Yuhao's Grilled Fish, a Word of Advice!

Fifty li outside the Star Dou Forest, ancient trees towered overhead, blotting out the sky and sun.

The three walked forward, treading over dead branches and fallen leaves.

Bei Bei, walking at the front, kept his deep blue eyes alert to every movement in their surroundings.

His only thought now was to reach the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest as quickly as possible, hunt a suitable soul beast for Tang Ya to obtain her third soul ring, and then leave without delay.

He feared that if Yun Yi and Tang Ya spent any more time together, his head would soon be covered in green.

Just as Bei Bei was plotting to make this quick, Yun Yi, walking in the middle, suddenly stopped.

Waves of strange, enticing charred fragrance rode the faint forest breeze straight into Yun Yi's nose.

It was the rich scent of fresh fish skin roasted to a golden crisp, its fat bursting under high heat, mingling with perilla and a few pungent spices.

In this desolate wilderness, that sudden scent of cooking stood out all the more sharply.

Yun Yi twitched his nose, a hint of interest lighting up in his deep black eyes.

Judging by the distance they had traveled and their location, along with this unmistakable grilled fish fragrance renowned across Douluo Continent, the identity of the person ahead was already obvious to him.

"Let's go take a look over there." Yun Yi raised a slender finger and pointed toward the narrow path through the bushes on the right.

At those words, Bei Bei, who had been proceeding cautiously, immediately frowned.

He turned around, looking troubled as he tried to dissuade them. "The outskirts of the Star Dou Forest are full of all kinds of people. Straying from our route rashly may cause trouble. We should hurry on. Obtaining the soul ring is more important."

Yet before Yun Yi could say anything, Tang Ya's eyes had already lit up, and she swallowed hard.

To a complete little foodie like her, that wafting grilled fish aroma was practically the deadliest poison in the world.

"What are you afraid of? We're still on the very outer edge. What danger could there be?" Tang Ya rolled her eyes at Bei Bei irritably, then immediately put on a bright smile and looked at Yun Yi in agreement.

"Handsome little brother is right. That smell is making me drool. Let's go have a look. Maybe we can buy a few and try them!"

Two votes in favor, one against.

Bei Bei looked at Tang Ya's drooling expression, then at Yun Yi's unquestionable demeanor, and a profound sense of helplessness rose in his heart.

An arm could not twist a thigh. He could only sigh in resignation, draw the short blade at his waist, and walk at the front, hacking through the thorns and vines blocking their path.

After passing through the dense brush, their view suddenly opened up.

A crystal-clear stream flowed gently between smooth pebbles, reflecting dappled tree shadows in its waters.

Beside the stream, on a broad, flat boulder, a modest but remarkably even campfire burned.

Crouching beside it was a boy of around eleven.

He was quite thin, his frail shoulders seeming as though a gust of wind could knock him over, clearly the result of long-term malnutrition.

He wore a gray cloth outfit that had been washed until it had faded white. Though old and worn, it was kept spotlessly clean, without the slightest trace of grease.

His short black hair was somewhat messy, yet that did nothing to diminish the unique temperament that seemed to radiate from within him.

What drew Yun Yi's attention were the boy's eyes.

Those deep blue eyes were clear as water, like the purest sapphires, revealing a determination far beyond his age.

At that moment, those eyes were fixed intently on the grilled fish over the fire.

He gripped wooden sticks in both hands and deftly turned his wrists. He timed every flip perfectly, causing those few originally ordinary greenfish to take on an irresistibly golden color beneath the charcoal fire.

That simple yet focused manner belonged to the still inexperienced Huo Yuhao.

"Wow! It smells so good!"

Tang Ya leaped out from behind the bushes and rushed to the campfire without the slightest concern for her image. Her eyes gleamed as she stared at the fish sizzling with oil, and the saliva in her mouth nearly dripped straight into the flames.

She crouched down and, as though they were already familiar, stared at Huo Yuhao as she asked, "Little brother, are you selling these grilled fish? I'll pay for them!"

The sudden voice startled Huo Yuhao.

His movements abruptly halted, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the wooden sticks, his eyes showing the natural wariness of someone struggling at the bottom.

He looked up and saw the youthful, pretty face of a lovely girl.

In all his life, Huo Yuhao had never been this close to such a beautiful girl his own age.

Having endured constant bullying in the Duke's Mansion, where his status was even lower than that of the servants, he had long been insecure and sensitive.

Now, with Tang Ya's bright eyes staring straight at him, his delicate face instantly flushed crimson, even his ears turning red.

He looked utterly at a loss as he stammered, "N-no, they're not for sale."

Disappointment immediately appeared on Tang Ya's face. Her little lips pouted slightly as she prepared to keep pleading.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao panicked and hurriedly waved his hands. "I-I mean, if you're hungry, I'll treat you. You don't need to pay."

