Chapter 26: Dragon Vein Lingzhi Tofu Soup

The Five Grains Prosperity Steamed Fish had taken the district by storm—so much so that people couldn’t even buy it anymore. Shanhai Mall had temporarily stopped supplying Wenray Fish with the prosperity buff, which meant Taotie Delicacies had to take it off the menu. In its place, they introduced a Steamed Fish of Emotional Stability.

Customers were devastated. Many called the Five Grains Prosperity Steamed Fish their ultimate “white moonlight dish”—the one that got away, forever out of reach.

Those who never even got to try it felt the loss even more keenly: I didn’t even get a chance to eat it, and now it’s gone forever?! When’s it coming back?!

Yun Tao had no idea if or when it would return. Not that it mattered much to him—he loved both versions. And even without the prosperity buff, business at Taotie Delicacies was still booming.

That evening, Yun Tao scrolled through Shanhai Mall, carefully picking out a few high-tier delicacies he had been craving for ages.

Jade Pond Pearls, Mystic Dragon Lingzhi, Netherfire Red Lotus Fruit… Each one brimming with either pure spiritual energy or eerie yin essence—either way, they were packed with power and incredibly satisfying.

They also cost a fortune. If not for Old Jin’s generous side gig payments, he wouldn’t have been able to afford them just from Taotie Delicacies’s earnings alone.

Yun Tao pulled out a Netherfire Red Lotus Fruit and examined the product description on the packaging.

“Harvested from the deepest depths of the Netherworld, this fruit ripens once every hundred years. As the finest variety of Red Lotus Fruit, its flavor is unmatched, earning it the name ‘Netherfire Ruby.’”

“The finest variety of Red Lotus Fruit…?” Yun Tao blinked. “Wait, there are other kinds? Did they just make that up?”

Before he could dwell on it, the fruit’s fragrance stole his attention. It looked like a cross between a wax apple and a cherry, but smelled like strawberries, with a hint of creamy sweetness beneath its tartness.

The scent alone made him hungry. Without a second thought, he tore open the packaging, cleansed the fruit’s skin with spiritual energy, and bit into its pointed tip.

Juice exploded everywhere, splattering his face.

The flesh melted on his tongue, and Yun Tao’s eyes lit up with delight, shimmering gold with satisfaction.

Delicious! It was like an oversized strawberry, but with an ice cream-like texture—cool, creamy, and incredibly soothing. The rich dairy-like flavor was even stronger than its aroma. It was completely at odds with the ominous place it had grown in.

A few bites later, the entire fruit was gone, and Yun Tao was full.

“I’ll save the rest for tomorrow.” After brushing his teeth, he still found himself reminiscing about the taste. “I ate it too fast… I really want another one. But it’s so expensive…”

He let out a pitiful whimper, snuggled into his blanket, and quickly fell asleep.

What he hadn’t noticed was the small detail in the product description: the Netherfire Red Lotus Fruit was also known as the Dream Lotus Fruit. Eating it allowed one to recover a lost memory in their dreams.

Yun Tao drifted into slumber, only to open his eyes and find himself floating in midair. In front of him was a small bed. Another version of himself lay on it, his body covered in horrifying, inky-black miasma—far worse than the ghostly handprint Lin Jiuyuan once bore.

By the bedside sat Yun Fenghe, gently wiping the other Yun Tao’s face with a cloth. But no matter how much he wiped, the miasma stains wouldn’t fade.

Yun Tao quickly realized he was dreaming—reliving the time when Yun Fenghe had first taken him in at the old restaurant.

What had his brotherFenghe been like over a decade ago?

Curious, Yun Tao leaned in to get a closer look. Yun Fenghe, back then, looked perfectly healthy—rosy cheeks, well-kept clothes without a single patch, and exuding the same gentle warmth Yun Tao had always known.

“I always thought Brother was frail back then too…” Yun Tao mumbled, puzzled. “Did something bad happen? Did he get hurt?”

He soon got his answer.

He watched as Yun Fenghe pricked his own fingertip, squeezing out his divine power drop by drop, feeding it into the lips of the other Yun Tao.

The unconscious Yun Tao latched on instinctively, biting down hard. Blood dripped freely.

Yun Fenghe paled instantly. His thin frame trembled. But he didn’t pull away—not until the Yun Tao in bed finally relaxed, the miasma dissipating from his body. Only then did Yun Fenghe carefully withdraw his hand.

