CFSMS -Chapter 48 Crisp Peaches and Crisp Watermelons Are Simply the Best

These fruits all had some ability to clear the mind and improve eyesight. Ordinary people could benefit from eating them, so there was definitely a market for them.

Lu Wu decided that this batch of ice jelly would come in six flavors.

As for those bizarre “death combinations,” she had no idea whether customers would accept them. Still, with normal combinations like mango ice jelly as a safety net, she wasn’t worried about failing the mission.

Buying the fruit was already the biggest expense, but the most important ingredient was the ice jelly powder itself.

It came from the seeds of a false lantern plant. Although the environment was different, similar plants could still be found in the Qingyuan World.

She also needed to buy some nuts, milk, and coconut milk as complementary ingredients.

Lu Wu had never visited the Flaming Blaze Secret Realm before, but she had read plenty of novels, and the Qingyuan World had no shortage of adventure storybooks either.

Who knew what would happen inside a secret realm? Maybe once you entered, you wouldn’t be able to leave for quite some time.

To avoid running out of ingredients halfway through, she bought large quantities of everything and even stocked up on extra fruit. Only when her storage pouch was nearly full did she finally stop.

After her shopping spree, Lu Wu returned home loaded with supplies.

She had barely stepped inside when she heard knocking—

Or rather, knocking on the wall.

If there was a door but someone still chose to climb over the wall, it could only be Old Li, whose body might be old, but whose heart certainly wasn’t.

After receiving Lu Wu’s permission, Old Li landed gracefully in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back.

His demeanor was that of a true master.

Unfortunately, it didn’t fool Lu Wu.

“You’re not asleep yet?”

Old Li tried to start a conversation.

Lu Wu glanced at the blazing sun overhead and looked at him suspiciously.

Had the old man eaten something poisonous?

“I couldn’t sleep at noon, so I went out for a walk and bought a few things.”

She cooperated politely.

After all, old people cared about their dignity.

Hearing that she had gone shopping, Old Li glanced at the storage pouch hanging from her waist. He really wanted to ask what delicious food she planned to sell next.

But there were more important matters at hand.

Suppressing his greed, he straightened his expression.

“Girl, a secret realm is about to open. Would you like to go in and take a look?”

“I heard there are quite a few good treasures inside.”

Leaning closer, Old Li lowered his voice.

He was clearly sharing good news, yet the way he acted made him look more like a thief plotting something shady.

“A secret realm?”

“Which secret realm?”

Lu Wu was certainly curious about the secret realms of the Qingyuan World.

But she was even more aware of her own strength.

With her current cultivation, entering a secret realm was practically volunteering to become monster food.

She wanted to go, but lacked the ability.

The thought dimmed her eyes slightly.

“The Flaming Blaze Secret Realm.”

“I know what you’re worried about. Don’t worry—I already arranged everything. Someone will protect you the whole time and make sure nothing happens.”

“And anything you obtain inside belongs entirely to you.”

“If anyone dares cause trouble, I’ll teach them a lesson myself.”

Old Li made his promise.

In his eyes, Lu Wu was like a beloved junior.

His wife had passed away long ago, and he had never had children of his own.

After spending the latter half of his life alone, he met Lu Wu.

The more he got to know her, the more he felt she was a good child—simple-hearted, free of the greed and scheming common among Qingyuan World’s cultivators.

Most importantly, her cooking was so good that even an ancient monster like him couldn’t resist it.

Old Li genuinely regarded Lu Wu as family.

Naturally, he wanted her to gain something valuable from such a rare opportunity.

He explained his arrangements.

Neither Qin Zhan nor Lou Xiaotian was as simple as they appeared. Protecting the little girl would be more than enough for them.

As for Lu Wu, the moment she heard the name Flaming Blaze Secret Realm, her gaze became distant.

For some reason, Old Li reminded her of those NPCs in games who suddenly appeared at critical moments to hand out quests that unlocked the next stage.

A mission was a mission.

And if there was a mission, she was definitely accepting it.

“I trust Grandpa Li. I’ll follow your arrangements.”

