The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

Chapter 150 What are you stewing in your pot?

The merchant spotted the earthenware jar at a glance. He carefully moved it aside and suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

The soil underground was softer than I had imagined, and there was a small, perfectly round hole in it, as if something had pierced through it.

He dug through the soil and saw ingots of silver neatly arranged in a box. He struggled to lift the box out and suddenly noticed a note inside the silver.

"Wealth comes and goes as it pleases; there's no need to thank the gods, just thank people."

The merchant was taken aback, his expression turned solemn, and he knelt down, respectfully kowtowing three times.

A black horse emerged from the collapsed courtyard wall. This time, the merchant was no longer nervous. He reached out, patted the horse's neck, and mounted it.

Thank you for your help.

The black horse snorted, its hooves whistling, and carried him back the way he came.

Before long, the inn was almost within reach.

As dawn broke through the night, the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness, enveloping the earth and gilding the horses' manes with gold. Wisps of smoke rose from above the inn, drifting into the air and merging with the morning glow.

Night has passed, and dawn has broken.

"Manager Li is back?" The shop assistant was busy in the kitchen. "Where did you go so early this morning? I almost thought..."

You left without saying goodbye.

The merchant laughed and said, "Settle the bill, I should get going."

"Your room fee was already paid by that young master last night." The waiter lifted the lid of the pot, which was bubbling away. A faint aroma wafted out through the half-open lid, wafting into the merchant's nostrils and arousing his appetite.

"Besides, this soup will be ready soon, you can eat it before you leave."

The merchant rode his horse along the road, digging and carrying boxes, and after a long while, his stomach was already empty.

He was silent for a moment, but couldn't resist the aroma any longer: "What are you stewing in your pot?"

"Don't worry, Manager Li, you'll find out soon enough."

The merchant didn't press the matter. He went into the main hall, where the handsome young man and the veiled woman were sitting, seemingly chatting about something.

The merchant stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Young master, I am truly ashamed to trouble you to pay my room fee on my behalf. However, I encountered a strange event last night and have already made some money. It is only right that I repay you for the room fee."

"We're all from the same hometown, it's only right." The fox looked curious. "What strange thing is it?"

"Last night, the water god appeared to me in a dream, offering to compensate me for my losses. Following the instructions in the dream, I indeed unearthed silver."

The merchant made no attempt to conceal his presence or lower his voice, causing the drunkard sitting in the corner to look over at the sound.

The fox looked on in astonishment: "Water God? There really is a Water God in this world? Brother, you haven't been fooled by some lazy, gluttonous fish demon."

"Absolutely true," the merchant said earnestly. "I saw it with my own eyes."

The waiter brought over soup and wheat cakes, asking curiously, "Manager Li, did you really see a deity? What did that water god look like?"

The merchant was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of the large bowl that the waiter was bringing over.

The bowl contained a large, stewed fish that was so tender it was almost falling apart; the fish was still intact, which must have been achieved by simmering it over a low flame for a long time.

But what stunned him was not this place.

The fish lay on its side in the bowl, its tail resting on the rim, its round eyes seemingly looking at me.

"This, this—" The merchant was dumbfounded and couldn't utter a word for a long time.

The waiter, puzzled, said, "This fish was caught by the young master himself this morning; it's very fresh."

Hu Nianshuang glanced helplessly at the fox; her brother's mouth was practically stretched to the sky.

The fox chuckled for a while, then kindly asked, "What's wrong? It took me ages to catch this bighead carp."

Yes, this is a loach.

The merchant breathed a sigh of relief; the fish's eyes had left such a deep impression that he had completely forgotten about it: "That water god is a red fish, living in—"

He recounted his experience in detail.

The waiter listened in amazement: "Manager Li, I've been listening to storytellers since I was a child, and they've all told stories about fox spirits repaying kindness or vengeful spirits taking lives. I've never heard of anything like this before."

"I've really seen something new today. It turns out there really is such a thing as good people being rewarded." He said as he ladled fish soup for everyone.

"Manager Li, I must remember your story. I'll tell it to every guest who comes to stay at the inn in the future."

The businessman was a little embarrassed: "Not at all, not at all—"

The waiter served the fish head to the fox. This fish was caught by the young master, so it was only right that the young master should eat the freshest and most honorable part.

The beauty of silver carp lies in its belly, while the beauty of bighead carp lies in its head.

The fox glanced at it, then covered the bowl with its hand: "Manager Li is about to return to his hometown and has been favored by the gods, so let's give it to him."

"Alright." The waiter thought about it and realized that it made sense. Besides, since the young master had already spoken, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

The merchant stared at the fish head in the bowl, at the fish's unseeing, lifeless eyes, and remained silent.

The fox gazed longingly at his bowl; the broth was thick and milky white, incredibly tempting. He gently stirred a piece of fish with his chopsticks, and the tender white flesh trembled slightly in the broth, breaking into several pieces.

The fox frowned and tried to pick up another piece, but it still ended up in the soup.

The fox remained silent, picked up the bowl, and without minding the heat, poured the contents directly into its mouth.

The first thing you taste is scalding hot, followed by a continuous burst of umami flavor. The heat flows down your throat and spreads a warm sensation in your stomach.

"tasty!"

He was even happier to receive the praise than if he had eaten himself: "Please eat slowly, there's more in the pot, plenty to go around."

Hu Nianshuang brought the rim of the bowl to her lips, blew on it gently, and waited for the steam to dissipate a little before taking small sips.

"It's a shame to leave your skills here. Even the big restaurants in the city might not be able to cook a soup like this."

"Haha, not at all." The waiter was pleased to hear this, then looked at the drunkard, "Sir, would you like a bowl too?"

The drunkard didn't even look up: "I'm not drinking. What's so good about fish soup? It's so bland."

The waiter turned around sheepishly: "This customer has been drinking since yesterday, and I haven't seen him eat a single bite of food—"

The fox thought for a moment, then pulled a flask of wine from his sleeve: "Since we're parting ways with Manager Li, how can we do without good wine?"

As the fox spoke, he poured a bowl for everyone, and the refreshing aroma of the wine instantly filled every corner of the inn.

The drunkard suddenly looked up, his eyes burning as he watched the wine being poured into the bowl, when a faint rumble came from his stomach.

The fox picked up the bowl and raised it towards the merchant: "Brother Li, have a safe journey home."

The merchant quickly picked up his bowl, held it with both hands, and gently tapped it against the fox's bowl: "Thank you for your kind words, sir. I will remember this kindness."

"Gurgle"

The gurgling sound grew louder and louder until it was heard by everyone. The merchant turned around in confusion and saw that the drunkard had been standing by the table at some point.

Without a word, he picked up a bowl of wine, drank it all in one gulp, his eyes instantly lit up, and he smacked his lips in satisfaction: "Good wine!"

The fox smiled, its gaze shifting downwards to the drunkard's belly.

From there, it heard a faint smacking sound.

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