Chapter 427: No, You Came Just in Time
“To think Junior Brother Jiang’s new home is in Red Leaf Valley!”
“The design is quite elegant. The atmosphere is truly exceptional!”
“Next time I move, I will have Junior Brother Jiang design my courtyard as well!”
While Jiang Chen tended to the hearth, the guests took the opportunity to wander the grounds.
Accustomed to towering sect pavilions and the rigid architecture of the mortal world, this rustic elegance felt refreshingly pure.
Especially in the rear courtyard, where the babbling stream flowed over smooth stones, evoking a profound harmony between man and the natural Dao.
Tie Xin marveled, “Little Jiang lacks an Earth Spirit Root, yet he managed to arrange such an exquisite feng shui layout?”
Moreover, despite the large gathering for the housewarming, the courtyard felt vast and uncrowded, the space flowing naturally.
The preparations took quite some time, the fires burning from dusk until the Xu hour before the feast was finally ready.
Main Dishes:Hundred Blessings Spirit Rice Cake.
Top-quality Spirit Rice.
Nourishing Spirit Rice Congee.
These were his three classic staples, simple yet eternally satisfying.
Hot Dishes:
Full Hall Red Spirit Chicken.
Spirit chicken chopped and marinated in rich spirit wine, flash-fried in searing oil until the skin crisped and the meat turned tender, finished with a scattering of white sesame seeds.
The meat gleamed with a vibrant crimson hue, radiating faint, warming traces of Fire Spirit Qi.
Jadeite Spirit Vegetables with Spirit Mushrooms.
Sliced spirit mushrooms pan-fried to a golden crisp, resting beneath blanched cabbage meticulously arranged into an auspicious ruyi shape.
The dish shone with an emerald luster, crisp and refreshing, brimming with vibrant Wood Spirit Qi.
Golden Soup Spirit Fish Pot.
Pumpkin simmered into a rich golden broth, folded with chunks of spirit fish and dried shrimp, slow-stewed over a gentle flame until thick, then garnished with fresh scallions.
The broth flowed like liquid gold, carrying a deep, nourishing warmth.
Amber Spirit Meat Dices.
Steamed Spirit Eggs.
The hot dishes continued, numbering up to ten distinct delicacies.
Three Cold Dishes:
Mixed Wood Ear Mushrooms.
Mixed Spirit Algae.
Dual-Flavored Lotus Root Slices.
Three Soups and Broths:
Treasure Basin Spirit Mushroom Soup.
Reunion Meatball Soup.
Five Elements Spirit Vegetable Broth.
Three Desserts:
Kun Spirit Bean Cake.
Glutinous Rice Balls.
Lotus Seed Soup.
Altogether, the spread exceeded twenty unique dishes, forming a truly extravagant feast.
Even Jin Fugui and the regulars had never seen Jiang Chen prepare such a massive banquet.
Every plate was a masterpiece of color and aroma, practically begging the guests to lift their chopsticks.
Jiang Chen brought out his treasured Top Grade Golden Wine, personally pouring a cup for everyone present. He made no distinction between high-ranking figures like Qin Hao and Chen Tian, or formal disciples like Miao Huayu and Xu Linshan.
The fact that they had come to his home meant they respected him.
Whether they brought lavish gifts or empty hands, he would treat them all as honored guests.
As he finally took his seat, the entire table raised their cups. “Cheers!”
Fine food, fine wine.
They drank heartily and ate with joyous abandon.
Wang Ze puffed out his chest. “Junior Brother Jiang settling in Red Leaf Valley is partly thanks to my efforts.”
Zhao Feng curled his lip. “Even if you hadn’t switched sides, it still wouldn’t have been the Zhao Clan or the Wang Clan’s turn.”
Jiang Chen raised his cup toward the two of them. “My thanks to Senior Brother Wang and Fellow Daoist Zhao!”
“Junior Brother Jiang has truly turned misfortune into a blessing!”
“How about… making another trip to the Canglan Sea?”
“Forget it, forget it. Why don’t you two Senior Brothers go instead?”
“There is a situation in the Canglan Sea. The sect temporarily ordered us to return.”
“I heard rumors of suspected Yellow Springs Alliance members leaving traces behind?”
The guests chatted and joked, the wine flowing freely.
Da Huang and Wang Zai wove between everyone’s legs, happily devouring scraps until their muzzles were slick with grease.
Qiu Su, Ruo Qunshuang, and Li Xianglin adored the hounds, sneaking them choice cuts of meat throughout the meal.
Time flowed like water, and soon the midnight Zi hour arrived.
The housewarming guests gradually began to take their leave.
First Qin Hao, Qiu Su, and Xuan Zang departed, followed by Tie Zhu and Li Xianglin.
