"I'm telling you, Yuhao's cooking is absolutely amazing. You have to try it." Xiao Wu nodded in satisfaction and continued to hype him up.
Seeing the anticipation in everyone's eyes, Huo Yuhao scratched his head. "Since you all want to try it, I'll make a batch."
Before long, they had gathered in the open space outside the dining hall. Huo Yuhao skillfully set up the grill, with firewood and seasonings all ready.
He had just bought the fish from some local fishermen. After counting everyone, Huo Yuhao went ahead and bought fifty.
"This is too slow for one person. Tang San, come help me prepare the fish."
Tang San nodded and stepped forward to help. He didn't know how to grill them, but he did know how to scrape off the scales and gut them.
The two of them quickly finished preparing all the fish.
"Ma Hongjun, give me a little fire."
"Sure thing." Ma Hongjun used Martial Soul Possession, and one breath of flame sent the firewood blazing.
Watching Huo Yuhao skillfully brush seasoning onto the fish, Oscar stroked his chin and chuckled. "I wonder how they'll taste compared to my Sausages?"
Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow at him. "Hmph. You think I'd lie to you? I guarantee you'll be so blown away you'll swallow your own tongue."
The grill was no longer the little one Huo Yuhao had used before. Now that he had money, he had long since upgraded to a much bigger, more refined grill.
With Spirit Detection, grilling eight fish at once was no problem. He deftly flipped them, and a rich aroma soon began to spread through the air.
"That smells amazing!" Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up. Aside from quelling his Evil Fire and cultivating, he spent most of his time thinking about food. One sniff told him these fish would be delicious.
The others swallowed one after another, waiting eagerly for the fish to be ready.
Just then, a voice called out, "What smells so good? Did that miser Flender give us extra food?"
Everyone turned around. Zhao Wuji was striding toward the dining hall, presumably to gather them.
"Teacher Zhao, Yuhao's grilling fish. They smell amazing. Would you like to try one?" Oscar greeted him with a grin.
Zhao Wuji glanced at Huo Yuhao grilling the fish and secretly swallowed. "Oh? Yuhao can cook too? I'll..." He was about to refuse when Huo Yuhao cut him off.
"Give them a try, Teacher Zhao. I counted you and the dean when I bought the fish. It'd be a waste if neither of you ate."
Zhao Wuji's words caught in his throat. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a smile.
"All right, then. I'll try your cooking!"
The fish were soon ready. There were exactly eight people besides Huo Yuhao, so everyone got one.
Looking at the steaming, golden fish in his hand, Ma Hongjun was the first to lose patience. He blew on it twice, then shoved it into his mouth.
"Th-this is way too good! Everyone, try it! It's the food of the gods!"
He couldn't stop after the first bite and hurriedly urged everyone to dig in.
"Is it really that good?"
Ning Rongrong muttered as she opened her mouth and took a bite. Her eyes widened at once, and she examined the grilled fish in her hand.
"But I only saw him use simple seasonings. How did he make it taste this good?"
Back in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had tried every delicacy imaginable. But those dishes were made from carefully selected ingredients. How could such simple seasonings, used by Huo Yuhao, produce something this delicious?
"Delicious! Yuhao, I had no idea you were such a good cook. I nearly missed out."
Zhao Wuji teased himself, making everyone laugh.
Whenever the others had nearly finished eating, Huo Yuhao would have the next batch ready. One fish after another—the eating just wouldn't stop.
Before long, they had started an impromptu fish-eating contest.
"That's enough, that's enough! I'm about to burst!"
By the fourth round, Dai Mubai waved Huo Yuhao off, shaking his head like a rattle drum. The others beside him had already dropped out.
Huo Yuhao chuckled and looked around. The only contestants still left were Zhao Wuji, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu.
At last, he could eat some of his own grilled fish.
Zhao Wuji stared at Xiao Wu in surprise. "I had no idea Xiao Wu had such a big appetite."
Xiao Wu raised her chin and grinned. "Of course! I'll eat as many of Yuhao's grilled fish as he makes! If you can't keep up, Teacher Zhao, you'd better admit defeat!"
Zhao Wuji's eyes widened. "You little rascal, Xiao Wu! I'll settle this with you today and show you that a teacher is still a teacher!"
"I'm still in this too, Teacher Zhao! I'm still fighting!" Ma Hongjun shouted through a mouthful of fish.
The others, who could no longer eat, turned into spectators, cheering on their preferred contestants.
The scene soon spiraled out of control. Shouts and cheers rang across the sky, and everyone was more worked up than they'd been during a Soul Fighting match.
"Teacher Zhao, keep going! Take those two down!" Oscar roared, waving his fist.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing rooted for Xiao Wu, the only other girl among the contestants. "Xiao Wu, Zhuqing and I are backing you! You've got this!"
"Fatty! Take those two down, and I'll cover your, uh, expenses for the next month! Don't bring shame on me and the academy!"
Hearing that, Ma Hongjun excitedly glanced at Dai Mubai and nodded hard. He stuffed himself even more vigorously.
Huo Yuhao stared, dumbfounded, then turned to Tang San, who looked just as stunned.
"Have they all gone crazy?"
Tang San snapped out of it too and glanced around at everyone, a little frightened. "Maybe... Your grilled fish is just too good, Yuhao."
"What contest has everyone so worked up?"
At the sound of the voice, Huo Yuhao and Tang San were the first to react. They turned around.
"It's the dean!"
The others noticed Flender too. Oscar, ever one to stir up trouble, called out, "Dean, come join us! We're having a grilled-fish-eating contest. There's plenty left, so why not compete too?"
Flender frowned. When he came closer, he saw the three contestants eating like starving ghosts, as well as the spectators arguing until their faces were red.
"..."
He took a deep breath, the veins on his forehead bulging.
"Outrageous! You're Soul Masters, yet you've become like this over a mere grilled fish! This is a disgrace to Shrek Academy!"
"Huh, it actually tastes pretty good. Yuhao, you've got quite a knack for this!"
"Give it up! Back when I made a name for myself in the Soul Master World as one of the Golden Iron Triangle, you weren't even born yet! When it comes to eating, I've never been afraid of anyone!"
Huo Yuhao watched the others, who were practically in a trance, and decided to keep his head down and grill the fish.
"Teacher Zhao, here. This is for you."
Huo Yuhao handed Zhao Wuji a small pouch. The moment he took it out, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted through the air.
"What's this?"
"It's insect repellent I made. It works much better than the kind sold in the market. Scatter it around your camp, and ordinary poisonous insects, wild beasts, and the like won't come near."
"Oh, this is useful. All right, I'll take it!"
"Hic~~~ Then we're off~~~" After walking a few steps, Zhao Wuji let out a loud burp and waved to the three standing at the academy gate. The six young men and women beside him also turned and waved goodbye.
Flender reminded them again and again, "Remember to be careful once you enter the forest. Anything could happen in there. Hic~~"