Transmigrated into an Ancient ABO Fantasy World: A Culinary Comeback - Chapter 12

Wang Xiaojin was busy with her daily hustle sometimes wandering aimlessly through the countryside with Old Xie, other times selling board noodles to save up for opening her own shop. Before she could gather enough funds, however, she already had a candidate in mind for a helper.

One morning, Wang Xiaojin accompanied Old Xie on another excursion, this time to Golden Village under Dongyang County. It was the last village in the county they hadn’t visited yet. After this, they planned to move on to the neighboring county.

As the name suggested, this village was rather unique. Nestled at the foot of Tiangu Mountain in Dongyang, legend had it that on a pitch-black night, someone had witnessed a massive dog-shaped shadow emerge from the mountain and swallow the moon, hence the mountain’s name.

But what made the village famous wasn’t this legend it was the discovery of gold ore in the mountain. Back then, it attracted a flood of prospectors, many of whom settled down and formed Golden Village at the mountain’s base. Even now, though gold was likely scarce, remnants of the gold rush could still be seen throughout the village.

As the two rode their horse-drawn carriage into the rustic village, Wang Xiaojin, who was driving on the left, suddenly felt an inexplicable restlessness coursing through her body, her blood boiling. Don’t misunderstand, it was the kind of urge that made her want to punch a rock. Uncomfortable, she loosened her collar. On the right, Old Xie showed no such reaction; instead, she looked at Wang Xiaojin with a hint of delight.

Xie Xing reached out with her left hand to check Wang Xiaojin’s pulse, her heart swelling with joy. This child really is like me born with an unusual constitution. I can feel the fiery energy surging within her. With proper training, she’s sure to master the fire element.

Thinking this, she subtly channeled a stream of her own energy into Wang Xiaojin. Wang Xiaojin felt a cool sensation spread from her wrist throughout her body, and her breathing gradually steadied. She looked at Xie Xing in shock and confusion. “Old Xie, you. I…?”

Xie Xing chuckled like a mischievous old child. “Surprised, aren’t you? It’s a long story.”

“I realized from a young age that my physique was different from others. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I began to understand it. Our kind of constitution is innate you either have it or you don’t. With proper training, our combat abilities can surpass ordinary imagination.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand, and a translucent sphere slowly materialized in her palm, with blue energy swirling inside. Wang Xiaojin stared wide-eyed, wondering what kind of world she had transmigrated into. Then, excitedly, she asked, “So, from what you’re saying, I’m like you too?”

Old Xie retracted the sphere and nodded. “Over the past few years, I’ve been traveling through the countryside to find others like me. You’re one of them.”

From the sound of it, there were more. “Who else is there?”

“My elder brother, Xie Ding, Yu’an’s father, the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince in the capital, and Yu’an herself. Don’t be fooled by her lively, bouncing-around demeanor; she can take down several people at once. I’ve specifically instructed her not to reveal her abilities.”

Wang Xiaojin was puzzled. “Can this be inherited?”

Xie Xing nodded. “It appears randomly, but once it manifests, it can be passed down. However, certain special locations, like Tiangu Mountain where we felt the anomaly today, are more likely to trigger it.”

Wang Xiaojin pondered this. Could it be that the mysterious mist causing strange phenomena in this world not only allowed people to differentiate into ABO but also gave rise to various special abilities? She asked Xie Xing.

Xie Xing shook her head. “It’s hard to say. I once approached the mist and tried to sense it with all my senses. Immediately, my hair stood on end, and I felt immense danger. I never dared to go near it again.”

Wang Xiaojin then thought of something else. “Wait, then shouldn’t the Emperor be one of us too?”

Xie Xing said, “The Emperor isn’t one of us, which is why we must conceal ourselves more carefully. The Prince is already under suspicion, and with this added, he’ll surely face trouble.”

Wang Xiaojin’s mind raced: “In that case, it’s fortunate those two princes don’t know their own uniqueness. Otherwise, you’d be in great danger. What if those two princes ascend to power? What would you do then?”

Xie Xing sighed deeply: “It’s my fault. When I was young and naive, I couldn’t keep secrets and leaked it to them. Although their natural aptitude is ordinary, not as refined as ours, their abilities surpass the other princes by a margin. My elder brother Xie Ding is also struggling with which side to support.”

