Chapter 26

As Shen Dachui and the other person walked, they suddenly saw a handsome young man appear ahead, about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a coarse white shirt, carrying a bag in his hand, and walking with a graceful and lively gait, ascending the steps.

"Please stop, young man!" Shen Dachui hurriedly called out loudly.

The young man turned around, and upon seeing Shen Dachui and his companion, his eyes showed a look of curiosity.

"Salutations, young man. I am Shen Dachui of the Divine Forging lineage." Shen Dachui clasped his hands in greeting.

"Nice to meet you, Elder Shen." The young man, seeing the old man's polite manner, also behaved courteously, "I am Zhong Wen of the Drifting Flower Palace."

It turned out that this young man was Zhong Wen, who had just returned from the cave where Leng Wushuang was hiding.

"So you're a young lady!" When Shen Dachui heard "Drifting Flower Palace," he stared at Zhong Wen up and down, greatly surprised, "I apologize for my poor eyesight."

"I am a man!" Zhong Wen's face turned dark, his head full of black lines.

"But I heard that the Drifting Flower Palace does not accept male disciples." Shen Dachui, feeling embarrassed, quickly explained.

"I am the head chef and physician at the Drifting Flower Palace." Zhong Wen, no longer wanting to deal with him, turned to leave.

"Grumble~"

At that moment, Shen Xiaowan's stomach let out a loud growl: "Grandpa, I'm so hungry!"

Zhong Wen, not expecting a young lady to have such a hearty growl, curiously examined the not-so-little middle loli in front of him.

Shen Xiaowan looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, with delicate features, about half a head taller than Lin Xiaodie. Her yellow shirt was somewhat worn, and her slim figure suggested she might be hungry. Her skin was pale, but her large, bright eyes sparkled with vitality.

Shen Dachui's face turned red, and he chuckled awkwardly, "Please forgive us, young man. This is my granddaughter, Shen Xiaowan. We've been out for a while, and we didn't bring enough money. We haven't had a proper meal for two days. Could we perhaps go up the mountain to ask for some food?"

"Grandpa, I want to eat meat!" Shen Xiaowan protested from the side.

Shen Dachui covered his face, feeling a headache from his granddaughter's lack of restraint.

"I'm just a chef, I can't make decisions." Zhong Wen, seeing the pitiful middle loli Shen Xiaowan, sighed, "Follow me up the mountain. If you have any matters, please speak directly with Palace Master Lin."

"Thank you, young man." Shen Dachui clasped his hands in gratitude.

The grandfather and granddaughter followed Zhong Wen for a while and soon saw the misty mountain top, where an ancient building appeared faintly behind the spiritual mist.

As they got closer, they could see the golden characters "Drifting Flower Palace" on the gate of the building.

Stepping into the courtyard, they saw a beautiful girl in red practicing swordsmanship. The long sword in her hands danced gracefully, creating several illusions.

What a diligent girl.

Zhong Wen, watching Liu Qiqi's intense practice, felt deeply moved.

"Zhong Wen, who are these two?" Liu Qiqi, seeing Zhong Wen with an old man and a young girl, stopped her practice and asked.

"These are Elder Shen and Miss Shen of the Divine Forging lineage. They have come to speak with Palace Master Lin." Zhong Wen avoided using the term "beg for food," saving face for Shen Dachui.

"Take them to the hall and sit down. I'll go call Master." Liu Qiqi volunteered.

"Such a beautiful sister." Shen Xiaowan said, watching Liu Qiqi walk away.

At that moment, in the hall, Qiao Erniang was directing four young maids to clean. Upon hearing Zhong Wen's words, she knew guests had arrived and warmly greeted them, sending a maid to prepare tea.

There really are only women here!

Shen Dachui looked around and found that, apart from Zhong Wen, there was not a single man. He became more curious about how Zhong Wen managed to stay on the mountain.

If it were up to him, a man should not live in such a place filled with women. Even staying for a few days would make him feel uncomfortable.

Soon, Lin Zhiyun appeared in the hall.

"Wow, sister, you are so beautiful!" Seeing Lin Zhiyun's extraordinary beauty, Shen Xiaowan couldn't help but exclaim loudly.

Lin Zhiyun was taken aback. Seeing that the one praising her was a pretty young girl, her eyes softened.

"Palace Master Lin." Shen Dachui hurriedly stepped forward to greet her.

The old man, with profound cultivation, looked only about sixty but was actually over a hundred years old. He had long lost interest in matters of men and women, but he was still stunned by Lin Zhiyun's beauty.

"This must be Senior Shen." Lin Zhiyun's demeanor was graceful and polite, clearly from a noble family. "I have heard of the Divine Forging lineage's great name. What brings you here, Senior?"

I'm here to beg for food.

Shen Dachui thought to himself. He hadn't expected Lin Zhiyun to treat him with such respect, making it hard for him to explain the real reason.

"Grumble~"

Fortunately, Shen Xiaowan's stomach growled loudly, breaking the ice.

"Please forgive us." Shen Dachui seized the opportunity, "We left in a hurry and haven't had breakfast. We must have caused you some inconvenience."

"It's my fault for not considering it." Lin Zhiyun, understanding, said, "It's almost noon. Since you've come from afar, why don't you join us for a meal at the Drifting Flower Palace?"

