Chapter 35: Beat of a Drum

Ka’er nodded. “Dinner was not to Shi Xue Li’s liking so we also came out to get something to eat.”

He looked at the man beside Xia Nuo, “He is…?”

“I’m Kan Lan’er,” the man answered with a bow.

“My name’s Ka’er, and this is Shi Xue Li.”

Ka’er’s eyes darted past his face and landed on the hands of the two, making him pause for a moment.

Shi Xue Li asked this time, “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Why don’t you go in yet?”

Then she stepped into the kitchen.

By the time Xia Nuo followed, Shi Xue Li was already handling the ingredients.

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Strangely enough, while the land in the fields was cracked from drought and other plants were yellow and dying, the mountain forest in the distance was lush and densely planted, and sounds of gushing water could be heard as one approached.

For this huge difference, the villagers claimed that it is the work of the sacred tree.

The roots of the sacred tree lock the water in the soil, so that the mountain forest can grow lush plants. In addition, there are many magical beasts living in the mountain forest, and the supplies are very abundant.

However, Xia Nuo found it strange that even though there was a water source not far away from here, the villagers didn’t use it for drinking nor for watering their plants.

He could only assume that it was because of an established rule here in Nasuru.

— that is, no one was allowed to step into the mountain forest without the permission of the sacred tree.

The mountain forest looked very calm on the surface, but in fact it was full of danger. It would be difficult to get out of there without the sacred tree’s protection.

The dead sorcerers were perfect examples.

The reason why the village chief became the village chief was because he was the only person in Nasuru who could communicate with the sacred tree.

Xia Nuo’s thoughts unconsciously wandered for a while. From nowhere came a food aroma, and went straight from the tip of his nose into his brain, disrupting his thoughts.

Xia Nuo followed the scent and found the pot in front of Shi Xue Li. It was a big belly casserole. Snow-white rice grains were inside, showing a clear color. Small leafy potatoes were cut into small pieces, and cooked to become soft and sticky. The porridge was also filled with finely minced meat as well as green and tender vegetables. The aroma permeated the air.

“It smells good!” Xia Nuo inhaled deeply and exclaimed.

Shi Xue Li’s face showed a hint of smugness, then she heard the young man ask her: “Shi Xue Li, you seem to be good at cooking. Did you learn how to cook?”

“…”

Shi Xue Li became silent for a moment. When she heard Ka’er’s cough, she answered with disdain: “Does this need to be learned? I don’t need someone to teach me, I’m self-taught.”

Xia Nuo did not doubt her. His eyes glowed and looked at her with envy, “So amazing, I could never do that.”

He also once wanted to cook on a whim. Once, he wanted to simply cook a pot of porridge, but ended up putting too little water, and almost burned it through the bottom of the pot.

From then on, in his heart, people who can cook a porridge well are considered a master cook.

Kan Lan’er stood on his side, thinking about something.

Perhaps he should also go to learn how to cook?

To lure this little prey into a trap, the bait should be tempting enough, right?

Shi Xue Li stared at the young man’s expectant gaze and served the porridge, but also deliberately took a large bowl and gave him a bowl full of it.

Xia Nuo was just about to pick it up, but Kan Lan’er took it before he could: “Be careful. It’s hot. Let me.”

Xanadu nodded with an ‘en en’ and followed the man out of the kitchen. He was so focused on the food that he didn’t notice Ka’er watching them from behind with a complicated gaze.

Shi Xue Li soon came out with a bowl of porridge, which was only half full. After sitting down, she stirred the bowl with a spoon for a long time before scooping up a spoonful,

Xia Nuo immediately held the bowl and took a sip. Since he was hungry, everything tasted delicious. Also, Shi Xue Li’s cooking skills were outstanding, bringing out the fresh taste of the ingredients mixed together. They all complemented each other, resulting in a unique delicious meal.

Xia Nuo was concentrating on his porridge, and Kan Lan’er was concentrating on him.

The bowl Shi Xue Li gave him was a big porcelain bowl. As soon as the young man bowed his head, he looked quite cute and funny as it looked like his face was buried in the bowl.

Xia Nuo looked up and asked the man who was watching him intently, “Uh… wanna eat too?”

The man didn’t ask for porridge, so he thought that he didn’t want to eat.

However, when he felt his attentive eyes on him, he thought that maybe he did want to eat. He was just about to go back to the kitchen to get him a bowl when he heard Shi Xue Lie say, “There’s no more.”

She hadn’t made much and most of it was in Xia Nuo’s bowl.

Xia Nuo: “…”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he hesitated for a moment. Against the man’s inexplicably expectant eyes, he lifted his bowl, revealing the almost clean bottom.

“..there’s no more.” He said cautiously. “If you want, I can share some of mine. As long as you don’t mind that I’ve eaten almost all of it…”

Kan Lan’er: “…”

He smiled and answered calmly, “I’m fine actually, but thanks.”

For some reason, Xia Nuo could somehow hear the sound of teeth gritting from his voice.

Sigh. Even if he showed that he didn’t mind, he actually did, didn’t he?

Xia Nuo sighed to himself, lamenting that he shouldn’t have eaten that fast.

Shi Xue Li’s bowl still had some left. Ka’er, didn’t show any interest and only sat at the table.

Hm, can I ask Shi Xue Li to let Kan Lan’er eat the rest? It was okay to share food between boys but it was a bit inappropriate to do the same with boys and girls.

He rubbed his full stomach and was just about to say something when he saw the man’s ear twitching, saying, “Something’s coming.”

What?

Xia Nuo, Shi Xue Li and Ka’er looked at each other, hearing nothing at all.

Shi Xue Li, “What was it? You didn’t hear it wrong, did you?”

The man didn’t bother to explain because soon, there was no longer need for any explanation.

Sounds of rustling were heard, like something crawling on the ground. The sound of friction between something and the ground mixed with the sound of a drum, gradually approaching their direction.

The drum was getting closer and clearer. It seemed like it was made from animal skin but of an unknown kind. What was only seen was mysterious circular lines and patterns.

An old, wrinkled, veined hand was beating on the drum, its beat getting faster and faster. Its wonderful rhythm contained an inexplicable magic hidden within, hypnotizing people to listen to it.

“Ah! Ouch!” Xia Nuo felt a sudden pain on his cheek and immediately snapped back to his senses.

It turned out that it was Kan Lan’er who pinched his cheek after he found that Xia Nuo was hypnotized by the beat of the drum. In fact, he didn’t put much strength to it. Xia Nuo was just too sensitive.

The young man was very thin, but his cheeks were plump. Trying out one pinch would urge one to go for a second one because it was too soft.

Xia Nuo came back to his senses, his heart left with a lingering fear.

He didn’t when he had become hypnotized. The last thing he remembered was that he heard the beating of the drums and the rest was a blur.

Shi Xue Li and Ka’er were still in a trance, also affected by the magical drum beat.

“Are they okay?” Xia Nuo was unsure whether to wake them up or not, and asked the man for some help.

The man tapped his fingers on the table and soon the other two woke up as well, their faces showing expressions of someone who had just awoken from a dream.

They also noticed what was going on, making Ka’er frown.

“Shouldn’t we get out of here first?” He asked.

“It’s too late now,” the man replied.

As soon as those words left his mouth, a group of reptiles appeared in front of them.

***

The author has something to say: 

Kan Lan’er: So angry. I wanted the little cutie to feed me.

Xia Nuo: Already ate it all!