After that day, Nian Yuexian would frequently give Lu Ye tasks through military tokens. Those were mostly trivial tasks that had something to do with food and beverages.
There was once when he was told to go to a nearby Pass to purchase some specially made wine.
The battle points he obtained after completing the tasks ranged from several hundred to two thousand. In just several days, he had accumulated about 10,000 battle points.
There was no doubt the rewards were handsome, but something felt off to Lu Ye. This wasn’t how things should develop.
One day, he came to the Spirit Peak where Nian Yuexian stayed and cooked food for her again. The meat was being roasted on a fire, and soup was being prepared in a pot. There were several jars of wine on the table. He was waiting for Nian Yuexian’s arrival.
Usually, the woman would only show up when Lu Ye was done with everything.
When Yi Yi caught a whiff of meat getting charred, she exclaimed, “Lu Ye, it’s overcooked!”
She rushed forward and took the meat from the fire, trying to save it from becoming inedible. Then, she turned her head and saw Lu Ye seated there with a frown, looking sulky.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, wondering why Lu Ye was frustrated.
“Something isn’t right.” Lu Ye shook his head.
“What do you mean?”
“This is not how things should be.”
He had joined Bing Zhou Watch to protect the Grand Sky Coalition’s frontline in Bing Zhou, not to be treated like a servant. Although he was supposed to obey his higher-up’s orders, he was displeased with having been asked to do trivial tasks as of late.
Suddenly, he rose to his feet and kicked the pot of soup away. While Yi Yi exclaimed, he turned the table over, causing the jars of wine he had purchased from a nearby Pass to fall to the ground and break into pieces. He glanced at the bamboo house and cupped his fists. “There’s something I have to say, Madam!”
A beautiful woman appeared from the third floor and flew downwards. She looked at the mess on the ground and said impassively, “Go on.”
“Madam, please give me some serious tasks and stop assigning trivial jobs to me.”
“Are you saying the previous tasks weren’t serious?”
[Do you have no idea if those tasks were serious?] Lu Ye had nowhere to vent his frustration. Although battle points were wonderful, it shouldn’t come so easily. If things went on like this, he would become complacent.
“Madam, we’re in Blue Flame Mountain Pass, and both of us are members of Bing Zhou Watch. As such, we’re supposed to do something useful instead of spending time here like retirees.”
Nian Yuexian was initially on the third floor, but she suddenly stood only three metres away from Lu Ye the next instant. With a penetrating gaze, she asked, “Are you saying I’m old?”
“I’m just saying we’re spending time here like retirees, not that you’re old. Please don’t read too much into it, Madam.” Lu Ye couldn’t help but step backwards.
Nian Yuexian only stared silently at Lu Ye, causing him to feel uneasy. A moment later, she said, “Alright.”
Lu Ye let out a breath and said solemnly, “In that case…”
“I’d like to drink fish soup.”
“Huh?”
“I haven’t had fish soup cooked with Blood Sturgeons in years.”
Lu Ye was suddenly lost for words. Also, how did she know about Blood Sturgeons, which were only found in Lunarmere of Crimson Blood Sect? Did she taste it somewhere else before?
“I want to drink fish soup made with Blood Sturgeons in five days,” Nian Yuexian demanded.
“Madam, I just said…”
“Are you going to disobey my order?” Nian Yuexian said impassively.
After they glanced at each other for a moment, Lu Ye replied through clenched teeth, “Order received!”
Then, he beckoned to Amber, which leapt into the air to land on his shoulder, but while in mid-air, the tiger was sucked away. When the tiger came to its senses, it was already in Nian Yuexian’s arms. The woman was touching its fur like it was a cat.
[Save me, Master!] Amber widened its eyes, motioning for Lu Ye to rescue it.
Lu Ye held the hilt of his saber and looked icily at Nian Yuexian.
“The two of them will stay here to keep me company. You’ll carry out the task on your own.” Ignoring his hostility, Nian Yuexian turned around as though she had put down her guard. “Don’t worry. I won’t eat it.”
Amber was initially fine with it, but upon hearing the woman’s words, the tiger started trembling.
Yi Yi placed her hand on Lu Ye’s shoulder and shook her head. “Don’t act on a whim. Go now and come back quickly. She doesn’t have malicious intentions.”
Most importantly, they weren’t a match for Nian Yuexian. The woman was a Divine Ocean Realm Master, after all. Even if she really wasn’t vigilant, Lu Ye couldn’t possibly harm her.
Moreover, in Bing Zhou Watch, it was taboo for a subordinate to go against his higher-up.
“Please take good care of them, Madam. They’re my… best friends.” Upon finishing his words in a grim voice, Lu Ye shot into the sky. His Spiritual Power surged and turned into a pair of red wings behind him before he left in a hurry.
“Best friends…” Nian Yuexian was motionless for a moment before she smiled and poked Amber’s nose.
When Amber saw her expression, it was flustered. The tiger rolled its eyes and passed out.
Nian Yuexian placed her hand over the tiger’s neck and said gently, “If you’re not going to wake up, I’ll prepare some tiger soup with your bones.”
Amber immediately opened its eyes, looking energetic. It was as though the tiger was saying it was only getting some rest.
…
Lu Ye had never expected that after he joined Bing Zhou Watch, he had to go back to his Sect before he even came across any cultivators from Thousand Demon Ridge.
Having spent several days with Nian Yuexian, he discovered that the woman was unreliable. He had no idea why he was so unlucky as to be assigned to her. Moreover, he was the only one who was sent to Blue Flame Mountain Pass.
He wondered what was wrong with those from Grand Sky City.
Anyway, the mobilisation of soldiers was decided by the Commanders, so Lu Ye wasn’t in any place to resist anything.
The Crimson Blood Sect was far away, and Nian Yuexian had only given him five days. In other words, he had to return to his Sect in two and a half days.