23. Braised Beef Cubes Pizza
◎Dragon King Temple Shop Opening◎
That night, the group stayed in a side room behind the Dragon King Temple.
While everyone was asleep, Yan Yunzhao took out the book "The Record of Divine Spirit and Brilliance" that Lou Su had given her.
The book was somewhat old, with worn edges, but fortunately the pages inside were clean and new, with no missing pages. The cover bore the elegant inscription "Record of Divine Spirit and Brilliance," but Yan Yunzhao searched carefully but found no signature.
"That's strange. How could such a classic book not have an author's name?"
Yan Yunzhao comforted himself, thinking that perhaps this master was a low-key person and never had the habit of signing his name.
Unsure if the book contained the things she wanted to know, Yan Yunzhao opened it, her fingertips trembling slightly with nervousness.
"The mortal realm and the demon realm are separated by the Cangshan Mountain Range, where spiritual energy is abundant, nurturing all living beings..."
It wasn't the one she was looking for. Yan Yunzhao turned the page.
"The demon race of heaven and earth is mainly divided into three categories: beast, wood, and spirit. Among them, the beast race is commonly seen, formed from birds, beasts, scaled insects and other creatures that have been given intelligence; the wood race is formed from flowers, grasses and trees that have been given intelligence, with tough roots and pure souls; and the spirit race is formed from spiritual objects of heaven and earth, which is extremely rare."
Based on this, I must be a wood-type demon.
Yan Yunzhao held the flame and continued watching.
"First Realm: Awakening Realm. Awakening of spiritual intelligence, amidst wind and rain, passively absorbing spiritual energy..."
After reading through this page, Yan Yunzhao confirmed that she should be in the fourth realm of the nine realms, the Manifestation Realm. However, the cultivation method was obscure and difficult to understand, and she couldn't quite grasp it. It was roughly about merging with one's body to absorb spiritual energy and circulate it through the heavens and earth.
Yan Yunzhao's eyes were sore and her head was spinning, but the illustrations on the later pages caught her attention.
"Thousands of years ago, the Heavenly Emperor ascended to rule the Immortal Realm. To maintain peace between the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm, he bestowed upon the Demon Realm a seed of a divine tree. The fruit of this divine tree is called Ronghua, which can cure all diseases."
Yan Yunzhao held a cluster of flames in his palm, but paused when his fingers touched this spot.
Although Lou Su's illness is not strictly speaking an "illness" but rather an effect of the divine artifact, if he could find the Glory Fruit, his health might improve.
Yan Yunzhao looked further down and found that the record ended abruptly, with only a picture that seemed to be of a divine tree.
This tree is tall and sturdy, with sparse branches and leaves, but its branches are covered with countless small, lantern-like fruits.
For some reason, Yan Yunzhao suddenly remembered the giant tree that had appeared out of nowhere in his backyard.
Could it be such a coincidence?!
Unable to come up with any ideas, Yan Yunzhao pressed two fingers together, focused his mind, and gently tapped his temples, channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into his mind.
"Ye Qin, are you asleep?"
In the darkness, only the chirping of insects outside the window could be heard; all around was utterly silent, and no one answered.
Yan Yunzhao extinguished the flame and was about to lift the covers to lie down when Ye Qin's voice echoed in her mind:
"I'm not asleep. What's wrong?"
"Wait, you can actually use spiritual power? What level are you at now? When did this happen?"
Ye Qin's surprised shout came from over there, making Yan Yunzhao's head buzz.
"Just recently."
"I came across a book by chance, which roughly records some things about the divine tree that the Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon the demon realm. Do you know anything about the Glory Fruit of this divine tree? Is there any way to obtain it?"
After a long silence, Yan Yunzhao became nervous, and he could almost hear his own heart pounding in the dark room.
"You want the Ronghua Fruit to cure Lou Su's illness?"
Ye Qin was perceptive, so Yan Yunzhao confessed: "Yes."
"Alright, although I don't understand why you're taking a mortal so seriously, I still have to remind you that you know demons and mortals can't be together, right?"
The lifespans of demons and mortals differ greatly. Mortals only live for a hundred years, while demons, if they cultivate and attain enlightenment, can live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years without any problem.
"...I know. I don't have those kinds of feelings for Lou Su."
