The Supporting Female Character Does Not Dare to Interfere (Quick Transmigration)

Author: Feng Liu Shu Dai

GENRE: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Mystery

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Amidst the raging clouds and lightning, a long-haired female cultivator sharply ****** a sword into the abdomen of a male cultivator.

His eyes widened in disbelief as blood poured from his mouth. Yet, the woman simply gazes at him before slowly pulling out the sword.

Under the continuous lightning strikes, the night sky turns as bright as daylight, revealing the pale face of the man.

“**Lin Dan, it’s me**…”

The female cultivator’s calm eyes flickered for a moment, then whispered softly, “You…you aren’t just a figment of my imagination?”

The female cultivator was undergoing tribulation and believed that the man before her was an illusion born from her inner demons, not realizing that he was, in fact, real.

The female cultivator, Lin Dan, finally lifted her head to look at the thunder-filled sky, then at the nearby cultivators who were suspended in mid-air and wielding their swords.

It was only then that she remembered that today was her wedding ceremony with the male cultivator. Her companion whom she had chased and accompanied for thousands of years. But does it matter? No matter how persistent the wait, how crazy the pursuit, or how long the companionship. It cannot compare to the casual glance of a certain woman.

Even if an alliance was about to be formed, as long as that woman appeared and uttered a few syllables with her rosy lips, the man in front of her will instantly lose his sanity.

Rewinding time to an hour ago:

Seeing her partner’s hesitation to pierce his finger and swear an oath with her, what was there for Lin Dan not to understand? At that moment, looking deeply into her partner’s struggling and regretful eyes, Lin Dan had understood everything.

Without hesitation, she removed the red veil draped over her and took off her gorgeous and heavy headdress before turning around and leaving.

Before the guest and the attending families of both parties could even react, the sky that was once full of stars was engulfed by the sudden appearance of rolling dark clouds and rumbling thunder.

It was the calling of the calamitous cloud and lightning tribulation.

Amid this special occasion, someone is actually going through a heavenly tribulation?

The person crossing this tribulation is none other than Lin Dan, who cultivates the Infinite Path of the Infinite Immortal Sect.

As the saying goes, there are three thousand ways to the Dao, each with its own mysteries and challenges.

The Infinite Path was one of the most arduous and difficult to follow. It places great emphasis on cultivating the “Endless Dao, pure Dao heart, and Desireless Dao body.” Only by achieving these three aspects could one possibly touch the true Dao.

But Lin Dan had always held onto someone whom she cannot let go of, making it difficult for her to achieve a desireless state. Despite being a genius in the world of cultivation with a unique spiritual root, she has been stuck in the tribulation period for more than six hundred years.

However, she is not in a hurry at all. The ladder to ascend in this world was destroyed for some reason, and even if she completes the tribulation, she will eventually dissipate into the heavens and earth, signifying death.

She isn’t in a hurry because she is afraid of death, but because she was worried that she won’t be able to accompany that person anymore.

She knew that man was deeply attached to someone else, but it didn’t matter. The moment he encountered hardship, she will always be there for him. If his heart was a piece of ice that had remained unchanged for thousands of years, then she was the blazing sun, determined to melt him.

She had always believed that she would eventually win his gaze and affection, until this moment…

Everything changed, and everything just faded away.

The thing she held tightly in her hand but could not grasp, no matter how hard she tried, was finally let go.

What was lost were the obsessions and the demons in her heart, and what was gained was the enlightenment of the vast sea and sky.

Lin Dan surrendered the person she loved to the beauty who had hurriedly come over, and stepped out of the hall to face the dark thunderclouds.

The emotional bond that had lasted for centuries, was unexpectedly broken. She was ready to overcome the tribulation and ascend to the heavens.

Her inner demons struggled fiercely, transforming into countless sweet images in an attempt to hinder Lin Dan’s footsteps, but she cut them all with her sword.

The ascension ladder had been destroyed, and whether she failed or succeeded in this tribulation, death was the only outcome. But so what? She no longer wanted to be entangled with these people. The mortal world was too impure, and the will of heaven was too vast. Even if she were to become a gentle breeze, she would still soar through the sky.

However, she did not understand what her companion is thinking. He recklessly rushed into the heavenly tribulation and entered the illusions, sending himself at the tip of her sword.

