CH 25

Chapter 25: Seeking Treasures in Su Yu Valley- Part 1 

Bai Ze cradled Luo Xue in his arms, rocking on the bamboo chair. The kitten's tail swayed happily, teasing Wu Mu's black paws, making him itch to pounce.

Just as they were about to move, Bai Ze suddenly stood up. The black cat, unable to brake in time, leaped into thin air and collided with the hard back of the chair.

Wu Mu meowed in annoyance, turning around to find Bai Ze standing there. He quickly supported himself on his hind legs and used his front paws to scratch at Bai Ze's belt.

"Don't be naughty," Bai Ze warned, patting Wu Mu's head, his eyes fixed on something not far away.

Wu Mu, with Bai Ze's hand on his head, followed his gaze. His whiskers trembled, and his little mouth formed an "O" shape. "Wow."

Ao Yu's silky white hair was still dripping water as he carried the equally drenched Yun Zhao into the room. The usually healthy young man huddled in his chest, his face flushed, his brows slightly furrowed, looking quite pitiful.

Bai Ze's expression changed repeatedly as he covered Luo Xue's eyes, painfully and indignantly blaming his dear brother. "You beast!"

Ao Yu shot him a sharp glance, instructing them to quickly prepare some medicinal herbs and clothes. Then he turned and went into the bedroom.

There was chaos and panic in the building, and the sound of rabbits' hurried footsteps echoed through the corridors. It was only after Bai Ze carefully examined the situation that everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After Bai Ze fed Yun Zhao the medicinal herbs, the abnormal flush on his face gradually faded away.

The room outside and the windows were crowded with rabbits. Luo Xue and Wu Mu crouched at the head of the bed, rubbing their faces against the young man's forehead.

Sun Yang barked twice, staring straight at Bai Ze, almost drilling a hole into his back.

Bai Ze tucked in the bedcovers and said to Ao Yu, "He's fine. He just fainted from exhaustion and excessive excitement after being worried for the past few days."

He put away the medicine bottle and gave up his position to Ao Yu.

Ao Yu bent down, reaching out to explore near the neck, feeling the warmth of the young man's breath seeping through the fabric and onto his fingertips.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine after a good sleep. It's not because of the influence of your spiritual power," Bai Ze reassured, stretching lazily and glancing around at Ao Yu, expressing his admiration.

Ao Yu's recovery speed, as well as that of the mountain, was astonishing. His gaze fell on the sleeping Yun Zhao, tinged with a hint of curiosity.

After thoroughly examining Yun Zhao, Ao Yu withdrew his hand. He stood up, blocking Bai Ze's line of sight, and said softly, "Everyone, leave. Let him sleep for a while."

Bai Ze silently locked eyes with him for a moment, then grinned and lifted Luo Xue, stroking its fur a few times. "Let's go, let's go. I haven't finished eating my sunflower seeds yet."

Seeing this, everyone hurriedly left. Ao Yu walked to the door, glanced back at the young man on the bed, and gently closed the door.

The bedroom returned to tranquility, with a faint scent of incense wafting through the air.

Thoughts drifted along with the wisps of smoke, as Yun Zhao found himself in a coastal place, half-dreaming and half-awake. Birds soared over the white-crested waves, and as far as the eye could see, the water met the sky.

The cold seawater gently lapped at the young man's feet, and Yun Zhao narrowed his eyes, savoring the comfort and tranquility.

Suddenly, a loud noise shook him to his core. The sea churned, violent winds whipped the water into towering columns, and scenes of dark mountains and fierce rocks unfolded before Yun Zhao's eyes like natural disasters, appearing and disappearing...

Yun Zhao's heart pounded like a drum as he covered his head and took a step back, only to have sharp cliffs block his path. Amidst ghostly howls, a dragon's roar pierced through the dark clouds, carrying resentment.

Under the sky, countless shadows dashed in chaotic frenzy, and the bizarre and surreal scenes filled him with fear, until he saw a blood-stained deity descending, blooming a bloody flower in the deep sea...

[You’re awake.]

