Chapter 110: Poaching The Cook

Sora was genuinely taken aback.

"Are you serious?"

She stared at Tisha in disbelief, trying to reconcile the enthusiastic young woman before her with the one who had been shamelessly chasing after Lukan only yesterday.

This little female was astonishingly straightforward.

Just yesterday, she had practically declared war over Lukan, insisting that someone as handsome as him deserved to become one of her beast husbands.

Yet now...

Not only had she completely abandoned the idea, she was enthusiastically trying to introduce Sora to another man.

The change happened so quickly that even Sora couldn’t keep up.

Tisha misunderstood the surprise on Sora’s face and nodded vigorously.

"Of course I’m serious!"

She puffed out her chest proudly.

"My brother is really much more handsome than him."

She pointed toward the silent Lukan without the slightest hesitation.

"If you come to Cedar Mountain, you can make my brother your beast husband."

Sora almost choked on her own breath.

"..."

That...

That wasn’t what she had meant at all.

She had merely been teasing Tisha a little.

She certainly wasn’t asking for another beast husband.

Just then, she felt an inexplicable chill run down the back of her neck.

Turning carefully, she caught Lukan glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

His expression remained calm.

His handsome face revealed nothing unusual.

Yet somehow...

That quiet glance alone made Sora’s instincts scream danger.

She laughed awkwardly and hurriedly waved both hands.

"Let’s..."

"Let’s talk about that another time."

"When I have time."

She quickly changed the subject before Tisha could continue.

Sora knew exactly why this carefree little foodie was suddenly trying to recruit her.

It certainly wasn’t because of her appearance.

It was because of her cooking.

Ever since tasting the milk tea, raspberry pastries, and tea eggs, Tisha had practically forgotten all about pursuing Lukan.

Now, in her eyes...

Sora herself had become the real treasure.

As for Tisha’s brother...

If he truly was as handsome as she claimed, Sora didn’t even think someone like her would catch his attention.

She glanced down at herself.

Although she had already begun losing weight, she was still far from the beauty the original owner had once been.

Someone like Tisha’s brother probably wouldn’t even spare her a second glance.

Poor man...

He was being enthusiastically sold off by his own younger sister without knowing anything about it.

What a touching display of sibling affection.

After swallowing the last raspberry pastry, Tisha licked the sticky honey from the corner of her lips with complete satisfaction.

Her beautiful eyes curved into crescents.

"Sora."

"You’re always welcome to visit Cedar Mountain."

Then she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh!"

"By the way..."

She leaned forward expectantly.

"Can you teach me how to make the milk tea we drank yesterday?"

"I want to learn."

"When I go home, I want to make it myself."

Unlike many people who guarded their recipes jealously, Sora had never been particularly secretive.

These ingredients all came from nature.

Anyone willing to learn could make them.

Smiling warmly, she patiently explained every step.

"You need fresh tea leaves."

"First, stir-fry them over high heat until they become fragrant."

"They’ll lose that grassy smell."

"Then boil water and steep the tea."

"After a few minutes, remove the leaves."

"Next..."

She continued explaining.

"Add honey while it’s still hot."

"Once the honey dissolves completely, pour in fresh milk."

"Stir gently."

"And that’s it."

"It’s actually very simple."

Tisha listened with complete concentration.

She repeated every step under her breath several times to memorize it.

"So..."

"Fry."

"Boil."

"Honey."

"Milk."

She nodded repeatedly.

"I got it!"

Then she suddenly grabbed Sora’s hands.

"Thank you, Sora."

"From today onward..."

"We’re good sisters!"

Her straightforward declaration made Sora laugh.

What a strange friendship.

Yesterday they had nearly fought over raspberries.

This morning Tisha had tried to steal Lukan.

Now...

They were calling each other sisters.

Life in the beast world truly changed faster than the weather.

Sora squeezed her hand gently.

"Yes."

"Good sisters."

Tisha beamed so brightly that even Lukan’s cold expression softened slightly.

After breakfast, everyone gradually gathered outside the temple once more.

The aroma of Sora’s cooking still lingered in the air.

Many beastmen secretly looked toward her as they passed.

Some even whispered among themselves.

"That’s the female who made that strange sweet drink."

"I heard it’s called milk tea."

"The fragrance yesterday almost drove me crazy."

"I wish my mate could cook like that."

The females beside them immediately glared.

"What?"

"You dislike my cooking?"

The poor beastmen hurriedly shook their heads.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

Watching the small commotion, Sora couldn’t help smiling.

Lukan quietly packed away their clay pots before standing beside her.

"Shall we go?"

She nodded.

"Let’s."

Together, they followed the steadily growing crowd toward the center of the temple grounds.

The enormous stone square was already filled with people from countless tribes.

Wolf tribes.

Tiger tribes.

Fox tribes.

Leopard tribes.

Bear tribes.

Bird tribes.

Nearly every beast race had representatives gathered beneath the morning sky.

Despite their different appearances, everyone stood with unusual solemnity.

No one laughed.

No one argued.

Even the normally noisy children remained obediently beside their families.

The atmosphere gradually became sacred.

Then...

A deep rumbling echoed through the mountain.

Boom...

Boom...

Boom...

The massive white stone doors at the center of the temple slowly began to open.

Dust drifted down from the ancient carvings.

Sunlight poured into the dark entrance.

Every beastman instinctively lowered his head.

Complete silence fell over the square.

A moment later...

An elderly man slowly emerged from within the temple.

He wore an immaculate robe made from white tiger hide.

Around his forehead rested a black obsidian headband engraved with mysterious runes.

In his right hand he held a magnificent scepter crafted from the skull of an ancient tiger beast.

Despite his advanced age, his back remained perfectly straight.

Each step he took carried an invisible pressure that caused the crowd to become even quieter.

His sharp eyes slowly swept across everyone assembled before the temple.

No one dared meet his gaze directly.

Finally...

The elderly High Priest planted his tiger-skull scepter firmly upon the stone ground.

Thud.

The sound echoed throughout the entire mountaintop.

His aged yet powerful voice rang across the square.

"The Temple Gates..."

"...are now open."

"You may enter..."

"...and offer your sacrifices."

His words carried unquestionable authority.

Immediately, thousands of beastmen bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, High Priest!"

Their unified voices shook the mountainside.

Sora reacted a fraction slower than everyone else before quickly following Lukan’s lead.

She lowered her head respectfully together with the crowd.

Although she had come from another world...

She now lived among these people.

Their beliefs.

Their customs.

Their traditions.

Whether she fully understood them or not...

She intended to respect them.

Only by respecting this world could she truly become part of it.

As Sora straightened once more, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the dark entrance beyond the enormous temple doors.

For some reason...

The moment she looked inside, a strange feeling welled up within her heart.

It was as though...

Something deep within the temple was quietly waiting for her.