The Earthly Heroes’ Quarter — Fox and Tiger Repay a Wish

“You brat, you’re quite impressive! Not even Elder Liu of the Five Elements Pavilion, who personally set up that illusion array, could trap you!”

Xing Wuji’s face was a mask of astonishment and doubt. Elder Liu had previously claimed that ordinary disciples would never escape it, yet…

‘Could the rumor about this brat being Hall Master Ning of the Enforcement Hall’s illegitimate son actually be true?’

‘But I’ve never heard of Elder Ning being skilled in array formations.’

Wugou forced a smile onto his face. As the saying went, one didn’t strike a smiling face; even if it wasn’t very effective, it might buy him a little time.

Still smiling, Wugou subtly moved his hand behind his back, signaling A-miao and A-wu to get into position, ready to bolt at any moment.

“Brat, don’t give me that fake smile. After nearly two years of dealing with you, I know exactly what you’re up to just by the twitch of your rear.”

With that, Xing Wuji pulled a spirit stone from his robes, a triumphant smirk spreading across his face. “Let’s see you run this time!”

Wugou’s gaze sharpened. Inside the spirit stone, a white light pulsed incessantly. There was no doubt; it was a “Tracer Spirit Stone.”

Tracer Spirit Stones were crafted by hollowing out ordinary spirit stones and then refining them with a “spirit-sealing” technique by an artifact master.

Once shattered, they emitted a blinding flash of light, visible for ten miles around. They were essential for cultivators embarking on trials outside their sects, often used as an alarm.

It was deep into the night. If that intense light burst forth, patrolling disciples nearby would undoubtedly converge on their location in an instant.

Combined with the illusion array outside, escaping might genuinely be impossible.

If he were dragged to the Enforcement Hall, it might not be a big deal. But if he were sent back to the Skill Transmission Pavilion, he’d likely face another brutal beating from Zhu Manzhi.

A surge of indignation mixed with sorrow filled Wugou as he considered this. In this life, he’d been beaten by Luo Bingyan for displeasing her, by his stepmother Miaomiao for venturing into dangerous places, and by Zhu Manzhi whenever he was caught slacking off…

He, a dignified Grand Luo Golden Immortal, was practically growing accustomed to being beaten. His body and mind no longer resisted it with the same intensity as before.

As he stood locked in a standoff with Xing Wuji, a sudden meow echoed from the kitchen.

Wugou followed the sound with his eyes. Indeed, it was a cat—a peculiar one, with large, pointed ears and two tails. It was currently crouched beside A-miao, gnawing on a piece of ham.

A-miao, too, was watching it with an expression of intense curiosity, seemingly quite fascinated.

‘A Nekomata!?’

‘Don’t these demonic beasts prefer forests? How did one end up on this island?’

Its fur, however, was quite unique. While most Nekomatas had entirely black coats, this one bore distinct stripes, like a tiger’s, and those stripes were a vibrant jade green, making it remarkably beautiful.

“Caihua? Why did you run out too?”

Xing Wuji’s face was etched with worry. Though he had only had the Nekomata for a month, it was incredibly clingy and adept at charming him, making it his cherished pet.

Wugou’s eyes narrowed slightly as an idea sparked within him. He called out loudly, “Oh~ Old Man Xing, so you’re also stealing from your own post~”

Upon hearing this, Xing Wuji’s face immediately flushed crimson. “You brat, what nonsense! As the head chef, why would I need to do such a thing?”

“Oh~ So it’s not stealing from your own post, but rather abusing your power for personal gain~”

Wugou deliberately flashed a mischievous grin at Xing Wuji, thinking, ‘My chance to escape has arrived.’

“You’re spouting nonsense, you stinking brat! Stop your ridiculous talk! I’ll release this Tracer Spirit Stone right now and have them arrest you!”

“Go on, release it then~”

Wugou leaned against the table, affecting an air of complete indifference.

“You…!”

From Wugou’s demeanor, Xing Wuji knew that the brat was likely trying to drag him down as well. While it was true that not everyone would believe the rascal’s words, Xing Wuji himself couldn’t get past the implication.

Xing Wuji glanced at Caihua, who was still feasting away, and felt a pang of exasperation. ‘Didn’t this little fellow go to sleep early? How did it end up following me out?’

He then noticed Wugou’s short-legged tiger continually rubbing its head against Caihua. Something felt off, but now was not the time to dwell on it.

“A-wu, is your luck not so good today? I won’t be able to cook for you?”

Wugou picked up the little fox behind him, who was still secretly munching on something.

A-wu immediately grew anxious. It shook its small head frantically. “No, no! We promised! It’s been over a month! You promised today, mmsob-sob“

A-wu dropped the chicken breast from its paws, leaped onto Wugou’s shoulder, and began nuzzling Wugou’s face repeatedly, pouting for affection.

Xing Wuji’s heart skipped a beat at A-wu’s words. He quickly asked, “Brat, do you truly understand cooking?”

Although Xing Wuji asked, he was genuinely skeptical. However, Wugou’s critique in the dining hall a month ago had been gnawing at him ever since.

“Hmph, stinky old man, Wugou’s cooking is ten thousand times more delicious than yours!”

A-wu leaped onto Wugou’s head again, puffing out its chest in a proud display.

“Is that so? Heh heh, this old man is foolish; I’ve only ever been a cook in this life. But I simply can’t believe a greenhorn like you could cook better than me.”

Xing Wuji gritted his teeth slightly, realizing it would be difficult to apprehend the brat today. Yet, letting him go so easily would leave him unsettled. Perhaps he could use this opportunity to resolve another lingering concern.