It should be noted that he was also a powerful person in the tribulation period and the first cultivator in the Southern lands. There was no way he could not dodge her attack.

“Lin Dan,” the male cultivator ignored the bloody wound on his abdomen and tightly held the tip of Lin Dan’s sword, pleading, “‘Don’t go.”

“I can’t stay,” Lin Dan slowly withdrew her sword from the man’s grip, her tone wavering.

“Where else can I go?” That’s right, If I don’t leave, where else can I go? Continue to desperately chase after you like before? I followed you for thousands of years, only to find out in the end that everyone still has to walk their own journey.

Thinking of this, Lin Dan let go of her sword and flew towards the broken ascension ladder. The male cultivator hurried to chase after her but was too slow due to his severe injuries. He only saw a large hole open up in the sky, swallowing Lin Dan along with the lightning tribulation. By the time he had caught up to the sky, everything had disappeared like foam. The thunderclouds, the thunderbolts, and Lin Dan. Everything was gone.

“Lin Dan!” The male cultivator’s hoarse cry echoed in the vast night, lingering for a long time…

…

“Congratulations on your return, host.” As soon as Lin Dan opened her eyes, she heard a mechanical voice. “You have entered the S-level world and successfully obtained the [Infinite Dao Heart]. May I ask if the host wants to immediately exchange points?”

“**Exchange, then open my personal space**,” Lin Dan replied unhurriedly.

In the blink of an eye, she entered a pure white space, surrounded by smooth metal walls, with a bed in the center and nothing else.

“Host, through this mission, you have earned a total of 9,990,000 points. I am honored to inform you that you have reached the maximum level of your points. The system offered you two options; One, release the binding and return to the original world. Two, release the binding and immigrate to a higher world? What is your preference?” The cold mechanical voice sounded in Lin Dan’s mind.

After Lin Dan’s death, she was inexplicably bound to this support system and was forced to travel through countless small words to complete tasks. She could only remove the binding after accumulating a certain amount of points, then, she could freely choose where to go. Lin Dan already made plans, but now hesitated. With a furrowed brow, she pondered for a moment and said, “If I want to immigrate…”

“I’m sorry, host,” the system interrupted her. “Your recommender revoked their recommendation in the previous task world. If you want to immigrate, please choose another recommender as soon as possible."

“As expected, it was revoked…” Lin Dan shook her head, a self-deprecating smile across her face.

If she wants to immigrate to a higher realm, getting the approval of the system alone is insufficient. She would also need to find a recommender from that place.

Lin Dan’s recommender in the previous world was none other than the male cultivator whose stomach she had pierced. She knew nothing about his name or background, only that he came from a higher world with far greater authority than the system, even the main system.

Constantly shuttling through various small worlds where she could not die or perish may be a great fortune for others. But only Lin Dan knows how painful and desperate this kind of journey was. After experiencing so much, the countless memories stored in her mind are like big hands dragging her into the abyss.

Too much love and hate, and separation, with even more helplessness, anger, pain, and despair filled her heart, causing her to lose herself. For a long time, she couldn’t figure out who she was or where she came from. When she was on the verge of collapse, she met the man in a certain task world, rescuing her from the dark abyss and taught her how to overcome obstacles, defeat enemies and earn points. With his help, Lin Dan slowly found herself and willingly became his follower, chasing his footsteps in different small worlds.

Lin Dan originally thought that meeting the man would be a redemption, but in the end, she found that it was just another futile struggle. Fortunately, not all of the man’s teachings were in vain. She learned to be independent, to respect and love herself, and to be indifferent to everything.

It is said that falling in love with an outstanding person can ultimately lead to a better version of yourself even if you cannot be with them. This statement is true for Lin Dan. She did not regret her efforts and patience in the pursuit she made for thousands of years. Without it, there would be no blooming flowers and carefree clouds as they are now.

[Infinite Dao Heart] may have been exchanged for points, but those insights still remain in her heart. She smiled in relief and shook her head, saying, “He probably wants to become her recommender.”

That woman is not a task-giver, but she is equally charming and extraordinary. The man met her in a certain task world and became uncontrollably infatuated with her, chasing her for several worlds just like how Lin Dan had pursued him. The beauty from the cultivation world was also one of the woman’s reincarnation, which is why he was willing to stand against the entire cultivation world.

