Heavenly Gate, having lived here year-round, had achieved mastery in taming monster beasts in many aspects, not just these land-based ones, but even flying ones in the sky.
This monster beast had developed a good relationship with Xiaoyao over the past few days. Perhaps because Xiaoyao often fed it, which was something Xiaoyao did casually while feeding Chi Chi or perhaps because Chi Chi often rested on this monster beast's back, becoming close to it. Through love extending to what one loves, it also became affectionate toward Xiaoyao.
Speaking of it, Chi Chi seemed very capable with monster beasts, able to get along with any monster beast. Strangely, those monster beasts all seemed to give way to Chi Chi. Could Chi Chi's cute attributes also work among monster beasts?
Soon, today's training was about to end because the sun was almost setting. The team needed to find a place to set up camp. Night wasn't the time for training, in the darkness, some monster beasts' abilities became much stronger while human strength would be somewhat affected. Therefore, generally at night, there would be no activities, rest was the priority.
While everyone was setting up camp, Xiaoyao went to the stream to wash some monster beast ingredients he had obtained today. He washed pots and filled them with water, preparing to make soup while also roasting some meat.
For food, they hadn't brought any specialized cooks this time because this was training, so everyone had to prepare their own food. Of course, they could also cooperate or mooch off others occasionally, but not long-term, or they would be lectured by the elder.
Therefore, what Xiaoyao was preparing wasn't for everyone. If someone asked for some, he would give it, but if no one asked, he definitely wouldn't offer it voluntarily.
Although what Xiaoyao made had an enticing aroma that stimulated appetite, generally speaking, roasted things always smelled good. There were many people roasting meat on site, so Xiaoyao's side was no longer so attractive.
...
...
These noble disciples, if they were to ask, would ask equally noble people, they wouldn't seek out a small figure like Xiaoyao. How face-losing would that be.
After Xiaoyao finished roasting meat, he and Chi Chi immediately shared it, not preparing to give any to others, nor preparing to give any to Dongfang Wunian. As he said before, Xiaoyao wouldn't actively give things to others. If they were his own people, that would be different, but obviously there wasn't a single person here he considered his own.
Since they weren't his own people, and he wasn't a cook, naturally he had no such responsibility.
"Chi chi..." Chi Chi bit mouthful by mouthful, finishing a piece of roasted meat much larger than its body volume, and was preparing to eliminate a second piece. Fortunately, Xiaoyao had roasted a lot of meat this time, enough to satisfy Chi Chi's continued eating.
"Hey, your little monster beast is very interesting, it ate so much and still isn't full," Dongfang Wunian came to Xiaoyao's side, squatting down to look at Chi Chi.
"It's never full, just a glutton. By the way, Second Miss, would you like some too?" Xiaoyao held the roasted meat, asking casually out of mere politeness.
"No need, I can't eat," Dongfang Wunian shook her head with a hint of faint helplessness.
"Oh, are you full? Then I'll eat it myself." Xiaoyao cut a piece of roasted meat bit by bit, took a bite, then got a bowl of soup to drink, very contentedly.
"I..." Dongfang Wunian wanted to say something at that moment but held back in the end.
At this time, Xiaoyao heard Dongfang Wunian's voice and said, "Second Miss, do you feel my food doesn't suit your taste? Just say so directly, it's fine."
"No, that's not what I mean. I actually haven't eaten anything..." Dongfang Wunian hurriedly said, seeming afraid Xiaoyao would misunderstand. She was a kind person.
"If you haven't eaten, then have some. This meat is good, and my cooking skills are pretty good,” Xiaoyao cut a piece of meat for Dongfang Wunian. Xiaoyao's meat cutting was very particular, each time he would cut off the meat that was roasted just right, allowing the inner meat to continue roasting while the outer meat could be eaten.
If there were barbecue chefs present, they would definitely feel inferior to Xiaoyao's mastery of heat and knife work.
"Who says their own cooking is good? You really talk interestingly," Dongfang Wunian said with a smile.
"I don't like lying much. My cooking really is good, if you don't believe me, try some," Xiaoyao passed over the plate with roasted meat.
"No need. When I said I haven't eaten anything, I didn't mean just this meal, I haven't eaten any of the previous ones either," Dongfang Wunian said.
"What are you doing, dieting? You're not fat,” Xiaoyao stared at Dongfang Wunian very puzzledly. As a martial artist, it was hard to get fat, and Dongfang Wunian's figure was even somewhat thin, slender waist and legs. Although some areas weren't very prominent, she was well-proportioned. This kind of figure made countless girls envious, what was there to diet for?
"Go! I'm not dieting. I've never eaten anything since I was small," Dongfang Wunian said, with some bitterness in her tone.
