63: Chapter 63 On Brotherhood Through a Hot Pot

Taiping Old Street after the autumn rain carried a crisp, clean chill, stripped of all earthly clamor.

In the main hall on the first floor of the Funeral Shop, an eight-immortals square table had been moved into the open space.

In the center of the table stood a small red-clay stove, the charcoal inside burning bright.

Resting atop it was a copper split hotpot.

On the left was a boiling beef-tallow spicy broth bubbling with bright red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, while on the right was a three-delicacies clear soup dotted with jujubes, goji berries, and thick scallion whites.

The rich fragrance of spices and meat intertwined as it rose, forming a thick, white mist that coated the inside of the shop's glass door in a fine layer of condensation.

"Seven dips down, eight lifts up—it's all about controlling the heat! Ye-zi, as soon as this tripe curls up even a bit, scoop it out immediately and dip it in sesame oil with minced garlic. The texture is absolutely heavenly!"

Fatty Wang had shed his flamboyant floral shirt and wore only a tight white undershirt, his forehead dripping with bean-sized beads of sweat.

Clutching a pair of long bamboo chopsticks, he expertly swished a palm-sized piece of black tripe back and forth in the bubbling red-oil broth.

Spittle flew as he passionately shared his secrets to eating hotpot.

Lin Ye leaned back in his chair, holding an ice-cold bottle of Deadly Big Wusu.

He bit off the cap and popped it open, tilting his head back for a long swig. The ice-cold malt liquid slid down his throat, instantly quelling the early autumn afternoon heat.

"Stop pretending to be a chef. You overcooked that entire plate of ribeye beef just now—chewing it felt like chewing shoe leather."

Lin Ye mercilessly called out Fatty's boast.

At the same time, he used a slotted spoon to scoop out a few snow-white fish fillets from the clear soup pot and placed them into his dipping bowl.

On the other side of the eight-immortals table sat two breathtaking beauties whose presence seemed completely out of place with this mundane, smoky atmosphere.

Leng Yue had changed into a simple, light-gray casual loungewear outfit.

Her silvery-white hair was loosely pinned up with a sunken wood hairpin, with a few playful strands falling over her pale cheek.

She sat poised with a perfectly straight back, her slender, jade-like fingers holding a pair of rosewood chopsticks as she gracefully picked up a piece of cooked tender beef from the clear soup.

Zombies had no need to consume mortal food.

Ever since reaching the realm of the Drought Demon, her body had long shed the cold stiffness of lower-order corpses, and her five senses were no different from a normal person's.

Taking a few bites of hot soup and cooked meat full of living aura actually helped nurture her state of mind, which had been lonely for a thousand years.

By contrast, Frost Star, the little Nether Corpse King, lacked any sense of manners.

The little girl knelt on the wide wooden chair, her upper body sprawling almost entirely over the tabletop.

Her heterochromatic eyes stared intently at the plate of fresh, marbled beef slices that still bore traces of blood, her pink little tongue licking her lips again and again.

Taking advantage of Lin Ye and Fatty bickering,

Frost Star reached out a fair little hand and grabbed a slice of raw beef directly.

Without so much as looking at the boiling split hotpot, she opened her mouth to reveal two sharp canine teeth, about to stuff the raw meat in.

Snap!

A long bamboo chopstick flew through the air and struck the back of Frost Star's hand with precise accuracy.

"Ouch!"

Stung by the hit, Frost Star flinched, dropping the raw beef onto the table.

She looked up pouting pitifully, a layer of mist rising in her deep blue left eye as she stared accusatory at Lin Ye.

"Brother-in-law hit me! Frost Star is hungry, I want meat!"

Lin Ye put down his chopsticks and scolded with a stern face:

"Eating raw meat and drinking blood is what uncivilized beasts outside do. You are a Nether Corpse King now, can't you show a little decorum? Dip the meat in the pot and cook it before eating."

Frost Star puffed out her cheeks, full of reluctance.

For a mutated corpse like her, the taste of raw blood was far more appealing than cooked meat.

Her eyes darted around as if she had thought of a wicked idea.

The little girl picked up the piece of raw beef with chopsticks, dipped it symbolically twice in the boiling red oil without even letting the color change, and thrust it toward Lin Ye's mouth.

She deliberately leaned forward slightly, her collar printed with Pikachu swaying with her motion, radiating a persistent obsession unique to a yandere.

Right then, Leng Yue beside her set down her wooden chopsticks.

