Meanwhile, Zhang Jian was in the kitchen whipping up vegetable soup and the delicious smell percolated through the entire house. Outside, Cerberus was wagging his tail as his hungry eyes glistened in anticipation of the delicacy to come.
"Woof! Woof!" he barked.
Zhang Jian complained aloud; "Whenever I cook soup, you bark ever so impatiently"
Still, he filled half of its bowl up with soup and gave it to him. Zhang Jian was taken aback by the way Cerberus licked his bowl.
"That's strange. I didn't know dogs liked vegetable soup."
Suddenly, he stooped wagging his tail and it stiffened as he thought;
"No! She's back again?"
As Wang Yan rode in on her sword in the air, an inaudible sound from afar struck her and echoed in her soul. Her Qi was instantly disrupted as she fought to regain her balance on the sword.
"This girl! You're back a second time?!"
The voice that startled her sounded like an old man. The Soul voice transmission came from quite a distance implying that she was well within his range of attack. Wang Yan hurriedly stated her business;
"A thousand apologies for trespassing. I merely seek to enquire about my master's whereabouts from the peerless master. I would be more than grateful to you if you could guarantee my passage through your space."
As if the entity had been deliberating, it replied shortly after taking its precious time;
"Fine. You may proceed."
Wang Yan surged forward having obtained permission and landed in front of the house.
"I wonder if it be considered as imposing if I bothered the senior."
As she contemplated her next move, a reassuring voice came to her;
"You are welcome to come in if you'd like."
Taken unawares, Wang Yan's pupils dilated in fright.
"So he anticipated my return? I can't say I'm surprised."
With the way he had found her, Zhang Jian assumed Wang Yan had been waiting for a long time on his porch. He did not know she had just touched down on her flying sword. Wang Yan accepted his invitation and met Cerberus on her way in. He didn't bark or accost her, the dog simply wagged his tail and watched her enter.
As she entered, Wang Yan was greeted by an air that was heavily saturated with a pleasant smell which instantly healed all her internal and external injuries.
"What delightful treasure is this?" she wondered to herself.
Every single sweat pore on her being opened to receive the fragrance. She was so overwhelmed with the potent healing that it felt like she was about to break through to another stage. Zhang Jian spiced up the soup some more with chili like condiments and added more water as well as a decent serving of bacon that was strung up on the lintel. Zhang Jian observed how skinny she was and thought to himself;
"She is so thin, I doubt she can stand her ground when the wind blows. I will be sure to give her enough bacon."
He didn't know that staying trim was part of the necessary requirements for cultivators. As soon as the impulsive Wang Yan entered the dining area, she shouted as her Qi bubbled within her;
"What a delicious smell!"
As her sweat pores absorbed the fragrance that stimulated her within, Zhang Jian saw her sweating profusely and asked;
"Hope it isn't too hot?"
Wang Yan thought he was hinting at the fact that the hotter it was, the quicker her breakthrough. "Come, taste my soup."
Zhang Jian had interrupted her before she could ask about her master so she obliged him. She was surprised that it was actually just vegetable soup with meat that had given off such a rich aroma. It looked very ordinary, but the Qi was not.
"This is some dense Qi! Senior you saw my pain and brewed this healing broth!"
Zhang Jian rummaged through his goods as he searched for an extra set of cutlery. He never really needed extra till this day so the only spare he had was an old ceramic bowl. He didn't even get to explain the reason before Wang Yan shocked him. She drained the bowl in the blink of an eye! Her otherwise flat stomach now protruded like a pot. Zhang Jian was so astonished all he could do was say;
"WHAT?"
Mortified, Wang Yan blushed and apologized politely;
"I'm sorry but it was so delicious that I could not restrain myself."
Her protruding tummy made her look ridiculous in an endearing way. She had completely lost herself in the sumptuous dish. Zhang Jian dismissed her apologies quickly.
"Relax, forget about etiquettes for now."
Wang Yan flashed her tongue at him mischievously.
Zhang Jian wasn't actually annoyed with her, in fact, he wanted to know her take on his culinary skills;
"But is it really that great?"
Zhang Jian had gotten all the ingredients locally so it wasn't all that far from the ordinary. It appeared the young girl hadn't been treated right under the old man's care so he resolved to have it out with him in the event that their paths crossed again.
"You're in luck, there's actually an abundance of chopsticks here."
Wang Yan wanted to decline as Zhang Jian offered her a pair of chopsticks, but her urge was stronger than her will, not to mention the compassionate look he gave her. She picked up some bean sprouts with glee and tasted them. Sure enough, they dissolved in her mouth and morphed into a stream of Qi that permeated through her; healing and improving her body! A portion of it went to her mind and the rest poured into the openings in her being. She delved into the rest of the meal with renewed vigor.
"So I can actually enhance my skill by eating?" she thought tearfully.
Zhang Jian saw her tears was confused. She really must have been poorly treated by Xiao Luo to be acting up over a simple, home-cooked meal.
"Have as much as you can. It's yours."
Wang Yan soon discovered every meal dish had its purpose. Bean sprouts improved skill, vegetables enhanced the senses, and fruits merged her meridians.
Seeing the mess she had made while she had eaten, as well Zhang Jian's intense gaze, Wang Yan was mortified as she wished the ground could open up and swallow her. Zhang Jian didn't judge her, instead he pitied her.
"Pace yourself. If you are not satisfied, I can get you some more if you'd like."
Wang Yan's eyes widened at Zhang Jian's compassion. It was evident in his eyes that he truly meant it. Astonished, she replied curtly;
"No Senior!"
His kindness crippled her. She knew that it had been wrong of her to assume that Zhang Jian and the old man intimate friends. Nothing in Xiao Luo's arsenal could ever come close to something of this nature. Zhang Jian was the real deal, a real veteran who was unmatched on so many levels. She whipped her luscious hair back and asked; "Please senior, the primary reason I am here is to find out where is my master is."
Zhang Jian retained his placid composure on the outside, but deep down, he pondered on her words;
"So Xiao Luo didn't go home that day." He thought.
At that very moment, while he was still brooding over the matter at hand, a sudden knock on the door disrupted his thoughts. Zhang Jian smiled for the knocking pattern was consistent with that of someone he knew very well. Turning to Wang Yan, he said confidently;
"Get the door and you find that which your heart seeks for."
Coincidentally, the visitor chose that very moment to erupt in peals of laughter. The rich laughter was infectious and it rang throughout the house;
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Zhang my friend! How have you been old chap?"
The visitor had let himself in and he seemed to know is way around the house as he made his way through the yard and passed Cerberus' kernel. Wang Yan's face lit up at the sound of the familiar voice and she yelled excitedly;
"Master!"