Chapter 758: Heart Uneasy

Ji Yuan, currently boiling water, looked up and glanced down the road. Though initially unconcerned, he thought for a moment, performed a quick calculation, and then frowned. With a sweep of his sleeve, he cleared all the grime from the water vat beside him. Then, pointing at the vat, water vapor condensed from thin air, filling the vat from empty until the waterline reached two-thirds before stopping.

The Xiezhi scroll hung on a wooden pillar by the stove, its image motionless, yet it felt as if a gaze was fixed on the pot. Seeing Ji Yuan replenish the water in the vat, Xiezhi chuckled.

"You have a good heart," Xiezhi said, "but you're not the owner of this tea shed."

Ji Yuan, with something on his mind, replied casually after two more glances down the road, "I didn't say I'd serve them." He began preparing his tea, putting tea leaves and a little honey into the teapot. He then poured in the boiling spring water, just enough for one pot. A faint tea aroma had barely begun to waft out before Ji Yuan sealed it within the pot with the lid.

Xiezhi, on the scroll, watched Ji Yuan's teapot and suddenly murmured, "The sleeve holds a vast universe, the pot contains endless days and nights..."

This phrase was the essence of Ji Yuan's "Universe in the Sleeve" technique, so he naturally recognized it. He glanced at Xiezhi and, with a touch of pride, asked, "How about it? Does my 'Universe in the Sleeve' meet with your approval, Xiezhi?"

"Hmm, it's very impressive," Xiezhi replied.

Xiezhi's answer was high praise for "Universe in the Sleeve." Ji Yuan accepted it happily and poured a cup of tea for Xiezhi. The creature directly extended a paw, wreathed in wisps of demonic energy, from the scroll to grasp the teacup, then brought it to its mouth and took a small sip.

"Good, the taste is alright..." Xiezhi said. "The pot's empty, is it time for braised fish now?"

Xiezhi's eagerness prompted Ji Yuan not to delay. He set down the teacup he had taken a sip from and began the preparations.

Two large fish, wrapped in a layer of mist, were flicked out from Ji Yuan's sleeve. As they floated above the stove, the fish were surprisingly still alive, wriggling and flapping their tails.

"Fish head for soup, fish body for braising, sound good?" Ji Yuan asked.

"No problem, no problem," Xiezhi replied eagerly, "you decide, it'll definitely be delicious, hehe!"

Xiezhi had seen Ji Yuan cook before, but used to be too proud. Now, having grown much more familiar with Ji Yuan, he had let go of his pride and was simply full of anticipation. Moreover, food prepared by an immortal like Ji Yuan with such unique skill inherently elevated the dish.

These two fish didn't require complex processing. Ji Yuan simply removed a trace of impurities from them, then gently tapped their heads with the flat of his knife, stunning them. With a quick movement of the knife, the fish were decapitated, but there was no blood.

These were not ordinary fish, so Ji Yuan didn't need to fry the fish heads first. He directly placed them into water, added other ingredients, covered the pot, and let it stew. The key was his spell to stabilize the fish's form and freshness; otherwise, it would just be a pot of water.

He then started processing the remaining fish bodies. Cooking was also a good way to relax and entertain oneself, and Ji Yuan quite enjoyed the process. He meticulously cut and prepared the fish. By the time he finished, the distant horse and carriage procession was already close to the tea shed.

At the procession, the riders were somewhat disappointed to see a tea shed.

"Oh, it's a tea shed, not a village at all," someone said.

"It's better than nothing," another replied.

People in the procession conversed. The leading rider approached the carriage again to inform those inside. A man pulled back the carriage curtain and looked out, appearing slightly disappointed, but calmly said, "Let's pull over. It's a good place to rest."

"Yes!" came the reply.

The leading rider quickly returned to the front, guiding the procession towards the tea shed by the road. Many people were also carefully observing the tea shed.

The tea shed looked small but had eight tables, three of which were large tables for eight people. Given the nature of this desolate place, it was quite substantial.

Upon reaching the tea shed, everyone dismounted or exited their carriages. Servants placed stools by the carriages for the occupants to alight slowly. Since there were too many horses, the small stable behind the tea shed could not accommodate them all, so the horses and carriages gathered by the roadside, with designated personnel to guard them.

Ji Yuan was busy at the stove, seemingly not paying attention to these people, but he had actually given them a quick glance. Even without using his special sight, the faces of the people in the two carriages clearly showed they were nobles or high officials, and there was a faint, strange dark aura clinging to them.

"Hey, shopkeeper," the leading guard called out towards the stove, "why aren't either of you coming to greet us?"

It seemed they finally realized they were being ignored. After the carriage occupants sat down at the outer tables of the tea shed, the leading guard shouted towards the stove. The question mentioned "two people" because Xiezhi, due to Ji Yuan's illusion, currently had a human outline, though his face was a scroll image. Others could not see through this and assumed there were two people in the tea shed. In fact, these guards had already seen Ji Yuan and Xiezhi but were wary of them. Both were dressed in refined scholarly robes and didn't look like tea shed workers.

"Hey, shopkeeper over there," another guard challenged, "I'm talking to you, are you deaf?"

A guard approached the stove, peering warily inside. He first noticed the kitchen knife in Ji Yuan's hand. Another guard approached from a different direction. They both scanned but found no other weapons.

