I Can Take You Home

Shen Luo raised his hand and pulled, tearing the bear's leg free and drawing it into his grasp.

His other hand swiftly formed a seal, and scorching flames turned into dozens of fine threads that wrapped around the bear's leg.

Under Shen Luo's meticulous handling, the coarse bear meat became translucent at a speed visible to the naked eye, giving off a rich, mouthwatering aroma.

Shen Luo took several jade bottles from his Storage Ring and dumped all their seasonings onto the bear's leg as it sizzled with fat.

Flames licked the surface of the bear's leg. As the first trace of fat seeped out of the golden meat, an overwhelmingly rich aroma suddenly burst forth.

"It smells so good!"

Zi Yan's eyes flew open. She came over and crouched beside Shen Luo, sniffing furiously, her purple eyes round and wide, her pupils almost narrowing into vertical slits.

Saliva was already gathering uncontrollably in her mouth, trickling down the corners of her lips and dripping onto her knees without her even bothering to wipe it away.

"Boss... is it ready yet..." Her voice had changed pitch, trembling with something close to a plea.

The instant Shen Luo took the bear's leg off the fire, its aroma reached its peak.

The crisp skin gave off occasional sharp crackles, and steaming juices flowed from the meat. Hot vapor laden with its rich aroma rushed toward Zi Yan like an invisible wall, slamming into her face.

She took a sharp breath, and a sensation like an electric shock tingled through her from head to toe.

"Catch!"

Shen Luo sliced off a large piece of glistening meat and tossed it to Zi Yan.

Shen Luo set the remaining roast meat on a clean, broad leaf, then continued roasting the other cuts. Zi Yan reached out to grab it, only to yelp at the heat and hastily pull her hand back, blowing hard on her fingers.

"What's the rush? No one's going to steal it from you."

Shen Luo chuckled and took out a small knife to slice the bear's leg thinly. Each slice was crisp outside and tender inside, its juices perfectly sealed in and its surface gleaming temptingly.

Zi Yan could hold back no longer. She grabbed a slice and stuffed it into her mouth, then froze.

Juices burst across her tongue, mingling with the spicy fragrance of the seasonings and the essence of the magical beast's meat. A warm current of power flowed down her throat and spread through every limb.

Warmth filled her body, sweeping away all the fatigue from her earlier battle. Even the Dou Qi within her seemed to grow a little more condensed.

"It's... it's so delicious!" Zi Yan's eyes shone. Both hands went to work, stuffing slice after slice into her mouth until her cheeks bulged like a hamster's.

Shen Luo sat beside her and could not help shaking his head at the way she ate.

A dignified descendant of the Ancient Void Dragon Emperor's bloodline, eating like a starving ghost-no one would believe it if word got out.

"Aren't you eating, Boss?" Zi Yan asked indistinctly, her mouth crammed with meat.

"You eat first. Once I start, I'm afraid there won't be any left for you."

"Then I'll eat first!" Afraid he might change his mind, Zi Yan hurriedly gathered the remaining bear meat in front of her, guarding every morsel.

As Shen Luo watched her wolf down the food, he was already weighing his next steps.

"Boss." Zi Yan suddenly looked up, grease still clinging to the corner of her mouth. Her purple eyes fixed seriously on Shen Luo. "You're so nice to me. Are you after something?"

Shen Luo paused briefly, then smiled. "What do you think?"

Zi Yan tilted her head in thought, then grinned. "Whatever you're after, just make sure there are plenty of pills and roast meat."

She paused, then added, "But if you lie to me, I'll bite you."

She bared her two little canine teeth, putting on a fierce look.

Shen Luo reached out and rubbed her head, making her purple hair even messier. "Don't worry. I won't lie to you, and you'll have all the pills and roast meat you want."

Zi Yan huffed and lowered her head to keep gnawing on the bear's leg.

Shen Luo roasted the meat, watching Zi Yan wolf down her food out of the corner of his eye.

An Ancient Void Dragon would never be a slave-unless room and board were included.

The setting sun sank completely behind the mountain ridge, and dusk shrouded the entire forest.

Shen Luo spent a full four hours cooking the Red-Mane Bear, leaving it crisp outside and tender inside, its aroma wafting everywhere.

"All right, now it's my turn to dig in!" Shen Luo rubbed his hands together and glanced at Zi Yan, who still seemed to want more, then grabbed a bear paw and began chewing with gusto.

Zi Yan sat beside him, watching his grease-smeared mouth and bulging cheeks, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

How did this guy seem to eat even more than she did?

Zi Yan was right. Shen Luo really could eat more than she could.

His Heavenly Tyrant Body far surpassed Zi Yan's true Ancient Void Dragon form, and its energy demands were enormous.

"What are you looking at me for? Eat!"

Zi Yan had only eaten one bear's leg and truly was not full. Now that Shen Luo had given his permission, she immediately sat down opposite him.

And so the two of them, one big and one small, one male and one female, began wolfing down the food.

Half an hour later, they lay on the grass, rubbing their round bellies and gazing at the azure sky.

"B-Boss, you actually eat more than I do. Could you also be..." Zi Yan suddenly lowered her voice and leaned close to Shen Luo's ear, whispering furtively, "Could you be a magical beast too?"

Seeing her secretive manner, Shen Luo shook his head helplessly. "What are you thinking? I'm a genuine human, all right?"

Zi Yan did not believe him, her large eyes darting about.

"All right, I just have a bit of a big appetite. I really am not a magical beast!"

"But..." Shen Luo paused and stared at Zi Yan teasingly. "I do know what kind of magical beast you are."

Zi Yan froze. Even Su Qian, the First Elder of the Inner Academy, could not identify her true form. How could he possibly know?

"R-Really? You know what my true form is?" Zi Yan asked doubtfully.

Years ago, she had accidentally eaten a stalk of transformation grass and turned into this little-girl form, unable to grow any bigger no matter how much time passed.

"Isn't your true form an Ancient Void Dragon?" Shen Luo narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice.

"Ancient Void... Dragon? My true form is an Ancient Void Dragon..." Zi Yan murmured, confusion filling her eyes.

"Aren't you especially gifted at finding treasures, and particularly sensitive to spatial power? Those are abilities unique to Ancient Void Dragons." Shen Luo began patiently guiding her.

Zi Yan seemed a little agitated. Both hands gripped Shen Luo's arm tightly as she asked in her girlish voice, "Boss, if you know I'm an Ancient Void Dragon, you must have seen them before, right? Where are they? Why didn't they want me?"

Shen Luo's face twitched. The aching sadness in Zi Yan's words left him momentarily unsure how to respond.

Seeing Shen Luo fall silent, Zi Yan thought he was unwilling to answer. After all, they had only known each other for half a day. She had eaten his pills and roast meat without giving him anything in return, so she really was asking too much.

"I-I'm really good at finding treasures. I can help you find more natural treasures from now on. Could you take me to see my family?" Zi Yan shook Shen Luo's arm, pleading like an abandoned little girl.

"Zi Yan, I can roast delicious meat for you and give you more pills than you could ever eat. Of course, I can take you home too, but..." Shen Luo paused, taking his time before continuing.

Zi Yan grew anxious. "But what? But what?"

"But you have to listen to me, understand?"

"I will, I will! I'll listen to everything you say!"