CH 73
Chapter 73 Stir-fried Clams (d)
Translated by Gumihou
Edited by Gumihou
Shiyu was not simply being paranoid. Scarily enough, reality might actually be crueller than what she had just imagined. This was a world where the strong feasted on the weak. Where humanity is readily discarded for the sake of self-interest. While it was not exactly the norm for friends and lovers to betray you for the right price, this happened often enough that it pays to be wary.
A regular man is guiltless, a treasured ring becomes the source of a crime [1].
“But, back to this thing. Just what is it for?” Shiyu stared at the black piece of paper in her hand. It felt more like paper than a sheet of metal right now. But no matter how she turned it this way and that, she could not tell what secrets it might contain. She was hoping that the black cat could tell her.
“It’s the part of <<Soul Drawing Book>>,” said Fat Cat. His marble-like eyes staring up at Shiyu, there was a trace of wonder in them. “You certainly have some extraordinary luck. To think that you’d actually run into this thing on your own.”
“So?” Shiyu frowned, “just what is this <<Soul Drawing Book>>?”
The Fat Cat’s little furry mouth twisted, “It is this. The <<Soul Drawing Book>> was torn apart during the Great War a thousand years ago and most of its pages destroyed in the conflict. Right now, only three physical pages were left in existence.”
“I still don’t quite understand,” in fact, she had absolutely no idea what the cat was talking about, ah.
“The <<Soul Drawing Book>> has a total of 23 pages. Including the Introduction, Quotation and 21 Sections. The one who took me in and the owner of this Immortal House is your master. He was a great glutton with trash like talent, and about as useful as well.
His talent was so poor that he had to run away from his own family to preserve his life. While on the run, he grew hungry. So he plucked off the feathers of a peacock he found and roasted it for dinner. Unfortunately, the peacock he ate was a prince of the Peacock Clan and they were so angry that they chased him off a cliff.”
“Was that how he encountered this great treasure?” Shiyu asked, her head covered in black lines. As far as she knew, that was how these Xuanhuan stories progressed. [2] Somehow, people who fall off cliffs would inevitably end up encountering a great master or some secret treasure in some forgotten cave.
“Hah! That kind of luck was beyond the likes of him,” Fat Cat rolled his eyes. “After leaping off the cliff, he encountered the youngest son of the Fire Dragon Clan, who was just opening his mouth for the biggest yawn ever…”
“Eh…?” so did this guy ended up becoming a pile of dragon shit?
“The Fire Dragon was still very young, and his fire source was very pure. While the man was inside the dragon, he grew hungry and swallowed the fire source. As a result, he gained Fire Attribute powers and could finally start Cultivating. However, his great love was still eating, and one day he ate a high Cultivation Base Spiritual Beast and increased his strength by one point. This was how he became one of the ten strongest humans in the world.
After reaching such great heights, he began to feel that Spiritual Beast was not that interesting to eat after all, and began to study the Art of Cooking. <<Soul Drawing Book>> was made from precious materials he swindled and cheated out of various races. The 21 Sections were records of recipes and locations where Fire Seeds could be found. As long as you can meet the requirements of each recipe, you will be rewarded as though Master is here with you.”
At this, the Fat Cat fell silent. He recalled the time when Master had pulled a bitter face at him, wondering what kind of reward he should give to his future disciple each time they made a significant achievement.
In short, this book was created especially for his disciple.
Every single recipe within the book was designed and refined by Master. Master was supposed to be the one to taste their dish to acknowledge their achievements, but this task has fallen to him.
Even until his death, Master never had a disciple. No one believed that cooking could bring great strength. Later, the <<Soul Drawing Book>> which had consumed so much of his efforts and resources had been cut down with him. Master, the human with the worst reputation ended up being the first hero to sacrifice himself for the human race. The ending of this story was just too ridiculous, ah!
Why do you have to show off so much? Would it kill you to be a little more cowardly and selfish?
Now that you’ve died I haven’t had a fulfilling meal for years! You Bastard! Stinky Shits!
