"Grumble..." Before the princess could reply, her stomach growled.
Although she had eaten earlier, the tempting aroma made her hungry again.
As a foodie, how could she miss such a delicacy?
"There does seem to be a scent," Grandma Li murmured.
"Let's go down quickly!" the princess urged impatiently.
If she could fly, she would have dragged Grandma Li down already!
"Miss, aren't we looking for Xiao Guai anymore?" Grandma Li asked, bewildered.
Normally, His Highness was very concerned about Xiao Guai, doting on him endlessly.
Now, with her pet missing, why was she preoccupied with food?
"Oh right, Xiao Guai's life is still in danger," the princess realized with a conflicted expression.
On one side was her beloved pet.
On the other, the incredibly alluring aroma.
Fortunately, the princess was not unreasonable and quickly made the right decision.
"Grandma Li, let's go down first!"
After all, one needed to be full to have the energy to find Xiao Guai.
Grandma Li: ...
In the inn's courtyard.
The second batch of meat was almost roasted. Ye Fan pondered whether to call his two senior sisters out for a meal.
Although they were his nominal senior sisters, Ye Fan sincerely regarded them as his granddaughters.
It was perhaps to compensate for the regret of his granddaughter's early demise in his past life.
Just as Ye Fan was about to move, two figures descended from the air.
The two elders glanced up, then back down, continuing to gnaw on the roasted meat.
"You two...?" Ye Fan looked at the princess and Grandma Li, puzzled.
Grandma Li felt a little awkward, unsure how to explain.
She couldn't possibly say they smelled the aroma and came to mooch off their food...
Although the princess could be willful at times, she was still a person of status.
"It smells so good," the princess walked quickly to the grill, her large eyes fixed on the roasting meat: "Did you roast all of this?"
Ye Fan's mouth twitched.
He had been wondering why two cultivators suddenly appeared, only to realize they were drawn by the smell.
Although their actions were a bit impolite, Ye Fan didn't dwell on it.
Perhaps it was due to his longing for his deceased granddaughter, but he now saw all young girls as his granddaughters...
"Yes," Ye Fan nodded: "If you like it, you can have some."
"Oh dear, that doesn't seem quite appropriate," the princess blushed.
However, her hands moved swiftly, grabbing a large piece of roasted meat...
"Miss..." Grandma Li tried to intervene.
After all, His Highness was a princess, how could she eat a stranger's food?
If anything were to happen, she couldn't bear the responsibility.
But her words were clearly too late...
"Hiss~ It smells so good!" The princess took a large bite of the roasted meat, tears welling up from the heat.
But the meat was so fragrant that she couldn't bear to spit it out.
"Eat slowly, there's plenty more," Ye Fan smiled slightly, his eyes full of affection.
If it weren't for the impropriety, he would have reached out to pat the young girl's head.
Alas...
If my granddaughter were still here, she would be this lively and adorable now...
"Thank you," the princess looked up, her eyes sparkling.
She swore, this was absolutely the most delicious roasted meat she had ever eaten!
Compared to this, the dishes made by the imperial chefs were simply trash!
"Grandma Li, this roasted meat is delicious," the princess called out: "Come and have some."
"I'll pass," Grandma Li shook her head: "Princess... please eat slowly..."
Upon reflection, the food should be fine.
Firstly, they had come uninvited. Secondly, the other party had no idea of their identities, so there was no reason to poison them beforehand.
Most importantly, she had the best detoxification pills with her.
The detoxification pills refined by the imperial alchemist were, of course, of the highest quality.
"We have guests," the Second Elder whispered to Master Xie Yan: "Shouldn't we greet them?"
"Indeed," Master Xie Yan nodded: "Otherwise, it would appear very impolite of us."
Master Xie Yan stood up, picked up a piece of roasted meat, and approached Grandma Li: "It's very delicious, you should try some."
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry," Grandma Li quickly refused.
"Look how hungry she is, you must be hungry too," Master Xie Yan insisted: "It's truly delicious."
As he spoke, his left eyeball darted around rapidly again.
Grandma Li had intended to refuse.
However, upon seeing his furiously darting eyeball, she was rendered speechless.
Hiss~
What in the world was that?!
Why did I suddenly feel a chill all over my body?
She tried to circulate her true qi to dispel the inexplicable chill, but she failed...
Her true qi circulated a few times, and her body became burning hot, but the cold feeling in her heart remained...
She was certain that the other party was not releasing any oppressive aura, yet she felt an inexplicable dread...
When she came to her senses, she realized she was already holding a piece of roasted meat in her hand...
"It's very fragrant," Master Xie Yan's gaze was fixed on Grandma Li: "Everything Ye Fan makes is delicious."
Grandma Li quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet Master Xie Yan's gaze.
Why?
Looking at him made her heart palpitate...
Under the invisible pressure, Grandma Li finally took a bite.
As soon as she took the bite, her eyes lit up!
It was indeed delicious!
Although her cultivation meant she no longer needed to eat, she was never one to refuse good food.
She swore, this was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life!
Ye Fan smiled slightly and continued to roast the meat.
After all, he still had two granddaughters...
Oh, wait.
He still had two senior sisters who hadn't eaten.
The courtyard was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
The two elders were enthusiastically devouring the meat, their faces greasy.
The princess, though her eating manners were not as rough, had her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster.
Grandma Li, while seemingly eating slowly, was not any slower than the others...
After devouring several large pieces of roasted meat, the princess finally slowed down.
"By the way, did you see Xiao Guai earlier?" She finally remembered the important matter and asked Ye Fan curiously.
"Xiao Guai?" Ye Fan looked at her, puzzled.
"Oh, it's a gray bear," the princess swallowed the meat in her mouth: "About half a zhang tall... cough cough..."
She suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit mid-sentence.
She had choked.
Ye Fan quickly handed her a bowl of hot soup – bear offal soup.
"Thank you," the princess drank a large bowl in one go, finally managing to swallow the meat: "Xiao Guai is about half a zhang tall, with a mark on his forehead..."
The princess continued to eat the meat while describing Xiao Guai's features.
Ye Fan's fingers curled involuntarily.
Holy cow, what a coincidence?
The Xiao Guai the young girl was referring to was the very bear in the pot and on the grill!
Mid-sentence, the princess suddenly stopped.
Her gaze fell upon the bear hide lying on the ground nearby.
Ye Fan had spread the entire bear hide out there earlier, and its features were clearly visible!
"Xiao... Xiao Guai?!" Seeing the familiar markings on the hide, the princess was stunned.
She seemed to understand something and turned to glare intently at Ye Fan.
Grandma Li also put down the roasted meat, her gaze hostile towards Ye Fan.
The two elders also seemed to sense something.
They kept glancing between Grandma Li and the princess, and then at Ye Fan.
The entire courtyard fell silent, the air thick with a tense atmosphere.