Despite Jingya's protests, Yuan Zhaoxian insisted on helping with meal preparation and ended up seeing it through to completion.
But she felt no particular interest in his eccentric behavior.
Right now, Jingya was caught in an inescapable, sticky sense of unease.
'How exactly is he evading my eyes?'
The First Young Master was clearly before her eyes, but that was all the information her 'eyes' could read.
What he was thinking, what his emotional state was, what his next action would be.
Her 'eyes' couldn't read anything.
"Come now. Don't just stand there, sit here too."
"How could this lowly one share a table with the First Young Master?"
She had tried to refuse since setting the table, but this First Young Master clearly had no intention of listening to her words at all.
"Come now. I'm telling you to sit down right now."
In the end, she had no choice but to obey her master's command.
Inwardly sighing, Jingya closed her eyes tightly and sat across from the First Young Master.
If anyone heard that she had shared a private meal with the First Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Clan, who would believe it?
"Mmm. This seasoned dish is really good. You have skill. It's humble yet the flavors have soaked in well."
"...It's just an insignificant skill."
Though she couldn't tell if the food was going into his mouth or nose, somehow the rice went down particularly well.
Come to think of it, she had only had a bowl of rice porridge at dawn.
Or perhaps it was because the ingredients used in these dishes were grown directly in Wang Pavilion.
Due to the formation's effect, Wang Pavilion maintained early spring temperatures even in this mid-winter.
"Hmm. Speaking of which, are you no longer feeling dizzy from the formation?"
Jingya covered her mouth and answered demurely.
"Yes. It seems to be thanks to your care and concern."
At that, Yuan Zhaoxian nodded as if understanding something with a "hmm."
"Good. I'm glad. Sometimes there are people sensitive to energy like that. Even without Inner Power."
"Is- Is that so?"
"And those eyes close to golden... Hmm."
"..."
Jingya's composure wavered again.
Regarding the 'eyes,' even Jingya only knew what she had experienced personally.
Anxiety about whether the First Young Master might notice something about her eyes mixed with anticipation that she might learn the true nature of her eyes, which were no different from heaven's punishment.
Just then, Yuan Zhaoxian, who had been thinking with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
"Mm...!"
"...!"
Jingya suppressed her nervousness.
"I think I should have another bowl after all. Fill it up high again."
"...Yes, First Young Master."
In the end, the First Young Master ate five more bowls of rice, and during that time, he didn't say another word about her constitution.
He only made small talk.
"...Hmm. Still feels a bit lacking."
The First Young Master clicked his tongue again.
"...I apologize. Should I cook more rice?"
The generous amount of rice was all gone, and the First Young Master had even finished the scorched rice by mixing it with water.
"No. A moderate lack is good."
Though she couldn't see how this could be considered 'moderate,' Jingya nodded.
"Then I'll prepare plenty of snacks to go with after-dinner tea."
"Hmm. Tea would be nice, but I'd prefer alcohol right now."
"...Yes. I'll prepare plenty of side dishes to go with it."
"Haha. You're quite perceptive."
Jingya hid her dismay and headed back to the kitchen.
Although preparing meals for a master with such a large appetite would be more tiring, wasn't it still better than someone who was picky or had particular tastes?
After she withdrew, Yuan Zhaoxian rubbed his stomach and tilted his head.
"...This is strange."
He had clearly been someone who ate little.
Half a bowl of rice.
A few side dishes, pickled or seasoned.
And a bowl of hot soup was more than enough to satisfy him, he remembered clearly.
Yet strangely, he still felt hungry now.
This wasn't just a matter of eating a lot or a little.
Five bowls of rice, a pot's worth of scorched rice, and all sorts of dishes and soups...
With this amount, he should feel some satisfaction, but what he felt now was like the slight hunger just before having a late-night snack.
If he had to guess the reason...
'Dark Scripture.'
An ancient demonic artifact.
The ultimate artifact woven together by three immortals sacrificing their everything.
Could this hunger be caused by that demonic artifact?
A moment later, Yuan Zhaoxian let out a bitter laugh.
'The price for obtaining an artifact that can reverse time and overturn fate is just never feeling full?'
Besides, even if that were the case, what of it?
He was the legitimate heir of this damnably wealthy clan.
Even when countless commoners outside were dying twisted from starvation, he could eat until he was full.
He could eat an entire cow every day and it wouldn't be a problem.
At that moment, he didn't hear it.
The small, ominous giggling sound from his lower abdomen, his dantian.
And he went on to consume enough side dishes to feed five or six grown men.
***
"Oh my..."
