Ham Instant Noodles (1)
Sang Ye had noticed the massive, aged scar on Wu Huansheng’s face from the very beginning. Since Wu Huansheng’s spiritual form was still present and full of vitality, why had this scar failed to heal and fade over the years?
Noticing Sang Ye’s gaze, Wu Huansheng touched her face. "It was caused by Zerg toxins. The toxin lingers here, corroding the area repeatedly. My spiritual form can build a barrier to keep it from invading my brain, but it can’t drive it away entirely. Thus, the scar cannot heal itself."
Wu Huansheng did not tell her that she had once cut away half of her own face in an attempt to dig out the toxin, only for the deepest remnants to surge back out the moment the new flesh grew. She had long since grown used to it over the years; she hadn't come here today to wallow in self-pity.
She raised her hand and tapped a few controls on her terminal; the indicator lights on the standby robots in the kitchen all went dark.
"Colonel Sang Ye, you healed Ningning. I reported this to my mother, and she takes it very seriously," Wu Huansheng said. "A member of my family serves as a Chief Justice of the Imperial Court. She is willing to mediate and increase the amount of time deducted from your sentence."
Sang Ye was stunned. It felt as if someone had handed her a pillow just as she was getting sleepy—a true "pie in the sky" moment.
"Wu Jianing is the youngest child of our family and a Guide. Her significance is extraordinary. Therefore, my mother has secured a sentence reduction of 200 star-years for you. It should be updated on your terminal shortly."
Dumbfounded, Sang Ye opened her terminal. The blood-red "9,999 star-years" had indeed changed to 9,799 star-years. A notification email had just arrived, timed almost exactly to when Wu Huansheng entered the room.
The email read: By the petition of General Wu Huansheng and General Wu Xiangxi, approved by the Imperial Court and signed by Her Majesty, the B-rank Guide Sang Ye is granted a 200-year reduction for the meritorious rescue of the Guide Wu Jianing. (Note: General Wu Xiangxi initially requested 500 years; Chief Justice Wu Xiangchuan rejected and lowered it.)
It wasn't hard to see the family connection in those names.
"My mother initially requested 500 years, but my aunt, Wu Xiangchuan, representing the Imperial Court, rejected and lowered it to 200," Wu Huansheng explained. "500 years would never have been approved. The Court has an unwritten rule: sentencings and reductions rarely pass on the first try. If handled by different people, the process can drag on for years. But the Chief Justice represents the final link; once she approves or rejects a case, the only step left is the Empress's signature."
"..." Sang Ye wasn't naive. "I assume you didn't come here just to give me this good news?"
Wu Huansheng smiled with a hint of appreciation. "I came to show goodwill—to prove that our family repays its debts. Ningning manifesting as a Guide is huge for us, but she is too young. It's unknown what heights she will bring the family to in her long life. The descendants who have already grown up are more important." Her gray eyes fixed on Sang Ye.
"My mother promises you this: if you can cure my spiritual form, she will do her utmost to secure a reduction of at least one thousand five hundred star-years for you. Furthermore, she will expand your range of movement, allowing you to leave Black Tower Planet under surveillance."
Sang Ye lowered her eyes to avoid eye contact, preventing her emotions from being read. This offer was incredibly tempting, especially the part about leaving Black Tower, now that she knew her sect sisters were alive. She saw the immense power behind Wu Huansheng’s family, but how could she guarantee their word? She couldn't. They could go back on their promise at any time, but Sang Ye had only one path: to trust her.
"Colonel Sang Ye, I can only make a verbal agreement with you on this—a gentleman's agreement," Wu Huansheng said, glancing at the forced-sleep robots. "Some things cannot be discussed openly. You can certainly earn reductions through normal procedures by treating Sentinels, provided you can accept long waits and small amounts. Besides... there are people who would rather you didn't leave."
Sang Ye froze. She had already displayed the power of "food therapy" and healed Wu Jianing. If she could consistently heal Sentinels... An ordinary man is innocent, but carrying a treasure makes him a target. Shifang Grotto had been targeted for that very reason.
"You can think about it..."
Before Wu Huansheng could finish, Sang Ye interrupted. "General, I will give it my all. But the existence of spiritual forms is complex; I don't know how much of an effect I can have, and I cannot guarantee the final result. I won't accept waiting until I'm 'completely cured' to get a reduction. I demand a reduction every time your mental stability rank improves, and each time must be no less than 200 years."
Sentinels have five stability ranks, from A down to E. E is the most dangerous state, signifying a spiritual form on the brink of collapse and riot. Imperial law dictated that any Sentinel tested at Rank E three times would be forced into retirement to prevent harm to others. On Black Tower, no Sentinel had been tested fewer than three times; General Asu had even stopped testing herself out of indifference. Wu Huansheng had come here voluntarily with her family after her third E-rank, wanting to avoid doing something irreversible that would stain her family's name.
Wu Huansheng looked at her for a long time before letting out an approving chuckle. "My mother will agree. We like dealing with smart people."
