Chapter 367 Asahi's Parents 1
Perhaps in some places during the apocalypse, the conditions still exist for making such exquisite desserts.
For example, there's the Fukuinin, which Asaho mentioned before. It's said to be the only organization that can be considered a large force in the apocalypse, and Asaho was once a member of it. Perhaps it has more abundant resources and technology compared to other barren places, making it relatively easy to produce ingredients such as eggs, milk, flour, and sugar.
There is another possibility: that Mazao's knowledge of making soufflés did not come from the apocalypse, but from the "original Mazao"—the original owner of the body Mazao is currently using.
Alternatively, if Asaha is a soul that traveled from the modern world to the apocalyptic era and then back, this knowledge comes from "Asahaha before she traveled to the apocalyptic era." In this case, Asahaha and the original owner of this body were originally the same person.
I exchanged a few words with Mazao and tried to analyze the situation, but it was really difficult to dig deeper since Mazao didn't remember anything from the past.
Since we couldn't reach a conclusion, I had no choice but to focus my attention on the tasting. Asa looked at me with a worried expression, as if she was afraid I would give bad feedback.
Under her anxious gaze, I put a small piece of cake into my mouth. It tasted like a freshly baked, piping hot cake. Although I had never specifically eaten soufflés before, this seemed like a successful product. Soft, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth, with a rich milky aroma.
Perhaps because it was a cake made by Asaho herself, it gave me extra points. The sanatorium has top-notch chefs who prepare all three meals, and the dishes are not only nutritious but also very delicious. However, none of the dishes I ate in the past three days can compare to what I am tasting now.
I wanted to praise Mazao immediately, but seeing her staring at me expectantly, I couldn't help but slow down my chewing. I deliberately chewed slowly, watched her nervous expression for a while, and then slowly swallowed it before giving my evaluation very seriously.
“It’s delicious,” I said.
She breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled.
"Then I'll cook for you again in the future!" she said happily.
"I'm looking forward to it."
As I responded, I took another bite of cake.
She seemed unable to contain her joy, jumping off the stool and pacing around the room, frequently glancing at me as I ate my cake. Seeing this, I called her to my bedside and offered her a small piece of cake with a fork.
She understood my intention, her face flushed slightly, but she didn't resist. Then, she braced herself on the edge of the bed with both hands, stretched her head over, and like a small animal being fed, took a small piece of cake and put it in her mouth.
She chewed it carefully, swallowed it, and sat back down on the stool, looking lost in thought, as if she were imagining something.
“...If only the little bowl could get some too,” she said.
"Has Xiaowan never eaten cake before?" I asked.
“You can’t even find sugar there,” she said.
“Then let’s give it to Zhu Shi first, she’s walking this way anyway,” I said.
Just to be on the safe side, I've recently placed thermal energy markers inside Zhu Shi, Old Master Zhu, and even Lu Chan's bodies. Even though Ming Zhuo has promised not to harm anyone around me again, and I have the means to punish him, it's always good to be cautious. At least here at the Luoshan headquarters, physically close to Ming Zhuo, this level of security is still necessary.
Therefore, I noticed Zhu Shiyi as soon as she entered the sanatorium. Just as I finished speaking, Zhu Shiyi pushed open the door, carrying a yellow file folder, and said with a smile, "I think I heard you talking about me just now?"
"Ma made egg custard early this morning, do you want some?" I asked.
Zhu Shi glanced at the plate I was holding and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Ma Zao can actually make soufflés? Shouldn't a post-apocalyptic survivalist like Ma Zao only know how to boil vegetables or grill meat? Even I can't make such delicate desserts!"
I recalled that when Chang'an and I were chatting before, we seemed to have talked about Zhu Shi's cooking, so I deliberately delved into the topic: "So what are you good at cooking? By the way, I can cook most common home-style dishes."
“I… well…” Zhu Shi chuckled awkwardly, “Well… isn’t there a saying that goes something like this: a woman’s value shouldn’t be limited to housework and the kitchen…”
"Can't you even do housework?" I asked.
"Oh, right, I came here to tell you about Grandpa's achievements over the past three days..." Zhu Shi seemed to be trying to change the subject.
"As for that, Lu Chan has already reported it to me." I pointed to the documents and materials I had on my bedside table.
Zhu Shi muttered bitterly, "Lu Chan!"
I didn't really intend to tease her, so I steered the conversation in another direction, telling her about the serious matters I had discussed with Fazheng. It mainly concerned my promise to Fazheng that I would stand with the principles of governance, and that I would soon be joining Fazheng in storming the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau. These were things I was originally going to share with Zhu Shi and the others, and I also asked Zhu Shi to pass on the message to Elder Zhu and Lu Chan.
