Grilled Fish Incident

Huo Yuhao listened to the young girl above him and frowned, wariness rising in his heart. Had he simply never traveled far from home and failed to realize that girls these days all liked running into Soul Beast Forests?

How had she climbed such a huge tree all by herself?

Judging by her voice, she should have been about the same age as him. Could she be a Soul Master?

With that thought, Huo Yuhao held the White Tiger Knife tightly, not daring to relax. Pulling a catlike face, he said, "Then let me treat you. I can catch a few more fish..."

His mother had once told him that if he met a young girl outside, he had to be polite, become a qualified adult man, and shoulder the responsibility and duty of taking care of girls.

Having been instilled with such ideas, Huo Yuhao thought of his utterly irresponsible father, whom he had never even met. For a moment, he somehow talked himself around, and his attitude toward Lin Wan'er, whom he had not yet met face-to-face, improved considerably.

At the very least, the White Tiger Knife in his hand lowered slightly, and his tense body relaxed significantly. His entire bearing underwent a complete transformation.

No wonder Huo Gua, who had looked frail due to years of malnutrition, had been able to use his Spirit Eye martial soul to solo-kill the Wind Baboon that had nearly become a godslayer despite having no combat experience.

Do not underestimate a ten-year Wind Baboon. Even if it could not kill a child in its enraged state, it could still use some underhanded tricks to cripple a malnourished human child with no combat experience.

"Then I'll thank you for your kindness first. I'd also like to know what such fragrant grilled fish tastes like."

The voice from above had barely reached Huo Yuhao's ears when a girl who seemed to have stepped out of a painting floated down from the air.

It was not as though Huo Yuhao had never seen beautiful people. Plenty of pretty people came and went within the Duke's residence, but he had never seen such a stunning girl. Her emerald-green attire blended perfectly into the forest, making her look exactly like the fairy from the stories his mother had told him as a child.

"Eh? Is there something dirty on my face? Why have you stopped talking?"

Beauty was a weapon, and Lin Wan'er's beauty was enough to steal one's soul. Yet she also possessed the pure aura of a natural spirit, making it impossible for anyone to harbor dark thoughts toward her.

Lin Wan'er, who was teasing Huo Yuhao, laughed. The beauty mark beneath the corner of her eye, applied by Bi Ji, was the perfect finishing touch. Relying on it, Lin Wan'er had captured the hearts of countless men and women over the years.

But she did not like romance. Compared to such intangible things, she preferred spending her time and effort improving her strength and earning everyone's respect.

Hearing that, Huo Yuhao's little face reddened slightly. "It's nothing. Let me treat you to grilled fish."

"But it seems you forgot to turn your fish over. It's already burnt."

Looking at the pure-hearted Huo Yuhao, Lin Wan'er pointed at the crude campfire grill and said honestly.

When Huo Gua turned around and saw the overcooked green fish, he was so shocked that he nearly cried. The lunch he had painstakingly prepared, removing the bitter gallbladders and adding seasoning, had been ruined just like that...

Seeing the color drain from Huo Gua's face, Lin Wan'er touched the ring on her hand and, in the blink of an eye, took out professional grilling equipment.

There was a grill that required charcoal, more than a dozen prepared seasonings, dipping sauces and juices kindly provided by some plant soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, as well as fruits specifically for grilling meat.

If she had not been worried that Huo Gua would feel their statuses were too far apart, triggering the inferiority complex children found hard to shake, Lin Wan'er could even have brought out a semi-automatic grill that used Soul Tools as grilling equipment and given this little native a taste of Blue Star's technological shock!

Huo Gua: ...

Does anyone understand this? He had only turned around for a moment to deal with the failed grilled fish, and the little princess from some noble family had taken out grilling equipment that even the Duke's residence might only prepare when entertaining members of the imperial family.

Looking at the dazzling array of seasonings, Huo Yuhao, who was skilled at cooking, admitted that he was deeply tempted. If they had not been unfamiliar with each other, he would have immediately rushed over to study the equipment and figure out how to make even more delicious grilled fish.

Lin Wan'er knew that Huo Yuhao was tempted. Displaying sufficient wealth was merely the first step of her plan. Although she had secretly persuaded Da Ming and Er Ming to seriously consider whether they should continue doing Tang God King's dirty work and abandon the Clear Sky Sect, whose guardianship had become an empty title—

—the two brothers could not get over their beloved Sister Xiao Wu, who was now the Sea God Tang San's pampered little wife in the God Realm. Thus, after learning of Lin Wan'er's invitation to defect, they had not expressed any clear stance.

It was only when Wang Dong'er appeared some time ago that they sent a subordinate soul beast to inform her that there had been new developments in the God Realm. Tang San's new target seemed to be Shrek Academy.

So under such unavoidable circumstances, how could Lin Wan'er abandon the duties carried by the Holy Maiden and come to the outskirts of Star Dou Forest for a Shrek adventure with Huo?

"You can use all this stuff however you like. My family gave it to me anyway, and my cooking really isn't very good."

Lin Wan'er's honest words dispelled Huo Yuhao's urge to refuse. "I provide the ingredients, and you cook for me. Isn't that a fair deal?"

After blinking, Huo Yuhao ultimately chose to take his fish spear back into the water to catch fish, agreeing to prepare a grilled fish feast using the tools Lin Wan'er had provided.

Sitting on a stone stool, Lin Wan'er stared at the palm-sized fish fry in the stream, which would not even be enough to fill the gaps between her teeth.

Lin Wan'er gave a soft hum, and before long, many fish that were on the verge of becoming soul beasts but had yet to develop intelligence swam down from upstream.

Each of these fish would cost several hundred soul gold coins to eat at a restaurant outside, yet they had now become practice targets for Huo Yuhao to train his hands and eyes.

Before long, once Huo Yuhao had finished preparing everything, he began grilling fish on the equipment Lin Wan'er had set out.

Thanks to the upgraded spices and tools, Tang Ya, who had been lured elsewhere by soul beasts, and her tool-man boyfriend made their grand entrance!

"Eh? Who's grilling fish in the forest? It smells so good. Aren't they afraid of attracting soul beasts?"

Though Tang Ya complained that one should not light a fire in the forest, she looked just like the Soft Bone Rabbit Xiao Wu from years ago as she bounced over to Huo Yuhao. Acting completely at home, she picked up a fish that was almost done grilling, opened her mouth, and prepared to take a bite.

"Wait!"

"Tang Ya, my little ancestor, put down the grilled fish! Are you even acquainted with them? How can you just grab it with your hands?"

Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei spoke at the same time. Tang Ya, holding the grilled fish, did not know whether to keep it or put it down. She could only stand there awkwardly and wait for her boyfriend to rescue her.

The youth who emerged from the woods beside her helplessly pulled Tang Ya's hand and made her put down the grilled fish, though his eyes continued scanning their surroundings without pause.

When he saw the luxurious grill and seasonings he could not even identify, his pupils visibly contracted.

Lin Wan'er guessed that he was afraid Tang Ya had offended some noble and would bring shame upon Shrek.

But in the next second, when Bei Bei saw Huo Yuhao's noticeably slight frame and the patches on his clothes, he froze.

Did nobles these days all like playing such strange games? Instead of wearing perfectly good handmade clothes, they wore ragged garments that even commoners might not want?