Barbecuing was meticulous work. By the time everyone finished their preparations and Lu Yang and Lan Ting carried the moon laurel tree back, night had already fallen.
Shouldering the moon laurel tree, Lu Yang wove through the crowd like a victorious general returning from battle, earning deep admiration as cries of wonder rose one after another.
"Why did he carry back a moon laurel tree?"
"I heard it's to be burned as firewood."
"Huh? Moon laurel trees can be used like that?"
"I suppose so. Since they were able to chop it down, it means they had the Tree Ancestor's permission."
Lu Yang split the moon laurel tree down the middle, chopped it into smaller logs, and baked them over fire to dry out the moisture.
Next, he tossed the moon laurel logs into a large pit dug beforehand, set a grill grate over the pit, and arranged the marinated demon rabbit atop it.
With a flick of his finger, a spark of Three-Flavor True Fire shot into the pit. The moon laurel logs ignited the moment the flame touched them. According to the Immortal Fairy's experience, logs from a moon laurel tree of this age could burn through the entire night, more than enough to roast the demon rabbit to perfection.
As the moon laurel logs burned, they released a rich, intoxicating fragrance of moon laurel. The palace disciples felt as if they had returned to the blooming season of the moon laurels, thoroughly entranced.
As one of the founders of the Try Again Barbecue Shop, Lu Yang's grilling craft went without saying—an unrivaled wonder of the current age. Only Man Gu, who commanded the corpse-driving art, could vie with him for the title of number one beneath the Immortal Fairy!
Lu Yang blanketed every inch of the demon rabbit's muscle with his divine sense, exercising precise control over the heat of the Three-Flavor True Fire, occasionally tossing two more logs into the pit as crackles and pops sounded without pause.
He brushed oil and flipped the meat constantly, bringing skin, flesh, tendon, and bone into a harmonious balance of flavor and texture. Subtle garlic notes and fresh spicy kick permeated deep into the meat.
There were things even an automatic barbecue array could not accomplish; a demon rabbit of such colossal size lay far beyond its capacity. At times like this, the worth of a veteran craftsman like Lu Yang became all the more apparent.
Basking in the warmth radiating from the fire pit, laced with the fragrance of sweet osmanthus and roasted meat, the palace disciples enjoyed a joyous harmony, chatting amongst themselves amidst unending laughter.
Lan Ting sat beside Lu Yang, neither saying a word. After who knew how long, Lu Yang woke the drowsy Lan Ting.
"Junior Sister Lan, want a taste?"
Lan Ting opened her eyes and saw that the demon rabbit had been roasted to a rich golden brown.
She tore off a piece of crispy skin and meat. The juices trapped beneath seemed to find an outlet, dripping down pit-pat into the fire pit with sizzling pops.
Smoked by the moon laurel wood, all gaminess had been completely purged from the demon rabbit.
The exterior was crisp and aromatic, crunching delightfully with each bite in a marvelous sensation. The thick cuts of lean meat were satisfyingly chewy, releasing richer flavors the longer she chewed. Osmanthus aroma danced on her palate, and paired with the dipping sauce Lu Yang had concocted from sesame oil, ground soybeans, and sesame seeds, the sheer fragrance jolted Lan Ting completely awake.
Lan Ting sucked on her fingertips, looking as though she could never have enough.
Seeing the look on Lan Ting's face, Lu Yang knew without her saying a word that the demon rabbit was ready.
"Everyone, it's ready to eat!"
"Mild is on the left, spicy is on the right, and the jars beside the pit hold the dipping sauce!"
The palace disciples had waited an eternity for this moment. Since only their own kind were present, there was no need to maintain any aloof fairy image for the outside world; with a whoosh, they swarmed forward to feast on the demon rabbit they had coveted for so long.
The cultivation world's creed of the strong ruling supreme was displayed in its fullest glory at this very moment: those of higher cultivation rushed to the front, while those of lower cultivation could only line up behind them.
"So delicious!"
"I've never had barbecue this good in my life."