Xing Wuji let out a cold snort. “Wugou, was it? Today, you will cook a dish here. If it can satisfy my palate, then the events of tonight will be forgotten. How about it?”

Wugou’s ears perked up—what a stroke of luck! But he quickly calmed himself, glancing at the Nekomata still engrossed in its meal. He noticed A-miao sniffing around it incessantly, its nose twitching.

“Old Man Xing, I still don’t believe you’d dare have me arrested today. However, since you’re willing to make concessions…”

Wugou rubbed his chin, pondering. “How about this: if you add a wager, I’ll cook for you.”

“Heh heh, what difference does a wager make?”

As he spoke, Xing Wuji pulled a small bottle from his robes. A flicker of reluctance crossed his face, but it vanished in an instant.

“Inside this bottle is a Transformation Pill for demonic beasts. I managed to acquire it from the market with great difficulty; it’s quite valuable. I originally intended it for Caihua. If you can truly impress me today, this item is yours!”

Having spoken, Xing Wuji straightforwardly placed the small bottle on the table.

While the pill was hard to come by, Xing Wuji valued skill more. After all, everything he possessed now stemmed from the culinary arts passed down by his ancestors. If this could elevate his cooking to a higher level, the trade was more than worthwhile.

Wugou was also taken aback. He hadn’t expected the old man to be so generous. While the pill wasn’t particularly high-grade, a “Transformation Pill” for demonic beasts wasn’t something one could easily acquire.

Few alchemists bothered to specially refine such an item. Cultivation resources were scarce, and precious herbs were often too valuable for personal use, let alone for crafting a pill exclusively for demonic beasts—especially one that offered no increase in their power.

However, the little fellow A-wu became incredibly excited the moment it heard “Transformation Pill.” It immediately leaped from Wugou’s head, darted to the small bottle, and hugged it, sniffing repeatedly.

Wugou was puzzled by A-wu’s reaction. ‘Could A-wu really want to transform into human form? Isn’t being fluffy and adorable good enough as it is?’

“Wugou…”

A-wu gazed back at Wugou with wide, watery eyes, a pitiful expression on its face.

“Sure enough…”

Wugou sighed, then began rolling up his sleeves, calling out, “A-miao, fire up the wok!”

There was no response.

Wugou was perplexed. Usually, a single shout from him would have A-miao eagerly scurrying off to fetch firewood.

He turned around, only to find A-miao circling the Nekomata named Caihua, constantly, occasionally even deliberately rubbing its rear against it.

‘What the hell are they doing?’

Seeing A-miao ignore him, Wugou turned directly to Xing Wuji. “Old Man Xing, help me start the fire.”

“What? Me?”

Xing Wuji pointed at himself, his face a picture of disbelief. He was the head chef here! How dare this brat imperiously order him around?

“Hurry up! What are you standing there for? Any slower and the sun will rise. This dish I’m making takes quite a bit of time, and you’re in for a treat today.”

Wugou’s expression was utterly self-assured.

Xing Wuji pointed at Wugou, eyes wide. “I… you…”

Two hours later…

“This… this aroma?”

Xing Wuji picked up his chopsticks.

“The sea cucumber is exquisitely tender and succulent, the abalone rich with savory fragrance, the fish lips meaty yet not greasy, and the shark’s fin… a flavor within a flavor…”

Xing Wuji abruptly hoisted Wugou into his arms. “This… what dish is this? Why have I never encountered such a combination of ingredients?”

Wugou rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. I stumbled upon this recipe by chance. It has no name.”

“No, no name? How can that be?”

Xing Wuji seemed utterly bewildered.

A faint meow or two occasionally sounded behind him, but Xing Wuji heard nothing at all.

Wugou, however, cast a casual glance.

He saw A-miao attempting to bite Caihua’s neck, but it seemed to lack the proper technique, as Caihua easily shook it off each time.

“Such a fresh and delicious dish, you should give it a beautiful name!”

Xing Wuji excitedly shook Wugou, who was still suspended in mid-air. The force was so great it nearly made Wugou bite his tongue.

“Geez, how about ‘Full Jar Fragrance’? And I say, could you please put me down first?”

Wugou glanced at A-miao again, and to his surprise, it had actually succeeded in biting…

Yet Xing Wuji seemed completely oblivious, continuing to carry Wugou back and forth.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Xing Wuji’s mind. “Such a delicacy, even Buddhist disciples might not be able to resist it! How about we call it ‘Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’?”

Wugou’s face darkened. “You have great ideas… perhaps you should learn to cook from me…”

“Meow!!!”

Caihua’s cry this time was loud, finally drawing Xing Wuji’s attention.

“Ah! My Caihua! You stupid tiger!”

Wugou looked over, and the sight left him utterly dumbfounded.

A-miao was actually sprawled on top of the Nekomata.

The two creatures were perfectly in sync, both wearing expressions of pure enjoyment…

‘I’ve heard cats are “thorny,” I wonder if it’s true.’

Wugou quickly snapped back to reality, forcefully wriggling free from Xing Wuji’s grasp. He shouted at A-wu, who was still covering its eyes with its paws, “You little pervert, stop looking and run!”

At this point, he could only apologize to A-miao.

A-wu’s ears instantly turned crimson at Wugou’s shout. It had seen such things countless times in the forests of Qingqiu Mountain, yet it still couldn’t resist sneaking a few peeks.

Now fully alert, A-wu quickly snatched up the small pill bottle and leaped onto Wugou’s head.

The night remained deep, with an occasional tiger’s roar echoing, though for some reason, they sounded exceptionally mournful…