Chapter 6
Mo Xiaoxin quickly returned through the stone wall passage.
As soon as Mo Xiaoxin left, Leng Huai suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes. He was in the Boundless Realm, completely unaware of the disturbances outside.
I think I just heard a noise.
He glanced in the direction of the stone passage, a chill running through his eyes.
She ran out in a panic, then looked back at the stone gate behind her. She patted her chest and gasped for breath.
Fortunately, the python didn't appear this time. If it had happened a few more times, her money wouldn't have been able to withstand such a turmoil.
Mo Xiaoxin quickly fled Leng Huai's bedroom, making sure to erase all traces of her before leaving.
Around noon, Ayun brought in lunch.
Looking at the dishes on the table, Mo Xiaoxin recalled the bland taste of the morning and immediately lost her appetite.
She forced herself to pick up a piece of food and eat it, feeling so nauseous she almost threw up.
"Ah Yun, go get some salt, otherwise I really can't eat these dishes."
Without the slightest hesitation, A-Yun replied, "Miss Mo, there is no salt."
Mo Xiaoxin took a deep breath. Was Leng Huai really going to let her eat boiled radishes, steamed duck eggs, and steamed catfish?
"Without salt, these things will taste fishy," Mo Xiaoxin said patiently, suppressing her anger.
Ayun was already used to not eating salt. She took out the chopsticks from her sleeve and tasted it: "I'm sorry, Miss Mo, it doesn't taste fishy."
Ayun speaks like an emotionless machine.
Mo Xiaoxin couldn't take it anymore; she was going to find that scoundrel and have a word with him.
Mo Xiaoxin found Leng Huai having a meal.
He wore a black robe with gold trim, his long, ink-black hair was casually draped behind him, his sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards, and his deep eyes were like a cold pool, exuding a chilling aura.
He used his long, slender fingers to pick up a piece of food with chopsticks, his movements precise and swift. He took a small bite with his thin lips and chewed slowly, his focused expression suggesting he was savoring the most delicious food in the world. Every subtle movement exuded a noble and mysterious aura.
Seeing him eating so heartily, Mo Xiaoxin's anger flared even more.
How could this man possibly eat that much?!
She slammed her hand on the table and said aggressively, "Hey, Leng Huai, is it your rule to not put salt in the food?"
Qiao Yun was reporting to Leng Huai when he suddenly heard a noise behind him. He glanced at Mo Xiaoxin and then stepped aside.
Mo Xiaoxin interrupted the conversation between the master and servant, which naturally displeased Leng Huai. When he heard someone questioning him, he showed an even more disdainful expression.
She glanced at the table laden with a dazzling array of dishes, three times the size of her own. One of the dishes was steamed catfish. She had thought Leng Huai was treating Mo Qiuxin well, but it turned out he was only giving her the leftover scraps, while he ate all the best parts himself!
If you had to describe Mo Xiaoxin's impression of him right now, there would only be one word: terrible!
A selfish, arrogant, and haughty man!
I really don't understand how someone like this could become the Demon Lord. As his subordinate, you must have suffered a lot of bullying, and he wouldn't even put salt in your food.
Just by looking at the maid Ayun in her room, you can tell that she has been bullied and mistreated in this demon palace since she was a child. She even thinks it's normal for food to be without salt, and she has a very dull personality.
Today she is going to stand up for these poor servants!
Leng Huai stopped what he was doing and looked coldly at Mo Xiaoxin: "Who allowed you to come in?"
"How they got in isn't important. What's important is how can anyone eat these dishes without salt? It completely fails to mask the fishy smell!"
If Leng Huai is unhappy about this, then he might as well kill her!
Leng Huai sneered, his fingers tracing the teacup on the table: "Food has its own original flavor, why suppress it? As for the fishy smell you mentioned, I didn't taste it."
Mo Xiaoxin glanced at the two guards, a man and a woman, standing next to Leng Huai: "If you don't believe me, just ask them."
