piratefiction Chapter 63 Eight-Star Beetle Feast
Chapter 63 Eight-Star Beetle Feast
"Don't panic, sister, watch me," said the sixth golden melon calmly.
In her eyes, these eight-spotted beetles were nothing but clowns, not worth mentioning.
As soon as she finished speaking, a flag flew out from her melon-like body.
The flag, no bigger than the palm of a hand, is black and white, made of a strange material—neither silk nor brocade, but of an indescribable weight and majesty. It seems not of ordinary origin, but rather a supreme treasure nurtured by itself. Countless profound patterns naturally appear on its surface, like the veins of the earth or the trajectory of a galaxy, winding and crisscrossing, as if flowing slowly within them with a consciousness.
The flag flies out, growing taller as it catches the wind.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed from a small flag into a large banner, standing horizontally in mid-air. The flagpole was as black as ink, its material unknown, exuding an indestructible and steadfast aura; the flag fluttered in the wind, its black and white colors clearly distinct, unfurling even without wind.
The sixth golden gourd stirred in his heart, and the flag waved.
Invisible ripples spread out from the flag, freezing the air and making time seem to stand still.
The eight-spotted beetles, who were engrossed in gnawing on the leaves of the giant pumpkin vine, suddenly froze as if their hearts had been gripped by an invisible hand.
Beams of light flew out from the insect's body and burrowed into the flag. The eight-spotted beetles seemed to have lost consciousness, plunging headfirst from the vines; some fell onto the platform; some landed on the wooden frame; and some collapsed into the vines.
In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered with countless dead beetles.
They died silently, without struggling, without screaming, and without even shedding a drop of blood.
The giant pumpkin vine seemed to dislike these things. It shook its thick vine, shaking all the eight-spotted beetles that had fallen on the vine and the wooden frame to the ground, as if it were shaking off something dirty and didn't want to get it on at all.
The beetles fell down with a clatter, crashing onto the platform with a series of loud "thump-thump" sounds.
Strangely, in the past, the roots of the giant pumpkin vine would probably have sprouted from the soil immediately to absorb the blood and flesh of these corpses. But this time, the roots remained motionless, quietly curled up in the soil, letting the corpses of these eight-spotted beetles lie on the ground without touching them. Was it because they found them too ugly, or too dirty?
With the eight-spotted beetles no longer gnawing at them, the glistening sap that had seeped from the bite wounds on the giant pumpkin vine's leaves also stopped.
A faint glow gradually appeared at the wound, and the wounds on the leaves quickly healed. In just a moment, the pockmarked leaves returned to their original state, emerald green and perfectly intact.
After eliminating the beetles, the sixth golden gourd retrieved its flag.
The large flag spun once in the air, slowly shrank, and transformed into a stream of light that disappeared into her melon-like body.
Seeing that the danger had passed, the little golden gourds continued their cultivation. The wooden house also returned to its previous tranquility, as if the battle just now was nothing more than a trivial matter that could be resolved in the blink of an eye, not worth much attention.
Not long after, Cai Xuan returned with Xi'er and the others.
From afar, one could see the platform covered with the corpses of eight-spotted beetles, a dark mass, and one was immediately filled with questions, having no idea what had happened.
"What's going on here?" Cai Xuan asked the four little golden gourds.
"Brother, brother! Let me say it! Let me say it!"
The Seventh and Eighth Golden Gourds began to clamor, each taking turns recounting what had happened. Although their stories were somewhat incoherent, Cai Xuan still understood. These eight-star beetles had come to gnaw on the leaves of the large golden gourd vine while they were away, but the Sixth Golden Gourd had intervened, killing them all with a magical flag.
Cai Xuan glanced at the eight-spotted beetle, then looked up at the few small golden gourds hanging on the vine, feeling a lingering fear in his heart.
If it weren't for the intervention of the sixth golden pumpkin today, these beetles would probably have devoured all the leaves of the large golden pumpkin vine, and might even have damaged several unborn baby golden pumpkins.
Cai Xuan thought for a moment and said to Xi'er and the others, "From now on, two of you sisters must stay at home to prevent ferocious beasts from attacking and harming your unborn sisters."
"Brother, I'm here, it's alright."
The sixth golden melon shook its body, its tone somewhat dismissive, as if to say, "I can handle these little things in no time."
Xi'er and the others didn't listen to her, but just nodded vigorously. Their expressions were even more serious than Cai Xuan's—today's events had served as a wake-up call for them; they couldn't let their younger sisters face danger alone again next time.
Cai Xuan put down everything he had brought back, walked up to an eight-spotted beetle, and kicked it with his toe. It felt like kicking a steel plate, making his toe tingle slightly.
Looking at the enormous insect, he suddenly wondered if the beetle's flesh was edible. He immediately drew a short knife from his waist and, following a midline on the underside of the eight-spotted beetle's abdomen, split the insect's body in two.
The eight-spotted beetle was cut in half, revealing its delicate, firm, and distinctly textured snow-white flesh, which looked somewhat similar to crab meat and lobster meat.
Cai Xuan leaned closer to smell it. There was no fishy or foul odor; instead, it had a faint, pleasant fragrance. He immediately decided to eat the eight-star beetle meat that night.
So he picked out a few of the largest ones, took out the snow-white worm meat, and sliced it thinly. Half for hot pot, half for stir-frying. When the oil was hot, the worm meat curled up and turned from snow-white to milky white, instantly releasing a rich and delicious aroma.
Once the stir-fry was ready, Cai Xuan couldn't wait to pick up a piece of eight-star beetle meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. His eyes immediately lit up.
This flavor is even more tender and sweeter than lobster meat, with an indescribable refreshing sensation upon first bite, unlike some seafood that can become cloying after a while. Best of all, it has absolutely no fishy taste, and you don't even need to add much seasoning; just a touch of salt is enough to bring out its natural deliciousness.
"tasty!"
After it was cooked, Xi'er was the first to reach out and grab it, but Cai Xuan slapped her hand and she obediently went to get chopsticks to pick it up.
Yun'er, Shu'er, and Xin'er followed suit, and before they even ate, they had devoured the entire large bowl of meat.
"Brother, is there any more?" Xin'er asked, looking longingly at the empty basin.
"Yes, there are many more."
Cai Xuan smiled as he poured the thick broth made from animal bones into the hot pot, took it outside, and put it on the stove to cook. He also took out thinly sliced eight-star beetle meat and dipping sauce for them to eat on their own.
The little ones understand the principle that self-reliance leads to abundance.
One by one, they picked up slices of meat, cooked them in the broth, dipped them in the sauce, and eagerly began to eat, feeling incredibly happy.
After dinner, Cai Xuan led Xi'er and the others to practice the "Primordial Chaos Crossing the World Treasure Raft" for a while under the bright moonlight before returning to their rooms.