Crimson flames rose beneath the pot, and the cooking began.
Shi Hou's body twitched to the rhythm playing in his head.
Flashes of the knife and spatula whirled to the beat.
The flames sealed every last drop of the Five-Colored Peacock's bodily essence into the broth.
Everyone in the village had long since grown used to it.
Shi Linhu brought over a folding stool and sat nearby, cracking melon seeds as he watched Shi Hou wriggle.
Ermeng crouched at his father's feet, keeping time.
"Dad, look! Brother Skinny Monkey's moves are much smoother than last time."
"Shut up and watch."
The song ended.
The lid lifted, and golden mist surged into the sky.
The Five-Colored Peacock's essence had been refined into a pot of thick, amber broth. Five-colored light shimmered across its surface, each strand holding the blood qi essence of the primordial remnant.
Shi Hou ladled out the first bowl, turned, and walked over to the Willow Tree.
Tender green branches slowly drooped, touching the bowl's rim.
A willow branch swept up the five-colored light on the broth's surface, winding it into the grooves of the bark. The Willow Tree's trunk trembled slightly. A fresh layer of newly grown leaves unfurled with a rustle, their emerald green tinged with a pale golden sheen.
"Thank you."
The voice was so soft that a breath of wind scattered it.
The branch withdrew. The green motes flowing over the Willow Tree's leaves gradually dimmed.
Its seclusion had begun.
Shi Hou stepped back and carried the remaining broth to the pot.
"Time to eat."
Shi Hao, Furball, and Black Pig were seated in their usual row, their personal tableware already in place.
Qingfeng followed beside them, and Ermeng shoved a bowl into his arms.
The whole village gathered around the Black Pot, some