In the dark night, the wind and snow continued to fall. Two crescent moons were faintly discernible between the clouds.
Light Wind Empire Imperial City, Main Hall.
Inside the main hall, the lights were brightly lit, and the sounds of singing and dancing rang out incessantly. The aroma of fine wine and delicacies permeated the air, lingering in the air above the main hall. In the middle of the main hall, dancers swayed their waists, trying their best to show off their beauty.
Court musicians sat in a corner, playing to their heart's content, playing melodious notes. The dancers danced to the accompaniment of the music. It was too beautiful to take one's eyes off.
Ji Chengxue, who was dressed in luxurious robes, sat on the Dragon Throne at the front of the hall. The important ministers of the imperial court were seated on both sides of him. Many of these ministers were new faces. It was obvious that they had been promoted by Ji Chengxue during the great purge.
Some of the empire's great families also took their seats. Whether it was the Xiao family, the Ouyang family, or the Yang family, they were all seated below the main hall. As they toasted with each other, the sound of laughter rang out incessantly.
The Ghost Chef sat not far from Ji Chengxue, the wrinkles on his face slightly moving up and down, showing the joy in his heart at the moment.
"Master Wang, I once heard the previous emperor's praise for you when he was still alive, saying that you were an extraordinary person of the empire, wandering the continent for decades, seeing countless extraordinary sights and countless people and events. It is said that you are honing your culinary skills, which really makes me admire you."
Ji Chengxue filled a white jade cup with Bejewelled Nectar Wine and said to the Ghost Chef Wang Ding. As soon as he finished speaking, he drank the wine in the cup in one gulp.
Wang Ding also raised his jade cup, motioned to Ji Chengxue, drank it in one gulp, smacked his lips, and praised the wine.
"Your Majesty is too kind. This old man is only a wanderer of the continent, I don't deserve such praise from Your Majesty." Wang Ding chuckled.
Ji Chengxue really admired the old man in front of him. Of course, a large part of it was because of the other party's culinary skills and strength. But the Ghost Chef Wang Ding, wandering the continent, it was true.
"Master Wang is too humble. The Hidden Dragon Continent is vast and boundless. We know that the Light Wind Empire is but a tiny piece of land in the continent. My heart yearns for that vast world, so my admiration for Master Wang comes from the bottom of my heart."
"If Master Wang has the time, why don't you introduce some places in the Hidden Dragon Continent to me, so that I can satisfy my curiosity." Ji Chengxue raised his cup to the Ghost Chef Wang Ding again.
The Ghost Chef did not shirk. He was born in the Light Wind Empire and rose to prominence in the empire. The name of the Ghost Chef spread throughout the world, and he spent the next few decades traveling the continent. A few years ago, he lived in seclusion in Qingyang Town outside the Wildlands and opened a small restaurant.
Everyone in the great hall looked curiously at the Ghost Chef, listening attentively.
Humans always had an inexplicable yearning for the unknown. Even if these people were the nobles of the empire, it was the same.
Even someone as powerful as Xiao Meng held his breath out of curiosity.
"This old man has traveled the continent for dozens of years. To be honest, I am ashamed to say that I have not traveled the entire continent. The continent is boundless, and this old man feels that even if I spend a lifetime, I might not be able to reach the end. But this old man is not completely empty-handed."
"Your Majesty should know of the Wildlands. It is vast and boundless, with countless beasts. The Wildlands is known as a forbidden zone for humans, but on the continent, there are many such places." The Ghost Chef Wang Ding took a sip of Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine, exhaled deeply, and said slowly.
"There is a vast and boundless swamp in the north, called the Illusory Spirit Swamp. The dangers there are no less than the Wildlands. The spirit swamp is vast, but the species of spirit beasts are also very rich. There are countless spirit herbs, and even seventh grade spirit herbs exist. This old man has traveled in the Illusory Spirit Swamp for many years, and has seen many strange races, such as the Naga Tribe, the Scorpion Tribe, and so on."
Everyone in the main hall suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air. The Naga Tribe … this sounded like a very powerful tribe.
"There is a big city in the Spirit Swamp, built by the Naga Tribe. It is very majestic, and the Naga Tribe has many strong warriors, far more than our Light Wind Empire can compare. In the Illusory Spirit Swamp, the Naga City is not the strongest. There is also a mountain villa built in the clouds, called the White Cloud Villa. This old man has only heard of the name of this villa, but has not seen it with my own eyes."
