Chapter Fifty: Master, Little Fish Wants to Eat

The marketplace in the mortal world is truly bustling, with all sorts of novel ways to trade and sell. You could buy almost anything here, many of which I had never even seen in the Demon Realm. Gazing at the dazzling array of jewelry and goods displayed on the stalls, I found myself slowing my steps, turning my head back again and again to look.

"Little Fish."

Zilian's voice suddenly sounded by my ear, pulling me back from my reverie. I reluctantly tore my gaze from the merchandise and turned my head towards him, only to realize that at some point, he had walked off and left me far behind.

"Master, wait for me!"

I waved and called out to him through the crowd.

"Hurry and catch up. I’ll wait for you up ahead."

His voice was gentle and warm, yet it pierced the bustling crowd and reached my ears with perfect clarity. As soon as he finished speaking, Zilian turned and disappeared into the throng.

"Hey, Master, Master, wait for me!"

I shouted desperately from behind, but he had already vanished who knows where.

There were just so many people! Truly troublesome. I’d never thought so before, but today I was certain. It had barely been a moment since Zilian and I were separated, and yet, turning around, I found it almost impossible to find him again.

Pedestrians pressed shoulder to shoulder, surging towards each other on the crowded street. Luckily, for now, there were no horse-drawn carriages hurtling down the road; otherwise, most people would have been trapped right in the middle of the street, unable to move.

At last, after a while, I finally caught sight of a figure draped in purple, standing in front of a small shop.

"Master, Master!"

I called out loudly, my heart filled with that complicated feeling of recovering something lost. He turned and smiled at me, reaching out his hand, palm up, beckoning me with a curled finger, as if to say, "Come here, quickly."

"Master, Master!" I called out as I ran, dodging the bustling crowd to rush over to him.

"Little Fish."

He frowned slightly, reaching out to ruffle my hair as he said, "You’re so slow. I’ve been waiting here so long, even the flowers are wilting."

"The flowers are wilting?" I looked up at him in confusion. "Master, where do you see any flowers?"

His expression was solemn. After a moment's thought, he replied, "In my heart." With that, he took my hand in his.

"There are too many people here. I’d better hold your hand so I don’t lose sight of you again and have to go looking for you."

"Oh." I was stunned by his sudden display of affection, my steps slowing as he pulled me along.

By now, it was already late afternoon. My stomach rumbled with emptiness. As the scent of delicious food drifted through the streets, I couldn't stop myself from salivating.

As we passed an inn, I could bear it no longer. I stepped forward and tugged at Zilian’s sleeve, pleading softly, "Master, could we..."

"What is it?" He turned to me, his gaze puzzled.

I clutched his sleeve with both hands, giving it a few tugs and looking up at him with pitiful eyes. "Master, aren’t you hungry?"

At that, his look of puzzlement deepened, and he shook his head at me.

I nearly forgot—Zilian was an immortal above mortal cravings. Food meant nothing to him. Though I was not quite mortal myself, for some reason, whenever I saw or smelled good food, I couldn’t help but feel my stomach grumble.

"Master, Little Fish is hungry." I continued to act pitiful, tugging at his sleeve and whining.

A vein twitched on his forehead as he shook off my hand. "If you’re hungry, go in and eat something. We’ll continue on our way after."

With that, he turned and walked toward the inn.