RIIDMDR chapter 49

 

As expected, Tingchuan brought Nanxu two wild ducks and a few duck eggs the next day.

With his experience slicing chicken necks, killing a duck wasn’t a problem for Nanxu. This time, however, he prepared a bowl of saltwater and poured the duck’s blood directly into it. It solidified in about ten minutes. After cooking it, he set it aside and added it to the stewed duck when it was almost ready.

The wild ducks in the valley aren’t as plump or meaty as those raised at home, but they have a unique flavor, especially when simmered in a clay pot over charcoal. They’re incredibly tender and flavorful, with their aroma locked into the broth and meat. To celebrate this first duck meal in this otherworldly place, Nan Xu spent an astonishing 24 silver coins on a 20%-off can of beer at the mall.

There are plenty of wild ducks in the East Sea, but Tingchuan never eats them. He hates the fishy smell of duck meat. Last night, noticing Nan Xu’s bad mood, Tingchuan casually mentioned the duck during their conversation, not expecting Nan Xu’s attention to be diverted.

Nan Xu was enthusiastic about the duck and spent the entire afternoon busy in the yard. With Zhixing’s help, Tingchuan didn’t have to do much. He simply watched from the sidelines, imagining that through Nan Xu’s hands, the unpalatable duck would become delicious.

Zhixing now eats with them. When the sun went down and no longer shone into the courtyard, the three of them sat under the loquat tree and feasted around a pot of piping hot braised duck.

As promised, Nanxu picked up a duck leg and placed it in Tingchuan’s bowl while giving another to Zhixing. Tingchuan said nothing but quietly placed his leg in Nanxu’s bowl.

Nanxu looked at him in confusion, but Tingchuan’s expression remained unchanged. He maintained his aloof demeanor. He calmly said, “I don’t like it. It’s too meaty and tasteless.”

This was an awkward statement, and Nan Xu chuckled. In the past, Tingchuan had never complained when they ate chicken legs. He’d simply offered them to him, and he’d even come up with a nice excuse.

Nan Xu didn’t shy away from Tingchuan’s kindness. He helped him with a few more pieces of meat before digging in himself. The duck leg was meaty and tender, and the juices flowed out with every bite—a distinct flavor from chicken. Nan Xu squinted as he ate, wishing he could hum a tune to express his good mood.

He ate while humming, seemingly enjoying himself. Tingchuan watched him a few more times, his lips curling slightly. He took a piece and put it in his mouth, raising his brows slightly. He really couldn’t taste the slightest fishy smell.

The duck blood was tender and smooth, soaked in the broth and tasting even more fragrant than tofu. It became a favorite of all three of them.

After the meal, Nanxu sighed, “It’s a pity there’s no pond; otherwise, I could raise a few ducks.”

He now had a large collection of small animals and was living a happy, comfortable life in the mountains. Shopping at the mall was faster than express delivery, and the substantial rent paid by the Bai couple gave him financial security. He no longer had to count the money for small purchases on his fingers.

Of course, if Nanxu were to spend recklessly and ignore the inn’s business, he wouldn’t be able to do that either. Someone who had lacked money since childhood hated nothing more than spending without earning.

After hearing Nanxu’s words, Tingchuan, who was leaning on a recliner in the courtyard, calmly said, “If we can’t raise them, so be it. What’s there to pity?”

Nanxu cast him a sideways glance. “You’ve never tasted the hundreds of delicious ways to cook duck. You don’t understand my deep love for it, so naturally, you don’t think it’s a pity.”

—

Confirming that the mission reward had been swallowed by the system, Nan Xu no longer worried about it. The remaining duck was still quite lively. Since they had just eaten a whole one and it was full of flavor, they simply tied it up next to the sheep shed for the time being.

Nan Xu wanted to make roast duck for the inn, but he didn’t have an oven. He’d considered making a clay plate, but he wasn’t very skilled at it. He needed more practice and experimentation, but he didn’t have much time, as he had another customer.

One night, Nan Xu was sound asleep when he vaguely sensed Tingchuan getting up and leaving the house. The slight movement allowed him to hear a low conversation in the yard. He opened his eyes and was stunned for a moment before realizing he was awake. He stood up and looked out the window. The moon was bright and round, and the silhouettes of several people in the yard were clearly visible.

Nan Xu spotted Tingchuan immediately. He had his back to the window, listening to the conversation. The speaker was a beautiful young woman dressed in a stunning brocade dress. Her figure was graceful, especially her waist, which was cinched by a sash. Nan Xu couldn’t help but frown. Where in the world were living conditions so harsh? How hungry must one be to have such a thin waist?

