Exploring Kendo, Ying Bing: "Did I Underestimate Him Before"

This was the first time Ying Bing had ever seriously attempted to cook.

Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, the dishes were eventually plated and served on the table.

On the table.

Several lumps of food arranged on plates gave off the illusion of being surrounded by a demonic aura.

"So... what exactly did you make?"

As everyone knew, Li Mo was exceptionally skilled in the kitchen.

But the dishes Ying Bing had prepared were, frankly, beyond his comprehension.

"Tomato and egg stir-fry."

Ying Bing wiped her face clean with a handkerchief and spoke coolly.

"......And this one?"

After a moment of silence, Li Mo asked again.

"Spicy pepper stir-fried with pork."

Ying Bing's answer earned her a look of astonishment from Li Mo.

She could actually recognize it?

"And this...?"

"Braised intestines."

She even answered before he could finish.

Li Mo sucked in a sharp breath—was she doing this on purpose or was it accidental?

Unable to bear the sight any longer, he averted his gaze and said with a pained expression,

"Alright... well, it's impressive that you’ve started cooking for yourself... heh, amazing. Have you been eating like this these past few days?"

"I only cooked today."

Ying Bing replied softly.

Li Mo: "?"

So, out of all the days, she chose the very day I returned to try her hand at cooking?

This confirmed it—she was absolutely doing this on purpose.

Then again, it made sense.

For Ying Bing to take the initiative to cook was as likely as the sun rising from the west.

"One shouldn’t judge things by their appearance."

"Perhaps the presentation is lacking, but the taste might be unexpectedly good."

Ying Bing parted her crimson lips and spoke earnestly.

Now was not the time for philosophical musings!

Li Mo finally understood why Ying Bing had gone to the trouble of preparing this feast.

Though her exterior was icy and aloof, deep down, she harbored a prideful nature. She never voiced it, but it was evident in her every gesture and movement.

Ying Bing was not the type to settle for mediocrity—she strove for perfection in everything.

Including cooking.

But as the saying goes, when God opens a door, He seals a window with concrete.

Despite her breathtaking beauty, her culinary skills were nothing short of catastrophic...

"If you don’t eat soon, it’ll get cold."

Ying Bing’s soft voice cut off Li Mo’s attempt to find an excuse.

The lethality of that statement was on par with "Darling, drink your medicine."

"Fine!"

"Then today, I shall risk my life to keep you company!"

Li Mo nodded solemnly, steeling himself as he picked up his chopsticks.

His hand trembled slightly as he reached for the food.

But perhaps Ying Bing grew impatient with his hesitation, because before he could grab a bite of the tomato and egg stir-fry, she served him a piece of braised intestines instead.

The moment it entered his mouth, an explosion of flavors erupted—so intense it felt like reliving his past life.

Sour, bitter, and twisted, it sent a numbing sensation straight to the crown of his head.

The kind of taste that could haunt your nightmares and jolt you awake in the dead of night.

"You... you’re crying?"

"Grandma...?"

"Does it remind you of your grandmother’s cooking?"

"No, I can see her."

Watching a tear slide down Li Mo’s cheek, Ying Bing frowned slightly.

There were two reasons she had decided to cook herself.

First, she refused to believe there was anything she couldn’t do well.

Second, since she had asked Li Mo for a favor, she felt she owed him something in return.

So, over the past few days, she had diligently studied the recipes.

Take the spicy pepper stir-fry, for example. The recipe stated that the dish should be fiery, with the flavors bursting the moment it touched the tongue.

To achieve this, she had gone to Dan Ding Peak and asked Elder Xue for several bottles of Black Fiendwood Oil—a material typically used in alchemy when the furnace temperature was insufficient to burn away impurities.

Elder Xue assured her it was safe to consume, so she used it without hesitation.

However, she was confused by the instruction to add "one spoonful."

After all, the recipe didn’t specify the size of the spoon.

So, she poured it in for ten seconds straight.

Was it really that bad?

Ying Bing picked up a piece of the spicy pepper stir-fry and tasted it.

........

Half an hour later.

A new spread of dishes was served on the table.

Looking at Ying Bing’s already rosy lips, now even more flushed and alluring, Li Mo sighed.

"Honestly, I didn’t help you that much. You didn’t need to go through all this trouble."

"Mhm."

"Let’s eat."

After rinsing his mouth and devouring a few bites of his own stir-fried greens, Li Mo finally felt like he had come back to life.

Ying Bing’s gaze flickered slightly before she asked,

"How is she... doing now?"

"I left some healing supplements for Jiang Chulong. I also bought the house she’s staying in, so she won’t have to worry about daily necessities. I’ve arranged with the Murong Family to deliver supplies to her regularly."

"Oh?"

A trace of surprise flashed across Ying Bing’s flawless face.

She knew Jiang Chulong’s personality well—the girl was deeply withdrawn, barely able to string a sentence together.

Yet Jiang Chulong had actually told Li Mo her name? It seemed they had gotten along surprisingly well.

Watching Li Mo eat heartily, Ying Bing’s expression softened.

If it was him...

Then perhaps it wasn’t so unexpected after all.

"Thank you."

"It was nothing."

Li Mo coughed lightly before adding seriously, "We’re close enough that you don’t need to go to such lengths for small favors."

After learning about Ying Bing’s thought process behind cooking, Li Mo could only say...

Dedication was good, but sometimes it really wasn’t necessary.

Considering her personality, he continued,

"If you really want to thank me, you can just do me a favor in return."

"What kind of favor?"

"For example... discussing swordplay with me?"

Li Mo didn’t have many people he could turn to for advice.

After some thought, Ying Bing was the only one left.

He was truly at a loss on how to answer Jiang Chulong’s questions.

Who knew what went on in that girl’s head?

"Discuss swordplay with me?"

Ying Bing raised her eyes, her delicate brows arching slightly.

Teaching and discussing were two entirely different matters.

In all the realms under heaven, the number of people qualified to discuss swordplay with her could be counted on one hand.

Once upon a time, she had even presided over an entire sword path—proof that her understanding of the sword had touched the very essence of the art, placing her at the pinnacle of the martial world.

At least based on Li Mo’s previous swordsmanship, he wasn’t qualified for such a discussion.

Delving too deep would do him more harm than good.

"Let’s hear your questions first."

"I made a list."

Li Mo grinned and pulled out a sheet of paper from his sleeve.

Afraid he might forget, he had written everything down.

Ying Bing skimmed through it.

Her clear, frost-like eyes suddenly paused, narrowing slightly.

These questions...

They actually pointed straight to the fundamental principles of swordplay?

She could certainly answer them.

But the fact that Li Mo could even ask such questions was... surprising.

Formulating questions required a certain level of insight. The doubts that arose in the minds of geniuses and mediocrities were worlds apart.

For example...

If an apple fell on someone’s head, an ordinary person might wonder why they were so unlucky today.

A genius would ask why the apple fell downward instead of flying upward...

Ying Bing stared at Li Mo, her ice-mirror eyes reflecting the young man’s face as if trying to discern something extraordinary.

His talent before had only been peculiar, far from genius-level.

"Peculiar" because Li Mo sometimes seemed dull but would suddenly have moments of enlightenment. It wasn’t that his swordsmanship itself was extraordinary—just that he had an unusual tendency for sudden realizations.

Had she underestimated him all this time?

Ying Bing couldn't quite pinpoint the exact reason:

"Is that all?"

Li Mo subconsciously scratched his cheek and nodded:

"Yes, that's all for now."