Even as Fat Cat cursed Master in his heart, he cannot help but missed the scent of a fired-up stove, the fragrance and taste of food cooked with a delicate touch.
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~
Shiyu carefully absorbed what Fat Cat had told her, she still has so many questions. However, from his visibly depressed state, she knew that the cat was currently thinking of the past and she could not bear to disturb him.
Suddenly, Fat Cat stirred, and said, “Remember this, your master’s surname is Ye. His full name is Ye Dan [3],” said Fat Cat. “The Quotation of <<Soul Drawing Book>> as well as the other 21 Section pages are all very sensitive. They will appear around you sooner or later. You can probably feel their presence. As for the Crow Spirit Meteor Iron, you may try to get your hands on it. If there’s nothing else, do not disturb me.”
With that, the cat gave a little shudder and disappeared into the table.
“Oh,” the cat’s voice echoed around her, “you had better not go around telling people who your Master is. Surely I don’t have to tell you why?”
After that, there was nothing.
Shiyu sat in place for a long time. There were a lot of things for her to absorb, but she has some inkling why Fat Cat told her all this. Shiyu herself was already quite paranoid, so he probably thought she’d be sensible enough not to blab, but…
Of all the names her master could have had, why Ye Dan? Why Leaf Egg? Ye is such a nice surname, why can’t he be called Xiu? Like her dream guy Ye Xiu? Was it because he liked eggs so much that he called himself Leaf Egg? Why Egg, ah?!
As for not telling people that she’s this guy’s disciple. The reasoning is simple. This guy was a glutton who ate all kinds of Spiritual Beasts to level up, can you imagine just how many beasts were eaten by him? He might have wiped out whole races for the sake of levelling up, ah. Not to mention his habit of swindling and cheating precious materials out from others…
Tch, for some reason, Shiyu felt jealous. Just how many types of beasts has he eaten, ah?
She stared at the book floating before her. She flipped through the pages available to her and the significance of the tattered pages finally dawned on her. There were only two pages still intact. [4] The Prologue and the page for the Nine Dishes. Fat Cat had said that there were only three whole pages left, she assumed that the third one was one of the pages she could not access yet. The black paper had settled itself quietly within the book.
Shiyu’s eyes softened a little.
In fact, this Ye Dan character is quite a good Master. This place, this book was clearly prepared for a beloved disciple he had yet to even meet. If he had truly been a selfish person, would he really have done all this?
I’ve managed to get this far thanks to your gift, Master. Though I have never seen you or heard your voice, you are a man who deserves to be called Master.
“It’s a pity I cannot meet you personally and offer you tea, or give you my bows. However, I will take care to learn proper culinary skills. Master! Please accept my bows!” she knelt before the book and kowtowed respectfully three times. “One day I shall come to your grave and give my bows in person, please wait for this disciple!”
The words said she left the space.
The moment she left, the surrounding mists suddenly began to surge violently and a ball of light the size of a fingernail flashed into existence. The light submerged into the <<Soul Drawing Book>> and disappeared.
Shiyu occupied the rest of her day dissecting Ginseng Fruit.
Though Fat Cat’s words and tone were a little poisonous, she could feel the sense of longing and nostalgia underlining every word. He must miss the Master very much. The only thing she could do for Fat Cat was to make herself stronger and made it so that Fat Cat could see Master again.
Just what kind of person is Master?
And… just how did he die?
For a sentient and powerful book like <<Soul Drawing Book>> to be torn to pieces like this, he must have experienced a great battle?
Also, since it was obviously a recipe book, why was it called <<Soul Drawing Book>>?
Shiyu’s mind was full of questions.
[Gumihou: Woah, Fat Cat’s past is so complicated!!]
[1] A regular man is guiltless, a treasured ring becomes the source of a crime – Ordinary people won’t think of committing crimes unless something very valuable is involved
[2] Added More Details: Elaborate on ‘how stories like this normally goes’
[3] Ye Dan = 葉蛋 = Leaf Egg: Shiyu’s master’s name is Leaf Egg. Lololol!
