CH 52

Chapter 52: Seafood Feast

As expected, the Flower Goddess didn't forget about the promise to the young divine beasts. Within a few days of returning, a group of cranes was sent to deliver several large baskets of fruits.

Grapes, lychees, longans, oranges—piled up abundantly in the courtyard. The rabbits' eyes sparkled at the sight, and the sweet aroma of the fruits made their mouths water.

Yun Zhao promptly instructed them to store the fruits in the cellar and enjoy them together during dinner.

Wu Mu licked his paw and looked up, asking, "Yun Zhao, what are we having for dinner tonight? Can I order some dishes?"

Yun Zhao thought about it, and couldn’t come up with anything. He didn’t know what to make tonight, so when Wu Mu brought it up, he couldn’t help but inquire, “What do you want?” 

“Seafood!” Wu Mu’s cat eyes shone, and he hugged Yun Zhao’s legs coquettishly. “We haven’t eaten seafood for a long time! I want to eat prawns! Let’s also add scallops and squids!” 

Yun Zhao couldn't help but laugh at Wu Mu's ability to order food. He playfully tapped the cat's head with his finger. But Wu Mu was right; it had been a while since they had seafood!

So Yun Zhao led the divine beasts and rabbits in a grand procession to the seaside.

At the coast, black rocks were scattered, and the azure sea churned, creating foamy white waves crashing against the rocks. The splashing water nearly soaked Yun Zhao's face.

The little phoenix perched on his shoulder flew to the highest rock, overlooking the entire beach as usual.

Yun Zhao sighed. If it weren't for the system reporting negative satisfaction for Le Huang, he would have thought the little phoenix was easy to take care of.

He couldn't figure out what the bird really liked, but since it was willing to accompany him to the seaside, there should still be a chance to improve the satisfaction level.

Yun Zhao stood by the seaside, planning to cast the fishing net made of immortal-binding rope directly. However, Wu Mu reached out his paw and stopped him.

"What's wrong?" Yun Zhao asked, looking at the little cat.

Wu Mu tilted his head and looked at Yun Zhao with curiosity. "Don't you use your spiritual power to summon the seafood, just like when you used to catch squid?"

Yun Zhao shrugged. "My spiritual power doesn't resonate with aquatic creatures. It used to be done by Ao Yu."

...the tip of Wu Mu’s tail twitched.

Wu Mu looked at the young man in front of him as if he were an idiot. He patted the dragon jade hanging from Yun Zhao's waist with his little paw and said, "You're so silly. Don't you have the Dragon Jade?"

Yun Zhao took out the jade pendant and asked, "Can I use this?"

"Of course! The Dragon Jade is a treasured possession of the Dragon Clan. Each dragon only has one piece! It can command thousands of aquatic creatures and clear the path in the four seas," Wu Mu said, looking at Yun Zhao with doubt. "Don't tell me you don't know about it?"

Yun Zhao pondered for a moment, trying to recall what Ao Yu had said...

It seemed like he had told him to wear it casually and even play with it?

Yun Zhao: "!"

He lowered his head and looked at the Dragon Jade in his hand, remembering the awkward tone of Ao Yu at that time. Suddenly, it all became clear.

So, back then, the little dragon already had feelings for him!

Wu Mu looked at the young man, confused by his sudden silly grin. He used his paw to pull at Yun Zhao's robe and asked, "Yun Zhao, what are you laughing at? Hurry up and catch some seafood. I'm starving!"

"Okay, okay, don't be impatient," Yun Zhao rubbed his face to regain his composure. He tentatively placed the Dragon Jade into the seawater, thinking of summoning some random seafood.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the Dragon Jade touched the water, the surface of the sea started to churn and form a whirlpool.

In just a few moments, countless seafood were sucked into the whirlpool and rained down on the shore, resembling a shower of petals.

Yun Zhao quickly retrieved the Dragon Jade to avoid the formation of a seafood waterspout.

Looking at the abundant seafood on the beach, the rabbits danced with joy, cheering as they skillfully put the seafood into bamboo baskets.

Yun Zhao helped with the collection and noticed the ferret and the two little cats gathered in one place. Curiously, he walked over and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Luo Xue stepped aside, her snow-white fur still stained with fine sand.

The little cats patted the sandy beach with their small paws and said, "Brother, there are many little holes here with something inside, but I can't catch them."

Just as Yun Zhao was about to take a closer look, the little phoenix perched on the rock sneered, "So clueless. Haven't you even seen a razor clam? Sprinkle some salt, and they'll pop out themselves."

Wu Mu couldn't stand it when someone other than himself called his little brother a fool. He frowned with a strange expression on his face and said sarcastically, "Oh, oh, oh, even the noblest phoenix of Dan Xue Mountain knows about the razor clams buried in the sand. Could it be that you secretly caught them?"