Ji Chengxue's eyes lit up, and his blood surged in his heart. He sucked in a breath of cold air. White Cloud Villa, Naga City … the continent is vast, and there are indeed many strange things.
"In the east, there is a stretch of continuous mountains, known as the Hundred Thousand Mountains. There are endless mountain ranges and peaks in it. That is the most terrifying area. I have spent ten years and only managed to walk through a few mountain ranges... The forces in the mountain range are complicated. There are spirit beasts, humans, and unknown races. They all compete for the resources in the Hundred Thousand Mountains to develop themselves."
"In the south, there is an endless ocean, as far as the eye can see, and there is no end …"
The Ghost Chef Wang Ding said a lot. Perhaps it was because he had not talked about some of his deeds for a long time, but tonight his words were especially eloquent. He described some of the dangerous places he had gone through, giving everyone in the main hall an experience they had never experienced before.
So the continent … was really this vast and incredible.
"Master Wang is really a godly person. These are all areas that we cannot imagine. The Illusory Spirit Swamp in the north, the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the east, the Endless Ocean in the south … Phew, this emperor is overwhelmed with emotion listening to you." Ji Chengxue raised his wine cup again, and toasted the Ghost Chef Wang Ding.
Wang Ding also raised his cup and drained it.
Suddenly, a wave of fragrance wafted over. A number of graceful palace maids carrying porcelain plates came leisurely, and the rich aroma was bursting out from those porcelain plates.
Seeing this scene, Ji Chengxue suddenly burst into laughter. "Haha, they are finally here. Master Wang, have a taste. This is the Oyster Pancake that this emperor specially sent someone to Owner Bu to buy. Master Wang is well-versed in culinary arts, you should like it."
The Ghost Chef Wang Ding was taken aback, and his gaze fell on the porcelain plate placed in front of him by the palace maid. There was only a hemispherical, round, golden fried bun on the plate.
Ji Chengxue licked his lips, picked up a piece of Oyster Pancake, and took a bite. Instantly, a rich aroma wafted out. The plump oyster entered his mouth, and he was completely intoxicated. Because of his busy schedule, he could only eat this Oyster Pancake to satisfy his cravings.
So fragrant … so unbelievably fragrant!
The Ghost Chef took a deep breath. The rich aroma instantly provoked his taste buds, and he could not help but salivate.
He also picked up the Oyster Pancake, took a bite, and a crisp crunch rang out.
The skin of the Oyster Pancake instantly cracked, and the aroma burst out like a bomb, completely enveloping him and making him intoxicated. He couldn't stop chewing, and his mouth couldn't stop chewing. The aroma of the meat, oyster, and shredded radish blended together, giving him a taste that he had never experienced before.
"Delicious! This is simply too delicious! "Wang Ding regained his senses, swallowed a mouthful, and was immediately full of praise.
"Haha! As long as Master Wang likes it. Because this emperor is hosting a banquet today, I specially sent many people to Owner Bu to buy this Oyster Pancake. Each person is limited to one, and each portion only has two. With so many Oyster Pancakes today, perhaps Owner Bu will be exhausted. "Ji Chengxue laughed heartily.
"Owner Bu? You mean the owner of Fang Fang's Little Store in the alleyway? "Wang Ding was taken aback. He looked toward Ji Chengxue and asked in puzzlement.
"That's right. Could it be that Master Wang knows Owner Bu?" Ji Chengxue was surprised.
The Ghost Chef Wang Ding shook his head with a strange expression. After taking a bite of the Oyster Pancake, he said: "Before I entered the palace, I just left the store."
Oh? This time, Ji Chengxue was greatly interested. The Ghost Chef Wang Ding was known as the man with the best culinary skills in the empire. He wondered what kind of evaluation he would have after tasting Owner Bu's cooking.
"Owner Bu's culinary skills are impeccable, especially the rich true energy contained in each dish. This is extremely incredible, and not something an ordinary person can achieve." The Ghost Chef said, but just as he finished speaking, he frowned.
"But … Your Majesty, there is something this old man does not know if I should say."
"Speak your mind." Ji Chengxue became serious.
"The origins of this store are unclear, and the identity of Owner Bu is unknown. Its existence in the imperial city of the Light Wind Empire, the capital of a nation, could bring unimaginable disaster to the imperial city." The Ghost Chef Wang Ding's face froze as he said seriously.
At this, Ji Chengxue, Xiao Meng, and Elder Ouyang were all stunned.
Owner Bu could bring disaster to the imperial city? You must be joking …
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