"I've been to the headquarters of the Try Again Barbecue Shop, and even the barbecue there wasn't as delicious as what Senior Brother Lu makes!"
Even the head chef senior sister, notoriously picky with flavors, had to admit that Lu Yang's barbecuing skill was indeed above her own—in fact, far above it.
She had lost, utterly and completely.
If this had been ordinary mortal barbecue, roasting an ingredient so colossal would undoubtedly result in a charred exterior and a raw interior. Under Lu Yang's control, however, wisps of Three-Flavor True Fire seeped deep into the demon rabbit's carcass, searing every fiber of muscle until the meat was done just right.
Even the Immortal Fairy showered Lu Yang's roast demon rabbit with praise.
"Little Yangzi truly has a bit of skill! Driving Three-Flavor True Fire deep into the demon rabbit's body like maggots clinging to bone, roasting even the skeleton crisp and fragrant—he's already learned three-tenths of this immortal's prowess!"
Though it was praise, Lu Yang couldn't shake the feeling that something sounded slightly off.
No one noticed the petite Bai Ye darting through the crowd, tearing off a chunk of rabbit meat before quietly slipping away. Perched on a branch of the Moon Laurel Tree Ancestor, she ate with grease dripping from the corners of her mouth.
"Huh, roasting with our moon laurel trees smells this good?"
...
That night, none of the palace disciples cultivated; they ate to their hearts' content. Anyone beholding this scene would never associate these feasting, frolicking palace disciples with the ethereal fairies beyond the mountains who were untainted by mortal concerns.
Lu Yang was delighted as well. For a cook, nothing brought greater joy than diners praising his food.
Even without compliments, merely watching his junior sisters relish every bite while noisily sucking on the bones was proof enough that his barbecue was a resounding success.
"*Yawn*... So sleepy..."
Lu Yang let out an enormous yawn. He felt like slacking off today as well—no cultivating, straight to bed.
The palace disciples were also yawning incessantly, abandoning all pretense of poise and collapsing into sleep where they were.
With their cultivation, even falling snow could not freeze them; they could sleep anywhere.
If someone were to look down from high above, they would see a massive pit at the center of the Immortal Palace, filled with the burnt embers of moon laurel wood, encircled by countless palace disciples lying scattered on the ground.
As the moon ignited and transformed into the sun, Lu Yang felt the morning light wash over his face. He forced his eyelids to flutter, reluctant to open his eyes; it had been ages since he had slept so comfortably.
"Who covered me with a blanket?"
Lu Yang felt the weight of a quilt pressing over him, wondering which kind soul had done it.
Could it be Junior Sister Lan Ting?
Blearily opening his eyes, Lu Yang struggled to crawl out from under the blanket. Gazing at the senior and junior sisters sprawled all over the ground, his mind remained in a daze.
"Why does something feel off?" Lu Yang muttered to himself.
Suddenly, the dissonance struck him like a bolt.
"Why am I completely naked?!"
Lu Yang raised his hand, his pupils constricting sharply. "No... I shrank!"
That was no quilt at all—it was plainly his own clothes!
Only, after he had shrunk, his clothes had become as loose and vast as a blanket.
Lu Yang snapped wide awake and looked toward Lan Ting sleeping beside him.
There, taking Lan Ting's place, lay a little girl of about eight or nine.
Lan Ting had shrunk too!
Lu Yang looked around—it wasn't just Lan Ting; everyone present had shrunk!
Elsewhere, Luo Hongxia and Elder Zhu Hong were returning from the Dao Seeking Sect, Luo Hongxia kindly consoling her companion:
"Junior Sister, don't be disappointed. Didn't Yun Zhi say that once they finish studying the Twin River, she'll let you take some?"
"It's not as if your desire for a child started yesterday. What's a little more waiting?"
Elder Zhu Hong nodded perfunctorily without uttering a word.
Seeing this, Luo Hongxia knew all her consoling throughout the journey had been in vain.
The two landed, only to behold Lu Yang standing bare-bottomed in the freezing wind, surrounded by little girls carpeting the ground.
Dumbfounded.
Chapter 1021