Golden Finger 2

After Qin Ji had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, he left the Main Peak and decided to reside on a relatively secluded Spiritual Peak.

In his previous life, even until the end, he had been the sole inhabitant of this Spiritual Peak. But now, with Chen Xing's arrival, the Peak became more lively. After all, Chen Xing was a dragon who preferred to starve rather than eat Spiritual Food Pills.

While Qin Ji had never heard of any dragon in this world starving to death, no one could verify whether Chen Xing's claims were true or false, as she was the only dragon in this world.

As Qin Ji returned to the Spiritual Peak with Chen Xing, he spotted a young boy, not even as tall as his waist, holding a round cushion eagerly.

It was challenging for anyone to associate this red-bottomed, gold-patterned cushion with treasures, but it was indeed a high-quality magical item crafted from sea silk and golden silkworm silk. Even the pearls on it were made from high-grade spirit pearls. Its greatest function was providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer.

Feeling Chen Xing poking his wrist with the tip of her tail, and recalling her incessant requests, he couldn't bring himself to say those words. Instead, he lightly placed his fingertip on the edge of the round cushion. 

His hand was quite beautiful, accentuated by the red and gold-patterned cushion, making it appear fair and slender. It didn't look like the hand of a swordsman but rather that of someone pampered in the mortal world.

After waiting for Qin Ji to speak for a while, Chen Xing used her tail to gently poke him a few times, indicating impatience.

Qin Ji remained silent for a moment before finally saying, 

"Please."

Upon hearing just one word, though a bit dissatisfied, Chen Xing also felt that she should be more tolerant. So, she emerged from Qin Ji's sleeve, climbed onto the round cushion, and with her current appearance, she looked more like a small dragon than before. She also appeared slightly larger, making the two small bumps on her head even more noticeable.

The moment the young man laid eyes on Chen Xing, his eyes lit up, and his expression became increasingly devout. He exclaimed, 

"Young Master!"

Chen Xing displayed none of the foolishness she had on the Main Peak. Her silver scales shimmered brilliantly, and her slightly raised little head revealed both restraint and nobility. 

Upon hearing the young man's address, she didn't reply immediately but rather leisurely settled herself on the circular cushion. 

"Xiao Bao, is today's meal ready?"

The young man addressed as Xiao Bao¹ carefully cradled the cushion and turned to head inside the small building. 

"It's all prepared, Young Master. They're all dishes you mentioned wanting to eat last night."

Chen Xing happily wagged her tail and held her head high while maintaining her posture on the cushion. 

"Let's go!"

Upon receiving the command, Xiao Bao quickened his pace.

Chen Xing did remember that the owner of the Spiritual Peak was Qin Ji, so she called out, 

"Qin Ji, come and have a meal!"

Qin Ji hesitated for a moment before following inside. He no longer needed to eat since he had already transcended the need for sustenance, but he had some matters to discuss. His momentary hesitation slowed him down. 

By the time he entered the small building, the tiny dragon had disappeared, replaced by a girl who appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, seated at the dining table.

The girl was indeed Chen Xing, and Qin Ji could only see her taking on a human form during meal times.

Xiao Bao skillfully controlled the last pot of soup, which floated over and gently settled in the empty space between them. 

"Qin Dao You, please have a seat. I'll serve the meal for you."

In the world of cultivation, only individuals of the same realm could address each other as "Dao You." Although the young man before them emitted a very weak aura, he was undoubtedly in the Nascent Soul stage. 

However, it was strange that he had never appeared in his previous lives.

 

Qin Ji expressed his gratitude and took his seat.

Chen Xing said, 

"Xiao Bao, come and join us."

Xiao Bao quickly agreed, his eyes lighting up with happiness as he sat next to Chen Xing.

After serving the three of them, the puppet left. The dishes on the table were made from ingredients with spiritual essence, ensuring that even prolonged consumption wouldn't lead to impurities accumulating in the cultivators' bodies. 

However, as Qin Ji glanced at dishes like braised pork, braised spare ribs, roasted suckling pig, grilled pig trotters, fried pork chops, and pork meatball soup…

He couldn't help but wonder if Chen Xing had some sort of grudge against pigs. After a quick calculation, he realized that in the four days since Xiao Bao had arrived at the Spiritual Peak, Chen Xing had probably devoured around ten pigs.

Chen Xing was unaware of Qin Ji's thoughts and praised, 

"Xiao Bao's cooking is getting better."

Upon hearing the compliment, Xiao Bao couldn't contain his joy. Two furry ears popped out of the top of his head, their tips turning red. 

"I'm glad you enjoy it, Young Master. I'll keep working hard!"

Chen Xing beamed with happiness. 

"Great."

Qin Ji suddenly remembered the reason for Xiao Bao's appearance, which had occurred on the fifth day of their reincarnation.

On the first day, when Chen Xing had cried out of hunger, he had given her a Spiritual Food Pill, a top-grade one that could sustain a cultivator for a month without needing to eat. However, when night fell, Chen Xing had started complaining of hunger again, and he had given her another one.

Unfortunately, this time, Chen Xing had begun vomiting violently, making her terribly sick.

After a thorough examination, Qin Ji had found nothing wrong with her. He had intended to take her to a medical cultivator, but as soon as he had expressed this thought, Chen Xing had miraculously recovered and started crying for food again.

If it hadn't been for Chen Xing's connection to him and their shared destiny, Qin Ji had contemplated giving this dragon to his Senior Brother, letting him take care of her.

However, at the time, he could only go to the Outer Sect's canteen and bring back meals for her. When Chen Xing was full and content, she had slept soundly, leaving Qin Ji alone with his thoughts on the matter of their reincarnation.

