"Mom, how could you give him the Tianhua pendant? I've asked you for it so many times and you've never given it to me!" Chenchen glared fiercely at Ronnie; if her mother hadn't been there, she probably would have tried to snatch it away.
The jade pendant felt warm and smooth to the touch, as if a gentle current flowed through her palm into her body, making her feel very comfortable. Ronnie's eyes shone with gratitude, and he didn't refuse, "Thank you, Auntie, you're such a kind person."
Chambers, fearing that Ronnie might inadvertently break the hypnotic seal while looking at the beautiful woman before him, pulled him away and said to the woman, "Madam, we still have a long way to go, so we'll be leaving now. Thank you for your concern for the child." With that, she took Ronnie's hand, walked to a large tree nearby, pushed the wooden cart, and headed towards Ice City along the main road.
Watching them depart, Captain Feng walked to the beautiful woman's side and whispered, "Madam, giving the Tianhua token to such an ordinary person seems a bit inappropriate. I'm afraid the Duke might..."
The beautiful woman snorted and said, "What do you know? Have you ever seen an ordinary child who can instantly cast low-level magic at only a teenager? I have a feeling this child will definitely make a name for himself on the continent someday. You need to have a long-term vision, Captain Feng. I suggest you keep a close eye on your men. Let's eat something and prepare to set off. Chenchen, let's go back to the carriage to rest." With that, she took her daughter's hand, and in two flashes, they disappeared behind the carriage curtain.
Captain Feng, having met with a rebuff, showed no displeasure. His gaze fell upon his subordinate who had lost his sword, and he strode up to him, calmly stating, "Hand over your feather."
The knight trembled, stammering fearfully, "Captain, I..."
Captain Feng's eyes hardened, repeating, "Hand over your feather. I don't want to say it a third time."
The knight, as if drained of all strength, carefully retrieved a 30-centimeter-long blue feather from his breastplate and handed it to Captain Feng.
Captain Feng said coldly, "Having your sword taken from you by a child, you have lost your qualification to be a Silver Feather Knight. I hereby declare that, from this moment forward, you are demoted to apprentice knight, your feather is confiscated, and you will be punished upon returning to the company. Do you accept this?"
The knight lowered his head, looking at the faint marks left by his sword on his silver armor. "Yes, Captain."
Captain Feng's sharp gaze swept over the other knights, and he said in a deep voice, "You should all know what you are here for. Upholding the dignity of a knight is more important than protecting your own lives. From now on, everyone must be fully focused. If the same thing happens again, the punishment will be even more severe."
...
The conversation with the beautiful woman stirred up a strong longing for his mother in Ronnie's heart, making him much quieter than usual. Chambers, worried that he was thinking of something, walked with him, telling him amusing stories from his own past. Ronnie, after all, was just a child, and soon recovered from his sadness with Chambers's tales, regaining his lively side.
"Master, that auntie gave me a jade pendant earlier." When he left, he had casually tucked the jade pendant into his pocket to push the cart. The pendant had a strange, warm aura about it, which was one of the reasons he had quickly calmed down. As he spoke, Ronnie pushed the cart with one hand and took the jade pendant out of his pocket with the other.
The jade pendant was small, rectangular, with its longest side about the length of Ronnie's little finger. It was milky white, smooth to the touch, and carved with a lifelike phoenix on the front. A small red gemstone was inlaid in the phoenix's eye, serving as the finishing touch. There was a small, evenly spaced hole at the top, seemingly only large enough for a thread to pass through. A faint white mist shrouded the entire pendant, barely visible unless examined closely in sunlight.
Chambers' gaze also fell on Ronnie's hand. In his haste to leave those people, he hadn't noticed what the beautiful woman had given Ronnie. Now, seeing the jade pendant, he was astonished. The former Ghost Chef was a man of the world; if Ronnie didn't recognize its subtlety, how could he not?
"The moon shines brightly over the sea, pearls seem to weep; the sun warms the fields of Lantian, jade rises like smoke—heavens! The aura of precious jade is so obvious; this is clearly a famous Hetian jade. That woman was incredibly generous."
Ronnie was taken aback and asked, "Master, is Hetian jade very precious?"
Chambers took the jade pendant from Ronnie, examined it carefully, and exclaimed, "Of course it's precious! And this isn't ordinary Hetian jade; it's the rarest kind, mutton-fat jade. I had a friend who..." He was in the jade business. He once told me that mutton fat jade is the finest of jades, with an inner radiance, a body like solidified fat, firm yet delicate, heavy and warm to the touch. Wearing it can cultivate one's character and soothe the soul, ward off evil spirits and plagues, and is beneficial to people in countless ways. Look at this jade pendant, doesn't it have all these characteristics? Plus, with such delicate and exquisite carving, it's truly a treasure. Wearing it can calm one's mind. Yes, it's definitely a good thing. A peaceful state of mind is very important for a chef." As he spoke, he turned around… Looking at the back of the jade pendant, Ronnie saw three ancient characters carved on it. "Jade. That must be the woman's name. She truly lives up to her name. But she seems rather generous."
Ronnie smiled, "That auntie is such a kind person. Once I've mastered cooking, I'll definitely make the best food for her to taste."