READ NOVEL ONLINE chapter 26
26. Drinking Porridge with the Young Master’s Spoon~
The next day, Lin Nuo woke up very early. There were two things he did every morning: one, check if the demonic root had awakened, and two, see if his cultivation had improved.
After confirming both points, well, he was still useless today.
He changed into his white Taoist robe, strapped on his sword, and gently pushed open the door, only to find Li Ruoruo waiting with a tray full of breakfast.
“How long have you been waiting?”
“Just arrived, young master, what a coincidence~”
Li Ruoruo smiled innocently. In fact, Lin Nuo knew that she had been up early, waiting outside his door. As soon as there was a sound inside, it signaled that he was up, and she would immediately bring over the breakfast.
Thus, every time she knocked, the timing was just right, and it never disturbed his sleep.
Lin Nuo picked two buns from the tray and bit into one.
“The rest you can eat.”
“You train so hard every day, young master. Is that little bit enough?”
Li Ruoruo looked at Lin Nuo’s slender figure with some distress, “Young master, why don’t you have a few sips of porridge?”
Lin Nuo glanced at the porridge steaming with white mist. The porridge water was mixed with precious medicinal herbs, a kind of tonic, but it didn’t have the bitterness of the herbs; instead, it was fragrant and delicious, stewed by Li Ruoruo for Lin Nuo as instructed by the Lin family.
Although he used to drink this kind of porridge often, it never seemed to advance his cultivation. People’s constitutions vary, and he was one who couldn’t be nourished by tonics.
The tonic porridge was good for moistening the throat, but he worried that drinking too much might backfire.
Lin Nuo picked up the spoon, took two sips of porridge to moisten his mouth and throat, then put it back on the tray.
“The rest you can drink.”
“Young master, I’m not worthy of drinking this porridge…”
“If you won’t drink it, then pour it out. I’m leaving.”
With that, Lin Nuo walked down the corridor, munching on a bun, heading out for morning practice.
“Young master has been eating so little lately, it’s a pity to waste all this porridge.”
Li Ruoruo stared at the full bowl of tonic porridge and sighed.
She was a servant, not entitled to drink such precious tonic porridge, or else she would be expelled from the Lin family, unless permitted by her master.
Oh right, isn’t the young master my master? If the young master says I can drink it, then I can drink it.
Li Ruoruo’s bright eyes fixated on the small spoon atop the dinner plate.
Could that be the spoon the young master used for his porridge?
Li Ruoruo quickly scanned her surroundings, making sure no one was watching her.
Her delicate hand reached out, lifting the small spoon.
Her heart pounded like a thief’s—not from a desire to steal the nourishing porridge, but to drink with the spoon the young master had used.
Would she be considered odd if discovered?
But… she couldn’t help herself. These past few days, not only had the young master refrained from scolding her, but he had also shown her increased care. First, he allowed her to share a table with him for meals, then he warmed her from the cold, and now he permitted her to drink the tonic porridge.
Though his words were few and cold, she felt a warmth in her heart.
Previously, her treatment of the young master was out of gratitude, but now she was drawn to his heartwarming gestures.
Surely the porridge would taste even sweeter with the young master’s spoon?
After a mental struggle, she finally chose to use the spoon Lin Nuo had used for his porridge, scooping up a mouthful and bringing it to her lips.
“It’s so sweet and fragrant~”
Li Ruoruo’s fluffy ears drooped as she indulged in the sweetness of the porridge, finishing a large bowl in one go, feeling increasingly fortunate to follow the young master.
Hmph—those villains even advised me to find another master, all out of jealousy for me, Li Ruoruo.
…
Lin Nuo was accustomed to being watched with cold eyes, but this morning, the onlookers were unusually numerous.
“That’s him, Lin Nuo, the one who single-handedly annihilated the celestial dragon and the Refining Demon Sect of Fenghai Forest.”
“It doesn’t seem quite real to me.”
“But many witnessed it at the time, and even their leader Du Xu admitted defeat.”
“What kind of techniques does he usually practice?”
A group of Xuan Yun Sect disciples put down their swords, following behind Lin Nuo, eager to witness him perform some advanced spirit techniques and sword skills.
Mixed voices of doubt still lingered in the crowd, but they were fewer than before, and some even contained unprecedented praise.
Without the daily mockery upon stepping outside, he wasn’t even used to it.
“Do you need something?”
Lin Nuo turned to face the group of disciples trailing behind him.
The disciples looked around, gesticulating wildly, pretending they weren’t following Lin Nuo.
Being the focus of attention made it inconvenient to practice demonic techniques. Fame brought trouble, and returning from the Fenghai Forest trial as a person of interest was indeed a troublesome matter.
“Junior Brother Lin Nuo, would you be willing to spar with me?”
“Senior Brother Lin Nuo, please spar with me!”
“Brother Lin, spar with me!”
Suddenly, three male disciples halted before Lin Nuo, politely requesting a sparring match.
It was no surprise, after all, Lin Nuo, once a lowly cultivator, had become a great hero for slaying the disciples of the Demonic Cultivation Sect, and it was only natural for disciples to seek a challenge.
Lin Nuo vaguely remembered that these three male disciples were all around the fifth rank.
Such playful sparring with a ‘stop at a touch’ rule held no interest for him; a life-and-death match would be more like it.
“I’m not interested.”
Lin Nuo waved his hand in refusal.
“Please reconsider, Junior Brother Lin Nuo.”
The male disciple was persistent, continuing to plead, seemingly unwilling to let Lin Nuo pass.
In an instant, a piercing chill swept in, frosting over the surface of the jungle foliage.
“Are you all so idle?”
Everyone looked towards the source of the cold air, and there stood a stunningly beautiful girl with silver hair.