C11 Forest King

Under Ye Feng's astonished gaze, the little tyke gulped down the contents of the bamboo bowl in one go, draining it completely.

After finishing, he looked up at Ye Feng, clearly wanting more.

"Big brother..."

"It's all gone. You can see for yourself, the bowl's empty," Ye Feng said, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture.

"Ugh..." The little kid hung his head, looking pitiful.

Ye Feng felt even more put out than the kid. He had only meant for the child to have a sip, but the little rascal had unceremoniously polished off the entire bowl of soup.

"We should head back. It's not safe to roam alone in these deep woods."

At the mention of home, the little kid's spirits lifted. He grabbed Ye Feng's wrist and said, "Come home with me, big brother. We've got plenty more at my place, enough to make several more pots."

Ye Feng wanted to protest that he wasn't a cook, but the child, who seemed larger than life, held onto his hand so firmly that resistance was futile.

The little kid pulled him deeper into the snow line.

"Is your home in the core area?" As they entered the core area, Ye Feng felt the biting cold wind slicing against his exposed skin.

"Yes, not just me, my parents live there too."

It was clear to Ye Feng now; this child was certainly no ordinary human.

He scrutinized the little one, unable to discern his true nature.

Feeling an intruder's presence, the Spirit Beasts of the core area converged on their location.

Yet, they retreated at a mere glance from the child.

Together, one human and one beast, they made their way through the core area until they reached a vacuum zone that even the Spirit Beasts avoided.

"Here we are. This is my home," the little kid announced, stopping and pointing to the expansive lake behind him.

"Your home is in the lake?!"

Without responding, the little kid walked to the water's edge and blew a whistle across the surface of the lake.

The lake water churned, and a youth about his age emerged from its depths.

"Ah Liu, why did you casually bring a stranger here?" The youth chastised the little child as soon as he stepped out of the water.

"Third Brother, didn't you want to experience the flavors of the human world? The food this human makes is truly delicious. Why not give it a try?" the little child defended.

Upon hearing the child's words, the youth gave Ye Feng a cursory glance.

"Do you know how to cook human food?"

Ye Feng nodded, "I can make a few dishes."

He appraised the youth before him, sensing an incredibly dangerous presence. If he wasn't mistaken, this youth must be one of the Forest Lords the old man had mentioned.

Seeing Ye Feng's nod, the youth gestured, and various cooking utensils materialized from his hand.

"Then prepare a few dishes for me. If they're to my liking, I'll reward you with some treasures."

The little child bared his teeth in a friendly grin at the side.

Ye Feng pondered for a moment before agreeing.

It was just cooking, after all. And this young man seemed more inclined to offer compensation than the old man.

He examined the utensils, then turned to the youth. "The utensils are ready, but what about the ingredients?"

The youth glanced over the surrounding grass. "You might find some ingredients in there."

His implication was clear: whatever ingredients Ye Feng needed, he would have to forage for them himself.

Ye Feng fell silent for a while but eventually turned to search through the grass.

"Host, do you need to exchange ingredients?" As he surveyed a bunch of wild greens with a furrowed brow, the voice of the system piped up.

"How does the exchange work?" Ye Feng inquired offhandedly.

"You earn 100 points for each completed mission. It takes 50 points to activate the Exchange System, and you can use the remaining 50 points to swap for ingredients."

"Activate it," Ye Feng decided with a nod.

"Ingredient Exchange System activated."

Following the system's announcement, a semi-transparent panel materialized before Ye Feng.

Only three types of ingredients were available for exchange: fish, chicken, and greens.

"Why are there only three types of ingredients?"

"Since the host's Exchange Panel is only at level one, you're limited to exchanging three types of materials each time. Rest assured, the panel will automatically refresh every day at midnight."

Ye Feng glanced at the prices on the panel. With his current points, he could afford only the fish for 50 points and the vegetables for 20 points.

He opted for the fish. In comparison to the vegetables, there were more dishes he could prepare with fish.

After successfully exchanging for the fish worth 50 points, Ye Feng set to work on preparing Braised Fish Head.

Two hours later, he had completed four dishes and one soup.

The spread included Braised Fish Head, Crispy Fried Fish Rolls, Cold Fish Skin Salad, Cold Wild Vegetable Salad, and Fish Bone Soup.

"Dinner's ready," Ye Feng called out to the two brothers in the distance.

The young man approached, sampling a bite of each dish before telling Ye Feng, "Just a moment, please."

With those words, he swiftly dived into the water.

When he reemerged, he was accompanied by an elderly lady with white hair.

"Mother, do these dishes suit your taste?" the young man asked, guiding the old lady to the stone table.

Ye Feng was taken aback. The white-haired old lady was the young man's mother.

Considering the lifespan of a Spirit Beast, how old could this lady be?

Assisted by the young man, the old lady took her seat by the stone table.

Her gaze lingered on the four dishes and one soup, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes.

"Yes, this is the flavor of human cuisine."

Ye Feng was mildly surprised. "Madam, have you experienced the taste of human cuisine before?"

The old lady gave him a look but remained silent, simply picking up her chopsticks and beginning to eat.

Ye Feng decided not to pry further, sensing that his curiosity was unwelcome.

The young man then stepped forward, "Tell me what you desire. If it's within our power, I will grant it."

Ye Feng didn't pursue further rapport, stating his needs, "I require some Immortal Spirit Grass and a Pearl Fire Cloud Bird."

The young man raised his eyebrows in mild surprise and asked, "Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all," Ye Feng confirmed with assurance.

He was not well-versed in this world and had no intention of imposing on the brothers' hospitality.

The young man scrutinized him for a moment, "Remember, this is a one-time offer. Should you return, the opportunity won't be available again."

Ye Feng chuckled, "I understand, it's a done deal once the money and goods have exchanged hands. Rest assured, I won't come back to stir up any trouble."

Once the young man was certain that all he desired was the Immortal Spirit Grass and the Pearl Fire Cloud Bird, he turned and vanished on the spot.