Chapter 10 — ILK Chapter 10

Northern Snakehead Tofu Soup and Crispy Grass Carp (3)

There is an old saying: One cannot eat hot tofu if they are in a hurry.

This applied perfectly to Shiping Tofu. The exterior was fried to a crisp, sealing in the heat so completely that not even a wisp of steam escaped, but the inside was saturated with scalding broth.

Wu Jianing had set her sights on these round, cute little things from the start. She scooped one up with her small spoon and, impatient as ever, shoved it into her mouth.

"Don't—" Before Sang Ye could finish her warning, a loud cry of pain came from inside the sterile chamber.

Wu Huansheng and Mu An immediately pressed themselves against the transparent glass, looking at their daughter with anxiety. "Jianing! What’s wrong?"

"It’s hot. Eat slowly," Sang Ye said, feeling somewhat helpless. She had lost count of how many times she’d told the girl to be careful of the heat, but the moment she missed a beat, the girl got burned.

"Bite a small hole in the skin first, then blow on it—" Sang Ye walked to the side of the chamber, guiding the girl on how to eat this specific tofu. "Yes, like that. Blow a few more times. Eat it only when it’s no longer scorching."

Wu Jianing followed her instructions. Having just been burned, she was now extra cautious. With just a small bite, the silky-smooth tofu inside slid right down her tongue.

Eh? What happened? I didn't even get to taste it!

Confused, Jianing looked at the half-eaten tofu in her spoon. Beneath the golden-fried skin was a snow-white bean curd that had soaked up the fish soup—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, as magical as a trick. Especially when taken with a gulp of the broth—Wow! The texture was incredible.

The child didn't understand the culinary technique behind it; she only knew it was delicious.

Because Shiping Tofu is set with underground well water, it usually carries a faint, earthy smell. However, after Sang Ye soaked it in spiritual spring water for half an hour, that scent was gone; once simmered in the fish soup, not a trace remained.

Sang Ye was always willing to put in this kind of detailed preparatory work. As a member of Shifang Grotto, she lived by the creed: Never grow weary of refined food or meticulous preparation. To eat meat, one must use various methods to remove the gaminess; to eat mushrooms, one must distinguish toxic from non-toxic and find ways to neutralize poisons; to eat pastries, one must wait patiently for fermentation.

After finishing a piece of tofu, Wu Jianing turned her attention to the large bowl filled with Crispy Grass Carp, where emerald scallions floated on the milky broth. The soup had a dash of white pepper, which added a slight "kick" to the throat on top of the freshness of the fish. The stimulation to the taste buds was immense; after one sip, she wanted another immediately, as if she could turn herself into a little perpetual motion machine fueled by soup.

The warmth brought by the fish soup rapidly dissolved the numbness and cold in her limbs. It was even more comfortable than the mental channelings her father gave her!

Picking up a slice of Crispy Grass Carp with her fork, Jianing blew on the steam and took a large "Awoo" bite. She was pleasantly surprised to find that this meat was different from anything she had ever eaten! It was crisp and fresh, yet required less effort to bite through than the tofu skin. With a few gentle chews, the meat melted away, sliding straight down into her belly.

Crispy Grass Carp would have been even more flavorful with a dipping sauce, but considering Jianing was regenerating her legs, Sang Ye didn't want her consuming too many dark-colored condiments. She hadn't brought any for herself either—she knew that if a child saw an adult eating something they couldn't have, there would definitely be a tantrum.

Finally, there were the fried poached eggs that had simmered in the broth. The once runny yolks had solidified, becoming rich and fragrant without being greasy when eaten with the soup.

The way the girl ate reminded Sang Ye of the little Dangkang piglets she used to see. But being able to eat was a good thing; it proved she wasn't being tortured by pain. If she could eat, she could grow.

Sang Ye hadn't packed the fish head or bones. First, there wasn't much meat on them, and second, people in this world didn't know how to eat fish; a bone stuck in the throat would be a massive disaster. Although ingredients were precious in this world, one couldn't be too stingy. She decided to keep the leftover bones, grind them into bone meal, and scatter them in her "garden" as fertilizer. She just hadn't decided what to plant yet.

Seeing Wu Jianing eating happily and quickly finishing the large bowl, Sang Ye stepped down from the observation area and opened the separate portions of soup and cooked noodles.

"I made this for the adults. Would you two like to try some?" Sang Ye asked Wu Huansheng and Mu An.

Sang Ye didn't hold a grudge over Wu Huansheng's earlier attitude. Even as a stranger, her heart had skipped a beat seeing the girl's bloody leg bone; how much more must it have hurt the biological mother who gave birth to her? Furthermore, Wu Huansheng was a General. Even in exile on Black Tower, the Empire hadn't stripped her of her rank. To make an enemy of such a person—if they were broad-minded, it might be fine, but if they were petty, Sang Ye’s life at the base would only get harder.