No matter where a woman reincarnates, a man could always use his great abilities to find and protect her. In the end, men are just humble followers, like Lin Dan. They were willing to give a woman their everything, even if she has no memories of their past life.

Lin Dan used to envy and even feel jealous of that woman, but now she feels nothing.

The system’s tone dropped half a pitch and sounded somewhat melancholy, “If the host wants to know, I could try checking. However, that person’s authority is higher than mine, and I may not be able to find anything. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you throughout the years, host. I’m just an auxiliary system, only giving out assistance tasks."

The support system is only responsible for the development of the small worlds and fixing bugs, and their chosen host is just a tool that can be sacrificed at critical moments. To used a bad metaphor, if a pot has a hole and needs to be patched with a piece of scrap iron, then Lin Dan is that piece of scrap iron, with no other use except to burn herself up in the fire.

Many of the tasks she receives are detrimental to herself but beneficial to others, even unreasonable. But what can she do? Once the mission fails, she will be eliminated by the system. Therefore, eight or nine out of ten task-bound individuals cannot survive until the end, either committing suicide halfway or falling into madness. Someone like Lin Dan, who completes every task smoothly and earns a high score, is rare. This is thanks to the help of men but also related to Lin Dan’s strong and resilient character.

The current Lin Dan is indifferent to everything, with no desires or expectations. It doesn’t matter where she goes. She opened the task menu and decisively said, “No need to check, cancel my immigration application and send me back to my original world."

“Okay, host. I have some good news to share with you. As the task auxiliary task performer to receive the highest score, the main system has decided to reward you with one billion points. These points can be exchange in your original world’s currency in a 1:1 ratio. Does the host want to exchange?"

“Exchange.” Lin Dan nodded without hesitation, followed by a mocking smile. After all, what’s an ‘auxiliary task performer?” Just a dispensable supporting character. But that’s not the case anymore. She wants to be herself and live a wonderful life.

“Okay, host. The system will exchange them for you. Please wait a moment.”

It took about a minute to handle the host’s points and deposits. After the system was unbound, it opened the teleportation device to send Lin Dan back to the original world.

Lin Dan thought she could retire peacefully this time, but unexpectedly, a huge energy wave suddenly hit the teleportation belt, disrupting the flow of time.

In the present day. Lin Dan was a bit disoriented and confused about her identity. She subconsciously called for a system, but realises she doesn’t know what it is.

She held a spoon in her hand with a creamy broth in it, suggesting that she had just taken a sip. But the question is, Lin Dan had no idea about who she was, what she was doing, and why she was there.

She stared at her small, calloused hands, feeling that they were hers, but also as if they weren’t. She was standing here, but clearly did not belong here; like a visitor from another world who suddenly barged in and didn’t fit in with everything around her. She couldn’t even figure out what the current situation was.

However, people around did not notice that the Lin Dan at this moment was not the same as before. One of them pointed to a dish in front of her and said, “It’s still missing something in terms of taste.”

But what kind of flavour it was, he couldn’t tell either, after all, he was not a professional chef, but just had more sensitive taste than ordinary people.

Lin Dan was awakened by these words, and looked up to find that the other party was a young man wearing intricate clothing. He was slim, fair-skinned, and handsome. If he didn’t say anything, he looked like a little girl. He was also holding a ladle, tasting dishes like Lin Dan, frowning and looking very serious.

“It’s true that it lacks a bit of flavour.” Another person said slowly.

Lin Dan turned her head to see that the speaker was an old man with a white beard. He was constantly smacking his lips, as if trying to discern the taste of the soup.

Lin Dan quickly looked around, even though she didn’t understand anything, she didn’t show any panic on her face. She seemed to be accustomed to dealing with unexpected situations.

“What do you mean by lacking flavour? It’s all the same to me, there’s no difference.” The speaker this time was a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance. He was wearing a robe embroidered with auspicious clouds and blue Qilin. His status seems to be quite high, as those people around him began to nod and agree, with a slightly flattering smile on their faces.

Lin Dan didn’t focus on him, instead turning her head to look to the side. Standing seven or eight metres away was a young girl, only thirteen or fourteen years old. There was also a square table with a plate of food on it.

Judging from the colour, fragrance, and taste alone, it was almost identical to the dish Lin Dan had under her eyes.

Taking into account the environment, characters, dialogue information, and other factors. Lin Dan quickly came to the conclusion that she seemed to be in a cooking competition with someone.

