You Cook a Demon with Blazing Fire, the World Calls It Wonderful

This night, a shocking case occurred in Jingsha Ward.

Some said the sheep from Old Man Yang's house weren't real sheep, but sheep transformed by the Livestock Creation Art.

And that the sheep were originally people!

The neighbors didn't believe it. The person speaking got into a disagreement and directly poured water into the sheep.

After this operation, the sheep truly transformed into a naked child right before everyone's eyes!

"Ahhh--"

Screams echoed in the night, under the firelight, one after another, almost breaking through the deep darkness.

Some people hurriedly took off their outer garments to wrap the child, while others scrambled to pick up the sheep on the cart and, following suit, poured water into them.

The young man quickly reminded them, "Wrap them in clothes first before pouring water. Alas, I forgot these sheep weren't wearing clothes, but how can people not wear clothes?"

Fortunately, the one who was rescued was a little boy.

It was fine for a little boy to be naked, but a girl couldn't be treated like that.

The neighbors then busied themselves wrapping clothes around the little sheep. As they did, some women began to cry, "Whose child is this? How could they have been turned into a sheep? Pitiable, to not be human in this night..."

For a time, the strange event of people turning into sheep even overshadowed the fire. The firefighters couldn't help but slacken their efforts, most people couldn't help but pay more attention to the matter of "sheep turning into people, people turning into sheep."

But the fire couldn't be ignored. People hurriedly fetched water, hurriedly splashed water. The太平缸 (taiping gang - water vats for fire fighting) placed at the entrance of the market had long been used, but someone suddenly said, "No, why won't this fire go out?"

Even more said, "No, although this fire won't go out, it also doesn't spread outwards. It only burns Old Man Yang's house."

Suddenly, several people rushed over from the side of the chaotic street.

A woman rushed to the front, crying loudly at a child who had turned back into a human by the cart, "Niu Dan! It's my Niu Dan! My son, you were here all along, captured by this black-hearted, damned, rotten scoundrel..."

"It's Old Man Yang, it's Old Woman Yang!"

In the chaos, it was as if a bolt from the blue split open all the fog.

The people finally reacted.

"Old Woman Yang kidnapped children, turned them into sheep, and then slaughtered the sheep to sell at the market. Doesn't this mean that what Old Woman Yang was selling was never sheep, but people?"

BOOM--

Thunder exploded in everyone's hearts.

"Ugh!"

Someone couldn't help but vomit on the spot.

Others had already vomited out their leftover meals.

Still others wept profusely, as if they had thought of something, and were about to rush into the fire to seek revenge on the Yang family mother and son.

"My little girl, lost during the Lantern Festival the year before last. You said she was abducted by child snatchers, but wasn't it you, Old Woman Yang... Ahhh!"

Amidst the heart-wrenching cries, the watchman, along with people from the Wuhou Post, rushed over.

The neighbors hurriedly stepped forward to explain the situation. The little sheep on the cart had all resumed their human forms. Some children were crying loudly, and kind-hearted women were busy comforting them.

The village head of Jingsha Ward quickly asked the leading Wuhou, "Only one of these children is from our Jingsha Ward. We don't know the rest or where Old Woman Yang abducted them from. We request your assistance in helping them find their way home."

This was a strange event, and also a meritorious deed. The Wuhou naturally would not refuse.

At some unknown time, the fire naturally extinguished. Old Man Yang's house was burned to ashes, but not even a single tile was scorched from the neighboring houses.

The young man who had earlier informed everyone that the sheep were not sheep, but people, had already disappeared into the crowd.

A neighbor suddenly remembered him and said in surprise, "Huh? Where did that person go? How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"

Others stomped their feet in regret, "We can't find him. I wanted to ask him what the hero he mentioned looked like. He must have been a mighty hero, eight feet tall with incredible powers. What a pity, why didn't he let me see him?"

"Yes, a hero who broke into the human demon's lair at night, saving the young children with fire magic. Sigh, just thinking about it is exciting. Why was I so late?"

Some were handling the aftermath, while others were excitedly discussing.

Meanwhile, Chen Xu, who had accomplished his task and retreated, returned home under the cover of night. A message notification popped up on his Cauldron Scripture.

[Likes +1 +1 +1...]

What's going on?

Did someone say his cooking was delicious in their dream again?

Chen Xu checked carefully and realized it wasn't like that—

It wasn't like that, yet it was like that.

[You used fierce fire to cook a human demon, and the world calls it spectacular.]

[Likes +1 +1 +1...]

So that's how it is!

Small pots and stoves can cook sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy flavors. The divine power of heart fire can also cook all the flavors of the human world.

And with heaven and earth as the furnace and creation as the craftsman, what in this world cannot be cooked?

Chen Xu stood in the darkness, looking through the small window of his house back towards the faintly extinguished firelight at the end of the long street. Emotions surged within him, a mix of a hundred flavors.

He seemed to have stepped onto that path, but was still too far from it, treading too lightly.

Chen Xu savored this for a long time, until the faint voices of two Rat Demons sounded in his ears again.

The little rat squeaked, "Huh? There's a fire."

Ninth Master said, "Evil spirits are being burned away in the fire. That's good."

The little rat asked curiously, "What evil spirits? Ninth Master, could it be that a powerful expert is coming to catch us? Oh no, let's hide quickly..."

From a distant crack, an aged voice sighed, "A Shi, are you an evil spirit? Do you commit evil deeds?"

The little rat immediately said with disdain, "How could I possibly be an evil spirit? Didn't you say, Ninth Master, that we're different from that group of rats like Black Ghost and Old Scar?

We cultivate pure qi and are on the path to enlightenment. We must never do anything wicked or treacherous."

"Then why are you afraid of being caught by a powerful expert?"

The little rat was instantly speechless, then squeaked, "But, but even though we aren't bad rats, there are always Daoists who want to catch us..."

Finally, its voice grew quiet, until it disappeared altogether.

The two rats fell silent.

Chen Xu's originally turbulent emotions also settled down. He stood by the window and let out a soft sigh.

At the same time, the firelight in Jingsha Ward seemed to illuminate the other side of the city.

In the western part of Jichuan County, the Lin Manor.

Lin Yuan suddenly jolted awake from a deep, semi-conscious pain. He knocked over an oil lamp by the mourning hall.

Bang!

The oil lamp fell to the ground and ignited a curtain. The servants on night duty rushed to put out the fire.

It didn't cause any major disaster, but Lin Yuan's mood was utterly terrible.

Lin Qi was dead after all, and his efforts were in vain. Not only could he not save Lin Qi, but his father and mother had also had a huge argument because of it, and they had even offended Daoist Master Xuanjing of Qiyun Temple.

Although Daoist Master Xuanjing had the demeanor of a powerful expert and didn't seem to hold a grudge, who knew if he truly didn't care or was just pretending?

Lin Yuan was vexed, stayed in the mourning hall, and had a nightmare. After waking up, he was still chewing on the two words from his dream: "Sand and dust."

According to the servant, these were the last two words Lin Qi had spoken before he died.

Lin Yuan thought about it and felt increasingly uneasy. He suddenly called out, "Song Yan, Song Yan, come here!"

Song Yan was the name of Lin Qi's personal servant.

Lin Yuan asked in a deep voice, "Song Yan, tell me again, in detail, what your young master has been doing recently, who he met, and what happened to him."