Without a word, she picked up a piece of perfectly cooked marbled beef coated in sesame paste and sesame oil from her dish, raised her wrist, and presented it steadily to Lin Ye's lips.

A pleasant, cool fragrance of Manjusaka drifted into Lin Ye's nose alongside the aroma of the meat.

"Husband, this meat is cooked just right. Try the dipping sauce I prepared."

Her voice was as cool and crisp as a spring, yet carried a hint of soft cadence typical of the Jiangnan water towns at the end of her words.

On his left was a yandere loli holding out bloody raw meat; on his right was a cool and elegant mature beauty offering fragrant cooked meat.

Flanking him on both sides, their gazes clashed silently in mid-air.

Invisible sparks seemed to flicker in the air.

What was originally a steaming hotpot meal instantly transformed into a tense, explosive Asura field.

Sitting opposite them, Fatty Wang was still holding the piece of freshly swished tripe, freezing in place.

He glanced at Leng Yue, then at Frost Star, and finally directed a sympathetic look at Lin Ye.

Sandwiched between two female fiends—Fatty knew he couldn't handle such "blessings."

A dim glow flashed across his retina as the system's chaotic mechanical voice suddenly blasted in Lin Ye's mind.

"Ding! "My Lord, Please Behave Yourself" System Notification: Daily dining table Asura field detected! The battle for favor between the two female zombies has begun, with Fatty watching intently from the front row. Host, please balance this situation within three minutes and demonstrate the composure of the master of the house!"

The light screen popped open, listing three options:

[Option A: Rain and Dew Shared Equally, Embracing All—Open your mouth wide and swallow both raw and cooked meat together, praising loudly, 'Whatever my two wives feed me is delicious.']

[Reward: Obtain the title [Iron Stomach]. Consequence: Eating raw and cooked food together easily triggers stomach revolt. You will dominate the Funeral Shop's bathroom for the next three hours, losing all dignity.]

[Option B: Favoritism to the End, Logical Progression—Ignore Frost Star's raw meat, bite into the cooked meat Leng Yue offers, and dotingly pat Leng Yue's head.]

[Reward: Leng Yue's favorability +10. Consequence: Frost Star will overflow with jealousy and quietly mix mutated corpse poison into your footwashing water tonight, letting you experience a double sensation of ice and fire.]

[Option C: Brothers Are Like Limbs—Ignore both wives' offerings, raise your wine glass, cross the table to clink glasses with Fatty, and shout, 'Women are like clothes, but brotherhood is true emotion!']

[Reward: Fatty Wang's loyalty +50, deepening brotherly bond. Consequence: The two female zombies will temporarily put aside their differences and mark a black tally against you in their hearts to settle with you later.]

Lin Ye looked at the three options and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Normally, in such an Asura field, one would either choose one of the two women or play mediator.

Yet the system gave a game-breaking Option C.

Since binding the system, he had walked the line between life and death all the way.

Although his brother Fatty was as timid as a mouse, greedy, and lustful, he had never abandoned him to flee alone.

This friendship was invaluable in this cold world.

"I choose C."

Lin Ye decided in his mind, his eyes instantly clearing.

He turned his head slightly, avoiding the two pieces of meat held near his lips.

Under Frost Star's astonished gaze and Leng Yue's puzzled look, he picked up the cold bottle of Deadly Big Wusu in front of him and stood up.

Clink!

Reaching across the bubbling split hotpot, the beer bottle clinked heavily against Fatty Wang's beer glass, splashing a few golden drops of beer.

"Fatty, what are you dazing off for? Drink!"

Lin Ye raised a heroic smile at the corner of his mouth, his voice bright and hearty.

"This hotpot was bought right. Come on, let me get a drink with you—to us surviving last night, cheers!"

Fatty Wang froze for two whole seconds.

Looking into Lin Ye's sincere eyes, an indescribable surge of hot blood rushed straight to his head.

In a world full of demons and ghosts, what was he, Wang Defa?

A dead fatty who could only drive, a deadweight holding others back.

Lin Ye was now an expert possessing extraordinary skills, tens of millions in wealth, and surrounded by beauties.

Facing the rivalry between beauties, Lin Ye's first reaction was actually to raise his glass to toast a useless brother like him!

"Ye-zi..."

Fatty's eyes instantly turned red.

He slammed up a full glass of beer, tilted his head back, and chugged it down in one gulp.

