CH 24

Chapter 24: Moments of Illusion

In the territory of the Wolf Clan, where rugged mountains and peculiar rocks abound, only the Jacaranda flowers are willing to add a touch of brightness to the desolate forests.

However, the delicate flowers that the Wolf Clan has always regarded with pride were now crumpled into a bundle by Yun Zhao. Lifeless, they were pulled out of the gauze bag like discarded trash and replaced with a fresh batch.

Yun Zhao paid no attention to the grimaces of the people around him. If Lady Xian Yue hadn't given the order, the young man who violently manipulated the flower petals would probably have been torn apart.

Purple juice seeped out from the gauze, dripping into a porcelain bowl. As Yun Zhao filled over a large bowl, a pile of wrinkled petals had accumulated by his side.

Ah Yan covered his chest and felt dizzy.

Yun Zhao didn't pause; he took some flour and skillfully kneaded it into a dough. Then, he picked up the porcelain bowl filled with flower juice and poured it in, little by little.

The pure white dough was dyed into a dreamy light purple. When Yun Zhao saw that the colors had blended well, he continued to knead.

Chang Xiao had figured out what was going on and guessed that Yun Zhao wanted to make dumplings or steamed dumplings.

His gaze fell on the dough, and even though he was several steps away, he could already smell the faint floral fragrance emanating from it.

Indeed, Yun Zhao wanted to make dumplings, but he couldn't simply follow the usual wrapping method. After all, those old Wolf Clan men had been quite disdainful of the appearance of the food he made before.

The dough was rolled into long strips and cut into individual pieces. Yun Zhao rolled out the dough skins, filled them with the well-mixed stuffing, and began to meticulously fold and seal them.

At first, Ah Yan only glanced at it out of curiosity, but he ended up frozen in place.

The slender fingers of the young man manipulated the dough skins as if showcasing a vivid magic trick. The dough was pinched and folded in succession, leaving delicate creases.

In just a few moments, a dumpling in the shape of a Jacaranda flower appeared in Yun Zhao's palm.

The purple dough was pinched thin and agile, with the seal in the center intentionally left slightly open, revealing the color of the filling. It looked just like the stamen of a Jacaranda flower.

The crowd exclaimed in surprise and eagerly gathered around Yun Zhao, wanting to examine it closely.

Ah Yan nudged Yun Zhao and urged, "Yun Zhao, how did you do it? Make another one for me to see!"

Yun Zhao naturally obliged and picked up another piece of dough to perform again. He remained focused on his hand movements, oblivious to the dusting of flour on his face.

When another Jacaranda flower dumpling was born in the young man's palm, he lowered his eyes with a hint of pride and asked, "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It looks amazing!"

"It's just like real flowers, your hands are really skilled!"

The crowd continued to praise, making Yun Zhao feel a bit embarrassed as he pinched his ear.

Fortunately, the practice of the past two days had not been in vain; otherwise, he would have wasted a lot of dough.

He finished making the remaining flower dumplings and placed them in the steamer to steam.

When Lady Xian Yue came over, she saw a group of burly young men surrounding the stove and Yun Zhao.

As a burst of steam rose, many strong men held their faces and exclaimed like girls, "Wow!"

Lady Xian Yue: "..." Hmm, how strange.

Yun Zhao turned around with a plate of freshly steamed Jacaranda flower dumplings and saw Lady Xian Yue standing at the door.

She walked up with a smile and asked, "Are they ready?"

"They're ready." Yun Zhao placed the plate in front of her. "Please taste them, Lady."

Lady Xian Yue picked up her chopsticks, looked down, and couldn't help but be stunned.

The steamed Jacaranda flower dumplings were even more delicate and lifelike. The thin dough had a slight steam, and the outer petals became more transparent. Under the light, they had a texture reminiscent of beautiful jade.

This seemed more like a piece of jewelry than a pastry.

For a moment, Lady Xian Yue hesitated to take a bite. It was only under Yun Zhao's urging that she gently picked one up and put it in her mouth.

