214: The narrow-minded Xuan Yangzi

Gu Changge returned with a bountiful harvest. As soon as he arrived back at his small courtyard on Zizhu Peak, he saw Old Huang in the herb garden, his head lowered as he tilled the spirit soil, his thick ox tail swaying unconsciously.

Seeing the large amount of Yao Beast meat in Gu Changge's hands, Old Huang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With such a rich array of ingredients today, his old hide would surely not be coveted.

Just then, Gu Changge's gaze lightly swept over the herb garden, landing precisely on him.

“Cough,” Gu Changge lightly coughed, as if he had just remembered, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face, “Old Huang, I almost forgot about you.”

The old ox shivered, turning around with a mournful face, his ox eyes filled with the bitter realization: “I knew it, I knew it, I still couldn’t escape this blade… Please be gentle!”

Gu Changge skillfully made a slicing motion in the air, taking the most tender piece of beef sirloin. Life essence flowed at the wound, healing it instantly.

He casually tossed a bottle of Innate Spirit Marrow, wreathed in Chaos Qi, to the old ox: “Here, for your recovery.”

Old Huang expertly caught the spirit marrow, wincing at the pain from his wound, while secretly stashing the spirit marrow away.

Soon, smoke curled up from the small courtyard.

Gu Changge casually beckoned, and the ancient Myriad Laws Returning to the Void Cauldron quietly appeared. The imperial Dao pressure that originally flowed around the cauldron, suppressing all heavens, was, with a thought from him, completely restrained and suppressed.

It became gentle and unassuming, as if it were merely an extraordinary ordinary cauldron. He drew forth the earth fire, and a quietblue flame silently burned beneath the cauldron, enveloping the imperial cauldron, yet not harming it in the slightest.

Various top-tier ingredients met within the imperial cauldron. The immense Spiritual Qi and essence were perfectly locked in by the imperial cauldron, slowly blending and catalyzing under the gentle calcination of the earth fire.

An indescribable aroma, mixed with vast Spiritual Qi, permeated the air, almost materializing into seven-colored auspicious light that swirled and ascended from the cauldron’s mouth. Just inhaling a wisp of the fragrance soothed one’s Divine Soul, made one’s mouth water, and caused the spiritual power within one’s body to leap with joy.

Gu Changge stood with his hands behind his back beside the cauldron, sniffing the aroma: “Using this imperial weapon to cook, the taste is truly fragrant.”

That translucent, crystal-clear piece of quasi-imperial Dragon meat, imbued with Dragon Origin, as well as the side dishes: Zhu Yan Divine Bird wing root meat, the essence sirloin of a seven-colored divine deer, and the most tender hind leg meat of a lightning rabbit.

Just then, the previously closed door of the adjacent courtyard creaked open.

Sect Master Xuan Yangzi peered out from inside the door.

He was currently dressed in a loose cultivation Dao robe, with a hint of fatigue between his brows, indicative of a recent severe injury.

It was clear he had endured considerable tempering from the projections of Great Emperors within the Eternal Heavens Pride Tower.

However, at this moment, his nostrils twitched incessantly, his eyes gleamed, his expression exactly like a cat that had smelled fish, showing no sign of needing rest.

“Senior Brother Changge! What good stuff have you cooked up again? The aroma wafts for ten li!”

As Xuan Yangzi spoke, he unceremoniously moved to the side of the pot and sat down, his eyes fixed on the bubbling contents, his Adam’s apple unconsciously bobbing.

Gu Changge unhurriedly prepared the dipping sauce, then looked up and glanced at him, his gaze lingering for a moment on his cultivation Dao robe, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

“Senior Brother, your injury… healed quite quickly, didn’t it? I see your ability to sniff out good food has recovered much faster than your cultivation.”

Xuan Yangzi’s face didn’t flush, nor did his heart pound. He straightened his robes, adopting the posture of a Sect Master, and righteously declared: “Junior Brother, you are mistaken! This Senior Brother is concerned about the Sect’s safety, and has come specifically to discuss important Sect matters! This is my duty!”

His tone then shifted, softening considerably, and he chuckled, “As for this aroma… cough cough, it’s just a bonus, a bonus to nourish my body, so I can recover sooner and serve the Sect!”

As he spoke, his eyes gleamed as he looked at the ancient cauldron, unable to help but exclaim: “Changge, where did you get this cauldron? This aura, this material, it’s clearly an excellent treasure for stewing meat and boiling soup!”

He was already impatient, picking up his chopsticks and skillfully grabbing a piece of meat with clear Texture and an enticing aroma. He swished it in the bubbling soup pot, dipped it in sauce, and put it into his mouth.

The meat melted in his mouth, an indescribable deliciousness exploding instantly. Xuan Yangzi narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, just about to savor it, when his expression suddenly changed drastically!

The pure energy from the melted meat surged into his limbs and bones like a breached flood. The purity and potency of this energy were several times stronger than any meat he had eaten before!

“This, this…” Xuan Yangzi suddenly opened his eyes, pointing at the cauldron with a look of utter shock, unable to speak coherently, “Junior Brother! This meat… this energy… it’s so much more potent than what I’ve eaten before?!”

“Mm! Tender! Smooth! Fragrant! Melts in your mouth, rich in Spiritual Qi! Junior Brother, your cooking skills are truly superb!”

As he chewed in intoxicated delight, his gaze swept over to Old Huang, who was beside him, holding the Innate Spirit Marrow, absorbing it while secretly peeking at the pot. He immediately waved enthusiastically.

“Brother Ox! Don’t just stand there drooling! Come over, come and eat some with us! We’re all family, don’t be shy!”

To show his sincerity, he even specially picked up a piece of what looked like very tender meat with his chopsticks and enthusiastically wiggled it towards Old Huang.

“Look at this meat, such a rich color, such wonderful Texture! Come and have a taste!”

Old Huang was originally blissfully absorbing the spirit marrow, pondering how to hide this treasure.

Upon hearing this, he looked up, his gaze falling upon the familiar piece of meat on Xuan Yangzi’s chopsticks, which even faintly carried the unique Origin Qi of him. The smile on his face instantly froze, his ox eyes wide open, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Xuan Yangzi!”

Old Huang enunciated each word, his voice squeezed through gritted teeth, filled with suppressed fury.

“You! Look! Clearly! What! You! Are! Eating! Before! You! Speak!”

“That! Is! My! Old! Ox’s! Meat!!!”

This roar of anger, like a clap of thunder, startled Xuan Yangzi, making his hand tremble and almost dropping his chopsticks into the pot.

Only then did he belatedly examine the meat he was holding, and felt the familiar aura, his face instantly filled with embarrassment, as he gave a dry, awkward chuckle.

“Uh… this… a misunderstanding, purely a misunderstanding! Brother Ox, calm down, calm down! I was wondering why it was so chewy…”

Gu Changge watched this scene, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes.

That old fellow Xuan Yangzi, claiming it was a misunderstanding, but the unhidden mischievousness in his eyes and his deliberate act of wiggling the meat clearly showed he remembered being scared by Old Huang before, and was intentionally getting his revenge here.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen clearly; it was that he had seen too clearly, deliberately trying to provoke the ox.

Old Huang was so angry that two thick streams of white Qi shot out from his ox nose. He turned his head away, hugging his Innate Spirit Marrow, thinking fiercely to himself.

“Hmph! Cut my meat, and eat it in front of me! And you want me to come over and eat with you? I, Old Ox, would rather starve to death today, rather jump down from here, than eat a single bite of your food! I have backbone!”