His thoughts wandered, but Tingchuan, with his sharp hearing, noticed. He turned toward the window and saw Nan Xu staring blankly in his direction. However, his eyes were clearly not directed at him.

Tingchuan’s smile faded. After waiting two seconds, Nanxu still didn’t respond. He stood there in a daze, seemingly mesmerized.

“Ahem,” Tingchuan cleared his throat. “There are a lot of mosquitoes at night. Why don’t you close the windows and sleep?”

He said this as he walked toward the window. Nanxu was awakened by Tingchuan’s voice. He understood and hurriedly replied, “There are no mosquitoes.”

What a joke—it was summer! Sleeping with the window open and the night breeze blowing in was wonderful. Even if it got cool at night, he always dreamed that he was wrapped in soft clouds—warm and cozy—and never caught a cold.

Nanxu’s strong reaction made one of the women in the courtyard chuckle softly. It was unclear who she was laughing at.

Tingchuan’s hand paused on the window frame. His deep black eyes lingered on Nanxu, seemingly with a trace of displeasure and some subtle meaning. This made Nanxu feel weak for no reason. Why did it seem like Tingchuan was about to stab him with that look?

It was terrible and terrifying. Had he said something wrong again?

Nanxu and Tingchuan had been together for so long that he knew Tingchuan wouldn’t attack him. But for some reason, he had angered Tingchuan. Nan Xu straightened his posture and looked toward the fox demon standing outside the window and blocking his view. His eyes filled with questions as he whispered, “Who are they?”

Before Tingchuan could answer, the curvaceous woman cut in. “We two sisters are here to stay at the inn. Do you have any vacant rooms?”

As soon as they pushed the gate open, making a little noise, the fox demon gave her a cold glance. Highly skilled demons have an aura of their own, especially Tingchuan, who had witnessed the rise and fall of the demon world for thousands of years. That single look startled her. Fortunately, the two sisters were experienced and didn’t back down immediately. However, they didn’t dare speak loudly either.

“It’s late, and the owner is resting inside,” the cold, dusty fox demon said calmly.

Luo Yi paused for a moment before realizing that this was an explanation—or, more accurately, a warning.

Zhuyu Mountain is well-known in the demon world for its dangers. Anyone who could open an inn there must be powerful. Therefore, they weren’t surprised that this fox demon, who wasn’t the inn’s owner, had such advanced cultivation skills. They were simply curious about what the real owner looked like.

At that moment, however, the person sleeping in the room woke up. He was probably the owner. At first glance, he looked quite innocent and not very old—perhaps three or four hundred years old at most. His appearance was quite simple, which was somewhat beyond Luo Yi’s expectations.

Upon hearing the question, Nan Xu instantly transformed into his business-minded self and smiled. “Yes, yes, yes. There are two more rooms on the second floor,” he said.

Luo Yi glanced back and, seeing her sister nod, smiled and said, “Two then.”

Nan Xu couldn’t conduct business with a customer through the window, so he lit a candle and held it in his hand as he walked out of the bedroom.

At first, it was hard to see clearly in the darkness, but Nan Xu soon realized that the person behind the woman in lavish attire was also beautiful. However, she wore a black satin dress, and her face was cold and serious. She was almost invisible in the darkness, which is why Nan Xu subconsciously ignored her.

After showing the two people upstairs, Nan Xu felt sleepy. He didn’t exchange any more pleasantries and returned to his room.

Tingchuan had already returned and gone to bed. When Nan Xu opened the door, he glanced at him, but said nothing. He walked over to the bed, blew out the candle, and lay down. He woke up halfway through the night, still feeling sleepy.

The room was silent, but it felt different than usual. Nanxu sensed that something was amiss, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. He drifted off to sleep. That night, when a cool breeze blew into the room, he didn’t dream of the soft, warm clouds he usually did. The coolness didn’t linger, though, and he didn’t wake up.

The next morning, he went to bed a little later than usual. The bedroom window was closed, perhaps because someone was moving around in the yard; Tingchuan had closed it for him.

When he got up and went outside, he saw two women sitting on a stone bench under a loquat tree in the courtyard. Daybreak was approaching, and Nan Xu realized that the clothing these two demons wore was different from what he had seen before. The fabric was thin yet opaque, like gauze but not quite. It shimmered in the sunlight like ripples on water. Its understated elegance was palpable, and at first glance, it gave the illusion of immortality.