The other Yun Tao barely had the strength to open his eyes. He gave Yun Fenghe a weak glance before slipping back into sleep.

Yun Fenghe let out a relieved sigh. He tucked Yun Tao in gently before tending to his own wounds. He fumbled with the bandages, struggling for ages, his fingers clumsy and trembling from pain, his eyes rimmed red.

Watching this, Yun Tao’s eyes widened. “So that’s why…”

To save him, Yun Fenghe had damaged his own foundation—leaving him as the frail, sickly man he was today.

For over ten years, Yun Fenghe had endured so much for him, yet he never once mentioned it.

A single tear slipped down Yun Tao’s cheek. He reached out toward Yun Fenghe, just as Yun Fenghe sighed softly and murmured, “Little monster, you have to get better soon…”

Yun Tao stretched his hand further, but before he could touch him—the dream shattered.

“Brother!” Yun Tao jolted awake, rubbing at his eyes. Without even putting on shoes, he rushed downstairs, frantically searching for Yun Fenghe.

Still half-asleep, he was terrified Yun Fenghe might disappear like in the dream.

Just as Yun Fenghe walked in from the courtyard, Yun Tao crashed straight into his arms, startling him. “Tao Tao, what’s wrong?”

Yun Tao buried his face in his brother’s embrace. “Brother, from now on, I’m going to take really good care of you. I’ll take care of you when you’re old.”

Yun Fenghe chuckled and patted his back. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Little monster can get nightmares too?

Yun Tao shook his head, his voice trembling. “It was a good dream.”

Yun Fenghe hadn’t seen his face yet, but from the way his voice wavered, he realized—Oh no, the little monster is crying.

His heart clenched. “If it was a good dream, why are you crying?”

Yun Tao didn’t answer. He just repeated, “Brother, I’m going to take care of you from now on. You’re over three hundred years old already—I’m starting now.”

Yun Fenghe: “?”

Tai Sui, standing at the staircase holding Yun Tao’s shoes, smirked. “Little bro, I’m way older than the Fenghe. How about taking care of me too?”

Yun Tao lifted his head, his red-rimmed eyes still glistening with tears. His lashes were damp, his cheeks flushed, and his voice was deadly serious. “That’s different.”

Tai Sui raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How so?”

Yun Tao sniffled back his tears and declared, “You age like fine wine.”

Tai Sui: “…”

And so, Yun Tao’s commitment to caring for Yun Fenghe began immediately—by adding the Mystic Dragon Lingzhi he had bought last night into the staff meal’s soup.

This particular lingzhi had grown on a dragon vein, absorbing the essence of sun and moon for over two hundred years. Though barely the size of a palm, it was bursting with rich spiritual energy. Yun Tao wasn’t stingy in the slightest—he tossed the whole thing straight into the soup pot, along with shrimp, tofu, lean pork, and an assortment of mushrooms.

Lin Xiao took a sip of the soup and felt his soul ascend—it was so good, he was on the verge of tears.

Master, luck works in mysterious ways, and I think I’ve hit the jackpot. What kind of workplace is this? Who puts Mystic Dragon Lingzhi in the staff meals?

Just as Tai Sui picked up his bowl, he noticed Yun Tao staring at him, looking like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

Tai Sui: “What? Am I so full of youthful energy that I can’t even have a bowl of soup?”

Yun Tao: “We come from the same place, can’t you go easy on me?”

Tai Sui: “…Alright, little scholar.”

Lin Jiuyuan couldn’t tell what exactly was in the soup, but it tasted amazing. The shrimp and lean meat were incredibly tender, and despite all the ingredients thrown in, the broth remained a rich, milky white. After finishing his first bowl, his eyes widened in delight.

So good!

Without hesitation, he poured himself a second bowl, using it to soak his rice. The tofu was incredibly soft, having absorbed all the broth’s goodness—it practically burst with flavor in his mouth. Mixing it with white rice, he wolfed it down in just a few bites.

Everyone at Taotie Delicacies was focused on their food, too busy eating to notice Lin Jiuyuan—until, after his third bowl of soup, he suddenly collapsed onto the table with a loud thud.

Lin Xiao: “Holy—! What happened to Jiuyuan?!”

Tai Sui reached out to check. “Ah, he’s just struggling to digest all that spiritual energy.”

Lin Xiao: “Ohhh—right, I almost forgot. Jiuyuan is a human!”

