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Following the scent, Ye Mingshang walked directly into the kitchen, and the delicious food being stir-fried made her mouth water. Who was Bai Xiangxue? Although she didn't turn around, she could clearly sense Ye Mingshang's arrival. Glancing back at Ye Mingshang's greedy expression, she couldn't help but chuckle, "You’re still the same as when you were little; you look like this whenever you see something delicious."
Ye Mingshang wiped her mouth and smiled awkwardly before asking, "Mother, is there anything I can help with?"
"Help? I think you just want to sneak a bite, little glutton," Bai Xiangxue laughed lightly while covering her mouth. She then pointed to a small basket nearby. "Here, there are fresh fruits in the basket. You can eat some to tide you over; the meal will be ready soon."
Ye Mingshang grinned as she picked up the small basket, lifted the leaves covering it, and a wave of fragrance hit her. The smell was a hundred times better than the finest perfume. Before leaving the kitchen, Ye Mingshang took out a fruit that looked like an apple and started eating it. Mmm~ It was sweet and crispy—delicious.
"Wow, you actually snuck a bite first," Ling'er said, seeing Ye Mingshang happily eating while holding the basket with one hand and pouting with her hands on her hips.
"Um... um..."
"Speak properly."
Quickly finishing the fruit in her hand, Ye Mingshang sighed contentedly, "I mean, I'm hungry."
Um...
The room fell silent for a moment before Ling'er extended her hand. "I want to eat too."
Ye Mingshang handed over the basket. "Here."
Ling'er happily took the basket and picked up a crystal-clear 'big grape' (about the size of a fist) and began to nibble on it. "Brother Ye, hurry up and tell me a story; I want to hear more stories."
While eating the fruit in her hand, Ye Mingshang casually sat down in a nearby rattan chair. "There aren't that many stories to tell; just eat your food."
"Hmph!" Ling'er huffed lightly, looking at her angrily. Then an idea struck her. "Hey, Brother Ye, have you met any beautiful friends outside?"
Upon hearing this, images of Lin Qianqian and Haitang Tiantian flashed through Ye Mingshang's mind. She paused for a moment before putting on a helpless expression. "Of course! With how outstanding I am, I could form an army with all the girls who like me."
"Hmph! Just bragging."
...
Before long, Bai Xiangxue brought out delicious dishes, and Ling'er and Ye Mingshang went to help. Smelling the familiar aroma, Ye Mingshang couldn't help but pinch a piece of meat.
"Hey, you're stealing food again!" Ling'er pointed at him with her delicate hand, her beautiful eyes glaring at Ye Mingshang.
Ignoring her, he popped a piece of meat into his mouth; it was crispy, tender, and incredibly delicious—far better than the Manchu Han Imperial Feast. Seeing that Ye Mingshang was ignoring her, Ling'er huffed and shot him an angry glance before going to serve herself rice.
With the dishes laid out, looking at the familiar plates and inhaling the familiar scents in the air, Ye Mingshang couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
"Shang'er, hurry up and eat. I made your favorite dragon eggs," Bai Xiangyun said as she placed a golden scrambled egg into Ye Mingshang's bowl.
"Dragon eggs?" Ye Mingshang was taken aback. He still remembered the time he had stolen Azure Dragon eggs and got beaten up by Underworld River. The dragon clan members had looked at him as if they wanted to kill him; after all, dragons were not easy to breed, and no one wanted others to eat their offspring.
Noticing Ye Mingshang's confusion, Bai Xiangxue explained, "These are Dragon Beast eggs. Although they are also dragons, they lack intelligence and have always been raised as livestock. Their eggs are just as delicious as Azure Dragon eggs."
So that's how it is. He hadn't seen Dragon Beasts when he was around before; they must have been introduced for breeding in recent years. Dragon Beasts resemble dragons but lack flying abilities; they don't possess much intelligence and can't be considered spirits. This is similar to the distinction between ordinary animals and spirits, or even between humans and monkeys—people can eat monkeys, so naturally, they can eat these beasts too.
With that concern gone, Ye Mingshang dug in heartily. The familiar dishes and flavors were delightful, but what was truly precious was the deep maternal love—the taste of a mother. Bai Xiangxue had once told Ye Mingshang, "Although you are not my biological child, I truly regard you as my son." She meant it and acted accordingly.
"Don't rush; take your time eating so you don't choke," Bai Xiangxue said with a smile as she happily served him more food.
Mmm!~
Ye Mingshang's eyes widened as he looked around frantically. Bai Xiangxue understood immediately and handed him a cup of tea. After drinking a cup of water to wash down the food that had lodged in his throat, he let out a heavy sigh of relief and displayed a satisfied smile.
Just as he was enjoying his meal, a cheerful voice rang out, "Haha, I could smell the aroma from far away! Can I join for a meal?"
Accompanied by laughter, a strong young man appeared at the door, looking about eighty percent like Yin Hu.
