The Demonic Night Market was liveliest deep in the night, but a considerable crowd had already gathered.

Shops along the market streets had opened for business, and the roadside vendors had all taken their spots. All around, people were setting up stalls to sell snacks.

From food and drinks to games and entertainment, this place had it all.

A vendor by the roadside was setting up his stall, selling fried potatoes and grilled Spirit Beast Eggs.

"Delicious fried potatoes! Care for a bowl, fellow Cultivator? It’s a specialty from our Cloudrest region. Tastes even better with a pinch of zhe’ergen."

"Hey there, fellow Cultivator! I hear you folks from Cloudrest love to sing mountain folk songs. Is that true?"

"It sure is! Y’all should come visit sometime!"

"I’ll take a bowl of fried potatoes, fellow Cultivator. Go heavy on the chilis and the zhe’ergen."

The man was a Demon Cultivator, but he spoke with a thick regional accent. Judging by the sound of it, he was from Cloudrest too.

"Haven’t seen you in a while, friend."

"I was off in a Secret Realm. Just got back, yeh."

’Cloudrest?’

Celeste Grant walked up and asked curiously, "Do Cultivators from Cloudrest really like to go foraging for mushrooms?"

The stall owner, momentarily surprised, nodded repeatedly. He smiled and said, "We sure do! We have tons of mushrooms back home. In the spring and summer, the mountains are covered in them after a good rain. They’re top-grade Spiritual Medicines and a key ingredient for Alchemy. So not only can you use our local mushrooms in Alchemy, but you can also stir-fry them. They’re delicious."

In the Cultivation World, the Cloudrest region had always been known as the best place for Spiritual Medicines to grow, as its climate was perfect for a wide variety. As a result, many of the ingredients needed for Alchemy throughout the Cultivation World were sourced from there.

Celeste Grant had been a southerner in her past life, so she knew just how passionate people from her region were about foraging for mushrooms. Even though she was in a different world now, hearing the Cloudrest accent felt wonderfully familiar.

’To be honest, a lot of the mushrooms in this world are highly toxic.’

’But those with high Cultivation are immune to any poison and can eat them however they please. And if a low-level Cultivator actually gets poisoned, they just need to take a Detoxification Pill.’

’So, if any mushroom lovers from my old world transmigrated here, they’d think they’d died and gone to heaven. No more worrying about getting carted off in an ambulance! Hahahaha.’

This world was truly incredible. Though so many things were different, there were always little corners that resembled the world she once called home.

Like these fried potatoes, for instance.

’Why are there fried potatoes here?’

’Author, you get out here and explain this!’

’Oh, whatever.’

’It doesn’t matter.’

’As long as I can eat it, I’m happy.’

She suspected it might be because some powerful being had created this world based on a novel. That would mean any regional customs and local flavors the author had unintentionally included would become a real part of this world.

"We’ll have a bowl of fried potatoes."

"Well, look at that! You can speak our local dialect, miss."

"Haha, yep. My hometown isn’t far from yours. We get a lot of people from your parts passing through, so I just picked it up over time."

’The female side character in the book was also a southerner, from a place not far from Cloudrest, so she wasn’t lying about that.’

After buying a bowl of fried potatoes and paying, the two continued their stroll through the night market.

The crowd was growing larger.

By the way, *zha yangyu* just means fried potatoes. Some people from other regions might not know that.

"Want to try some of this?"

Celeste Grant speared a piece with her bamboo skewer and held it to Javier Sinclair’s lips.

He opened his mouth and ate it without hesitation.

"Is it good?"

He gave a slight nod in response.

"It’s quite good. I’m just not used to eating this particular Spiritual Medicine raw."

"That Spiritual Medicine is called zhe’ergen, or Houttuynia. People who like it find it delicious. People who don’t feel like the world is about to go dark. I think it’s pretty tasty. Come on, let’s go check out that area over there. It’s so crowded today."

The Demonic Night Market had now become a must-visit dating spot for young couples.

The pair took a lap around the market.

They nibbled on this and snacked on that.

There was simply too much to eat.

’Building this night market was absolutely the right decision.’

Not far away, they could see some of their own Bloodfiend Den disciples running a stall by the road.

They were easy to recognize, all dressed in black robes embroidered with the Bloodfiend Den’s insignia.

"Fresh grilled beef! Come and get it! Buy ten skewers, get three free! It’s meat from a Third-stage Demon Beast, the Wind-Blessed Auroch! The texture is out of this world! Come take a look, fellow Cultivators!"

"And if you’re not a fan of beef, we’ve got charcoal-grilled lamb skewers today, too! The lamb is from a Second-tier Demon Beast, the Phantom Antelope, cut fresh and grilled to order. The meat is incredibly tender!"

By now, people were beginning to gather in front of the stalls all over the market.

"It smells amazing!"

"Come on, let’s go over."

As she spoke, Celeste Grant linked her arm with Javier Sinclair’s and walked over to the grilled meat stall.

"Business looks good, my friend."

The man beamed and clasped his hands in a salute toward the Bloodfiend Den. "It’s all thanks to our Madam for coming up with these newfangled dishes. Now we don’t have to risk our lives fighting for opportunities in Secret Realms just to make ends meet. We can earn enough Cultivation Resources for our families to live well. Our thanks to The Exalted One and to our Madam."

Celeste Grant smiled faintly.

"We’ll take ten of the beef skewers and ten of the lamb."

The man was delighted.

"You got it! Just a moment, they’ll be right up."

After a short wait, the man handed the grilled skewers, wrapped up, to Celeste Grant. "Here’s your grilled meat, miss. Be careful, it’s hot."

"Thank you."

At that moment, a soft smile touched Celeste Grant’s lips.

’No matter where you are...’

’...peace is always the best.’

’Just like this... This place is so full of life and warmth. It’s its own kind of quiet, beautiful time.’

The Immortal and Demonic Paths had always been enemies. They still were, but things were a little different now.

Now, the Demon Cultivators were focused on making money, except when absolutely necessary. If an Immortal Sect Disciple fell into their hands, they’d just be sent to the mines or held for ransom. The new business model was basically "we won’t kill you, and we hope to see you again," a trend that people found both infuriating and a little endearing. Relatively speaking, the Cultivation World was now in a state of peaceful coexistence between the Immortal and Demonic Paths.

"Numbing, spicy, and so fragrant. Delicious!"

"This seasoning on the grilled meat is amazing. The meat in the Cultivation World is just on another level."

Javier Sinclair glanced at her. "You say that as if you’ve been to other worlds."

Hearing his words, Celeste Grant froze and stopped in her tracks.

Celeste turned and looked up into Javier Sinclair’s face. "Have you ever considered the possibility that I *am* from another world?"

Hearing this, he leaned down to look her in the eye and said with a perfectly straight face, "It’s possible. I think you must be the reincarnation of a fluttering moth. That’s why you flitted and fluttered your way right into my arms in this life."

’Look at him, spouting absolute nonsense with such a serious face.’

Celeste Grant nearly choked.

"You Demon! You can sleep on the floor from now on."

’That mouth of his.’

’He’s just won himself a spot on the floor.’

"Celeste, what else do you want to eat? Your husband will buy it for you."

Celeste Grant huffed and shot him a look, feigning anger. "I’m already full—of rage."