'He thinks highly of Xu Qing's Purple Moon power and wants to temper him so that Little Qing can grow quickly. He probably wants to borrow Little Qing's ability to unlock the seals on his siblings?'
'This matter is not that simple; the Red Moon Shrine will surely have substantial defenses.'
The captain fell into deep thought and recalled the other party's actions on the way. He could tell that this ruler prince enjoyed the fireworks in the human world very much and didn't have any objections to staying in this small apothecary.
'Yes, that makes sense. After all, he is a reclusive old man who should appreciate the heartwarming scene of living with his descendants.'
At the thought of this, the captain immediately looked at Ning Yan and the others.
"Who among you knows how to cook? Hurry up and cook a meal for grandpa."
Ning Yan was at a loss. Wu Jianwu also scratched his head. Li Youfei hesitated while Ling'er's eyes lit up with eagerness.
Back then, in Duanmu Zang's Firefly City, she had learned a lot of cooking skills from those elder sisters and aunties. Brother Xu Qing liked to eat it very much every time, so she was about to speak.
Xu Qing saw this from the side and spoke before Ling'er could.
"Let me do it."
After saying that, Xu Qing stood up. However, after some thought, he slowly spoke.
"But there are no ingredients."
The captain, upon hearing that Xu Qing was going to cook, was curious as well. He quickly inquired with the others, and under Wu Jianwu's gaze, the parrot reluctantly shook its body, dropping large fishes onto the ground.
It liked eating fish. On its way to find Xu Qing earlier, it caught quite a few fish. Whenever it sneaked out during regular days, it would catch fish to eat.
Its father was naturally clear about this.
After taking out its remaining fishes, the parrot looked at Xu Qing eagerly. It wanted to say a few words but hesitated and could only let out a sigh while giving an angry look to the captain and others.
"You guys, why aren't you working? Can't you see that this place is dirty? Hurry up and tidy it up!"
The captain smiled. Ning Yan's gaze was deep, and Wu Jianwu pretended not to see it. However, he knew that Erniu's plan should be starting soon.
Just like that, everyone began to work. Some cleaned the ground, some wiped the tables and counter, and some placed medicinal pills on the shelf. In fact, at the parrot's request, they all changed into rough hemp robes and didn't look like cultivators.
The captain saw that there was a lot of work to do, and he noticed that the heir lacked someone to serve him. He thought of Nether Fairy and decided to release her from the world fragment.
The instant she appeared in the apothecary, Nether Fairy released her aura. There were also sounds of gritted teeth echoing.
"Chen Erniu, you damn…"
Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu didn't care about the appearance of Nether Fairy. They continued with their work without even glancing at her. However, when she spoke, the captain's eyes widened, and he interrupted her arrogantly.
"Nether Fairy, how dare you? Can't you see who's here?!"
The captain smugly pointed behind Nether Fairy.
Nether Fairy was stunned. She sensed that something was wrong and instinctively turned her head to take a look.
Just a glance…
A moment later, there was an additional maidservant in the apothecary.
Just like that, time flowed by. The sky outside was dark and the wind was whistling.
The cold of the night started to creep in from all directions, and there were few lights in the earth city. Every household was shivering from the cold, except for the small apothecary. As Xu Qing cooked, the fragrance gradually wafted through the air.
The scent of the cooking created a warm and cozy atmosphere, filling the apothecary with a sense of homeliness.
Two hours later, Xu Qing carried some dishes and placed them on the table.
Fragrance filled the air and the entire table was filled with fish dishes.
There was fish soup, grilled fish skin, fried fish, braised fish…
Seeing this sumptuous meal, the captain was quite surprised.
When Ling'er saw this, she almost drooled. She quickly sat there and picked up her chopsticks, staring eagerly at the old man.
The heir smiled and lifted a piece. He chewed and swallowed slowly and nodded.
"Don't be too reserved, try it together."
The captain, curious and cautious, picked up a piece and ate it, and then praised it. However, deep down, he was contemplating that it wasn't as delicious as god's flesh.
Ning Yan also took a bite, showing signs of being impressed, but secretly contemplated it was just average.
Wu Jianwu had a sip of the soup, sighed, and as someone who had not eaten ordinary food for a long time, he had the urge to make fun and compose poems but restrained himself when he glanced at Xu Qing.
As for Nether Fairy, as a maid, she had the privilege to take a few bites, but after just one, she didn't want to eat anymore. In her memories, human flesh was the most delicious, and if she could have eat Erniu, it would be even better.
Only Ling'er and Li Youfei ate the most. The latter kept flattering the taste while the former's eyes lit up.
"So, Brother Xu Qing's cooking is so delicious." Ling'er blinked and felt that her cooking should be better. Hence, she thought about showing off her skills in a few days.
Just as they were immersed in their own world, the prince took a sip of fish soup.
"Xu Qing, your cooking technique seems to come from the south, and this soup has a unique flavor. It was originally supposed to be snake soup, right? Using fish as a substitute is understandable, but it lacks the same level of umami."
Ling'er's body paused.
"Also, this fish skin should have been snake skin. It's the same for the meat. You're using the method of cooking snakes to make a fish feast."
After the heir tasted it, he gazed at Xu Qing and Ling'er teasingly.
Xu Qing glanced at the heir and fell silent.
Ling'er startled and horror manifested in her eyes. She instinctively moved closer to Xu Qing and hurriedly spoke.
"Brother Xu Qing, snakes aren't delicious. They taste bad."
Xu Qing nodded.
The heir laughed. At this moment, he no longer had the dignity of an heir. He gazed very amiable and kind like an old grandpa.