"What do you mean?" Xiaoyao was stunned. This statement was somewhat incomprehensible, what did it mean to never have eaten anything since childhood? How did you survive until now?
At this time, Cui Xu walked over and said, "Junior Sister Dongfang has anorexia. She can't eat any food, even if forced to eat, she'll vomit it back up. She can only rely on Fasting Pills to maintain her body. Junior Sister Dongfang, I'll take good care of you. Don't be sad..."
Xiaoyao fell silent, looking at Dongfang Wunian. He hadn't expected her to have such a strange illness. No wonder her body was somewhat thin, she had anorexia.
"I don't need you to take care of me. I can take care of myself," Dongfang Wunian directly refused Cui Xu's "kindness."
"Having one more person to care for you is always good. Junior Sister, I have good intentions.”
"Not needed!"
"Second Miss, if you don't mind, could you let me check your pulse?" Xiaoyao suddenly said, preventing Cui Xu, who had wanted to speak, from having a chance to open his mouth, immediately making Cui Xu very displeased.
"Check pulse? With your level, even if Medical Elder can't do anything about Junior Sister Dongfang's illness, you really don't know how high heaven is or how thick earth is." Before Dongfang Wunian could speak, Cui Xu directly spoke up, harshly criticizing Xiaoyao's overreaching behavior.
"This..." Dongfang Wunian's already extended hand paused. She wasn't unwilling to let Xiaoyao examine her, but didn't want to do meaningless things.
"Second Miss, avoiding doctors when sick is never good. Some illnesses that famous doctors don't know about can be treated by barefoot doctors. It's not that famous doctors' medical skills are poor, they just haven't seen the case before. Seeing one more doctor is always good," Xiaoyao said calmly, looking at Dongfang Wunian with his eyes, letting her make her own choice.
If Dongfang Wunian herself was unwilling, then he wouldn't waste time persuading her. Everything depended on Dongfang Wunian's own intention.
"You're right, it's always a hope." Dongfang Wunian placed her delicate jade hand in front of Xiaoyao, smiling as she looked at him.
Xiaoyao also smiled, placing his hand on Dongfang Wunian's jade hand. This made Cui Xu's face twitch on the side, as if Xiaoyao wasn't checking Dongfang Wunian's pulse but slapping his face.
When Xiaoyao touched her, Dongfang Wunian's body trembled slightly, but quickly returned to calm. This was a very, very small movement that no one noticed, even Xiaoyao didn't feel it.
Actually, it was nothing, just because Dongfang Wunian had almost no contact with the opposite sex, so Xiaoyao's hand made her momentarily uncomfortable.
After checking the pulse for a while, Xiaoyao showed a somewhat grave expression and said somewhat seriously, "There's nothing wrong with your body.”
"See? What could a wet-behind-the-ears kid see? Still pretending he knows medicine, I think he doesn't even know medical techniques," Cui Xu struck at this moment. His favorable feelings toward Xiaoyao had completely disappeared, returning to hatred.
"It's okay. It doesn't matter if you can't tell. My illness was originally incurable anyway. But it doesn't matter, it's just not eating. My body is fine," Dongfang Wunian said with a smile, seeming to comfort Xiaoyao.
"Your body is fine because of Fasting Pills, plus you've always been cultivating with other pills as supplements. But this ultimately isn't a solution," Xiaoyao said.
"So what if it's not a solution? Do you have a solution? You can't even see the symptoms," Cui Xu said disdainfully.
"Who said I can't see them? When I said there's nothing wrong with the body, that's the beginning of a diagnosis, there are other things afterward." Xiaoyao said indifferently.
"If there's nothing wrong with the body, what other problems could there be? Could other people's illnesses also be counted on Junior Sister Dongfang?" Cui Xu still wouldn't let Xiaoyao go, continuing to bite.
"Of course they could. If possible..." Xiaoyao said.
"You're really talking nonsense," Cui Xu directly rebuked.
Xiaoyao ignored Cui Xu and just continued asking Dongfang Wunian, "When did this illness begin?"
"I don't know. I only remember when I became aware, I was already not eating like this." Dongfang Wunian answered.
"Damn, this is troublesome,” Xiaoyao had a headache.
"What's wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong with your body, so obviously there's something wrong with your heart. This is a psychological illness. You must have been stimulated by something to become like this. But the problem is, you don't remember things now, so overcoming it will be much more troublesome," Xiaoyao frowned.
"Hey, your explanation is similar to Medical Elder's. He also said I had a psychological illness. Supposedly, I saw some horrifying things I shouldn't have seen when I was small, then became like this." Dongfang Wunian looked at Xiaoyao with surprise. Only now did she believe Xiaoyao really knew some medicine, but knowing this was useless.
(End of Chapter)