With that, he hurriedly took the most perfectly grilled fish from the rack and offered them to Tang Ya, his movements awkward but filled with utmost sincerity.

Standing several steps away, Yun Yi silently watched the scene, an indescribably complicated emotion flowing through his deep eyes.

Looking at this pure-hearted boy before him, his face flushed with shyness and willing to selflessly share even a single grilled fish, Yun Yi could not help but feel an intense mixture of emotion and sorrow.

This was the future Spirit Ice Douluo, renowned across the continent, the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, the God of Emotion from the original story.

But who could have imagined that this pure heart would be crushed into fragments on his path to the pinnacle of the God Realm?

Did the Huo Yuhao from the original story, who stood high in the God Realm and basked in boundless glory, ever occasionally recall his present self, carefully grilling fish by the stream outside the Star Dou Forest during those long, dull years?

He surely did not.

Yun Yi sneered inwardly.

After all, in the future, he would have his calculating "good father-in-law," Tang San, personally step in to mold him.

That lofty Sea God used the most hypocritical and vicious methods in the world to forcibly strip away and twist Huo Yuhao's burning desire for revenge for his mother and his will to resist.

What was more, a "dog chain" named Tang Wutong was tied around his neck.

That patchwork wife, forcibly pieced together from Wang Dong'er's memories, Wang Qiu'er's fate, and Tang Wutong's divine consciousness, completely sealed off his last emotional refuge.

In that cold prison called the God Realm, he had long forgotten who he truly was. He had forgotten the mother who died so miserably in the Duke's Mansion. All that remained was a walking corpse grateful to the Tang Family, wagging its tail and begging for favor.

What a God of Emotion. Unable even to control his own fate or his lover—how pitiful.

As his thoughts churned, Huo Yuhao had already finished handing out the grilled fish.

Tang Ya eagerly took hers, disregarded the heat, and bit down hard. She immediately narrowed her eyes in bliss and praised it again and again.

Out of courtesy, Bei Bei also accepted one with a smile and softly thanked him.

Finally, holding the last grilled fish, Huo Yuhao turned toward Yun Yi.

The instant their eyes met, Huo Yuhao's heart abruptly tightened.

He stared blankly at the boy before him, who was about his own age, while his mind went momentarily blank.

Yun Yi's moon-white fitted outfit embroidered with golden patterns was spotless. The texture of the fabric was so exquisite that even the nobles Huo Yuhao had seen in the Duke's Mansion could not afford it.

What made him feel even more suffocated was Yun Yi's face, so handsome it was almost bewitching, and the noble aura in every gesture, as if he had been born to look down upon all living beings.

By comparison, he wore rough hemp clothes washed until they had faded white, his hands were covered in calluses from labor, and mud still clung to his shoe soles.

An inferiority complex rooted deep in his bones bit fiercely into Huo Yuhao's heart like a venomous snake.

He did not dare look directly into Yun Yi's deep, calm eyes again. Lowering his head in panic, he hurriedly stuffed the greenfish, crisp on the outside and tender within, into Yun Yi's hand.

"For you."

Huo Yuhao's voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

After handing over the grilled fish, he did not dare remain there another moment. He turned and began gathering the shabby bundle beside the fire, his back slightly hunched as he only wanted to escape this dazzling presence that made him feel utterly ashamed.

Yun Yi lowered his gaze to the grilled fish in his hand, its rich aroma rising into the air. His fingers could even feel the lingering warmth from the bamboo skewer.

He raised the fish and took a bite without the slightest disdain.

The crispy skin shattered between his teeth, and the tender flesh within, mixed with the distinctive fragrance of perilla, instantly blossomed across his taste buds.

"Stop."

After swallowing the fish in his mouth, Yun Yi's clear voice suddenly rang out by the stream.

Huo Yuhao, who had just slung his bundle over his back and was about to flee, froze stiffly. His feet seemed to have taken root, nailed to the ground.

He turned around nervously, clutching the faded corners of his clothes tightly in both hands as he looked helplessly at Yun Yi.

He thought the crude taste of the fish had offended this young nobleman.

Yun Yi took a few unhurried steps forward and stopped in front of Huo Yuhao.

Under Huo Yuhao's surprised and uneasy gaze, Yun Yi slowly raised his right hand.

Between his slender fingers was a round coin gleaming with enticing golden light.

He extended his hand before Huo Yuhao and turned his wrist. The heavy Gold Soul Coin landed precisely in Huo Yuhao's palm.

The cold metallic touch of the coin made Huo Yuhao shudder.

"Your skill is worth this price."

Yun Yi lowered his eyes, his gaze boring directly into Huo Yuhao's clear blue pupils. All traces of casual indifference vanished from his tone, leaving it solemn and profound.

"Remember what I say today. In this world, anything you earn through your own hands and sweat possesses immeasurable value. Do not belittle yourself because of others' opinions, and do not give away your most precious things for nothing, without any bottom line."

"That is all I have to say. Take care of yourself."