CH 39

Chapter 39: Kitchen Thief

Yun Zhao had returned to normal, and it brought both joy and sadness to the people of Yuming Mountain. Bai Ze finally escaped the fate of being controlled to cook and returned to his beloved rocking chair, completely limp and unable to tear himself away.

The most heartbroken one was Luo Xue. He could no longer sleep in a nest with Yun Zhao, and he had also transformed into the smallest creature in Yuming Mountain.

The white kitten lay on Xuanming's head, leaning close to the black panther's round ears, and whispered, "Can we give Yun Zhao brother another Dream Mushroom?"

The black panther tapped the kitten's head with its tail, warning the little fellow not to be too bold. After all, with their Dao companion shrinking, many things were no longer convenient for the Dragon Lord.

As a black panther who had a clingy couple as masters, it was considerate enough to think for Ao Yu and promptly put an end to Luo Xue's plan.

After Yun Zhao got up, he went to the kitchen and cooked a pot of crab roe shredded chicken congee to reward the little ones who had helped out in the past few days.

He looked through the window and saw Ao Yu carrying a mahogany box into the house. He quickly leaned out and called out to him, "Ao Yu, come and have some congee."

Ao Yu replied, "Wait a moment, Xiaguang sent over some clothes. I'll put them away and then come."

Yun Zhao responded with an "Oh" and served him a bowl of congee separately.

He didn't know why, but every time new clothes were delivered, Ao Yu would always organize them himself.

Perhaps the little dragon had OCD tendencies?

Yun Zhao shrugged and started to eat the congee to fill his stomach.

After Luo Xue and Wu Mu finished their congee, they obediently helped clean up the bowls and chopsticks. They said to Yun Zhao, "Brother, we're going to play with Xuanming!"

"Go ahead."

Meowing sounds came from behind, and they saw the two of them trotting after Xuanming into the courtyard.

Yun Zhao didn't slack off either. He rolled up his sleeves and started making small bread with the rabbits.

The rabbits were already skilled at this, and with an assembly line-like production, they quickly finished today's order for the Wolf Clan.

Yun Zhao wiped off the flour on the little black rabbit's face and saw that there was still a good amount of powdered sugar in the bowl. He couldn't help but suggest, "Let's use the remaining ingredients to make cookies?"

"Okay!" The rabbits cheered, clearly craving cookies for a while.

Yun Zhao swiftly began mixing and blending, rolling the dough into a sheet on a smooth table.

As usual, he used a mold to imprint the shapes of little cats and rabbits and placed them into the alchemy furnace-like oven.

When the entire room was filled with the aroma of milk, he took out the golden cookies and tilted his head to observe them.

The little black rabbit, puzzled, approached and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

Yun Zhao rubbed his chin and murmured, "It feels a bit monotonous..."

"Oh right, didn't you gather a lot of berries in the mountains before?" Yun Zhao suddenly remembered and looked at the rabbits.

The little black rabbit nodded but seemed a little conflicted. "But those berries were a bit sour, so we didn't make jam with them..."

"It's alright, just give them to me." Yun Zhao waved his hand casually, and upon seeing this, the little black rabbit instructed the other rabbits to bring over the basket of berries.

These berries were small and cute, each one plump and round, presenting an enticing deep red color.

Yun Zhao washed them and put them in a small pot, adding the remaining powdered sugar from making sugar paintings. He simmered them over low heat.

Once the fruit became soft and turned into a dark red jam, Yun Zhao scooped a few spoonfuls of Sun Yang's favorite honey and stirred it in.

After the jam cooled down, Yun Zhao tasted it. It had the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess.Although he didn't have a piping bag, it didn't matter.

Yun Zhao dipped a thin bamboo skewer into the jam and carefully placed it on the baked cookies.

Inadvertently, his hand trembled slightly, and the round eyes of the little rabbit cookie were scratched, making it look like a crying spirit rabbit with bleeding tears.

Yun Zhao: "..."

