CHAPTER 170: SILENCE AND PEACE

"Ha... ha..." Yu Xuan panted, collapsing onto the ground. Beside him, Lingluo flopped down, drenched in sweat.

Both of them were breathing so heavily it sounded like they’d just run across half the realm. Their training had lasted the entire day without pause, the shorty hadn’t given them a single break, not even to drink water.

"Not bad, not bad." The shorty floated a few meters above the ground, arms crossed, chin raised, deliberately striking a pose that screamed mysterious master. "Your stamina and endurance are commendable."

Her gaze slid toward Yu Xuan, her eyes narrowing. "Especially you. I didn’t expect you to last this long. As expected of Lingluo’s brother."

Yu Xuan twitched. ’You thought I’d collapse first, didn’t you?’

The shorty tilted her head, pretending to stroke an imaginary beard she didn’t have.

"Hmph. You even used your spirit sense actively in the background. Not just talent, but also grit... fine, I admit, you’re decent."

Yu Xuan didn’t know whether to feel proud or insulted.

"Now then," the shorty continued, voice suddenly sharp, "your areas of improvement..."

And thus began the lecture. Despite her smug, child-like antics, she hadn’t missed a single movement during their spar. She dissected their swordplay, footwork, and use of qi, pointing out every flaw like she was reading aloud from an endless list.

Half an hour later, she finally stopped, stabbing her cane into the dirt with an air of finality.

By then, Yu Xuan and Lingluo weren’t even breathing heavily anymore. They were just lying on the ground like corpses, staring at the night sky, wondering if they had made a mistake in ever agreeing to train with her.

"...Let’s go eat. I want food," Yu Xuan muttered at last, his stomach growling loud enough to be heard by everyone present here.

Lingluo sat up slowly, brushing off dust from her hair. "Senior sister, will you join us?"

The shorty hovered there, arms crossed, pretending to be deep in thought. After a long pause she declared, "Fine. Let’s see how good your cooking is."

"...It was an invitation to eat, not to judge us," Yu Xuan grumbled under his breath, but he still got up.

The three made their way back to Lingluo’s cottage. Once inside, Yu Xuan immediately waved his hand. "Sister, rest. You too, Senior Sister. I’ll make something to eat."

Lingluo blinked. "Eh? You’ll cook?"

"Of course, I will."

He’s the only man in the house (???) so the responsibility falls to him. Yu Xuan thought with great dignity, as if he were declaring himself a role as head of the family. These are some strange things he took it from his father.

From his space ring, he took out several ingredients his master had given him and moved toward the kitchen. His movements were careful but confident, clearly practiced.

The shorty tilted her head, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Will he really be able to cook? Or will this be a tragic performance?"

Lingluo smiled faintly, remembering burnt rice and salty soup from years ago.

"He’s a decent cook. He’s improved a lot since his... younger days. Mother taught him some basics, and he actually enjoys it as a hobby."

"Mm. Interesting. Cooking is also a form of cultivation, if you think about it." The shorty floated closer, lowering her voice. "Though I came just for goodwill, not for food. At my level, it doesn’t matter whether I eat or not."

Lingluo giggled softly. "Then consider this goodwill upon goodwill, Senior Sister. Just... don’t bully him too much if the dish doesn’t meet your standards."

She remembered a time when he decided to make food for the elders and they really enjoyed it, what she didn’t know was that, they ate that food so fast that it didn’t even touch their mouths and was directly digested in their stomachs, maybe this is a benefit of being a cultivator (???).

The two chatted like this, voices blending warmly in the living room, while in the kitchen, Yu Xuan worked with intense focus. The sound of chopping vegetables, sizzling oil, and the faint rise of aroma soon filled the air.

He wasn’t cooking just to eat — he was cooking with pride, determined to make something delicious for his sister and her senior.

After fifteen minutes, Yu Xuan carried the dishes out. The table filled with the warmth of a simple but thoughtful meal: a spicy broth that still steamed faintly, slices of sizzling meat from some unknown beast, and a dipping sauce he had quietly perfected.

The aroma spread quickly.

"Oh... it actually smells quite good," the shorty admitted, raising a brow as if the scent had challenged her slumbering hunger.

Yu Xuan chuckled softly and began serving them.

They ate. And to everyone’s surprise perhaps even his own — the food wasn’t just edible. It was good. Good enough that the shorty, reluctant though she was, gave him a small nod of approval.

Lingluo, on the other hand, devoured the meal with a bright, childlike satisfaction, praising her brother between every bite.

Watching them, Yu Xuan finally sat down with his own bowl. For a long moment, he didn’t eat. He simply looked at the two of them enjoying themselves, and his heart stirred with an unexpected ache.

He thought of his grandparents from his past life — the way they had always doted on him, the quiet evenings spent together, the warmth of a simple meal shared at a humble table. It had been such a small thing back then, and yet now, he realized, it was priceless.

Yu Xuan rested his hands gently on the bowl, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

’This... maybe, this is peace.’

He closed his eyes for a moment. Sometimes, life wasn’t about great battles or reaching impossible heights. Sometimes, it was about sharing food, laughter, even silence — with family, with friends, with strangers who slowly became something more. Maybe the joy, and even the sorrow, of these small moments was what truly made life whole. Emotions make humans, human.

"Hey. You’re not eating," the shorty suddenly pointed out, snapping him from his thoughts.

Lingluo was far too busy chewing to notice.

"Yes, yes... I’ll eat." Yu Xuan chuckled and lifted his chopsticks at last, joining them.

And so, the three of them ate together, the night outside vast and dark, but the table warm with the kind of comfort that could make anyone feel at home.

***

[Supreme Command from the Creator of ARC World]

Just go on a dinner with your loved ones now, they never say no.

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