The young girl smiled a little after hearing the words of the young man and the white-bearded old man, but when she saw that the middle-aged man did not support her, her eyes furrowed immediately, revealing her stubbornness

“Please try it again, Marquis.”

Marquis? Lin Dan, who was trying to gather information quickly glanced at the middle-aged man.

The middle aged man was about to speak, but the handsome young man impatiently said, “Can’t you even taste whether the dish is good or bad? Why bother being a chef?”

It was obviously directed at Lin Dan as his clear eyes were staring straight at her. The girl was pleased and lowered her head, pursing her lips with a shy smile.

Earlier, Lin Dan tasted her own dish, but she did not admit defeat. It was more accurate to say that she couldn’t really tell what was wrong with it or what flavours it was lacking. The young man who thought she had already lost was quite unhappy with this.

Now that she figured out the situation, Lin Dan did not need to adapt to the changing circumstances. Instead, she decided to play along with the situation like a normal person would.

She silently evaluated the soup in her spoon and walked over to the upset little girl, scooping out some soup from her plate. Both dishes were made with vegetables, crab meat, and chicken. Although they look simple, they were actually difficult to make. Cooking is like this; the simpler the dish, the harder it is to make.

Lin Dan initially just wanted to take a few bites and concede defeat to quickly get away and find a quiet place to digest this sudden situation. But when she actually tasted the two dishes, her taste buds and brain automatically made a judgement.

She was surprised to find that her sense of taste seemed to be much more sensitive than ordinary people. Even the slightest differences could be magnified several times by her tongue, which was exactly what Lin Dan had lacked before.

“I lost.” After putting down the spoon, she sincerely said, “My dish is slightly bitter.”

This kind of bitterness cannot be tasted by ordinary people, only those with extremely sensitive taste buds can tell.

The old man with a white beard looked deeply at Lin Dan and pointed out, “That’s right. When you thickened the sauce, you didn’t wait for the vegetable to be fully cooked, which prolonged the heating time of the starch and easily caused it to burn and become bitter. The essence of the crab roe and vegetable dish lies in two words: fresh and smooth. Your dish looks good, but it lacks a bit of flavour.”

Lin Dan nodded and said again, “I lost.”

Seeing her calm and peaceful expression without any resentment after her defeat, the old man with a white beard nodded slightly. The middle-aged man sighed deeply with a look of reluctance, and a woman hiding behind the crowd suddenly covered her chest and fell down, startling everyone.

“Oh no, Qi Shi has fainted! Lin Dan, come and see your mother!” Two women immediately helped the woman up and waved to Lin Dan.

Lin Dan quickly collected information from the conversation to supplement her identity, and without hesitation rushed over and said loudly, “Please help me find a doctor. I’ll take my mother back first.”

She took over one of the women’s duties to support her mother. The woman whose hand was freed did not notice anything unusual and hurriedly led the way, quickly bringing Lin Dan back to her own home. After a busy period, the doctor finally arrived and said that the woman was not seriously ill, but had fainted due to excessive worry. Drinking soup to calm her nerves should do the trick.

After taking the prescription, Lin Dan took off a silver hairpin from her head as payment for the consultation. She didn’t know where the woman kept her money, and even if she did, the money box was surely locked. Now that the woman was unconscious, she couldn’t ask for the key.

The doctor looked at her with pity and said in a gentle voice. “The Marquis has already paid the fee, you can keep the hairpin. Give me the prescription, I’ll send the servant from the Marquis Mansion to get it for you. Your mother is unconscious and can’t be left alone.”

Looking at the doctor who shook his head and sighed as he slowly walked away, Lin Dan realised that the cooking competition seemed to be very important to her. Otherwise, everyone wouldn’t have had such great sympathy for her, and her mother wouldn’t have fainted after she admitted defeat.

But she had lost, that was an undeniable fact. That’s why Lin Dan did not feel any regret for what she had done.

Seeing the woman covered in sweat, she picked up a copper basin to fetch water outside. However, she saw a sixteen or seventeen-year old boy walked in and whispered,

“Lin Dan, I’ve got the medicine for you. One packet of medicine and three bowls of water, boil it over high heat and simmer over low heat to make one bowl. Don’t throw away the remaining medicine dregs, you can make two more doses out of it. Drink three doses a day for seven days and it should be enough.”