Since she didn't know them well, it was better to clear the air early. This wasn't about being calculating; Shifang Grotto was a secular sect, and its disciples had few taboos. Their long history had naturally developed a philosophy of social wisdom.

Wu Huansheng and Mu An knew what this Guide was accused of, but they also remembered her rebuttal. Perhaps there was another truth hidden beneath the "confession." Since Sang Ye had reached out, they had no reason to refuse.

"It was my fault for attacking you this morning without knowing the facts. I apologize," Wu Huansheng said with unexpected grace. "Name whatever compensation you want—money, a starship, or anything else."

Wu Huansheng came from a prominent family; her mother was a decorated General, and her grandmother was a pioneer Marshal. She was supposed to rise through the ranks like her ancestors, but her spiritual form had held her back. Fortunately, she had younger sisters to inherit the family legacy. She didn't need to tell Sang Ye all this; she just wanted to show that she could grant almost anything except a sentence reduction.

"I'll keep that in mind then," Sang Ye didn't decline, accepting the offer just as openly. "If there comes a day when I need a General's help, I will certainly ask."

Wu Huansheng nodded. She and Mu An didn't ask Sang Ye to serve them; they took out the noodles themselves.

"These are noodles cooked in the fish broth. I packed them separately so they wouldn't get soggy on the way," Sang Ye explained. "Just toss them together."

The couple followed her instructions, using forks to mix the noodles and soup, though it didn't look as beautiful as when a chef plates it fresh. But this food was rare and they had never seen it before, so they didn't mind. Then, Sang Ye served them each a bowl of the Northern Snakehead Tofu Soup.

As Wu Huansheng ate, she occasionally looked back at her daughter. Jianing was nearly finished and was now using a small spoon to scrape out the last of the bone marrow, her face covered in grease.

"That is Dangkang marrow," Sang Ye noted, following her gaze. "It comes from the same lineage as your daughter’s spiritual form."

"You actually recognize what it is?" Mu An asked. Normally, a Sentinel cannot enter another's mental landscape—it’s a biological restriction—but he shared his with his wife. Neither of them knew what that spiritual form was, just as no one had ever recognized his spiritual form.

"...I read a lot in my spare time. Ancient texts from several epochs ago mentioned it," Sang Ye replied after a brief silence, quickly fabricating an answer.

Wu Huansheng shot her a look, then lowered her head to continue eating. The fish soup noodles were entirely different from the Yangchun noodles. While both used broth, the fish soup was thick and white, while the Yangchun soup was clear.

Wu Huansheng had only intended to try a bite, but once she started, she couldn't stop. As a rare ultra-A-rank Sentinel, the mental channelings of most Guides were useless to her; they were all too afraid of the backlash. Only Mu An, who was strangely compatible with her, could roam her mental landscape freely, even after his rank dropped to C. Unfortunately, his current mental power was insufficient; he needed half a month of rest after a single session. Their daughter was more important, so unless it was an emergency, Wu Huansheng never asked him for help.

But the mental energy in this meal was like entering an uninhabited land. it landed freely in her mental landscape, with the majority attaching itself to her resting spiritual form.

Sang Ye had not yet seen the mental landscape of a Sentinel in a riot. If she were to enter now, she would see that in Wu Huansheng’s mind, the sky was covered in cracks, the once lush green grass was decaying, the stagnant water in the pond couldn't even manage a ripple, and the walls of the distant skyscrapers were peeling away. Everything was spiraling toward a final collapse.

The spiritual form—wrapped in massive vines—was trying to rest, but a strange, inexplicable irritability made it want to rush out and destroy something. It twisted restlessly on the grass.

Until several "blooms" of mental energy descended.

The spiritual form was instinctively resistant at first, but they landed gently upon it and naturally merged into its being, as if they were always meant to be there. The creature was confused, but as the energy fused, it became drowsy. Slowly, for the first time in years, it fell into a deep, heavy sleep.

Wu Huansheng was the first to sense this. She froze, her fork halfway to her mouth, and even called out to the form in disbelief. It didn't budge. Even when Mu An’s mental power was at its peak, he couldn't completely soothe her form; sometimes he even got "beaten up" within her landscape.

But today, it had slept.

Wu Huansheng looked up at Sang Ye with a gaze full of shock and uncertainty. Just as Sang Ye returned a puzzled look, Wu Jianing shouted from inside the sterile chamber: "Mom! Dad! Look!"

There was no pain in her voice, only fear.

At her cry, Wu Huansheng’s spiritual form jolted awake, as if the previous peace had been an illusion. The adults in the room turned toward the chamber, and a scene unfolded that left them speechless.

Wu Jianing’s calf was growing rapidly! Within minutes, the silhouette of a foot had appeared!

"Ah!" she screamed again. "There's something talking in my head!"