Le Huang choked for a moment, thinking that this black cat was quite talkative, actually guessing it right.

Seeing Yun Zhao genuinely curious, he asked, "Le Huang, did you really catch them?"

The proud little phoenix with its golden feathers shook its crest disdainfully and said, "H-how is that possible! We phoenixes would never let our claws touch the sand!"

After catching them, it would diligently wash its claws in the mountain spring, leaving no trace whatsoever!

Yun Zhao nodded, pretending to understand, and then squatted down beside the little cats to patiently explain, "These things are called razor clams. Sprinkle fine salt on the holes, and when they pop out, you have to catch them quickly. They are delicious when stir-fried or served cold, and the big ones can be steamed with sake."

The little cats listened attentively, and Le Huang behind them wanted to join in to listen to the young man's words.

However, it felt awkward and didn't want to show its interest. It could only pretend to be indifferent and take small steps towards them.

The ferret's mouth watered as it bumped Yun Zhao's knee with its head and made a pleading "chirp" sound.

Wu Mu twitched its ears and muttered, "But we didn't bring any salt..."

Yun Zhao thought for a moment and took out the Dragon Jade again, dangling it above the densely packed holes.

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, these razor clams popped their heads out straight!

A few little kittens widened their eyes and instinctively extended their paws to catch them, managing to catch a few.

When the startled razor clams withdrew back into their sandy holes, Yun Zhao was immediately stared at by several pairs of round animal pupils.

The kittens: Not enough playtime, let's do it again!

Yun Zhao could only use the same trick again, using the Dragon Jade to lure the razor clams out and let these little friends play another round.

Watching them have so much fun, playing like they were playing Whack-a-Mole, Yun Zhao shook the Dragon Jade with a helpless expression on his face.

Hopefully, Ao Yu wouldn't scold him when he found out that he was using this treasure recklessly...

When the rabbits finished packing the seafood, Yun Zhao had also collected quite a few razor clams. They were all trophies of Wu Mu and the others.

He stood up and turned around to see the little phoenix already gazing coldly at the sea, making him sigh. Indeed, it was a phoenix, so unique and different.

Le Huang didn't know that his claws were scratching white marks on the rocks, and he was suffering from an itchy feeling.

Damn it, he wanted to play too!

Yun Zhao had a great harvest at the seaside today and happily led everyone back to the mountain to start processing the seafood.

Le Huang looked at the octopuses and squids crawling around in the bamboo basket and flew back to the branches in disgust.

These disgusting things, still covered in mucus, and they wanted to make them into food...

Terrifying, utterly lacking in aesthetic appeal, it was just too uncivilized!

Le Huang turned away, secretly vowing that even if he was hungry for another day, he would never eat these things!

Yun Zhao skillfully rinsed the seafood clean. The little black rabbit raised its head and asked, "Sir, do we need to prepare charcoal fire for grilling?"

"No need, I'll use some of it to make a seafood hot pot, and the rest will be used for a seafood broth." Yun Zhao smiled and replied.

The little black rabbit scratched its head, not knowing what a seafood broth was, but it knew about the seafood hot pot.

The rabbits neatly arranged the cleaned seafood and boiled a pot of water. They looked up at Yun Zhao and asked, "Sir, what's next?"

Yun Zhao patted the rabbit's head and started simmering a red soup, similar to making a hot pot. Then, he put some large prawns, octopuses, and shells into the hot pot to blanch them.

Next, he took out a large basin and began adding various seasonings. The rabbits curiously gathered around and asked, "Sir, isn't there too much seasoning?"

"No, it needs to be marinated to be tasty." Yun Zhao answered while adding chopped chili peppers.

When the seafood was almost cooked, Yun Zhao rinsed off the foam with cold water and then poured everything into the seasoned mixture.

He added a few pieces of crushed ice and had the rabbits cover it with a lid before taking it to the cellar for a while.

Although the rabbits had never seen this method before, they obediently nodded their heads and together lifted the large wooden basin, making their way to the cellar.

The next steps were much simpler. Yun Zhao simmered the red soup until it was incredibly fragrant, and the spicy aroma made their mouths water from a distance.

Yun Zhao thought that since they would be having spicy dishes in the evening, they needed some beverages to counteract the spiciness.

While he was pondering, the system suddenly said: [The store has new arrivals! There's a machine that can make sizzling and bubbling drinks!]

Yun Zhao was taken aback and opened the store in his mind, and indeed, there was the bubble machine!

He looked at the price tag, 3,000 immortal stones...

Just when the system thought that this stingy person wouldn't make the purchase, Yun Zhao readily placed the order.

The system was shocked: [Have you been possessed?]

Yun Zhao sighed, "I miss soda, it’s been so long..."

System: "..."

The bubble machine in the store was still crafted in the form of a lotus flower, in line with the aesthetic of the Immortal Realm. By placing the bottle on the lotus tray, one could fill it with a continuous stream of joy!