The two of them stared blankly ahead, not even glancing at Mo Xiaoxin.
Leng Huai looked at Mo Xiaoxin with a sarcastic expression, his eyes filled with a coldness.
He was in a good mood today and wanted to see what kind of trouble this woman was up to.
Mo Xiaoxin felt that Leng Huai's gaze was deliberately provoking her, as if he was saying that, given her position, why should she order his subordinates around?
Mo Xiaoxin didn't care if she was ignored; she would only think that the two guards were afraid to speak because of Leng Huai's threat.
She smiled slightly and said, "Don't be afraid. I'm speaking up for you. If you don't like the food, you can tell me and I can make it for you."
Mo Xiaoxin was used to living alone in her previous life. She had cooked all kinds of dishes and was skilled in steaming, boiling, frying, stir-frying, and baking.
The two guards remained unmoved.
Mo Xiaoxin still smiled, looking at Leng Huai provocatively, as if deliberately trying to provoke his anger: "Look, because of your presence, they don't dare to tell the truth."
Leng Huai's sarcasm deepened, his gaze seemingly fixed on a clown. Perhaps feeling genuine pity for Mo Xiaoxin, he spoke up: "Qiao Yun, Zi Yu."
With the Demon Lord's permission, the two exchanged a glance, and the woman with the heroic appearance, Ziyu, said, "Reporting to the Demon Lord, I did not find anything wrong with the taste of the food."
Qiao Yun also replied, "My answer is the same as Ziyu's."
Mo Xiaoxin didn't believe it. Had all the people in the Demon Realm lost their sense of taste? How could they eat something with such a strong fishy smell?
Her eyes swept across their faces, trying to see if they were lying, but the two remained as calm as puppets, making it seem like she was just being unreasonable. Mo Xiaoxin's lips twitched.
As expected, no one in the demon realm is normal.
Leng Huai paused, his hand stroking the cup, and slowly raised his eyes: "Not adding salt is a rule established by my Demon Realm. It has been followed for thousands of years and no one has ever thought it was inappropriate. If Princess Mo is not used to the food of my Demon Realm, she can go back to her Southern Demon Realm."
This was the first time she had ever heard the usually taciturn Leng Huai speak so much at once; he must be eager for her to go back.
No, she still has to complete her mission.
Mo Xiaoxin chuckled and said, "Well, no salt is fine, I can eat things without salt."
Mo Xiaoxin chickened out.
If she were really sent back, how would she ever return to the real world? She didn't want to live her whole life in this world of demons and monsters.
Leng Huai gave Qiao Yun a look.
Qiao Yun understood and walked to Mo Xiaoxin's side, gesturing for her to leave: "Miss Mo, the Demon Lord is about to have his meal, please go back."
Mo Xiaoxin slunk out of the room; the negotiation had failed.
Leng Huai gave Zi Yu a look: "Go and keep a close eye on her."
Ziyu clasped his hands respectfully and replied, "Yes."
A black figure suddenly disappeared from the room.
Qiao Yun stared thoughtfully in the direction where the figure had disappeared.
Leng Huai sensed something: "What do you want to say? Go ahead and say it."
Qiao Yun immediately withdrew her gaze, carefully glanced at Leng Huai's expression, pondered the expressionless Demon Lord, and carefully chose her words: "Ziyu has been observing Miss Mo for more than a month. I think Miss Mo is just a little arrogant, but doesn't seem to be a bad person."
Leng Huai lowered his eyes: "She only said a word for you today, and you trust her like that?"
Sensing the displeasure in his lord's words, Qiao Yun immediately knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with slight fear: "This subordinate dares not."
Qiao Yun knew that his master was always extremely vigilant. He had initially thought that Mo Xiaoxin was a spy sent by the Southern Demon Realm, and that her spoiled, clumsy, and weak magical power was an act. However, in Zi Yu's observation over the past month, he discovered that Mo Xiaoxin's personality was just like her character—a carefree and pampered young lady with extremely weak magical power. She was often stunned by magic and unable to move, and even injured to the point of being bedridden.