One woman, dressed in black, sat upright and delicately wiped her flute with a handkerchief. The flute was made of an unidentifiable material that resembled jade yet was entirely black. A purple tassel dangled from the end.

The woman in the colorful brocade dress propped her chin up idly, her gaze fixed on Tingchuan with intense interest.

Tingchuan paid no attention to the others’ gazes. He was busy combing Guan’er’s hair. Guan’er had probably gone into the woods again last night because a pile of dried leaves and burrs had been plucked from his fur and was lying at Tingchuan’s feet.

Tingchuan looked lazy and casual. Guan’er lay lazily on the ground and only reluctantly turned over when prodded. Not far away, several half-grown chicks surrounded the demon and the dog like guards, their eyes darting around with a glint of light.

Initially, Nan Xu felt a little unhappy because of the embroidered woman’s gaze. However, after seeing that combination, he felt like smiling, and his unpleasant feelings vanished.

These chicks have always loved clinging to Tingchuan. When Tingchuan isn’t home, they follow Guan’er around, disturbing his sleep and making him angry. Later, the chicks were moved to the chicken coop behind the house, and the situation improved somewhat. However, the chicks were so accustomed to their old home that they wouldn’t wander off. So, Nan Xu didn’t keep them confined for a few days, and the situation returned to normal.

Thankfully, Guan’er has grown up a lot, and the chicks have learned to restrain their affection. Now, they can live in harmony.

After breakfast, Nan Xu took a stroll through the vegetable patch. The chive seedlings, which were planted over twenty days ago, were ready to be picked and eaten. He also picked some young pumpkin vines to enjoy while they were still tender.

The chives were blanched and served cold, while the pumpkin vines were stir-fried with green peppers for a crispy and tender finish. As soon as these two dishes were served for lunch, Nan Xu heard a system notification chime in his head.

[Main Mission 2-4 Rewards Distributed. Reward List: Recipe Zone Open, Blind Box*2]

He glanced at the notification before shutting down the system, leaving Tingchuan and Zhixing to eat first. The two guests’ dishes hadn’t arrived yet.

Tingchuan returned from a morning walk with two large carp, each weighing seven or eight pounds. He said he met Xuji, a canine from the valley who caught some fish in the river. Xuji insisted that Tingchuan bring the fish back for Nan Xu.

Nan Xu was sitting in the courtyard when he saw Tingchuan walk in with the fish, with a look of disdain on his face. His expression darkened, and he immediately dumped the fish into the pond by the courtyard wall.

“Let’s grill the fish again. We still have some bean sprouts,” said Nanxu, who was still feeling a bit nauseous.

Luo Yi, who was passing by, asked, “Isn’t that dish on the menu?”

Nanxu thought that the dishes on the blackboard menu were based on the available ingredients. Braised small crucian carp was on the menu, but grilled fish was definitely not.

After explaining this to Luo Yi, he stared at the fish in the water and asked, “Can you serve us one too? My sister and I want to try it, too.”

There were two fish, and Nan Xu and his friends only needed one, so they agreed.

The rectangular ceramic bowl now held a temptingly charred, fragrant grilled fish. A layer of chili peppers covered the fish, and a final splash of hot oil was drizzled over the scallions and cilantro, making them juicy and tender. Just the sight of it made one’s mouth water.

After the dishes were served, Nan Xu returned to his seat. The two sisters at the other table were enjoying their meal to their heart’s content. The girl in the brocade clothes kept praising the food, and even the girl in black didn’t seem to be a spoilsport.

Nan Xu poked the belly meat of the fish and placed it in Tingchuan and Zhixing’s bowls. “Try it.”

Tingchuan raised his brows slightly after tasting it. Fish from Zhuyu Mountain don’t have much of a fishy smell. Large fish have more noticeable bones, so they’re not as troublesome to eat as smaller ones. The belly meat is smooth and tender, coated in the red broth. It’s like a thousand flavors in one gulp: spicy, fragrant, and numbing. It leaves you wanting more.

“Delicious,” he said.

The last time he had praised the taste of fish was when he had eaten fish balls. Nan Xu smiled at that, feeling quite accomplished.

As always, Zhi Xing didn’t like talking at the dining table. He lowered his head and picked out the fish bones. After a while, he placed the deboned fish in front of Nan Xu and looked at him with his clear, bright eyes. In a soft yet sincere voice, he said, “Innkeeper, please eat.”

Tingchuan glanced sideways at this.

 

 

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Author’s Note:

Tingchuan: Little Zhixing, you’re dangerous.