unknowingly practiced through the entire night.

Ye Qinming nodded. “Mm, it’s already the hour of the Rabbit—the sun just rose. How do you feel?” Her eyes were bright as she looked at Gu Xiyan, and her expression carried an unconsciously warm smile, much like the sunlight spilling into the room.

(T/N: The hour of the Rabbit: 5–7 AM in traditional Chinese timekeeping.)

Gu Xiyan focused on her body for a moment before answering, “I feel clear-headed, and my entire body feels light.” She then stood up, listened carefully, and said in slight surprise, “I can hear much more clearly.”

Ye Qinming clicked her tongue. “You can hear even better now? That’s terrifying. Before cultivation, there was already nothing that escaped your ears. If this continues, won’t I be completely exposed before you?”

Gu Xiyan chuckled. “You’re teasing me again. If you truly hid something from me, how would I ever find out?”

As soon as she said it, she felt a subtle hesitation in her heart, and the laughter in her eyes softened.

Ye Qinming leaped onto the windowsill and turned back to say, “I wouldn’t hide anything from you, so in the future, please give me some dignity—pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

Gu Xiyan’s eyes shimmered with amusement at her words, but she quickly shook her head and walked leisurely outside. In an exaggeratedly serious tone, she said, “The wind is quite strong—I didn’t hear what you just said.”

Ye Qinming laughed. “Gu Xiyan, you’re becoming more mischievous.”

***

Here, in Mount Gan of the Eastern Wasteland, the spring in the valley was an exceptional spiritual spring. It flowed from the Immortal Realm’s Eastern Wasteland down into the human world, nourishing the land and fostering countless spiritual beasts and fierce predators. The area teemed with mystical creatures, and if not for Ye Qinming’s overwhelming presence deterring them, they would have long swarmed in and devoured Gu Xiyan.

Still, for Gu Xiyan and Ye Qinming, these days had been a rare period of peace and quiet. For an entire month, no one had disturbed them.

Each day, Gu Xiyan spent her time learning cultivation techniques from Ye Qinming. In her spare moments, she used the spring water from Mount Gan to brew tea for Ye Qinming and experimented with ways to improve her cooking skills.

Three months passed, and Gu Xiyan’s rate of progress continually shattered Ye Qinming’s understanding. The so-called age bottleneck seemed nonexistent for her.

On the very day she guided spiritual energy into her body, by the next day, she had already learned to circulate it throughout her meridians and reshape her bones. The basic spells Ye Qinming taught her? She grasped them after hearing them once—even without being able to see the hand seals Ye Qinming formed.

The Wind Control Technique is the most fundamental spell for cultivators. Usually, it takes hundreds of attempts to achieve true flight. Being able to glide with the wind within half a month is already considered exceptional talent.

To fly freely through the clouds typically requires at least six months of practice—especially at higher altitudes, where controlling spiritual energy becomes much more challenging. Beginners usually need someone to guide them before they can navigate the skies at will.

When Ye Qinming first taught the Wind Control Technique to Gu Xiyan, she never expected her to fly—at most, she hoped Gu Xiyan could gather the wind and create a faint breeze as a sign of progress.

When Gu Xiyan attempted the spell for the first time, nothing happened at all. Just as Ye Qinming was about to comfort her, Gu Xiyan suddenly soared into the air. Shocked, Ye Qinming scrambled to catch up, barely managing to grab Gu Xiyan before she crashed into a towering tree.

Even Gu Xiyan was startled by her own abilities. After that incident, Ye Qinming stopped using conventional logic to measure her progress.

Now, three months later, Gu Xiyan had already mastered the Wind Control Technique with ease. She could adjust her speed and altitude freely, though because her vision was impaired, Ye Qinming forbade her from using the technique alone.

One day, as Ye Qinming watched Gu Xiyan flawlessly perform a newly learned set of techniques, her eyes filled with a warm smile. “That’s enough for now—it’s time to eat,” she said.

At her words, Gu Xiyan withdrew her spiritual energy and turned toward her. “What would you like to eat today?”

After half a month of trials and errors, Gu Xiyan had finally learned to cook properly—and with some finesse, too. Initially, her inability to see made it hard to judge the heat, resulting in food that was either undercooked or burnt. But now, she had improved significantly.

Since the mountain’s resources were limited, Ye Qinming had made a trip to the human world and stocked up on grains. At Gu Xiyan’s suggestion, she also brought back some seeds and planted them around their dwelling.

Watching Gu Xiyan busily preparing food, Ye Qinming glanced at the fish in her hands and couldn’t help but laugh to herself. If her subordinates ever witnessed this scene, their jaws would surely drop. The mighty Demon Emperor, living the simple life with a mortal—no, not exactly—you catch the fish, and I cook the meal. What a bizarre and unprecedented sight.

Yet, Ye Qinming clearly enjoyed it. Her body had been recovering quickly—likely due to the abundant spiritual energy in the Eastern Wasteland. However, with her demon core destroyed, fully regaining her former peak strength would be impossible in the short term.

As she narrowed her eyes and looked at Gu Xiyan, she thought to herself—for now, this was already the best it could be.