A smile curved her lips, her eyes as clear as spring water.

She wanted to go.

No hesitation. No pretenses.

“Good child.”

Old Li patted her head gently.

The warmth and affection in the gesture made Lu Wu lower her eyes, hiding the slight redness at the corners.

From the fear and uncertainty she had felt when first arriving in this world to finally establishing a foothold, Old Li had been guiding her the entire time.

She understood very clearly that those customers who adored and praised her probably wouldn’t be able to help much when things truly mattered.

It was better to rely on herself than on others.

She had to seize this opportunity.

And she would repay Old Li’s kindness someday.

Rubbing her slightly sore eyes, Lu Wu looked up and smiled.

“I’ll be gone for several days this time. Grandpa Li, let me make something delicious for you so you can eat it while I’m away.”

Old Li had just mentioned that he couldn’t enter the secret realm.

Combined with the countless novel plots she had read, it wasn’t difficult to guess why.

So she planned to prepare some of her Refreshing and Soul-Lifting Ice Jelly in advance, enough for Old Li to enjoy every day.

“Ah, now that’s a great idea.”

He hadn’t come here for food.

But if the little girl wanted to show filial respect, he certainly wasn’t going to refuse.

Old Li had seen countless strange and wondrous things throughout his life.

Yet whatever Lu Wu was making this time was something he had never encountered before.

“It’s ice jelly. I’m making fruit-flavored versions.”

Seeing the childlike curiosity in Old Li’s eyes, Lu Wu couldn’t help smiling.

This way of eating simply hadn’t been developed in the Qingyuan World yet.

The preparation itself wasn’t complicated.

She poured the ice jelly powder into a pot and added some sugar to enhance the base flavor.

Then she mixed in the proper amount of water, dissolved everything, and brought it to a boil.

At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a basin of sweet water.

Old Li pondered it for a while and couldn’t help feeling that it seemed far less appealing than the buns and pork knuckles she had made before.

“Is this really good?”

He muttered skeptically, a rare moment of doubt regarding Lu Wu’s cooking.

It barely had any smell.

It looked watery.

Was the plan simply to drink until full?

“We’ve only just started.”

Lu Wu laughed.

While waiting for it to boil, she took out several kinds of fruit.

The fruits of the Qingyuan World truly were remarkable.

Each carried an intense natural fragrance.

The mangoes were as large as washbasins. A single one could be cut into countless pieces, and the golden flesh contained almost no visible fibers.

Lu Wu tasted a piece.

Sweet.

Rich mango flavor.

No astringency whatsoever.

Old Li quietly stole a few chunks for himself.

Next came peaches the size of fists.

After washing off the fuzzy skin, Lu Wu peeled and sliced them.

She loved peaches.

They were juicy and refreshing, and the peach’s unique fragrance and crisp sweetness were unlike any other fruit.

Pure sweetness.

Not a trace of sourness.

Then there was the watermelon.

That one was an even bigger surprise.

Seedless watermelons here weren’t the result of advanced technology or strange scientific tricks.

The red flesh was huge and crisp.

The moment a knife touched it, the melon naturally split apart.

Watermelon was wonderfully thirst-quenching.

The only downside was how easily it filled your stomach with water.

Crisp peaches and crisp watermelon were the absolute best!

Anyone who disagreed could come fight her over it!

As for the remaining three fruits, Lu Wu left them untouched despite Old Li’s obvious look of disgust.

“Don’t eat too much,” she warned him.

“Otherwise you won’t have room for the finished product later.”

She also shelled some hazelnuts and walnuts, crushed them, and placed them into small bowls.

By then, the ice jelly mixture had finished cooking.

She poured it into a shallow container.

“This needs to cool and solidify before we can use it.”

She explained the process to Old Li.

In the Qingyuan World, however, there was no need to wait.

Activating her spiritual energy, she summoned wisps of icy mist that wrapped around the container.

The temperature of the liquid plummeted.

Within moments, it began to set.

When Lu Wu took the container out again, the ice jelly had already fully formed.

Its crystal-clear appearance looked like flawless, impurity-free crystal.