Chapter 87 - Outside of Central Marsh (1)

Emersyn stepped foot on a soft ground. Her eyes caught a familiar pink tree at the distance. She looked around just to see the very familiar scenery when she first arrived here as Chang Xiuying. The Pink tree showed its face towards her and muttered incomprehensible words then disappeared.

"Ying?" Someone called right beside her.

She turned to look at the man whose hair was divided by black and white. Her eyes turned wide as soon as she recognized the man before her.

Yao Yun.

"Ah… sorry. I thought you were someone I knew. You look exactly like her…," Yao Yun said as he scratched his head. "I haven't seen you around here."

"I was teleported here."

"Even her voice is similar… is this how Ying will sound once she grows up?" Yao Yun muttered. "Anyway, this is the first time that someone got teleported inside the Central Marsh. People would usually be coming through the Divine Lightning Barrier; but now that it was weakened, the oldest people in the Marsh were so skeptical that people would be coming for them. Truthfully, we also don't know why the barrier is suddenly weakened… but it seemed troublesome."

"For how long?"

"Hmmm… it has been months. I don't exactly know the exact length. You know, I simply didn't care. If the barrier weakened, we would be free from here and we could explore a whole new world!"

Emersyn smiled wryly.

"It smells troublesome to me."

"What's your name, by the way? I am Yao Yun."

"Emersyn Lachlan."

"Where did you come from?"

"Vinerthia."

"Is it far?"

"Yes."

Yao Yun smiled.

"Since this is your first time here, I would like to do the honor of touring you around here."

"... sure?"

"Great! Okay. That is the Pink tree. It has been here ever since the Central Marsh was isolated from the rest of the world. At the four directions, there are Pagodas that served as a medium to channel the power of the tree to the Divine Lightning Barrier. I live in the South Garden Pagoda, by the way. Since you are my guest, you will be living there for a while. Come, follow me. I will introduce you to the village chief and to the people of the Pagodas."

"I don't think it's a good idea, Yao Yun. I will leave either way. What's the point?"

"Leave? Where would you go when the teleportation function of the Divine Lightning Barrier stopped?"

"... outside."

"That's impossible. When I finally reached the Gold-level, which would be the minimum requirement to leave here, and tried leaving. I was sent back here by the fog. I tried and tried until I gave up…."

"Thank you for informing me. I will still leave."

"I will come with you then."

Emersyn sighed.

"Alright. Introduce me to the person in the South Garden Pagoda. That's all."

"Well, if you say so. Follow me."

♢ ♢ ♢

The scenery didn't change the last time Emersyn was here. Even the Pagoda was welcoming her wholeheartedly---if it had a heart. There were children playing along the grassy ground and a handsome man that was watching over them. Suddenly, there was a beautiful woman that came out of the Pagoda and called the children for their snacks.

"Haowin! Don't take your sisters' share!"

"But mom!"

"Nuh uh, young man. That's for Reneé and Haorin."

The children were a splitting image of the man and the woman. Emersyn smiled lightly as she saw how happy Irene and Jiang Hao were in their life.

"Auntie Irene! Uncle Hao!"

"Big brother Yun!!!" The children squealed. However, when they saw a stranger beside him, they froze and then ran back towards their parents.

Emersyn smiled softly then retrieved sweets from her inventory. She gave them to Yao Yun then pushed him towards the children. They immediately ran towards Yao Yun and received the treats.

"This… is yummy!"

"Sweet!"

"Yummier than mom's cooking!"

"..." Irene sighed as she watched her children, but when her gaze went to the mysterious female, her eyes went wide as she stumbled towards Emersyn.

"Ying'Er?"

Emersyn tilted her head then shook it. "I'm sorry. I don't know anyone with that name."

"I… I'm sorry. You just awfully look like my niece."

"It's fine, ma'am. Yao Yun also mistaken me for her."

"That..."

"Yao Yun said I could rest here for a while? I was supposed to come to Strevalia, but something happened---"

"Stre-Strevalia?!" Irene exclaimed.

"... yes?"

"Do you know Lasirion?!"

"Yes. What's the matter?"

"Do… do you know anyone by the name of Audrey?"

"The Queen?" Well, she didn't know that Audrey Felstead-Cabrera was already executed for the murder of Augustus Cabrera, the King of Lasirion.

"Ah… she's a Queen now..."

"I guess? That was a long time ago though. Like five years in my time before I arrived in Strevalia again."

"Oh… then… Augustus Cabrera?"