"Phew..." Yun Zhao opened his eyes, and the morning sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains onto the bed.

He sat up, covering his face, and felt dampness on his back. A hint of coolness brushed against him as the morning breeze blew in through the window.

[Are you alright?]

The electronic voice of the system sounded in his ear, and Yun Zhao closed his eyes, the terrifying scenes from his dream still lingering in his mind.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before slowly saying, "I'm fine, but... I think I had a dream..."

The system calmly responded with a simple [Oh. It's the aftereffect of fear caused by encountering such a massive dragon for the first time. Nothing to worry about.]

"Is that so?" Yun Zhao shook his dizzy head, trying to recall, but the images from earlier rapidly faded like receding tides in his mind.

[Don't shake your head. You'll only look sillier if you scatter your thoughts,] the system advised.

Yun Zhao stopped his movements and hummed, "Weren't you ignoring me?"

The system remained silent for a while before retorting, pretending to be tough: [What's wrong? Can't I take a vacation?]

The fact that the system even had vacation days surprised Yun Zhao. He immediately changed the subject, as a workaholic who worked year-round couldn't stand hearing such words.

He picked up a towel from the pillow next to him and wiped the thin sweat off his forehead, happily informing the system, “I've already signed a contract with the Wolf Clan. Once the celebration is over, I'll receive my reward."

The system replied, [I know. You'd rather stay up all night and figure things out yourself than buy my ready-made recipes, you penny-pincher! You'll work yourself to death!]

Yun Zhao smiled and seized the main point, "Aren't you on vacation? How do you know that I've been staying up all night?"

The system was at a loss for words and pretended to have a glitch in its electrical currents, babbling nonsense to dodge the question.

[I don't know why you're saving up so much money…] Suddenly, the system became vigilant and warned, [Remember, after you complete the task, you can't take the leftover spirit stones out of this world!]

Yun Zhao helplessly replied, "Yeah, yeah... I know."

The system asked again, [So, what are you saving up all this money for?]

Yun Zhao leaned against the window and pushed open the gap, looking out at the somewhat empty courtyard.

It was still early, and the group of kids were still sleeping inside. Faintly, he could only see the diligent rabbits heading to the mountains with small bamboo baskets to collect mushrooms.

Yun Zhao paused for a moment, and simply said, "I'll use it anyway, so don't worry."

The system didn't believe his words and continued to inquire, [The banquet couldn't possibly consist of just one dish, right? What are your plans for the rest?]

As soon as the system mentioned the main point, Yun Zhao became energized. He got up and rummaged for pen and paper, contemplating, [Since they like these delicate dishes, I'll make more in this style.]

[Mushroom and lamb stir-fry, steamed seafood, Translucent Jade Passing Flowers…] Yun Zhao wrote on the paper, listing the dish names.

[Stop, stop] the system interrupted.

Yun Zhao paused and asked, "What's wrong?"

The system was puzzled and asked, [I understood everything before, but what is 'Translucent Jade Passing Flowers'?]

Yun Zhao proudly explained with a smile, "It's made from fish meat shaped like a tea flower and cooked in a high-quality broth. It tastes delicious, but it's a bit labor-intensive."

The system clicked its tongue twice and remarked, [No wonder you don't buy my recipe. It seems that since you arrived in this world, you've been focused on food.]

Yun Zhao replied, "It's not bad, I have some understanding." He picked up a note and dried the ink on the piece of paper, writing. In the past, when he received his salary, he would go to famous restaurants everywhere, but now it seemed like it was truly worth it, as it had a purpose.

The system listened to Yun Zhao's satisfied statement and took a glance at the well-matched seasonal delicacies. It then spoke, [You can make all of these?]

The dishes on the paper were exquisite, but they required the skill of carving and shaping. No matter how much Yun Zhao loved to eat, he couldn't compare to those who had been practicing their craftsmanship since childhood.

Yun Zhao hesitated and said, "I'll practice more..."

The system coldly snorted, [It takes you two days to shape a dumpling flower, and you faint without making any progress. How many days do you plan to faint after making these dishes?]