Yan Yunzhao glanced at Lou Su, who was fast asleep on his side, and continued, "I'm just fulfilling my duties as the boss. So, where is the Divine Tree?"
In the darkness, Lou Su opened his dark eyes, said nothing, changed his lying position, and continued to pretend to be asleep.
“This is a tricky matter. My mother has some connections with Wuxiang, so asking for a fruit shouldn’t be difficult for her.”
"But the bitter part is that this tree is lost."
"Lost?" Yan Yunzhao was taken aback. "How could a tree be lost?"
"Well, it's a divine tree, it has its own spirit, so it's normal for it to be a bit eccentric. It probably just ran away on its own. I heard the demon realm is searching for it like crazy."
"Even the Dragon God couldn't find this tree, so it seems I'm out of options too. But... are there any of the fruits we picked and stored away before?"
After listening, Ye Qin pondered for a while and then transmitted his voice, "Logically speaking, there should be, but this fruit is precious, and the demon realm and the immortal realm have always kept to themselves. I have never heard of anyone eating the Glory Fruit before, so I am not too clear about the ins and outs of it."
A bold idea suddenly popped into Yan Yunzhao's mind: what if this divine tree wasn't just failing to bear fruit, but rather had never been planted at all?
"How can we identify this sacred tree? What are its characteristics once it has fully grown?"
“I know that. I’ve heard that this tree is thick and straight, with vertical stripes on its bark, solid wood, and milky-white sap that can also be used in medicine. The most amazing thing is that the Ronghua fruit looks just like a persimmon that can glow.”
Yan Yunzhao's heart skipped a beat: Isn't this exactly the same as the tree in her backyard!
After quickly thanking him, Yan Yunzhao ended the telepathic communication and quietly pushed open the door to the courtyard. He then drew a teleportation array to return to the shop.
She picked up a kitchen knife from the kitchen, walked gleamingly to the giant tree in the backyard, and with a mighty chop, white liquid gushed from the stump.
Yan Yunzhao looked at the towering tree and smiled bitterly for a long time.
"I just want to live a peaceful life in the mortal realm, farming and running a shop. Why are things from the demon realm and the immortal realm coming to my door one after another?"
Now that things had come to this, she was filled with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow. All she could do was take good care of the tree and pray that no one would notice anything unusual.
"I wonder if Lou Su's mortal body can withstand the fruits of this ancient divine tree," Yan Yunzhao murmured.
Never mind all that, let's just plant them first!
She picked up the iron shovel and loosened the soil around the sacred tree. Then she took a teapot, collected some of the white sap that had been left over, and stored it for future research.
After finishing all that, the sky in the distance was already beginning to lighten.
Yan Yunzhao stepped into the teleportation array and returned to the Dragon God Temple. He turned around and wiped the teleportation array drawn on the ground clean, then quietly went back to his house.
Although the room was spacious, she and Lou Su were forced to share a bed. Fortunately, the bed was also wide, so neither of them touched the other.
Lou Su was always an early riser, and by the time Yan Yunzhao stepped inside, he had already washed up and changed.
"The shop should be able to open for business today."
Lou Su opened the window to let in some fresh air, and didn't ask her where she had gone so early in the morning. Yan Yunzhao just nodded.
"The Dragon King Temple is a bit out of the way. I had already informed the folks in Lixi Town about the opening soon. Today is the first day of opening, and we don't know how many customers there will be, so let's prepare a small amount first."
After Yan Yunzhao finished giving his instructions, the takeout shop at the Dragon King Temple quietly opened for business. The Dragon King Temple had been completely renovated, with a full set of cabinets, stoves, and tables installed in the outer courtyard, and a sign reading "Cuiliang's Little Shop" hung up, ready to welcome customers.
Yan Yunzhao picked up a pen and wrote a notice, which he posted at the entrance. Few people came and went, but those who noticed the notice peeked inside the temple to see what was going on.
"Boss, how can you open a shop in this temple? I don't see anywhere to sit."
Yan Yunzhao smiled gently, her eyes crinkling, "We only sell takeout food here; we don't offer rest areas. Would you like to try some, sir?"
Seeing that he was still hesitant, Yan Yunzhao turned around and waved, signaling Jingming to bring up the freshly baked hamburger pizza. The aroma instantly filled the entire temple.
