Chapter 221: The Feast of Flowing Peach Blossoms and Fat Fish [Part 1]
The master of Duanlong Cave, along with Su Mei, was oblivious to the true purpose of Long Qingyue's elaborate banquet. They mistakenly believed their efforts had finally earned Long Qingyue's favor, basking in self-satisfaction. Little did they know, they were merely the appetizers for this grand performance.
Dishes began arriving, covered with wooden lids atop ceramic plates, obscuring their contents. As the secret guards placed the dishes down, the master of Duanlong Cave and Su Mei's attention was drawn to these guards, their surprise evident. It wasn't just their stealth that impressed; it was their formidable strength. The weakest among them had reached the Golden Core stage, and several were at the Nascent Soul stage. How Long Qingyue managed to command such powerful figures was a mystery to them.
Ye Wenxin, however, was accustomed to this. Long Qingyue excelled in strategic maneuvering, adept at recruiting useful individuals through countless means. Naturally, she showed no mercy to those deemed useless. Her success was no accident, and Ye Wenxin rarely witnessed such a powerful display from Long Qingyue. But in the presence of the master of Duanlong Cave and Su Mei, Ye Wenxin anticipated a very interesting evening.
As the wooden lids were lifted, the exquisite dishes revealed themselves. Ye Wenxin's eyes lit up upon seeing the first dish—yu xiang rou si (fish-flavored shredded pork)—one of her favorites. In this world, such a dish did not exist. Here, culture and cuisine took a backseat to martial prowess; food was merely sustenance. Seeing this dish, Ye Wenxin realized Long Qingyue had even brought her own chef, unwilling to compromise her comfort in any way.
Long Qingyue lived with elegance and sophistication, reigning like a queen. Observing everyone’s reactions, her gaze finally settled on Ye Wenxin, and she asked, "What do you all think of the first dish?"
"Delicious."
"Exquisite."
The master of Duanlong Cave and Su Mei immediately praised it, though the taste was average. The lack of appropriate seasonings and the different ingredients meant the yu xiang rou si lacked its unique Earthly flavor. It was edible but far from truly delicious.
"It's just okay," Ye Wenxin commented, drawing a sharp glare from Little Zhang, who wondered why the usually astute Ye Wenxin would choose this moment to be so blunt. Su Mei, on the other hand, considered Ye Wenxin foolish as expected. Though she was unsure how someone named 'Ye Meijing' appeared, she believed that no matter how clever Ye Wenxin was, she couldn't escape Long Qingyue's grasp. Su Mei was smug, convinced that this time she could use Long Qingyue to completely rid herself of Ye Wenxin, turning her into a mere vessel, stripping away her dignity and everything she held dear.
The more Su Mei thought about it, the harder it was for her to suppress her glee, causing her to lower her head and miss the knowing smiles exchanged between Ye Wenxin and Long Qingyue.
The second dish arrived swiftly—mapo tofu, another favorite of Ye Wenxin's, though the tofu looked peculiar, resembling something strange. Ye Wenxin tried a bite, enjoying the refreshing taste. Despite its odd appearance, the flavor was excellent, and she couldn't resist having more. Across from her, the master of Duanlong Cave and Su Mei struggled with the dish. Whether it was the unfamiliar spiciness or the strange taste of the mapo tofu, or perhaps Long Qingyue had added a special ingredient for them, they found it difficult to eat.
