Chapter 12 — ILK Chapter 12

Dangkang Ham and Coral Salt (2)

In a very short time, Sang Ye had come to appreciate the rapid development of human technology. One example was the small blowtorch currently in her hand. It featured five different settings; by simply switching to the right channel, she could produce a flame of the desired temperature and length.

In the past, the step of singeing the pig skin had required the assistance of a Fire-element disciple. Now, she could do it all by herself. What it consumed was an energy source they called "electricity"; it only drained the power cell behind the tool, not her own mental energy.

In ancient times, humans obtained electricity from coal, oil, wind, or water. But as they expanded into the universe, the energy sources changed time and again. The energy used by other planets was usually public knowledge, mostly sourced locally. Only Black Tower Planet remained a secret, with the authorities officially refusing to disclose any data.

Sang Ye set the heat to the second level, meticulously singeing away the fine hairs on the four pieces of the pig leg. Then, she switched to the fourth level, using high heat to pre-dry the skin and fat layers.

Next came the day's major project: Salting.

Sang Ye felt a twinge of "heartache" as she brought out the Coral Salt she had accumulated over the past six months. Coral Beasts were tiny and stingy; if she hadn't raised them in her own pocket dimension, she might have only gathered forty or fifty catties in half a year.

She poured the Coral Salt into a large basin, creating a thick layer. She placed the four pieces of the pig leg inside and pressed the salt firmly and evenly onto the surface, making sure every corner was covered. She continued until a layer of salt film formed that couldn't be shaken off, resembling a coating of white frost. At this stage, the faint gamey scent of the pork was completely masked by the salty-sweet aroma of the Coral Salt. She stacked the legs together, allowing the salt to penetrate the meat faster.

Sang Ye carried the basin of pork into a specialized small room within the storage area. As she entered, a robot turned its head to watch her. The storage area contained three of these glass "cubicles," which were originally used to store ammunition.

After humans evolved mental power, original ammunition had transformed into high-energy or even mental-power weapons. The current direction of ammunition research had shifted toward biological applications. Some, upon entering the body, would corrode nerves; others would freeze the blood, burn internal organs, or release lethal infectious viruses. Fortunately, the mental power required to activate these dangerous munitions was immense—it was a "lose-lose" tactic on the battlefield—and an average Sentinel or Guide stood no chance of triggering them.

These munitions required constant temperature, humidity, and strict control over microbial concentration. After the base was fully completed, the West Building—lacking a sufficient safety rating—was decommissioned, and the munitions were moved to a more sophisticated underground facility. However, the storage room and glass cubicles remained, cleaned and disinfected.

Sang Ye moved the pork into the glass cubicle. Unlike the final hanging stage, the fermentation process after salting required the temperature and humidity of a rainy day, yet the meat could not be allowed to get wet from condensation. Ventilation was also crucial.

Using the instruments, Sang Ye adjusted the conditions inside the glass cubicle to the ideal range—specifically, the frequency where "Green Enzyme" thrived most.

The primary actor in fermentation was a type of mold organism called Green Enzyme. They would reveal their true form once the ham was fully cured—a layer of faint green mold on the surface. While non-toxic, it wasn't visually appealing, so people usually just trimmed it off. When these enzymes reached a certain level of "cultivation" and were kept in the right environment, they could shorten the fermentation time to just one week! Besides Green Enzyme, they could also secrete other strains.

Sang Ye had once used a milky-white strain to ferment milk into a solidified, sweet-and-sour dairy product. In Shifang Grotto, they were called "Enzyme Fairies". These fairies were very close to disciples with Wood spiritual roots, as they cultivated faster when paired with the same element.

An Enzyme Fairy was as light as a feather and looked like a fluffy ball of fur. They possessed incredible vitality and could survive in the harshest environments; even the records of the Underworld mentioned their presence. Although these strange creatures possessed some intelligence, they could still be brought into a pocket dimension by Shifang Grotto disciples.

