Chapter 4: Come, Come, I’ll Make You a Bowl of Cat Food

“Gift?” The Moonlight Celestial Beast was momentarily stunned, then, with heightened sensitivity, it sniffed the distinct scent of the Xuanshui Pill from Chen Xi’s hand, its eyes narrowing dangerously.

The Moonlight Celestial Beast’s clan carried the bloodline of the ^[1]Bi’an (狴犴) is a mythical creature from Chinese folklore, often depicted as a fierce, lion-like beast. In ancient Chinese myth, the Bi’an was known for its ability to distinguish right … Continue readingBi’an, capable of seeing through right and wrong by nature. It was fully aware of the origins of Chen Xi’s Xuanshui Pill. Therefore, when Chen Xi presented the pill to it, the purpose was clear and obvious.

The despicable mortal, daring to attempt to use it!

The Moonlight Celestial Beast curled its ears in dissatisfaction, deciding that if Chen Xi didn’t make something as delicious as yesterday’s meal to make up for it, it would give him a severe beating. However, the next second, when the object in Chen Xi’s hand was placed in front of it, the Beast’s raised claw froze mid-air.

Its gaze was locked on the object.

What… what is this? It cautiously stepped back, its fluffy tail standing on end.

At this moment, the Xuanshui Pill was still the same pill, but it looked completely different. The smooth pill had been wrapped by Chen Xi in a cage made of dark iron, slightly larger than the pill itself. Through the gaps, several colorful pheasant feathers were tied, trembling and occasionally swaying as the pill rolled.

Just looking at it, it was incredibly irritating.

Already displeased, the Moonlight Celestial Beast immediately forgot its earlier negative emotions, its claws itching uncontrollably. It pounced forward and struck it with a heavy swipe. After pressing the tail feathers to the ground, it sniffed them, and with another swipe, it immediately grabbed the cage holding the pill and hugged it tightly, using its hind legs to scratch at it. In just a few seconds, the hemp rope was scratched apart.

Hmph, this is so stupid!

Disgusted, it spat the gnawed pheasant feathers onto the ground, pushed the hemp ball aside with a paw, and sat down with a stern expression. But its gaze never left the rolling little ball.

“Pfft.” Amused by the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s rare adorable behavior, Chen Xi couldn’t resist reaching out to pat its messy fur. But still mindful of the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s identity, he forced himself to suppress the desire to pet it.

After all, there was still plenty of time. Sooner or later, he’d get to rub its furry belly. The important thing was that the immortals who were plotting to use the Xuanshui Pill had probably already been driven mad by this.

A smile tugged at Chen Xi’s lips, his eyes and brows filled with warmth and an indescribable mischievousness.

—

On the other side, in the main hall.

As expected, the immortals’ reaction to Chen Xi pulling out the Xuanshui Pill was immediate. When they saw him turn the pill into such a strange form and casually throw it to the Moonlight Celestial Beast to play with, their expressions twisted in shock. The Immortal Wu Yi at the head of the table was extremely gloomy.

Who didn’t know that the Xuanshui Pill was something Immortal Wu Yi usually treasured and kept as a prized possession? But now, he had gifted it to Chen Xi, only for it to be casually thrown to the Moonlight Celestial Beast to play with, alongside those pheasant feathers, which were no more than food. Wasn’t this like throwing his own face to the ground for others to trample on?

“Good, very good, Chen Xi!” Immortal Wu Yi’s voice was low, filled with seething anger, but the scene in the water mirror left him speechless.

Because the Moonlight Celestial Beast was unexpectedly delighted, even running around joyfully while holding the pill, looking exceptionally happy. It even retrieved a small jade token from its nest and threw it at Chen Xi.

Items held by the Moonlight Celestial Beast were always treasures, and it was clear that this jade token was a high-grade immortal tool. Compared to the Xuanshui Pill, it was likely even more powerful.

“This mortal must be having the luck of a lifetime!” someone muttered under their breath. Others shared the same sentiment. At this moment, the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s favoritism toward Chen Xi had made the immortals green with envy, wishing they could tear him apart and take his place.

