103. Chapter 103: His Eyes Grew Warm

This was the dead of night, and this was the Devil’s Forest. Baili Tianchang was not foolish enough to wander off.

"Forget it, I’ll just hunt whatever happens to be nearby. Your safety, my little fairy, is what matters most."

Nalan Dijiu had already taken a step, but suddenly, he turned back as if struck by a sudden, overwhelming anxiety. With a look of deep unease, he pulled Baili Tianchang into his arms. Baili Tianchang knew he was still haunted by the memory of a few days ago, when she had ignored his instructions and wandered off alone.

Just as she was about to comfort him, she saw Nalan Dijiu gently raise his arm. A flash of profound energy, swift as lightning, vanished in an instant. With that, he took her hand again.

"There is a rabbit and a pheasant. Will that do? There was nothing else nearby, so you will have to settle for this."

"Rabbit and pheasant are perfectly fine." Baili Tianchang was not one to be picky.

They went to retrieve the game struck down by Nalan Dijiu’s energy. Baili Tianchang marveled to herself: having cultivation truly made all the difference! Hunting was done in the blink of an eye—it could not have been easier.

With the prey secured, the next issue was fire. Yet for Nalan Dijiu, fire was no problem at all—he was a master of fire-elemental magic! Water was another requirement, but that, too, was no challenge for him, as he commanded water-elemental magic as well.

Under the stream of water Nalan Dijiu conjured, Baili Tianchang plucked the feathers, gutted the game, and cleaned them thoroughly. Then, while Nalan Dijiu skillfully controlled the flames, she skewered the rabbit on a wooden stick and began to roast it. As for the pheasant, she wrapped it tightly in aromatic lemongrass leaves, buried it in a shallow pit she had dug, and covered it with earth, mimicking the traditional method of baking beggar’s chicken.

The two worked together in perfect harmony. As Baili Tianchang had suspected, while Nalan Dijiu seemed capable of everything, he was far less adept at the practicalities of daily life than she was. He watched her nimble, practiced movements, his eyes widening in sheer astonishment. Heavens, his little fairy was truly capable!

He watched, dazed, as she expertly plucked and cleaned the meat. He watched, mesmerized, as she roasted the rabbit while producing an array of seasonings from her storage ring. She even had a small brush! With it, she meticulously applied the spices, coating the rabbit evenly inside and out. It seemed she had truly prepared for every eventuality. Her survival skills in the wild were remarkable.

Yet, as he watched, a pang of sorrow pierced Nalan Dijiu’s heart. His eyes grew warm with unshed tears. Seeing her fluid, magical motions and the professional-grade supplies she carried, he could not help but pull her into a tight embrace. A bitter, aching lump formed in his throat.