Tai Sui: “Mhm. Unlike you.”

Lin Xiao: “And unlike you.”

Yun Tao: “…Are you two serious right now? How old are you?”

Yun Fenghe asked, “What should we do? Would probiotics help?”

Tai Sui: “He just needs to sleep it off. But sure, if you really want to give him probiotics, go ahead. He’s not an ordinary human—once he digests this meal, his cultivation will improve.”

Yun Fenghe put down his bowl and went to help Lin Jiuyuan up. “I’ll take him to a room.”

“I got it, you keep eating.” Tai Sui lifted Lin Jiuyuan with one hand and effortlessly carried him upstairs.

Lin Jiuyuan was placed on the Lin Xiao’s bed, fast asleep, still mumbling, “So good…”

He ended up sleeping until late at night and showed no signs of waking up. Xiao Lin, not wanting to sleep on the floor, had no choice but to squeeze in with him.

Lin Jiuyuan slept for a full two days. When he finally woke up, his mind felt unusually sharp. He immediately recognized that he was still on the second floor of Taotie Delicacies.

He also noticed that his senses had improved dramatically—he could clearly pick up on all the sounds around him.

He heard someone downstairs asking the young boss, “Taotao, when will the Five Grains Prosperity Steamed Fish be back on the menu?”

“Yeah, I was gonna ask too! Business was finally picking up—I was hoping it would last a bit longer!”

The little boss replied, “I don’t know when it’ll be back, but if you just want to improve your business, there are plenty of other ways.”

The customers pressed on. “Like what? Taotao, give us some tips!”

The little boss said, “We have a particularly reliable Earth God of Wealth watching over us—get it now?”

The customers immediately understood. They started bombarding Yun Tao with questions about how to properly make offerings to the Earth God of Wealth.

After the satisfied customers left, Lin Jiuyuan heard Yun Fenghe thanking the little boss. “Ever since you replaced the soil in the courtyard with spiritual earth, my divine power has recovered significantly. Expanding my protection over this area won’t be difficult. Taotao, thank you—I’ll do my best to watch over this street.”

The little boss replied, “You’ve always done a great job, big brother.”

Lin Jiuyuan jolted awake.

Yun Fenghe was an Earth God?!

And last time, he actually asked him if he had come of age…

The realization hit so hard that Lin Jiuyuan immediately passed out again.

When he finally woke up, every household in the Shanhai Shopping Street had placed incense burners at their doors.

Lin Jiuyuan’s entire attitude toward Yun Fenghe changed. He respectfully lit an incense stick and placed it in the burner at the entrance of Taotie Delicacies.

Yun Fenghe chuckled and asked, “You’ve been asleep for so long—are you feeling okay?”

Lin Jiuyuan straightened his back like a student answering a teacher. “I feel great, full of energy! Just… a little hungry.”

Yun Fenghe said, “Taotao’s in the bakery making something new. Why don’t you go check it out?”

Lin Jiuyuan was starving. Without hesitation, he said, “Okay!” and turned to leave.

“Wait a second.” Yun Fenghe stopped him and handed him a lint roller. “Clean off the fox fur first.”

Lin Jiuyuan looked down—before he passed out, he had been wearing a black outfit, which was now covered in a thick layer of fur. He looked like he had gone moldy.

At least his clothes smelled fresh, with no other lingering odors. Lin Xiao had probably been casting cleaning spells on him every day—just hadn’t done it yet today.

Lin Jiuyuan ran the lint roller over himself, making sure his clothes were spotless before rushing off to the bakery.

His enhanced senses picked up the scent before he even arrived—not only could he smell the fragrance, but he could also tell what they were making: scallion, ham, and meat floss cake.

And he loved meat floss.

With a whoosh, the glass door was pushed open. Yun Tao looked up to see Lin Jiuyuan standing there, panting, with “I’m starving” practically written across his face. Without a word, Yun Tao tossed him a small meat floss cake.

Lin Jiuyuan lunged forward, catching it neatly in his mouth. The salty, savory aroma hit him instantly. He peeled off the cupcake liner and devoured the cake in two bites. It was packed with meat floss, and the sponge itself was so airy and soft, it felt like biting into a cloud. One bite, and he knew—one was definitely not enough.

He licked the bit of cream off his lips and suddenly realized…

He kind of felt like a puppy being fed treats.

Lin Jiuyuan: “…”