"Great, great, sister, you're so nice!" Before the old man could pretend to decline, Shen Xiaowan eagerly agreed, her eyes wide with hunger. Shen Dachui felt embarrassed and couldn't maintain his dignified demeanor.

"Palace Master Lin, my granddaughter has extraordinary talent and a very large appetite. I'm afraid..."

"It's fine. I'll have Zhong Wen prepare more ingredients." Lin Zhiyun said without concern.

"I'm ashamed, but we'll have to impose on you." Shen Dachui said, feeling uneasy.

...

"Wow, so many beautiful sisters!" At the dining table, seeing Shangguan Mingyue and Yin Ning'er arrive, Shen Xiaowan couldn't help but exclaim again, her eyes gleaming like those of a middle-aged pervert.

Lin Xiaodie, a little loli, met a middle loli only a few years older than herself and couldn't help but curiously examine her, unsure whether to grab food first or start a conversation.

Zhong Wen's cooking was so delicious that any moment of inattention would result in an empty plate.

Zhong Wen, seeing that Shangguan Junyi was still cultivating, packed some food and brought it to her. When he returned to the hall, he found that the food on the table had been completely devoured.

How long has it been! He was shocked.

The women in the room, seeing him return, stared at him with their big, watery eyes, looking almost pitiful.

Shen Dachui, standing to the side, rubbed his hands, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Only Shen Xiaowan, leaning lazily in her chair, patted her round, full belly, looking unsatisfied.

"Zhong Wen." The little loli ran up to Zhong Wen, tugging at his sleeve with a pitiful look, "I'm hungry."

Zhong Wen: "..."

"I'm so sorry, so sorry." Shen Dachui, facing a group of beautiful women, felt utterly humiliated, "My granddaughter, oh..."

The old man's reputation was at stake!

"Cooking brother, your food is really delicious." Shen Xiaowan, oblivious, said, "I've never eaten anything so good in my life. It's a bit too little, though. Can we have more?"

"Girl, be quiet!" Shen Dachui quickly scolded.

"It's fine!" Zhong Wen, understanding the situation, smiled, "I heard Miss Shen has a big appetite, so I prepared some chicken buns. I'll go get them."

Hearing there was more food, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but their eyes looked at Shen Xiaowan with a hint of wariness.

She's a formidable opponent!

Soon, a stack of steamer baskets was brought out from the kitchen, piled high and almost touching the ceiling.

Zhong Wen placed the baskets on the table, lifting the lids one by one, and the aroma of chicken filled the hall.

"Enjoy while it's hot." Zhong Wen said.

As soon as he finished speaking, the women couldn't wait to reach for their chopsticks, their speed astonishing. Zhong Wen could tell that some of them were using spiritual energy.

The four young maids brought by Qiao Erniang, who hadn't cultivated any techniques, were at a disadvantage in the battle for buns, each one almost in tears.

Shen Xiaowan grabbed a chicken bun with each hand, took a bite, and found it incredibly delicious. She quickly swallowed it and looked up to see that most of the buns on the table had already been eaten. She pounced, grabbing as many as she could.

The women, who had been graceful and beautiful like fairies, now looked like fierce demons, making Shen Dachui's spine chill. He was more convinced that this place was not for humans.

Women are truly terrifying!

While thinking this, Shen Dachui took a bite of the bun in his hand. It was indeed delicious.

After the meal, the women who had been like mad demons a moment ago now sat elegantly at the table, drinking tea as if nothing had happened.

"Earlier, I heard some villagers talking about Palace Master Lin's kindness. They said you gave them food and drink. I didn't quite believe it." Shen Dachui took a sip of tea, sighed, and said sincerely, "Now I see that you truly have a compassionate heart, which is truly admirable."

"What?" Lin Zhiyun was puzzled, "No one came up the mountain just now, and I didn't give any food to the villagers."

"Could it be another disciple of the Drifting Flower Palace?"

"Besides the two of you, no one else has come to the Drifting Flower Palace today." Liu Qiqi shook her head, "I was in the courtyard all morning. If anyone had come, I would have seen them."

"That's strange." Shen Dachui was puzzled.

"Elder Shen, have you offended anyone recently?" Zhong Wen suddenly thought of something, "Or are there any powerful enemies of the Divine Forging lineage?"

"Our lineage has been in seclusion for many years. Who could be our enemy? If I offended anyone..." Shen Dachui paused, then continued, "A few days ago, the 'Sword Supreme' of the Xiao family wanted to take my Sun and Moon Divine Sword. We had a fight."

"The 'Sword Supreme' Xiao Wenjian?" Shangguan Mingyue's face turned pale, "The second on the Great Dry Heroes List?"

"That's right. That boy is indeed as famous as his reputation. If it weren't for my weapon, I wouldn't know who would win." Shen Dachui's words had a hint of boasting. Without the Sun and Moon Divine Sword, he would have lost for sure.

Not good, we've been tricked!

Shangguan Mingyue and Zhong Wen exchanged a glance, their minds clear.

With a loud bang, the main gate of the Drifting Flower Palace was smashed open, the two door panels flying off their hinges and crashing into the courtyard walls, one of them breaking into two pieces.

A tall figure appeared at the gate.

The second on the Great Dry Heroes List, the dragon of the Xiao family, the "Sword Supreme."

Xiao Wenjian!