The beef had been marinated with cooking wine and sauce beforehand to remove any gamey smell. It was then chopped into small pieces, sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds, and grilled over charcoal until it sizzled and dripped with oil. The potatoes were grown by Yan Yunzhao himself, and after steaming, they became delicate and smooth. They were sprinkled with shredded chicken, beef, and marinade, and served piping hot, which complemented the flavor of the cooked flatbread.
It tastes good, but it doesn't look very appealing; the sauce is dark in color and needs some brightly colored fruits and vegetables to garnish it, so Yan Yunzhao chopped some cherry tomatoes and added a little bit of fennel to enhance the flavor and color.
The villagers couldn't help but swallow hard when they saw how delicious and appealing the snack looked.
"Tomato chicken burger...savory potato and beef pizza...boss, wrap all of these up for me."
He glanced at the menu price list posted on the wall and readily pulled out eighty coins, slapping them on the table.
"Okay." Yan Yunzhao wrapped the food in oil paper, sealed it tightly, and handed it out.
The villager took a couple of steps, then paused, still carrying the wooden box, and turned around to ask, "Boss, what is this 'takeout'...?"
Yan Yunzhao glanced at the sign she had just written on the wall that read "Small shop, five coins for home delivery," and smiled: "That means, for just five coins, the small shop can deliver food directly to your home."
"Is that really true? That's wonderful! I was just in a hurry to go to my post, and I was worried that the food would be cold by the time I got home to my wife. This is perfect."
The villager beamed with joy, happily handed Yan Yunzhao five coins, left a note with his address, and strode away.
Yan Yunzhao handed the five coins to a lively boy of about thirteen years old in the temple, who then delivered the hamburger pizza according to the note left by the villager.
She proposed the idea of food delivery because she considered the children in the temple. Some of them were almost of marriageable age, but living a miserable life in the temple was not a long-term solution.
Most of the children couldn't read or write and lacked life experience, making it extremely difficult for them to find work outside. So she came up with this idea to allow the children to earn some money.
Surprisingly, before she could even deliver her long, motivational speech, the children readily agreed to the idea and were filled with anticipation for "earning their own money."
"Sister Yan, when is it our turn?" Several children surrounded her with their bright, watery eyes.
Yan Yunzhao smiled gently and patted their heads lightly: "You are still young, and I am worried that you will get lost in town. These things are left to the older brothers and sisters."
"But we're all grown up now. Why can Sister Qin and Third Brother both do it, but we can't?"
Seeing the little girl's tears falling like broken beads, Yan Yunzhao quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe them away and gently coaxed her, "Our Zi'er is indeed a big girl now. Next time, if the seats aren't too far apart, I'll let you go, okay?"
"Mmm." Zi'er nodded, her rosy cheeks glistening with water.
After calming the child down, Yan Yunzhao saw Jingming and the others busily packing takeout orders, so she went over to help. Making takeout is no simpler than running a small shop. If you make it fresh, the customers might have to wait too long, and if you prepare it in advance, it won't taste as good. So Yan Yunzhao used her magic to slowly bake the crust of the pancakes from time to time.
Lou Su went back to Cuiliang Mountain early in the morning to hunt pheasants, leaving the task of preparing vegetables, chicken, and baking bread crusts to Jingming and the others.
Yan Yunzhao placed a cluster of flames into the bottom of her imitation "oven," and arranged the hamburger bread slices neatly inside. In no time, they were perfectly round and puffed up, with a golden-brown crust and a rich milky aroma.
"The secret to arson lies in mobilizing spiritual energy. Focus your attention on your palms or fingertips and feel the heat condensing. Give it a try."
During the time Yan Yunzhao was managing the Dragon King Temple, he was busy teaching some simple spells to the three grass demons. Jingming and the others were very intelligent and had already made some progress after practicing for a few days, which greatly improved the efficiency of the small shop.
"It's done!"
The three grass demons held up three tiny flames in their palms, but before they could rejoice for long, the flames quietly went out.
“You’ve only just begun your cultivation, so it’s normal for your progress to be slow. However… it could also be that your magical power is too weak. How about you come and cultivate with me every night after Lou Su has fallen asleep?”
And so, from that moment on, four figures began meditating on the roof of the small shop at night.
Yan Yunzhao and the Three Grass Demons were completely unaware, but they startled an old man carrying a load who was passing by in the middle of the night, causing him to drop his fruits and vegetables on the ground and scramble back home.
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