Soon, the banquet was set out, and everyone took their seats in turn. The young prince sat next to Master Yuanzhao. Dressed in a pale yellow brocade robe, he stood out like a delicate little yellow flower among a field of thorns, a stark contrast to the heroes dressed in black, dark blue, and gray.
Because Master Yuanzhao was a lay Buddhist practitioner, and the guests included members of the Shaolin and Wudang sects, the banquet consisted entirely of vegetarian dishes. However, since everyone at this gathering was a member of the martial arts world, they couldn't enjoy themselves without wine. So, Master Yuanzhao compromised once again and served fine wine with the meal. After the wine was unsealed, its aroma filled the air, and all the heroes drank heartily.
I am naturally weak and particularly sensitive to the smell of alcohol; I get dizzy as soon as I smell it. So I quietly told my master and left first.
The courtyard was bathed in the enchanting spring light, the flowers blooming brilliantly and dazzlingly, attracting countless butterflies that fluttered and danced around them. I slowly walked along the corridor toward the Bamboo Garden.
As I passed by Penglai Pavilion in the back garden, I suddenly heard a crisp sound.
I looked up and saw a young woman sitting in Penglai Pavilion. She had a noble air about her and was dressed in gorgeous clothes, but her pretty face was contorted with anger. Two maids stood behind her, and another knelt before her. Judging from this, could she be the young princess? Master Yuanzhao had thoughtfully arranged for her to dine alone here, not with the other heroes.
The kneeling maid said in a tearful voice, "Please calm down, Your Highness. I went to check, and there really isn't a single meat dish in the kitchen."
"You brat, can't you go down the mountain to buy some? There's not a single piece of meat in this meal, how am I supposed to eat it?"
With a "smash," she swept the plate off the table and onto the floor, splashing the little girl with soup.
I frowned and sighed inwardly. The little princess's temper was like a dish: chili peppers with spicy sauce and mustard oil.
"Princess, please calm down. This servant will go right away."
"If you're not back in fifteen minutes, I'll take your life!"
The maidservant kowtowed desperately, pleading, "Princess, spare my life! Please give me more time, I'm afraid I won't be back in a quarter of an hour."
The young princess kicked him, yelling angrily, "You brat! Get up here now!"
I couldn't stand it anymore; this princess was bullying people too much. Even a bird would take a quarter of an hour to fly back up from here after buying things.
I hurried forward and said, “Princess, even with the best lightness skills, it would take at least half an hour to go back and forth from the foot of the mountain. She is just a maid. Even if you rolled her down in a ball, it would still take half an hour.”
If she weren't a princess, I really would have liked to teach her a lesson. However, considering her status, I'd better stay out of trouble for my master. I tried my best to suppress my anger, using a joking tone and a kind and humble expression, but I still got the cold shoulder.
She gave me a cold glare and snorted, "Who are you? Mind your own business!"
I suppressed my anger, chuckled twice, and bowed, saying, "I am a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect."
She glanced at me with a cold smile: "The Free and Unfettered Sect actually has a disciple like you? Your appearance is far from deserving of the name 'Free and Unfettered'."
I nodded and smiled ingratiatingly: "Your Highness is absolutely right. I am not carefree at all; at most, I am just wandering around, haha." I am the kind of person who is very good at making fun of myself.
I guess my self-deprecation made her feel good, because she stopped talking to me, kicked the maid again, and said sternly, "Hurry up and go."
The little maid's face was half pale, the other half red from the slap; she trembled with her head down. My heart ached. Every time I saw a poor little girl being bullied, I couldn't help but think of my own past and couldn't resist intervening. That's how I saved Little Purse. But the "bully" bullying the little maid was no ordinary person; I had to be patient and outsmart him.
I smiled and said, "Princess, how about I hunt a pheasant for you? Roasted pheasant is especially delicious."
She raised an eyebrow, a hint of attraction in her eyes.
I continued, "Princess, these are all mountain people. Even if we get to the foot of the mountain, there won't be much good food, and it will only waste time. My senior brother is the best at roasting pheasants. Please wait a moment while I go and call him."
Her expression softened considerably: "Then go quickly."
I immediately ran to the banquet and secretly pulled Jiang Chen away. He had drunk a little wine, which made him even more dashing and debonair. He was as beautiful as jade and as charming as spring waves. He was very pleasing to the eye.
I hurriedly said, "Go and hunt me a pheasant quickly, I'll thank you handsomely later!"
He smiled and asked, "What are you doing? Do you want to eat?"
I didn't have time to explain in detail, and hurriedly said, "Yes, it's extremely urgent, go quickly, and come find me at Penglai Pavilion in the back garden when you're done."
I turned and headed towards Penglai Pavilion, worried that the little princess might change her mind and take her anger out on that little girl again.
When we arrived at Penglai Pavilion, the little girl was already kneeling on the ground, cleaning up the plates and food scraps. She was picking up the broken pieces with her bare little hands, her body as thin as a leaf. For some reason, looking at her, my heart ached, and my eyes welled up with tears.
Two maids gently fanned the young princess, who leaned against the wall, looking impatient, and asked, "How long will it take to finish?"
I quickly replied, "Very soon, very soon."
I had complete confidence in Jiang Chen's abilities. I've mentioned before that I occasionally feel a bit fond of him, which basically refers to when he roasts wild game for me. However, he's also quite lazy, only treating me to something once every six months. So, it wasn't wrong for me to say I appreciate his kindness only once every six months.
In a short while, Jiang Chen walked over, carrying a small cloth bag. That was fast! I don't think there were any pheasants in that small bag.
Jiang Chen seemed somewhat displeased to see that there were other people in Penglai Pavilion.
I quickly stepped forward with a smile and said, "Quickly pay your respects to the princess. The princess is not used to the food here and wants to eat some meat. I recommended you to the princess."
He paused, his gaze turning cold. After glancing at me, he stepped forward and gave the young princess a slight bow: "Greetings, Princess."
The moment the young princess saw him, her gaze softened, and her brows relaxed. Ah, Jiang's good looks are truly irresistible. I feel that if the young princess had a few handsome men like Jiang or Yun by her side, perhaps her temper would improve without her even realizing it.
The young princess sized him up for a moment, then asked softly, "You're the chef?"
Sigh, even her tone of voice was completely different from when she scolded the maid earlier; it was now soft and weak, with a hint of coquettishness.
"Chef!" Jiang Chen's already displeased expression darkened even further. I couldn't help but laugh out loud and quickly said, "He's my senior brother. His roasted pheasant is simply divine. Jiang Chen, hurry up, the princess is hungry."
Jiang Chen glanced at me coldly, then looked at the leftover food on the ground and the little girl, and said to the young princess, "Since you have come to celebrate Master Yuanzhao's birthday, you should know that Master Yuanzhao is a lay Buddhist and does not eat meat. If you cannot stand the food here, you should set off and go back immediately. It is really inappropriate to kill and eat meat in Master Yuanzhao's house, which shows that you have no sincerity in celebrating his birthday."
The young princess's expression changed, and so did mine. I wished I could crumple up what Jiang Chen had just said and stuff it back into his mouth.
Sure enough, the young princess lost her temper! She pointed her jade-like hand and said angrily, "You, how dare you!"
Her gentle beauty lasted only a moment before her true nature was revealed. It seems that while it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature, beauty is also hard to change.
Jiang Chen cupped his hands in greeting: "I dare not, farewell." With that, he flicked his sleeves, exuding a mix of nonchalance and arrogance, and turned to leave.
Hey! He got cocky too. I watched the situation deteriorate rapidly, and a chill ran down my spine.