Leng Huai stopped speaking, his emotions unreadable.
*
It's better to rely on yourself than on others, so Mo Xiaoxin turned around and went to the kitchen.
A maid was cleaning when she saw someone come in. She asked, "Are you Miss Mo?"
The maid only needed to glance at Mo Xiaoxin to know her identity.
Mo Xiaoxin couldn't help but take a few more glances at the pretty maid in front of her: "How did you know me?"
The kitchen was some distance from her bedroom, and Mo Qiuxin usually only appeared in front of Leng Huai. Although a hostage from the demon realm had come to the demon realm, many servants had never actually seen her before.
The maid smiled and said, "Although Miss Mo has not been in our Demon Realm for long, her deeds have already spread among us servants."
"Oh?" Mo Xiaoxin was a little surprised, but given Leng Huai's aloof temperament, it was truly bold of Mo Qiuxin to dare to linger in front of him.
Seeing that there was only one maid in the kitchen, she asked curiously, "Why are you the only one in the kitchen? What's your name?"
The maid replied with a smile, "My name is Mu Xiaoxiao."
Mu Xiaoxiao said with a hint of pride, "Don't let my short stature and small size fool you. I'm very strong and have a lot of magic power. I can handle preparing meals all by myself. I don't need anyone to get in my way and interfere with my performance."
Mo Xiaoxin chuckled. Mu Xiaoxiao's personality was quite interesting, making her quite likable.
She glanced at the three neatly arranged cabinets of vegetables: "Are these enough for a week?"
Mu Xiaoxiao shook her head and explained, "It's today's dish."
"so much."
Mo Xiaoxin marveled at the immense wealth of the Demon Realm.
Mu Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "These are just for the servants. The Demon Lord's dishes are stored in a special cabinet."
Mu Xiaoxiao came to a unique cabinet, which was carefully crafted from the finest sandalwood.
The cabinet was locked, but when opened, it was filled with all kinds of meat and vegetables. The ingredients were much fresher than those in the three large cabinets I had seen before.
Mo Xiaoxin recalled seeing a table full of dishes when she went to Leng Huai's room: "But with so many dishes, can he finish them all by himself?"
"Miss Mo, don't worry. If the Demon Lord can't finish these dishes, he will feed them to the animals in the Demon-Releasing Bamboo Forest behind the mountain."
Speaking of the Demon-Slaying Bamboo Forest, Mu Xiaoxiao seemed to have opened a floodgate of words, praising her Demon Lord incessantly: "Our Demon Lord is not only handsome and tasteful, but also has high standards for his quality of life, and he is truly kind-hearted towards animals."
If Mo Xiaoxin didn't know what Leng Huai originally looked like, she would really be fooled by the maid's words.
That man is cold-blooded, ruthless, and arrogant; how could he be kind-hearted?
Mo Xiaoxin pointed to the three large cabinets filled with vegetables: "Since these are for everyone to eat, can I cook them myself?"
Mu Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, "Didn't Sister Yun bring you food?"
"It's been delivered."
"Is it because my cooking is bad? I spent the whole morning cooking." Mu Xiaoxiao said, feeling a little wronged.
Mo Xiaoxin quickly waved her hand and shook her head: "No, no, what you made is delicious, it just doesn't have much flavor."
This statement is contradictory, but that's truly what Mo Xiaoxin believes.
Mu Xiaoxiao's cooking skills would be top-notch even in modern times; it's a waste of her talent to be a human in the Demon Realm.
There was a bowl of cooked fish next to Mu Xiaoxiao, a meal she had saved for herself. She picked up her chopsticks and took a bite: "Isn't this pretty good? How can it be tasteless?"
Mo Xiaoxin knew that the people of the Demon Realm had been tamed to have the same tastes as Leng Huai, and for a moment she couldn't describe it to Mu Xiaoxiao.
She glanced at the bottles and jars on the table and, sure enough, found no trace of salt or soy sauce among the seasonings.
