Walker Of The Worlds

2751  A Large Pile Of Seafood And Easy Earnings

This..." Lin Mu was stunned at what was quite literally a mountain of food.

"Heavens... did you empty out the entire ocean?" Daoist Chu asked.

"This is just a quarter," Ashy replied. "Brother Yang and Sister Yin have more!" she added.

Lin Mu facepalmed as he now understood why the hotel staff seemed to be spreading bait.

"No wonder they were forced to do that... The other people fishing probably complained they weren't catching anything," Lin Mu muttered to himself.

But what was done was done, and it wasn't like the beast squad had broken any rules either, so Lin Mu let it be.

"Store it away, it's stinking up the place," Lin Mu requested.

"Sure!" Little Shrubby said, returning it all.

"Doesn't look like you'll have to go hunting," Daoist Chu chuckled. "I can see several aquatic beasts among them. Once you butcher them, the beast materials would easily pay off our bill several times over," he added.

"Guess that saves me the work..." Lin Mu muttered.

With that said, Lin Mu reckoned he should get to work.

"Let's go butcher them, Shrubby," Lin Mu said, heading to one of the halls that was intended to be used as a workshop.

He didn't want to let the smell of the corpses steep into the banquet hall after all. He spent the rest of the day butchering the aquatic beast corpses, separating all the materials of value while letting Little Shrubby keep all the meat for cooking.

Meanwhile, Daoist Chu took Meng Bai to the entertainment pavilion in the Imperial Ocean Quay, where they played various games and watched performances by singers, dancers, and acrobats. Meng Bai, having never experienced anything like this before, had an exhilarating time.

Monk Hushu, on the other hand, simply meditated in his room.

By the time night rolled in, Lin Mu asked the servants to set up a grilling area in one of the cabanas so they could cook their own meal. This was a common practice, as many other patrons did the same to enjoy their day's 'hard work.'

Of course, the usual arrangement involved the servants handling the cooking, but Lin Mu dismissed them, preferring to do it themselves.

The dinner that night was a feast of grilled seafood in all its glory. Plump lobster tails were split open, their succulent meat marinated in a rich blend of butter, garlic, and crushed chili flakes before being charred to perfection over open flames. Sweet, tender clams sizzled in their shells, bathed in a sauce of white wine, shallots, and parsley. Oysters, still briny and fresh, were topped with a spicy, herbaceous mignonette before being lightly grilled, their juices melding into an umami-laden broth.

Little Shrubby also prepared a massive pot of seafood stew. The fragrant broth, rich with the flavors of slow-simmered fish bones and seaweed, carried the essence of the ocean. Floating within were succulent shrimp, tender squid, and thick chunks of white fish, all enhanced by the warmth of ginger and a touch of numbing Sichuan peppercorns.

Once they were done eating, everyone cultivated to assimilate the sheer amount of energy contained in the meal.

Lin Mu did the same and found it surprisingly beneficial to his Omnicore Ascendancy as well.

'There's a lot of water elemental energy in them,' Lin Mu noted, feeling his Water Core slowly expand. 'I still have the previous materials to consume as well,' he recalled.

Taking them out, he consumed them one by one, spending the rest of his night in cultivation.

In the morning, Lin Mu oversaw Meng Bai's spear training as well as his handwriting practice. The boy seemed particularly rushed today, finishing all his work in a mere four hours for each.

"Can I go out now!?" Meng Bai asked eagerly.

'That's why he was in such a hurry,' Lin Mu realized. "Fine, but take the beasts with you," he instructed.

"Sure!" Meng Bai readily agreed. 'They won't cause trouble in the middle of the city... would they?' he thought uncertainly.

"Yay! Time to go out!" Ashy cheered, excited to explore the city.

"Let's go!" Xiao Yin urged.

"Yeah, hurry, hurry!" Xiao Yang chimed in.

The two snakes slithered into Meng Bai's sleeves, hiding in their usual spots just as they did with Lin Mu, while Ashy perched upon Meng Bai's shoulder. The boy was now dressed in a sober black robe—simple yet elegant.

While he didn't resemble a noble's son, he at least looked like a young disciple from a cultivation sect. With Ashy on his shoulder, he carried the air of a budding beast tamer. The small bird was unassuming, unlikely to draw much attention. The real threat, however, lay hidden within his sleeves.

"Oh, is Shrubby not coming?" Meng Bai asked, noticing the kitten's absence.

"He's experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen," Lin Mu replied.

"Oh yeah! He got inspired and wanted to try something different," Meng Bai recalled.

"We'll probably have something interesting to try tonight," Lin Mu guessed.

"That's great! I'm off now!" Meng Bai declared, strutting out of the villa.

CREAK

Once Meng Bai was gone, another door opened, and Daoist Chu walked in.

"The boy left?" Daoist Chu asked.

"Yeah, he's gone to explore the city," Lin Mu confirmed.

"That's good. He should experience more of the world," Daoist Chu replied before pausing thoughtfully. "You know, you should reduce his lessons—at least while we're here. Let him enjoy his time."

"Hmm... perhaps I can do that," Lin Mu considered.

"We're not staying here that long anyway," Daoist Chu stated. "Plus, once we enter the Teleportation Channel, we'll be stuck there for a while with nothing else to do. The boy will have plenty of time to practice then."

"Oh yeah, I need to modify the courtyard for that too," Lin Mu recalled.

Teleportation could take quite a while, and most people spent their time cultivating or meditating upon the Dao. While this was not an issue for immortals, Meng Bai was still only in the Core Condensation realm.