Chapter 119: Sweet Noodle Sauce Soup

“Princess isn’t leaving?” Cheng Guan asked Yu Xiaoxiao.

Yu Xiaoxiao shook her head. At the same time, she had already managed to polish off three veggie-buns into her stomach. Cheng Guan exhaled and went to pick up the bowl of soup. Wang Yue looked at his master, then at the two high-ranking monks in the room, before giving an involuntary shudder. Yu Xiaoxiao was still staring at Wen Fenglin’s followers. These were the same monks who had dug out the Zhuri merchants she planted in he ground, but now they weren’t wearing hats with veils that hid their features. She couldn’t help but wonder why a man with such a villainous expression would end up choosing to be monks. Shouldn’t they be soldiers instead?

“Master,” Wang Yue saw that his master was going to drink the soup and felt flustered, his voice choked with sobs.

Cheng Guan only smiled at him. Yu Xiaoxiao turned to see Cheng Guan about to drink the soup and made a 囧 face. Although adding water for scrubbing pots wouldn’t kill a man, it wasn’t very good for a State Preceptor to drink such a soup, right?

“Princess,” Cheng Guan said in a low voice when he noticed her stare. “In the future, you must pass your days well with Royal Son-in-Law. The affairs of human life are ever-changing, so you must depend on and help each other.”

Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t understand “affairs of human life are ever-changing,” but she was very vexed by the bowl of soup in Cheng Guan’s hands.

“Princess, you must promise this monk,” Cheng Guan told her.

What am I promising ya? Yu Xiaoxiao wondered. We aren’t even lovers yet, so will you stop looking at me with so many feelings in those eyes? She reached out to snatch the bowl from his hands. “Is this soup tasty? It’s cold by now, so what are you drinking it for? Dump it out.”

“Princess!” the villainous-looking monk cried out at the move.

Yu Xiaoxiao simply tossed the contents of the soup bowl over he shoulder. Although it’s pot-scrubbing water mixed with soup, what’s woth drinking about somthing that smells like medicine? Thus, Her Royal Highness clearly resolved her guilt about wasting food.

The two monks stepped forward to salvage the remaining bits in the bowl, hoping to force Cheng Guan to down the rest, but never expected the princess to do good as her words. The contents ended up soaking the villainous-looking monk while a few drops dripped into his eyes.

“Beizhou!” the other monk Beiyuan (北远) called out to his colleague before pulling him backwards.

“Princess!” Cheng Guan hastily rose to his feet and pulled the princess behind him.

“My eyes!” Beizhou (北州) cried while covering his eyelids.

Yu Xiaoxiao stuck out her head from behind Cheng Guan and observed Beizhou’s now swollen eyes with a doubtful look. “There are people allergic to pot-scrubbing water too?” Because poisonous drugs weren’t used on humans in the apocalypse, she had never seen anyone poisoned. Her first reaction was that the monk had to be allergic somehow.

Beiyuan glared at Yu Xiaoxiao. “Princess, do you know the consequences of making us Eternal Life Temple an enemy?”

Aiya, Yu Xiaoxiao thought as she walked out from behind Cheng Guan. Looks like we’re gonna fight.

Cheng Guan said, “Princess, don’t worry about me and go back first.”

Yu Xiaoxiao patted Cheng Guan’s hand, which was trying to pull her away. “There’s something wrong about all this. Don’t be afraid, State Preceptor, I’ll be here in case of anything.”

—

Meanwhile, the smiling arhat statue in Junior Master Fenglin’s hall seemed rather warped and distorted under the flickering candlelight. Both Beiji and the old monk were trying to coax Junior Master Fenglin to take his meal.

In a small voice, Junior Master Fenglin said, “Have you delivered the thing to Cheng Guan?”

Beiji hastily replied, “It’s already on its way. Beizhou and Beiyuan have gone as well.”

“Cheng Guan was already on bad terms with us brothers back at the main temple,” Junior Master Fenglin sighed. “However, I have no enmity with him.”

Beiji stepped forward a few steps until he was standing behind Junior Master Fenglin. “Junior master, Cheng Guan betrayed the temple. If he had fallen into the Great Master’s hands, he would be suffering a worse fate. Junior master has already done everything humanly possible.”

The old monk sighed as well. Cheng Guan was an extremely bright and intelligent man. When he used to lecture back at Eternal Life Temple, no one was his equal. If he wasn’t on bad terms with Wuhuan (无欢),1 then he’d never be banished to a minor nation like Fengtian to be its State Preceptor. Now Junior Master Fenglin was claiming that he wasn’t killing Cheng Guan for his senior brother Wuhuan. But how could a single letter to a princess mark Cheng Guan as a definite traitor?

“Where is the meal?” Junior Master Fenglin asked next.

The old monk hastily came forward with the jade tray. When he got close, he even glanced at the bowl of soul on top and gave it a sniff. As a practitioner of poisons, he only caught a whiff of a single strong flavor–that of sweet noodle sauce. Knitting his brows, the old monk couldn’t help but wonder why Safeguard Temple’s kitchen monks would make such a soup?

Beiji was all too happy to see that Junior Master Fenglin was finally willing to eat. When he saw the slow progress of the older monk, he simply took the jade tray from his hands and asked, “Is there anything wrong with the food?”

The old monk shook his head. He had personally witnessed the Safeguard Temple monks cooking the meal, so where could the problem be? Beiji thus carried the tray to Junior Master Fenglin and murmured, “Junior master, the food is still warm. Please try some.”

Junior Master Fenglin’s gaze swept over the dishes and saw that there were all vegetarian food that matched his palate. However, he couldn’t help but feel depressed when recalling Princess Linglong’s blatherd nonsense. He had absolutely no appetite towards the meal.

Seeing that Junior Master Fenglin wouldn’t touch his chopsticks, Beiji urged, “Even if junior master doesn’t want to eat, at least drink some soup to warm your stomach.”

“Leave it here,” Junior Master Fenglin said.

Without a choice, Beiji could only set the jade tray down in front of Junior Master Fenglin.

The old monk spoke up. “Junior master, this monk will go see Cheng Guan.”

Junior Master Fenglin nodded. “You might as will visit the Safeguard Temple monks along the way. See if they’ve finished preparing for Cheng Guan’s parinirvana as well.”

“Yes,” the old monk obeyed before withdrawing from the hall.

Beiji coaxed, “Junior master, at least try a little something.”

Junior Master Fenglin picked up the bowl of soup and spooned a mouthful past his lips. On one side, Beiji asked, “Junior master, how much longer will we be staying in Fengtian?”

As soon as the soup entered his lips, Junior Master Fenglin almost choked on the sweet flavor. What kind of soup is this?

Beiji didn’t notice Junior Master Fenglin’s change in expression and remained standing in place. “This monk believes that junior master should head to Zhuri. State Preceptor Wuhuan has long ordered messengers to deliver a letter to junior master to meet him there. Why has junior master not left yet?”

Junior Master Fenglin only felt pain in his throat. His listless hands lost grip on the bowl, which fell onto the ground and filled the room with the scent of sweet noodle sauce.

1 Wuhuan means “without joy.” Sounds like a real charmer.