Sang Ye lifted an Enzyme Fairy out from her dimension and squeezed its fluffy body. "Little Fairy, give me some Green Enzyme."

The Enzyme Fairy let out a yawn and began shaking its fur. The Green Enzyme entered the glass cubicle through the vents, slowly attaching itself to the ham. The fairy was not stingy at all, even extending its tiny palms to shake off even more of the mold.

With the right environment and the efforts of the Enzyme Fairy, these hams would likely finish fermenting in a single day. Sang Ye only needed to go in occasionally to turn the meat, re-salt it, and rotate the stacking order.

While she was focused on the ham and imagining its delicious future, news of Wu Jianing regrowing her legs had already spread to every corner of the base. Everyone—from those inside the base to those out on missions—wanted to see this Guide, or rather, this "Great Chef." The members of the Wu family scattered across the Empire also received the good news. Wu Xiangxi, Wu Huansheng’s mother, even proposed coming to visit the mother and daughter.

Wu Huansheng watched her mother and daughter express their mutual longing over the terminal and felt quite helpless. "Black Tower Planet does not allow unauthorized personnel to enter and leave at will." Seeing her mother’s eyebrows shoot up, she quickly added, "While the regulations certainly can't stop you, it's too conspicuous. Besides, once Ningning has fully recovered, I'll apply to send her back to the Capital to be raised by you and Eldest Sister. It's not good for her to stay on Black Tower forever."

Wu Xiangxi fell silent for a moment. "Then when will we see you again? Is it because of that damned spiritual form of yours that we can never meet again for the rest of our lives?"

She accepted the arrangement for Wu Jianing but wanted to see her daughter again even more. The lifespan of Interstellar humans had increased, but the average was still around 1,500 years; Wu Xiangxi was already 460. There was no precedent for a Sentinel who voluntarily or involuntarily came to Black Tower to ever return. Holding a high position in the Empire but being unable to save her own daughter made Wu Xiangxi very bitter. Sometimes, she wished Wu Huansheng’s spiritual form would simply fall asleep and her mental power would vanish. At least then, she could keep her daughter safely by her side.

Both mother and daughter fell silent for a moment, then Wu Xiangxi asked, "Since that Guide could make Ningning’s legs grow back, can she cure your spiritual form?"

Wu Huansheng had considered this too. "It is strange. Her mental power—or rather, the energy brought by her meals—causes me absolutely no rejection reaction at all. And she’s only a B-rank Guide."

Wu Xiangxi became thoughtful. "If she can cure your spiritual form, find out what she wants. Money, a military rank, or anything else. As long as she cures you, anything is worth it."

"Her sentence is nearly ten thousand years. She likely has no expectation of ever getting out," Wu Huansheng replied. "Plus, with the massive debt she owes, staying on Black Tower might actually be safer. At least no one dares to come here for revenge or to collect debts."

"But can't she get a sentence reduction?" Wu Xiangxi’s eyes shone. "Your aunt is one of the Chief Justices of the Central Court. I remember all sentencing must go through a three-party agreement, right?"

"Aunt isn't in charge of criminal matters. She’s in the Civil Court; can she reach into the Military Court?"

"As long as the rank is high enough, there is always room to maneuver," Wu Xiangxi replied calmly. "And sentence reductions involve psychological games. If you propose a 200-year reduction at the start, they’ll never agree. But if you ask for 200 years and then suggest 20 years, it’s much easier to get the 20 years than if you had asked for it at the beginning."

"..." You certainly know how to compromise, Wu Huansheng thought.

"Leave this to me. You just focus on resting," Wu Xiangxi instructed before hanging up. "Make sure she feels she owes you a favor. If you're too embarrassed to say it, let Mu An do the talking."

Sang Ye had no way of knowing about the power plays and dark sides of the Imperial elite, nor did she care. Under her careful management, the Dangkang Ham finished salting in just one day!