"Little Tiger is here! Come in, I'll get you some food," Bai Xiangxue greeted with a smile.
"Well, I won't be polite then," Little Tiger replied with a hearty laugh and sat down in an empty seat. He then glanced at Ye Mingshang beside him. "Brother Ye, you're back! It's been a long time since we last met."
"Mm." Ye Mingshang acknowledged with a grunt, not even lifting his eyes as he continued eating the food on the table.
Little Tiger smiled awkwardly, thinking to himself that after all these years, this guy still didn't give him any face. He then turned to Ling'er. "Sister Ling'er, you're here too."
Ling'er shot him a glare. "Can't you see for yourself? Are you blind?"
"You two shouldn't bully Little Tiger; you should greet him properly," Bai Xiangxue said as she placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of Little Tiger.
"Mm, Tiger Brother."
"Hello, Little Tiger brother."
The two greeted him symbolically but didn't even look at him, continuing to eat their meals. Little Tiger scratched his head awkwardly. "Alright, everyone is good, haha!"
As he enjoyed the delicious food, Little Tiger looked at Ye Mingshang. "Mingshang, you've been doing well out there these years. I've heard that those Taoists call you a once-in-a-thousand-years genius, the strongest under the immortals."
Before Ye Mingshang could respond, Ling'er jumped in. "Of course! My Brother Ye is the best! Those ordinary folks can't compare to Brother Ye at all. I think saying he's a once-in-a-thousand-years talent is an understatement; with Brother Ye's abilities, it should be at least once-in-ten-thousand-years!" Ling'er held her head high, looking proud as if she were talking about herself.
"What Sister Ling'er said is true," Little Tiger awkwardly chimed in.
Ye Mingshang shot Ling'er a glance. "I'm not that amazing. There are always people better than you; I know my own limits. There aren't many who can match me under the immortals, but if we're talking about true immortals, I probably wouldn't last more than a few moves against them. One can be proud but not complacent; otherwise, it could lead to great losses."
"Oh! Got it," Ling'er replied softly.
Then Ye Mingshang looked at the smiling Little Tiger with a look of disappointment, saying, "I mean, Little Tiger, you are a tiger, the king of beasts. Why are you being so timid? You can't even speak up and just keep trying to please everyone. If Uncle Hu knew you were like this, he would definitely give you a lesson."
Little Tiger's mouth twitched. "Me timid? That depends on who I'm dealing with! Who in the demon clan doesn't know my reputation? The younger generation avoids me like the plague. It's only because I'm facing someone like you that I'm acting this way! I can't beat you, and I can't match your power. What else can I do but be timid?"
"I know what you're thinking; don't make excuses. Look at your father—when has he ever been timid? He once faced five equally ranked experts from the demon clan without flinching, and he fought through injuries to take down three of them. Even Face Demon Lord showed no fear and boasted about wanting to challenge them one-on-one. He might not win, but he isn't timid, is he? And look at you—you're family, yet you're so scared. Am I going to eat you or something?" Ye Mingshang said with frustration towards Little Tiger.
Listening to Ye Mingshang's words, Little Tiger fell into deep thought. Was he really too cowardly? Maybe so; perhaps it was because he was bullied by him when they were younger that he was afraid now. But had his father ever feared anyone? Even when speaking to the Dragon King, he had never shown any timidity. He remembered being kidnapped by demons as a child, and his father single-handedly fought his way into Underworld Zone, carving a bloody path to rescue him.
His father was a man of great stature; wasn't he one too?
Little Tiger's expression changed several times before it finally became resolute. "Ye Mingshang, I want to fight you again."
Ye Mingshang put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked seriously at Little Tiger. "Are you sure?"
"Sure! From now on, whoever wins will be the older brother, and the loser has to willingly be the younger brother," Little Tiger said earnestly. Ye Mingshang couldn't help but chuckle inwardly; it seemed Little Tiger still couldn't accept that he was much older yet always called him brother—how childish.
"Alright then, let's eat first. After we're done, we can go have some fun," Ye Mingshang said as he resumed eating from his bowl. Ling Er looked confused, while Bai Xiangxue cast a gentle glance at Little Tiger, hoping that he could inherit his father's courage and conquer his inner demons.
Ye Mingshang's appetite was impressive; although thin, he could eat as much as a competitive eater. As for Little Tiger, just by looking at him compared to Yin Hu, one could tell he was no less robust. His true form was still that of a tiger; his appetite was certainly not smaller than Ye Mingshang's. Now that he set aside his timidity, he ate heartily without reservation, finishing all the dishes in no time.
"Not bad! Now that's what a man should look like," Ye Mingshang said as he patted Little Tiger on the shoulder with satisfaction. Little Tiger felt somewhat awkward; after all, Ye Mingshang was only his peer and much younger than him yet always acted like an elder figure, which made him feel uncomfortable.
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