Without changing his expression, he stuffed the ruined rabbit cookie into his mouth, chewed it with a crunch, and swallowed it to cover up the evidence.

Then, with a serious expression, he started working on the next cookie. The little rabbits followed suit and started decorating the other cookies with cute eyes and mouths.

Yun Zhao selected some of the cookies, used the jam as filling, and sandwiched two cookies together.

When all the cookies were successfully completed, there was still half of the jam left in the pot. Considering these as the rabbits' hard work, Yun Zhao took a clean ceramic jar and sealed the jam inside.

At this time, Wu Mu and Luo Xue, tired from playing, ran into the kitchen, clamoring for snacks.

"You should have come a little earlier." Yun Zhao raised his hand and lightly tapped Wu Mu's head with his fingers, then handed them the cookies.

Xuanming initially wasn't interested in anything other than meat, but unable to resist Luo Xue's recommendation, he picked up a piece and tasted it.

The delicate cookies seemed mini-sized compared to the black leopard, and the leopard licked his lips, still wanting more. Yun Zhao found it amusing and gave the black leopard two more pieces.

There were still plenty of cookies left, so Yun Zhao set aside a portion for Ao Yu and Sun Yang, and then took the rest and brought it to Bai ze. 

Bai ze was enjoying the cookies brought by the rabbits, which tasted especially delightful with a cup of tea.

Yun Zhao handed over the two boxes of cookies and said, "Could you ask Qingniao to help me deliver these? One box is for Xiaguang, and the other is for Bai Yu of Chihua Peak."

"Sure thing." Bai ze, full and satisfied, readily agreed and casually summoned Qingniao to assign them the task.

The Qingniao bird flying towards Chihua Peak couldn't resist taking an extra cookie from Bai ze's plate as an additional delivery fee. This annoyed Bai ze, muttering that these birds were even perching on his head.

...

Within the colorful clouds.

The ethereal white clouds were tinged with the radiance of sunlight, and a Qingniao bird carrying a package broke through the layers of clouds and arrived at a white jade pavilion.

It folded its wings and quietly placed the package on the jade table, intending to slip away.

However, just as it turned around, it was suddenly grabbed from behind and vigorously rubbed against the feathers.

"Ah-ha! Caught the birdie!"

The Qingniao bird’s heart skipped a beat. Damn it, I let my guard down.

Indeed, the immortal fairies behind were laughing in an unusually lewd manner. Their icy, slender fingers shamelessly ventured into the bird's fluffy feathers.

The Qingniao squirmed a bit, unable to break free, and resignedly stood there, allowing them to play with it. At that moment, it couldn't help but feel envious of its fellow birds flying to Chihua Peak.

Once the fairies had their fill of amusement, the Qingniao, with its feathers in disarray, flapped its wings and left. The Qingniao bird’s eyes were filled with bitterness, secretly vowing that it would never come here again!

"The birdie is so cute but so easily embarrassed." After the Qingniao departed, Immortal fairy Xiaguang noticed the package on the table.

She murmured softly, "What has been sent here?"

Another fairy sniffed the air lightly, "It smells amazing..."

"Could it be that Yun Zhao has sent delicious treats again?"

"His snacks are really delicious. Last time, I had several pieces of those cookies!"

If it weren't for Ao Yu guarding Yuming Mountain, they would have even considered moving their residence there, lounging with cats, tailoring clothes, and enjoying those delightful snacks!

Amidst the urging of the others, Xiaguang opened the box and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!"

Inside the box were the little cookies they had been longing for! And they were filled with jam!

Xiaguang swallowed her saliva and, upholding a sense of ceremony, started preparing tea and preserves with the other fairies.

As for work orders and such... they were all postponed!

While the Immortal fairies busily tidied up the table and prepared tea, no one noticed a small white paw protruding from under the table. It quickly grabbed a few cookies and retreated just as swiftly.

With the cookies held in its hand, the creature took a tentative bite, and its black beady eyes instantly lit up.

