CH 15

Chapter 15: The Origin of the Little Dog

Ao Yu was frozen in place by Yun Zhao's sudden remark, only moving back to his original form when Yun Zhao finished tidying up the dog's bowl.

"Are you going to sleep?" Yun Zhao asked him.

The little dragon inside the soft cushion covered his hot dragon horn with his tail and impatiently hummed.

Yun Zhao glanced at the sky outside the window and realized it was indeed getting late. He then prepared a small nest with a blanket and moved the spirit dog into it.

Concentrating his spiritual energy, Yun Zhao gently stroked along the dog's spine, allowing the warm spiritual aura to dispel any uneasiness.

Thunder roared outside, and the bamboo forest swayed in the wind, but Sun Yang found himself immersed in the warm and cozy nest, greedily savoring a tranquility he had never experienced before.

The amber-eyed dog blinked incessantly, fixated on the young man who spoke softly and rhythmically in front of him, gradually succumbing to drowsiness.

If time could stand still, he wished it would freeze in this moment forever.

...

The next morning, the rain outside the window hadn't stopped. Fortunately, today was the day to deliver to the wolf clan, so Yun Zhao had no plans to go down the mountain and set up a stall.

When he woke up, he saw the spirit dog still sound asleep. So, he went to the kitchen with the rabbits to make bread since the wolf clan had ordered a thousand pieces.

The rabbits worked in harmony, cooperating with Yun Zhao to busy themselves on the small rabbit bread production line all morning, finally placing the last batch of bread in the oven shortly before noon.

Wiping away the sweat from his forehead, Yun Zhao prepared to start cooking lunch when Ao Yu pushed the door open, holding some fresh meat in his hands.

Lately, Ao Yu had been spending more and more time in his human form, which was a positive change.

Ao Yu placed the meat on the stove and, seemingly finding too many rabbits here, raised his chin and urged, "I'm hungry, cook quickly."

Then he left the kitchen.

"Alright."

Yun Zhao pondered for a moment, realizing that simply eating meat wouldn't suffice. So, he took out some sticky rice, washed it, and asked the rabbits to pick fresh green beans from the spiritual field. After peeling them, he mixed them with the rice, poured sesame oil and soy sauce into the pot, and started steaming.

As for the meat Ao Yu brought, Yun Zhao kept a few pieces of ribs for grilling in the evening and minced the rest into ground meat.

The slender-bodied youth used a knife to chop the meat on the cutting board with a rhythmic "dang dang dang" sound, causing the rabbits gathered nearby to unconsciously take a step back and swallow their saliva.

Once the ground meat was finely chopped, Yun Zhao added seasoning to it. After everything was in order, he scooped out a spoonful of the steamed sticky rice.

"Hu hu... it's so hot..." Yun Zhao blew gently on the rice ball, using it as a filling inside the minced meat.

Little Black Rabbit hopped onto the stove. "Master, the frying pan is ready!"

"Thank you. Keep an eye on the fire and make sure it's not too strong."

"Yes, don't worry." Little Black Rabbit patted his chest and held a fan as he jumped down to monitor the heat.

Yun Zhao kneaded the meat-filled rice ball a few times before gently placing it into the frying pan.

"Sizzle..."

The pan produced a tempting sizzling sound as the oil bubbles appeared, turning the surface of the meatball golden brown. Yun Zhao took a sniff and noticed that this type of meat smelled quite similar to beef.

He used chopsticks to flip it over, and the other rabbits followed suit, continuing to make the rest of the meatballs.

"It smells so good!"

When Wu Mu and Luo Xue entered the room, their faces were filled with happiness from the delightful aroma of meat. They closed their eyes and sniffed carefully.

Yun Zhao smiled. These two gluttonous cats had quite sensitive noses.

"Master, are they ready?" one of the rabbits asked, stretching their necks to inquire.

Yun Zhao flipped one side and was about to pick it up when he suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering something. "I almost forgot the most important ingredient."

He opened the system store in his mind and, relying on the presence of big customers like the wolf clan, directly bought a bag of cheese slices. He generously covered each meatball with a slice.

It wasn't until the golden cheese melted, blending into the seared meat, that Yun Zhao was satisfied and served all the meatballs in the yard outside the room.

"Dinner is served!"

Yun Zhao shouted, and Luo Xue and Wu Mu transformed into two young children, sitting side by side at the table. Their eyes focused on the food on their plates without blinking.

Ao Yu also joined them, using chopsticks to gently tear open the meatball, revealing the sticky rice ball inside.

The green beans glistened, and the sticky rice was translucent. As the chopsticks pressed down, the juice from the meat seeped out slowly but was immediately absorbed by the central rice ball, not a single drop spilled.

The golden cheese melted even more thoroughly from the residual heat of the meat filling, flowing like a waterfall from the crevices.

"Wow!" Luo Xue's eyes sparkled with excitement, reflecting the image of the meatball.

Unable to wait, Wu Mu directly took a bite and exclaimed, "Hot... it's hot!"

The black-clad child wrinkled his brow due to the hot food but couldn't bear to spit it out. He could only tilt his head back and open his mouth to exhale.

Ao Yu found his appearance amusing and chuckled. He used chopsticks to pick small pieces and occasionally dipped them in the meatball, savoring the combination of flavors.

Although his movements were refined, his speed was not slow. While Wu Mu was still exhaling, Ao Yu had already started eating the second one.

It seemed like he really enjoyed them...

Yun Zhao smiled triumphantly and suddenly remembered there was a sick dog in the room. He turned around and brought out the weak and ailing spirit dog.

"I don't know if you'll like it, but if you feel better, you can give it a try." Yun Zhao held the plate near the dog's mouth and used chopsticks to cut the meatball into small pieces for easy consumption.

