Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

Lilly couldn't help but watch with amusement and exasperation as the small ghost beast fiercely guarded its food.

Since it's in your mouth, who would bother taking it out anyway? While Lilly muttered to the small ghost beast, Ivan silently set up the grill with swift and precise movements. He efficiently cleaned the Icemount Fish, removing all the fish guts and scales, washing them with water from the frigid pond, and then discarded them at a distance.

The small ghost beast widened its eyes with disbelief. It was infuriated, squealing in what sounded like a curse, clearly considering it a massive waste. Thus, it scurried over and salvaged everything thrown away.

As a beast, the Icemount Fish was not fishy or smelly for him, so it was an excellent treat.

In fact, fish intestines and guts were considered delicacies in Everest. Not just anyone could access the teahouse where Lilly and Crawford Ancestor had their meal. Even the signature dishes in that teahouse were beyond the reach of ordinary folks. The leftover fish intestines and guts from the teahouse's signature dishes would be carefully packaged and sent to another high-end restaurant. Even a simple stir-fried fish intestine there would cost several Azurite gemstones.

How could the small ghost beast watch these precious fish intestines and guts go to waste? Unfortunately, the ice pond water used to wash the fish had seeped into the ground, breaking its heart.

Nevertheless, after properly arranging the fish intestines and guts, it found a small pot. Given the size of the Icemount Fish, the intestines were quite substantial, filling the pot to capacity.

With a swift movement of its tiny claw, the small ghost beast positioned the pot next to the bonfire that Ivan had skillfully prepared. It utilized the fire to grill the fish's intestines.

Lilly exclaimed, "Where did you find this pot?" She reached out to touch the fur at the small ghost beast's neck, only to discover its round face covered its neck, hiding a thin metal collar underneath. She instinctively touched it with her spirit consciousness but immediately withdrew.

To her surprise, the collar was a storage collar, much like a storage ring.

A small ghost beast had a storage collar. It's worth noting that most ghost cultivators who had achieved the status of ghost lords didn't even have a single storage ring.

"You're quite impressive, huh?" Lilly marveled.

The small ghost beast replied with delight, "Squeak!" It held up the pot with its two tiny paws, and in the small iron pot, the fish intestine began sizzling with oil.

The delightful aroma wafted through the air, causing the small beast to sniff the air, drooling profusely.

Lilly shook her head and paid no more attention to it.

Meanwhile, Ivan efficiently processed the Icemount Fish, chopping it into pieces and placing them in the pot to make fish soup.

Lilly was not idle either. She plucked some "vegetables" and "mushrooms" planted by the Harem spirits from the jar of souls, cleaned them, and added them to the pot.

By this time, the small iron pot containing the grilled fish intestines had filled the air with a rich, tantalizing aroma.

Lilly's mouth watered as she declared, "Ivan, | also want to eat roasted fish!" Cooking fish soup all the time was getting a bit greasy. It was time for a change of taste! Without hesitation, she reached for another Icemount Fish.

(Icemount Fish: Can they have something else to eat? Didn't she say she's tired of us? We're always on edge, thinking we'll be on the menu every day!) Lilly rolled up her sleeves and enthusiastically said, "Ivan, I'll roast this fish for you!" Ivan, however, took the fish from her and said, "I'l do it." She was just a girl, and he didn't want her to handle the messy work. If she wanted roasted fish, he was more than willing to prepare it for her.

In no time, Ivan expertly sliced the Icemount Fish into pieces and skewered them one by one using slender wooden sticks. He had quite an array of seasonings in his storage ring. He retrieved bottles and jars, including pepper, salt, honey, barbecue sauce, cumin powder, chili powder, and more.

The fish already had an enticing smell after marinating. Once it hit the grill over the fire, that fragrance carried on the breeze.

Wow, that smells amazing! Both Lilly and the small ghost beast were drooling.

With lightning speed, it grabbed a few seasonings and sprinkled them on its grilled fish intestines, then immediately wolfed them down. It ate while being scalded, tears streaming down its eyes.

Lilly swallowed her saliva forcefully and suddenly had an idea. She pulled out her grinder and placed seven to eight elixirs inside, then began grinding away.

"Ivan, come quickly and sprinkle some seasonings!" she urged.

Ivan twitched his mouth. Did she call these elixirs seasonings? While others were risking their lives out there and couldn't even get their hands on half an elixir, she treated them like seasonings...

Despite his thoughts, he obediently handed over all the grilled fish and let Lilly sprinkle a generous layer of "seasonings" on top.

"You roast the fish, and I'll sprinkle the seasonings!” Lilly eagerly asked while swallowing her saliva. "Is it ready? Can we eat it now?" Ivan tore off a small piece of perfectly golden-brown grilled fish from the side and said, "Here, for you." Lilly popped it into her mouth, reacting with a mixture of delight and a grimace from the heat, all while her eyes glistened with watery enthusiasm.

"Delicious!" Lilly praised. "Ivan, you're a great cook!" No wonder he had been farting so much. He must have eaten a lot of grilled fish and meat before.

Ivan had no idea what was happening in Lilly's mind. Otherwise, he would have buried his head in the sand.

He smirked slightly, carefully flipping the grilled fish and making sure it was cooked through before handing it to Lilly.

The second skewer of grilled fish was handed to the small ghost beast.

The small ghost beast widened its eyes in anticipation.

Oh my, do | also get to eat grilled fish? "Wow! This is delicious! So, so good! Ivan, the sauce you made is so tasty. | bet even dipping shoe soles in it would be tasty!" Ivan sighed. "Can't we just dip the fish in the sauce?" Who on earth would dip shoe soles? Lilly's voice echoed again, "Mhmm, I'm simply expressing how amazing your sauce is! It goes well with anything. Later, we could even break a piece off the Nether Door and dip it in the sauce!" The alluring fragrance wafted through the air, while the smoke elegantly curled. The aroma and smoke intertwined in the breeze, surrounding the Nether Door and leaving a lingering essence on its surface, as if it had undergone a delectable transformation.

(Nether Door: Who am I? Where am 1? And why are people grilling nearby, contemplating dipping me in sauce?)