Magic Chef of Ice and Fire - Chapter 33.2

33.2 Summoner Mage Mao Mao

Feng Nu, who was wearing white pants, poked her head out from the open door. Her facial expression became cold upon seeing Nian Bing. “So the great Magic Chef of Ice and Fire has graced us with his presence. We are ble shop, do you not feel wronged by coming here?”

Nian Bing looked at Feng Nu. She seemed even prettier than before, giving off a thicker noble air than the last time they had met. “Feng Nu, you, I…” In that moment, he did not know what to say.

“Big Sister, I’m really hungry.” The little girl poked her head out from Nian Bing’s back. Her pair of big eyes gazed at Feng Nu with a curious look.

Feng Nu looked at the cute girl and couldn’t help but shoot a surprised glance at Nian Bing. “She is?”

Nian Bing smiled bitterly and said, “I picked her up on the street. According to what she said, she left home without any money.”

Feng Nu looked at Nian Bing with suspicion. Her expression showed her displeasure. She opened the door for them and said,”You should come in first.”

“I have yummy things to eat.” The girl cheered and was the first to enter. As Nian Bing drew up alongside Feng Nu, he clearly heard her say in a low voice, “If I find out that you’ve kidnapped that underage girl, there’s no need to doubt that I will be unpleasant to you.”

Nian Bing wore an innocent expression as he replied, “Do you really think that I am that kind of person?”

Feng Nu snorted and said, “You can know someone for a long time without knowing their heart. Who knows what kind of hobbies you have.” After saying this, she couldn’t help but smile. She tugged Nian Bing into the courtyard. The sight of her beautiful eyes rippling with feeling was indescribably moving.

“Big sister, what do you have here that’s good to eat! I’m really hungry.” The girl ran up to Feng Nu, tugging on her arm without a care in the world.

Feng Nu said tenderly, “Little Sister, what is your name? Why did you disobediently leave home? Your family must be worried.”

Nian Bing nodded his head, saying, “That’s right, you are really too naughty. I also don’t know your name. That’s right, why can’t I call you little sister, but she can?”

The girl blinked her eyes and said, “Because Big Sister is more beautiful than you! My name is Xi Yun. I am actually very well-behaved, like an adorable kitten. So Dad and Mama like to call me Mao Mao¹. You can also call me that.”

Feng Nu leveled Nian Bing a look and said, “Mao Mao, don’t mind him. Nian Bing, go and cook food. There are some ingredients you can use in the kitchen. Hmph, unfortunately for you, I’ve been throwing away quite a bit of stuff these days. I wanted to see when you would be coming here.”

Nian Bing went blank for a moment then said, “Didn’t I tell you that I couldn’t come for some time?”

Feng Nu replied ill-temperedly. “Quickly go and make food. We’ll settle our accounts in a moment. Little Sister, sit down and rest for a moment.” While saying this, she pulled out a stool for Mao Mao to sit on.

Nian Bing couldn’t help but shake his head and just walked into the kitchen. Right now, besides the “deceased” Zha Ji, the only one who could use such a commanding tone and leave him willing to make food was Feng Nu.

The kitchen did not have many ingredients, only a few kinds of green vegetables. In Nian Bing’s attentive hands, it was an hour before the delicious scent of Four Vegetable Soup wafted to the table in the courtyard.

“Wow, what a good smell! Big Brother, why is the rice green?” Mao Mao looked at the savory rice in front of her as she asked.

Nian BIng smiled and said, “Because Big Brother used the juices from the cooked vegetables to make it. The nutrition from the vegetables mixed completely with the rice as it steamed. Not only is the flavor quite fresh, it is also very nutritious. Eat a lot. It’s a pity that there’s only vegetables. If you want, you can contribute your fat cow and I can make you beef balls?

Mao Mao was obviously frightened by Nian Bing. “I don’t want! You can’t eat cow cow. Cow cow needs to squeeze out milk for Mao Mao to drink.”

Feng Nu looked at them in suspicion. She asked, “Cow, where is this cow?”

Mao Mao looked at Nian Bing with big eyes. “You’re not allowed to say it. Big Sister, Mao Mao is not allowed to tell you or else you will have to die.”

Hearing her say something like this, Feng Nu’s suspicion intensified. “They why does Nian Bing know?”

Mao Mao, while shovelling the rice and veggies, said intelligibly, “Because I’m waiting till after I finish eating to kill Big Brother who knows my secret!”

Feng Nu looked at Nian Bing in surprise. “She wants to kill you?”

