“Chef advances fast because of his high standard in cultivation practice.” Shen Ying looked at him in exasperation. Rolling her eyes at him she said, “His sword techniques are self-created, his cultivation is built up through self-practice and his epiphanies is also a result of his self-discovery. Yes, you provide for his needs… But even if that’s the case, what business is it of yours, why are you comparing yourself with him?”

　　“But…”

　　“But what! Yi Qing is Yi Qing, you are you. You are from different worlds, there is basically no karmic tie between the two of you. Why must you make yourself unhappy by always thinking of keeping up with others?” Clucking her tongue she admonished, “Father Niu, should you be acting up at your age?”

　　“This is different.”

　　“What’s different about it? When you were in modern times, weren’t you constantly losing sleep over the fact that Bill Gates was richer than you?”

　　“…” Lonemoon could find no words to rebut her.

　　-_-|||

　　“Everyone is different, their personalities are different, their circumstances are different, and their fates will naturally be different.” She continued, “If you insist on comparing, why don’t you pick someone from your hometown, like me?”

　　“…” Who wants to be compared with a cheat like you!

　　(#‵′)凸

　　“Everyone has their own strengths, don’t just focus on your cultivation, when it comes to making money, which one of us is your match? Didn’t you con Feng Ying into handing over a two-third share of Soul Chasing Tower just two days ago?”

　　“I did not con him!” Lonemoon glared at her. “I’m the middleman of the three Azure Worlds, providing him with news from both the lower and middle worlds. Taking a two third cut is only fair.”

　　Snorting in disgust, Shen Ying retorted, “Isn’t the news supplied by rabbit? You do nothing, yet you demanded a lion’s share. You cooked up this scheme so you could reap all the benefits without investing a single cent! Besides, nobody in the Upper Azure World bothers about the news in the lower worlds. ”

　　“He voluntarily signed the contract, can’t blame me.” Smiling his fake businessman’s smile, Lonemoon defended himself. Then, casting a glance at her, he said, “Isn’t it all for your sakes that I’m working my butt off, generating income for the sect?! I’m doing all this to feed you foodies!”

　　“Yes, yes, yes! Father Niu V5 ¹ , you are the greatest!”

　　“Hmmph!” That goes without saying.

　　“Anyway… Don’t doubt yourself because other people are better than you.” Still munching on her pastry, she said, “Aren’t you cultivators always saying there are three thousand paths leading to the Great Dao? Since everyone follows a different path, what’s the point of comparing?”

　　“…” Lonemoon fell silent. Indeed, there were many paths to the Great Dao. Yi Qing and he were separate entities. The cultivation of Dao actually means cultivating one’s own Dao, it does not concern other people. Yi Qing’s breakthroughs were his karma. The fact that he, Lonemoon could transmigrate to this world, was also his karma. So why bother himself with trivialities.

　　Instantly, a brightness lit up his entire soul, and the self-pity that had been eating away at him vanished. He could feel something in his body stirring; it was as if the wall that been preventing his breakthrough was showing signs of crumbling.

　　“Thanks, I get it now.” Thanking her with a smile, Lonemoon grabbed the plate from Shen Ying and stuffed the last three pastries into his mouth.

　　“…”

　　Σ(°△°|||)

　　“Didn’t you bring these for me?” said Lonemoon, raising his brows tauntingly. “Go, go, go, bring me a few more plates of pastries.”

　　“…” Damnit, if not because Chef was going into seclusion, she would not have bothered with this spoiled brat!

　　“Don’t think I don’t know what’s on your mind?” said Lonemoon, glaring at her. “Isn’t it because now that Chef is going into seclusion, you’re hoping that I’ll give you more allowance so you can

　　dine at the restaurants in the city?”

　　“Er…” Had Father Niu implanted a listening device in her head? That’s really scary!

　　(⊙_⊙)

　　“Here!” Lonemoon passed a few bags of spirit stones to her, saying, “For you. I’m in a happy mood today.”

　　Shen Ying could not believe her eyes when she saw the number of gleaming spirit stones in the bags.

