"Phew..."
The biting northern wind swept tiny flecks of snow against his face, bringing a bone-chilling sting.
Su Hui had finally returned to Skywater City and stepped through its gates.
Skywater City was a major stronghold at the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire's Northern Frontier, and the place where he had grown up.
It lay at the empire's northernmost edge.
On one side was the human-inhabited forbidden zone of the Far North, and on the other, Icebound Forest.
It was a good eight or nine hundred li south to the imperial capital, Heaven Dou City.
The boundless sea lay to the east.
The frigid lands bordered it to the north.
Nestled between the snow-covered Heaven Mountain and Paro Mountain, the city was protected by a natural barrier.
Even the Spirit Hall had to rein in its influence here.
The main branch of the Skywater River ran through the city.
Smaller waterways crisscrossed the city, and lakes dotted the landscape.
The entire city had been built along the water, and had taken its name from it.
The cold lasted all year, and the snow never stopped falling. Winter seemed to stretch on without end.
At first, as a southerner who hadn't seen snow in over twenty years, Su Hui couldn't stand the year-round winter chill either.
But after living here for a while, he got used to it.
The farther north one traveled from Skywater City, the closer the temperature came to its freezing limit, until one finally reached the Far North.
That was precisely why the city was a natural cultivation haven for Soul Masters with water- and ice-type Martial Souls.
Nearly all the ice- and water-type Soul Masters in the northern Heaven Dou Empire gathered here.
When Su Hui entered the city,
its streets were dominated by icy blue and pure white.
The ice-pattern carvings on the outer walls of its buildings,
the flags fluttering along the streets,
and the decorative motifs lining the roadside all featured those same two colors: blue and white.
The whole city looked like a fairytale castle sculpted from ice and snow.
It perfectly embodied the city's heritage of water- and ice-type Soul Powers.
As the largest city in the northern Heaven Dou Empire, Skywater City was enormous, with a permanent population of several million.
Waterways formed the city's lifeblood.
The city was divided into several different districts.
At its heart was the Inner Ring.
Beyond it lay the residential districts of the Outer Ring.
The Inner Ring housed the city lord's manor, Skywater Academy, Skywater Great Soul Arena, Skywater Auction House, and other major landmarks.
It was the core of the entire city's political power, economy, and Soul Master cultivation.
The Outer Ring, meanwhile, held residential and commercial districts, post stations, and the imperial military barracks stationed at the Northern Frontier.
It was a well-equipped place.
Caravans traveling between north and south stopped here, and trade was brisk.
Su Hui lived in one of the most remote corners of the Outer Ring.
It was a tiny, single-room shack, plain and cramped.
But it kept out the wind and snow and was perfectly livable.
At least, Su Hui thought it felt cozy enough.
After returning to his little room, Su Hui washed up and tidied himself, but didn't immediately turn in.
He was going out to set up his stall.
That's right, selling barbecue had been his main livelihood before.
"Huo Yuhao made a name for himself selling grilled fish in Shrek City. I make a living selling barbecue in Skywater City. We're both in the same boat."
As he sorted through his barbecue equipment, Su Hui couldn't help poking fun at himself.
But this time, he was setting up his stall for a different reason.
Before, he'd done it to fill his stomach and stay alive.
Now, he was officially a Soul Master, with Soul Power at level 19 and a breakthrough to level 20 just around the corner.
Setting up the stall was mostly a way to gather news from all corners of the Soul Master World.
Su Hui was also wondering whether he might be able to join a Soul Master Academy.
After all, once he reached level 20, he would need to obtain his Second Soul Ring.
Going alone to hunt Soul Beasts in Soul Hunting Forest was far too risky.
Su Hui had no real combat experience against Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, let alone thousand-year ones.
Expecting him to hunt them on his own was asking too much.
If he could get a Soul Emperor—or even a Soul Saint—to lead the hunt as his teacher, his chances of coming through safely would improve a hundredfold.
Su Hui packed up his barbecue gear, grabbed the ingredients he'd prepared in advance, and headed toward the commercial street.
He chose a secluded corner of the commercial street for his stall.
He set up the barbecue stand and lit the charcoal. He hadn't even had time to put up the canopy yet.
The orange-red glow of the fire illuminated the falling snow when a delighted girl's voice rang out.
"Wow, Boss Su, you're finally back!"
"Hm?"
Su Hui turned around.
Two girls with strikingly similar features and icy blue hair, both around his age, were heading toward his stall.
They looked like sisters.
The older girl had long, water-blue hair that fell naturally down her back.
Her eyes were like deep, clear pools—steady and bright. Her gaze was composed and assured, and she carried herself with a calm that seemed beyond her years.
The younger one was a blue-haired girl with short hair.
Her pretty face held the innocent, carefree charm unique to a young girl.
Her large eyes were especially lively and bright. She looked open and spirited, not the least bit shy.
Su Hui waved at them, his voice warm with familiarity.
"Long time no see. The usual?"
The older girl hadn't even had a chance to speak.
Her younger sister impatiently tugged her over, and they sat down at the little table beside the stall.
"Yep, yep, the usual!"
"Boss Su, you haven't set up your stall in almost half a year! My sister and I came by every day looking for you. We thought you'd quit!"
"Haha, I had a few things to take care of and got delayed. Sorry to make you come all that way for nothing. I'll throw in two extra grilled sausages today."
Su Hui kept his hands moving.
He quickly assembled the frame and canopy.
After tidying up, he laid the marinated meat skewers over the charcoal.
Fat dripped onto the coals with a sizzling sound.
The rich aroma of meat instantly overpowered the snowy chill in the wind.
The younger sister's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands.
"Hehe, thanks, Boss Su~"
"I knew it! Your barbecue is the best in all of Skywater City. It smells even better than the food those chefs make in the big restaurants!"
After getting something extra, she didn't forget to flatter him.
The older sister raised a hand and lightly tapped her younger sister on the forehead. "Don't go around trying to get free stuff every day."
Then she turned to Su Hui and said calmly, "Sorry for the trouble, Boss Su."
"No trouble. It'll be ready in a moment."
Su Hui smiled as he turned the skewers over the fire, mulling things over as he worked.
The sisters were regulars at his stall.
They'd come by every few days.
He didn't know their names, but from the uniforms they wore, he could guess they were students at Skywater Academy.
The younger sister swung her legs beneath the stool, chattering away.
"You wouldn't believe it, Boss Su. In the half a month you were gone, I tried barbecue from a bunch of other places. None of it tasted as good as yours. It was always missing something."
"..."
Her older sister nodded silently.
She had to agree.
Su Hui's barbecue was delicious, and he kept everything clean and hygienic. That was why she and her younger sister came by so often.
Her eyes drifted to the seasoning Su Hui had sprinkled over the meat.
That had to be his secret.
Of course, it was. Those barbecue seasonings were the very essence of modern grilling.
The era of Douluo Continent was still somewhat backward, with feudal kingdoms still in existence.
The varieties of seasoning he used, and the proportions he mixed them in, weren't something just anyone could come up with.
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