Chapter 27
Qin Ran, after all, was not a proper array master. He did not cultivate any techniques related to array methods. For arranging formations, he could only rely on his understanding of array methods.
As a result, even for an array to channel the power of the stars, it took him a whole afternoon until stars twinkled in the sky to barely set it up.
He breathed heavily, straightened his sore waist, looked at the array in front of him, took out a spirit stone, and said to Li Shiyin, "The array has been set up. You can go in while I place the spirit stone at the eye of the array to activate it."
After saying that, he waited for Li Shiyin to enter the array, so he could activate it. But after waiting for a while, he realized there was no movement. When he looked back, Li Shiyin was nowhere to be found.
"Where did that silly apprentice go? She was just behind me a moment ago?"
Qin Ran frowned, put the spirit stone back into his bosom, and shouted, "Li Shiyin? Li Shiyin!"
"Master!"
Li Shiyin's voice came from the room. It sounded very far away, as if it was in...the kitchen?
"The kitchen?" Qin Ran realized. He had been busy setting up the array and did not have time to cook. Now that night had fallen, Li Shiyin must have been starving.
As for himself, with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, he did not have such a high demand for food. His eating was mostly to satisfy his taste buds.
But...what was Li Shiyin doing in the kitchen? Could she cook?
"What are you doing?" He shouted, walking towards the room.
Li Shiyin did not reply.
But she noticed Qin Ran coming in. There was a series of clanging and banging noises from the kitchen. When Qin Ran entered the room, she walked out from the kitchen.
Qin Ran came in through the front door in the living room while Li Shiyin came out from the kitchen door in the living room. Looking over, Qin Ran saw that Li Shiyin was a mess, with ash on her face, oil stains on her body, and her hair...her hair seemed to be burnt, disheveled and curly.
This image, as if she had just come back from a battlefield, made Qin Ran freeze on the spot. Looking further into the kitchen, there was thick smoke and flickering flames, like the fiery magic cast by a necromancer.
"What...are you doing?"
Qin Ran was uncertain.
"Cooking..." Li Shiyin said coyly, looking very embarrassed.
"I thought you were researching black magic..."
The fire in the kitchen was spreading. Qin Ran hurried over and summoned water streams that swirled into the kitchen, twisting and turning to put out the flames and carry away the thick smoke.
Qin Ran took one look and was speechless.
Many vegetables from his previous life did not exist in this world. So he was trying to cultivate them himself...for example, the beans Li Shiyin was holding were seeds he was using to grow peas.
"Where are they from?" He remembered hiding them very well.
"The fridge!" Li Shiyin replied.
Oh right, he remembered putting them in the freezer to preserve them, planning to cultivate them after the artificial lake was dug.
Yes, this was his own fault, he consoled himself internally.
"What about the meat?" He asked again. Although the meat was bloody, the meat quality was translucent and full of spiritual energy.
"Didn't you stew some meat yesterday? I used the leftover meat from yesterday." Li Shiyin replied.
Yesterday's meat was from a spirit beast specially used to nurture the body. It was specially prepared to enhance Li Shiyin's physique...
Most importantly, that meat was expensive, equivalent to about ten spirit stones per catty.
Looking at the meat on the plate, Qin Ran felt the blood dripping from it came from his heart.
"What about the soup?" He asked finally. "Where did the eggs come from?"
But as he was asking, he remembered the twenty spirit stone apiece spirit beast eggs he had left, so he quickly raised his hand to stop Li Shiyin from answering.
Qin Ran silently put down his bowl and chopsticks. He raised his head forty-five degrees to gaze at the ceiling, not letting his tears fall, then stood up and walked out one step at a time.
"Master, won't you try it?" Li Shiyin asked from behind.
Qin Ran pretended not to hear, but quietly quickened his pace.
Once outside, Qin Ran brought a chair to lie down and looked up at the stars in the sky. His heart felt chilled to the bone at the thought of his wasted ingredients...
Soon there was a shriek from inside the house, followed by the sound of Li Shiyin running out.
"Master..." She plopped down on the grass beside him and said regretfully, "It's so awful!"
Qin Ran was tearful yet unable to cry. Still, he comforted her, "Give it to Chasing the Wind to eat! Maybe Chasing the Wind will like it."
The white Chasing the Wind with black patterns was quite intelligent. Hearing there was food for it, it stopped tormenting the grass and bounced over, affectionately rubbing against Qin Ran's pants.
Poor Chasing the Wind still did not know what it was about to face.