Lin Dan quickly expressed her gratitude and saw off the guest before going to the kitchen to make medicine. Whether it was chopping firewood, cooking or fetching water, her body could do it unconsciously.

The medicinal soup was boiling and bubbling, so Lin Dan removed some dry firewood and switched to a low heat to simmer it slowly. Then she brought over a small stoll and sat by the stove to organise her memories. She seemed to have gotten used to doing this and quickly understood her situation.

Her father was Lin Baotian, the head chef of the Yongding Marquis Mansion. Since the Marquis was a gourmet who was particularly picky about food, Lin Baotian’s extraordinary culinary skills were highly valued.

He was even taken along on military campaigns, demonstrating his status. As a result, Lin Dan and Qi Shi had a very good life in the mansion. They not only had their own living quarters but also had servants waiting on them.

But two months ago, Lin Baotian suddenly became severely ill and passed away. On his deathbed, he passed on his lifetime culinary skills and kitchen knives to his only daughter, Lin Dan.

Lin Dan had admired the young master since childhood and like the Old Marquis, he was also a food lover. It was her reason to practise her cooking skills every day just to catch his attention.

After her father’s death, she took over as head chef in the mansion. Despite being only twelve or thirteen years old, her culinary skills were already very skilled.

One day, she cooked her signature dish, Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions, which she had practised for a long time. Unfortunately, she heard the young master say that the dish was inferior to that of the servant girl’s cooking in his courtyard.

Lin Dan has always been proud and arrogant. When she immediately went to compete with the young maid, she didn’t expect the maid to reveal a shocking secret.

Lin Baotian’s culinary skills and knives were stolen from her grandfather Yan Bo, and was not a descendant of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef, but a person who betrayed his teacher and ancestor.

The little maid’s name was Yan Langqing. Her grandfather was the renowned Golden Knife Imperial Chef Yan Bo. After leaving the palace, he took on several apprentices, one of whom was Lin Dan’s father, Lin Baotian.

Later, Yan Bo fell seriously ill and was about to die. However, Yan Langqing’s father was away and could not return in time to send his father off. It was Lin Baotian who buried Yan Bo and took the opportunity to steal the Golden Knife and Yan family’s recipe, disappearing without a trace.

Yan Langqing’s father was deeply resentful and travelled around with his wife and children to search for Lin Baotian. Finally, they found him at the Yongding Marquis’s Mansion but did not expect that he had already died.

So, he sent his daughter to infiltrate the mansion to learn about the situation of the enemy’s descendants and to find an opportunity to challenge Lin Dan, with the bet of being the Imperial Golden Knife and Yan’s family recipe.

Lin Dan was very competitive and unwilling to lose face in front of the young master. In order to defend her father’s reputation, she accepted the challenge immediately. Later she lost, and became the current “Lin Dan.”

The handsome young judge was the young master, and the middle-aged man who knew Lin Dan could not defeat Yan Langqing but still spoke up to defend her was the Old Marquis.

Although they share the same name, Lin Dan clearly perceives that her past and present selves are not the same person at all. The previous Lin Dan was all about the young lord, feeling ecstatic at the sight of his smile and lost at the sight of his frown. But now, Lin Dan feels nothing and thinks of him as a stranger.

What she urgently needs to solve now is not her identity and memory issues, but where to go from here. Losing the competition and having a sickly mother to take care of, what should she do in the future.

At noon, everyone savored the stir-fried hazel grouse and braised rabbit meat. Despite the original lack of flavor, Lin, the boss, demonstrated exceptional cooking skills and made the two dishes incredibly flavorful.

One spoonful of food with one bowl of rice was completely satisfying. After the meal, a layer of red soup still remained in the clay pot. Luo Tietou and Zhao Liu swiftly retrieved their buns and dipped them in the soup, finishing every last drop.

"Comfortable, really comfortable!" Luo Tietou lay on the grass, rubbing his belly. If he could accompany Shopkeeper Lin on every future mission, he would gladly do so 365 days a year. That wouldn't be called hard work; that would be called enjoying life.

"One hazel grouse is still a bit small, not enough to eat. How about we hunt a few more later and let Lin continue cooking in the evening?" Zhao Liu suggested in a low voice.

"I think it's a good idea. If we hunt, Shopkeeper Lin will have to cook again even if she doesn't like to prepare the same dishes. Wild game has to be killed and cooked on the spot; that's the best way to enjoy it." Luo Tietou smacked his lips, still savoring the lunch they had just eaten.

