Grilled Fish

"Nicely done, junior!" He Caitou leaped over and landed beside the huge fish pierced through by the spear.

"Whoa... now that's a monster catch!" He Caitou excitedly ran his hand over the fish's body. It was more than two meters long. If carrying it around the academy wouldn't cause a scene, He Caitou would've hoisted it over his shoulder and taken it home himself.

"Junior, that was some fine aim. Have you practiced?" He Caitou carried the fish over and dropped it at Huo Yuhao and Dong'er's feet, then dusted off his hands.

"My first Spirit Skill enhances my eyesight, and ever since I can remember, I've often gone to the river with my mother to catch fish for dinner. So I suppose you could say I've practiced." Huo Yuhao chuckled softly and casually pulled the "spear" from the fish's head.

It was called a spear, but in reality, it was just a straight wooden stick sharpened at one end. He'd made it and brought it along shortly before enrolling.

To be honest, though he had a decent amount of patience, Huo Yuhao wasn't all that interested in fishing with a proper rod. Tools like a fishing spear were much more convenient.

"I see. A Spirit Skill that enhances your senses is really practical!" As he spoke, He Caitou pulled a kitchen knife as thick as his forearm from his Soul Tool at his waist and immediately began carving up the fish.

"If you're more comfortable with a fishing spear, the Jungle Simulation Training Area is your best bet for catching something to eat. I've never heard of anyone catching fish in the sea with nothing but a spear."

As he spoke, He Caitou methodically divided the fish into tender chunks of roughly equal size. By the end, all that remained on the shore was a white skeleton. He Caitou had washed away the blood with seawater, and packed the organs and meat into dozens of bags.

"Come on, everyone gets a share today!" He Caitou called out as he tossed the neatly divided fish to the other anglers around them. Cheers of "He's so generous!" rang out, nearly drowning out the howling sea wind.

"I'm the youngest person who fishes around here, so they all call me Little He. Don't let the fact that I'm only twelve fool you—I've been skunked fewer times than anyone around here!"

"Oh, and by 'skunked,' I mean spending the whole day without catching a single fish. Haha." As he explained, He Caitou handed Huo Yuhao the biggest bag of fish.

"If you hadn't been here today, junior, nobody would've gotten to enjoy a meal like this. The biggest share should go to you. Don't even think of turning it down—I won't hear of it."

Huo Yuhao smiled and accepted the large bag of fish, then put it straight into his Storage Soul Tool.

"Then I'll have to thank you, Big Brother He! But, Big Brother He, calling each other junior and senior all the time feels a little distant."

"My name's Huo Yuhao, and this is Dong'er. From now on, you can call us Little Brother Yuhao and Little Sister Dong!" Huo Yuhao's tone and manner made He Caitou feel at ease, and he burst out laughing.

"Good! From now on, I, He Caitou, get to be the big brother." He Caitou pulled both of them into his arms, then continued, "If you ever need anything done at the Soul Tool Department, just come to your big brother He. I'll make sure you find a way."

"Mm, we will!"

After chatting a little longer, Huo Yuhao left with Dong'er. Though faint, he could still hear Dong'er's stomach rumble from time to time.

After the two had left, a boy wearing a wide-brimmed fishing hat walked over to He Caitou and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Your juniors?"

"No, they're new students in the Martial Soul Department. But before they came to the Unlimited Division... they were in my master's wife's class." He Caitou didn't seem to mind the boy's familiarity. "What's up, Brother Yue Heng? Do you know them?"

"I don't... It's just that the junior named Huo Yuhao looks a little familiar. Maybe I'm mistaken." The boy called Brother Yue Heng shook his head. He seemed to be feeling a little hot, so he took off his fishing hat, revealing a handsome head of golden hair.

"Where have I seen him before...?"

More than half an hour later, Huo Yuhao finally found a quiet place where they could safely light a fire.

He skewered the fish and got the fire going in one smooth motion.

As the fish roasted over the flames, it began to give off a lovely charred aroma. Combined with the spices Huo Yuhao had specially prepared, the two scents mingled together. Just smelling them made their mouths water.

"It smells so good... really good..." Dong'er propped her chin on her hands, her eyes fixed on the fish in the firelight. Huo Yuhao, too, poured his whole attention into grilling. With the help of his Spirit Eye, he could judge the heat more precisely.

Before they knew it, the sun had set. The only light left to illuminate them came from the campfire in front of them.

"Mm... done!" After sprinkling one final layer of seasoning over the fish, Huo Yuhao picked up a skewer and handed it to Dong'er.

"Go ahead and eat. You look like you're starving."

Dong'er had been about to protest, but her stomach rumbled especially loudly just then. She stopped holding back, grabbed the skewer, and dug in.

Huo Yuhao picked up a skewer too. The moment he tasted it, he could tell the fish was exceptional. Not only was the texture superb, but there wasn't even a single small bone.

Did Big Brother He remove the bones while dividing up the fish...? Huo Yuhao wondered. He'd watched while the meat was being cut, and He Caitou had used just one kitchen knife the entire time. Yet he'd somehow removed every single fish bone. That was no simple skill.

"Nom, nom..." Compared with Huo Yuhao, who ate slowly and carefully, Dong'er was clearly much more enthusiastic. Still, as always, though she ate with gusto, not a trace showed on her face or clothes.

"Slow down. Nobody's going to steal it from you." Huo Yuhao managed to eat two skewers. Dong'er, as usual, ate much more than he did.

Huo Yuhao leaned against the railing nearby and quietly watched Dong'er keep eating.

She looked like her. So much like her.

It had been nearly half a month since Huo Yuhao and Dong'er had met, and he'd lost count of how many times he'd found himself dazed.

Huo Yuhao had never seen Wang Dong at six years old, but his instincts kept telling him that at six, she must have looked just like Dong'er.

She wasn't as self-centered as she was at twelve. She was simply a lively little girl who was a bit mischievous, carefree, and willing to do anything.

When he took Dong'er outside Lang Ya's Spirit Skill range, she hadn't complained or gotten upset. She'd immediately found Long Xiaoyao to come to the rescue. In that respect alone, she was already far more mature than most children her age.

Sometimes Huo Yuhao even wondered if she could be his Dong'er.

This world had surprised him countless times already, but... for some reason, when it came to this, he could never bring himself to make up his mind.

He was afraid that the eyes in the sky were still watching. He worried that if he showed them something they didn't want to see, they would once again snatch Dong'er away from his world.

Huo Yuhao turned his gaze to the flames before him. It seemed he could see his past self within them, the two pairs of eyes meeting in silence.

The Huo Yuhao from his past life slowly spoke from within the fire, seeming to say something to him.

Huo Yuhao heard no sound, but he knew better than anyone what his past self wanted to say:

Now that you've been given a chance to live again, don't make the same mistakes.

"Yuhao, Yuhao?"

Dong'er held a piece of grilled fish with only a little left on it to Huo Yuhao's mouth. Almost without thinking, he leaned over and took a bite.

"Hmm?" Huo Yuhao suddenly came back to himself and looked at Dong'er in confusion.

"I can't finish it. Help me out, hehe."

"You..."