Regarding the "treatment," Sang Ye didn't have a systematic plan. She wasn't a normal Guide, so her only option was to provide three meals a day to the Wu family to see if infusing them with mental energy would work. However, Wu Huansheng frowned at the suggestion, stating she couldn't stay at the base all day.
It turned out Sentinels on Black Tower weren't idle. The planet held a rare mineral called Black Crystal, a vital military resource for weapon casings, ship hulls, and space fortresses. The "black mountains" Sang Ye saw upon arrival were all covered in it. Before the Empire took over, this was a "treasure vault" for space pirates, though they could only steal small amounts due to the mining difficulty and native resistance. Since the base was established, pirates had nearly vanished, and the Sentinels were assigned tasks: guarding the veins, using mental power to mine, or suppressing the rebellious natives.
The Empire paid well, and even if the Sentinels couldn't use the money here, they could leave it to their families. On the ore mountains, it didn't matter if you had a mental riot; everyone was a Sentinel, and a riot could actually help shatter the veins and speed up mining. It was a hellish irony. But having nothing to do was worse; it led to "mental void," whereas constant activity helped maintain a modicum of stability.
Wu Huansheng was part of the front-line force suppressing the natives. She was currently on rotation, but she would have to go back soon. A fixed three-meals-a-day schedule was impossible unless Sang Ye went with her. Sang Ye didn't want to. The base was safe; General Asu might dislike her, but she had no intent to harm her. Mining and combat sounded far too dangerous.
Was the reduction project over before it even began?
Sang Ye reactivated the robot and had it pulverize kitchen waste for her garden. The garden was exposed to the planet's elements, and the mental energy was far less than in her pocket dimension. The peppers and peppercorns hadn't even sprouted. If she relied on that, it would take ages.
Human technology had never focused on food because most plants went extinct in the era when mental power awakened. Since then, humans were like locusts—every planet they inhabited saw a mass extinction of flora. Without ingredients, there was no drive for culinary development. They could invent portable blast-proof boxes for biological "bullets," but they had no high-tech way to preserve food flavor beyond crude freezing. Even the Royal Warehouse only held "zombie meat."
She couldn't have food delivered daily; Wu Huansheng’s location changed constantly as she patrolled. Is there a food that is easy to carry and can be prepared even by someone with no cooking skills?
In Sang Ye’s era, armies had Guokui or Huoshao, but they eventually became too hard to digest. She turned to her terminal and asked the AI: "In ancient times, before plants went extinct, what long-lasting, portable foods did humans have? How were they made?"
(Guokui and Huoshao (or Shaobing) are both delicious Chinese flaky flatbreads, often used interchangeably or as regional variations of the same concept: crispy, often layered breads, pan-fried or baked, filled with savory (meat, veggies, spices) or sweet (red bean paste) fillings, popular street foods from Shaanxi and Sichuan to Northern China, with Guokui meaning "pot helmet" due to its shape. Think of them as Chinese savory/sweet stuffed pancakes or pizza, with regional styles differing in texture and fillings.)
The AI searched for three seconds and replied: Ancient humans had many ways to preserve food. The most common were vacuum packaging and additives. Among these, Instant Noodles could be eaten by simply adding boiling water and seasonings. They had a shelf life of six months to a year. Rice noodles and snail noodles also had instant versions. Onigiri (rice balls) lasted 2-3 days. Jerky, dried fruit, and bread were also common...
Sang Ye was amazed by the list. Instant Noodles caught her eye. It was a flour-based food that could be stored for months and restored with boiling water. All the seasonings were included. It was "idiot-proof."
She rushed to the kitchen and called the robot, having it switch to a spiral-bladed mechanical arm. She decided to make a small batch as a test. She kneaded a half-bag of flour, let it ferment, and rolled it thin.
Then the robot took over. Its spiral blades cut the dough into wavy, curly strands. Sang Ye cut them into 200g square blocks and steamed them at 180°C for a few minutes. Finally, she deep-fried the noodle blocks until they were set.
The noodle blocks were done. But Sang Ye’s manual capacity was limited. According to the AI, ancient humans had "factories" that could supply half a country.
Next, she prepared the base and toppings. She knew she had healed Wu Jianing because of the bloodline-compatible Dangkang marrow, but Wu Huansheng was an adult with a complex mental riot. Sang Ye’s current ability was limited, so she had to focus on infusing a massive amount of mental power into the food.
She used the pork bone broth she had brewed earlier. She cut beef into tiny cubes, marinated them with aromatics, and stir-fried them with the broth, soy sauce, and chili until it became a thick, concentrated paste. A spicy, savory aroma exploded in the kitchen. She put the sauce into the freezer to solidify.
Then, she finely chopped carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and greens, drying them in the oven into small flakes. The vegetable packs were done. Eggs could last a while in the crisper, and the ham was already preserved.
The final step was vacuum sealing. The robot brought a variety of non-toxic bags. Sang Ye chose transparent ones for the sauce and veggies, and a yellow, parchment-like bag for the noodles to help absorb oil. They worked together—one bagging, the other vacuuming and sealing.
By sunset, one hundred portions of Savory Beef Ham Instant Noodles were complete.
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