[4] Organised Shiyu’s thoughts to something more coherent
Translated by Gumihou
Edited by Gumihou
Shiyu was not simply being paranoid. Scarily enough, reality might actually be crueller than what she had just imagined. This was a world where the strong feasted on the weak. Where humanity is readily discarded for the sake of self-interest. While it was not exactly the norm for friends and lovers to betray you for the right price, this happened often enough that it pays to be wary.
A regular man is guiltless, a treasured ring becomes the source of a crime [1].
“But, back to this thing. Just what is it for?” Shiyu stared at the black piece of paper in her hand. It felt more like paper than a sheet of metal right now. But no matter how she turned it this way and that, she could not tell what secrets it might contain. She was hoping that the black cat could tell her.
“It’s the part of <<Soul Drawing Book>>,” said Fat Cat. His marble-like eyes staring up at Shiyu, there was a trace of wonder in them. “You certainly have some extraordinary luck. To think that you’d actually run into this thing on your own.”
“So?” Shiyu frowned, “just what is this <<Soul Drawing Book>>?”
The Fat Cat’s little furry mouth twisted, “It is this. The <<Soul Drawing Book>> was torn apart during the Great War a thousand years ago and most of its pages destroyed in the conflict. Right now, only three physical pages were left in existence.”
“I still don’t quite understand,” in fact, she had absolutely no idea what the cat was talking about, ah.
“The <<Soul Drawing Book>> has a total of 23 pages. Including the Introduction, Quotation and 21 Sections. The one who took me in and the owner of this Immortal House is your master. He was a great glutton with trash like talent, and about as useful as well.
His talent was so poor that he had to run away from his own family to preserve his life. While on the run, he grew hungry. So he plucked off the feathers of a peacock he found and roasted it for dinner. Unfortunately, the peacock he ate was a prince of the Peacock Clan and they were so angry that they chased him off a cliff.”
“Was that how he encountered this great treasure?” Shiyu asked, her head covered in black lines. As far as she knew, that was how these Xuanhuan stories progressed. [2] Somehow, people who fall off cliffs would inevitably end up encountering a great master or some secret treasure in some forgotten cave.
“Hah! That kind of luck was beyond the likes of him,” Fat Cat rolled his eyes. “After leaping off the cliff, he encountered the youngest son of the Fire Dragon Clan, who was just opening his mouth for the biggest yawn ever…”
“Eh…?” so did this guy ended up becoming a pile of dragon shit?
“The Fire Dragon was still very young, and his fire source was very pure. While the man was inside the dragon, he grew hungry and swallowed the fire source. As a result, he gained Fire Attribute powers and could finally start Cultivating. However, his great love was still eating, and one day he ate a high Cultivation Base Spiritual Beast and increased his strength by one point. This was how he became one of the ten strongest humans in the world.
After reaching such great heights, he began to feel that Spiritual Beast was not that interesting to eat after all, and began to study the Art of Cooking. <<Soul Drawing Book>> was made from precious materials he swindled and cheated out of various races. The 21 Sections were records of recipes and locations where Fire Seeds could be found. As long as you can meet the requirements of each recipe, you will be rewarded as though Master is here with you.”
At this, the Fat Cat fell silent. He recalled the time when Master had pulled a bitter face at him, wondering what kind of reward he should give to his future disciple each time they made a significant achievement.
In short, this book was created especially for his disciple.
Every single recipe within the book was designed and refined by Master. Master was supposed to be the one to taste their dish to acknowledge their achievements, but this task has fallen to him.
Even until his death, Master never had a disciple. No one believed that cooking could bring great strength. Later, the <<Soul Drawing Book>> which had consumed so much of his efforts and resources had been cut down with him. Master, the human with the worst reputation ended up being the first hero to sacrifice himself for the human race. The ending of this story was just too ridiculous, ah!
Why do you have to show off so much? Would it kill you to be a little more cowardly and selfish?
Now that you’ve died I haven’t had a fulfilling meal for years! You Bastard! Stinky Shits!
Even as Fat Cat cursed Master in his heart, he cannot help but missed the scent of a fired-up stove, the fragrance and taste of food cooked with a delicate touch.