It seems she'll have to figure it out herself; she needs to make the original seasoning first.
She recalled seeing how salt was made when she was in school.
Mo Xiaoxin asked Mu Xiaoxiao, "There are salt lakes in the Demon Realm, right?"
In Mo Xiaoxin's memory, she passed by a sizable lake on her journey from the Southern Demon Realm to the Demon Realm. The original owner was so thirsty that she squatted down to drink the water, but it tasted extremely salty.
Mu Xiaoxiao tilted her head back and pondered for a moment: "There are indeed lakes in the Demon Realm, but I'm not sure if it's the salt lake you're talking about. There are several lakes in the Demon Realm."
“I remember there were many swans on that lake.”
"So you meant Swan Lake." Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly realized.
Mo Xiaoxin then asked Mu Xiaoxiao to take her to Swan Lake, and Mo Xiaoxin saw that it was indeed the salt lake she was looking for.
She filled a large jar with lake water to make salt when she got back.
The sun in the Demon Realm is very powerful; it can evaporate water through sunlight, but that's too slow.
Mo Xiaoxin's magic was too weak, so she had no choice but to ask Mu Xiaoxiao for help.
Mu Xiaoxiao patted her chest: "No problem, I've got it covered. But how do I do that?"
Mo Xiaoxin explained the method to Mu Xiaoxiao. Although Mu Xiaoxiao didn't understand, she did as instructed.
With a flick of her fingers, a flame leaped up from her fingertips. Then, she gently reached her hand towards a nearby jar, allowing the flame to steadily burn at the bottom.
Under the continuous heat, the liquid in the jar began to gurgle and churn. As time passed, the water vapor gradually dissipated, and a layer of fine crystals slowly precipitated at the bottom of the jar.
That's right, this is the ancient method of boiling salt, which cleverly extracts salt from lake water.
"Great, it's done!" Mo Xiaoxin said happily.
Although Mu Xiaoxiao didn't know what Mo Xiaoxin was doing, it was something she had never seen before, and she found it very strange.
To Mu Xiaoxiao's surprise, Mo Xiaoxin picked up the salt and returned to the kitchen.
Mu Xiaoxiao looked at the tiny, almost dust-like particles in Mo Xiaoxin's hand and asked curiously, "Miss Mo, is this salt?"
Mu Xiaoxiao is a clever little girl with a pair of big, bright eyes that constantly scan the salt and the jar.
Mo Xiaoxin smiled and said, "Yes, would you like to try a bite?"
Before Mo Xiaoxin could finish speaking, Mu Xiaoxiao had already eagerly used her finger to scoop up a large amount and put it in her mouth.
Mo Xiaoxin wanted to stop her, but it was too late. She could already foresee how Mu Xiaoxiao would react.
"Wow, this is so...so addictive!" Mu Xiaoxiao didn't know how to describe the taste for a moment. The overwhelming flavors rushed to her brain and almost made her faint on the spot.
Mu Xiaoxiao's face showed surprise: "What does this taste like? I've never had this before!"
Looking at Mu Xiaoxiao's adorable appearance, Mo Xiaoxin chuckled and said, "You ate too much and it was too salty. This is a seasoning, it's used to flavor the dishes."
Mu Xiaoxiao's face scrunched up: "No wonder, I knew it."
Mo Xiaoxin suddenly remembered something: "Wait here, I need to make one more thing."
Mo Xiaoxin found soybeans and wheat, and then took out salt.
Mu Xiaoxiao watched Mo Xiaoxin working on the stove with her big, round eyes, silently observing without disturbing her.
An hour later, the fragrant soy sauce was ready.
Then Mo Xiaoxin picked up a fresh fish from the tank and said to Mu Xiaoxiao, "Wait, I'll show you what I can do."
Mu Xiaoxiao waited expectantly for Mo Xiaoxin.