On the second day, Qin Ji had brought back more food, and Chen Xing hadn't made a fuss, eating peacefully.

But starting from the third day, Chen Xing's appetite had gradually diminished, and she had appeared exhausted, often seeming to be studying something while avoiding Qin Ji.

It hadn't been until the fifth day that Qin Ji had noticed the sudden appearance of a demonic cultivator on the Spiritual Peak. Before he could act, he had seen Chen Xing, who rarely took on a human form, approaching him while holding a Treasure-Seeking Mouse to show off.

That evening, the Treasure-Seeking Mouse, now named Xiao Bao, had prepared a table full of meat dishes. Chen Xing, as if she had consumed some miraculous elixir, had not only regained her energy but had also uttered a meaningful sentence, a rarity for her:

"You owe a debt to the Dragon Clan, so you have to protect me until you can deliver me to my clan. If I die, you will die too."

Qin Ji had anticipated Chen Xing’s words, so he hadn't been surprised. He had simply watched her with an understanding gaze and had unraveled the mystery behind her earlier loss of appetite – it had been because of the vegetarian diet.

Actually, it hadn't been Qin Ji's fault at all. To outsiders, he had maintained the image of an ethereal and virtuous cultivator for many years. When the canteen's spiritual chef had learned that it was him requesting the meals, they had dared not ask too many questions.

They had carefully selected premium ingredients and had prepared each dish splendidly, with an abundance of spiritual energy. If one were to nitpick, the only drawback had been that the portions were not large, and the emphasis had been on a simple vegetarian diet. After all, cultivators did not have a hearty appetite; they only needed the spiritual essence within the food.

However, the biggest issue had been that these meals had not been meant for Qin Ji at all.

The spiritual chefs, seeing that Qin Ji had sent his puppet to collect the meals every day, had thought he was quite satisfied with their preparations. This had led them to become even more meticulous and cautious, avoiding any meat in the dishes.

Meanwhile, Chen Xing had felt like she was living off someone else and wouldn't have caused any trouble if she hadn't been starving. She couldn't eat the Spiritual Food Pills, so she couldn't afford to be too picky. This misunderstanding then began to grow.

Chen Xing, ensuring that she wouldn't starve, had put in tremendous effort to communicate with her Mustard Seed space. After much effort, she had made a contract with a spiritual beast inside the space that knew how to cook. She had brought this creature out of the space and had finally rescued herself from a diet of grass.

Regarding why Xiao Bao had addressed Chen Xing as "Young Master" rather than "Master," it was because Chen Xing believed that if others heard Xiao Bao call her "Young Master," they would assume she had a powerful supporter. This might make potential threats think twice before seeking revenge.

Qin Ji found all of this rather unconventional. He believed that to avoid being bullied, one had to become strong on their own. However, these were all Chen Xing's affairs, and he had no intention of interfering.

Though Chen Xing had been hungry, she had displayed good manners while eating. She first used public chopsticks to select dishes for Xiao Bao and Qin Ji before happily starting her meal.

Xiao Bao whispered, 

"Young Master, and Qin Dao You, I'm starting."

After serving Xiao Bao some spare ribs and roasted pig trotters, Chen Xing said, 

"Alright."

This had been the second time they had eaten together at the same table. Qin Ji knew Xiao Bao's habits, so he nodded when he heard this.

Xiao Bao selected a few items he liked, then transformed back into his original form. He had been a palm-sized, gray-brown Treasure-Finding Mouse with thin, twitching ears, appearing quite clever. He lay on his custom-made plate and began nibbling on a roasted pig trotter larger than himself.

Qin Ji had some doubts in his mind as well. He wondered why Chen Xing liked to take on her human form during meals but usually disguised herself as a spirit snake. Conversely, Xiao Bao was in human form most of the time but preferred to revert to his original form while eating.

However, their relationship was more cooperative in nature, and Qin Ji had no curiosity about Chen Xing, nor did he have any inclination to investigate further.

Chen Xing had a hearty appetite, eating quickly yet without appearing rude or messy. When she tasted something she liked, her mouth unconsciously curved upward, and her eyes sparkled with enjoyment. This table full of pork dishes undoubtedly matched her preferences, and the smile on Chen Xing's face never disappeared.

On the other hand, Qin Ji took a few bites and then set down his chopsticks. He took out spirit wine from his storage ring and poured himself a drink. He had never been a drinker before, and, in the eyes of others, he didn't resemble a sword cultivator but rather someone on the path of inner purity, akin to a Buddhist practitioner.

However, nowadays, when he experienced extreme pain, he would have a few cups of alcohol. He never allowed himself to get drunk but simply enjoyed the sensation of strong liquor sliding down his throat.

As Qin Ji took out the wine, Chen Xing slowed down her eating speed. While nibbling on a braised pork rib, she secretly glanced at Qin Ji, her eyes flashing with a golden light. She didn't resume eating until she finished one rib, and then hesitantly extended one of her fingers towards Qin Ji.

"If, if you're in too much pain, just drink a drop of my blood," she said, her voice trembling.

Xiao Bao was startled and even forgot that he could speak.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

Qin Ji looked at Chen Xing in surprise.

Chen Xing swallowed hard, turned her head to the right in the direction of Xiao Bao, closed her left eye tightly, and narrowed her right eye into a slit. She looked like a frightened little turtle sticking its neck out. Clearly, she was very afraid, but she didn't retract her hand.

"Hurry up, use a needle, not a knife. Remember to disinfect it, and after you've pricked me, you should bandage my wound. Hurry, please."