Eventually, even Ruo Qunshuang, Miao Huayu, and the rest stood up to say their goodbyes.
Soon, only Jin Fugui remained in the courtyard.
Jiang Chen walked him to the gate, asking curiously, “Why hasn’t Old Mo returned yet?”
Jin Fugui, slightly flushed with wine, squinted and replied, “We managed to contact him, but that old fool is fishing in the turbid currents. He refuses to come back for now.”
Jiang Chen’s mouth twitched. “Is that even a place to fish?”
Jin Fugui shook his dizzy head. “Nothing to be done. You know Old Mo’s temper; he definitely won’t be back anytime soon.”
Jiang Chen sighed helplessly. “Let him be, then.”
Jin Fugui waved a hand. “I am off. You should rest early as well.”
He mounted his spirit camel and trotted off into the night.
Red Maple Residence fell quiet, leaving Jiang Chen alone once more.
The bustling warmth of the feast faded into a cool, solitary silence.
Jiang Chen traced a Cleaning Talisman in the air, preparing to clear the tables, when his heart suddenly stirred. He looked toward the courtyard entrance.
Beneath the cold, clear moonlight, a graceful silhouette strolled through the shadows.
Her brows were like distant mountains holding the winter snow; her eyes resembled cold pools reflecting the silver moon.
Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her lips held the faint, delicate hue of early cherry blossoms.
She wore a moon-white alchemist robe with flowing, wide sleeves, a green jade medicine pouch resting gently at her waist.
A familiar face.
Familiar attire.
A familiar grace.
Jiang Chen couldn’t help but exclaim, “Senior Sister Yu!”
Yu Caiqing spoke softly, “I… didn’t arrive too late, did I?”
Jiang Chen grinned. “No, you came just in time!”
Yu Caiqing stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over the courtyard. “The scenery is beautiful. The spiritual environment is excellent as well.”
Jiang Chen naturally reached out to take her small hand. Finding it warm instead of its usual icy chill, his eyes widened in surprise. “Senior Sister, your constitution has recovered?”
Yu Caiqing offered a slight nod. “I attempted the refinement a few more times and finally succeeded in forging the Yin-Yang Interlace Pill. My body is healed.”
Joy bloomed on Jiang Chen’s face. “That is wonderful news.”
However, Yu Caiqing shook her head. “Unfortunately…”
Jiang Chen’s expression tightened. “Unfortunately what?”
Yu Caiqing sighed helplessly. “Unfortunately, the cure came too late. It left behind several hidden ailments in my meridians.”
Jiang Chen squeezed her hand, his voice steady. “It is alright. We will solve them one by one.”
Yu Caiqing hesitated for a moment before speaking. “After tonight, we will not be able to see each other for a while.”
Jiang Chen frowned in confusion. “Why?”
Yu Caiqing raised her head, gazing at the sprawling sea of stars. “With my sister’s help, I have officially joined Crimson Fire Peak. I ascend the mountain tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Jiang Chen instinctively tightened his grip on her hand. “Ascend the mountain?”
A deep longing shimmered in Yu Caiqing’s eyes. “You know I have always dreamed of entering the inner peaks. Before, my frail constitution anchored me to the outer sect. Now that my body is whole, and the opportunity has presented itself, I must walk this path.”
Jiang Chen took a slow, deep breath. “Indeed. Ascending the mountain has always been your Dao.”
Yu Caiqing smiled softly, her eyes curving like crescent moons. “You are doing quite well yourself. A new home, elevated status, and thriving in the Spirit Farm. You are no longer just a lowly spirit farmer.”
Jiang Chen rubbed his nose, a rare flush touching his cheeks. “It is all thanks to Senior Sister’s care over the past year.”
Yu Caiqing’s beautiful eyes sparkled with curiosity. “I heard you awakened a Water Spirit Root?”
Jiang Chen chuckled, the tension breaking. “Now that is a long story…”
The two strolled leisurely through the quiet grounds of Red Maple Residence, sharing the quiet triumphs and struggles of their recent days.
Only when the courtyard paths had been walked twice over and the words finally settled into comfortable silence did they stop.
They stood beneath the moonlight, looking into each other’s eyes.
The world faded away, leaving only the soft rhythm of their breathing and the steady beat of their hearts.
Jiang Chen asked softly, “Is Senior Sister leaving now?”
A delicate peach-blossom flush bloomed across Yu Caiqing’s pale cheeks. She lowered her gaze and whispered, “Tonight… I do not have to leave.”
Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up. Without another word, he wrapped his arm around her slender waist, guiding her gently into the warmth of the house.
Not long after, faint, tender sighs drifted from the second-floor bedroom, swallowed by the quiet night.