Universe Infinite Canteen

Ma Lu had soaked in the hot spring for a full three hours before finally receiving news that the Red Little Devil had been captured.

The Wandering Sorcerer didn't make false promises this time; after replenishing her magical powers, the methods she could employ multiplied. Plus, she had the help of Chen Zhengyi and Yan Wu.

Though the little demon had already completed half of its evolution, it was still no match for the trio, and was subdued after a battle that wasn't too intense.

The reason it took longer than expected was mainly that the Red Little Devil was quite good at running, and cunningly chose to dash through crowded areas or near historic landmarks and other significant structures.

The Wandering Sorcerer had previously damaged the "Big Underpants" and didn't want to be too harsh again, preferring to spend more time. Fortunately, she had an abundance of magical power at her disposal this time, and she even brought dried sweet potatoes with her.

In the end, they caught the Red Little Devil near the Imperial Palace without allowing it to damage any cultural relics.

Upon learning that the crisis had been averted, Ma Lu excitedly stood up from the pool, only to become dizzy from soaking too long, nearly hitting his head on the edge of the pool and becoming the only member of the savior quartet to be injured.

After everything was over, Yan Wu and others planned to go to the Universe Infinite Canteen for a late-night meal as agreed, but then found out that Ma Lu and Old Wang were already at the hot spring hotel.

The hardware store owner immediately realized that someone had run off and couldn't help but despise them once again.

However, Ma Lu did bring ingredients and seasonings with him before leaving, and the hot spring hotel had a charcoal grill. Plus, with his good attitude, he not only invited everyone to dinner but also covered the hot spring expenses, so Yan Wu didn't make a fuss and drove a van over.

Mr. Furball had sobered up by this time and joined everyone for a dip in the hot spring, even sneaking sips of the pool water while he bathed.

Ma Lu warned him that the water wasn't drinkable, but Mr. Furball still took the opportunity to steal several big gulps when no one was looking. When caught, he would adamantly justify himself, saying things like this is just what we little kitties do.

But it did help in producing some beverages.

When Old Wang finished grilling the skewers, Ma Lu first brought a plate to the neighbors He Xiaoqian and Zhen Ye, then returned to continue listening to the Wandering Sorcerer boast about how she had vigorously fought today, beating the Red Little Devil to a pulp.

This was her first battle with a Hell creature since leaving her mentor. Although the process had its ups and downs and the opponent was only a lowest-level existence in Hell, far inferior to her in strength—she only won by being smarter.

But undoubtedly, the final winner was the Female Sorceress.

Moreover, she felt that her days of gnawing on rice balls and slurping instant noodles were worthwhile after having saved a city.

Taking advantage of her excitement, Ma Lu asked if he could have a look at the Red Little Devil, driven mainly by curiosity.

He had only ever seen fictional demons in comics and movies and had never seen a real demon.
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The Female Sorceress, in high spirits at the moment, was more than willing to show him the Red Little Devil, which she'd brought out from beneath her cloak.

Ma Lu approached with great enthusiasm, but after seeing it, he felt a bit disappointed.

The demons in comics and animations might be ugly, but most of them had quite impressive designs, whereas the little demon in front of him looked quite abstract.

It didn't even have a distinctive shape, resembling a red paint can that had accidentally been dropped on the ground, splattering everywhere.

Ma Lu even confirmed again to make sure whether its current appearance was natural or if it had been squashed into a pulp by the Female Sorceress, saying its own mother wouldn't recognize it if it went home looking like this.

The Wandering Sorcerer explained, "Low-level demons in Hell are essentially cheap soldiers and food mass-produced by the higher-level demons, who don't waste time on these cannon fodder.

"What they look like basically depends on how those higher-order demons mold them on a whim, like this one... It was probably accidentally dropped on the ground during production. But it doesn't matter; as long as it functions correctly, those higher-level demons won't care."

Ma Lu exclaimed in surprise, "So they were artificially created? Like robots? Do they have self-awareness or are they more like programmed to operate?"

"Hell has its own set of rules, and its creatures are quite different from those of other planes. It's difficult to explain them clearly using our existing body of knowledge."

The Wandering Sorcerer grabbed a skewer of Earth Dragon Meat, "I also don't recommend you try to understand Hell. It has nothing to do with ordinary people; just listen in passing."

"Alright." Ma Lu then had another thought, his eyes lighting up, "Did you just say this thing is also edible?"

What?!?

The Female Sorceress didn't understand, but Yan Wu, who had interacted with Ma Lu for quite some time, guessed someone was planning something shocking.

"Have you gone mad collecting ingredients, kid? Don't think about eating everything you see."

Chen Zhengyi also frowned, "This demon is enveloped in an ominous aura, consuming it might lead to some unfortunate events."

Ma Lu secretly activated the ingredient scanning feature of the Traveler's Bracelet.

Perhaps because the Traveler's Bracelet had never encountered such a hardcore ingredient before, the scan took slightly longer than usual, by about a second.

But soon, the familiar promotion sound rang in Ma Lu's ears.

—Ding! Congratulations on discovering a 5-star ingredient, [Red Little Devil]. [Red Little Devil] Illustrated Handbook has been unlocked.

It's edible!!! Really edible!!! And it starts at 5 stars!!!

To think, according to the Wandering Sorcerer, this Red Little Devil was merely cannon fodder in Hell. That would mean...

Ma Lu repressed the bold idea that sprang forth from the bottom of his heart and first decided to confirm with Old Wang.

"This... can you cook it?"

Old Wang nodded, "Hell Ingredients belong to the hidden ingredients category. Many people in the Multiverse misunderstand them, thinking they are inedible, but just like pufferfish, as long as they are prepared correctly, they can be eaten and are extremely delicious."

"Really? No way." Yan Wu looked dubious, "In my early years, I traveled through many planes and met quite a few Cosmic Chefs, but I've never seen anyone cook Hell Creatures."

The Female Sorceress also hurriedly advised, "You really can't eat this. Our tribe of Wandering Sorcerers have dealt with those Hell Creatures for tens of thousands of years. They have always been prohibited as food for sentient beings; they are highly toxic to us."

"You and your tribe might indeed know a lot about Hell and its creatures, but when it comes to cooking, we Cosmic Chefs are the professionals," Old Wang said calmly.

Ma Lu looked at the Wandering Sorcerer and the hardware store owner, and then at Old Wang, feeling somewhat conflicted. He was more inclined to believe Old Wang.

After all, through their extended time together, Old Wang had long proven his abilities, but poisoning was not something to joke about. Even pufferfish, which is served at dinner tables, still leads to poisoning incidents every year.

Ma Lu thought for a moment then asked the Wandering Sorcerer, "Is this little demon already dead?"

"There is no concept of death in Hell," the Female Sorceress said. "But it has indeed been defeated by me and returned to its origin. I was planning to send it back to Hell because if it stays out too long, it could likely regain consciousness."

Ma Lu then looked towards Old Wang, who said succinctly, "I can prepare this ingredient right now, removing the parts that are edible."