Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Shixiu

Shixiu was the largest food-and-drink brand in the Deng Yun Realm immortal realm—so large that they had carved out their own ingredient garden deep in demon beast-infested mountains.

Hu Qing had blundered straight into one of their supply grounds.

She looked around, feeling awkward. There weren’t even walls or a barrier formation.

The Shixiu people, on the other hand, thought it was obvious. Why would they need one? In a place this dangerous, who would dare come?

Ring after ring of demon beasts was the best defense. It had been years since anyone had seen a living person stumble in.

The immortals here were dressed neatly and moved efficiently. Despite that, they were friendly as they questioned Hu Qing about how she’d gotten here.

Hu Qing gave an embarrassed smile. “I was heading toward the teleportation formation. On the way, I ran into a Devil Clan and Demon Clan fight. Too many people, too intense—I was afraid of getting caught in it, so I ran the other way. I don’t know this area. I just kept running and then…”

She spread her hands.

The group stared. “You came from the teleportation formation direction? Your luck is insane.”

Then, at the mention of Devil Clan and Demon Clan fighting, they exchanged glances, their eyes instantly filling with gossip.

So the tenth princess couple’s drama had already spread.

Hu Qing shamelessly pressed her advantage. “I got lost. Can I leave with you? Don’t worry, you don’t have to take special care of me. Even just pointing me in the right direction would help. I’d be grateful.”

They immediately invited her to travel with them.

Hu Qing privately figured it was because she was too weak to worry about. She didn’t bother refusing. She thanked them and stayed nearby, watching them process fresh ingredients.

A massive tiger lay on the ground.

A dozen young men of indeterminate age surrounded it and worked at the same time—bleeding it, skinning it, extracting marrow. Hu Qing watched with intense interest, eyes fixed on the immortal stationed between the tiger’s spread hind legs.

The man’s hands gradually stiffened. He coughed awkwardly.

Hu Qing snapped back to herself. “Oh—sorry. That was rude. I won’t look.”

She turned away.

The man didn’t know what to say. When he heard his companions trying not to laugh, he shot them an annoyed glare. There was nothing wrong with learning a skill, but that particular position was… well. Ahem. Men and women.

Hu Qing half-turned to “admire the scenery” and asked, “Why process it here? Wouldn’t it be better to bring it back and cook it fresh?”

“It’ll stink like a corpse if we bring it back like this,” someone explained. “We have to handle it while it’s still warm to keep the meat fresh.”

Hu Qing blinked. “Then why not bring it back alive?”

They laughed. “This tiger is too vicious. If we didn’t have special methods, it would rather self-destruct than let us eat it. Once we strike, we have to kill it on the spot.”

Hu Qing nodded sincerely. “Understood.”

Meanwhile, she kept chewing on the name Shixiu. It made her think of Shi Bai Zhou—the Shi family also ran chain restaurants. She couldn’t help wondering if his Shi family had anything to do with this Shixiu.

Probably not. The Little Li Realm had been exiled for far too long.

They processed the tiger so cleanly not even a hair was left behind, then hurried to deliver the ingredients. Hu Qing was lucky enough to ride their spirit skiff.

The spirit skiff looked extremely practical—so practical it was clearly meant for hauling goods, not passengers. Hu Qing guessed certain ingredients lost flavor faster if stored in a space ring, so they had to be shipped in bulk.

She didn’t meddle. She simply followed their arrangements.

The young men were talkative and amusing, and Hu Qing deliberately played along. By the time they reached the city, she’d managed to talk her way into an interview.

Kitchen assistant.

She couldn’t resist bragging to Juan Bu. “See? This is what having a skill gets you.”

Juan Bu sounded baffled. “Isn’t your skill forging artifacts?”

“The more skills, the more roads,” Hu Qing said. “You should learn things too.”

Juan Bu fell silent. “…I’m an artifact spirit. Learn what?”

Ahead, towering city walls rose into the distance. A transparent barrier shimmered faintly over them, so high she couldn’t see the top, and so deep she couldn’t see the end. From above, the city inside was packed with buildings, yet there were also wide, scenic stretches. The thick, imposing walls even enclosed a range of snow-capped mountains.

This wasn’t comparable to Baoping Ward at all.

They entered smoothly. Shixiu’s cargo spirit skiff had a special permit and could fly within the city. It went straight to a bustling yet elegant district at the foot of the snowy mountains and landed.

The group rushed to deliver the goods. Only after they finished did someone come for Hu Qing, who had been waiting quietly outside.

“Master Han is here,” someone told her. “He’s the easiest to talk to. Be respectful, and act a little pitiful.”

Hu Qing bowed. “Thank you. Once I’m paid, I’ll treat everyone to drinks.”

“That’s a deal. Don’t worry—we won’t order anything expensive. Just show sincerity.”

Master Han was a plump old man with white hair and a round, friendly face, rosy and smooth without a wrinkle. His vigor made it clear the “old” look was simply personal taste.

Later, once they were familiar, Master Han would claim he’d changed his appearance because he was too handsome, and he didn’t want shameless female immortals interfering with his career. Hu Qing didn’t believe a single word.

Even now, he stood with his hands behind his back, belly slightly out, and tried to scrunch his thick eyebrows into something intimidating. It failed completely. His face was so kind he looked like a freshly steamed bun.

Hu Qing relaxed a little.

Master Han cleared his throat, forcing an aloof tone. “What can you do, little girl?”

Before she could answer, he waved. “Come. Look at these scraps. Tell me what you can make with them.”

Hu Qing glanced at the so-called scraps and nearly twitched. They weren’t scraps at all—just high-quality ingredients, many she’d never seen. The only “waste” seemed to be pieces apprentices had cut badly.

She didn’t dare boast. She politely said, “Please excuse my crude work,” and chose ingredients she recognized from the tenth princess’s kitchen. She made ten pastries.

Ten pastries, ten colors, ten shapes, ten flavors.

Master Han didn’t taste them. His expression stayed indifferent, neither praising nor criticizing.

Hu Qing’s heart sank. Was she really that bad? The tenth princess had eaten her pastries without complaint. Unless demon taste buds were different from human ones.

“Make a dish,” Master Han said.

Hu Qing brightened. There was still a chance.

She picked up a fresh red carrot from the pile—whole, crisp, and bright. She had no idea how it counted as waste. She washed it, pressed it to the board, and began slicing with quick, even strokes.

Master Han shook his head, clicking his tongue. “What is that cutting? You’re stabbing this elder’s eyes.”

Hu Qing ignored him and finished slicing, plating it neatly. She prepared other ingredients as well, each separated and arranged.

Master Han kept shaking his head. “Terrible knife work. Young people are so restless.”

Hu Qing immediately abandoned the idea of showing off fancy flourishes. Fine. She’d stay in her lane.

She set the pan, lit the fire, poured oil, and began to cook.