"Bottoms up! Being able to have you, Lin Ye, as my brother in this life means my family's ancestral graves must be spouting green smoke!"

Fatty wiped the beer foam from his mouth and roared heroically.

"Ding! Daily quest completed. Fatty Wang's loyalty surged, and the brotherly bond has been solidified."

As the system prompt faded, the Asura field atmosphere at the dinner table was completely dissipated.

Frost Star curled her lips, sullenly tossing the raw meat back into the plate, and grabbed a can of Coke, sipping furiously in huff.

Leng Yue pulled back her chopsticks and placed the cooked meat into Lin Ye's empty bowl.

Far from being angry, a hint of admiration flashed in her deep red eyes.

Valuing loyalty and righteousness—that was the true mark of a real man.

If Lin Ye were a cold-hearted person who forgot gratitude at the sight of beauty,

how could she, the dignified Millennium Drought Demon, be willing to submit?

The hotpot meal was thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying.

After the meal, the mess was tidied up.

The rain outside the shop stopped completely, and a few rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, slanting into the entrance.

Lin Ye walked over to the tea table and poured two cups of clear tea.

He waved at Fatty, who was picking his teeth: "Fatty, come sit."

Hearing this, Fatty threw away his toothpick and trotted over excitedly to sit opposite Lin Ye, his expression turning particularly serious.

"Ye-zi, what are your orders? Are we buying cinnabar or hunting for magical items?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

He reached into his coat and retrieved an item wrapped in layers of yellow talisman paper from the system space.

As soon as it was brought out, the ambient temperature dropped several degrees.

A fine layer of frost even condensed on the surface of the yellow paper.

Lin Ye pushed the paper bundle toward Fatty.

"Open it and take a look."

Fatty rubbed his hands in confusion and carefully unwrapped the yellow paper.

In the center lay a pitch-black stone, no larger than half a fist.

Its surface was pitted and bumpy, exuding a terrifying aura of dead silence.

"Th-this... what on earth is this?"

Fatty shivered and pulled his hand back, not daring to touch it.

"Underworld Ore, dug up from the ruins of the outer wall of the City of Wrongful Deaths."

Lin Ye blew on his tea cup.

"For living people, this stuff is deadly poison. But for those practicing dark or evil arts, it's an irreplaceable treasure worth a fortune."

Fatty's eyes widened: "Ye-zi, you're giving this to me directly? No spell casting, no incantations? My frail body can't handle this icy Yin energy!"

"It's fine." Lin Ye wrapped the ore tightly in the yellow paper again, cutting off the cold chill.

He stared at Fatty with deep eyes: "Take this ore and make a trip to Antique Street to find Old Man Chen, who runs Banxian Hall."

"That old fox is a successor of the Lushan Sect, and he's registered with The Ninth Bureau. There's nothing in Jiangzhou's occult underground intelligence network he doesn't know."

"Slam this stone on his desk and tell him it's a down payment. I want to buy information—where the Yinshan Sect's lair or stronghold is hidden in Jiangzhou City or Jiangnan Province."

At the mention of "Yinshan Sect", Fatty's face instantly changed.

Those evil cultivators who preyed on the dead acted without any bottom line; being targeted by them was like having a venomous snake wrapped around one's neck.

"Ye-zi, hearing you say that... are you planning to take the initiative and raid their lair?"

Fatty swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

Lin Ye's eyes turned cold, like a drawn sword: "If you strike a snake without killing it, you'll end up bit."

"They sent a pair of paper dolls to probe us last night. I destroyed their formation, so they certainly won't let it rest. Instead of waiting in the shop for them to plot against us, it's better to launch a preemptive strike and wipe them out."

Fatty fell silent for a moment before a surge of strange courage welled up from deep within his heart.

He slapped his thigh hard and stood up: "Let me at 'em! Those bastards even dared to ruin Lord Fatty's hotpot party—we definitely can't let them live to see the New Year!"

"Rest assured, Ye-zi! I'll head to Antique Street right now and guarantee I'll pry that intelligence out of that old fox's mouth!"

Fatty carefully tucked the yellow paper bundle into his inner pocket.

Then he dug out that fierce, sinister boning knife wrapped in layers of old jackets from his backpack.

Next, he used a sturdy canvas belt to strap it around his waist and put a loose jacket over it, covering the hilt completely.

"With this knife protecting my Yang energy, I feel a lot more secure."

Fatty patted his waist, grinned at Lin Ye, and strode out of the Funeral Shop...