Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

"Contractor, how are you? Are you alright?" Lin Mo looked at her worriedly.

Lin Mo had sensed Ning Xuan’s Divine Sense leaving her body just moments ago. Since Ning Xuan’s current Spiritual Power Level was only A-level, it was a dangerous thing for her Divine Sense to be separated from her physical form.

"I’m fine. He should wake up within a few days. Let’s go eat." Ning Xuan had received a communication from Ying Yaoshi that morning. After the call, she had started her cultivation. When she finished, Little White dragged her here. After rushing around all day, Ning Xuan was starving.

Little White seemed to sense that Yun Han’s condition was improving. It circled Ning Xuan excitedly, full of life. Seeing that Ning Xuan was about to leave, it leaped into her arms, determined to go with her.

Carrying Little White, Ning Xuan walked into the front courtyard. The dining room was brightly lit. A long dining table was covered with a pale yellow tablecloth, casting a warm glow.

The moment she stepped into the dining room, the aroma of roasted meat wafted over, making her even hungrier. Yan Fuzhen and Chen Nan, seeing her arrive, had already led the Attendants forward to greet her. Everyone bowed respectfully. Chen Nan hurried forward and pulled out the chair at the head of the table for Ning Xuan. After she sat down, the Attendants filed in, deftly placing one exquisite dish after another on the table.

To satisfy her own palate, Ning Xuan had personally trained the chefs. The ingredients from Central Star were already of the highest quality. Furthermore, while studying the fundamentals of alchemy and working with Exotic Plants and Medicinal Plants, she had found substitutes for most of the seasonings she used to use—things like bell peppers, star anise, honey, and cumin. It was safe to say she now had everything she could want.

With such high-quality ingredients and a wide array of seasonings, the chefs under Ning Xuan’s training quickly mastered the art of preparing all sorts of delicacies.

The table was now laden with dishes that were a feast for the senses. There was sweet and sour fish, spicy rabbit heads, and a hot pot-style vessel in the center of the table filled with steaming mushroom soup. Beside it sat a grill with golden, sizzling roasted meat that filled the air with its tantalizing aroma.

Ning Xuan sat at the head of the table, with Chen Nan and Lin Mo on either side. Nine-tailed and Lan Xin stood behind her, ready to serve. When Chen Nan noticed Ning Xuan’s gaze fall upon the grill, he immediately rose, carved a few slices of roasted meat, and presented them to her. "Contractor, you’ve worked hard. Please, enjoy your meal."

Lin Mo also stood and ladled a bowl of soup, placing it by her hand. "Contractor, would you like some soup to wet your throat?"

Ning Xuan nodded and gently told them to sit. "You must all be hungry too. Go on, eat."

With Nine-tailed and Lan Xin there to serve her, Lin Mo and Chen Nan weren’t needed to plate Ning Xuan’s food. This was partly because Ning Xuan’s current status meant she was wealthy enough to have plenty of attendants, and partly because she was remarkably lenient with her Contractors.

Both Chen Nan and Lin Mo had seen other masters who, despite having numerous servants, forced their Contractors to stand by and serve like slaves during meals. The slightest displeasure would get the Contractor dragged out for punishment.

Di Youlin sat obediently next to Chen Nan. He was especially fond of the food at Ning Xuan’s residence, and mealtimes always made him genuinely happy.

Di Youlin wasn’t without self-control, however. Even though the sight of the feast made his mouth water, he remained quite restrained in front of Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan noticed Di Youlin furtively glancing at the roasted meat on the grill but hesitating to take any. Knowing he wanted some, she told Nine-tailed to carve a plate for him.

Di Youlin’s face lit up with a brilliant smile when he received the plate. His joy was infectious, and that, combined with the perfectly cooked meat, brought a smile to Ning Xuan’s face as well. The atmosphere in the dining room instantly became relaxed and warm.

Though she had received some rather grim news today, making her desire to grow stronger all the more urgent, the tranquility and warmth of the moment gradually put her at ease.

After dinner, Ning Xuan carried Little White to a pavilion in the courtyard and sat down. She casually lifted the creature with one hand, weighing it in her palm. ’He feels a little heavier again.’

「Three days later.」

Ning Xuan was cultivating in the Cultivation Room when Little White, who had been constantly by her side, suddenly vanished. Ning Xuan knew it must have returned to Yun Han’s bloodline.

At that very moment, Yun Han, who was lying in the Energy Cabin, opened his eyes.

The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was activate his Light Computer. He found over a thousand unread messages in his inbox, most of them from the Heavenly Might Corps and dated within the last three months. Anything older was already marked as read.

Instead of checking the unread messages, Yun Han went straight to his personal information tab. The normally blue screen was now red. A person’s information on their Light Computer was the equivalent of a portable household registration; a red page meant slave status.

Yun Han felt as if he had been struck by lightning. ’When I met Ning Xuan in my Spiritual Sea, I realized she had saved me. I thought she must be my Contractor—and a highly compatible one at that, to be able to establish a Spirit Connection with me even when my Spiritual Sea was sealed, and to calm the spiritual chaos that had almost become a wasteland.’

’But I never, ever imagined... I would become a slave.’

Just then, Yun Han’s Companion Spirit, Little White, sensed his awakening. Having been separated from him for two years, it eagerly rushed back into his body.

As Little White merged back into his bloodline, a series of images it had witnessed flashed through Yun Han’s mind: Little White cuddling up to Ning Xuan, Ning Xuan’s hand stroking its fur... Yun Han could almost feel the warmth of her palm, smell the faint scent that clung to her.

The shift in Yun Han’s aura immediately caught Lin Mo’s attention. Lin Mo opened the lid of the Energy Cabin and saw Yun Han sitting up. Overcome with emotion, Lin Mo threw his arms around him. "Yun Han, you’re finally awake!"

Yun Han was just as happy to see him. "Brother, it’s good to see you."

Lin Mo released him, his eyes filled with relief and excitement. He clapped Yun Han on the shoulder, his voice laced with urgency. "It’s so good to see you’re alright, but this isn’t the time to catch up. You need to go and present yourself to the Contractor immediately. You’re awake entirely thanks to her."

Yun Han froze for a second. The images he had just seen flashed through his mind—Little White nestled against Ning Xuan, her hand gently stroking its fur. The warmth of that sensation seemed to linger in his consciousness. He nodded, feeling an inexplicable sense of closeness and longing for her.

"Brother, her name is Ning Xuan, isn’t it? I... I think I remember her. Is she my Contractor? But... why does my personal file say I’m her Contracted Slave?" Yun Han asked, bewildered.