33: The fish soup is so delicious, you absolutely must try it!

"That kid was able to rescue Little Yueer from that beast unharmed. So, don't regard him as an ordinary Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivator."

The Village Chief didn't turn around, still facing away from everyone. No one could see his expression, so they were unsure whether to proceed.

Only Code Name and Yi Sanyi had some ideas.

"This old man is going back to make fish soup to thank the esteemed guest. As for you all?"

"Don't do things you're not confident about. I've said all I need to say. This is a crucial moment. Whoever messes up will bear the consequences." The Village Chief had already reached the door.

He glanced back, a quick and subtle look. No one knew its meaning, nor if anyone even noticed it.

"I only care about results."

This was the last sentence the Village Chief left before the door closed.

Night, at the Village Chief's home.

"Little Yueer, is this the good friend you mentioned?"

Zhou Yan looked at the little girl in front of him, holding a Little Three-Flower even smaller than herself.

"Hehe, this is the Little Li Nu the Village Chief gave me." Han Yue hugged the kitten in her arms and took a deep sniff.

"Because Daddy and Mommy went on a long business trip, Grandpa Village Chief let it come and keep me company!"

This Little Three-Flower looked like it had only recently been weaned. It was tiny and indeed very cute.

"Have you named it?" Zhou Yan bent down, teasing the sleepy kitten.

"It's also called Little Yueer."

As Han Yue answered, she handed the Little Three-Flower closer to Zhou Yan so he could see it more clearly.

Because Han Yue had been bouncing around so much, she hadn't carefully looked at Zhou Yan's appearance. She just thought Lord Tianzun was very handsome, even more handsome than her dad.

And now, a rare moment of quiet.

Zhou Yan was close to Han Yue to observe the kitten, and Han Yue was holding up the kitten, so she also looked more closely.

The cat was sleeping, Zhou Yan was looking at the cat, and Han Yue was looking at Zhou Yan.

Oh~, so Lord Tianzun's eyes are so beautiful.

Zhou Yan's handsome face, set against his dark golden eyes, added a mysterious and unpredictable beauty.

And Zhou Yan's eyes seemed to possess a unique magic. The more one looked, the easier it was to get lost in them, to become engrossed and unable to escape, so much so that Han Yue didn't even hear what Zhou Yan said.

"Little Yueer, Little Yueer, what's wrong? Are you tired from what happened earlier?"

Zhou Yan noticed that Han Yue wasn't responding when he spoke to her, which was unlike her usual behavior.

His gaze went past the Little Three-Flower and he saw Han Yue staring intently at him, or rather, at his eyes.

Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it wasn't the vacant stare from before. If that symptom were continuous and required Zhou Yan to periodically reset her, it would be terrible.

Little Yueer noticed the beautiful eyes in front of her move to the side, shifting from looking at the cat to looking at her. Only then did she snap back to reality, realizing Zhou Yan was calling her, and immediately replied.

"Yes, yes."

"What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?" Zhou Yan crossed his arms, looking at Han Yue with a speechless expression. He truly found it difficult to deal with children; they were too illogical.

Hearing this, Han Yue's small face flushed. She rubbed the back of her head with her left hand and said somewhat awkwardly.

"Big Brother Zhou, your eyes are so beautiful. Can Little Yueer have such eyes in the future?"

Zhou Yan looked at Han Yue's silly expression, extended a finger, and flicked her forehead.

"Ouch."

Han Yue cried out in pain, covering her forehead with her right hand, causing the poor little Hachikō to fall from mid-air.

Fortunately, Zhou Yan was a Cultivator, quick to react and even quicker in action, easily catching Hachikō, thus preventing it from being forcibly woken from its dream.

But this Hachikō truly could sleep; it still wasn't awake.

"Big Brother Zhou, why did you flick my forehead?" Han Yue's eyes were slightly red. Children have developed tear ducts, and tears can come out instantly.

Zhou Yan looked at Han Yue, enjoying the rare pleasure of petting a cat. Finally, there was some entertainment similar to what he had on Blue Star to help him unwind.

However, his mouth wasn't idle, and he began to lecture Han Yue.

"When commenting on a boy's eyes or appearance, don't say 'beautiful.' Say 'handsome' or 'distinguished.' Otherwise, it sounds effeminate, and many people won't like it."

"Also, when someone asks a question, always answer first before asking your own question. Always listen carefully to others."

"Finally, eyes are natural. You already have a beautiful pair of eyes; you don't need to envy others'."

