Chapter 3: Summoning Tai Sui

Yun Fenghe woke up to the scent of something delicious.

Slipping out from his shrine, he immediately noticed he felt much more refreshed than before. It didn’t take long to figure out why—someone had lit an incense stick in the censer, and it was already more than halfway burned.

There was a thick layer of fresh ash inside, meaning it wasn’t just a single stick—whoever had placed it there had burned one after another, patiently ensuring he had enough to “eat” after going hungry for so long.

According to local customs, as the earth god of the restaurant’s entrance, Yun Fenghe should have been sent off with a ritual when the previous owner left. But that never happened, and after that, no one had made offerings to him anymore. So where did this incense come from?

Peering into the restaurant, he spotted a plate of fresh lychees on the dining table, the ruby-red fruits glistening with droplets of water. Beside them, a small pile of assorted candies and biscuits sat neatly arranged. A few kittens crouched at the kitchen entrance, stretching their necks to peek inside.

That mouthwatering scent that had woken him up? It was coming straight from the kitchen.

Aside from him, the only one at home was his little demon brother.

Yun Fenghe’s heart skipped a beat. Wait… is Tao Tao cooking?

Alarmed, he hurried inside. “Tao Tao, are you cooking? Be careful—you’ll burn yourself!”

Pulling back the kitchen curtain, Yun Fenghe saw his tiny brother balancing on a small wooden stool, just barely reaching the stovetop. His chubby little hands gripped a spatula as he struggled to flip a fish in the pan.

Sizzle! Steam rose in a fragrant Yun. Yun Tao instinctively flinched back from the heat, turning around with watery eyes that had been irritated by the smoke. Two smudges of ash clung to his cheeks, making him look like a little soot-covered kitten.

Yun Fenghe’s heart softened into a puddle. This isn’t a little demon—it’s an angel. So small, yet so thoughtful. It was enough to make someone ache with affection.

Rolling up his sleeves, he stepped forward. “Let me do it.”

But Yun Tao had already tasted his brother’s cooking at lunch. He wasn’t about to risk another disaster. With a serious expression, he warned, “It’s almost done. Brother, don’t mess things up.”

Yun Fenghe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Alright, alright. I won’t mess things up.”

Yun Tao expertly adjusted the heat, then turned off the stove. “Brother, pass me a plate.”

But Yun Fenghe didn’t let him continue. “Little master chef, let me handle the rest. You get down before you fall.”

Since plating the dish wouldn’t affect the flavor, Yun Tao figured it was safe to leave it to him. He hopped off the stool and sat down, eagerly waiting for dinner.

When the braised fish was served, Yun Fenghe instinctively scooped more than half of it into Yun Tao’s bowl. “Did you go out today?”

Yun Tao swallowed a small fish whole, licked his lips, and nodded. “Mm. Ta Xue took me fishing.”

“The incense—you were the one who lit it?” Yun Fenghe asked.

Yun Tao’s legs dangled off the too-tall chair as he swung them idly. “I borrowed it from Aunt Ying. She gave me the lychees too.”

“You even went to visit the neighbors?” Yun Fenghe was astonished. How long was I resting? How did he manage to do so much in that time?

“It wasn’t really a visit… I just freeloaded a meal.” Yun Tao pointed at the snacks on the table. “These were from them.”

Yun Fenghe wasn’t sure how to describe the feeling in his heart. On one hand, he blamed himself for being too weak, for letting his freshly awakened little brother take care of him instead. On the other hand… he was kind of happy.

So this… this was what it felt like to have family. Even in his human days, he had never experienced it before.

A tiny finger poked at his fish.

“If you don’t eat soon, it’ll get cold and taste fishy,” Yun Tao reminded him.

Yun Fenghe quickly blinked away the warmth in his eyes and picked up a piece of fish. The moment he bit down, the fresh, rich flavor filled his mouth, and his eyes widened in surprise.

This Is Too Good!

The fish was unbelievably delicious—tender, juicy meat with crispy, melt-in-your-mouth bones. The tiny, palm-sized fish disappeared in just a few bites, leaving Yun Fenghe savoring the lingering taste.

“Tao Tao, this is amazing! Way better than this restaurant’s old signature dish!” Yun Fenghe gave his little brother a big thumbs-up. “You must be the best little chef in the demon world!”

He thought about his own attempt at fish soup earlier. Honestly, calling it bad would be generous. And yet, Yun Tao had drunk every last drop and even had the nerve to say it was good.

Such a good kid.

Everyone had their fill that night. The kittens, satisfied after their share of fragrant fish, sprawled out lazily on the floor, licking their little paws in contentment.

The lychees Aunt Ying had given them were plump and juicy. A gentle squeeze along the seam at the base sent sweet nectar spilling out, and the fruit itself was so fresh and crisp that it was impossible to stop at just one. A real feast, topped off with fresh fruit—Yun Fenghe couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had such a good day.

