Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

Chapter 624: Stir Fried Alligator- First Half

While Daniel, Envy, and Old Yuan discussed matters in Daniel's private workshop, Tian Xingyun was busy in the kitchen, determined to prepare a meal for Daniel. She'd initially planned to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, but with the lengthy cooking time required, she opted for a simpler menu: egg fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and wonton soup.

Tian Xingyun examined the kitchen and noticed that the available cookware wasn't suitable for traditional Han dishes. With a wave of her hand, she produced various Han kitchen tools and, upon checking the fridge, found none of the ingredients needed for authentic Han cuisine. She decided to use her own ingredients brought from the Immortal Realm, hoping that this meal would endear her to Daniel even more. After all, as the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

She began with the wonton soup, setting a pot of chicken broth to simmer while filling wonton wrappers with a savory mixture of minced pork and Immortal Realm shrimp, known for its mana-nourishing qualities. She sealed each wonton with practiced ease, slipping them into the simmering broth to cook gently. Once that was underway, she started marinating the pork for the sweet and sour dish.

While the wontons cooked and the pork absorbed the marinade, Tian Xingyun turned to the egg fried rice. Heating the wok to a high sizzle, she quickly scrambled eggs and added spirit rice from the Immortal Realm, known for its unique flavor and energy. She tossed in soy sauce and chopped green onions, stirring until each grain was coated in savory goodness.

"This house lacks ingredients for traditional Han dishes," she muttered to herself, hands still deftly moving the rice around the wok. "Perhaps I should go out tomorrow and stock up, just in case." In no time, the egg fried rice was ready, so she shifted her attention to the final dish: sweet and sour pork.

The pork she used was from a spirit beast known as the Fire Tusk Boar, a creature formidable enough to challenge cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage—though to her, it was merely good meat for a meal with her husband. She placed the marinated pork into a pan to brown, and while it cooked, she mixed a simple sauce of vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and a dash of soy sauce. Once the pork was perfectly crisp, she poured the sauce over, letting it caramelize and coat the pork in a tangy glaze.

By the time the pork and rice were done, the wonton soup had reached its full, savory flavor. With a final garnish of green onions, all three dishes were finished in under an hour, each one fragrant and saliva inviting.

Tian Xingyun smiled confidently as she prepared the plates and bowl for the wonton soup and the various dishes she had cooked. Just then, she heard the doorbell ring. Pausing, she went to check.

Using the smart monitor near the kitchen, she saw a scarred man in a Cossack robe and a long black trench coat standing at the door, holding an animal cage. Sensing his strength with her spiritual awareness, she noted that his power was around the Nascent Soul level—well below hers.

While power comparisons aren't as straightforward as in the Immortal Realm, where strength is measured in clear tiers, the strength of mages and holy-robed men, like Vatican priests, also depends heavily on experience, knowledge, and preparation.

In some cases, a cultivator of higher tier might lose to a lower-tier Western mage if circumstances favored the mage. For instance, a Nascent Soul cultivator might struggle against a master-rank mage that is comparable to the Foundation Establishment tier, if they were within the mage's Sanctum Sanctorum due to the territorial disadvantage.

Similarly, her fiancé, Daniel, despite being comparable at only Celestial Transformation level, could easily beat her if he used his Titan Power, either through ambush or in a fair fight.

"Yes? How may I help you?" Tian Xingyun opened the door, greeting the scarred priest with a polite nod.

The scarred priest was, of course, Christopher Ward. He started slightly upon seeing Tian Xingyun and muttered to himself, "Did that guy get himself a new woman?" He quickly collected himself and asked, "Is Daniel Emberweave home? I've got a delivery for him." He held up the cage, revealing a small alligator with its mouth bound shut to prevent it from biting the cage.

"Is this…?" Tian Xingyun began, wondering if this was meant for her to cook.

