Chapter 7: Delicious Demon Beast Meat
The Snow-clothed Woman was resolute. Ye Xing could tell she really liked the MP3 player, but if he refused her gifts, she might actually return it.
Ye Xing could only brace himself and accept the thousand gold tickets and the Body Tempering Pill.
When Ye Xing left Immortal Spring Manor, he was seen out by the little maid in the green dress from the entrance. Her name was Chunyu, and she was the youngest of the Snow-clothed Woman’s personal maids. Only about fourteen or fifteen years old, she had a pair of big, watery eyes. She was a cute and very shy little girl with two small dimples that appeared when she smiled.
As they neared the entrance of Immortal Spring Manor, Ye Xing’s eyes darted around. He handed the small pouch containing the gold tickets to the little maid in the green dress. "Hey, little one, do me a favor and give this pouch to your mistress later."
’A thousand gold tickets? No way I’m keeping that.’ Ye Xing was resolute. ’For one, I’m sitting on a gold mine of business opportunities between two worlds. Getting rich will be a piece of cake, so I won’t be short on money. For another, the women at Immortal Spring Manor all know martial arts, and I might need their help in the future. I want to maintain a good relationship with them. If I take the money, that connection weakens. Then, if I ever run into trouble, I’ll lose my nerve and won’t have the face to ask for help. So, I’ll keep the Body Tempering Pill, but it’s better to return the money.’
"What’s in this little pouch?" the little maid asked, her big, dark eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Nothing much, just a small slip of paper," Ye Xing said.
"Hee hee, you have a crush on my mistress, don’t you? Is this a love letter?" the little maid giggled, covering her mouth. Her big, watery eyes held a knowing look.
Ye Xing was amused. "That’s right, that’s right! You’re so clever!"
"Hmph, of course I am. But I suggest you give up on that idea, and quickly," the little maid huffed, wrinkling her small nose. "Do you have any idea what kind of powerful figures pursue my mistress?"
"I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?"
"You don’t know a single martial art; you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Let me put it this way: even the weakest of my mistress’s suitors could crush you with a flick of a finger!" the little maid huffed.
"Wow, so powerful! I’m so scared."
"See? You’re scared. So you’d better drop the idea!"
"Mhm, you’re absolutely right. I won’t pursue your mistress anymore." Ye Xing gave the little maid a mischievous look and couldn’t resist teasing her. "You’re very pretty, too. How about I go after you instead?"
WHOOSH! The little maid’s pretty face instantly turned beet red, a mixture of shame and vexation.
"How could you be like that! I was just giving you a kind warning! You—"
"Hahaha!"
...
Upon reaching the mouth of the cave, Ye Xing deliberately took a roundabout path, carefully scanned his surroundings, and only then entered the hidden cavern.
’I need to work hard, make money, and build a huge mansion here to enclose this cave within my property,’ Ye Xing thought. ’I’ll build a secret passage or a hidden room. That way, I won’t have to be so on edge every time I come here.’ He had already asked around: building a manor on the Martial Arts Continent would cost dozens, maybe even a hundred Gold Coins. If he really put his mind to it, he could probably earn that much within a few days.
After returning to his old house on Earth through the Purple Light Teleportation Gate inside the cave, Ye Xing, carrying the three pounds of Demon Beast Meat, headed straight for the kitchen.
’Not only is this Demon Beast Meat good for you, but according to Xia Girl, it’s supposed to taste pretty good too!’
Unable to wait, Ye Xing immediately cut off a large slice of the Demon Beast Meat, chopped it into chunks, added some scallions, and began to make red-braised Demon Beast Meat.
Flames blazed under the pot. As the Demon Beast Meat gradually cooked, waves of a rich, meaty aroma filled the air.
"Hahaha, that smells amazing! This Demon Beast Meat is magical. Even with my crappy cooking, it can produce such a wonderful flavor!" Ye Xing was practically drooling.
Just then, suddenly—
WHOOSH! A sound came from the kitchen windowsill.
Ye Xing turned to look and saw a small cat with somewhat messy fur—probably a stray. He paid it no mind and dug right into the Demon Beast Meat. "Wow, this is amazing! I’ve never eaten anything so delicious. I’m going to eat Demon Beast Meat every single day from now on!" Ye Xing began to wolf down piece after piece as if he hadn’t eaten in ages, the taste so good he nearly swallowed his own tongue.
"Meow!"
The little cat swiftly leaped down from the windowsill, trotted over to the corner of the table, and started meowing at Ye Xing.
"Haha, little fella. Big bro’s in a good mood today. Here, have a piece!" Ye Xing picked up a chunk of Demon Beast Meat and tossed it to the little cat.
"Mrow!" The little cat let out an excited cry and pounced on the Demon Beast Meat.
