Ten Months On

Chapter 11: Changes in Da Li

A/N: an error on my part led to a blank chapter. Hence, I'll just release a new chapter early on!

Thank you again kabkwmx for the votes!!

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Over the course of three months, there were many changes that occured in Da Li.

Of the many happenings in the country, two news in particular took North Wind district by the storm.

One was the fact that the White Moon Sect suddenly disappeared without trace. A middle rank sect that made its mark by bullying and oppressing the lower middle class citizens and extorting money to bribe corrupted officials, everyone was relieved when news of the sect's disappearance was spread.

The other was the new restaurant that had opened up in North Wind. It had suddenly appeared and business errupted quickly. Now, in only a few months, the Guànquè Lóu Restaurant or Stork Pavillion Restaurant had quickly become renowned in the country. In fact, many cultivators and fighters who came to attend the Autumn Tournament had made it a point to make a journey to visit the restaurant.

At the Stork Pavillion Restaurant, the workers were busy moving about in the kitchen. The arid air was filled with the smoky smells emanating from what the cooks had made in the silver iron woks.

As the manager shouted brisk instructions and the new orders that streamed in, a worker carrying a tray of grilled fish entered. The fish were delivered fresh every morning, swimming without a care of their future before being gutted and sliced. The bloody corpses were then cleaned and placed between two large rectangular metal wire racks, that were as long as a man, before grilled atop charcoal made from pear blossom wood.

Charred at several places that were licked by the flames, the fish emerged from racks crackling and smoking with evidence of crispy flavourful fish skin. The fish were occasionally basted with oil, Wujian Red rocksalt, white Ema peppercorns and a secret spice mix, ensuring that the flavours seeped into the fishes which were ocassionally turned around so that both sides were charcaol grilled to perfection. When the customers used their chopsticks to press upon the fish, the charred crispy skin would crack, revealing the moist white flaky flesh of the fish.

Yet, what brought the customers in wasn't just the freshly grilled fish that could only be found in the North Wind lakes. It was the assorted sauces to drench the fish in that the customers could choose from.

Once the freshly grilled fish was brought in, the servers were quick to open the two metal racks. One server expertly flipped the metal rack so that each grilled fish landed on an individual rectangular tray that had a candle burning below. Piping hot, the smoking grilled fish laid upon different assortment of vegetables like sliced lotus root, bamboo shoot and shitake mushroon. Immediately, the different chefs would take their woks and poured the different sizzling hot flavours upon the fish.

Of which, the infamous grilled fish flavour that was the bestseller was the Spicy Fragrant Grilled Fish. Cooked in red oil, fermented black beans, red numbing peppercorn, dried red chilli and an assortment of chopped fresh North Wind Chilli and garlic, the sauce was an addiction sinilar to drugs. At the sight of the sauce that dribbled all over the grilled fish, making a sizzling sound as each crevice of the fish was filled with the sauce, many customers drooled. As the customers stared at the chefs and workers who looked on impassively, they wondered how they managed to work daily without dribbing all over the food before them. If it was them, the job would have been like working in hell on earth.

Many who tried the Spicy Fragrant Grilled Fish cried at the burning sweet, spicy, sour, salty taste. Mouths swollen red and numb yet they could not stop eating. The fragrant chilli and spices were like opium. If they had not seen the cooking process through the open concept kitchen, the customers would have suspected some hanky panky. With every bite of the fish, one could only gulp and try not to swallow their tongue as the sourish, spicy flavour coated their tongue while the moist flaky flesh of the fish spread the flavour around. When eaten with white rice, every pearly grain glistening in the light, no one could stop themselves from licking every grain, every drop clean off their chopsticks and bowl.