Yun Zhao took out the grapes sent by the Flower Goddess and crushed them then added crushed ice. The purple slush settled at the bottom of the basin, and the sweet aroma tempted Yun Zhao to scoop it up and take a sip.

But he restrained himself, took a bottle, filled it with water, and injected the bubbles into the basin, stirring it all together.

Fine bubbles rose from the bottom of the basin, emitting a delightful sizzling sound.

In the evening, when Bai Ze and the others arrived at the dining table, they were shocked not only by the large variety of seafood but also by this basin of purple bubble water.

Bai Ze asked, "What is this?"

Yun Zhao used a wooden ladle to fill a cup and handed it to him, saying, "It's made with the grapes from the Flower Goddess. Give it a try."

Bai Ze took a sip, and it felt as if electric currents were passing through his taste buds, and countless tiny bubbles were dancing on his tongue, creating a tingling sensation. He covered his mouth and moved the cup away.

Surprised, he exclaimed, "What is this stuff?"

Yun Zhao casually explained that he added some bubbles with the apparatus, saying, "If you can't handle it, it's fine."

"No way." Bai Ze stopped Yun Zhao's outstretched hand, took another sip, narrowed his eyes, and smacked his lips, "It seems pretty good."

Upon hearing this, the others also requested a cup and started drinking.

Yun Zhao blanched the seafood in the red soup and brought out the marinated small seafood for dipping.

The large prawns were split open, marinated to an enticing dark red color, and the golden-orange shrimp roe was faintly visible. There were also several scallops with half of their tongues exposed on the side.

The small seafood was fragrant, spicy, and refreshing from being chilled. Ao Yu enjoyed a sip of juice followed by a bite of shrimp, and his lips turned slightly red from the chili. He continued at his usual speed, even taking the time to peel the shrimp for Yun Zhao.

He placed the perfectly peeled shrimp into Yun Zhao's bowl and raised his chin, saying, "Go ahead and eat."

Before Yun Zhao could thank him, he saw Bai Ze on the opposite side, eyes nearly popping out of his head.

In disbelief, Bai Ze exclaimed, "The sun rises from the west! I've lived for so long, and this is the first time I've seen Ao Yu peel shrimp for someone."

Watching Yun Zhao blushing as he ate the shrimp in small bites, Bai Ze extended his bowl towards Ao Yu and said, "Can you make one for me too?"

Ao Yu reached out and placed the shrimp shells into Bai Ze's bowl, saying calmly, "Here, eat."

Bai Ze covered his face pretending to cry and cursed the dragon for being a good dog!

Sun Yang looked up from his bowl, frowned discontentedly, and barked at Bai Ze, "Woof woof!"

The meal proceeded lively as usual, and Yun Zhao watched the little ones raise their glass-like cups filled with fruit juice bubble water and toast. He turned his head and noticed the Little Phoenix still perched on a tree branch.

He looked up and asked, "Le Huang, would you like to have some?"

Le Huang had long been enticed by the aroma and, since he was kindly invited, he decided to give Yun Zhao some face.

With this thought in mind, the golden-red bird was about to clear his throat and respond when Wu Mu interjected, "Phoenixes eat bamboo seeds and drink dew. They probably won't eat these things, right?"

Yun Zhao was skeptical and looked up, asking, "Can't you really eat them?"

Le Huang gritted his teeth, turned his face away, and shook his feathers. "I, we don't eat these kinds of things!"

"Okay..." Yun Zhao put down his bowl somewhat regretfully. He planned to send a message to ask about it from the Dan Xue mountain tomorrow. It seemed too monotonous to only give the Little Phoenix bamboo seeds and dew.

Today's dinner received high praise, especially the seafood in the dipping sauce, prompting Bai Ze to ask, "Yun Zhao, is this dish troublesome to make?"

Yun Zhao replied, "Not really, why do you ask?"

Bai Ze smirked, "Can you make some more tonight? I want to have it with rice porridge tomorrow!"

"Hmm... that's not a bad idea." Yun Zhao didn't expect Bai Ze to adapt to his taste. He nodded and agreed.

Since the marinated seafood for the dipping sauce needed to be chilled, Yun Zhao prepared a large basin of sauce and placed it in a wooden barrel with ice cubes from the cellar before adding the large bowl of seafood to it before going to sleep.

Yun Zhao happily clapped his hands and closed the kitchen, saying, "Now I can take it out in the morning without having to make another trip to the cellar!" He went back to rest.

In the late night, Yuming Mountain was shrouded in darkness, and everyone was deep in their dreams.

A red figure suddenly appeared in the kitchen, gently lifting the lid of the wooden barrel...

****

Translator’s note: Hopefully I can finish the 4 (regular update + bonus) chapters tomorrow for this novel along with the mass release for this week's novel and bonus chapters for The Return of Cambrian Period!