Chapter 45

With his control over cold air, he should be able to freeze every single fish precisely if he wanted to.

The fish has been divided up.

Peryton glanced at the fish on the ground, his eyes darting around, and exclaimed, "Awooo!"

This indicates that it also knows where to find things.

Xie Juanhan: "Where else?"

Peryton: "Aww."

Telingewei: "It says it knows about the treasures of some Ancient God and wants to go and steal them."

Peryton nodded vigorously. "Aww!"

Xie Juanhan was startled. "No, let's know when to stop."

Peryton looked regretful.

The three large bags of fish were heavy, and this time, with three large bags of fish on his back, Peryton was unable to carry Xie Juanhan on his back as well.

It looked at Xie Juanhan with some reluctance.

Xie Juanhan placed the bag of fish on its back. "Later, you can just carry it to meet up with your clansmen."

Peryton gestured with his eyes to the two remaining bags of fish on the ground. "Huh?"

Xie Juanhan pointed to Telingewei: "He'll carry the rest of the fish."

Before Peryton could speak, Xie Juanhan said with a smile, "I'll let him carry me too."

Telingewei shifted slightly in his stance, blocking Xie Juanhan's way. "Hmm."

Peryton groaned softly.

They arrived at the exact time.

The return trip also required time management, but with Peryton leading the way, the journey back was smooth.

They returned to the waters they had come from.

The Black Dragon was too big to fly away directly.

They floated up from the water.

As soon as Xie Juanhan returned to the Surface World, he saw the Companion Beast and the little Demon Wolf by the spring.

The little ones sat obediently by the spring, their faces beaming with surprise when they saw them come out.

"Chirp!" the Companion Beast chirped, their eyes shining.

The little Demon Wolf stood up straight.

Xie Juanhan swam to the spring and was about to greet the little ones.

In the water, Peryton flew out of the entrance, kicking up a large splash.

The water splashed precisely onto all the Companion Beast, soaking the little guys to the bone.

After watering, Peryton carried the fish on his back and flew away.

The little ones were dumbfounded.

They paused for a moment, then, seeing Peryton's retreating figure, they reacted and jumped up, chirping, "Chirp!"

Xie Juanhan: "..."

Peryton truly lives up to his reputation for holding grudges.

==========Author's Note:=========

See you tonight!

Thanks to Nanzhi for the two grenades; thanks to Ancient Spirit (*4), Mango Dawang (*2), Fuli (*2)29318107, Youyueliang, Liyumi, Mango Dawang, Junzizaiye, Youzicha, and Wangdake for the landmines.

Chapter 45 [VIP]

The Companion Beast leaped forward, ready to charge at Peryton and his ilk.

Their small bodies leaped several meters high.

Telingewei, who had just emerged from the water, didn't even need to bend over; he simply reached out and grabbed them, pinning them down.

"Chirp chirp!" The Companion Beast struggled and cried out against his chest.

"Don't stop you?" Telingewei glanced down at them and nodded. "You go fight, we'll take the little Demon Wolf to eat fish, and we'll meet up in the cave tonight."

The Companion Beast froze.

Immediately afterwards, some of the little ones looked up at the sky, some looked down at the ground, and others glanced around erratically.

Anyway, they stopped mentioning going to fight the Peryton.

Xie Juanhan suggested from the side, "How about we try the fish I made? It's been a long time since I've cooked fish."

Several Companion Beast chirped softly.

Xie Juanhan suppressed a laugh, "Then let's go back."

Back to the cabin.

Xie Juanhan neatly froze the fish in a corner, taking out only a few to cook later.

He took the Demonic Core hanging above the fish's fin and beckoned to his Companion Beast, "Harper, could you help me deliver a few fish to the Water Demon?"

Harper immediately hopped over like a little rabbit, squatted down at Xie Juanhan's feet, and looked up. "Chirp?"

The other little ones gathered around. "Chirp?"

Even the little Demon Wolf followed behind, pretending to be a Companion Beast: "Eek."

Xie Juanhan put the fish into the basket, wrote a note, and planned to hand the basket over to the Companion Beast.

The basket is a bit heavy.

He thought for a moment, then finally held it to the little Demon Wolf's mouth. "Little Moli, you're the biggest, you try to carry it?"

The little Demon Wolf puffed out its chest and roared, "Awooo!"

The little guy quickly hopped and skipped away, carrying his basket and lining up to deliver fish to the Water Demon.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cleaned the fish and Spicy Clam, and then picked out the seaweed and washed a plate of it.

Xie Juanhan asked Telingewei's opinion, "How about I cook the Spicy Clam according to the cooking method from my hometown?"

The locals here typically cook shellfish with wine, butter, and herbs, resulting in a milder and more flavorful taste.

Xie Juanhan doesn't want to eat that today.

He just wanted to try the kind of shellfish stir-fried at street food stalls.