"I don't really know, but I know they have a son named Gaius."

Irene smiled weakly then returned to her husband. Jiang Hao embraced his wife as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Bis sister! Please give us some more sweets!"

"Sweets sweets!"

Emersyn crouched down and gave them more cookies and brownies.

"Thank you!"

"Don't eat too much or you'll get cavities!" Emersyn exclaimed at the two children who were running away from her. However, Haorin, who was the youngest of the three, clutched on Emersyn's pants as she nibbled on a big cookie she got.

"Hey there, little fella."

Haorin looked up at Emersyn then smiled brightly.

"Hello, big sister!"

"Do you want more?"

Haorin shook her head.

"Mommy will cook for us later. So I have to ready my stomach to eat more of mommy's cooking!"

"That's sweet," Emersyn smiled.

Irene called the children then they entered as Emersyn stayed still, looking at the barrier that was slowly being translucent. She could see a blurry building outside that seemed to reach the sky. It was also sending some kind of signal.

"Emersyn? What's wrong? You're not coming?" Yao Yun asked, interrupting her thoughts. He also looked at where she was gazing. His eyes went wide when he also noticed that blurry building. "... that… I have never seen it before."

"Yun'Er?" Irene called from the pagoda.

"Coming! Let's go now, Emersyn. Auntie Irene will cook for us."

That night, after dinner, Emersyn was back in her old room since it was the only room that was cleaned aside from the ones they were already using. She was gazing at two visible moons in the sky. It was never there before. She always knew that the moon never existed in the Central Marsh, but today, she was proven wrong. There weren't any energies coming from the moon, so it must still be blocked by the barrier. She sat cross-legged on the fluffy and aired bed then opened her bracelet. Her portal function was blocked, it seemed. She wouldn't be able to come back until it became available once again. For now, she laid down then slept.

When morning came, she checked her universal clock and it was 3:14 AM. No one was still awake, so she decided to walk around the pagoda. She got hungry, so she set up her kitchen outside and got ready to cook. Since she still hadn't had that Guardian Deity's meat or even the Water God's, she decided to make those as her main ingredient. But what should she cook? Beef Curry… nah. She had enough of those just the other day.

Ah! She still hadn't tried beef cutlets, so that should be it.

She poured and heated the oil on a pan.

Cut the sirloin then pounded on them to tenderise the meat. Then, she added c.u.min, paprika, brown sugar, clove, coriander and red chili in the bowl then mixed them. Rub the dry ingredients on the Water God's meat then left it to prepare for the egg mixture.

Milk, eggs, salt and pepper were mixed in a separate bowl.

She dipped the tenderise meat into the egg mixture then to the premium breadcrumbs she bought then fried the meat cutlet.

Suddenly, she sensed children approaching her cautiously. Fortunately, she prepared enough for them to eat too.

"Big sister..." Haorin clutched her pants as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Good morning, Haowin, Reneé and Haorin."

"Good morning… what are you cooking?" Haowin asked as he carefully peered on the pan.

"Water God's meat cutlets. Do you want some?"

"Water God? Sounds cool! Let me try some!"

"Okay. It is still cooking, so wait a little."

"Yes~"

After checking that the cutlets were golden brown, she set those to cool on a tissue to also seep the residue oil from frying.

"This is warm now, but still be careful."

"Okay~"

Nom.

Haowin's eyes went wide then chomped the whole cutlet down.

"Wah! Big brother, that's not fair!"

"How is it, big bro?"

"This is so delicious!!! This is better than mother's cooking!"

"Hey! Don't say that to mommy!"

"But it is the truth! Try it!"

"Uwaaaaaaah!" Haorin cried.

Emersyn was taken aback as she turned off the stove to comfort the little child.

"What's wrong?"

"If I tasted big sister's food, I won't be able to eat mommy's cooking!"

"Ah… but the great taste is from the meat, Haorin. Your mother will be able to cook more delicious food."

"What's happening, Emersyn?!" Irene immediately arrived next to her children. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Uwaaaaaah!!!

"Miss Irene, I was cooking for my breakfast when the children arrived. Haowin tasted it and said that it was better than your cooking---"

"Better than my cooking? So, Haorin is afraid that she wouldn't be able to eat my cooking, is that it?"

"Yes, it seems so. However, I could give you a supply of the Water God's meat."

Irene turned to look at the cutlets then nodded her head.

"It will be an honor."

Then, they called the remaining people and ate Emersyn's cooking that morning.

That would be the last meal they would share.