The sweet dough broke open, and the fragrant and smooth soup flowed onto her lips and tongue. The filling inside had a balanced savory taste, perfectly blending with the tender texture of mushrooms, creating a delightful combination.

What surprised her even more was that after swallowing the dumpling, the fragrance of the Jacaranda flowers was not overpowered by the savory meat, nor did it feel out of place. It lingered around her nose like a delicate and ethereal thread.

Lady Xian Yue looked at the young man in front of her and couldn't help but smile. He truly was a treasure.

This creatively crafted flower dumpling not only used the unique resources of the Wolf Clan but also had a remarkably delightful taste. With this dish alone, it could dispel the other clans' longstanding prejudice against the Wolf Clan's roughness.

Yun Zhao became slightly anxious when Lady Xian Yue remained silent. He had smelled the pleasant scent of Jacaranda flowers when he first came to the Wolf Clan, but he didn't know if this preparation would satisfy her.

Just when Yun Zhao was starting to lose his composure, Lady Xian Yue instructed someone to bring a jade box.

She opened the box, and Yun Zhao's eyes widened at the sight of the box filled to the brim with spirit stones.

Yun Zhao asked with uncertainty, "Madam, what is this...?"

Lady Xianyue smiled lightly and replied, "I would like to formally make a contract with you. You will be responsible for this banquet. Here is a deposit of five hundred thousand spirit stones. After the celebration is over, the remaining five hundred thousand spirit stones will be given to you."

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhao felt like shouting and clinging to Lady Xianyue's leg, thinking, "Rich sister, please pamper me!"

He discreetly pinched his own tiger's mouth to keep himself composed and took a few deep breaths before signing his name on the contract.

Lady Xianyue was satisfied with his reaction, and finally, the problem of the banquet could be resolved.

As Yun Zhao was escorted out of the clan territory by Chang Xiao, his steps were still a bit unsteady. He couldn't believe that it had happened just like that.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Chang Xiao couldn't help but laugh heartily and pat Yun Zhao's shoulder, saying, "What are you spacing out for? The celebration will begin in half a month. I'm looking forward to tasting your banquet!"

"Sure, don't worry!" Yun Zhao waved his hand at them as he got on the small carriage to bid farewell. With more dishes in this exquisite style, the banquet should be able to pass.

He finally let go of his worries and shouted a few words to the system in his consciousness.

Unfortunately, the system had been ignoring him since their last unpleasant conversation and remained silent this time as well.

Yun Zhao pursed his lips and thought to himself, "This fellow has quite a temper. I'll come and coax it in a few days."

The spiritual steed seemed to sense its master's joyous mood and briskly brought Yun Zhao back to Yuming Mountain.

Upon returning to the mountain, Little Black Rabbit and the little ones came up and asked, "Master, how did it go?"

"Do the wolf clan like your dishes?"

Yun Zhao rubbed their heads one by one and stood proudly with his hands on his hips, gesturing with his thumb, saying, "Ta-da, it worked."

When Little Black Rabbit and the others leaned over to the small wooden cart, they found a box of spirit stones on it. They couldn't help but exclaim, "Master, you're amazing!"

Yun Zhao felt a bit flustered being stared at by the sparkling eyes of the little ones. He turned his face and saw Bai Ze lazily cracking melon seeds on the bamboo chair. He walked up to him and asked, "Where is Ao Yu?"

Bai Ze spat the melon seed shells into the empty bowl on the table and casually replied, "Probably in the bamboo forest, teaching the little dog to cultivate."

Sun Yang emerged from under the table, crouched down, and barked twice in dissatisfaction.

Bai Ze raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise and said, "Oh, you're here. Do you want to eat melon seeds?"

Sun Yang lifted his paw and pushed away Bai Ze's hand that was reaching out to him, expressing a polite refusal. His teeth were too big to crack them open.

Bai Ze regretfully retracted his hand, shrugged his shoulders, and reclined against the backrest of the bamboo chair.

Yun Zhao looked at him, appearing like an old man enjoying retirement, while thinking about what tasks to assign to this guy.

