Chapter: Hidden Identity
Cheng Yu took Mina and Ivennie to the kitchen to make braised bear paws.
Aphra walked to the Golden Tree beside the farmland, tilted her head, and looked at it curiously. "This seems to be the Golden Tree of the Forest Elves. Isn't it recorded in ancient books that it's been extinct? How come there's still one?"
However, considering Cheng Yu had released powerful light force to kill the Black Claw Red Dragon before, Cheng Yu had an extraordinary origin. It seemed reasonable there was a Golden Tree in the manor.
After looking at the Golden Tree for a while, Aphra lost interest.
She walked to the edge of the farmland and lay lazily on the grass.
In the territory of the Black Sun Empire, no need to obey the Demon King. Free and comfortable life.
Abel, the deputy head of the Magic Corps, came to Barney and whispered, "General, does that girl have a faint Blood Clan aura?"
On the way to Bailu Town, Aphra had hidden her own Blood Clan aura—ordinary people couldn't detect it.
But Abel was the deputy leader of the Northern Fortress Magic Corps. He was very sensitive to magic and could detect some clues.
Barney was shocked. "Do you suspect she's a vampire?"
"Yes."
Abel nodded slightly.
"No way. The vampires who invaded the Black Sun Empire have been captured long ago," Barney didn't quite believe Abel's words.
Abel's old face was solemn. "The other vampire remnants have been captured, but Blood Queen Aphra hasn't been captured yet."
"If she hasn't been captured, she hasn't been captured. Anyway, she hasn't caused any big trouble."
Barney glanced at Aphra not far away with an attitude of not caring about it.
Abel looked worried. "Aphra has always been a hidden danger in the Black Sun Empire. I'll go test her and we'll know."
Barney held Abel and smiled. "Don't go. That girl is so beautiful and innocent. She's definitely not Blood Queen Aphra."
"But..."
Abel was still very worried.
"No buts. If I tell you not to go, then don't go," Barney said in an imperative tone.
Though Barney was a tier-five, he was the boss of the Northern Fortress. Since the boss had said so, Abel couldn't say anything else.
Cheng Yu and the other two came to the kitchen. Cheng Yu took out a bear paw of the Ice Demon Bear.
This bear paw was over a meter long. The pad in the paw was very elastic.
Barney and the other eight people definitely couldn't eat a whole bear paw.
Cheng Yu took out the Dragon-Pattern Golden Knife, first removed the hair from the bear paw, then cut off eight large pieces of bear paw meat—each estimated to weigh two or three pounds—and placed them on eight plates.
"Help me wash the blood from the bear paw meat."
Cheng Yu asked Mina and Ivennie to do odd jobs for him.
The two scooped water from the water tank into the wooden barrel and washed the blood from the bear paw in it.
Cheng Yu prepared appropriate amounts of onions, ginger, cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, chicken essence, salt, and other seasonings according to the weight of the eight bear paws.
"Mina, after washing the bear paw meat, go make a fire and boil water."
"Okay!"
Mina added some water to the pot and walked to the stove to make a fire.
After the water boiled, Cheng Yu put the bear paw into the boiling water and blanched it three times, then took it out and removed the impurities on the bear paw meat.
He made a few cuts on the eight pieces of bear paw meat to help them absorb flavor.
Heat oil in a pot, add onions and ginger, and stir-fry until fragrant. Add cooking wine and stir-fry for a few times.
Finally, put the blanched bear paw into the pot, add appropriate amount of water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, chicken essence, and salt.
After the water in the pot boiled, turn to low heat and simmer slowly. When the bear paw was stewed until soft and flavorful, it could be taken out.
There were several stoves in the kitchen. While the bear paws were being stewed, Cheng Yu also made some side dishes for Barney and the others.
The aroma of the bear paws was everywhere in the manor.
"It smells so good! I want to eat it too!"
Mina stared at the eight soft bear paws, drooling from the corners of her mouth. Her eyes were almost in the shape of hearts.
Ivennie was behind her, hugging Mina's waist with both arms, worried Mina couldn't help but eat the braised bear paws on the plates.
Cheng Yu smiled and touched Mina's ears. "There's still a lot of bear paw meat left. I'll cook it for you in the evening. You can eat as much as you want."
The orcs were keen on meat delicacies. The meat delicacies made by Cheng Yu's max-level cooking skills were a fatal temptation to orcs.
"Master, I like you so much!"
Mina dragged Ivennie behind her and came to Cheng Yu.
She hugged Cheng Yu, swung her big tail happily, and rubbed Cheng Yu's cheek intimately with her cheek.
Cheng Yu touched Mina's head. "Mina, you're too clingy—even more clingy than the dog I raised before."
Barney and the others came to the long table in the living room of the manor, where plates and knives and forks were already prepared.
Cheng Yu and Ivennie brought the prepared bear paws to the living room but didn't let Mina help serve dishes—fearing her saliva would drip into the guests' dishes.
Barney and the others were eager to taste the braised bear paw.
"The meat is fresh, tender, and tasty. Really the best in the world!"
"I've eaten bear paws in the palace before. The palace chefs boil them and add some salt. The taste is a world away from the bear paws made by Boss Cheng Yu!"
"It's so delicious! You'll never get tired of it!"
The eight people praised the delicious bear paws made by Cheng Yu.
At that moment, Aphra came in smelling the fragrance and saw Barney and the others eating bear paws. "Cheng Yu, what are they eating? It smells so good!"
"Braised bear paws," Cheng Yu said.
Aphra and Cheng Yu weren't very familiar with each other yet. She hesitated. "That~ Cheng Yu~ I want to eat it too."
"There's bear paw meat in the kitchen. I'll cook it for you in the evening."
Cheng Yu planned to make braised bear paws for Mina, Ivennie, and Aphra in the evening.
"You're such a nice person!"
Aphra stared at Cheng Yu with joy.
At the same time, in the mountains to the north of Black Stone City, tens of thousands of Black Stone City residents stood near the mountains with their hands on their chests, bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and prayed devoutly to the Goddess of Light.
"Goddess of Light, I'm thirty years old and still haven't married. Please give me a rich and beautiful wife!"
"Lady Goddess of Light, please protect my family's health!"
"Lady Goddess of Light, I confessed to the girl I had a crush on yesterday. She said I was a good person. Does she like me or not?"
Just as everyone was praying, a group of people wearing white robes and holding various magic tools came over.
They were clergy of the Church of Light.
A hunchbacked white-haired old man walked to the place where Cheng Yu and the Black Claw Red Dragon had fought before. He lightly leaned his staff on the ground. A soft holy light emanated from his body.
The old man closed his eyes slightly, feeling the remaining light power in the surrounding environment.
"This~ This is really the power of the Goddess of Light! Is the Goddess of Light still alive?"
The old man exclaimed.
The Church of Light was founded on the basis of the small amount of light magic and doctrines left by the Goddess of Light.
No one had really seen the Goddess of Light. No one knew whether she was dead or alive.
"My Lord Bishop, has the Goddess of Light really come here?" asked an accompanying staff member.
"I'm not sure. The other party has extremely pure light power—much stronger than the light power we get from learning light magic."
"Can you determine the location of that person?"
"It seems to be heading toward Black Stone City."
After Cheng Yu killed the Black Claw Red Dragon, he'd gone to Black Stone City to buy magic materials.
The white-robed bishop said to the clergy around him, "We must find this person. Even if it's not the Goddess of Light in person, this person has a deep connection with the Goddess of Light."
"Yes, my Lord Bishop!"
The clergy around him said in unison.