"Alright, alright, Little Yueer knows she was wrong." Han Yue covered her forehead, feeling a bit dejected.

This feeling was like being lectured by her parents. It wasn't that she disliked the feeling of being cared for and educated, but it made her miss her mom and dad even more.

"You still haven't told me the origin of its name?" Zhou Yan pointed to the Little Three-Flower in his arms, which was already comfortable enough to expose its belly.

"Its name, Little Yueer, means the same as my name, Little Yueer."

Children adjust their emotions quickly. Just by changing the topic, she was lively and jumping around again.

"But I didn't name it; Grandpa Village Chief did. Grandpa Village Chief said..."

"Hehehe, fish soup is here!" The Village Chief's voice came from outside the guest room.

The Village Chief first used his back to push open the small wooden door, carrying a clay pot filled with a rich aroma into the guest room, then placed it in the center of the only wooden table in the room.

"Clunk." The sound of the clay pot's bottom hitting the table fully demonstrated the substantial amount inside.

The Village Chief gestured for Zhou Yan to wait a moment. Soon after, he returned from outside the house with a plate of grilled fish, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a small plate of fried beans, and a jar of wine.

As soon as the clay pot was opened, Zhou Yan saw its contents: a pot of Clay Pot Fish Head.

This Clay Pot Fish Head was surprisingly made with Koi. The fish lips were plump and rich, the fish brain like solidified fat, and the fish skin full of collagen.

It was stewed with old tofu cubes, allowing the tofu's pores to absorb the fish soup. Only ginger slices and green onion segments were used to remove fishiness and enhance freshness, yielding a pot full of milky white, rich soup.

The grilled fish was likely taken from the thick middle section of the same carp. The fish body was split open and flattened, retaining the complete fish skin.

Coarse sea salt granules and freshly ground chili flakes were evenly sprinkled between the fish muscle fibers. After grilling, the fish skin was crispy and amber-colored, and the flesh beneath was snow-white and firm.

Served with green cabbage, golden fried beans, and the house-brewed cloudy rice wine.

This meal should be considered very lavish in this fishing village.

"Old man, what is all this?"

"It's already this late, and you specially prepared such a grand table of dishes. It makes me quite embarrassed."

The Village Chief smiled, stroked his beard, and instructed Han Yue to go home first.

However, Han Yue had been hungry all day. Now, her eyes were glued to the dishes on the table, and she was unwilling to leave.

It was only when the Village Chief said that her home also had dishes prepared, the same kind of meal.

The only difference was that this one was made with Spirit Fish to entertain esteemed guests, while the other was made with ordinary fish for sustenance.

Han Yue was not unreasonable. After hearing that food was ready at home, she waved goodbye to Zhou Yan and excitedly ran home.

It was clear the child was truly starving. Han Yue had run off for a while before turning back to pick up the Little Three-Flower she had forgotten and took it home with her.

Seeing Han Yue's careless manner, the Village Chief and Zhou Yan exchanged a smile.

"But speaking of which, how much does this meal cost?"

"If possible, I'd still like to pay. After all, eating such a lavish meal from you for free, Village Chief, I truly feel unworthy."

Village Chief: "These dishes were made by two of our village's best chefs working overtime, so I'll just charge you for the labor. As for the wine and appetizers, they are a personal gift from this old man, no charge."

"However, this Koi is quite expensive. It's a Spirit Fish unique to our village, something even high-ranking officials of the Great Yu Dynasty can't always get to eat."

When Zhou Yan heard this, he wondered if it was a honey trap or a black-market inn disguised as a farm-stay.

Seeing Zhou Yan's expression change, the Village Chief burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, just kidding with Young Hero. This meal is purely an expression of gratitude."

"With Little Yueer's mischievous nature, not returning for so long likely meant she encountered some danger. I was preparing to look for her when I saw her return safely."

"Thinking about it, with Young Hero's Middle Stage Qi Refining strength, getting lost wouldn't be an issue. Instead, that little girl must have received a favor from Young Hero."

"Don't look at this old man like this; I actually have some strength myself."

Saying that, the Village Chief released his aura.

[Second Nine Jia]

[Rank: Qi Refining 2nd Layer]

[HP: 600/600]

With my eyesight, it's not difficult to discern Young Hero's cultivation. Although I don't know why Young Hero concealed his act of rescue.

But if I hadn't seen it, that would be one thing. To see it and still pretend not to know would be dishonest.