It was already midnight, but Yuan Zhaoxian couldn't fall asleep.
The hunger had returned.
"..."
He started to call for Jingya again but stopped himself.
Although he had been teasing Jingya in various ways, he drew the line at appearing like a hungry ghost rather than just a big eater.
And fundamentally, this hunger definitely seemed to have some cause.
While he had several hypotheses, for now, dealing with the hunger came first.
He got up and gathered his clothes to put them on.
Previously, when he couldn't sleep due to restlessness, he would wander the night streets of Luoyang.
The tavern districts of Luoyang, one of the largest cities in the Central Plains, were lit up all night like a city that never sleeps, so satisfying his hunger wouldn't be a problem.
If he quietly slipped out of the main house like this, several guards would follow him while showing their clear displeasure.
His previous self, without a shred of Inner Power, had no way to deceive the clan's eyes.
But...
For some reason today, he felt there was no need to go out like that.
Should he say something, or rather something, was calling him?
Like when someone suddenly calls your name from behind and you reflexively turn around.
Like turning around like that, he took a step.
"...?!"
And he found himself standing at the top of a massive conifer.
It was the tallest and oldest tree among the conifers forming Wang Pavilion's formation.
"What is this...?"
Just then, the branch he was standing on swayed slightly.
It was a weak and thin branch that would break even if a small child hung from it, yet somehow it only swayed slightly as if in the wind.
Moreover, though he should have felt dizzy looking down from such a height, somehow his mind was the very essence of peace.
In his mind, questions about how he could have climbed this tall tree, or what skill allowed him to stand on such a delicate branch, disappeared.
There was just a strange confidence that he 'could do it.'
He didn't even know what he could do.
It felt like it wasn't his own thought or feeling, but something or someone whispering to him.
[...Disciple of Darkness, you can do it.]
"...Yes. I can do it."
And so Yuan Zhaoxian took a step beyond the branch.
And the next moment he was standing on the tiles of the Sword Clan's towering pavilion.
A voice unconsciously escaped his lips.
"So this is it."
Yuan Zhaoxian felt it.
He understood intuitively.
This was moving from darkness to darkness.
Was it like the legendary ground-shrinking technique that folded space?
Or did he pass through some kind of passage?
Demonic energy that didn't belong to him was oozing thickly from his body.
It was a technique of the twisted immortal realm, permitted only to beings who lived and breathed in demonic energy,
A movement technique that wasn't a movement technique, solely for the Dark Scripture's disciple.
[Dark Flow Transformation]
With that, his body dissolved into the air.
On the roof tiles where only faint moonlight shone, no trace could be found anymore.
Only the slight demonic energy that swirled briefly before dispersing with the wind indicated that he had been there.
***
An inn in Luoyang.
It was a place known by word of mouth for its delicious food, with many regulars as well as gourmets who came after hearing rumors.
A young waiter who had grown up working there was experiencing something indescribably strange.
Though he had thought that despite being only twelve years old, he had seen it all and nothing could surprise him.
But what was unfolding before his eyes now?
Sensing that this was beyond his handling, he quickly ran to find his senior.
"What?!"
The senior who heard the young waiter's story decided he needed to see it for himself to believe it.
And when he looked in the direction the young waiter's trembling finger pointed from the stairs, he was struck dumb.
This inn was famous for its food to begin with, so it wasn't unusual even at this late hour to have customers coming for meals rather than drinks.
Meeting gourmets who lived for the pleasure of eating large amounts of food was common at such an inn, and he thought nothing could surprise him about big eaters.
But what was he seeing now?
As the waiter watched the scene for a moment, he noticed something strange.
'Why are there so few customers on this floor?'
Only a few customers remained, staying as far as possible from 'that table.'
And even those remaining customers were preparing to leave their seats.
Usually, a big eater would draw attention from those around them.
Some would cheer when new dishes were brought, some would offer encouragement, some would click their tongues, but he had never seen a case like this in his life.
'What kind of sorcery is this?'
As he kept watching that direction for a while.
He felt his legs give out and collapsed on the spot.
"Huk...!"
And when he looked to the side, the young waiter had also collapsed with a pale face.
Without thinking twice, he ran down the stairs as if rolling.
In fact, he did roll on the first floor.
"Hey! What's going on?!"
The owner, who prided himself on his impressive build, strode quickly to the waiter.
"Master...! Master...!"
The waiter frantically grabbed the owner's trouser leg and called out in a low voice.
As if afraid someone might hear his voice.
"It's a hungry ghost...! A hungry ghost from hell has appeared...!"