Chapter 07: Eating Chicken

Translator: Krukist

A young girl in a white dress, her face half-hidden behind a veil, suddenly stopped outside the Lin family’s courtyard wall. Her large, watery eyes were filled with fascination.

Beside her stood a woman in her thirties, dressed in a green robe. Tall and poised, she had her black hair tied up neatly, exuding an air of confidence. On her chest was an emblem of three moons and seven stars, the threads of the design shimmering with a faint purple glow, giving it a lively appearance.

Seeing the girl suddenly stop, her eyes filled with longing, the woman felt a mix of surprise and relief. Without waiting for the girl to speak, she stepped forward and knocked on the small gate next to the courtyard wall.

Lin Yu, who had just finished preparing a few hot dishes in the kitchen, heard the knock and called out, “Who is it?”

Lin Yu didn’t have many friends in this world. Aunt Liu, who lived a street away, had been helping him since his father disappeared six months ago. Aunt Liu, in her forties, was a widow raising her daughter Liu Xiaofei alone. Lin Yu’s father had often helped her, and the two shared a special bond.

While his father had many friends, they all seemed to vanish after his disappearance. Only Aunt Liu continued to visit and lend a hand.

At this moment, Lin Yu thought it might be Aunt Liu bringing over some food. His chicken stew with mushrooms was almost ready, and he wanted her to try it.

Creak…

The door opened, but instead of Aunt Liu, two strangers stood outside.

“Who are you?” Lin Yu asked, eyeing the two women. The girl’s face was partially veiled, but the translucent fabric hinted at her beauty. As for the woman in the green robe, when Lin Yu noticed the moon and star emblem on her chest, he was stunned.

A Third-Grade Seven-Star Arcane Martialist!

Becoming an Arcane Martialist was already a rare feat. Out of the thousand students admitted to Heavenly Cloud Academy each year, fewer than ten would graduate as Arcane Martialists. In the entire Heavenly Cloud Kingdom, there were fewer than a hundred Third-Grade Arcane Martialists, and even fewer who reached the Third-Grade Seven-Star level by their thirties.

Since arriving in this world, this was the first time Lin Yu had encountered a Third-Grade Arcane Martialist.

But that wasn’t the main point. What stood out was that this Third-Grade Seven-Star Arcane Martialist was strikingly beautiful, with a charm reminiscent of the elegant women from Earth. Her confident demeanor only added to her allure.

Qing Luan sniffed the air, confirming that the enticing aroma came from within the courtyard. She asked coldly, “Is someone cooking in this yard?”

“I was just in the kitchen…” Lin Yu felt a bit nervous. The aura of a Third-Grade Seven-Star Arcane Martialist was naturally intimidating.

Qing Luan didn’t pay much attention to Lin Yu. Instead, she glanced at the girl beside her. Her expression was calm, not holding much hope. In the past, when they had encountered similar situations, the girl would lose interest as soon as the door opened.

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“What delicious food did you make?” The girl, unlike before, seemed even more excited after entering.

“I…”

Lin Yu wasn’t sure why these two had come, but it seemed like they were here for a meal. A Third-Grade Seven-Star Arcane Martialist was a rare sight in Heavenly Cloud City, and it appeared she was deferring to the veiled girl.

This girl must be from a wealthy family,* Lin Yu thought. *And she seems really interested in my chicken…

Before Lin Yu could respond, the girl squeezed past him into the courtyard, sniffing the air with delight. “It smells amazing! So fragrant!”

Lin Yu stood frozen as Qing Luan also brushed past him into the yard.

“Hey, you two!”

Lin Yu hurried after them. These two had barged in without an invitation, which wasn’t exactly polite.

At the kitchen door, Blacky stood alert. Despite his age, the old dog showed no fear in the face of the Third-Grade Arcane Martialist. Instead, he bared his teeth and growled lowly, ready to defend his territory.

“Young man, don’t misunderstand. We mean no harm,” the girl said sweetly, batting her large, watery eyes at Lin Yu. “Could you bring out the food you made? I’ll pay you in Spirit Stones, okay?”

“Well…”

A single chicken wasn’t a lot, but it was enough for Lin Yu and Blacky. He had slaughtered the chicken today to give Blacky a treat.

Now, with two unexpected guests, even if they were girls, the food wouldn’t be enough. But since the girl offered to pay in Spirit Stones, this was a good opportunity. Lin Yu was in desperate need of Spirit Stones—not just for his sister’s tuition but also for basic household expenses.

Over the past month, he had relied on Aunt Liu’s help to get by. Without her, he might have starved.

“Please, young man, your food smells so good. Let me try it. I won’t eat for free. If you’re worried, we can agree on a price first,” the girl said earnestly.

“Miss, you really won’t eat for free…” Hearing the phrase “eat for free” spoken so seriously by the girl, Lin Yu felt a bit awkward and added, “That’s good to hear.”

“Of course! Name your price, and hurry up. I can’t wait!” the girl said eagerly.

“Well…”

Lin Yu had been running a medicine hall, not a restaurant, but he had some idea of the local prices. A regular plate of chicken would cost around 5 Spirit Stones. Given that his Earth-style cooking was unique, charging 10 Spirit Stones didn’t seem unreasonable.

Lin Yu held up one finger, though his expression betrayed a lack of confidence. After all, his price was double the market rate, and while the food smelled good, there was no guarantee the girl would like it.

“1 Spirit Stone?”

The veiled girl smiled. “No problem. Hurry up and bring it out!”

“…” Lin Yu was speechless.

“Too low?” The girl looked puzzled. Qing Luan leaned in and whispered something to her. The girl immediately smiled apologetically. “You meant 10 Spirit Stones, right? Let’s not haggle over 1 or 10. How about 8? That’s my final offer.”

Before the girl could finish, Lin Yu firmly stated, “8 Spirit Stones, my bottom line!” Whether or not the girl liked the taste, his Earth-style cooking was one-of-a-kind, and that justified the higher price.

The girl’s expression shifted slightly, then she generously said, “I’ll give you 100 Spirit Stones. Can you please hurry and bring out the food?”

100 Spirit Stones…

This was an exorbitant price. A chicken in Heavenly Cloud City cost about 5 Spirit Stones. Even if the girl ate all the chicken he had prepared, Lin Yu could easily buy another chicken and still have plenty of Spirit Stones left.

Rich people’s money is indeed easy to earn!

Lin Yu quickly brought out the dishes: Spicy Diced Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, and Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms, each served in small portions along with a bowl of white rice.

The veiled girl, not wanting Lin Yu to see her face, sat with her back to him, while Lin Yu and Qing Luan stood behind her.

The girl removed her veil, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite of the Kung Pao Chicken.

Lin Yu, standing behind her, felt his heart race. He was counting on the promised 100 Spirit Stones. If the girl liked the food, the money was his. If not, he’d be out of luck.

As the girl brought the chicken to her lips and took a bite, she suddenly froze…

Lin Yu’s heart sank. The last time he had cooked an Earth-style dish for Aunt Liu, she had forced a smile and said it was “not bad,” but her expression had clearly said otherwise…

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