It tilted its head, trying to recall. It seemed like they mentioned Yuming Mountain?

...

Nighttime, Yuming Mountain.

Yun Zhao prepared a sumptuous dinner that filled everyone's bellies, and they all gathered in the courtyard to bask in the moonlight.

Ao Yu, in a good mood, used his finger to playfully tickle Yun Zhao's hair, teasing Wu Mu's nose, which made the little cat sneeze uncontrollably.

"Tsk." Ao Yu disdainfully lifted Wu Mu by the back of his neck, moving him aside.

Wu Mu wore a resentful expression, lifting his paw to rub his little nose. He turned his face away, silently sulking. Yun Zhao was amused by their antics and was about to pick up the cat to comfort him when a clattering sound came from the kitchen.

Bai Ze opened his eyes and asked in confusion, "What's happening?"

"Could it be a mouse?" Without hesitation, Yun Zhao immediately got up and hurried to the kitchen, with Sun Yang following closely.

When they reached the kitchen, the room was in a mess.

Pots, bowls, and utensils were scattered on the floor. Yun Zhao's beloved oven had toppled over. To make matters worse, the jam they had just made was completely eaten, leaving only an empty jar on the edge of the stove.

Yun Zhao was instantly filled with anger. That jam was painstakingly collected by the rabbits, and it even used Sun Yang's favorite honey!

"Who did this?" Yun Zhao angrily searched the room. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a white shadow passing by and heard Luo Xue shout, "There it is!"

Wu Mu instantly transformed into a child and picked up a sack from the ground, chasing after the figure. He was so fast that he nearly collided with Bai Ze, who followed closely behind.

Bai Ze teased, "What's this? Is your awakened bloodline making you chase mice?"

Seeing no response, he turned his head and couldn't help but be stunned by the extent of the destruction. It was truly a sight to behold...

Ao Yu also saw the state of the kitchen and gestured with his hand, casting several spells to restore the chaotic utensils in the room. Unfortunately, the stolen jam couldn't be recovered.

When Ao Yu pulled Yun Zhao, his face turned ashen, and out of the kitchen, Wu Mu efficiently carried the sack back and placed it in front of Yun Zhao, as if seeking recognition for his efforts.

If he were in his true form, the little cat's tail would have been pointing towards the sky.

The contents inside the sack were still struggling, causing Yun Zhao to become even angrier. He stormed back into the kitchen, grabbed a rolling pin, and approached with an intimidating stride.

The young man was clearly furious, keeping his lips tightly pursed and remaining silent. He raised the rolling pin, ready to strike, but was intercepted by Bai Ze and the others.

"Wait, wait, wait! First, take a look at what it is!" Bai Ze signaled Ao Yu to stop him.

Ao Yu was also afraid that he would regret it if he struck the wrong thing and spoke up, "I understand you're angry, but let's ask first. What if it's not this thing?"

"Squeak! Squeak, squeak!" The thing inside the sack continued to struggle, emitting high-pitched squeaks.

Yun Zhao pointed the rolling pin at the sack and said angrily, "This is obviously a mouse! It must be the culprit!"

"That's right!" Little Black Rabbit was also angry. He stepped forward and shook the contents out of the sack, saying, "Bad thing! Apologize to Lord Yun Zhao!"

"Squeak, squeak..."

Under the moonlight, a pure white ferret rolled out of the sack and shook its little head in confusion. It held its face with its front paws and looked at Yun Zhao with watery black eyes, saying, "Squeak, squeak, sorry..."

Silence fell upon the surroundings for a moment.

Ao Yu didn't hear any response from Yun Zhao for a while. When he turned around, he saw that the young man, who had been holding the rolling pin earlier, had already dropped it at some point.

In the young man's black pupils, there was an expression of joy. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up, and he exclaimed, "Wow~"

Ao Yu's face darkened, and he bent down to pick up the rolling pin and handed it to Yun Zhao, gesturing, "You can hit him."

Yun Zhao: "..."