2916 Empty Village
Chen Qi and Lu Zheng wore disheartened expressions as they observed the little monk happily slurping down his meal.
They mechanically ate their food without savoring it and forcibly shoved pieces of roasted rabbit leg into their mouths.
Their expressions changed dramatically after a single bite. They summoned every ounce of their strength and cosmic courage to forcibly… swallow the charred rabbit meat!
"How does it taste?" Qiao Mu inquired with a straight face, her tone unyielding.
"I-I'm alright."
Goodness gracious! Even during their years of exile in Northwatch Valley, when they had to consume nutritional pills mixed with rainwater every day, the taste was marginally better than this rabbit leg meat.
Watching the little monk enjoy his meal, the two elderly men felt even more despondent.
It seemed that their Second Headmaster's culinary skills were truly lacking. He had boasted previously about preparing a delicious meal for them, but was this the result?
It didn't even compare to the carrot and mushroom soup that the little monk was savoring.
When the little monk noticed the constant glances from the two old men, he promptly clutched his small soup pot and waddled to the side to sit down and continue eating.
What kind of monk was he? He refused to part with his food. How disgraceful!
The two elderly men silently cursed in their hearts. Their faces froze as they reluctantly set down the rabbit leg pieces they held.
"Why? You're not going to finish your meal after just one bite?"
"No, no!" Chen Qi chuckled awkwardly. "Second Headmaster, you roasted it so delightfully. We, uh, don't want to consume it all at once. We intend to savor it slowly and digest it properly."
"Yes, yes, yes." This time, Lu Zheng found himself aligned with Chen Qi. He nodded repeatedly and added, "Absolutely right. Second Headmaster, please understand!"
Qiao Mu cast a glance at them and let out a snort. "Alright then."
With that, she retrieved two plates of side dishes and a bowl of rice from the inner world's food box. She handed a pair of chopsticks to Mo Lian.
Chen Qi's eyes nearly bulged out. "No, Second Headmaster, we, we can also eat rice…"
"Oh, didn't both of you mention wanting roasted meat?" Qiao Mu replied calmly. "I assumed that the roasted meat would suffice for the two of you, so we won't take it from you."
"We'll just have these."
They gazed at the plates of food Qiao Mu had indicated—jadeite tofu and vinegar fish fillet—then at the crystal-clear sacred rice in her bowl.
The two elders were on the verge of tears.
It was only at this moment that they realized Lady Qiaoqiao was purposefully teaching them a lesson.
That roasted rabbit meat must have been deliberately prepared!
If Qiao Mu knew what was going through their minds, she would probably respond apathetically, "I'm embarrassed. My culinary skills have never been great since I was young."
After finishing their lunch, they resumed their journey. After another half-hour, they arrived at a small village situated at the base of Red Clouds Peak.
Qiao Mu looked up at the crooked black plaque hanging at the village entrance, which read 'Blissful'.
A genuine smile finally graced Chen Qi's face. "Wonderful. Returning here, I can sense that the spiritual energy on Red Clouds Peak is still rich."
Qiao Mu surveyed the area. "Are there any residents left in this village?"
"How could there be none? This region used to be the most thriving area among the eight surrounding villages. The village was home to hundreds of families," Chen Qi replied, his voice trailing off.
Upon entering the village and looking around for a while, Chen Qi couldn't help but comment, "Strange. Why is there no one here? This village was never like this before."