Yun Tao popped the last lychee into his mouth, licked his fingers, and suddenly announced, “We’re not moving anymore.”

Yun Fenghe blinked. “We’re not?”

His little brother nodded seriously. “Nope. We’re opening a restaurant.”

Having tasted Yun Tao’s cooking, Yun Fenghe didn’t think he was joking. But he still hesitated. “You’re too young. You’re not familiar with how things work in this era. Running a business is exhausting. Trust me, I’ll find a good job and make sure you never have to worry about food or money.”

This restaurant had failed because the previous owner had been careless. He barely ever offered incense, the menu was overpriced, and the food was mediocre. Even with Yun Fenghe’s efforts, he hadn’t been able to turn things around. But it wasn’t that he lacked ability—the circumstances had just been against him.

“I trust you,” Yun Tao said. “But I have a cheat code. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to use it?”

With a few simple words, he introduced Yun Fenghe to the Shanhai Business System.

Yun Fenghe listened, completely dumbfounded. In the end, though, he chose to support his brother. Yun Tao wasn’t a human child—there was no point in applying human parenting logic to him. And besides, if they started a business together, Yun Fenghe could look out for him.

That night, the two of them worked together to clean the old restaurant from top to bottom. They fixed a few rickety chairs, replaced two broken light bulbs, pulled weeds in the courtyard, and reorganized the back kitchen.

Though the place had been abandoned for years, Yun Fenghe had kept up with maintenance, so it wasn’t nearly as bad as Yun Tao had expected. He even dug out an old crepe maker and a juicer—outdated, but still functional.

Yun Fenghe suggested, “We could start by selling crepes at the entrance. Shanhai Street doesn’t get a lot of customers, and most of the neighbors cook at home instead of eating out. But street food might actually do well—especially for breakfast.”

But selling crepes meant buying ingredients. Buying ingredients meant spending money. And money… well, they didn’t have any. Yun Fenghe was too weak now. In the past, he had occasionally done odd jobs, but those barely earned enough to cover the electricity bill.

Before he could start worrying, Yun Tao reassured him, “Don’t worry. We’ll have money soon.”

After all, completing a system mission would reward him with 100 Shanhai Coins—enough to buy plenty of supplies from the system shop!

Yun Fenghe was too drained to even use a simple cleaning spell. After scrubbing and fixing things all night, he was exhausted, covered in dust, and utterly worn out. Yun Tao wasn’t in much better shape, so Yun Fenghe dragged him off to take a bath.

Afterward, Yun Fenghe handed him a soft little pajama set with bunny prints. “A clothing shop owner gave me this as a gift when she heard I had a younger brother.”

Yun Tao squeezed the soft fabric in his hands, then glanced at Yun Fenghe’s patched-up clothes.

I’m going to make a fortune, he silently vowed. I’ll buy my brother brand-new clothes. And loads and loads of incense!

The second floor of the old restaurant was a living space with two rooms. Back when Yun Tao had just been taken in, he was in such bad shape that Yun Fenghe hadn’t dared to move him, so he let him stay in the first-floor hall for easy care. But now that Yun Tao was awake and the restaurant was reopening, it was time for him to move upstairs.

Yun Fenghe set up Yun Tao’s room to be as cozy as possible, moving all the best things in the house into it and even leaving a small nightlight for him. The pajamas fit perfectly, and Yun Tao burrowed into the soft blankets, listening to the chirping of insects outside. With a contented sigh, he closed his eyes.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, the broken-down system finally showed up.

[Mission complete! Newbie gift pack has been delivered!]

[Business Level increased to 1 (0/200 Shanhai Points). New material unlocked: Zhu Yu!]

Yun Tao shot up in bed, suddenly wide awake. “Show me the newbie pack.”

A holographic screen popped up in midair, revealing the contents of the entrepreneur’s inventory. Like a little money-grubber, Yun Tao carefully counted his rewards: 100 Shanhai Coins, 1 shop sign, and 1 Shanhai Voucher.

He licked his little fangs excitedly. “Not bad! Let’s put up the sign while it’s dark and windy outside.”

[Host, don’t you mean ‘while it’s quiet in the dead of night ^[1]usually around midnight to early dawn, when most people are asleep and the world feels eerily quiet’?]

“Same thing! Once the sign is up, we can start making money tomorrow!”

The newbie gift pack had come with a light-up signboard that allowed him to customize the name and place it wherever he wanted. Without hesitation, Yun Tao gave his first restaurant a bold and powerful name: Taotie Delicacies!

At the same time, an identical glowing sign appeared above the front gate of the restaurant.

With some money in hand, Yun Tao immediately opened the store marketplace.

A notification popped up: [Zhuyu has been unlocked.]