Xiezhi naturally remained silent, leaning by the pillar next to the stove, too lazy to move. Ji Yuan looked up at them and shook his head. "My ears aren't deaf," he said, "but you're calling for the shopkeeper, and I'm not the shopkeeper. I'm just borrowing the stove to cook."

"Not the shopkeeper?" the leading guard questioned. He scrutinized Ji Yuan up and down. His clothing indeed made his claim somewhat convincing. "Then where's the shopkeeper?"

Ji Yuan shook his head. The shopkeeper was also a cultivator with considerable skill; it was hard to predict where he went. "When I arrived, the tea shed was empty," Ji Yuan replied. "I don't know where the shopkeeper went."

The leading guard placed his hand on his sword hilt, his gaze darting between Ji Yuan and Xiezhi, especially the silent Xiezhi. "Perhaps you dealt with the shopkeeper?" he suggested.

Ji Yuan ignored him, though he knew their vigilance was understandable, he murmured, "Persecutory delusion."

Ji Yuan then put down the knife, poured the pre-prepared rapeseed oil into the hot pot, and dumped all the fish pieces from the cutting board into the pot.

A loud sizzling sound instantly accompanied the rising oily aroma. Xiezhi's eyes widened, intently watching the pot.

The leading guard's face darkened when Ji Yuan and Xiezhi ignored him. Just as he was about to speak angrily, a voice came from behind him.

"Enough, do not be rude," the voice said.

A middle-aged man, dressed as a Confucian scholar, stood up from a table further back and slightly bowed towards Ji Yuan. "My servants were impolite," he said. "Please forgive them, sirs."

Xiezhi still showed no reaction. Ji Yuan nodded, returned the bow, and pointed. "There's fresh water in this vat," he said. "There are also some tea leaves in the cabinet by the stove, and the tea sets are already out. However, there are no tea snacks or rice left. Help yourselves. Oh, after I finish cooking this pot of fish."

After saying this, Ji Yuan focused on stirring the fish in the pot with his spatula. There was soy sauce in a small bowl nearby. Ji Yuan poured some honey and soy sauce from a honey pot into the pot. He also poured a little wine from his "Thousand Dou Pot." A complex aroma, mixed with a hint of char, filled the entire tea shed. Even the wealthy people sitting outside secretly swallowed their saliva.

"Sir," the leading guard couldn't help but ask, "how about we buy that pot of food from you?" As for poison, they would naturally be careful with authentication.

This time, Xiezhi finally spoke, even before Ji Yuan, his deep, hoarse voice naturally making people wary. "Sorry," he said, "this fish won't be sold for any amount of money."

"Not even for ten taels of silver?" the guard pressed.

"Not even for ten taels of gold," Ji Yuan replied, glancing at Xiezhi, then at the leading guard and the seemingly expectant wealthy people. He shook his head and continued cooking. "Ji doesn't lack money to that extent." Ji Yuan originally wanted to say he wasn't short of money, but considering the actual situation, he lowered his claim slightly. His hands didn't stop; he casually put the lid on the pot, immediately sealing in all the aroma. Then, the flames in the stove burned fiercely, much more intensely than normal firewood.

Hearing that Ji Yuan was unmoved by money, Xiezhi inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. Ji Yuan's eyebrow twitched; did Xiezhi really think he was greedy for money?

"Then you're occupying two stoves," the guard said with a heavy tone. "When will you be done?"

Ji Yuan glanced at the stove and replied, "Another twenty breaths."

And indeed, after only twenty breaths, Ji Yuan retrieved bowls and basins from the cabinet next to the stove, then opened both pot lids simultaneously.

In that instant, a peculiar aroma filled the entire tea shed, intoxicating those who smelled it. However, this scent quickly faded after two breaths. While still very appealing, it was no longer so captivating as to be irresistible.

"Finally, finally!" Xiezhi exclaimed impatiently. "Hehe, bring it to the table, bring it to the table!"

Xiezhi impatiently carried the fish head soup to the table, while Ji Yuan carried a large basin of braised fish. The basin was literally a washbasin, full to the brim.

"So much... they won't finish it..." someone murmured.

"Yeah, gulp..." another added, swallowing.

Ji Yuan took a clean teacup, poured some tea, and personally walked towards the Confucian-looking man, but was stopped by a guard. He then handed the tea to the guard instead. "This tea is from me," he said. "As for the fish, it looks like a lot, but it's not very filling. If I gave some to you, someone would be unhappy. This fish is not ordinary and cannot be easily sold. Your worries are not mundane, so they cannot be easily cured."

"Hmph!" Xiezhi grunted coldly.

"Ji Yuan," Xiezhi continued, "why say so much to a bunch of mortals? Come eat the fish, or I'll eat it all myself!"

"Coming," Ji Yuan replied. He left and took his seat, but Xiezhi's words greatly impacted the scholar.

*Could these two be reclusive masters?* the scholar wondered. *Or rather, not mortals at all? Their pursuits are not mundane matters...*

Meanwhile, Ji Yuan, picking up his chopsticks and chewing on the fish, felt his unease growing. His peripheral vision often drifted towards the scholar. The scholar was just a mortal.