　　“Father Niu, you… you are not sick, are you?” Shen Ying reached her hand out to touch his forehead.

　　“Scram!” Slapping her hand away, he warned, “If you don’t leave I’m going to take it back.”

　　“Yes Father, no problem Father!”

　　Shen Ying got up and walked towards the summit. After just a few steps, she heard Lonemoon’s voice calling out after her.

　　“Oh, I almost forgot. I don’t know how long it takes to wake up from my epiphany, so those are two months living expenses for Invincible Sect.”

　　As soon as Lonemoon finished speaking, a white aura suddenly swept through the entire sect.

　　The Spirit Qi in his entire body surged up and he was completely immersed in his epiphany.

　　Holding on to her bags, Shen Ying mumbled “What the hell!”

　　——————

　　Father Niu’s epiphany lasted over two months. His cultivation level rose from early stage Soul Formation to its late stage. This was the first time he experienced a jump in cultivation level, and boy, was it great! Suddenly, he felt a tinge of regret at not have gone earlier to Shen Ying for a heart-to-heart talk. Her words contained a beneficial Buff. [2. Slang. https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/4221/etymology-of-buff-and-nerf-as-used-in-video-game-slang]. If he had done so earlier, his cultivation would have progressed faster.

　　“The beef is overcooked, there’s not enough pepper in the chicken, the fish is too mushy, the soup is not thick enough. Father Niu, you don’t have enough respect for these little animals… why not let Little Hong do it?”

　　“Shut up!” Lonemoon’s mouth twitched. To hell with her! After just five minutes with her, his blood pressure was already rising. “Either eat up or scram!”

　　“…” I’m not even allowed to criticize bad cooking. Sad.

　　(#‵′)凸

　　“By the way, are you close to Yi Feng?” asked Lonemoon. Having finished cooking, Lonemoon placed the last dish on the table.

　　“Who?” asked Shen Ying. The name did not ring a bell. She picked up a piece of meat, put it into her mouth and immediately grimaced.

　　“Yi Feng is the Yi Family Patriarch,” explained Lonemoon. Then he added, “At the sect competition- he was the one with the spirit beast who sat on your right.”

　　A picture of a huge trembling cat flashed across Shen Ying’s mind and she exclaimed, “Oh! You mean the cat slave.”

　　“…” What do you mean cat slave. “That’s just his spirit beast.”

　　“We met twice. I don’t know him well,” replied Shen Ying, her hand stealthily pushing the piece of meat over the table.

　　Glaring at her, Lonemoon picked up another pair of chopsticks on the table and rapped her on the knuckles with it. “Don’t throw it away, finish it! You know you can only dine at a restaurant every three days. You make sure you finish up your food. Don’t waste it.”

　　You beast!

　　Shen Ying’s mouth twitched. How she missed the chef who was now in seclusion. She was so used to the chef’s fine dining cooking that having to eat food cooked by Father Niu was pure torture.

　　“That’s weird. Why did he suddenly send you an invitation?” Lonemoon pulled out a red invitation card and passed it to her. “I received it this morning. It says you are invited to Yi Family for a discussion on beast control. It’s addressed to you and not the sect master of Invincible Sect.”

　　Shen Ying looked at the invitation card. After a moment, she said, “Oh, I think I promised him I would accompany him to hunt for rare animals when I was free.”

　　“No wonder…” Lonemoon nodded. “The last time he was in the Immortal Ascension Pagoda, his Lion Roaring Beast, Silver Snow, was injured critically. I believe the purpose of his invitation, besides building a good relationship with our sect, is to look for a new spirit beast.”

　　A thought struck Shen Ying and eyes brightening, she asked, “Is the Yi Family residence very far from here?”

　　“The Yi Family is situated at the northernmost part of the Upper Azure World, close to the Mirage Sea Shore. It is indeed very far, about four to five days’ journey if we go by transportation array.”

　　“Then why don’t we leave now…”

　　“Finish your food before leaving!” Lonemoon pointed at the chopsticks she had discarded on the table.

　　“…”

　　Chef, if you don’t come out of seclusion soon, I’m going to lose my sense of taste.