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~
Shiyu carefully absorbed what Fat Cat had told her, she still has so many questions. However, from his visibly depressed state, she knew that the cat was currently thinking of the past and she could not bear to disturb him.
Suddenly, Fat Cat stirred, and said, “Remember this, your master’s surname is Ye. His full name is Ye Dan [3],” said Fat Cat. “The Quotation of <<Soul Drawing Book>> as well as the other 21 Section pages are all very sensitive. They will appear around you sooner or later. You can probably feel their presence. As for the Crow Spirit Meteor Iron, you may try to get your hands on it. If there’s nothing else, do not disturb me.”
With that, the cat gave a little shudder and disappeared into the table.
“Oh,” the cat’s voice echoed around her, “you had better not go around telling people who your Master is. Surely I don’t have to tell you why?”
After that, there was nothing.
Shiyu sat in place for a long time. There were a lot of things for her to absorb, but she has some inkling why Fat Cat told her all this. Shiyu herself was already quite paranoid, so he probably thought she’d be sensible enough not to blab, but…
Of all the names her master could have had, why Ye Dan? Why Leaf Egg? Ye is such a nice surname, why can’t he be called Xiu? Like her dream guy Ye Xiu? Was it because he liked eggs so much that he called himself Leaf Egg? Why Egg, ah?!
As for not telling people that she’s this guy’s disciple. The reasoning is simple. This guy was a glutton who ate all kinds of Spiritual Beasts to level up, can you imagine just how many beasts were eaten by him? He might have wiped out whole races for the sake of levelling up, ah. Not to mention his habit of swindling and cheating precious materials out from others…
Tch, for some reason, Shiyu felt jealous. Just how many types of beasts has he eaten, ah?
She stared at the book floating before her. She flipped through the pages available to her and the significance of the tattered pages finally dawned on her. There were only two pages still intact. [4] The Prologue and the page for the Nine Dishes. Fat Cat had said that there were only three whole pages left, she assumed that the third one was one of the pages she could not access yet. The black paper had settled itself quietly within the book.
Shiyu’s eyes softened a little.
In fact, this Ye Dan character is quite a good Master. This place, this book was clearly prepared for a beloved disciple he had yet to even meet. If he had truly been a selfish person, would he really have done all this?
I’ve managed to get this far thanks to your gift, Master. Though I have never seen you or heard your voice, you are a man who deserves to be called Master.
“It’s a pity I cannot meet you personally and offer you tea, or give you my bows. However, I will take care to learn proper culinary skills. Master! Please accept my bows!” she knelt before the book and kowtowed respectfully three times. “One day I shall come to your grave and give my bows in person, please wait for this disciple!”
The words said she left the space.
The moment she left, the surrounding mists suddenly began to surge violently and a ball of light the size of a fingernail flashed into existence. The light submerged into the <<Soul Drawing Book>> and disappeared.
Shiyu occupied the rest of her day dissecting Ginseng Fruit.
Though Fat Cat’s words and tone were a little poisonous, she could feel the sense of longing and nostalgia underlining every word. He must miss the Master very much. The only thing she could do for Fat Cat was to make herself stronger and made it so that Fat Cat could see Master again.
Just what kind of person is Master?
And… just how did he die?
For a sentient and powerful book like <<Soul Drawing Book>> to be torn to pieces like this, he must have experienced a great battle?
Also, since it was obviously a recipe book, why was it called <<Soul Drawing Book>>?
Shiyu’s mind was full of questions.
[Gumihou: Woah, Fat Cat’s past is so complicated!!]
[1] A regular man is guiltless, a treasured ring becomes the source of a crime – Ordinary people won’t think of committing crimes unless something very valuable is involved
[2] Added More Details: Elaborate on ‘how stories like this normally goes’
[3] Ye Dan = 葉蛋 = Leaf Egg: Shiyu’s master’s name is Leaf Egg. Lololol!
[4] Organised Shiyu’s thoughts to something more coherent
RECENTLY UPDATES
Drama
Action
Fantasy
Action
Action
Drama
Action
Action