However, two individuals stood out with different expressions —Lu Yan and Han Qing.

The mockery Chen Xi had directed at them the day before was still fresh in their minds, and they were determined to teach him a lesson. So, early this morning, they had bribed the immortal in charge of distributing ingredients to sabotage the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s food. They had filled it with things the Moonlight Celestial Beast despised the most.

Although the Moonlight Celestial Beast appeared to be in good spirits now, it would soon be enraged by the unpleasant food. As for Chen Xi, his good luck would come to an end.

Thinking of this, both Lu Yan and Han Qing wore cold smiles, their malice becoming apparent.

As for Chen Xi, he was also somewhat stunned. But contrary to what they imagined, he was not troubled at all. In fact, he was smiling and very happy!

Because among the ingredients, he saw something very familiar—rice. As for the small basket next to the rice, there was a crab struggling and waving its claws, which was even bigger than the size of his palm!

With its plump body, it looked quite delicious.

This is perfect! Chen Xi’s eyes lit up, and his mood brightened due to the good ingredients.

After carefully picking through them, Chen Xi first chose the Yuequan fish, which had a similar taste to the skipjack tuna from Earth, and then he picked out the rice and crab and placed them on the cutting board. After thinking for a moment, he also added several live shrimp.

However, his choice of ingredients was met with disdain and schadenfreude from the immortals in the main hall.

If Chen Xi’s special technique from yesterday was fresh enough to catch people’s attention, today, his ingredient choices were completely wrong.

“Extremely stupid,” someone sneered, their eyes on the water mirror as if watching a dead man.

But this opinion only lasted for less than three minutes.

Using the same method as before for killing the fish, Chen Xi did not slice it thinly this time but instead used a small wooden hammer to break it apart.

The butter melted in the hot pan, quickly releasing the special fragrance of animal fats, and then the broken fish meat was added to the pan, and Chen Xi began stir-frying continuously.

A pinch of salt, a spoon of sugar, and a dash of soy sauce. The semi-transparent fish meat turned snow white like jade under the heat. However, the butter coated it with a golden layer, and at a glance, it seemed like there was a layer of gold on the bottom of the pan. The ultimate freshness was tightly wrapped in a crispy shell, locking in the flavor inside the fish meat.

Chen Xi, watching the heat, added a few drops of vinegar. The fragrance became even more mouth-watering.

In the main hall, the immortals who had initially looked down on him could not help but twitch their noses. As for the Moonlight Celestial Beast, which had been playing happily, it suddenly stopped its actions and jumped onto the cooking counter.

Chen Xi knew it couldn’t wait anymore, so he quickly placed the stir-fried fish on a plate and put it in front of it.

“Be careful, it’s hot,” Chen Xi softly reminded. Although he knew it was a celestial beast, seeing its kitten-sized form, he couldn’t help but say a few more words.

“Annoying.” The Moonlight Celestial Beast glanced at him disdainfully, then slowly pawed at the fish on the plate and swatted at Chen Xi, who had come closer to help cool the fish.

“Hmph, I’m not one of those stupid little cubs.”

The scene of one person and one cat appeared quite harmonious. But the immortals watching through the water mirror were all dumbfounded. As for Han Qing and Lu Yan, who had deliberately tried to set Chen Xi up, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, even holding their breath for a few seconds.

The Moonlight Celestial Beast was actually getting along with Chen Xi and even eating unfinished food?

The key point was that Chen Xi’s method was so crude, and the dish wasn’t even properly formed, yet it was still accepted.

Han Qing couldn’t understand, and the other immortals in the main hall were also in disbelief. Only the Immortal Wu Yi at the head of the table stared thoughtfully at the image in the water mirror.

When he first saw Chen Xi serving the meal yesterday, he thought his technique resembled that of ancient beast tamers. Today, seeing Chen Xi use a spatula, he was even more convinced that his guess was correct.

If Chen Xi really had powerful backing, then it would be fine. But if not… Immortal Wu Yi thought, and his expression darkened further.

However, the complicated thoughts on their side could not reach Chen Xi. At this moment, after stir-frying the fish floss, Chen Xi proceeded to cook the shrimp and crab.

