Chapter 187 A Dragon's Roar in One Day, the Madam's Purpose
Snowflakes are falling.
Fish in the lake are oblivious to the cold, frogs and beasts croak on the lotus leaves, and swans spread their wings in the depths of the lake.
As the banquet had just begun, the distinguished guests maintained their polite demeanor. They exchanged compliments during their conversations, creating a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.
Although Peng Lianyun, who was sitting opposite Li Xian, disliked him, he didn't cause any trouble and chatted idly with the other geniuses around him.
A quarter of an hour later.
Seventy-five slender women rowed in, carrying the second course of food. The woman at the very front was exceptionally beautiful, dressed in a colorful skirt with flowing ribbons, and was there specifically to serve the young master.
She walked gracefully at the front, heading straight for the seventh floor. The rest of the women followed closely behind, well-trained. Soon, the second dish was served to Li Xian.
This dish is far more exquisite than the former. It is even arranged in the shape of a dragon, with its claws outstretched and its scales golden, lifelike.
It's as if if you throw it into a lake, it will fly away.
"Young lady, what is the name of this dish?" Li Xian asked.
The graceful woman smiled and explained, "This is the [One Day Dragon's Roar]. Young master, please be careful not to get scratched by the dragon."
"Thank you," Li Xian said with a smile.
This dish was mysterious; it couldn't be found in any of the restaurants or canteens in the prefectural city. Upon its first appearance, no one could immediately explain its origin. Li Xian observed it closely, but his knowledge was limited, and appreciating fine food was not his forte.
"A martial artist should possess the magnanimity of the sea and a vast reserve of knowledge. I am far from being able to achieve this, and I am afraid I am not as good as the geniuses present. When I return, in addition to practicing martial arts, I should read more strange and interesting books."
He remained calm, refraining from picking up his chopsticks first, and observed the people around him.
Hua Fei cupped his hands and said, "Brother Pang Hao, in your opinion, how should this dish be eaten?"
Pang Hao's face flushed slightly. He had just displayed his knowledge and skills, trying to steal the spotlight. But the second dish surprised him, leaving him speechless for a long time.
Hua Fei laughed, "Could it also be a rebirth from the ashes?" No one answered; this "One Day Dragon's Roar" was as exquisite as a sculpture. The girl offered another hint, but for a moment, he didn't know where to begin.
"Hahaha," Hua Fei laughed, "Then I'll try it first."
He picked up his chopsticks and said, "What a delicious dish, the aroma is wonderful. I'll try the dragon head first." With a quick pinch of his chopsticks, he broke off the dragon head, leaving the rest intact.
He put it in his mouth, chewed slowly, and felt a delicate fragrance unfold. The deliciousness was indescribable, and it was even on the sweeter side.
But a moment later, his expression changed drastically. He grabbed a basin from beside the table and spat out a dark brown, foul-smelling substance.
Hua Fei said, "Pah, pah, pah, what is this stuff! How come it turned from sweet to sour as I ate it? I thought this stuff had many layers of flavor, so I savored it slowly, but the last bit of it became increasingly rotten and unbearable, like rotten meat!"
He was furious and took a few sips of fine wine to rinse his mouth.
Another foul stench filled the air; the "One Day Dragon's Roar" inscription on his desk had decayed and decomposed, turning into dark brown rotten matter.
“I see,” Peng Lianyun said. “That’s how it is. Brother Huafei, you’re eating it the wrong way, very wrong.”
Everyone gloated and were curious. Hua Fei looked embarrassed; he had made a fool of himself today and was truly ashamed. He said indignantly, "Tell me, how should it be eaten?"
Peng Lianyun said, "If I'm not mistaken, the ingredient for this dish is 'deep-sea blood shrimp.' This type of shrimp lives in the deep sea, has a slender body, and looks somewhat like a dragon. Hence, it is also called 'blood dragon's offspring.'"
"This dish uses deep-sea blood shrimp meat as its main ingredient. It is first placed in a container for forty-nine days, when the shrimp meat is about to rot but not quite, turning pure white and translucent like jade, at its most tender. However, at this point, the shrimp meat is already rotten and cannot be touched by any impurities; it will rot upon contact with hands, sweat, or wood..."
"Your mouth is full of saliva, so it must be considered filth."
At this point, the prodigies on the second floor burst into laughter. Their voices carried to the ears of those passing by the Dragon Gate Tower and the lakeside.
Hua Fei was quite embarrassed, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. Peng Lianyun continued eloquently:
"They add sheep heart, pig liver, turtle kidney... these five animal organs, all taken from the embryo, have the meaning of the five elements. They are removed from the fetus before being tainted by worldly affairs. Then they add scales, dragon whiskers, claws... these are all extremely expensive medicinal materials. They wrap the shrimp meat and isolate it from the outside world. Thus, the dragon's body does not decay and remains lifelike."
