Chapter 44: Customary

Hou Tu, hearing that, broke into a cold sweat, repeatedly lamenting inside; she had already explained, but the other party still misunderstood.

"We really have nothing special; if you don't believe it, you can go see the Human Race yourself. We're just going to buy barbecue to eat," she explained again helplessly, hoping Zhenyuanzi would trust her words and stop pestering.

"Thick Earth Demon God, I come with sincerity," Zhenyuanzi addressed her as a demon god, clearly intending to discuss the matter seriously.

"Why don't you go see the Human Race first and then talk?," Hou Tu, unwilling to continue the argument, said some things must be seen with one's own eyes to be understood, lest the entanglement persist.

She only hoped Zhenyuanzi would leave quickly, so she could have some peace.

Seeing Hou Tu about to leave, Zhenyuanzi hurriedly said, "Since that's the case, I'll go take a look first. If I'm overthinking, I'll visit another day."

Although somewhat disappointed, Zhenyuanzi still decided to investigate first.

Leaving the area of the Wu Clan, one can see the road opened by Zhu Song. Zhenyuanzi followed this road swiftly, aided by his magical power, and in an instant arrived outside the Human Race's forbidden zone. At the sight, he was stunned.

What did he see? Some members of the Wu Clan were disguising themselves as ordinary Wu Clan, blending into the crowd to steal Human Race food.

"Why are Zhu Song, Shui Shen, and those demon gods all here?" Zhenyuanzi was surprised, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. He began to doubt his judgment—could it be that he was overthinking?

Gradually, Zhenyuanzi realized the situation was not as he expected. If the Human Race and the Wu Clan truly allied, when he appeared earlier, those demon gods should have acted immediately.

However, they only stared at him, taking no action.

"Could it really be as Thick Earth Demon God said?" Zhenyuanzi was full of doubt.

Smelling the barbecue aroma drifting in the air, he couldn't help but smile wryly, lamenting that he had been completely wrong this time.

"Forget it, I was overthinking; I'll just go back," he said, preparing to turn away, when a figure suddenly appeared behind him.

Zhenyuanzi startled, retreated a few steps cautiously, examined closely, and recognized the Human Ancestor Zhou Yi.

"What's up, fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, you've been watching at our settlement for so long; don't you intend to go in and see?"

Zhou Yi sensed the overwhelming power of Zhenyuanzi, the ancestor of Earth Immortals; his realm had reached the quasi‑Saint pinnacle, holding the Earth Scripture linked to the great earth membrane, a might that even a Saint would not dare to provoke lightly.

And for the first time, Zhenyuanzi observed Zhou Yi at such close range, his heart filled with curiosity and inquiry.

He instinctively tried to divine, but found the heavenly mechanisms chaotic, utterly unable to obtain any information about Zhou Yi.

In his view, a being that eludes his divination must either be a lofty Saint or a peer of equal strength.

The Zhou Yi before him did not appear to be either of those cases.

Yet, during the divination, a golden destiny dragon suddenly flashed above the city wall, then vanished swiftly.

It was this powerful Human Race destiny force that disrupted his divination, leaving him clueless about Zhou Yi.

"I suppose fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi is late because of our Human Race and Wu Clan affairs," Zhou Yi said expressionlessly, though he had already anticipated it.

Since he began trading with the Wu Clan, he knew this matter would attract attention from many sides.

After all, in the Vast Wilderness World, any move by the Wu Clan can draw the attention of various forces. He just hadn't expected the first person unable to resist investigating to be the Earth Immortal progenitor Zhenyuanzi.

"It's just curiosity, really," Zhenyuanzi chuckled lightly, "Then please lead the way."

Zhou Yi enthusiastically guided, walking ahead. After a brief thought, Zhenyuanzi decided to follow. As they passed the city wall, Zhenyuanzi inadvertently glanced toward a distant valley.

He saw that within the valley the houses were arranged orderly, roads and alleys intersected neatly. Various dwellings were uniformly tidy, a broad road led from the city gate straight to a mid‑mountain cave, then branched into many side paths connecting each house.

Millions of people lived there without any sense of crowding. Everything appeared so harmonious and methodical that Zhenyuanzi couldn't help but nod in approval.

He thought privately that, setting aside other factors, just this outstanding organizational planning made the Human Race already remarkable.

It should be noted that most of these people are untrained mortals; managing such a massive population so orderly is truly difficult.

After entering the cave, Shi Hao, Ye Yi and others gathered there, their gazes collectively turning toward Zhenyuanzi, eyes full of curiosity.

Zhenyuanzi also silently assessed them, feeling that each person's aura was not to be underestimated.

Ye Yi and the others were likewise shocked; they had previously encountered demon gods and knew how powerful those beings were.

And the Daoist before them possessed strength not inferior to Taiyi Shen and others. Now their own ancestor had brought back such a powerful figure.

"Try these; they are a delicacy unique to the Human Race, and also one of the key assurances that the Wu Clan is now willing to communicate with us."

Zhou Yi said as he pushed the table laden with delicacies toward Zhenyuanzi. The table was a dazzling array of various delicious dishes.

The cooking methods were countless—stir‑frying, steaming, boiling, deep‑frying—all present, with a rich variety of dishes.

Zhenyuanzi had originally held himself in high esteem; as a renowned great power in Honghuang, he had seen the world's rare treasures and exotic delicacies. Even the rare ginseng‑fruit treasures belonged to him.

However, when the rich meat aroma wafted over, his thoughts began to shift. This unique scent was something he had never experienced.

After hesitating for a moment, he still picked up a few pieces of meat to taste.

In an instant, an unprecedentedly wonderful flavor erupted in his mouth, making his eyes brighten.

It was then that he understood why Hou Tu had constantly recommended he visit the Human Race.

The true treasure was indeed hidden within this seemingly ordinary delicacy.

"How is such a delicacy traded?" Zhenyuanzi asked, swallowing the food in his mouth.

Zhou Yi did not answer immediately, but smiled and gestured for him to sit first.

Then, with a gentle wave, some heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and magical artifacts appeared in his hand. Zhenyuanzi instantly discerned the underlying mystery.

"These ingredients are processed so well, the taste is superb; I've tried plenty of ordinary beast meat, and achieving this level is truly rare."

"Some heavenly or earthly treasures or magical artifacts are also acceptable," Zhenyuanzi nodded in agreement, surprised by Zhou Yi and others' thoughtful consideration in the culinary trade.

Zhenyuanzi tasted the food earnestly, while the others regarded it as routine.

When the Wu Clan people come to trade, it's the same scene; now it's merely a reenactment.

After Zhenyuanzi cleared the table of food completely, Zhou Yi said, "How is it, fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, this is good, right? Would you like to join us? As long as you're willing, you can eat such delicious food every day."

"Moreover, we will regularly update the menu, letting you taste more novel flavors."