Chapter Ninety-Two: I’ve Come to Bring You Your Sister! (Part One)

Ling Mo grinned slyly, waving the crab shell in his hand at Catherine. Only then did she notice that after he had pried open the shell of the Turtle Monster Square Crab, he’d been holding it ever since, never letting go. Her gaze immediately turned plaintive and reproachful.

Such a level of silent accusation naturally had no effect on Ling Mo. As he lightly tapped the shell, he patiently explained to Catherine, “If you were eating an ordinary crab, then the claw meat and the crab roe would be its best parts. But the Turtle Monster Square Crab is different. Its name includes 'turtle,' so, unsurprisingly, it shares some similarities. Especially the shell—this is the essence of its whole being. My dear apprentice, have you ever tasted turtle or soft-shelled turtle?”

Catherine puffed out her cheeks and held her breath, refusing to engage with Ling Mo.

He paid her no mind, continuing, “Turtles and soft-shelled turtles are excellent for nourishment, providing top-tier nutrients and energy. There’s a saying: ‘Soft-shelled turtle meat is one of the three earthly delicacies, better than living as a god.’ But since the eyes, bones, and internal organs of turtles can’t be eaten, the edible portions are very limited, making them better suited for soup. But as martial artists, we don’t have that luxury. We can only pick the tastiest, most nutritious parts. Without a doubt, that would be the skirt edge of the shell.”

Ling Mo raised the crab shell in his hand, pointing to the skirt edge along its rim. “See this? The Turtle Monster Square Crab’s shell isn’t a crab shell, it’s a turtle shell. The skirt edge here is already incredibly rich and fragrant in texture. Even better, the energy that floats through the shell is transported via the connective tissue in the skirt edge to all the internal organs. So the energy concentration here is second to none!”

He spoke as he tore the skirt edge from the shell and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing heartily with a look of utter satisfaction. Watching this, Catherine’s heart burned with envy; she wanted to ask for a piece, but feeling her own round belly and letting out a full burp, she could only give up, turning away to avoid seeing Ling Mo’s delighted expression. Yet even though she turned her back, the sound of Ling Mo’s voracious eating still reached her ears, making her restless and annoyed.

Ling Mo ate quickly. Soon, Catherine could no longer hear his chewing. Only then did she reluctantly turn back, preparing to scold her unscrupulous master, only to see that the enormous Turtle Monster Square Crab had been dissected thoroughly. The meat from its claws, chest, and even all eight legs had been extracted, along with the skirt edge, neatly sorted and piled atop the crab’s shell. She knew full well Ling Mo had done this in the brief moment she turned away, and Catherine swore she hadn’t heard a single sound!

Seeing her turn, Ling Mo smiled gently and pointed to the crab meat arranged on the shell. “Put all this into your spatial pouch. I’ve checked—the energy inside will last about six or seven days. After today’s feast, you could go five or six days without eating. With this stash, you’ll have enough for half a month. That means, if you hunt once every two weeks, you’ll meet your energy needs.”

Catherine exclaimed in surprise, stammering, “I thought…”

“You thought I ate all the skirt edge, right?” Ling Mo patted her head. “At this level of magical beasts, the energy they provide me is already quite limited. Eating more would just be wasteful. Your master only sampled the flavor. After all, I truly came all this way living on raw meat, never even having time to gather a pinch of seasoning. Looking back, those days were miserable. When I was at your stage, I ate turtles raw—the earthy taste and bloodiness were overwhelming, and I wished I didn’t have a tongue.”

Hearing this, Catherine’s eyes reddened slightly. She stepped forward, silently packing the crab meat into her spatial pouch, and quietly asked, “If I don’t need to hunt for a dozen days, Master, what are we going to do next?”

“First, let’s soak in the hot spring and get a good night’s sleep. You’ve been through enough today,” Ling Mo said, “When you wake up, we’ll find a place to properly train and stabilize your realm. After that, we’ll talk about further adventures.”

“I agree, so much has happened today, it feels unusually long. From waking up to now, it’s been only seven or eight hours, but it feels like thirty-two days have passed…” Catherine stuck her tongue out, summoned the hidden Magic-Eyed Sprite nearby, and addressed her streaming viewers, “Well… you guys know what’s coming.”

“We know, we know! Time to enjoy the blue sky, right?”

“Sipping northwest winds amid green hills and clear waters—what could be better?”

“The sky is blue, autumn grass fragrant, it’s paradise in my heart…”

“No toxic comments up ahead! Just seeing your message makes me want to dance!”

“Streamer, are you really this modest? Not even showing above the collarbone in the bath?”

“Name your price, streamer! How much to watch you bathe?”

“You won’t show anything at all, you’re practically a landslide among female streamers!”

“……”

No matter how the chat clamored, Catherine turned the camera skyward as she walked to the hot spring. She called out in mock despair, “Ah, ah, ah! This streamer is just that conservative. I even think the black combat suit Master gave me is a bit too revealing—so don’t expect any perks! I’ve decided to be a pure technical streamer from now on. Selling skin is the wrong path; I’m done relying on… no, hustling for gifts. While I undress, you’d better think about what questions you want answered in today’s Q&A. Oh… the water in this hot spring feels so good.”

She slipped off her Nelbe cloak and the shorts and shirt Ling Mo had given her, found a relatively shallow spot by the lake, and waded in, settling next to the group of crabs. They were all busy stuffing food into their mouths; seeing her approach, they merely shuffled aside to make space and ignored her.

After a short soak, Catherine grew bored and idly stroked the shell of a nearby Turtle Monster Square Crab. The crab seemed to enjoy it, half-closing its eyes and even slowing its eating. Catherine, infected by its laziness, grew drowsy and yawned, addressing her viewers, “Ever since I started martial arts, every day feels like a roller coaster. I’ve seen all sorts of exotic flora and those bubble bunnies with no… and even witnessed Lord Anton’s true form and received his gift, not to mention taking on an epic quest. Thinking back, that serpent spanning the sky is still so awe-inspiring! Ah, it makes me feel so small, I can’t muster the interest to answer any questions. I’ll just pick one at random… hmm, the fourth comment.”

“Let’s see, what’s the question? What level has Teacher Ling reached? Master, master, what’s your level now? He’s shaking his head, so I guess that means ‘no comment.’ Alright, question answered! That’s the end of today’s stream! See you tomorrow, dear friends!”

Without another word, Catherine ignored the complaints flooding the chat—“Lazy streamer!” “Slacking off!” “I’m reporting you!”—and, amid a flurry of goodnights and gifts, forcibly shut off the Magic-Eyed Sprite and ended the broadcast.

She let out a long breath, stretched, and was about to leave the water when suddenly the Magic-Eyed Sprite’s red warning light flashed, accompanied by a familiar siren. A few seconds later, a holographic screen unfolded before the Sprite’s main lens, and Viss appeared on the screen, clad in her mage’s robe.