Yun Zhao deflated and slumped onto the table, absentmindedly poking at the inkstone with his brush. "Then what should I do..."

The system cleared its throat and said, [I'll strengthen your culinary skills.]

As soon as Yun Zhao heard that, he immediately sat up and asked, "You have this function too?"

[Yes,] the system replied.

Yun Zhao cautiously probed, "How much does it cost? If it's too expensive, I can't afford it..."

The system couldn't bear it any longer and said, [One thousand spirit stones, do you want it or not?]

Yun Zhao instantly beamed with joy. "I want it, I want it!"

After enhancing his culinary skills, the system tossed a scroll into his sea of consciousness and said, [This is the favorite dish of the Flower Goddess. Just follow the recipe, as long as she's satisfied, half of the Wolf Clan's celebration will be successful.]

Yun Zhao was shocked. "Is it that powerful?"

The system sighed helplessly. [You've been here for so long, haven't you noticed that there's a hierarchy among the Immortal clans? The Wolf Clan is rough and their dwelling is only adorned with purple flowers. It's not easy for them to hold a celebration, so they have to please the Flower Goddess.]

Yun Zhao finally understood. No wonder Chang Xiao and the others were so nervous and serious.

He happily exclaimed, "With your help, the celebration will surely be a success. By then, the spiritual vein will be restored to 50%. We can advertise the nursery school during the celebration and attract new divine beasts to nourish the spiritual vein. Ao Yu's injuries will also recover faster!"

"Now that he can grow this big, I can't even imagine how powerful he will be when he fully recovers," Yun Zhao reminisced about the giant dragon he saw yesterday, filled with joy in his heart.

The system didn't respond to his words but urged him, [Take a look at the menu.]

"Oh, right," Yun Zhao unfolded the scroll and murmured, "Stuffed Shrimp with Lily, requires fresh Su Yu Valley lilies and Cold Pond shrimp..."

"What are these?" Yun Zhao was completely confused. It didn't sound like things that could be easily obtained.

However, the system remained silent, leaving only a charging message in Yun Zhao's mind.

Yun Zhao: "..."

Just as he was about to go and ask Bai Ze for help, the door was pushed open.

Ao Yu entered the room holding a bowl, with a lively little black rabbit hopping beside him.

Seeing Yun Zhao up, he put down the bowl and asked, "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Yun Zhao casually placed the scroll on the table and turned to fetch his outer garment from the inner room.

When he sat back at the table, he saw Ao Yu picking up the scroll and reading it with lowered eyes.

The long lashes concealed the glimmer in his eyes, and sitting quietly under the morning light, he exuded a touch of softness.

Seeing Yun Zhao approaching, Ao Yu asked, "Is it a recipe for the celebration?"

Yun Zhao nodded, "Yes, but the ingredients listed are not easy to come by..."

"Just Su Yu Valley? I'll take you there." Ao Yu returned the scroll to him and said calmly.

Yun Zhao was pleasantly surprised, "Really?" He had originally planned to give up if the ingredients were difficult to obtain. Now that Ao Yu agreed to help, it was a big favor.

Ao Yu pushed the porcelain bowl in front of the young man and his gaze seemed somewhat elusive. "Drink the porridge and then we'll leave."

Yun Zhao was even happier when he heard that. With a dragon guiding the way and a caring breakfast, it was truly a wonderful morning.

He brought the bowl closer and lowered his head to take a look. Instantly, his expression turned sour.

The bowl contained a grayish cement-like sludge, which even contained tentacles of various sizes. The suckers' mucus made the porridge even thicker...

Ao Yu propped his face with one hand and lightly tapped the table with his fingers, while the corner of his eye unintentionally glanced over.

Under his gaze, Yun Zhao struggled to swallow a mouthful of saliva. This was probably worse than the top ten tortures of the Qing Dynasty...

*****

Translator’s note: I was kinda hungry when Yun Zhao started talking about food with the system, but when he mentioned what Ao Yu brought, the visual is so…blegh.