The lakeshore was covered with white sand, scattered with many small white flowers, looking like a snowy landscape at first glance. The lake wasn’t large, and the water near the shore was particularly shallow, reaching only to one’s calves. The lake bottom was also white sand, and with the clear water, the semi-transparent ice-blue fish swimming inside were especially eye-catching.

Liao Tingyan stood there, motionless for a long time. Sima Jiao raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, “Aren’t you going to slack off with the fish?”

Slack off with fish? Liao Tingyan now wanted to grab a handful of sand and stuff it down this ancestor’s collar.

“I’m not going,” she said, her tone rock-hard.

Even harder than her was the straight man ancestral master Sima Jiao, who stepped forward, caught a fish from the lake, and placed it before her: “Go ahead and touch it.”

His face clearly said ‘you’re so lazy that you want to touch fish but need someone to catch them and bring them to you before you will.’ Liao Tingyan was so annoyed she became ‘spiritually invigorated,’ grabbing the still-wriggling little fish, intending to throw it back into the water.

Sima Jiao: “I heard these ice-blue fish are good for beauty and nourishment.”

Liao Tingyan withdrew her hand, deciding not to take out her anger on the innocent fish. After all, it was Sima Jiao’s misdeed, what did it have to do with this little fish that could enhance beauty?

Sima Jiao: “If you’re done touching the fish, you can roast and eat it.” Sima Jiao had developed a profound understanding of Liao Tingyan’s love for eating and sleeping.

Liao Tingyan: “Roast it here?” When they entered, there were so many guards this place wasn’t ordinary. Blatantly catching someone else’s fish was one thing, but roasting it on the spot was too rebellious.

Sima Jiao was just that rebellious.

Since acquiring her spatial storage, Liao Tingyan had focused on turning herself into Doraemon, wanting to produce whatever she needed on the spot. So while saying “this isn’t very appropriate,” she took out a barbecue rack.

This barbecue rack was different from modern ones. She had seen a restaurant owner making grilled meat and thought her homemade tool was quite good, so she bought it and ordered several more sets, just for moments like this when they needed a picnic.

“One fish is too little.” Liao Tingyan weighed the spirit-rich plump little fish in her hand, feeling it wasn’t even enough for two bites. She rarely wanted to cook actively, so she couldn’t lack presentability.

This time without Sima Jiao’s prompting, she automatically went into the water to catch fish. As for Sima Jiao, he had no intention of helping, sitting on the cushion Liao Tingyan had produced, already collapsed like a kept man.

Liao Tingyan didn’t mind him; after all, Sima Jiao didn’t eat, so all the fish were for her to eat, and catching them herself wasn’t a problem. She originally thought that with her Divine Transformation realm cultivation, catching a few small fish would be easy, absolutely no problem. But after ten minutes in the water, she hadn’t caught anything and began to question her life.

Were these things that could escape from under her hands really fish? Did they know some teleportation techniques? The small fish that had been leisurely swimming before her eyes a moment ago could disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye. How had Sima Jiao caught them earlier?

She had already used all the techniques she could think of to no avail. She couldn’t use powerful lightning techniques to electrocute the fish; otherwise, making such a commotion would attract many guards.

Liao Tingyan returned empty-handed and silently lay down beside Sima Jiao, assuming the same posture as the lonely fish on the barbecue rack.

Sima Jiao: “…”

Liao Tingyan: “…”

Though both maintained silence on the surface, Liao Tingyan’s mind was passionately repeating a sentence: “Whoever can catch lots of fish for me is the best man in the world, I’d super like and admire him, men who can catch fish are so handsome and make me feel secure those fish are so hard to catch, anyone who can catch them is incredibly awesome.”

Sima Jiao pressed his forehead, sat up, and went to the water’s edge.

Liao Tingyan quickly rose and sat by the barbecue rack waiting. When Sima Jiao returned with a large string of fish, Liao Tingyan ceremoniously handed him a white cloth, saying attentively: “Thank you for your hard work, here, wipe your sweat.”

The sweatless Sima Jiao took the small towel and wiped his hands, instructing: “Don’t roast all of them, make some soup for me.”

