Time River Water Fish Soup—These Are All Tonics!

Hearing this, Xiao Huo naturally knew what his master was referring to.

Xiao Huo had once told his master about how, on a strange river, a man had forced him to sign a contract.

However, he had only mentioned being forced into the contract, not that he had transmigrated from another world.

Something like that could not be told to anyone, not even his master. Only he himself could know.

"But Master, didn't you investigate it too? This world simply doesn't have the river I described."

In truth, Xiao Huo felt that experience had likely been nothing more than a Fleeting Dream during his transmigration, something almost dreamlike.

"Just because this world does not have it does not mean it does not exist."

The soul within the ring spoke.

"You still haven't told me what contract he made you sign."

The soul continued.

"Ten treasures."

"And he said that once I made something of myself, he would personally come to collect the debt."

Xiao Huo spread his hands.

The soul fell silent for quite a while before saying solemnly, "Then make your preparations."

"Better to believe it exists than to believe it does not."

Hearing this, Xiao Huo pondered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. I was planning to prepare anyway."

"Though I'm no great saint, I should at least keep my word."

"Let's go. Leave this place first."

"All right."

Su Mu looked at the enormous silver carp on the ground before him, rubbing his hands together with delight.

A treasure fish had to be eaten properly.

Otherwise, it would be an enormous waste.

Silver carp were large, laterally flattened, and their flesh was considered tender among fish. Back in the day, Su Mu had loved fishing for silver carp and white carp. Whether they tasted good or not aside, hauling them in was truly exhilarating!

When it came to cooking silver carp, Su Mu had plenty to say!

First, heat the wok and add cold oil. Sprinkle a thin layer of salt across the surface, then fry the cut fish chunks until both sides turn golden.

Then prepare dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry them with scallion segments and garlic cloves until fragrant. If available, add a little broad bean paste and hotpot base to fry until aromatic.

Pour in the fried fish chunks, add enough boiling water to cover them, then simmer over low heat with half a spoonful of dark soy sauce, a spoonful of oyster sauce, and a little salt.

Cover the pot, turn the heat high, and reduce the sauce. Finally, sprinkle on a little chopped scallion for garnish!

And just like that, spicy silver carp was done! Unfortunately, Su Mu did not have so many modern seasonings here.

So, Su Mu planned to make a simplified version of boiled silver carp instead.

With a wave of his hand, a massive pitch-black iron pot appeared before him. This was no ordinary iron pot—it was a treasure Su Mu had won through a draw some time ago.

To emphasize, he had only spent a few Favor Points to draw it! This iron pot was called the "Tortoise-Patterned Pot." After testing it, he found it exceptionally durable, perfect for boiling fish.

After setting up the iron pot,

Su Mu took out his old companion, the Silver Dagger.

He had picked it up by the riverbank. Though it had two small chips, it was incredibly useful—far more useful than the Treasure Swords and Treasure Sabers he had drawn.

Its main virtue was sharpness! A blade only needed to be sharp.

Holding the Silver Dagger, Su Mu effortlessly sliced open the silver carp's belly.

It had to be said, this silver carp was truly enormous—and truly heavy. Its internal organs alone probably weighed several thousand jin.

He certainly would not eat the fish's internal organs himself, but he did not want to waste them either. After all, this was a rare treasure fish.

Standing by the shore, Su Mu released a mental summons.

The next second, Little Mahi and Kong Yao arrived at the shore.

He tossed the treasure fish's organs into the water. "Eat. This is good stuff."

As soon as he spoke, Little Mahi and Kong Yao began fighting over it, nearly coming to blows.

Su Mu frowned at the sight. "Hey, hey, hey! What did I say last time?! Live in peace! Don't fight over it. There's plenty more here."

Only then did Little Mahi and Kong Yao stop competing and greedily devour the Treasure Silver Carp's organs.

Those organs seemed like peerless delicacies to them, making them blow bubbles with delighted gulps.

Su Mu saved a small portion, because there was still another little fellow.

He came to the small pond he had built with pebbles. Little Crab had already grown to the size of a palm.

Its shell was a glassy azure-green, and its two pincers were huge, nearly half the size of its body, making it look quite intimidating.

Su Mu crouched down and tossed a piece of organ into the pond.

"Eat."

The next second, Little Crab picked up the organ with its pincers and began eating.

Once that was done, Su Mu rose to his feet. His pets had been fed; now it was time to prepare his own dinner.

It had to be said that Su Mu's knife skills were impressive. The fish slices he cut were neat and square, and he had even removed every tiny fishbone within them.

This silver carp yielded a full three hundred and thirty square pieces of fish.

The pot was heated as well.

Since ingredients were limited, Su Mu would not be making spicy silver carp today. He would simply make a pot of boiled fish slices.

Su Mu used his Water Control Mystical Power. With a wave of his hand, he transferred a portion of the river water into the iron pot.

After cooking so many treasure fish, Su Mu had discovered a trick.

Using the water from this river to cook fish made it cook very quickly. There was no need to simmer it for days and nights; at most, it took only a dozen or so minutes to cook through.

Su Mu put in over a hundred pieces of fish, saving the rest for another meal.

Then he circulated his cultivation technique and used Spirit Fire to scorch the iron pot.

Just like that, in less than five minutes, a rich, unusual fragrance drifted out.

The moment he smelled it, Su Mu's eyes lit up. He could tell from the scent alone that this fish was absolutely premium stuff—a great tonic!

At that moment, Su Mu thought of something.

With a wave of his hand, a piece of Blood Tai Sui appeared in his palm. He had received this Blood Tai Sui as a River Crossing Fee several months ago.

Using the Silver Dagger, he cut off only a fingernail-sized piece and tossed it into the pot.

It was not that Su Mu was reluctant to part with it. It was simply that he could only eat this much at a time! He still remembered his first time eating it, when he had taken a huge bite and nearly lost his life. The Qi and Blood Power contained within was simply too terrifying.

The instant the Blood Tai Sui fell in, the previously clear water turned dark red. Boundless Qi and Blood Power surged forth, mingling with the fragrance of fish. One whiff was enough to make saliva pour from his mouth! A great tonic indeed!

Su Mu sat down cross-legged, speared a piece of fish with his dagger, brought it to his mouth, and took a huge bite.

His eyes instantly widened! It was too—too delicious.

In three quick bites, he swallowed the entire large piece of fish.

Once the fish entered his stomach, warmth spread through his belly. Boundless energy traveled along his meridians, spreading throughout his entire body.

As he ate, Su Mu seemed to bite into something extremely hard while chewing a piece of fish.

It nearly shattered his old teeth.

"What the hell is this?"

Su Mu stared at the object before him in confusion.

Please keep reading. The outline for this book is complete, and the true excitement is still ahead. I hope all you dear readers who have made it this far will continue following it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.