As he ate more and more of the red-braised Demon Beast Meat, Ye Xing inexplicably felt a faint stream of heat stirring in his lower abdomen. A pleasant warmth spread through his entire body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.
"Awesome! This Demon Beast Meat is the real deal. It’s a bit pricey, but I’ve got plenty of ways to make money." Ye Xing felt a surge of motivation. "Oh, right! I should bring some of this amazing food to my aunt."
His aunt had always been very good to him, so of course, Ye Xing wouldn’t forget her. He immediately lifted the pot lid, ready to scoop out a plate of Demon Beast Meat, but his expression froze.
The iron pot was greasy, but completely empty.
"Oops, awkward! I was so busy stuffing my face I accidentally ate it all!" Ye Xing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Oh well, I’ll just make another plate."
Ye Xing immediately opened the refrigerator and took out the small remaining piece of Demon Beast Meat.
He had used over two pounds to make the red-braised meat. Now, looking at the piece that was less than a pound, Ye Xing’s brow furrowed in dismay.
’There’s only this little bit left; it’s probably not enough for another dish of red-braised meat!’ Ye Xing thought with a wry smile. Staring at the small piece of Demon Beast Meat in his hand, a sudden inspiration struck him. ’Right, why do I have to make it in big chunks? I can just slice it into thin strips and make stir-fried shredded meat with bamboo shoots! That would be much more economical!’
’Hehe, I’m a genius. I’ll make do with shredded meat this time. Next time I make a big score, I’ll just bring back more Demon Beast Meat!’
Ye Xing immediately grabbed some fresh bamboo shoots from the refrigerator, mixed them with the thinly sliced meat, and tossed it all into the wok to stir-fry.
A few moments later, a rich aroma filled the air as the stir-fried shredded meat with bamboo shoots was ready. Perhaps infused with the essence of the Demon Beast Meat, even the bamboo shoots had become incredibly delicious. Although the dish contained very little meat, it was still exceptionally tasty. In fact, thanks to the addition of the bamboo shoots, the texture was superb. In terms of sheer flavor, it was every bit as good as the red-braised Demon Beast Meat.
’My aunt should still be busy at the shop right now,’ Ye Xing thought. ’I’ll just go find her there.’ He immediately dished out a plate of the stir-fried meat with bamboo shoots, packed it up, and went to find his aunt.
Ye Xing’s aunt, Ye Xiuying, ran a small snack shop in the village, and business was quite brisk.
Yunli Mountain in Bilin Village was home to the rather famous Azure Rock Temple. During holidays and festivals, people from both the city and the surrounding countryside would come to burn incense and pray, which meant Bilin Village enjoyed a decent amount of foot traffic. Many visitors would park at the foot of the mountain, and after paying their respects at the temple, the pilgrims would come back down to grab a noodle dish at one of the snack shops to sate their hunger.
Ye Xiuying’s shop, Auntie Pang’s Snack Shop, was located right at the foot of Yunli Mountain. Business was exceptionally good today; the place was packed with customers.
「Inside the kitchen of Auntie Pang’s Snack Shop」
"Auntie!" Ye Xing called out as he walked into the kitchen, carrying the plate of stir-fried meat with bamboo shoots.
"Oh, Axing, you’re here. Have you eaten dinner? I’m swamped right now, so just help yourself to some food and rice," Ye Xiuying said, busy with a pot of beef noodles on the stove.
"It’s okay, I already ate," Ye Xing replied. "Auntie, I made a plate of stir-fried meat with bamboo shoots for you."
"What? You know how to make stir-fried meat and bamboo shoots?" Ye Xiuying asked in surprise, then chided him with a laugh. "You, a kid who’s barely stepped into a kitchen his whole life? Are you trying to poison your aunt?"
"..." Ye Xing was speechless. ’She still sees me as a kid. Does she really have that little faith in my cooking? Fine, even if she doesn’t trust my skills, this Demon Beast Meat is unlike anything else in this world.’
"Auntie, this stir-fry is really good! Just try it if you don’t believe me!" Ye Xing said hurriedly.
"Haha, alright. It’s nice of you to be so thoughtful. Just leave it there for now," his aunt said as she continued stir-frying at the stove. "We have a lot of customers today. I’ll eat it later when things quiet down."
"Okay, I’ll just leave it here. You’re busy, Auntie, so I’ll head home now." Ye Xing thought to himself, ’Just wait until she tries it. She’ll realize this stir-fry isn’t just good—it’s so-good-you’ll-bite-your-tongue delicious, hmph hmph!’
Ye Xing immediately placed the stir-fried meat with bamboo shoots on the kitchen table, then left Auntie Pang’s Snack Shop and went home.