Liao Tingyan: “Huh? You want to eat?!”

Sima Jiao: “I caught the fish, I can’t eat them?”

Liao Tingyan: “Yes, yes, of course you can.”

While processing the fish, Liao Tingyan thought, what made the ancestor who never enjoyed eating open his mouth for food? Was it the beauty-enhancing fish? No! It was love!

Unexpectedly, he liked her so much that he was willing to overcome his food aversion to eat what she made.

This thought wavered as she ate the fish. My goodness, how could fish be so delicious! The roasted fish had crispy skin, tender flesh without any fishy smell, and no bones—fresh and fragrant. The fish soup was so good she almost swallowed her tongue.

The soup was supposed to be for Sima Jiao, but he only took two sips, and Liao Tingyan gulped down the rest.

“Tasty?” Sima Jiao rested his chin on his hand, watching her with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

“Tasty,” Liao Tingyan said frankly, hugging her belly.

Mystery solved—Sima Jiao’s willingness to drink those two sips of soup wasn’t because of some ridiculous love, but because the soup was truly delicious. If even her casual cooking was this good, it was unimaginable what a skilled chef could do with care.

Sima Jiao: “In my childhood at Three Saints Mountain, people would deliver many foods daily, including this type of fish. I ate so much I grew tired of it.”

Liao Tingyan: …So you’re not anorexic, just picky.

No wonder he barely ate anything now if he used to eat such delicious things every day. Damn, so envious!

Liao Tingyan rubbed her hands together: “Do you think we could take some to go?”

Sima Jiao waved his sleeve, scooping up half the lake’s small fish, all of which Liao Tingyan stored in preservation boxes, ready for whenever she craved a snack.

Liao Tingyan: “Enough, enough, leave some resources to regenerate.”

This lake was called Yunking Realm, and the fish were Spirit Nurturing Flying Fish. Palm-sized fish took a hundred years to grow, and they fed on small particles condensed from the purest spiritual energy, consuming only water spiritual energy, which gave them a beautiful ice-blue color.

Initially, this place was created by a powerful cultivator from the Sima clan, but now, with the passage of time, it belonged to the Shi clan. The one managing this place was Master Shi Qianlü’s half-brother, Shi Qianji. Shi Qianji was greedy and calculating by nature, and using his elder brother’s position as sect leader, he acquired many treasures, including this lake and its fish.

Usually, he was reluctant to catch many for himself, only catching two or three occasionally to satisfy his cravings. Even his most beloved children could only receive one as a reward when they pleased him.

On this day, Shi Qianji, who had come to catch fish in high spirits, let out a cry of extreme anguish.

This fish-catching incident quickly reached Liao Tingyan even in the outer court of Gengchen Immortal Mansion, as it caused quite a stir. Shi Qianji, enraged that his treasures had been stolen, refused to let the matter rest and sent many disciples and followers to track down the thief.

Given his status, the theft of his treasures was naturally a major event. News spread quickly, and everyone was discussing who was so bold and possessed such cultivation to dare do such a thing.

When Liao Tingyan heard classmates discussing it, she was holding recently fried crispy fish jerky. She paused, realizing the gravity of the situation, and immediately felt the fish jerky in her mouth become even more delicious.

So it was such a precious thing—it tasted even better now.

Sima Jiao listened to all this expressionlessly, playing with his little ball. It was a sign he was preparing to go out and cause trouble again.

Liao Tingyan gave him a few extra glances, and Sima Jiao suddenly reached out, pulled her neck, pressed the back of her head, and kissed her.

He complained: “Your mouth tastes like fish.”

Liao Tingyan wiped her mouth and continued crunching on fish jerky.

After finishing the fish jerky, she analyzed rationally: “I suggest you find something tastier for me, then next time there will be other flavors. Let me think… how about beef flavor?”

Sima Jiao: “What’s so good about beef?”

Liao Tingyan: “I’m tired of hearing this from you. I’m fine with anything, I want to try everything.”

Sima Jiao: “You’ve been eating too much lately, your belly is getting fat.”

Liao Tingyan immediately stood up, “Nonsense, how could a cultivator get fat!”

