Xiao Yu still prepared a large pot of each dish from the wall menu, though a bit less than yesterday—after all, there were fewer people today.
These young guests, judging from their clothing, were clearly not ordinary folks. All of them were young masters from wealthy families.
Over the past two days, what they spent on meals and lodging could easily support a regular household for a couple of years!
After cooking for them, Xiao Yu began preparing something for himself.
Lately, eating the same few dishes over and over had made him a bit tired of them, so today he decided to try something new!
From the fridge, he pulled out what he called a “pig trotter.” He only named it that because it resembled one, though he was certain it wasn’t from an ordinary pig.
Since it could produce special effects, the ingredient had to be something rare.
He chopped the “trotter” into pieces and prepared various spices.
That’s right—today Xiao Yu was making a delicious new dish: braised pig trotters!
Pig trotters are notoriously hard to tenderize, but to Xiao Yu’s surprise, he found a pressure cooker in the kitchen corner!
In this kitchen, as long as you wanted it, there was nothing you couldn’t find.
Even more absurdly, while pressure cooking pig trotters in his past life usually took over ten minutes, this one finished in just two minutes!
The aroma wafted far and wide. The people in the restaurant were practically inhaling the air, wishing they could drink it.
Ding! New menu item detected!
Braised Pig Trotter: 1-Star Spiritual Food
Special Effect: Beautifies the skin and promotes radiance
Price: 5 Spirit Stones
Xiao Yu gave a bitter smile. As expected, the special effect was “beauty-enhancing.”
“Wow, boss’s new dish smells amazing!”
“I wanna eat too! I’m getting dizzy from the smell!”
“Dude, don’t let your drool fly around…”
Soon, the dish was ready. With a crowd of ravenous wolves staring him down, Xiao Yu calmly served himself a bowl and sat beside them to eat.
Young Master Xu Shaoyun wore a dramatically heartbroken expression:
“Boss, aren’t you afraid of sparking mass outrage here? Good things should be shared! This kind of behavior is just…”
“Hmm?”
Xiao Yu gave him a side-eye, and Xu Shaoyun shivered on the spot.
“Hehe, boss, I was joking, don’t take it seriously!”
One look, and Xu Shaoyun immediately cowered.
“Yo, Cao Gou, did you see that glare? You got something to say? Come at me, bro!”
Cao Gou just returned a disdainful look.
Xiao Yu continued enjoying the delicious meat. It had been too long since he last ate something new—it tasted especially good this time!
Suddenly, a soft little hand tugged at his sleeve.
“Ughh… Boss, my saliva won’t listen to me anymore…”
Xiao Yu turned his head and saw little Zhao Xixi desperately trying not to drool, eyes glued to the pig trotters with sparkles in them.
He couldn’t help but chuckle—this little foodie was seriously too adorable.
Xu Shaoyun folded his arms smugly.
“I bet Zhao Xixi is gonna cry from fear when the boss scolds her.”
“Heh, I agree. That scaredy-cat… Wait, hold on—what the heck!?”
Xiao Yu helplessly looked at Zhao Xixi, then took another plate and gave her half his portion. He watched as she happily gobbled it down.
“So tasty, sooo tasty…”
“Thank you, boss… hehe!”
Xu Shaoyun and Cao Gou were instantly stunned.
“Did I… just see the boss willingly share his pig trotters with Zhao Xixi!?”
Xu Shaoyun twitched, then suddenly stood up like he’d made a decision.
He was the first-ever customer of the shop—if Zhao Xixi could have some, then so could he!
Just one bite! One!
He rushed forward in three long steps. “Boss…”
“Move.”
“Roger that.”
Xu Shaoyun wiped away his heartbroken tears, stumbled out to the door, looked up at the sky, and tried not to cry.
“Boss… I was your first customer… Do you not love me anymore!?”
Sob sob sob…
In the Wild Forest
Bai Qingshan walked at the center of the group, his heart growing more uneasy with every step.
Something was wrong.
Too quiet.
So quiet it was frightening. He’d felt something off the moment they stepped into the forest and had been on edge since.
“Captain, this place is really strange. I think we should retreat immediately!”
“Heh, don’t be scared, Qingshan. I’ll protect you—I won’t let a single hair on your head be harmed!”
“Cut it out, Liu San! I’m serious!” Bai Qingshan was getting anxious.
The trees rustled as a breeze blew past, causing the underbrush to sway.
In the eerie silence, even the wind was deafening.
Qiu Wu raised a hand—everyone stopped.
“There’s something coming. Don’t make a sound!”
They held their breath.
“It’s coming,” Bai Qingshan whispered as his eyes fixed on a massive red serpent slithering in from afar. His whole body trembled with helpless fear.
It was several dozen meters long, its body crimson red with flickering flames. Sharp fangs and ear-piercing hisses made it even more terrifying.
“C-Crimson Flame Serpent…”
“Run! Run now!”
Qiu Wu shouted in panic, barely managing to get the words out.
A creature of this level was far beyond what they could handle!
Everyone bolted toward the forest exit in terror.
“What the hell’s going on? Why is there a Crimson Flame Serpent in the outer forest?!”
“This is seriously unlucky!”
“Quit yapping—just run!”
Bai Qingshan was pale and soaked in cold sweat.
Behind them, the crashing of falling trees grew louder.
Wherever the serpent passed, the ground smoked and burned, leaving behind scorched earth.
“It’s here! Watch out—”
“Head for the exit! I told you all we shouldn’t have come, but nobody listened!”
“Now’s not the time to argue!”
“Wait… something’s off! Captain, look—it’s not coming straight for us.”
Bai Qingshan narrowed his eyes. Beneath the massive snake, three figures were darting around in a desperate escape.
No—one of them was being carried!
The black-faced man Yu Wentong was carrying someone on his back, sweating bullets as he leapt through the trees.
Even with his strength and stamina, this was pushing his limits.
“If anything happens to the general, I swear I’ll report this to the marquis! We’ll see how many lives you have to pay for this!”
Deputy General Han yelled as he dodged branches and boulders, his face contorted with anger.
Usually loud-mouthed, Yu Wentong was now speechless, filled only with guilt. If it weren’t for him, the general wouldn’t be injured.
Bai Qingshan squinted at the fuzzy figures in the distance.
“They look like military… could they be from the Demon-Slaying Corps?”
They had heard the forest’s disturbance had drawn the Demon-Slaying Department’s attention, so it wasn’t hard to guess.
“Boss, what do we do?”
Qiu Wu hesitated. He didn’t want to abandon them, but even the elite soldiers were being hunted—what could they do?
“Qingshan, what do you think we should do?”
Bai Qingshan looked at him.
“Are you asking for my decision, or my method?”
Qiu Wu was momentarily speechless.
Even if they wanted to help—how?
Bai Qingshan continued,
“Captain, at this point, there’s only one way to save them!”
“What way?”
“Qingshan, don’t tell me you plan to fight that thing head-on?”
“That’s not necessary…”
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