Little Glutton

Su Hao made his way down to the menial quarters. Xia Xiaojiu seemed to have already guessed the outcome; when he saw Su Hao return with the pill, there was not the slightest surprise on his face.

With a faint smile, he closed his eyes and entered a state of cultivation.

Su Hao fed the Vein-Renewing Pill to the unconscious Lin Yaoyao, using his cultivation to help dissolve it so that its effects spread thoroughly throughout his body. Once he was certain nothing would go wrong, Su Hao stepped outside.

He prepared pots, bowls, and utensils, lit a fire, and once the water came to a boil, added several seasonings first. They dissolved completely, filling the rising steam with fragrance.

After finishing all that, Su Hao took out more spiritual herbs and demon beast meat—eight ingredients in all—and added them to the pot one after another according to a particular pattern. He put the lid on and waited quietly.

"Eight-Treasure Soup is highly nourishing for the body. Lin Yaoyao has only just recovered from severe injuries, so it's perfect for him." Smiling, Su Hao muttered a few words before closing his eyes to wait.

"It smells so good!"

Just as he closed his eyes, a light, nimble voice drifted over. When he opened them, he saw a young girl in a pale red dress approaching, her dainty nose twitching.

Su Hao clearly saw a glistening drop at the corner of her mouth.

"Gurgle, gurgle!"

The water in the pot boiled, the ingredients melted into it, and the broth thickened. Fragrance drifted out through the gap beneath the lid, making the approaching girl unable to resist swallowing.

She sat down right where she was, staring fixedly at the soup pot. Her bright black eyes were filled with anxious anticipation, and she did not move at all, as though waiting to dig in.

Surprised, Su Hao examined the girl carefully. She had a round little face, exquisite features, and glossy black hair tied into twin ponytails, giving her an impish, adorable air.

"It's done, it's done!" After waiting for a minute, the girl cried out loudly. Her eyes remained fixed on the soup pot, gleaming brilliantly.

Su Hao had used Dao fire to cook it, so the broth had indeed finished quickly. He lifted the lid, and amidst the billowing steam, an incomparably rich fragrance spread in every direction.

All the ingredients in the pot had completely melted away, leaving the broth a translucent amber color.

Drool streamed from the girl's mouth as she said eagerly, "Give me a bowl. I want some."

"We're neither family nor friends. Why should I give you any?" Su Hao asked without even raising his head.

"Because I'm hungry," the girl answered as if it were only natural. Her large eyes never left the broth as she added, "Can you really bear to watch a little girl go hungry, when you're such a grown man?"

Su Hao looked up, almost laughing. In the end, he nodded. "All right then, little girl. You can have some. Nobody else can make my soup—if I sold it outside, it'd be ten spirit stones a bowl."

"Fine, I'll definitely make it up to you. Hurry up and give me a bowl and chopsticks," the little girl urged.

"You little glutton, you've come to mooch food off me again. Where are the ten spirit stones you promised me last time?" Xia Xiaojiu emerged as well, drawn out by the scent. The moment he saw the girl, he began to tease her.

"Little Nine, is that any way to speak to your sister? I saved your life last time. It's bad enough that you don't thank me, and now you want spirit stones? Has your head grown boils?"

Meng Xianxian seemed quite familiar with Xia Xiaojiu. She spoke to him far more directly than she had to Su Hao.

"Meng Xianxian, if you dare call me Little Nine again, watch out—I'll... spank you!" Xia Xiaojiu snapped furiously. This little girl was no more than fourteen, yet every time she saw him, she acted like some worldly old elder.

"Come on, then. Watch me spank you instead." Meng Xianxian was utterly fearless. She thrust out her little chest and met him head-on.

Xia Xiaojiu was speechless, his strength having nowhere to go. This girl was stronger than him. Helplessly, he muttered, "You're just a little bean sprout, and you still want to act like the big sister? Go home and look in a mirror."

Meng Xianxian flew into a rage. "I'm telling you, don't call me a little bean sprout! What part of me is little?"

