Chapter 79: A Comfortable Way to Relax

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: A Comfortable Way to Relax

’Is it her?’

At the thought, Chi Jie’s brow smoothed. It was as if a shadow that had weighed on his heart for days had finally been pierced by a brilliant ray of sunlight. Though his spirit stirred, his expression betrayed no hint of urgency.

Chi Jie lifted his gaze, only to see a sub-female with black hair, wolf ears, and black markings, holding a spatula in one hand and stir-frying vegetables in a wok with her head lowered.

The Imperial Palace Forest, usually lush and green with a perpetual spring-like temperature, suddenly felt a little cold.

He listened as the voice from the light screen continued, unhurriedly explaining the cooking steps: "Cut the thick beef into two-finger-wide chunks. Heat a large spoonful of pork fat oil in the wok, then add the cut beef. Once it’s browned and caramelized, we’ll add two spoonfuls of honey..."

Chi Jie looked at the black-haired sub-female on the screen, a storm of emotion raging in the depths of his golden eyes. It was like thinking he had found a bonfire in a blizzard, only to get closer and discover it was an illusion.

’It’s not her.’

The hand hanging at his side twitched. He glanced at the sub-female one last time before averting his gaze.

Mang Changbai and the other four men remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to lift their heads or even breathe too loudly.

"Go receive a hundred strokes of the rod as punishment. Don’t let it happen again." Chi Jie shot the Forbidden Army Soldiers a cold glance, then turned and left.

The King’s figure vanished into the night, and the immense, oppressive aura disappeared with him. A cool breeze rustled through the leaves.

The gloomy night suddenly became rather pleasant.

"Uh... Did our powerful and cold-hearted King just become so reasonable all of a sudden?!"

Kneeling on the tree branch, the five of them were collectively stunned, their gazes frozen in the direction where the Beast King had disappeared.

They all felt the draining exhaustion of having survived a great disaster. No one had the energy to speak, and they fell silent along with the forest.

Just then, on the light screen, Xiao Si was seen holding a ladle, saying, "When the water for the stewed armored meat comes to a boil, you need to skim off the layer of scum that forms on top. This will reduce the gamey taste of the broth and make it clearer."

Mang Changbai snapped back to his senses.

He licked his lips wistfully. The thought that he wouldn’t be able to join the flash sale for pickled cabbage on Si Shi’s livestream today made a pang of heartache immediately replace his earlier fear.

With regret in his eyes, Mang Changbai finally raised a hand, squeezed his eyes shut, and heartlessly turned off the light screen.

The forest was plunged back into darkness. After a moment of silence, one of the Forbidden Army Soldiers said, his voice laced with lingering fear, "That scared me to death. Why did the King show up all of a sudden? I thought for sure he’d discovered us slacking off on duty and was going to have us all executed according to the law."

Another one said in astonishment, "I really didn’t expect the King to suddenly appear here, at the edge of the mountain range so close to the city line."

Mang Changbai stood up. With his long arms, he hooked a dangling branch, using it to launch himself lightly upward. In just a few leaps, he reached the top of the tree.

Here, there was a circular watch post built by the Bird Clan from branches, blending perfectly with the treetop. Standing on it provided a vast, unobstructed view of the forest below.

As soon as Mang Changbai reached the top, his four subordinates followed him up.

One of the subordinates looked down at the forest below and asked in a low voice, "Chief, have you really eaten the pickled cabbage? What’s it taste like? Is it good?"

The chief of the Forbidden Army, Mang Changbai, put on a world-weary expression. Leaning against a pillar of the watch post, he gazed into the distance. "It was the most delicious stewed bones I’ve ever eaten. But... even after tipping six Million Coins, I only managed to win one jar in the auction. He didn’t even accept my private message request."

Everyone: "!!!"

Mang Changbai heaved a heavy sigh. "Looks like my only option is to send someone to find that streamer offline..."

...

Because of the recent little incident, Chi Jie’s already foul mood worsened. He was no longer in the mood for a walk in the forest and returned directly to his bedchambers.

The massive doors to the hall were pulled open from both sides by tall guards, and Chi Jie strode inside.

The bedchambers were dead silent. The antechamber was simple, with no superfluous decorations. The high, vaulted ceiling was exquisitely carved, but the vast hall had few large furnishings, giving it a cold, empty feeling.

To the right, past a huge screen, was a hot spring larger than a swimming pool, steaming with wisps of white vapor. The air was thick with moist warmth.

After undressing, Chi Jie descended into the pool.

He submerged his entire face in the warm water. His short, dark hair fanned out around him, and the water lent his handsome features a dreamlike quality.

Whenever he was exceptionally agitated with no outlet for his feelings, he liked to find a quiet, warm pool and submerge himself completely. The water muffled all outside sounds, softening them.

The only sound in the entire pool was his own, alone beneath the surface.

It was a very comfortable way to relax.

This time, however, it wasn’t working. That voice, so similar to the red-haired female’s, seemed to become like ubiquitous drops of water, striking his mind again and again now that he was submerged with only the sound of his own presence.

This made Chi Jie feel a loss of control for the second time that night. His golden eyes, deep and dark, glowed with the heat of magma, their brilliance beneath the water breathtakingly captivating.

After a few seconds, Chi Jie frowned, surfaced from the water, and reached for the pile of clothes on the bank. He took out his communication wristband and tapped it with his fingertip.

The figure of the black-haired sub-female appeared on the light screen, and Chi Jie’s frown deepened.

On the screen, Feng Si washed her hands, then covered the pot to let the armored meat brisket simmer. "We have limited time on the stream, so for the next step, I’ll demonstrate using some armored meat brisket I stewed earlier. The preparation is exactly the same as the one we just did."

She was holding a white plate, on which the armored meat brisket had a caramelized color. You could even see the individual strands of meat. It looked tender enough to fall apart, yet still had a bit of springiness.

"As I said at the beginning, today I’m teaching you all how to make Pickled Cabbage Braised Armored Meat. Besides the armored meat brisket, Si Shi’s pickled cabbage is an essential ingredient."

Attracted by the aroma of the meat, Yun Chi, who was lying in the pouch on Feng Si’s belly, rolled over and slowly opened a pair of large, golden eyes. Feeling the movement on her stomach, Feng Si placed a hand protectively over her abdomen and held it still. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

With her other hand, she placed the plate back on the table, then picked up the jar of pickled cabbage and moved it next to the armored meat brisket. This way, all the ingredients would be shown together, so viewers who missed the beginning of the stream could clearly see what was needed.

"This meat dish is enhanced by the sweetness of honey and also absorbs the sourness from the pickled cabbage, which can stimulate the appetite." Feng Si poured the armored meat into the pot, added the shredded pickled cabbage, and continued speaking as it cooked:

"When you use pickled cabbage to stew bones, the sourness is milder. When you stir-fry it with meat, the sourness is a bit stronger. It all depends on your personal taste and how you choose to pair it. Pickled cabbage is very versatile and has a unique flavor. It’s the perfect side ingredient for making delicious food without needing any special cooking skills."

Chi Jie listened to the black-haired sub-female’s voice, his gaze fixed on the black hair on ’Xiao Si’s’ head on the screen. Unconsciously, his brow began to relax slightly.

’How strange. This black-haired sub-female gives me a very strange feeling.’

He raised his hand and pressed the back of it against the nape of his neck. His spiritual power, which had been soothed by the red-haired female months ago, was inexplicably restless, and the sensation itself was bizarre.