"Boom!!!"
Suddenly, a large ice sphere fell from the sky, crashing through many tree branches before hitting the ground and shattering into pieces.
A person tumbled out from within—it was none other than Poison Douluo! He supported himself on the ground and suddenly let out a loud retch, vomiting everything in his stomach.
After being toyed with by Gu Yuena and Di Tian, he was now seeing stars, his stomach churning violently.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand how he had ended up in such a humiliating situation.
If the other party had truly meant him harm, they would have simply killed him—that would have been the safest approach.
Yet, despite their overwhelming strength, they didn't do so. Instead, they chose to humiliate and toy with him.
"Who exactly are they? They didn't even try to recruit me—they were just using me for their amusement!"
Poison Douluo clenched his fists in frustration. But as furious as he was, he didn't dare return for revenge.
All he could do was stew in his own resentment.
No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't figure out where he had offended those three.
Shaking his head with a sigh, he muttered, "Forget it. I can't afford to provoke them, but at least I can avoid them. Ten days without entering Tian Dou City? Fine. I might as well take this chance to visit Yan'er. If possible, I could even introduce her to that kid."
Poison Douluo stroked his chin, never once considering that the whole ordeal had anything to do with Dan Heng.
To him, Dan Heng was just an ordinary man with a strong sense of honor.
After experiencing this humiliation, a sudden realization struck him: even powerful soul masters could still be bullied.
That meant he shouldn't insist on finding the strongest soul master for his granddaughter's husband.
Take Dan Heng, for example—though he had given Poison Douluo a headache, he still found himself admiring the young man.
A truly courageous man should be like Dan Heng!
"I should find a way to set them up together. Yan'er should be able to keep Dan Heng in check. That way, a hundred years from now, I won't have to worry about her being mistreated…"
When Dan Heng returned, he found only Zhu Zhuqing and Zi Ji in the courtyard. When he asked where Gu Yuena had gone, Zi Ji rolled her eyes and replied, "She went looking for you."
He was about to go out and search for her when Zi Ji quickly stopped him.
"No, no, brother-in-law, wait! Actually, she just went shopping to buy clothes for Bi Ji."
"Bi Ji? That's another younger sister of hers. A little sister! Yes, she's also my sister!"
"Brother-in-law, can you cook a few extra dishes today? Bi Ji and I have the same taste in food…"
Zi Ji licked her lips and grinned mischievously.
She pushed Dan Heng toward the kitchen, humming as she rattled off a list of dishes.
Just thinking about getting double portions of food made her incredibly happy.
Of course, Dan Heng wasn't going to cater entirely to Zi Ji's preferences—most of the dishes she listed were just her own favorites.
Zi Ji, eager and attentive, stood by the kitchen door.
Each time Dan Heng finished a dish, she would take the plate and immediately start eating, perched on the table like a little hamster.
"Zi Ji, what are you doing?!"
A sharp voice interrupted her.
Dan Heng turned his head to see that Gu Yuena had returned, accompanied by a gentle and beautiful green-haired woman.
It was none other than Bi Ji, the same woman he had seen at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
However, now she was dressed differently, her veil removed, making her look slightly different from before.
Pretending not to recognize her, Dan Heng asked, "Na'er, who is she?"
"She's Bi Ji, another one of my younger sisters," Gu Yuena explained with a smile.
Bi Ji glanced at Dan Heng, then shyly greeted him, "Brother-in-law, hello."
Dan Heng smiled slightly and asked, "What kind of food do you like? Any dietary restrictions?"
He had a good impression of Bi Ji—unlike Zi Ji, who was like… well, a darker version of March 7th.
That comparison might not do March 7th justice, but Dan Heng didn't know many people to compare with.
Bi Ji was taken aback. "Taste preferences?"
Before coming here, she had never eaten human food. How could she have any preferences?
Gu Yuena answered for her, "Something mild and light will do."
Dan Heng nodded and resumed cooking, pushing aside the piles of meat that Zi Ji had prepared.
"But brother-in-law…! That's nourishing…!" Zi Ji protested, barely swallowing the food in her mouth as she tried to stop him.
Gu Yuena grabbed Zi Ji's cheek and gave a cold snort.
"Zi Ji, look at what you've done. I should punish you." Gu Yuena pointed at the table full of empty plates.
Dan Heng had prepared three extra-large plates of meat.
But now, every single one of them was spotless.
They were even cleaner than if they had been washed.
Meanwhile, Zi Ji's lips were greasy, clear evidence of her feast.
Zi Ji looked at Gu Yuena pitifully, but before she could beg for mercy, she was dragged away by the ear.
Bi Ji curiously observed all of this. Having just left the Star Dou Forest, she found everything fascinating.
She couldn't understand the way Zi Ji and Gu Yuena interacted.
Glancing at the stove, she was mesmerized by Dan Heng's cooking.
Back in the Star Dou Forest, she had survived on lake grasses and small fish from the Life Lake.
Everything she ate had been completely raw, untouched by any cooking process.
But now, after being prepared in that ordinary-looking iron pot, enhanced with various seasonings, an incredibly rich aroma filled the air.
Bi Ji subtly wiped her mouth, feeling as though she might start drooling.
"Brother-in-law… is this a soul skill?"
Bi Ji asked in a daze.
From outside, Zi Ji's loud laughter echoed.
"Hahaha! Bi Ji, you're such an idiot! You actually think brother-in-law's cooking tastes good because of a soul skill?"
Bi Ji's face immediately turned bright red. Overcome with embarrassment, she lowered her head.
She quietly stepped away without making a sound.
Dan Heng nodded approvingly—if only Zi Ji were as well-behaved as Bi Ji, his life would be much easier.
During dinner.
Bi Ji finally understood why Gu Yuena had been angry with Zi Ji.
The moment she took her first bite of Dan Heng's food, her eyes widened in disbelief. She ignored the heat and eagerly grabbed another bite.
For a soul beast that had always eaten raw food, suddenly tasting expertly cooked cuisine was a life-changing experience.
She kept eating, bite after bite, until she accidentally bit her own tongue. Letting out a pained hiss, she finally paused.
Zi Ji, holding her chopsticks, burst into laughter at the sight.
"Hahaha! Sister… sister, look at Bi Ji's dumb face! She actually bit her own tongue! This is too funny!"
Gu Yuena shot Zi Ji a cold glare. "You're not eating tonight. You already had enough in the kitchen."
"What?!" Zi Ji was stunned and immediately looked at Gu Yuena with puppy-dog eyes.
But Gu Yuena remained unmoved. Zi Ji's sneaky kitchen raid had to be punished!
After all, having a private meal made by Dan Heng was a privilege reserved for the lady of the house.
Zi Ji could only sulk, finishing the food in her bowl before slumping off to the side, gazing at Dan Heng with a pitiful expression.
She knew that only Dan Heng could change Gu Yuena's mind.
Dan Heng pretended not to notice.
Gu Yuena picked up some food for Bi Ji and smiled gently. "Take your time. The best flavors should be savored slowly."
Bi Ji's face turned beet red. She was so embarrassed she could cry.
(End of Chapter)