Cooking

Until the next morning, Huo Ze would have no need for food or drink, and his wound would absolutely not become infected.

Ye Xing Zhi, who had never cared for a patient before, felt very satisfied with himself.

But what was beyond Ye Xing Zhi's expectation was that Huo Ze, after sleeping until late afternoon, was still able to struggle out of bed to cook. It seemed the Grain Abstinence Pill was very effective on him.

Ye Xing Zhi sent a wisp of Divine Sense to cling to Huo Ze, watching this "constrained" protagonist patrol the back courtyard once, even gently pulling open the bedside cabinet drawer to check, and finally successfully finding the small back door of the courtyard to go out and pick vegetables, escorted by the Golden Retriever.

Before picking the fresh cabbage, Huo Ze stared at the herb garden for a few seconds, then looked at the chicks actively catching insects and weeding, pursed his lips, and then turned and left. He had no intention of touching the spirit herbs; he was very careful.

Not only that, Huo Ze also picked up the iron hoe used for disguise and weighed it, as if secretly testing its feel and effectiveness.

Afterward, he carefully placed the gardening tools back in their original spot, obediently went into the kitchen, washed the pot, lit the fire, and cooked. The sound of a knife chopping vegetables rang out.

He was clearly a patient with a fever, yet he quickly prepared three savory dishes and a hot soup.

Initially, Ye Xing Zhi hadn't realized his peeping behavior was a bit sneaky, but then he suddenly remembered the Heavenly Dao's loud shouts in his ear. He quickly retracted his Divine Sense and sat down to meditate seriously.

Refusing to think.

It wasn't until Huo Ze politely knocked on the door to call him for dinner that he pretended not to know anything and calmly walked out of the main hall.

A rich aroma filled the dining room, a scent of worldly life unfamiliar to Ye Xing Zhi.

Thinly sliced dried meat lay on the rice, emanating warmth, creating an incredibly alluring fragrance.

The dried meat, sausages, and salted fish hanging by the kitchen door were all brought from Ye Xing Zhi's manager's hometown. He didn't know how to prepare these things, but Huo Ze was particularly skilled.

Huo Ze proactively set out the bowls, chopsticks, and food, pointing to the delicious steamed fish dish on the left, explaining with a hint of embarrassment, "This fish was caught by your dog from the small stream; it was still jumping when I killed it. It's so smart."

This three-section house was very large. Huo Ze suspected that even if he shouted loudly in the kitchen, Ye Xing Zhi might not have heard him.

Ye Xing Zhi: ... You don't need to explain; I saw everything with my Divine Sense.

He also didn't know why his dog was so good to Huo Ze.

Though he thought this, Ye Xing Zhi said nothing more. He merely observed this "Arrogant Protagonist" with great interest.

Such a polite and reserved young man was absolutely not Huo Ze's true face. Who knew, Huo Ze's hands might already be stained with the blood of several people, but due to circumstances, he had to feign such pitifulness.

But this afternoon, Ye Xing Zhi had successfully broken through to the mid Foundation Establishment Stage. Even if Huo Ze's dual-system Abilities awakened, he could still crush him with a single finger.

When one possessed absolute strength, no matter how Huo Ze acted, Ye Xing Zhi wouldn't bother to speculate.

After all, he hadn't fully calmed down after that failed divination; his heart was truly in turmoil. Every time he saw Huo Ze's handsome, embarrassed face, he couldn't help but suspect his own lack of skill, suspect he was deceived by an Outer Realm Heavenly Demon, suspect the Heavenly Daos of the two worlds conspired to harm him.

It was better to respond to movement with stillness, do nothing, and temporarily enjoy... the other party's act.

Ye Xing Zhi sat down at the dining table, glanced at Huo Ze, who stood constrained, and calmly picked up his chopsticks to take a piece of fish.

...Delicious.

He immediately took another piece.