Telingewei replied without hesitation, "Okay!"

After agreeing, he asked, "What are the cooking methods in your hometown?"

"There are many, but this kind of vegetable has a very thin shell and very tender, fatty meat, so it really tests your cooking skills. I usually stir-fry it."

This technique isn't available locally. "It sounds interesting," Telingewei said. "Can I learn it later?"

Xie Juanhan, "Then you'll help me start the fire later? I'll show you."

If we're going to cook hometown dishes, we can't use a cast iron flat-top oven.

Xie Juanhan decided to use a large stove.

In that case, it would be perfect to have the local dragons, who are skilled at controlling fire, tend the fire.

Xie Juanhan said, "I need to stir-fry the Spicy Clam over high heat, and the pan-fried fish and stir-fried seaweed also need high heat, but we can't exceed the limits of cooking."

Telingewei nodded. "Tell me when you need to change the temperature."

Xie Juanhan likes to cook, but dislikes starting a fire.

With Telingewei's help, things become much simpler.

Fish is the hardest to cook, Xie Juanhan first fries the fish.

He placed the whole fish, which had been scored, into a pan of hot oil to fry.

In addition to regular vegetable oil, he also added a large spoonful of chicken fat.

Telingewei controlled the heat very well.

The fish was quickly fried until golden brown on both sides, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, emitting an enticing aroma.

Xie Juanhan scooped the fish up and then stir-fried the ingredients.

He deliberately didn't rinse off the burnt layer at the bottom of the pot, but used that little bit of oil to sauté garlic, herbs, and a local sour fruit similar to cherry tomatoes.

While stir-frying, he threw in two more Spicy Clam.

The spices in the pot gradually released a rich aroma.

He poured half a bottle of wine down.

Once the wine boils, the alcohol evaporates quickly, leaving only a tangy, rich, and slightly spicy broth.

He then put the fish back in to stew.

The fish simmers, releasing a delicious aroma that blends perfectly with the savory flavor of the broth.

Telingewei sat by the stove, frequently looking up at the fish.

"It smells good, doesn't it?" Xie Juanhan asked. "This is the flavor of fish cooked on a wood-fired stove in my hometown."

"It smells wonderful." Telingewei thought for a moment. "It has a scent I can't quite describe. I remember smelling it when I was an adventurer, staying in a village, at the home of an elderly human woman."

Xie Juanhan nodded knowingly. "You're talking about the taste of home."

Telingewei: "Home? I cook occasionally, but I can't make it taste like that."

Xie Juanhan glanced at him and said tactfully, "Finding the taste of home in a cave is indeed a bit difficult."

Telingewei paused for a moment, then said, "Hmm."

While the fish was stewing, the little ones ran back after delivering the fish.

Smelling the aroma, they rushed into the kitchen and crowded around Xie Juanhan's feet.

"Chirp?"

"You can't eat it yet, you have to wait a while."

"Chirp."

"It hasn't been stewed long enough, so the flavors haven't fully developed yet. We need to wait a little longer for it to taste good."

The little ones whined and begged at Xie Juanhan's feet, but he remained unmoved.

The little ones didn't feel hungry at first.

As they waited in the kitchen, they grew increasingly hungry, their mouths practically watering.

Originally, only the little Demon Wolf was licking its lips.

Later, the Companion Beast also started licking their lips to prevent drool from dripping down.

Telingewei glanced at them several times, then looked away expressionlessly.

While Harper and the others were lying flat on the ground, Xie Juanhan finally announced that the delicious fish was ready.

He told the kids to go outside and wait for dinner, while he quickly stir-fried a Spicy Clam with a wonderful wok hei (wok aroma) and a crisp seaweed dish in the kitchen.

While we were distributing food to the little ones, they jumped around excitedly.

Xie Juanhan first helped them remove the fish bones, and then put large chunks of fish meat into their plates.

They couldn't help but jump around on the spot.

Xie Juanhan didn't stop them, but after distributing the food, he specially poured a spoonful of stewed fish broth on top.

The fish stewed today has developed a gelatinous texture, and in just a short while, a layer of skin has formed on top of the fish soup.

The broth, when poured over the fish, perfectly coats every piece of meat.

Xie Juanhan took a bite and felt the soup slightly sticky in his mouth. Then, a fresh, fragrant, sour, and spicy flavor filled his mouth.

He only added two Spicy Clam, which had a limited spiciness but brought out the essence of the stewed fish.

The fish is delicious; the skin is fragrant, and the inside is very tender. It melts in your mouth without leaving any residue, and tastes very light.

The best part is that the broth perfectly complements its sweetness.

It has a unique, wonderfully sweet and smooth flavor that is exclusive to fish.

Xie Juanhan had eaten so much fish, but he had never tasted such a light and sweet fish before.

Only the crystal-clear water of the Inner World could nurture such sweet-smelling fish.