Destiny in Cinders

Dreamless nights tended to be the most restful ones. An Jing slept like a log, longer than he usually did, probably from expending too much energy during combat or letting his guard down after finding safe refuge.

By the time he opened his eyes, Madam Huai and Huo Qing were already awake and preparing breakfast. The two of them chatted cheerfully as they prepared the ingredients. Huo Qing was quite a stickler for food while Madam Huai’s years of experience had equipped her with some rather particular opinions about how food should be prepared and consumed. In her youth, she had been the pastry master at the street in Keensight where she lived, having invented lots of different varieties through repeated experimentation.

”I can’t imagine that the badlands would have an old lady so accomplished in the ways of culinary arts like you!” Huo Qing exclaimed. ”Forget the seventeen towns of Mortality Plains. I don’t think there’s a chef more experienced than you even in Deepnight City!”

”Hoho. You’re quite the promising young lad yourself,” Madam Huai said joyfully. ”One look and I could tell that you’re a fellow chaser of the culinary ideal. A man of culture with the skills to back it up too. Your future exploits will surely surpass the heights of my achievement.”

”You’re too kind, madam.”

”Don’t be so humble. You really are good.”

An Jing was stunned by how well they got along but soon snapped out of it. Madam Huai was well aware that she was from another world, so she kept those details sparse. But Huo Qing was An Jing’s friend, so staying too quiet would cause his suspicion to rise. Thankfully, the old lady was quite the conversational master and managed to steer it the way she wanted, obtaining tidbits of information from Huo Qing and immediately using it to supplement her cover identity as a badlander.

Damn, the elderly experience is nothing to scoff at. An Jing marveled at how the unlikely pair had so many shared interests that they could talk about. Madam Huai was teaching Huo Qing how to make steamed sponge cake with large grain, rice flour and sugar. She also taught him a simple stir-fried-milk dish using milk, eggs and canned meat. Initially, she wanted to make an even more traditional breakfast, but Huo Qing was more interested in dim sum and wanted her to demonstrate how to make it for him.

”Oh, An Jing, you’re awake!” Huo Qing noticed the movement and turned around with a bright smile. ”I’ve been busy as of late and haven’t had the time to cook proper food. This time, I’ll serve you a feast! Madam Huai knows so much about the culinary arts. I bet your tribe must be quite impressive. I don’t think there are many that have such good access to food to be able to afford to research on how best to prepare them!”

It didn’t seem out of place to Huo Qing at all. A tribe that could raise a genius like An Jing had to be a large one. Perhaps they had even settled a town. After all, there wasn’t a rule that towns could only be built in safezones. The badlands were just as habitable apart from being a more dangerous location in general. For instance, the Justice Restoration Army’s underground spirit-vein city was located outside the safe zone, but that was a story for another day.

Either way, Huo Qing basically surmised that An Jing’s earlier mission was just a simple badlands rescue mission and didn’t suspect anything else. Madam Huai nodded to An Jing without needing to say a word. Having left the teahouse, she seemed far more relaxed than before, as if she had been free of her bindings.

”My tribe... is indeed decent.” An Jing looked at the girl on the couch. You Ruhui was still asleep, no doubt from the stress of being on the run for so long. She hadn’t gotten a chance to properly let loose for a long time.

An Jing rose and asked, ”Is there anything I can help with? I’m sure you could use an extra pair of hands.”

Apart from the stir-fried milk and steamed sponge cake, Huo Qing wanted to boil some beans, mushrooms and meat for soup. As An Jing sliced away at the mushrooms, he asked his friend about what he talked to the madam about. It turned out that Huo Qing didn’t learn much about their true circumstances from their conversation. Instead, he was the one who was giving information away.

”Huo Qing, I think you should focus on social skills rather than cultivation for now.”

”Huh? What do you mean?” He didn’t quite get it but didn’t mind it either. Eventually, the soup’s fragrance started to waft nonstop from the boiling pot.

”Mmmhmm... Was I asleep for too long?” You Ruhui woke by the time the mushroom-meat soup was done. Her veil had been removed, putting her flawless trouble-magnet of a face on full display. It turned out that the stereotype that imperial princesses of Grand Chen was not false at all. She was the living example of one.

Even so, that wasn’t a big deal for the other three present. As far as An Jing was concerned, beauty was only a facet of good, symmetrical muscle distribution. It was a talent in its own way and he didn’t think too much about it. As for Madam Huai, she had seen many beauties in her long life and also spoiled the girl like she was her own granddaughter and had no doubt seen her face long before, so she didn’t react at all.

”Wow, I didn’t think that your tribe had such impressive body-modification techniques.” Huo Qing, on the other hand, was filled with praise. As far as he was concerned, this was the result of cosmetic surgery or implants, though that was likely due to the fact that he hadn’t come across enough people to be able to tell.

Beauty, whether natural or acquired, didn’t look that different on the surface, but You Ruhui’s noble air wasn’t something that could be faked. Anyone who was less naive than Huo Qing would be able to tell that she was the real deal. As if understanding that fact, she quickly put her veil back on.

Huo Qing’s cooking turned out to be quite good, no doubt thanks to Madam Huai’s guidance. The soup had been allowed to simmer at just the right heat to break down the beans into smooth, homogenous chunks, which perfectly complemented the fresh flavors of the meat and mushrooms. Swallowing a mouthful of soup instantly warmed up the whole body. Biting into the sweet sponge cake or having some savory stir-fried milk right after completed the tapestry of prime palatal ecstasy.

”Once I find some suitable property listings, we can head out to Hilltwixt Town together.” Huo Qing finished up his meal and went on to man the counter of the recycling house. In between dealing with customers, he also used his chip to surf the net to help An Jing with his property search.

This was the kind of peaceful life that most people like Huo Qing knew. After his parents passed away in his childhood, he always had a senior look out for him during his time in the gang. As most of his duties in the gang were clerical, he had never been sent to the battlefield, save for that one time, which led him to An Jing.

After leaving the gang to take refuge with Metalhand, his days were filled with nothing but studying and cultivating. To him, days like these were normal and not something to be particularly cherished. But to An Jing and You Ruhui, peaceful moments were few and far between. They were thankful to have the chance to relax like that.

”If you want more food, I can make more,” Madam Huai said when she noticed the two youths in a good mood.

”Why, aren’t you eager, madam?” An Jing wouldn’t turn down the chance to eat more delicacies. He just didn’t expect that Madam Huai could still be so optimistic and joyful despite knowing that she didn’t have many days left.

”He’s a good child, that one,” Madam Huai said, looking in Huo Qing’s direction with a sigh. ”His parents passed on when he was really young and he ended up betrayed by his seniors too. Just like me, he was saved by a benefactor. If someone who has endured far tougher hardships like him can still be so open and joyous, I should be even more thankful for the relative peace I’ve enjoyed throughout my life.”

It seemed that she had even unearthed Huo Qing’s past and Gunner’s betrayal.