Saving The Six Realms By Starting A Romance - Chapter 6

### Chapter 6: The Cabbage Fairy

There was a time when the Six Realms fell under the control of the demonic path. It’s said that the first slogan shouted by the forebears who eradicated the demonic influence was, “Stand up, never bow to the demonic path.” Consequently, over time, the custom of kneeling has vanished from the Six Realms. Even the Heavenly Emperor is greeted with a simple hand gesture of respect. Forcing someone to kneel is now considered an insult.

Qing Jue believed that Her Highness was a celestial being who might not understand this world completely. She assumed that “paying respects” meant actual kneeling, so she quickly pulled Bu Xi up, who was about to kneel.

Sure enough, Bu Xi’s face darkened, his flirtatious gaze froze in confusion, and he was left in a dilemma. Kneeling or not, even his previously affectionate expression was tinged with anger.

Standing there awkwardly for a long moment, Bu Xi finally refrained from kneeling. Instead, he bowed deeply and forced a stiff smile. “Your Highness, you must be joking. I only came to make sure you’re adjusting well to the celestial realm and brought some small gifts. Please accept them.”

Eager to change the subject, Bu Xi waved his hand, and a golden light flashed, revealing an array of items. Most were gold and silver ornaments, along with some luxurious robes and dresses, all exquisitely crafted, clearly intended for a woman.

“These are all meticulously prepared by the immortals of Qi Ling Mountain for Your Highness,” Bu Xi explained, detailing the beauty and craftsmanship of each item, as if a lot of thought had gone into them.

Beside him, Qing Jue’s face darkened as she glared at Bu Xi, her small face turning red with suppressed anger, clearly wanting to explode but restraining herself due to Jiang Ran’s presence.

“Immortal Bu, your thoughtfulness is appreciated,” Jiang Ran responded, pretending not to understand the slight. After several polite refusals, she finally chose a random item to accept, only to make Bu Xi leave contentedly.

“Your Highness, don’t be fooled by that earth immortal,” Qing Jue warned anxiously once Bu Xi had left. “You might not have noticed, but the items he offered were all mundane. There wasn’t a single spiritual artifact. You, as the princess of the celestial realm, should not be insulted with such ordinary gifts.”

“It’s not that serious,” Jiang Ran reassured her with a smile. “Besides, I am just a mortal. Bu Xi probably didn’t mean to insult me but thought I couldn’t tell the difference between spiritual artifacts and ordinary ones.”

“You are the Princess of Heaven, personally appointed by the Heavenly Emperor. Apart from His Majesty, no one in the Six Realms has a higher status. You’re not like ordinary mortals!” Qing Jue insisted. “His uninvited visit to the Floating Cloud Hall was already disrespectful. Now, offering such junk is outright ignoring your dignity.”

“Alright, alright, let’s not worry about him,” Jiang Ran said, finding Qing Jue’s puffed-up anger somewhat endearing. She changed the subject, “It’s almost evening. The celestial realm… does provide meals, right?”

Since waking up, she hadn’t eaten anything except some tea at the Heavenly Emperor’s place. Her stomach was growling, and she felt like she was starving.

“Ah!” Qing Jue exclaimed, realizing her oversight. “Forgive me, Your Highness. I forgot. Please wait a moment. I’ll prepare some food for you right away!”

Qing Jue hurried off, her earlier anger at Bu Xi forgotten.

Jiang Ran didn’t have to wait long. As an immortal, Qing Jue was much more efficient than a mortal. In less than ten minutes, she returned with a tray full of dishes, the aroma making Jiang Ran’s stomach grumble loudly.

How fragrant!

No wonder celestial food smelled so good.

“Thank you for waiting, Your Highness,” Qing Jue said, placing the dishes on the table and handing Jiang Ran a pair of chopsticks.

Jiang Ran took the chopsticks and scanned the table, only to see a sea of green!

Um…

“Qing Jue,” she asked, pointing at the dishes with her chopsticks, “what are these?”

“Oh, this is Jade White Soup, stir-fried greens, garlic jade, and…” Qing Jue listed the dishes, adding, “Today was a bit rushed, so I could only prepare a few. If you have any special requests in the future, just let me know, and I’ll make them for you.”

Indeed, it did seem rushed.

Seeing all the green, Jiang Ran suddenly didn’t feel so hungry.

“Qing Jue, is your true form… a cabbage?”

“Your Highness, how did you know?” Qing Jue’s eyes widened in surprise, “I indeed cultivated from a plant spirit, and my original form is a cabbage.”

“…” So it was true!

No wonder she could whip up so many variations of cabbage in just ten minutes. She must be very familiar with her true form.

“Please try it, Your Highness,” Qing Jue encouraged, seemingly more enthusiastic after her true form was revealed. “Among plant spirits, cabbages are the sweetest and most versatile. In the mortal world, we are even called the ‘King of Vegetables.’”

“…” Is being delicious something to boast about?

Jiang Ran felt conflicted. It seemed that tonight she would have to settle for vegetables.

She picked up her bowl and took a bite. To her surprise, the taste was indeed exceptional, probably because it was cooked by a cabbage fairy. It was better than any cabbage dish she had ever tasted.

But… it was still cabbage!

Yes, next time she would remember to request dishes in advance. Even if it wasn’t a grand feast, there should at least be a balance of meat and vegetables.

—

Jiang Ran stayed in the Floating Cloud Hall for three days, eating cabbage for every meal. It wasn’t that Qing Jue was unwilling to cook other things, but she seemed overly confident in her original form. No matter what dish she made, she always included some cabbage.

Dishes like stewed pork with vermicelli, vinegar cabbage, steamed shrimp – she could tolerate those. But adding cabbage leaves to scrambled eggs with tomatoes was going too far. Jiang Ran felt like she was forgetting what cabbage looked like.

Meanwhile, the number of visitors to the Floating Cloud Hall inexplicably increased, and they were mostly earth or wandering immortals, those who had just ascended and found a place to cultivate but weren’t yet summoned to the Nine Heavens.

Perhaps inspired by Bu Xi’s visit, many came under the guise of being neighbors. Each one had a different style – serious and dignified, cheerful and witty, or serene and scholarly. They brought a variety of gifts, clearly more thoughtful than Bu Xi’s offerings. Most were spiritual items, with even some celestial artifacts among them.

At first, Jiang Ran was interested in meeting them, but as more people came at all hours, she grew tired and puzzled by their enthusiasm.

Though the Heavenly Emperor had mentioned that her future son, who was yet to exist, would be the savior of the realms, so he wanted to arrange marriage for her quickly.

But these visitors were not arranged by the Heavenly Emperor; they came on their own. What were they after?

“What else?” Qing Jue, annoyed by the constant interruptions that interfered with her cabbage-cooking time, snapped, “It’s for the immense merit.”

“What merit?”

(End of Chapter)

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