The handsome man cast a glance their way but remained silent, evidently giving his approval. After resting for half an hour, the convoy proceeded and arrived at a dense forest.

Hearing the sound of small animals rustling through the grass, Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou readied their bows and arrows, intent on hunting for their evening meal.

The handsome man merely looked back and did not join them. After a while, he began to sense that something was amiss and was about to request the driver to slow down when an arrow struck one of the horses pulling the cart.

The other horses panicked and neighed wildly, but the drivers managed to grab the reins and calm them down. Had the horses not been calmed, the goods would have been damaged.

However, the undamaged goods did not imply that the situation improved. Because over a dozen burly men emerged from the dense forest, each holding a machete, or a bow and arrow, clearly experienced in robbing.

The tall and sturdy man, Junwei, approached Lin Dan's carriage first and whispered in a hushed tone, "Don't resist. Let's go with them first. Zhao Liu and Tietou are still behind us; they'll figure out a way to rescue us."

Lin Dan nodded, tapping her finger joints on the carriage window in understanding.

The group, along with the carriage, was dragged up the mountain by the bandits. A small hideout made of wooden fences enclosing five or six crude houses came into view. It looked shabby, clearly constructed in haste by these bandits.

Although it had yet to become a larger problem, if left unattended for three to five years, it would undoubtedly turn into a local disaster.

Lin Dan's hands were bound with rope as she stumbled forward, counting the number of bandits as she walked. With only five or six crude houses, the hideout could not accommodate many people. In addition to what she had seen along the way, this was only a small group of about twenty to thirty bandits. Some kidnapped women worked with a numb expression on their faces. When they were brought to the largest wooden house, a fierce-looking man immediately approached and asked in a rough voice, "Did you get anything good this time?"

"Damn it, all we got were some pickled vegetables and dried goods, not worth a penny!" one of the bandits spat, then continued, "Fortunately, we kidnapped three young girls. Brothers, we're in for a treat tonight."

Initially disappointed, the bandit leader grinned lasciviously upon seeing Lin Dan and her companions. "Well, well, although your face isn't very fair, your figure is quite something!" he remarked.

Lin Dan, who often travels, boasts a healthy physique. Her waist is tightly bound by cloth, accentuating her full chest and firm buttocks. This contrasts with the current trend of sickly beauty, making her particularly charming. Despite having faced many hardships, she remains calm, while her servants are cursing in anger. However, they are quickly silenced and stepped on.

The handsome man glanced up at the bandit leader, his eyes flashing with a dark light.

Lin Dan cast a comforting glance at everyone and spoke slowly, "The leader may not know that my ancestors were imperial chefs, and I have also learned some culinary skills from my father. If the leader spares my servants, I am willing to stay and cook for my brothers."

Of course, she did not expect these ruthless bandits to release her people. She only said this to divert their attention. For ordinary people, imperial chefs are figures they will never come into contact with in their lifetime. If they accidentally encounter one in reality, wouldn't they be curious? As long as they are curious, Lin Dan can buy more time for everyone, and with time comes the opportunity to escape.

"Are you an imperial chef?" The bandit leader's lecherous expression subsided as he looked at her with surprise.

"My master is an imperial chef, and my father once worked as a chef in the Yongding Marquis's Household," Lin Dan explained.

The family had served both the emperor and the Yongding Marquis, two figures whom nobody else could dream of meeting. The bandit leader's gaze towards Lin Dan began to change. After thinking for a moment, he said, "How do I know if what you're saying is true or false? Coincidentally, we've just stolen two cows in the village. If you kill the cows and make us a satisfying dinner, I'll consider letting your people go."

"Thank you, leader," Lin Dan said cupping her fist. "Killing cows is quite a chore. Please release my two maidservants to help me." If she left Shaoyao and Dujuan behind, she didn't know if the bandits would take advantage of them.

Killing cows was a job that the bandits naturally didn't want to do. Shaoyao and Dujuan were only twelve or thirteen years old, not very tall, and not very threatening. So they were quickly released. The rest of them were tied up and thrown into the firewood room. When the bandits left, Xiaozhu crawled up to the handsome man like a worm and whispered, "Big brother, do you think Zhao Liu and Tietou will find our trail? When will they arrive?"

