The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 809 - 447: Could They Be Long-Lost Sisters?

This demeanor, Ning Xiaoxian actually admires a lot because she has never possessed it herself. It seems that even though in the Northwest, the late Mr. Hulian never slackened in educating his children.

The strained atmosphere between the host and guest quickly warmed up owing to her resemblance in appearance to Miss Hulian.

After the servants served the beverages, Hulian Zhe engaged Tu Jin in conversation, while Hulian Minmin timidly walked over to Ning Xiaoxian’s side. After opening and closing her rosebud lips several times, she softly said, "This honey water has a special taste, Miss Ning, please enjoy."

Honey water? As soon as she got this drink, Ning detected a sweet fragrance, and now she sipped it, it indeed was honey. The tea leaves are a specialty of the Central South, still a luxury item, rarely tasted by residents of the Northwest. Here, although they also produce "snow tea," it is actually made from lichen plants in the mountains, and locals seldom use it to entertain guests. However, the taste of this honey water was quite different from what she usually tasted, with a slightly sweet and refreshing sensation that calms the mind, making even her thoughts seem broadened. "Indeed special, what kind of honey is this?"

"It’s winter honey stored from last winter." Seeing how pleased she was drinking it, with a topic at hand, Hulian Minmin slowly became less nervous, "This place is harshly cold, with seven months of the year sealed by heavy snow, and its resources naturally not as abundant as Central Earth. But Great Snow Mountain has its specialties, this winter honey being one of them."

As she began to speak, one could also hear the differences in their voices. Ning Xiaoxian’s voice was crisp like jade beads sliding across a plate, whereas Hulian Minmin’s was sweet and mellow, like fine rice wine: "Not all bees collect honey in spring. On Atalia Mountain, there is a peculiar Jade Bee that could venture out on clear and windless snowy days to gather the fragrances of wintersweet and other winter blooming plants to make honey. However, these bees are fragile, and good weather on Atalia Mountain is rare, thus winter honey is seldom seen. Such winter honey, like fine wine, improves with age, not only dispelling bruises and reducing heat but also curing many chronic illnesses. Last year, our family sold a thirty-year-old jar of winter honey on the mainland at a high price of 2,000 taels of silver."

Ning Xiaoxian stuck out her tongue, "So expensive and rare, I dare not drink it."

Hulian Minmin raised her sleeve to cover her mouth and laughed, "No worries, since father passed away, our family seldom has esteemed guests visiting, Miss Ning, please don’t be so formal."

The two girls chatted for a while, surprisingly growing more amicable as they talked. Ning Xiaoxian this year is not yet twenty, at the age of blossoming youth, but the God Demon Prison she resides in is not only full of non-humans but also deviant non-mainstream beings! It’s rare for Ali to come, but this child’s psychological age is only seven... On the Westward Journey, she doesn’t know how many tens of thousands of miles she’s walked, yet hardly had the chance to converse with mortal girls of similar age. Once they began chatting, they found great joy in each other’s company, selectively picking interesting anecdotes from the Westward Journey to share with Hulian Minmin, who, being a well-behaved girl with eyes full of delight, couldn’t wait to experience it herself.

Changtian continuously reminded her in the God Demon Prison, "The more you say, the more mistakes you make, be careful not to let slip."

On the other side, Hulian Zhe was chatting leisurely with Tu Jin, mostly sharing interesting stories from traveling the North and South, while subtly inquiring about Ning Xiaoxian’s identity and background. Tu Jin, having lived over a thousand years, was vastly more experienced and uninterested in what was being said, nodding blandly, clearly expressing his impatience. Hulian Zhe pretended not to notice and continued enthusiastically despite seeming rejection, occasionally exchanging glances with his sister, Hulian Minmin, whose eyes revealed a complex mix of hesitation and fear, while Hulian Zhe offered an encouraging look.

Ning Xiaoxian admitted that her curiosity was piqued to the extreme. What exactly does this sibling duo intend?

The Hulian family was quite significant in the local area, and the wine feast they arranged was very authentic. A dish of snow mountain old bacon stir-fried with white bolete left one savoring its taste. The bacon here is smoked much longer than in other places, turning a dark color with a thick smoky aroma. And white bolete, a fungus growing in woodland at over 900 meters elevation, is rich and flavorful, tossed with a couple of chilies, resulting in a visually striking black, white and red dish with a naturally good taste.

Another dish, the snow chicken soup also has a unique flavor. The living chicken has gray-white feathers, blending in with the snow, but once plucked, the meat surprisingly becomes glossy black. With spring approaching, the snow chicken already fattened during autumn to withstand winter, thus the second pot of soup cooked from it was deliciously sweet with tender chicken full of wild flavor.

The wine used during the feast was special too, called ice wine, with a transparent golden hue, cold to the taste, yet sweet as honey, smooth going down, without any spicy sensation. Upon inquiry, it was revealed to be a fine wine brewed from naturally frozen grapes on the tree during cold season, with a flavor that’s sweet, mellow, and refreshingly pleasant. Just this small pot costs a market price of thirty taels of silver.

Midway through the feast, Hulian Minmin frequently glanced over at the two, her eyes filled with guilt and a sense of sin, causing Ning Xiaoxian to almost lose her appetite. Oh girl, when acting, professionalism is key, if you wish to harm someone yet make such blatant eye contact, only a fool or someone pretending not to notice wouldn’t be suspicious, right?

Hulian Zhe also sensed her oddity and, while Ning and Tu weren’t paying attention, shot his sister a sharp glare. Hulian Minmin had to bow her head, staring straight at her tableware.

Ning Xiaoxian had no choice but to pick up the wine cup on the table, playing along with her act, and pretended not to notice.

Importantly, after taking just a sip, her sensitive tongue detected a subtle numbness, hence she knew the host had tampered with the drink. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users, please read via m.qidian.com.)