It's just cooking a dish, how did it become the main character in a game?

Chapter 97 Cooking Bear Paw

Nan Xu's words made Lü Shaojiang fall into deep thought.

After a long pause, he grinned and said, "Hahaha—you want me to be your assistant? How interesting."

He clapped his hands, and a thick layer of true energy enveloped his palms.

"Sure. I'll do anything as long as you can cook delicious food," Lü Shaojiang said calmly. "However, this might raise my standards for the dishes considerably, you know?"

"If you're not afraid, then feel free to order me around." He beckoned with his finger. "Tell me, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Nan Xu's expression remained unchanged: "You stay put for now. I'll give you instructions when I need your help."

Seeing that Nan Xu was not afraid at all, a hint of appreciation flashed in Lü Shaojiang's eyes.

"Haha—good, you've got guts!"

"I hope your skills match your confidence."

"That's natural."

Nan Xu slightly curled the corners of his mouth, set up the stove again, added water, scallion segments, and ginger slices to the pot, and lit the fire.

Next, he picked up the bear paw, put it in the pot, and covered it to stew.

"Alright, now you need to seal the pot with your inner energy," Nan Xu instructed. "Then, gradually increase the temperature of your inner energy according to my instructions."

"Like this?" Lu Shaojiang waved his hand with interest, and his powerful internal energy immediately enveloped the pot.

"Yes, the temperature rises a little slower, so I can control it more."

Nan Xu placed his hands on the edge of the pot, focusing intently on the heat inside, and said without turning his head.

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Lü Shaojiang was quite unpretentious, casually squatting down next to the stove and meticulously adjusting the temperature.

On the other side, Liao Changfeng and the others watched this bizarre scene with bated breath, feeling a pang of worry for Nan Xu.

"Nan Xu—what exactly is he doing?" Liao Yudie tugged at Liao Changfeng's sleeve and asked in a low voice.

Liao Changfeng knew that his younger sister was asking him if Nan Xu's actions had a deeper meaning.

For example, diverting Lü Shaojiang's attention to create opportunities for them to launch a counterattack.

But after thinking for a moment, he gently shook his head and calmly said, "Don't overthink it. It seems—he's really just using Lü Shaojiang's firepower to improve the cooking efficiency."

That's all.

"Everyone, don't act rashly. If we do anything outrageous, we will not only lose our own lives, but also put Brother Nan in an unjust position."

"----I see."

Upon hearing this, Liao Yudie immediately suppressed her budding thoughts and nodded obediently.

Then, she couldn't help but add, "But that Dark Hunter seems very difficult to talk to."

"Can Nan Xu really make a bear paw dish that will earn his approval?"

Liao Changfeng's eyes flickered for a moment, but quickly hardened again: "His expression was calm and composed, and his movements were clean and efficient, full of confidence. I believe he must be confident."

"Alright, that's about enough. You can withdraw your inner energy now."

Nan Xu sensed the situation inside the pot using his long-range vision and hearing skills, and then decisively spoke.

"no problem."

Upon hearing this, Lü Shaojiang slowly dispersed his inner energy.

Steam billowed out from the gaps in the pot lid, hissing as it escaped.

Once the steam had mostly dissipated, Nanxu lifted the lid and scooped out the bear paw, which was still covered in fur.

Bear paws have a strong, gamey smell and tough hairs, so they must be stewed multiple times to remove the odor. The tough outer hairs should also be plucked after stewing until they soften.

The next moment, Nan Xu drew Su Yue, the blade flashing out like lightning, leaving several afterimages!

"Swish, swish, swish!"

In the blink of an eye, the bear paw's fur was plucked clean, and the rough skin was peeled away, while the soft inner skin remained completely undamaged.

Nan Xu flipped his blade and then gently flicked it off, removing the large bone and claw bone while leaving the palm intact.

Next, instead of continuing to process the bear paw, he put it back into the pot, changed the water, and called to Lü Shaojiang, "Come on, let's do it again following the same procedure."

"This bear paw needs to be stewed in water with scallions and ginger at least three times to completely remove the fishy smell."

"You're really not being polite, kid." Lu Shaojiang complained, but his hands didn't stop moving, and he obediently did as Nan Xu instructed.

Because he knew that Nan Xu was right. Although he was not a good cook, he had seen others cook bear paws and knew that bear paws did indeed have a very strong gamey smell.

If he didn't do this, leaving the bear paw with a lingering fishy smell, the deliciousness of the food he ate would be greatly diminished.

Therefore, for the sake of the delicious food he was about to enjoy, he decided to follow Nanxu's instructions.

The bear paw was stewed and the water was changed several times until it was slightly softened. Only then did Nanxu take the bear paw out and put it on a plate and into the food bag.

"That's enough about processing the bear paws for now. Next, we'll make the broth."

As Nan Xu made the announcement, Lü Shaojiang immediately relaxed and leaned casually against the surrounding tree trunks.

"Ouch—I'm exhausted! I can finally rest for a bit!"

Upon hearing this, Nan Xu sneered: "Stop testing me. With your internal energy cultivation as a fifth-grade martial artist, releasing your true energy for just a short while is nothing at all."

"You won't feel tired or exhausted as a result; on the contrary, these appropriate exercises are more like a pre-meal warm-up that can stimulate your appetite."

Lu Shaojiang chuckled, not refuting, but readily admitting, "That's right, I'm really not tired at all. I was just testing you earlier. Looks like you're quite clever!"

"Since you're so smart, you definitely wouldn't do something that would lead you to your death, so I'm relieved!"

"Of course I wouldn't seek death." Nan Xu said calmly. "However, you're wrong about one thing."

Lü Shaojiang was taken aback: "What? Which sentence?"

"You're far from ready to rest," Nan Xu said, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Didn't I say I was going to make some broth next?"

"No way." Lü Shaojiang looked surprised. "Could it be—?"

"That's right, following the normal procedure, simmering broth takes a very long time." Nan Xu snapped his fingers. "But your true energy can greatly shorten that time!"

"So I still have to keep working?" Lü Shaojiang deliberately put on an angry expression. "Have you forgotten that your lives are still in my hands?"

Although he wouldn't get angry over such a trivial matter, that didn't stop him from taking the opportunity to give Nanxu a warning.

However, Nan Xu was completely unmoved by his approach.

"With your internal energy used for stewing, the flavors of the ingredients will infuse the broth even more fully. Don't you want to taste how delicious bear paw stewed in such a top-quality broth is?"

Nan Xu crossed her arms: "You don't have to do it, but then you won't get to eat such delicious bear paws, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Shaojiang gritted his teeth.

This kid really knows his weaknesses perfectly!

So he could only sigh helplessly and walk towards Nanxu.

"Fine, fine, I'll do it, okay?"

"Tell me, what do you want me to do, and how?"