The fresh crabs were cooked in boiling water, and he carefully opened the crab shells, removing the crab roe and meat.

The snow-white crab meat and the bright red crab roe, with just a drizzle of ginger vinegar, would be an exquisite treat. But for Chen Xi, that was still not enough.

He minced garlic and fried it in hot oil until it lost its spiciness and became crispy, with an enticing caramelized aroma. This garlic was then spread over the crab meat, adding a rich layer to the otherwise bland boiled crab.

Meanwhile, the rice cooked in the clay pot had already begun to emit a fragrant aroma. Chen Xi scooped the rice into a bowl and placed the crab meat, fish floss, and shrimp on top, then sprinkled a handful of toasted sesame seeds.

The fluffy rice, with its clear, translucent grains, glistened. After combining the oil from the skipjack tuna floss, the nutty aroma of the sesame seeds, and the freshness of the crab meat with garlic, the dish was not greasy but still incredibly appetizing. Paired with a refreshing vegetable soup on the side, it was perfect for breakfast.

“Mmm… this mortal’s cooking skills aren’t bad. He’d be suitable to keep around to serve me.” The Moonlight Celestial Beast took a bite, instantly feeling good, its emerald cat eyes narrowing in satisfaction.

Chen Xi understood its appreciative gaze and chuckled softly. “Just a little skill.”

Chen Xi’s words were neither too loud nor too soft, but they caused the immortals in the hall to fall silent.

“Heh, if Chen Xi’s ‘little skill’ can make the Moonlight Celestial Beast eat even the most disliked ingredient, then we, who have exhausted all methods and still haven’t earned a second glance from the immortals, must be useless,” someone thought bitterly.

The statement was a slap in the face, and everyone in the hall felt uncomfortable. As for Lu Yan and Han Qing, they were so enraged they nearly steamed with fury.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became oppressive, with everyone lowering their heads and remaining silent. Some even looked defeated.

A dignified immortal, unable to compare to a mere mortal. Yet, in just two short days, they had been humiliated multiple times.

Seeing this, Immortal Wu Yi didn’t mind, instead, he asked a very practical and shrewd question, “Considering Chen Xi’s life expectancy, he can only live for two more days. After that, who will take care of the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s meals?”

“Two days?” This key phrase broke the silence in the hall.

The implication was clear. Chen Xi had a limited lifespan but was skilled in serving the celestial beasts, and whoever could take over would benefit immensely.

None of the immortals were truly foolish, and in an instant, their gazes on Chen Xi grew hot.

The immortals were in turmoil, while Chen Xi, noticing a sudden rise in his popularity score, was shocked. He saw that his popularity had mysteriously surged by over three thousand, adding to the five thousand from yesterday.

“Did I make a mistake?” Chen Xi requested a system check.

Previously, the system had explained that the “popularity score” was calculated based on the mortal world’s standards. Since immortals had far more vitality than mortals, when these immortals paid attention to him, the system automatically converted the popularity score to an equivalent number of mortals.

For instance, the Moonlight Celestial Beast alone had contributed a thousand points to his popularity score.

But even so, this still didn’t seem right. After all, Chen Xi hadn’t done anything to make the immortals admire him, and he had actually been quite annoying.

Chen Xi: So, system, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?

System: No, as long as someone pays attention, the popularity score increases. It has nothing to do with likability.

So that means, whether people like me or dislike me, it still increases my popularity? Chen Xi suddenly realized something, and looking at the water mirror, the words ^[2]“black and red” (黑红) refers to a type of fame that is gained in an unconventional or negative way, often implying that a person or thing becomes popular because of controversy, … Continue reading“black and red” flashed across his mind, making him feel both amused and exasperated.

However, before he could think further, the system announcement interrupted his thoughts.

“Beginner’s reward activated. Free dice roll, effective immediately.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi instinctively tossed the dice. After a while, the dice stopped. Looking at the item that appeared out of nowhere in the system space, only two words flashed through his mind.

Damn It!

—

Author’s note:

Chen Xi: “Trash system, eat some jujube pills!” (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