Watching Mo Xiaoxin skillfully remove the scales, gut the fish, and wash it, Mu Xiaoxiao exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't expect the little princess of the Southern Demon Realm to know so much!"
Mo Xiaoxin said smugly, "Of course! Don't you know who I am?"
Mu Xiaoxiao looked at her with admiration: "Speaking of which, I really admire you. You actually came all the way from the Southern Demon Realm to the Demon Realm just to be with the person you love. I wouldn't dare to do that."
Mo Xiaoxin asked, "Do you have someone you like?"
Mu Xiaoxiao said shyly, "Of course there is, but I don't know if he likes me."
Mo Xiaoxin, ever the gossip, asked, "Who is it?"
Mu Xiaoxiao blushed: "I'm telling you, but you can't tell anyone else, okay?"
Mo Xiaoxin nodded; the little one was indeed adorable.
"It is the Left Protector, Qiao Yun."
It was him.
Qiao Yun is indeed quite handsome in this demon realm, and his magic power is also high. No wonder Xiao Xiao likes him.
Mu Xiaoxiao: "But I know my own status. I am just a maid and I am not worthy of him."
"Who said you're not good enough for him? You're so cute, clever, and such a good cook. If you were where we lived, you could open a restaurant and become a rich woman in no time. How could you not be good enough for him?"
Mu Xiaoxiao listened blankly to Mo Xiaoxin's words, remaining silent with an unreadable expression on her face.
Ziyu's palms cracked as she looked coldly in the direction of Mo Xiaoxin and the others from the roof beam.
She finally caught up with Qiao Yun's magical power and became the Demon Lord's right protector, walking alongside him. How could a princess like her possibly know the bitterness in her heart? How could that little maid possibly be worthy of her Qiao Yun? It was just wishful thinking.
Ziyu, secretly jealous on the roof beam, had already categorized Mo Xiaoxin as someone she disliked.
Mo Xiaoxin was unaware that she had unknowingly gained an enemy.
Mo Xiaoxin worked hard all afternoon and finally served a steamed sea bass.
She took a sniff, and her mouth watered.
Mu Xiaoxiao frowned: "It smells quite nice, but it's no different from what I made."
Mo Xiaoxin: "Xiaoxiao, there's a big difference between adding salt and soy sauce and not adding them. These two things are for enhancing the flavor."
Mu Xiaoxiao stared at the dish suspiciously: "Then let me try it."
Unexpectedly, after just one small bite, Mu Xiaoxiao couldn't stop eating.
The two devoured the fish in a flash, each eating half of it.
The two then collapsed to the ground, with Mu Xiaoxiao exclaiming, "I didn't expect it to be so delicious!"
"I knew it would taste better with salt." Being praised really puts me in a good mood.
Mu Xiaoxiao, like a chicken pecking at rice, exclaimed, "This tastes absolutely wonderful!"
"Leng Huai even forbids people from eating salt, what a waste of so many ingredients! It's an absolute waste!" Mo Xiaoxin said bitterly.
Ziyu went to report at dusk: "My lord, Miss Mo came to your room during the day and entered the secret room."
Seeing that her master did not react, she was a little puzzled. He and Qiao Yun had never been inside the secret room before. According to her master's temper in the past, he would definitely have given them a severe lesson. Why did he not show any expression today?
She continued, "From noon to evening, she came to the kitchen, then went to Swan Lake to fetch water to make seasoning salt. Afterwards, she cooked a fish dish in the kitchen and had dinner with her maid, Mu Xiaoxiao."
Ziyu told the Lord everything that had happened that day.
"She can also make salt?" Leng Huai asked thoughtfully.
He knew that Mo Xiaoxin had entered the secret passage, but how could a pampered princess like Mo Xiaoxin, who had been spoiled since childhood, know how to both make salt and cook?
Furthermore, when dining with a maid, he had personally witnessed her treating the servants of the demon realm with an air of superiority and disdain. How come she was a different person today?
"Keep a close eye on her." Leng Huai's gaze remained unchanged.
"yes."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
