An Bing Qing have been following a light grey-robed Elder's team and had a displeased frown on her jade like forehead.
An family's team had only forty five people, and more than half were guards; but only fifteen were experienced escorts, and ten were youths in training. The later were her brother's people. An Yu Yong had divided the team in three parts, all were headed by an Elder. Aside the young men participating in the competition, there were five promising but inexperienced youths, she was put in a team with them; but she wasn't displeased because of this as the youths were strong and quick-witted but because her eldest brother had put most of the guards overseeing this team along with the guard's captain.
She looked hatefully toward the purple-robed figure leading the three teams.
An Yu Yong felt a stare on his back and turned his head back to look over his shoulder. He quickly spotted An Bing Qing who was now looking around with interest. He shook his head and continued to head towards east.
As they were striding forward, the Elders were explaining what kind of herbs could be found here; many of the young men already knew it as An family's library had many medical books, but they still listened carefully.
From time to time they will stop and pick up herbs or change directions to where some kind of herb could probably be found as the environment suggested it.
Hours passed by but An Bing Qing still hadn't got an opportunity to slip away. The only good thing was that she had remembered the looks of the surrounding area where the Blood Bud Roots were supposed to be. She had Shu's words in mind all the time, '-There wasn't something that special about that place. It was lush green as most of places there. Its only peculiarity being, it smelled like blood without being stained by it; but this bloody scent is different and you must pay attention, it had the fragrance of roses hidden within it'.
"A well hidden fragrance of roses but there isn't a field of them and many beasts gather around because of the bloody flavour. Thanks to this, the people who doesn't have a sharp nose to find the roses' perfume will avoid such an area", she whispered to herself.
The sun continued to descend west, about five o'clock, they set to eat.
An Yu Yong commanding voice sounded, "Captain Xiu Tu and..." he said another four names and ordered them to go looking for a source of water.
As they didn't bring servants along, he gave command after command to have the meal properly done. And of course, An Bing Qing was in charge of cooking, though he gave it a good thought before giving her the task as he was reluctant to let them taste his little sister craft.
After all things were brought, the clansmen were amazed as they saw their young miss skilfully deal with the hunted beasts. They had heard their young miss had given up cultivation three years ago but they also knew that a year later of such a declaration she had gotten one of An family's ancient heritages; though it was only a skill, many still had some expectation as it was the Ancient founder's wife skill and the people who can get a little something from that place were counted. But it seems one mustn't wish too much.
If An Yu Yong were to hear their thoughts, he will be mad. He is letting them taste his little sister craft and they dared to think about that. Only he knew how much he was craving to savour it.
Because there were many people, she decided to make a soup. She hadn't brought a pot and took out a pill cauldron; as she filled it with water, all looked towards her curiously. They saw her boiling water, 'Why would she...?' but before they could guess, she threw the boiling water away.
All saw her giving a satisfied nod and then filling it with water and boiling it again; but they were rendered speechless as they watched how she threw in the wild vegetables some people had gotten. They thought they were wrong but not long before, they heard a splashing sound; meat was falling into the boiling water now. They were silly staring, even An Yu Yong was a little taken a back but soon, he recovered his senses.
She was actually using a pill cauldron as a cooking pot!
Even though it was only an old pill cauldron of the lowest rank, it was highly valued.
The Elders were more shocked, they recognized the cauldron. An family was a medicine clan, in the past it had many doctors and even alchemists but with the passing time it had decayed so much that now it only sold herbs. That cauldron was the only cauldron left in the family, all the others had been exchanged for resources long ago; it wasn't because they didn't want to, but they simple couldn't move it from the treasury hall. They looked at each other and swallowed hard.
An Bing Qing was clueless of their thoughts. In her eyes this was an old one-earth pill cauldron as it was rusty and only had one crescent moon-shaped slit as ventilation in its upper body.
She finally sprinkled some coloured powders and closed the lid. She looked up and said without paying attention to their looks, "It will be ready in a quarter of an hour".
"Ah", all nodded in reply.
Seeing they hadn't snapped out completely, she added, "Won't you place some tables and damask mats?"
"Huh?"
"Ah, aye, aye, aye". The Great Elder waved his hand and the spacecraft appeared. He said as he pointed, "You five go in and take out some tables and mats… Right, bring the tableware as well".
"Yes".
The meal was ready. She opened the lid and a rich flavour wafted through the wind, watering the mouths of all the people present. She gave a nod as she lightly moved the scoop in the soup. She was about to beckon for someone to serve but suddenly remembered there weren't servants around, she thought and said with indifference, "You all line up!"
The people once again were frozen but soon they saw An Yu Yong quickly stepping forward with a bowl in hand; as it was being filled, the Elders also strode there and before long, there was a long line.
Meal time was very peaceful, all were eating with happy smiles and glittering eyes; many nodded from time to time.
An Bing Qing rose to her feet; although she was the last, she was the first to leave her bowl clean. She placed the left soup inside a big jade box and said, "There's still some soup left; if you want more, serve yourselves". They nodded unconsciously and had no time to be shocked again at how she was using such jade box.
She picked the pill cauldron and went to the guards' captain, she asked, "Where's the stream of water?"
He didn't know who asked him and pointed to his right, saying, "Just go straight; if you speed up, you will arrive in twenty minutes or so".
"Oh, thank you". She quietly left.
..........................
As the captain advised, she speeded up using her agility skill and reached the place in less than ten minutes.
She cleaned the pill cauldron on the river shore. She stopped until the food incense dissipated. She gave a last sniff, she half-nodded as a lingering fragrance suddenly wafted to her nose.
"This scent... it can't be..."
"Rumble", a thunderous rumbling was heard before she could make sense of her mumbling.
The ground was trembling and loud cries of beast resounded all around. She perked up her ears and the sound of flapping wings and heavy steps were clearly heard.
This wasn't a good situation but her eyes were jolly shinning, she excitedly exclaimed, "A good opportunity!"
She waved her wide sleeve to draw in the pill cauldron; then, she hastily climbed a tree. She made a good use of her unique skill and jumped from one tree to another, madly chasing the unnoticeable aroma lingering in the air.
Droves of mysterious beasts crashed against each other as they went way out of this forest on the ground below her. She had to dodge some flying beast every now and then, but she didn't stop nor cared about the flocking beasts. She was firmly staring forward with bright eyes as the imperceptible smell grew clearer to her carved nose.
She didn't know how much she jumped and wasn't aware what time now was. When she came to a stop on a high branch, the sky was dark and her breath was haggard; but as her gaze landed upon the fragrance origin, her body trembled and she covered her rosy mouth with both hands.
A beautiful field of greenery had a three meter wide brown space of messed up earth; but her pair of bewitching eyes didn't have its reflection. They only had the image of the squatting young man digging the earth. He was handsome beyond compare; his long white hair drifted with the slight breeze and his pale skin along his chiselled facial features glowed with the moonlight. He was clad in a purple robe as her eldest brother; but it wasn't a set of simple purple and yellow robes, the young man was wearing a deep purple one embroidered with silver thread which enhanced his devilish purple eyes.
"I-isn't him..." she stammered.