As she spoke, she puffed out her already budding chest.

Su Hao and Xia Xiaojiu were both rendered speechless.

The broth became completely thick and was ladled into bowls, translucent and glowing, its fragrance overflowing. Even Big Black, the ferocious black dog in the distance, was drawn over. It had a brightly feathered spirit bird clamped in its mouth, which it tossed at Su Hao's feet before looking longingly at the Eight-Treasure Soup.

The meaning was clear: a trade.

"Get lost. No trade. You nearly bit me back then." Su Hao curled his lip.

"Big Black is adorable. Don't talk about him like that. Big Black, wait there. Once big sister is done eating, I'll save you some soup." Meng Xianxian shifted her attention, lifted a bowl of broth, and began drinking without regard for the steaming heat.

The vicious Big Black lay down beside her with utmost obedience, tongue lolling out and drool dripping as it waited quietly.

"Give me another bowl." Meng Xianxian quickly finished her serving and handed over the empty bowl.

The soup was simply too delicious. She could not get enough of it and had nearly swallowed her tongue along with it.

Su Hao's face darkened. Why did this girl have no sense of restraint at all? There was not much Eight-Treasure Soup to begin with, and what remained was for Lin Yaoyao.

"Little bean sprout, there's still an injured man in the room. Can't you eat a little less? Be careful, or you'll get so fat nobody wants you," Xia Xiaojiu teased.

"Big Black, bite him. Take the soup." Without wasting words, Meng Xianxian pointed with one hand. The black dog obeyed instantly, as though she had tamed it, and pounced at once.

Xia Xiaojiu was horrified. Meng Xianxian came from the South Gate and was a beast-taming prodigy. This demon beast had long since been subdued by her—and it was a Dragon Mastiff at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, incomparably formidable.

Man and beast launched into battle.

Seeing that things were going badly, Su Hao immediately carried the little soup that remained back into the room.

Lin Yaoyao had awakened. The moment he saw Su Hao, he said at once, "Brother Hao, I disgraced you."

"Stop talking nonsense. Lie still." Su Hao poured the broth into a bowl, used a technique to cool it down, then poured it into Lin Yaoyao's mouth. Though his movements were rough, Lin Yaoyao's heart was filled with warmth.

As a servant, he should have been the one attending to Su Hao. Yet now their roles had been reversed. To him, having a master like Su Hao was the greatest fortune of his life.

The Eight-Treasure Soup's effects were exceptional. With the pill aiding it, Lin Yaoyao's injuries healed rapidly, and more than half his cultivation had recovered.

"Rest for a day. You should be able to get up tomorrow." Su Hao smiled. Seeing him improve also filled his heart with satisfaction.

When he left the room, the battle outside had already ended. Xia Xiaojiu was in a miserable state, with several bloody marks on his body, and half a bowl of soup had been snatched away.

"Meng Xianxian, you shrew! No one will want you even when you grow up!" Xia Xiaojiu raged.

Meng Xianxian split half a bowl of soup with the big black dog before saying, "Who says so? I'm this beautiful and charming, with outstanding cultivation talent. Who knows how many people are fighting to have me? Hmm, big brother, do you think I'm cute?"

She fixed her gaze on Su Hao, blinking her bright black eyes. Her chubby little face wore a radiant smile, looking adorably sweet enough to make Su Hao want to nod.

"Brother, you don't know—she's a female tyrant. Didn't you see her weapon? Her methods? Once you truly understand her, you'll know just how terrifying she is. Don't let her appearance fool you. If she's cute, then there are no women in this world who aren't cute," Xia Xiaojiu said through gritted teeth.

Su Hao said nothing, unwilling to offend either side. He turned and walked aside, looking at Big Black as it licked the bottom of the empty bowl. "Dead dog, do you still dare bite me?"

"Woof woof!"

Big Black immediately bared its fangs.

"You ungrateful mutt!" Su Hao cursed.