"It's just what you're thinking." Christopher chuckled. "That guy told me to bring it as a surprise for his daughter." Despite his outward ease, he silently questioned Daniel's choice to make a Hell Lord—no, a former Hell Lord—his daughter's pet. But knowing Daniel's strength and paranoia, he chose not to question it out loud. It's not his place to judge.

Inside the cage was none other than Leviathan, whom Christopher had captured after a fierce struggle in the Florida bayou. The former Hell Lord had proven to be quite a pain in the ass to catch and even more annoyed as this guy never shut up after it was caught, so Christopher had bound its mouth for his own sanity.

"This little guy must be very naughty and strong for you to tie his mouth shut, even though he's small," Tian Xingyun observed.

"Right? He was a pain to catch and even worse to transport." Christopher agreed, handing the cage to her.

"Since you're here, I'll let you take him. I have some business to attend to. Send my regards to Daniel and tell him I consider only half of my life debt repaid. If he wants me to fulfill the rest, he just needs to call. I'm only a call away," Christopher said, giving her the cage.

"Yes, I'll be sure to tell him, Mr…?" Tian Xingyun trailed off, realizing she hadn't caught his name.

"Ward, Christopher Ward, Grand Paladin of the Vatican, serving in the Vatican Secret Extermination Unit," he introduced himself.

"I am Tian Xingyun, Lord husband, Daniel Emberweave's wife," Tian Xingyun introduced herself with a bright smile.

Christopher was momentarily stunned by her charm, noting the aura of a traditional wife that she projected, which, in his mind, rivaled that of Envy.

As an Asian woman with a traditional demeanor, Tian Xingyun seemed to embody the ideal wife in a way Envy did not—at least from Christopher's perspective, as he was unaware of her powerful, matriarchal side. To him, she exuded an even more traditional, wifely grace than Envy.

"Well then, have a nice day, Miss Tian," Christopher nodded, then stepped into the elevator. As he descended, gazing out at the sweeping view from Daniel's skyscraper, he muttered to himself.

"Damn… that guy is so lucky." He continued to watch the view, thoughts drifting over the remarkable life Daniel seemed to have, feeling a little bit envious inside his heart.

Humming a tune, Tian Xingyun carried the cage inside. She had already finished preparing lunch, and now it was 2 PM. Not wanting little Sylvana to come home from school to a cold meal, she used a spirit formation to keep the food warm and fresh, as if it had just come off the wok.

After completing her tasks, she looked at the small alligator. The priest had said it was a surprise for little Sylvana. Could it be that Sylvana likes alligator meat? That must be it! The priest was strong, yet he mentioned having trouble catching this little one… could it be something special?

At that thought, Tian Xingyun used her spiritual sense to assess the alligator's strength.

Oh my! This little one has the strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator! This must be some kind of magical beast Lord Emberweave prepared for a feast for his daughter! she thought.

Checking the time, she realized she didn't have much left to prepare the surprise dish, and since this little guy didn't have much meat, she made up her mind. I've decided, I'll make stir-fried alligator! And next time, I'll catch a spirit alligator to make something even more delicious for little Sylvana, she resolved.

She went to Daniel's private workshop, pressed the speaker button, and asked, "Lord Husband! When will little Sylvana be home?"

After a few seconds, Daniel's voice came over the speaker. "Around 3:30. Why? Did you want to pick her up? Though at this point, I think Will has already picked her up and should be on the way."

"Oh, no, it's fine! I just wanted to check so I could decide on a special dish for her," Tian Xingyun replied.

"Thank you; that's very thoughtful of you," Daniel said warmly.

Tian Xingyun smiled sweetly and skipped back to the kitchen, humming as she went.

In the living room, where Tian Xingyun had left the cage, Leviathan was still refusing to accept his fate as someone's pet. He was a Hell Lord, a bonafide Hell Lord, and the strongest of them all, for hell's sake! He wasn't about to submit.

"Oh! And here I was wondering who it might be. It's Leviathan. How's life?" A voice asked, interrupting Leviathan's plans for escape.