Knowing that I had joined the Socialist movement, Zhu Shi showed a happy expression. Although she didn't like political topics either, the ideas of the Socialist movement resonated with her kind and righteous nature, and she would definitely hope that I could stand on the same side as her. In the past, no matter how many times I said I would help her in times of crisis, I was only offering my thoughts from an outsider's perspective. Now, it was completely different.
“I also want to participate in the battle to attack the Humanity Department,” Zhu Shi said. “In three more days, I should be able to raise my power to the Great Completion level… Although it’s not that I have really become stronger to the Great Completion level, it’s just that I can release the Great Completion level power of the Yama Sword.”
"Compared to three days ago, you should be able to unleash more power to forge the Yama Sword now, right?" I asked. "Are you having any problems controlling this power?"
Right now, because I'm researching how to increase the density of my power, I'm paying extra attention to the issue of power manipulation.
Upon closer reflection, even if Zhu Shi were to unleash the power of the Great Impermanence level through the forging of the Yama Sword, it wouldn't truly be her own, making it extremely difficult to control. If, after finally mastering the power of the Great Impermanence, she were to be unable to control it smoothly like I am, it would be very difficult for her to "compete on the same stage" with other Great Impermanences.
“There are definitely problems,” Zhu Shi said. “Strictly speaking, the one who is truly manipulating the power of the Yama Sword is not me, but the Yama Sword itself. In a sense, this sword is like a remote control with many buttons. As long as the corresponding button is pressed, the movement, compression, and change of power will be completed automatically under the sword’s built-in functions. I am just guiding the general direction.”
"But even the most convenient remote control has a limited number and combination of buttons. Even if I were to unleash the power of the Great Impermanence that forged the Yama Sword in the future, I would not be as unpredictable and omnipotent as the real Great Impermanence. To take the most obvious point, I cannot possess the power of the law of heaven and earth like you, nor can I use the power of words to command nature."
"At most, I can only rival the Great Impermanence in terms of combat power... Moreover, due to the lack of variation, I do not possess most of the possibilities that the Great Impermanence has in battle. However, since the Yama Sword is forged with the power of the Western White Tiger, which governs metal and killing, it should not lag behind others in terms of the most direct destructive power."
After thinking for a moment, Zhu Shi summarized: "To put it simply, it's like how the characters on both sides in many battle comics use various spells and special abilities, while the protagonist can only use Crescent Moon Slash from beginning to end. If he relies on forging the Yama Sword, he can only keep using Crescent Moon Slash."
Now I understand.
“However, three days from now, you will only be at the Great Completion level in terms of combat strength. It would be best if you didn’t participate in the battle at the Humanitarian Division’s main base,” I said. “There may be at least two enemies there with the combat strength of the Great Impermanence level.”
Zhu Shi was shocked.
"When did the Humanitarian Division get two Great Impermanence-level combatants? At least two?" she complained. "When did they get so many Great Impermanence-level combatants? Holy crap, this is power inflation..."
"You will also become a Great Impermanence-level combatant in the near future," I reminded you.
She paused for a moment, then exclaimed again, "Holy crap, my fighting power has increased so much..."
Ma Zao sat on the stool listening to our conversation, and perhaps thinking of herself, she became a little sullen.
She has expressed her regret more than once that she cannot fight alongside me on the front lines. Although I hope that Asahi can stay in the safe rear forever, I also harbor the fantasy of fighting alongside her and entrusting each other's lives to each other.
I want to protect her with all my might, shielding her from all dangers, and I also want to fight alongside her on the battlefield, sharing joys and sorrows, and racking my brains together to overcome life-or-death situations. Although some conservative and traditional people may not understand this, the latter holds a fatal romantic allure for me.
However, obtaining the power of the Great Impermanence level is definitely not easy. Zhu Shi possesses the family heirloom sword, the Yama Sword, passed down from Zhu Yi's generation. What does Ma Zao have? The power of the Great Impermanence level does not appear simply, much less out of thin air.
Zhu Shi seemed to notice Ma Zao's low spirits, so he steered the conversation in another direction, and I followed suit.
After a few words, Zhu Shi glanced at Ma Zao, then at the yellow file folder in his hand, and suddenly said, "Zhuang Cheng, there's something I want to tell you... I want to talk to you alone."
"alone?"
I repeated myself, and Asahi looked puzzled.
After Zhu Shi nodded, I looked at Ma Zao, who obediently nodded, got off the stool, and temporarily left the room.
"So... what are you planning to talk to me about? And why did you specifically send Asa away..." I asked suspiciously, "Is it a topic that even Asa can't hear?"
“Because it’s Ma Zao, I don’t know if I should let her hear it,” Zhu Shi said.
"What's so mysterious?" I asked.
Zhu Shiwei paused slightly, then said, "It's about Ma Zao's parents."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com