“As for me, I must seize the time to secretly search for fellow Xie Xing practitioners across the land and accumulate strength. To avoid becoming fish on the chopping block. Perhaps the princes are searching too. Otherwise, why do you think I wander around every day?”

“Xie Xing practitioners? Seriously, you’re calling us Xie Xing practitioners?” Wang Xiaojin seized the key point, momentarily speechless.

“What’s wrong? Without me, would you even know what you are?” The atmosphere lightened momentarily, dispelling the previous gravity.

According to Old Xie, detection didn’t require entering houses just lingering at the doorstep for a few seconds was enough for her to sense whether there were Xie Xing practitioners inside. Wang Xiaojin couldn’t do this yet; she didn’t even understand how to wield her own power. In broad daylight, the two chatted while wandering through the village, drawing wary glances from the villagers.

After about two hours, having covered most of the village without any progress, Xie Xing found it strange and decided to rest briefly. Coincidentally, they were both famished and needed to replenish their energy.

They randomly knocked on a door, and an elderly woman answered. After explaining their purpose and paying for a meal, the woman happily agreed to let them rest there.

Though they paid for the meal, it was Wang Xiaojin who ended up cooking, as both were quite picky about food. At noon, they had initially planned to make do with something simple, but unexpectedly, the elderly woman’s home was well-stocked, including pork. Wang Xiaojin decided to make hand-sliced noodles, along with the large plate of mouth-watering chicken prepared in the morning. After some thought, she added braised pork belly to the menu making extra.

She first seared the pork over fire, then sliced it into appropriately thick strips, tied them with string, and boiled them. After boiling, she fried them over low heat until slightly golden to render out some fat, enhancing the flavor. She then stir-fried them with scallions, ginger, and other seasonings, added caramelized sugar for color, and finally simmered them in boiling water.

During this time, she prepared the hand-sliced noodles and the meat broth on the side.

The small courtyard filled with the aroma of cooking. The elderly woman, smelling the delicious scents and watching Wang Xiaojin busily and skillfully at work, smiled and asked Old Xie, “Is she your child? What a wonderful girl.”

Old Xie laughed heartily: “No, she’s more like my disciple. Regardless of anything else, she’s quite skilled at cooking.”

“By the way, may I ask if there are any unusual people or strange occurrences in this village?”

The elderly woman pondered: “There is one, the child from the Xiang family in the northern part of the village. A female Qianyuan, famous throughout the region for her enormous appetite. I don’t know if that counts.”

Old Xie chuckled: “A big appetite is one thing, but it’s not particularly unusual.”

“Not only does she have a big appetite, but she’s also incredibly strong able to lift hundred-pound stones.”

“Oh?” Old Xie grew interested, asked for the address, and planned to visit that afternoon.

Although Elder Xie Xing was skilled, he had a kind face. As they chatted, Wang Xiaojin finished preparing the meal. She scooped the knife-shaved noodles into porcelain bowls each strand long and diamond-shaped, glistening and plump straight from the pot. Topped with a ladle of reddish-brown minced meat sauce and garnished with baby bok choy, three bowls of knife-shaved noodles were brought to the table, accompanied by a plate of mouth-watering chicken and another of braised pork belly. Dinner was served.

Xie Xing, already famished, picked up a bite with his chopsticks. The noodles were smooth, tender, and delightfully cheesy, infused with rich flavor. The minced meat was a perfect mix of lean and fatty, firm yet succulent. The braised pork belly was soft and glutinous, fragrant without being greasy. A sip of the noodle soup revealed its deep, mellow soy-based aroma. In no time, a bowl of three liang (about 150g) vanished. He promptly served himself another bowl.

Despite eating quickly, he maintained his composure unlike Wang Xiaojin, who had little regard for table manners when eating fast. Her mother-in-law praised her nearby, and Wang nodded while devouring her food enthusiastically. The mother-in-law’s favorite was the mouth-watering chicken slightly numbing and spicy with a hint of sweetness, exceptionally tender and fresh.

After enjoying the satisfying meal, the two rested at the mother-in-law’s house for a while before planning to head directly to the Xiang family’s place at the northern end of the village.

Support Transmigrated into an Ancient ABO Fantasy World: A Culinary Comeback