Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

"Shi Yu, I've decided to open the outer and mixed zones of the Star Dou Great Forest to the public. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu stroked his chin with his fingertips, a knowing smile curving his lips: "My opinion? I have no opinion, I can only say that it should have been done a long time ago. The Star Dou Great Forest now presents both danger and opportunity. The Soul Beast race simply cannot monopolize those ingredients, not to mention the dangers deep within the forest, where even a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast might stumble, wasting those rare resources and possibly losing its life."

He paused, his tone becoming more certain: "Few soul beasts possess such exquisite skills in preparing ingredients; even fewer have the patience and ingenuity to explore special cooking methods for ingredients. To guard a treasure trove without knowing how to utilize it is ultimately a waste."

Di Tian's golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "I know, so I'd like to hear your advice on my trip to Shrek Academy for negotiations."

"It's actually quite simple," Shi Yu said without hesitation, clearly stating his points. "We should propose to jointly manage the outer and mixed zones of the Star Dou Great Forest with Shrek Academy, explicitly prohibiting the over-harvesting of ingredients and the destruction of the forest ecosystem. Furthermore, we should actively encourage them to explore those unexplored and unknown ingredients—that's the key."

Di Tian frowned slightly, his tone hesitant: "Will they agree?"

"Of course." Shi Yu chuckled, his tone certain. "Having Shrek Academy and the soul beasts manage the outer and mixed zones together is tantamount to making them half the masters of this area."

"In this world, no master would tolerate outsiders wantonly ruining their territory. As for advocating the exploration of unknown ingredients, we don't need to say much. Just throw out the topic, and they will flock to it. After all, ingredients that can enhance strength have a fatal attraction for any Soul Master."

Di Tian remained silent for a moment, a glint of light flashing across his golden-red dragon scales, before finally nodding and saying, "Then let's do as you say. Shrek's vacation is over, and I'll set off to find them tomorrow. Oh, and remember to pick up Tang Ya."

"Okay." After saying that, Shi Yu turned around and walked towards the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The wind in the forest, carrying the freshness of grass and trees, brushed past my ears and dispelled the somber atmosphere of the core area.

The further they went, the sparser the trees became. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Occasionally, a few low-level soul beasts would dart through the grass, but upon seeing Shi Yu, they would hurriedly hide away.

Upon arriving at the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Shi Yu quickly spotted a listless figure.

The figure huddled under a thick oak tree, head buried in knees, two thin arms hanging limply, even the once neatly combed ponytail drooping down, covered with bits of grass, looking disheveled and aggrieved.

It was Tang Ya, who had suffered greatly at Shrek Academy.

Hearing footsteps, Tang Ya slowly raised her head. Her eyes were swollen and red like walnuts, with redness at the corners. There were still tear stains on her face, and the tip of her nose was red. She looked pitiful.

The moment she saw that the person who came was Shi Yu, her eyes lit up, as if a dim star had suddenly been lit, and the grievances she had accumulated for a long time broke through her defenses.

"Waaaaah—Xiao Shiyu!"

Tang Ya choked up and suddenly jumped up from the ground, like a little bird returning to its nest, and pounced on Shi Yu with her arms outstretched.

Shi Yu subconsciously reached out and caught her, only to find that the person in his arms was trembling all over, crying loudly, and even her shoulders were shaking. Her warm tears quickly soaked his clothes.

"Shrek is no place for a human being!" Tang Ya's voice was muffled in his arms, thick with nasal tone, as she mumbled her accusation.

"Every day I have to rush to the toilet before dawn, and if I go late, there won't be any seats left! The food in the canteen is expensive and ordinary. A regular serving of soul beast meat costs ten gold soul coins, and even a whole roasted pig leg from the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest costs 100 gold soul coins. It's highway robbery! I really can't take this anymore!"

She looked up at Shi Yu with teary eyes, her nose still twitching slightly: "If it weren't for the candy and other long-lasting foods you gave me before each school term, I'm afraid I would have died there by now."

Shi Yu raised his hand and gently patted her back, his tone soothing: "Alright, Sister Xiaoya, since you're on vacation, I'll take you back to eat. I'll arrange everything you want to eat."

Upon hearing this, Tang Ya gradually stopped crying, but she still clung to Shi Yu's arms, her nose twitching slightly as she greedily inhaled the familiar scent emanating from him.

But after a short while, her nose suddenly twitched, as if she had sensed something, and her brows furrowed slightly.

It was a fresh and fragrant aroma I had never smelled before, crisp and refreshing with a unique sweetness, a scent that none of the ingredients from the Star Dou Great Forest could possibly give off.

"Xiao Shiyu," Tang Ya suddenly looked up, her eyes still moist but with a hint of seriousness, "did you secretly eat something incredibly delicious while I was away?"

Shi Yu was amused by her sudden question and reached out to flick her forehead: "Sister Xiaoya, are you a dog? Your nose is so sensitive."

"You're the dog!" Tang Ya angrily slapped his hand away, put her hands on her hips, and adopted an interrogation stance. "Speak up! Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely!"

Shi Yu shook his head helplessly, his tone slightly mocking: "I didn't eat much. I just went to the far north with Zhu Lu and Xiao Yutong a while ago, caught a pufferfish whale, and cooked a meal of sashimi."

"Wait!" Tang Ya exclaimed, her voice rising abruptly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Who are Zhu Lu and Xiao Yutong? And what is a pufferfish whale, some kind of top-tier ingredient? What have I missed this semester?!"

Her voice was filled with shock and grievance, as if all her energy had been drained away in an instant. Her already reddened eyes began to moisten again, and her aura dimmed, as if even her colors had been stripped away, presenting a hazy black and white tone.

She hung her head, took two steps back, squatted down, hugged her knees, and kept muttering in a soft, aggrieved voice, "I was here first... I was the one who grew up in the Star Dou Great Forest with Shi Yu..."

Seeing Tang Ya's expression, as if her candy had been stolen, Shi Yu was both amused and exasperated. He shook his head helplessly, took two steps forward, and reached out to ruffle her messy ponytail.

"Alright, Xiaoya, stop making those meaningless wails over there." He bent down, extended his hand, and coaxed her in a slightly coaxing tone. "Come on, I'll take you to meet Zhu Lu and Xiao Yutong, and while we're at it, I'll show you the taste of pufferfish whales—it's a top-notch delicacy that even Hyotei raves about."

After saying that, Shi Yu grabbed Tang Ya's hand without further ado and turned to walk towards the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang Ya's fingers were enveloped in Shi Yu's warm palm, and a warm feeling instantly spread from her fingertips to her heart. At this moment, she no longer had the mind to dwell on the matter of Hyotei.

She froze for a moment, then her cheeks flushed bright red, even her ears turned a light pink.

She dared not look up at Shi Yu's back, and could only lower her head, letting him lead her, taking small steps behind him. The grievances and disappointments in her heart had quietly dissipated, leaving only the warm touch from her fingertips and her pounding heart.

The breeze in the forest was still gentle, and sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting long shadows on the two people's clasped hands as they walked towards the core area.