At this stage, the ham-making process was halfway complete. Technological progress made many things effortless. Sang Ye tapped the ham; it had become rock-hard, producing a solid, ceramic-like sound. It gave off the unique fragrance of Coral Salt without being overly pungent. She couldn't help but recall the taste of ham—the rich, salty-sweet fat fragrance mixed with a faint hint of nuts. It was a complex flavor; paired with grape wine and baked snacks, even eating it plain was a delight. Not to mention it was the essential ingredient for dishes that needed a "umami" kick, like Ham and Old Duck Soup or Yanduxian.

(Yanduxian (腌笃鲜) is a traditional, slow-simmered soup from the Jiangnan region of China, including Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. The name describes its components: "Yan" (腌) refers to cured or salted pork; "Du" (笃) is a Wu dialect term for the sound of slow simmering; and "Xian" (鲜) refers to the "freshness" provided by fresh pork and bamboo shoots)

Her Grandmaster's ham-curing skill was legendary in Shifang Grotto. Back then, they all craved the hams hanging in front of the Grandmaster's door, and "thieving cats" would frequently sneak over to carve off a plate. When the Grandmaster returned from her travels, she was shocked to find only the bare bones remaining! Even the choicest "hammer meat" had been hollowed out!

Sang Ye knew she hadn't reached her Grandmaster's level yet, but she was close. She didn't rush to trim off the layer of green mold; it would serve a great purpose later. She tied a rope around the base of the leg, meat-heavy side down, and hung it in the constant-temperature oven. She set it to 40°C and turned on the ventilation. This time, the humidity had to be low to squeeze out almost all the moisture.

While Sang Ye was inside the walk-in oven, the light at the door flashed red, and the door could not be closed from either side. Once she stepped out, the door slid shut and locked automatically. Hot air began to circulate, carrying the aroma of the ham out through the vents. This fragrance, carrying mental energy, flowed into Sang Ye’s body, leaving her feeling warm and tingly.

Suddenly, the Parasol Tree inside her pocket dimension let out a cry.

The Parasol Tree was Sang Ye’s spiritual form, the physical manifestation of her spiritual root. All her mental power and the pocket dimension originated from it. A change in the tree meant a sudden transformation in her dimension. Sang Ye ignored the fact that she was still in the kitchen; she found a corner, sat cross-legged, and sank her consciousness into the dimension.

The moment she landed on the firm earth and saw the tree, her anxiety turned into wild joy. The Parasol Tree had grown taller and more lush! It used to be only three or four meters high, looking impressive only because of its thick foliage. But now, it had shot up over a meter, its branches spreading out with the dignified posture of a deep-rooted ancient tree.

The tree shook its branches smugly, performing a dance that belonged only to it. The rustling leaves were so loud that the Coral Beast family in the pond below couldn't sleep; they spat several mouthfuls of water at it in protest. The tree didn't mind, treating it as a free watering.

A breakthrough for the spiritual form meant an expansion of her pocket dimension. Sang Ye looked around. Sure enough, the previously misty borders had expanded outward to reveal about ten mu of black-soil fields. Along the outer edge of the fields, a ring of fruit trees had sprouted.

Sang Ye stepped closer to inspect them. There were many varieties: cherries, crabapples, hawthorns, papayas, dates... The dimension was an illusion of her mental power; it would grow as she did. Her Grandmaster's dimension was a complete small world with crisscrossing paths through fields, every fruit and vegetable imaginable, forests, plains, oceans, and lakes. When her Grandmaster was young and not yet so powerful, she had used her dimension to feed the people of several cities during a famine.

Sang Ye had always aimed for her Grandmaster’s level, but her dimension hadn't changed in years. Her sect had said she simply hadn't met her "catalyst." Just when she had given up, she found her catalyst in this Interstellar world. If she could become a Great Power like her Grandmaster, she could build a new home for herself in this world.