Nian Bing shrugged his shoulders and said, “She is very naive. Who let me know her secret? It’s okay to let her kill me. Anyways, after she has finished eating, I will leave her. It’s likely that I will never see her again.”

Feng Nu’s expression changed slightly and she said, “You’re leaving?”

Nian Bing nodded his head and said, “I need to leave. You know about the Magic Chef of Ice and Fire. I received news that the king of the Ice and Moon Empire has sent out an order for me to enter the palace. If I don’t leave, I won’t have any freedom. Feng Nu, is the True Sun Knife ready?”

Feng Nu’s eyes flashed with a strange light. After a long while, she nodded and said, “It has been ready for the past few days. You should leave soon. Perhaps after you leave, I will also leave here.”

Nian Bing asked in surprise, “You’re leaving too?”

Feng Nu gave Nian Bing a strange look. She said, “I had already planned on leaving when you had come before. There is nothing here that would make me willing to stay. But because of your arrival I had to stay here for several months. When I’m done eating I will go bring out the stove. After the True Sun Knife is completed, I will leave here.”

Nian Bing’s heart felt tight. “Then will we see each other again? Where do you plan to go from here?”

Feng Nu lowered her head, making Nian Bing unable to see the red light flashing in her eyes. Mao Mao raised her head to look at Feng Nu, her large black eyes holding a hint of surprise. Feng Nu said, “I will probably go to the Clear Wood Empire. There are some things I need to find there. If fate is willing, we will see each other again.”

Nian Bing believed that Feng Nu undoubtedly wanted to find ores used for forging. Regretfully, he said, “It’s too bad I promised a friend to first go to the Profound Orchid Empire. If not, we could’ve travelled together.”

The meal progressed in silence. The most cheerful one was Mao Mao. Although they were just vegetables, their exquisite flavor was brought out in Nian Bing’s hands. This simple dish really showcased his consummate culinary skills. Mao Mao consumed a quantity of food disproportionate to her body size, with the majority of the food entering her stomach. Feng Nu, who usually had a big appetite, did not eat much. During this time, her eyes held a hint of hesitation as she occasionally glanced at Nian Bing. There seemed to be something she couldn’t decide on.

After the meal had been cleared out, Feng Nu moved to clean up but was stopped Nian Bing. “I haven’t seen you for many days.I will clean up.” Having said this, he very quickly gathered up the bowls and chopsticks and walked to the kitchen.

Nian Bing had just walked away when Mao Mao impatiently tugged Feng Nu’s hand. In a low voice, she said, “Big Sister, Big Sister, aren’t you from the Phoenix Clan?”

Hearing this sentence, Feng Nu’s whole body shook. A scorching stream of air automatically streamed out. Grabbing Mao Mao’s hand, she said, “How do you know this? Who are you?”

Mao Mao spoke in a pained tone. “Big Sister, you’re hurting Mao Mao. You have the aura of a phoenix on you! So that’s how Mao Mao knew. Daddy took me to visit your Phoenix Clan before.”

A name flashed through Feng Nu’s mind. In a low voice, she asked, “You are Dragon Summoner Mage Xi La De’s daughter?”

Mao Mao said, “Yeah! Yeah! Big Sister, you know my dad?”

Feng Nu’s eyes shone. Her facial expression had become soft once more. “I know him. Of course, I know him. The greatest genius summoner mage of the blank people, Xi La De. How could I not recognize him? You guys should’ve been at Phoenix Clan ten years ago. Your father had helped us with an important matter. He is definitely an unbelievable genius to be able to reach such heights with his summoning magic cultivation. It’s just a pity that his summoning magic leans towards darkness. However, seeing you, it seems that it hasn’t had any effect on him. Mao Mao, when you said you wanted to kill Nian Bing, is it because he found out about your summoning magic?”

Mao Mao nodded and said, “That’s exactly why! Daddy told me before that if an outsider finds out about my summoning magic, I need to kill him. If not, our clan will be attacked by bad people. Big Sister, because he is a mage it will be very difficult to kill him. Can you help me? Daddy often said that the Phoenix Clan are natural warriors. You can definitely kill him.”

Feng Nu smiled lightly and said, “Good Mao Mao, listen to Big Sister’s words. Do not kill him. He is a good person and won’t leak out your secret. If your father asks, you can tell him a daughter of a phoenix vouches for him. Then your father won’t blame you, okay?”