[Shanhai Ingredient: Zhuyu
Source: Zhaoyao Mountain Farm
Grade: R
Effect: Prevents hunger
Price: 1 Shanhai Coin per 500g]

Yun Tao was already familiar with both Zhaoyao Mountain and Zhuyu—he’d nearly eaten the entire supply of the stuff once while passing through, along with half of the mountain’s Migu trees. Zhuyu tasted pretty decent, kind of like chives from the human world. The downside was that while it could stave off hunger, it didn’t actually fill his stomach. It was only slightly more satisfying than regular ingredients.

Still, for ordinary people, Zhuyu’s effects were more than enough. Just today, Aunt Ying had mentioned that her daughter stress-ate whenever she was anxious, stuffing herself non-stop yet never feeling full.

Hmm… Maybe this could be a way to repay Aunt Ying for the incense.

Besides Zhu Yu, a batch of other R-grade items had also been unlocked in the Shanhai Marketplace:

Automatic Steamer – 100 Shanhai Coins
All-in-One Ice Beverage Maker – 100 Shanhai Coins
Beginner Chef’s Manual – 200 Shanhai Coins
…

Way too expensive. No, thanks.

Since tomorrow was just a soft opening, he didn’t need to buy too many ingredients. Yun Tao ordered 5 pounds of Zhu Yu, along with some regular ingredients, seasonings, kitchenware, and takeout containers—20 Shanhai Coins in total.

Without hesitation, he splurged a whole 10 Shanhai Coins to buy Yun Fenghe some new clothes and a bundle of high-quality sandalwood incense.

With everything settled, he finally turned his attention to the Shanhai Voucher.

He only had one, and none of the three prize pools guaranteed a reward. The highest drop rate was in the Supplies Pool, while the lowest was in the Special Pool.

As it stood, Taotie Delicacies had two owners—one small, one weak.

Clearly, they needed someone strong to handle the grunt work.

Yun Tao tapped into the Employee Card Pool.

Just as he was about to draw a card, the system hurriedly warned him:

“Host, system energy is low. I cannot guarantee that the summoned Shanhai employee won’t harm you. Please be advised.”

A dazzling light burst forth as a card shot out of the pool. In the center, an extravagant golden emblem gleamed: UR.

The card’s ranking guide was simple: UR was the rarest, followed by SSR, SR, and R.

This was Yun Tao’s first-ever draw, and he’d hit the jackpot with a UR card. Based on what he knew, all the top-tier troublemakers from Classic of Mountains and Seas were classified under UR.

Yun Tao clicked his tongue. “Wow, system, thanks for the super ‘timely’ warning.”

The system mumbled weakly, “Host… you know my energy is limited…”

At that moment, the card flipped over, revealing the details:

[Shanhai Employee: Tai Sui

Origin: Di Mountain ^[2]In Classic of Mountains and Seas, Di Mountain is not a majorly well-known location, but many ancient sacred mountains in Chinese mythology serve as the homes of divine, demonic, or mythical … Continue reading
Rank: UR
Traits: Devours all, endlessly regenerates
Note: Provide Tai Sui with food and lodging, and issue a monthly salary (Intern rate: 2,000 yuan/month) ]

There was an old saying in the human world: “Disturb Tai Sui, or else you’ll invite disaster.” Tai Sui’s manifestations were always considered omens of misfortune—proof of just how dangerous he was.

But for Yun Tao?

“Oh, it’s Tai Sui! Nice, nice. It’s been so long since I last ate—wait, I mean, since I last saw you. I’ve really missed you!”

All his concerns vanished instantly, replaced by excitement.

The system: “…” With a host like this, maybe being unreliable sometimes wasn’t such a big deal.

Yun Tao eagerly rubbed his little hands together. “I’m wide awake now! Let’s get our new employee immediately!”

“Confirm use of UR Employee Card: Tai Sui?”

“Yes!”

The moment he confirmed, the cozy little room flickered with eerie light. A bone-chilling cold swept through the space, and frost spread across the glass windows. Suddenly, a massive, pulsating lump of flesh materialized midair, bulging and writhing, looking like it was about to crash straight onto Yun Tao’s bed.

Yun Tao frowned. “Shrink down a bit or turn into human form. Don’t wreck my bed! We’re broke!”

The floating Taisui: “…”

BAM.

Tai Sui still landed on Yun Tao’s bed—but in half-human form. He crouched lightly on the iron headboard, fiery red hair cascading over his shoulders, a crimson mark glowing between his brows. Coral-like tendrils floated lazily around him, swaying in the air. His golden eyes swept over Yun Tao with a cocky smirk.

A little brat in soft, fluffy rabbit pajamas, big round eyes, and dewy skin. Looked cute.

Probably tasted good, too.

Tai Sui scoffed. “What’s with this place? I was summoned, but all I see is a lone little virgin boy.”

Yun Tao sat cross-legged and tilted his head. “Wait… you think I’m a sacrifice?”