The man lay quietly on the ground, his eyes half-closed, and his voice low. "We'll wait until nightfall before we make a move."

Xiaozhu was still feeling anxious, looking up at the window and muttering to himself, "I wonder how Boss Lin and the others are doing now."

Lin Dan was doing well, squatting on the ground, carefully sharpening a knife. She occasionally tested the sharpness of the blade with her fingertips, looking very serious.

The two bandits who had been eyeing her saw that she was only busy making a fire, boiling water, and sharpening her knife. She had not said a word to the little girls the whole time and had not looked around surreptitiously. They were now watching her less closely, having relaxed their guard and sitting on the side, chatting away.

The two cows were strong and healthy, and their fur was well taken care of. Obviously, they were stolen from the valley below.

After sharpening her knife, Lin Dan walked around the cows a few times, inspecting them carefully to choose which one to slaughter. The two bandits, seeing that she was finally about to kill the cows, crowded around to watch the spectacle. Slaughtering a cow was a skilled task that even a group of strong men would struggle to do, let alone a woman. The two bandits didn't offer to help. They only stood by and sneered, their eyes full of malice.

But soon, Lin Dan's actions made them feel uneasy. They watched as she chose one of the cows and let two little maids lead the other away, blindfolded with a cloth to prevent it from becoming agitated and going mad. Then, she stabbed the cow in the neck with a knife, cutting off the carotid artery and stepped back to scoop a ladle of water to calmly rinse the bloodstained blade.

Five meters away from her, the strong cow slowly fell to the ground, without even having time to make a sound. A large amount of fresh blood spurted from its neck, quickly staining the ground red.

The two bandits were stunned, but Lin Dan didn't stop there. After draining all the blood, she used boiling water to scald the cowhide, shaved off the hair, and then used a hot iron rod to burn off the remaining stubble. The smell of burnt flesh and hair accompanied by sizzling sounds made their scalp tingle.

After thoroughly cleaning the cowhide, Lin Dan stabbed the knife into the cow's stomach, cut it open with extreme precision, and the internal organs flowed out onto the ground. She sorted them into a bowl, then turned her attention to the joints of the cow's body and skillfully disassembled it.

A cow weighing more than 300 pounds, she handled it in less than an hour, both ruthless and precise.

Watching the whole process, the two bandits no longer dared to underestimate her and stood outside the blood pool, shrinking with fear. They thought to themselves that this woman should continue to be a cook and not be taken to bed, otherwise, one day they wouldn't even know if she had slit their necks.

"Brothers, how many people are in your village?" Lin Dan casually asked, as if in passing, and throw the last piece of beef into the bowl.

"What are you asking for?" The two bandits were on edge, and even more wary of her.

"I need to know how many people there are so I can cook enough food. If I don't have enough, everyone will go hungry," Lin Dan wiped the blood from her face with a handkerchief, her expression calm.

That reason was very convincing. The two bandits counted in their minds and replied, "There are twenty or thirty mouths to feed, so cook a little more."

Lin Dan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She and the two little girls carried the beef into the kitchen, cut it into two-inch cubes, marinated it with soy sauce, cooking wine, and other seasonings, and then prepared the beef hooves, ribs, bones, and other ingredients for later use.

"Master, how do we escape?" The two little girls couldn't hold back their anxiety and whispered in her ear.

"Let's focus on making this meal first." Lin Dan peeled the garlic seriously, her expression steady.

No matter how panicked the two little girls were, it was useless. They could only resign themselves to washing the vegetables.

An hour later, the beef was marinated, and Lin Dan poured half a jar of vegetable oil into a large wok, heating it to 80% and then slowly poured in the beef. She stir-fried the beef until it was half-cooked and then removed it and set it aside.

She poured out the remaining oil, washed the pot, added new oil, and fried ginger slices and shredded onions until fragrant. She then added the half-cooked beef, soy sauce, star anise, and other ingredients and continued stir-frying for fifteen minutes.

After adding water and bringing the soup to a boil, she removed the excess firewood from the stove and simmered the beef over low heat. When the beef was almost done, she washed the beef tendons, cut them into strips, and fried them in the pot. This was to make another dish of braised beef tendons.

The two little maids were completely amazed. They never expected their master to cook while infiltrating a bandit's den. They didn't know what she was thinking. Was her life more important, or cooking?