There was no way he wouldn't feel envious when seeing someone who was just slacking off.

Tall and straight bamboo stood in layers of vibrant green among the mountains, and as he walked towards the bamboo forest, he could faintly hear the gentle ripples of the lake.

"Ao Yu—"

Walking on the stone path, Yun Zhao made his way towards the lakeside. This time, not only could he make a big profit, but the risk of failure for the task was also reduced. As a result, the recovery of the spiritual vein would also progress faster.

Thinking about this, Yun Zhao couldn't help but feel immense joy in his heart.

With brisk steps, he walked across the stone path, and his clothes brushed against the green stone, picking up traces of dew.

The young man paid no attention, continuing to run eagerly. As he approached the end of the bamboo forest, a flash of silver caught his eye, causing him to slow down and stop at the edge of the bamboo slope.

The silver dragon stretched itself out amidst the water, its jade-like scales emitting a sacred aura under the sunlight. It lightly swayed its tail, shimmering with a cascading glow.

The crescent moon in the sky and the sparkling stars couldn't compare to even a fraction of the enchantment that the dragon evoked.

Yun Zhao unconsciously held his breath, his hand caressing the green bamboo beside him, marveling at the gaze exchanged with those faint golden beast eyes.

In a daze, his cheeks gradually grew warm, as if the deep pool-like eyes were alluring him with a hint of temptation.

Slippery scales emerged from the depths of the pool and touched his slender ankles. The unfamiliar contact sent a shiver through him, yet it enticed him, as if partaking in a sacrificial ritual.

Step by step, he approached like a thirsty traveler, wanting to plunge in, to embrace that fleeting surge, even though he knew he would drown in it.

"Yun Zhao!"

A shout abruptly brought Yun Zhao back to his senses. Just as his racing heart had yet to settle, he suddenly stepped off the edge of the slope, feeling a momentary weightlessness.

Suddenly, his waist tightened, and the imagined fall into the lake did not occur.

Yun Zhao opened his eyes and realized that he was entwined by the silver dragon's tail. The tenderest tip of its scales supported his backside, keeping him steady.

He was brought in front of Ao Yu, and the massive dragon lifted its head, exhaling a breath of dragon's breath towards the bewildered young man.

"Cough, cough..." Yun Zhao waved his hand, dispersing the mist in front of him, but his forehead was still damp, making him appear like a pitiful little creature, clueless about the ways of the world.

A familiar voice with a hint of mockery sounded in Yun Zhao's ear, "To have survived this long, you must truly be blessed by the heavens."

Yun Zhao wrinkled his little face and retorted unhappily, "I just don't know what happened. I lost focus all of a sudden..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a splash of water on his face from the tip of the dragon's tail.

Ao Yu sighed helplessly, "When low-cultivation immortal beings gaze into my dragon form for too long, they tend to have illusions."

Yun Zhao immediately seized the opportunity to shift the blame onto someone else, showcasing his spirit of never engaging in internal conflicts. "So, it's ultimately your fault!"

Ao Yu choked for a moment, then turned his head and flicked water droplets with the tip of his tail, making this thick-skinned mountain spirit reflect on his actions.

Yun Zhao instantly turned into a drenched chicken, huddling up and muttering his accusations under his breath.

Ao Yu glanced at him, finding his appearance quite amusing. He felt a playful inclination in his heart and leaned closer with his head.

The huge beast pupils reflected the entire youth, and under the enveloping gaze, Yun Zhao heard a trace of temptation in Ao Yu's voice, as if asking a naive child who had secretly eaten a few candies.

He heard Ao Yu ask, "In the illusion, what did you see?"

Yun Zhao felt his head buzzing, and the warm, moist breath came towards him. The frantic beating of his heart made him feel as if he had returned to the illusion.

A wave of dizziness swept over him, and his eyes gradually lost focus. Then, with a tilt of his head, he fell unconscious.

Ao Yu: "..." Did he go too far with his teasing?

Author's Note:

Bai Ze: Breaking news! Ao Yu has played his little wife into unconsciousness!