Sun Yang lowered his head and sniffed. He had actually smelled the aroma of food in the room and was so hungry that he salivated.

But since he hadn't heard an invitation to eat, he could only cover his nose with his front paw and suppress his appetite, sulking in the room.

Yun Zhao felt sorry seeing his cautious and delicate appearance. He picked up a piece, blew on it, and fed it into the dog's mouth.

"Is it to your liking? If you don't like it, it's okay. I can make something else for you to eat. You need to eat more to heal faster." Yun Zhao earnestly rubbed the dog's head.

Sun Yang had never eaten such delicious food before. After a brief moment of hesitation, he no longer hesitated and directly buried his head, eating heartily.

Perhaps after he recovers, they will let him leave...

The small dog with dry and yellowed fur lowered its head and licked the food clean from the plate. After all, he wouldn't be able to eat such food once he leaves.

Yun Zhao had no idea about the dog's thoughts, but he watched with satisfaction as the dog ate greedily.

As he was about to get up to serve more, Little Black Rabbit led the people from the Wolf Clan over.

Chang Xiao, upon entering Yuming Mountain, looked around in confusion. He had heard that the spiritual energy here had already declined, but now it didn't seem to be the case.

They were led by the rabbits into the mountain gate, and the elegant environment brought a sense of tranquility and joy.

Chang Xiao sighed and exclaimed, "Truly a fairy mountain worthy of the Dragon Clan." He planned to close his eyes and take a deep breath of the spiritual energy of the plants and trees when he was suddenly overwhelmed by the scent of oil and meat.

Chang Xiao: "..."

He followed the rabbits and entered the building, only to discover Yun Zhao and the others having a meal.

A lively young wolf glanced at the meatball on the table and rubbed his hands excitedly. "Yun Zhao, do you still have these? I want to try them too!"

Chang Xiao was about to speak but met the gaze of the man in the green robe behind Yun Zhao. The dignified posture with white hair and golden eyes made him step back in fear.

After recovering his senses, Chang Xiao frowned and stopped the young man, saying, "Ah Yan, show some respect!"

Ah Yan rubbed his head, confused, and obediently stepped back.

Yun Zhao didn't mind and said, "The bread is ready. I'll have the rabbits take you to the kitchen to get it. As for the meatball rice..."

Yun Zhao picked one up from the table, divided it in half, and handed it to Chang Xiao and Ah Yan with a smiling face, saying, "You can give it a try."

Ah Yan cheered and took it, swallowing it in three bites. Just as he swallowed the last bite, he regretted it. Such delicious food should have been taken back to show off to his brothers. After all, they all refused to come because they looked down on Yuming Mountain's depleted spiritual energy.

Chang Xiao also finished eating, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. The taste and texture were indeed special, especially the golden topping that seemed to be stretchy, with a rich and delicious flavor.

Yun Zhao asked, "How is it?"

Chang Xiao praised, "It's really good. Will you serve this at the stall next time?"

Yun Zhao's smile grew wider. "This is my new creation, but it's too labor-intensive for me to sell at the stall."

Upon hearing this, Ah Yan let out a disappointed sigh and suddenly had an idea. He tentatively asked, "Then, if we live in your divine beast nursery, can we eat it frequently?"

Yun Zhao nodded, "Yes."

Chang Xiao immediately saw through the little guy's intentions and slapped him on the head, saying, "You're already 500 years old, don't even think about it!"

Ah Yan covered his head and almost let out a pig-like scream from the pain.

"But...," Yun Zhao squinted his eyes, "I can make them for you as my VIP customers. Every time you come to pick up the bread, I'll make a hundred of them. I'll charge you a hundred spiritual stones each. How about that?"

To be honest, Yun Zhao felt a bit uncertain in his heart and didn't know if he had set the price too high.

But to his surprise, upon hearing Yun Zhao's offer, Chang Xiao immediately nodded and agreed, "Deal!"

Yun Zhao: "..."

The Wolf Clan indeed had deep pockets. Seeing how readily they agreed, he realized that the price could have been higher.

Ah Yan cheered and excitedly howled like a wolf. Chang Xiao found him embarrassing and sent him off to get the bread from the rabbits.

He handed over the remaining five thousand spiritual stones to Yun Zhao, who happily accepted them. It was another big profit!

Just as Chang Xiao was about to take his leave, he suddenly noticed a seemingly inconspicuous spirit dog lying on the ground behind Yun Zhao.

"Hmm?"

Chang Xiao looked puzzled and took a few steps forward. Startled, the spirit dog raised its body and rushed towards him, roaring, its beastly eyes gradually turning crimson.

"Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!" Yun Zhao hurriedly ran over to comfort the dog, then turned to Chang Xiao and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shaking his head, Chang Xiao replied, "It's nothing, but where did you find it?"

Yun Zhao hesitated and said, "In the bamboo forest behind the mountain... Do you know this spirit dog?"

Chang Xiao carefully examined the dog, stroking his chin, and nodded, "If I'm not mistaken, his name is Sun Yang, the second son of the leader of the spirit dog clan."

"Whimper..." The little dog in Yun Zhao's arms stopped roaring and silently gazed at Chang Xiao, gradually lowering its head.

Yun Zhao looked at the small dog, its skin clinging to its bones, with dry fur, then turned to Chang Xiao with astonishment in his eyes, "Isn't that a noble status? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"I'm sure," Chang Xiao affirmed with certainty, "After all, within the entire spirit dog clan, he is the only one with weak innate spiritual power and unable to transform in his lifetime."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Yang in Yun Zhao's arms let out a pained whimper.