"Thus, this dish... is called 'One-Day Dragon's Roar,' and it will rot if touched."
Li Xian nodded secretly. As a prodigy of the prefectural city, he had been exposed to the world from a young age and possessed extensive knowledge. Hua Fei asked, "If it rots upon contact, how are we supposed to eat it?"
Peng Lianyun frowned and said, "Perhaps... this dish is only meant for us to look at, not to eat, but to see?"
All the prodigies nodded and pushed the plates to the edge of the table.
Suddenly, a hearty laugh rang out: "Hahaha, young friend Peng, you are quite knowledgeable, worthy of being a disciple of the Seven Mountains Sect. Your words are ninety percent accurate. However, the dishes are served to be eaten, not left to be looked at without being touched."
"The young talents on the seventh, sixth, and fifth floors have all devoured the 'One-Day Dragon's Roar.' The fourth and third floors also have their own talents who have tasted its deliciousness. We hope that you, young friend, will display your extraordinary abilities and not disappoint our good intentions."
Upon hearing this, the people on the second floor paled, realizing the difference in their abilities, and exchanged bewildered glances. But how could they possibly eat a dish that couldn't be touched by hand or mouth?
Peng Lianyun looked on with suspicion and tried various methods. Several times he made his move, but each time he hovered in mid-air before stopping again; he was truly at a loss. He couldn't help but wonder, "Do those prodigies somehow endure the stench and swallow it whole?"
Li Xian pondered, "If you're not strong enough, even if delicious food is served to you, you won't be able to swallow it." He pinched his chin, lost in thought.
Li Xian saw that the dish was incredibly lifelike, resembling a real dragon. It not only possessed the form of a dragon, but also its essence: shrimp meat, lamb heart, pig liver, and turtle kidneys. These five animal organs were all taken from embryos, just like a newborn infant, pure and untouched before birth.
Suddenly an idea struck him: if he could wrap the shrimp meat in something pure and swallow it directly, he could enjoy this delicacy.
He examined the dish and noticed a thin, transparent thread along the spine. Li Xian thought to himself, "It's silk, so that's it." He was close to his wife and knew more about silk than anyone else. This silk was of exceptionally high quality, probably from Yihe Manor.
"A book can be interpreted in a thousand ways, and a dish can be prepared in a thousand ways. This method of preparation is all just my guess, but even if it fails, there's no real loss, so why be so cautious?"
Li Xian was carefree. He immediately asked for a silver basin, filled it with water, and put the vegetables into the water, placing it beside the stove to simmer.
Clear water is pure, but the silver basin is turbid. During the simmering process, Li Xian patted the side of the basin, applying the essence of "clear wind leg" here. This caused the clear water to swirl, keeping the shrimp meat suspended in the center.
As the soup gradually cooks, it releases a delicate aroma. The broth turns a golden-green hue, indicating that the shrimp meat has changed in texture; it remains flavorful even when touched, and is ready to eat.
This action was clearly nothing out of the ordinary, yet in this situation, it was astonishing. All the spectators at the Dragon Gate Tower rose to watch.
Peng Lianyun cursed, "Are you crazy!"
"What's wrong with you?" Li Xian asked, puzzled.
"How could you do this?!" Peng Lianyun roared.
The geniuses upstairs were all trying to find a way to overcome the problem of the shrimp meat's perishability using martial arts techniques. Meanwhile, the geniuses upstairs, who had already eaten, were even more focused on finding the perfect solution.
Li Xian's actions, seemingly ordinary, were in fact extremely extraordinary. His unique approach shamed those who had been racking their brains.
Peng Lianyun pondered for a moment and said, "This dish took so much effort from people, how could you waste it like this!"
The broth was now ready, golden in color. Though it no longer resembled a dragon, it was nonetheless fragrant and enticing.
Li Xian laughed and said, "How can you say it's a waste? These dishes are presented to me, so I can eat them however I want."
"Hmph," Peng Lianyun said.
"If it were an ordinary dish, I wouldn't care whether you threw it away or ate it all. But this dish has a different meaning. This dish already has the shape of a dragon, with the five elements and five internal organs inside, and dragon scales and whiskers on the outside. Such a dish must be eaten in a specific way to do justice to the blood and sweat it contains. Just as a fine sword is worthy of a gentleman, a precious dish should also be worthy of its corresponding standards and way of eating. Your way of fooling around has drastically altered the appearance of the dish. How can this not be considered a waste?"
The soup was ready. Li Xian ladled out a bowl, took a small sip, and savored it. The aroma filled his mouth and lingered. Li Xian knew that this way of eating was correct. Peng Lianyun was rigid in his thinking and harbored hostility towards him, hence his attempts to oppose him.