Sima Jiao: “Then you must be pregnant.”

Liao Tingyan sat down with weak legs: “Impossible, how could spiritual intercourse cause pregnancy!!!”

Sima Jiao wore a nonchalant expression, “Haven’t you heard of ‘conception through spiritual connection’?”

He spoke as if it were true. Liao Tingyan looked at him with a horrified expression, “What nonsense is this? Are you all so playful? Since this can cause pregnancy, haven’t you taken any protection measures?!!!”

Sima Jiao: “Pfft.” He covered his forehead and eyes with his slender fingers.

Liao Tingyan: “You’re laughing, so you’re lying to me, right?”

Sima Jiao shook his head and laughed, looking at her with the affection one might show a simpleton.

Anger rose in Liao Tingyan’s heart, and she pounced, flailing, wanting to teach this elementary schooler who bullied female classmates a lesson. He tripped her with his leg, then held her waist and pinned her to the table, rendering her immobile.

Completely subdued, Liao Tingyan said with a serious and cruel expression: “I’m going to lose weight, get rid of all the soft flesh on my belly, and then there won’t be such a nice feeling anymore!”

Sima Jiao: “…”

When he returned from his next outing, he brought back a cow.

As usual, he returned in the middle of the night, and Liao Tingyan was shaken awake each time. This time, being woken to see a mooing cow in the room left her speechless.

The cow wore an elegant pad, had jewels inlaid in its horns, and wore a precious collar around its neck, adorned with pearls and jewels—more luxurious than Liao Tingyan herself. Not an ordinary cow; how would an ordinary cow cry and beg for mercy?

The cow spoke in human language: “I beg the senior not to eat me!”

Liao Tingyan buried her head back in the blanket, not wanting to face this midnight nightmare. But Sima Jiao persisted in pulling her out, “Didn’t you say you wanted beef?”

Liao Tingyan was furious. Is what you brought back even a cow? Whether it was a cow demon or cow spirit, it certainly wasn’t a cow.

“I only want to eat cows that can’t talk,” Liao Tingyan said coldly.

Sima Jiao looked completely matter-of-fact: “Cut off its tongue and it won’t talk anymore.” He also gave the whimpering ‘cow’ a cold look, saying menacingly: “No more talking.”

The ‘cow’ sobbed in fear. If not for its robust body and powerful hooves, it would truly resemble a pitiful housewife.

Sima Jiao’s cruelty was all-natural.

Liao Tingyan also wanted to sob like the ‘cow.’ She held Sima Jiao’s hand: “I really don’t want to eat it, please, ancestor, here, you can touch my belly, as much as you want, can’t this cow go back to wherever it came from?”

Sima Jiao pinched her soft belly, still quite unhappy, “You’ve become increasingly presumptuous lately.” His tone wasn’t very fierce, and in this context, it sounded more like a complaint.

Liao Tingyan wasn’t afraid at all; she even wanted to curse: What nonsense are you talking about? Am I as presumptuous as you?

While cursing calmly in her heart, her mouth quickly admitted defeat and begged: “Yes, yes, I’m super presumptuous, it’s not good to argue in the middle of the night, can we sleep now?”

The next morning when she woke up, the cow was gone from the room. Liao Tingyan thought she had dreamed last night, but when she looked down, she saw the little black snake pushing the cage containing the small mountain chickens, now with a miniaturized cow inside. The miniaturized cow seemed quite adaptable, chasing the two small mountain chickens playfully.

The black snake now had more to feed—besides the two small mountain chickens, there was also a cow.

Liao Tingyan asked Sima Jiao: “What exactly is this cow’s identity?”

Sima Jiao said: “A cow demon’s wife.”

Liao Tingyan: “??? You stole someone’s wife, won’t the cow demon come seeking revenge? And having one’s wife inexplicably stolen seems quite pitiful.”

Sima Jiao considered for a moment, “You’re right.”

Then he disappeared for half a day and brought back the cow demon, reuniting the couple. The two miniaturized cows stayed in another small cage, becoming the little black snake’s pets.

Liao Tingyan: What a flamboyant move!