Ye Xing Zhi was orphaned from a young age and sent to a sect to cultivate for a thousand years, so he had rarely tasted mortal food. Huo Ze's cooking skills were beyond his expectation, and the abundant spiritual energy made the dishes even more fragrant and the rice soft and flavorful, grain by grain.

Although he never felt hungry, Ye Xing Zhi continuously picked up food. He appeared slow and leisurely, but in reality, he picked quickly and precisely.

Huo Ze, who had experienced the Apocalypse, could not waste a single bit of food. His hand speed was even faster than Ye Xing Zhi's by a few points; he even drank all the vegetable soup.

This meal was eaten as if in battle; no one spoke, and their chopsticks almost clashed in mid-air. The quiet atmosphere was filled with an indescribable awkwardness.

But Huo Ze knew his body desperately needed protein and carbohydrates, so for now, he could only bury himself in eating. Even if he was stuffed, he had to eat.

He was a grateful person. During his recovery, Huo Ze decided to do as much as possible, perhaps even going into the mountains to hunt some wild boars and rabbits. Because Ye Xing Zhi didn't have a fever and didn't look like someone with Abilities.

Even if this person instinctively made him feel extremely dangerous, perhaps he had special means to control Mutant Beasts...

Huo Ze lowered his eyes slightly, wiped the dining table clean, and proactively carried the empty tray to wash, suddenly being told by Ye Xing Zhi not to use cold water.

He obediently agreed, picked up the almost dust-free dishcloth by the pond, and felt the gunshot wound on his abdomen rapidly closing.

Although the intense pain was still there, there was no bleeding, and it didn't affect his daily activities.

He was truly curious, wondering what Ye Xing Zhi had done to him.

Huo Ze washed the dishes, lost in thought. Compared to the demeanor he had deliberately shown earlier, he seemed to have gained a few shades of composure. He lowered his head, his facial features looking very sharp, until the rising hot steam blurred everything.

*

Dusk fell. The rooster hastily herded the chickens and ducks back to their coop, and the two puppies, full from their meal, lazily returned to their nests to sleep.

Ye Xing Zhi led Huo Ze to the main hall, boiling water to brew tea.

This meal had improved his impression of the protagonist quite a bit, so he decided to get straight to the point and change his approach to the problem.

He took out a low-grade Spirit Tea from his Spatial Ring, which he rarely used. Its taste was similar to ordinary tea, but for the weakened Huo Ze at this moment, it was a great tonic that he couldn't even beg for.

Huo Ze sensitively noticed the unusualness of the tea. He seemed reluctant to drink it, but Ye Xing Zhi wouldn't give him a chance to refuse. He was also very smart, silently picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said nothing more.

This compliance improved Ye Xing Zhi's mood somewhat, and he decided not to beat around the bush with Huo Ze any longer.

Thus, his question was very direct: "Let's talk. How did you fall from the mountain?"

Huo Ze's tea-drinking motion paused. He slowly placed the teacup on the table, then calmly said, "I encountered poachers."

"So that's it. Are they all dead?" Ye Xing Zhi poured him a second cup of tea, his tone calm.

Huo Ze was startled and looked up at Ye Xing Zhi.

Ye Xing Zhi looked directly at him, his deep black eyes devoid of scrutiny or disgust, but also without too much emotion.

The room was very quiet. Huo Ze felt as if his entire body was seen through, all his secrets impossible to hide.

His body tensed. He tried to calmly pick up the teacup and softly replied, "They're all dead."

Then, without waiting for Ye Xing Zhi to speak, he quickly added, "You must know what happened outside. I had no other choice."

Seeing the young man lower his eyes again, Ye Xing Zhi calmly "mm-hmmed," then poured him more hot tea.

Only when Huo Ze had drunk his fill of tea did Ye Xing Zhi feel somewhat satisfied and speak again.

"It's good that they're all dead," he slowly stroked the armrest of his chair, giving Huo Ze a natural command, "If anyone else falls into my valley, help me tie them up and throw them to the chickens."

Huo Ze: ...???