"You're so arrogant!" Peng Lianyun said indignantly, seeing Li Xian drinking his soup without paying any attention to him.
“Brother Peng, why the rush?” Li Xian finished his bowl of clear soup and said, “Look, isn’t this soup very fragrant? You just said that this dish has the shape of a dragon, with the five elements and five internal organs inside, and dragon whiskers and scales on the outside. That’s very good, but you also know that something that looks like a dragon is ultimately not a dragon. It has the shape of a dragon, but it’s just a dish on the table. Calling it a ‘false dragon’ is not an exaggeration at all.”
"While the dragon shape has been lost in my use of it for soup, the shrimp meat and internal organs retain their original essence and flavor. Restoring the taste of the soup is truly the best thing ever. We martial artists eat and drink the essence of heaven and earth; isn't what we seek precisely the pursuit of the original and the true?"
"Why is it that Brother Peng finds it so hard to accept this place?"
Although Li Xian's knowledge was limited, he was eloquent and persuasive. When the topic turned to seeking the essence and truth, the listeners were initially taken aback, but then all found his arguments reasonable. This wicked officer Li Xian's speech was truly extraordinary.
Gu Nianjun arrived with a solemn expression, much to her surprise.
"You...you...this..." Peng Lianyun was speechless.
Li Xian said, "Of course, there are other ways to eat it. But for those who don't know where to start with my method, you might as well give it a try. Everyone wants to transform into a dragon, but sometimes being a humble shrimp is not so bad either."
"At least the soup was sweet."
Upon hearing this, the prodigies on the second floor were all moved and said one after another, "Brother Li's words make sense and have truly broadened my horizons."
"Yes, today, cooking a pot of delicious shrimp soup and enjoying the scenery on the lake is the most pleasant thing."
"Brother Li, your perspective is novel, impressive, impressive."
Everyone cooked and drank the soup, enjoying its fresh flavor. The deep-sea blood shrimp meat, after stewing, had not spoiled and had a chewy texture, offering a unique taste.
Before long, the "One-Day Dragon's Roar" on the second floor was completely sold out. Only Peng Lianyun was caught in a dilemma, unable to think of a better way to eat it, yet unwilling to admit defeat.
Li Xian laughed and said, "Brother Peng, are you planning to save this dish for last instead of eating it?"
"Hmph!" Peng Lianyun said, "You dare to act arrogantly in front of me with your crooked and unorthodox methods. Today I will show you what the real way to eat is."
He was caught in a dilemma: "I can't let this kid outdo me. We don't know how strong he is, but he has a silver tongue. I can't argue with him."
He feigned composure, but in reality, he had already made a desperate gamble, saying, "The secret to consuming this dish lies entirely within the five internal organs. The five organs contain the secrets of the five elements. Simply swallow the entire dish in one gulp. The five elements circulate, which will prevent the shrimp meat from rotting and allow you to enjoy the original flavor of this dish. Watch closely."
Peng Lianyun slammed his hand on the table, shaking the dishes. He opened his mouth and swallowed them, chewing them heartily with a look of enjoyment.
But after a moment, his brow furrowed again and again; the shrimp meat had turned sour and rotten. He forced himself to pretend it was delicious, feigning enjoyment. But the rotten smell of the shrimp was truly unpalatable, and he nearly vomited several times. Hua Fei had already vomited after eating only the dragon's head; one can imagine the agony he endured swallowing the dragon's body whole.
Li Xian laughed and said, "Brother Peng, I admire you, I really admire you. It seems that your way of eating is correct. I am completely impressed."
Anyone with eyes could see that Peng Lianyun had already failed; if he held on any longer, he would only end up vomiting. But Li Xian's flattery at this moment conveniently blocked his escape route; he couldn't vomit, and he couldn't swallow.
The shrimp meat rotted, turning into a foul-smelling broth. Peng Lianyun's face turned bluish-purple, but he dared not speak, for opening his mouth would only give him away.
Li Xian, in a playful mood, said, "Brother Peng, if it's really delicious, please give it a thumbs up."
Fearing being discovered, Peng Lianyun immediately gave a thumbs-up and nodded repeatedly. Li Xian sighed, "What a pity, what a pity... Why didn't you tell me about this good thing sooner? I can't have it now even if I wanted to."
Peng Lianyun was on the verge of tears, while Tianjiao on the second floor was trying his best to suppress his laughter.
In a distant building, Lin Aoshan burst into laughter, and even Gu Nianjun couldn't help but smile.
Gu Nianjun's smile faded as she thought of something, and she murmured to herself, "Lady Zhejian... what brings you here?"
(End of this chapter)
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