Mao Mao nodded her head and giggled. “Okay! Mao Mao doesn’t want to kill people anyway. Big Sister, thank you. It’s good that I don’t have to kill anyone. Big Brother Nian Bing also makes really delicious food, so I’m not that eager to kill him.”

Feng Nu said with some bad humor. “You silly girl, you ran away from home only partly learning summoning magic. If you wanted to kill him, you would need to study for at least five more years with your dad. He is not that simple. His Ice and Fire Magic Source is just as mysterious as your family’s summoning magic. Mao Mao, you need to remember, that you must never ever leak Big Sister’s identity to him.

Mao Mao blinked her eyes and said, “Big Sister, you don’t need to worry. Mao Mao is the most the most obedient. She won’t say anything.”

Obedient? An obedient kid who left home? “Mao Mao, wait for me to help Big Brother Nian Bing with something, then I will send you home. If you go off by yourself, your dad and mom will definitely be extremely worried.”

Mao Mao pouted. “I don’t want to; it’s so boring at home. Every day, Daddy makes me stare into a crystal ball and says it will raise my spirit power. It’s too boring, not fun at all. It’s not easy for me to run out. Mao Mao just wanted to spend more days playing.”

Feng Nu’s brow wrinkled. “But your parents will worry! Don’t tell me you want them to worry? Mao Mao, listen well.  I will make you go home.” Because of the relationship between the Phoenix Clan and Mao Mao’s father, Feng Nu would definitely help her.

Mao Mao lowered her head and said, “Fine, I will go back with Big Sister.”

Right at this moment, Nian Bing finished putting things away. He came out of the kitchen and said while smiling, “I made quite a bit of food today but I didn’t think that it would all be eaten. You shouldn’t be called Mao Mao, but Zhu Zhu instead.”².

Mao Mao’s eyes suddenly twinkled. “That’s right, Big Sister, is there anything else to eat here? Mao Mao’s pets haven’t eaten anything; they are definitely hungry. Dan Dan the cow is the best; he’s fine with eating grass. The others are not obedient. They are very picky with what they eat.”

Nian Bing said in surprise, “Mao Mao, why did you talk about your…”

Mao Mao smiled and said, “Because Big Sister is a good person! I already told Big SIster.”

Nian Bing looked at Feng Nu strangely. He really did not understand how Feng Nu had bribed Mao Mao in that period of time. It seemed that his charm was far below Feng Nu’s. “Mao Mao, do your pets want to eat something?”

Mao Mao said, “Of course they do. They usually stay in my space, but they need to eat every once in awhile. I haven’t had anything for them to eat this entire time. I could only let them drink Dan Dan’s milk. Since I’ve left home, they haven’t eaten till they were full.”

Feng Nu smiled and said, “Then call them out. Big Sister does not have any meat here, but I have some grain.”

Mao Mao said excitedly, “Okay! Finally, I can let them out for some fresh air. If they’re picky this time with the grain, then they’ll just stay hungry. Big Brother, Big Sister, I will let you see my four greatest summoned beasts. I, whose name is Xi Yun, summon you. Come out, my pet. Tian Tian.” A red hexagram appeared on the ground. Nian Bing could clearly feel a spiritual power much greater than his own fill the air. In a flash of red light, a creature appeared on the ground. It was actually a fat rat.

The big rat was about half a meter in length. For scale, its body was about as fat as the cow’s head. Besides it’s pointy snout and slender tail, it’s whole body resembled a gray ball. The moment it appeared, it’s pointy nose had stopped sniffing around. When it’s nose pointed at Feng Nu, it suddenly trembled. It scrambled on the ground and did not dare to budge.

Seeing the fat rat, Nian Bing was thinking from a chef’s perspective, “If I fried the skin in oil, the flavor wouldn’t be too bad. It would be good seasoned with a bit of salt.”

Mao Mao said, “This giant rat is the laziest out of all my creatures. It will just sleep then eat, then eat and sleep the whole day. Making it do work is the most difficult thing ever. I, whose name is Xi Yun, summon you. Come out, my pet, Na Na.” The red light flashed again. This time a red fox appeared next to the big rat, Tian Tian. It was obviously very delicate and small. It blinked its small but spirited eyes. It combed it’s luxurious fur, and seemed to smile malevolently. It immediately climbed onto the giant rat’s back. Tian Tian squeaked twice in protest, but under the tyrannical abuse of the fox, it could not help but lower it’s head. The fox looked all around, feeling superior, but suddenly sensed the special aura emanating from Feng Nu’s body. Immediately, it used its tail to cover its head like an ostrich.