33. Steamed Rice and Red Date Cake (Glutinous Rice)
◎Divine Tree Sap? Here you go.◎
"Senior Brother Liu, is this mortal's illness really so troublesome that it has to alarm Master?"
A round-faced, broad-waisted pharmacist disciple held up tea for Liu Jiang, and couldn't help but ask in confusion.
Liu Jiang glanced at him indifferently: "Don't make irresponsible remarks." Then he waved for the disciple to leave.
The empty room was left with only him and Lou Su, who was fast asleep on the bed. Liu Jiang's face was pale, not much different from Lou Su's.
The round-faced disciple carried the tea out of the private room, his curiosity growing even stronger.
"The more advanced the treatment these days, the paler Senior Brother Liu's face becomes. Although that poison is troublesome, it's not like we, the No. 1 Medicine Sect, haven't seen anything like it before. Why is Senior Brother Liu so frightened?"
Senior Brother Liu deliberately avoided revealing anything, so how could he casually pry? There weren't many things that could make Senior Brother Liu frown, and even Master had graced him with his presence. How could he explain this to his curious fellow disciples?
The round-faced disciple sighed, then simply tossed aside his teacup and went for a stroll in the streets.
The mortal realm was bustling, and its delicacies were its most famous feature. He had been taught by his master in the celestial realm, cultivating the path of purity, where fasting was of utmost importance. Now, smelling the wisps of aroma wafting from the food, he couldn't help but swallow hard.
The round-faced disciple, with his sharp eyes, followed the crowd to a bustling tavern with a signboard that read "Guiyue Tower" hanging outside, exuding an extremely grand air.
Inside, however, was a completely different world. The carved railings and tables and chairs were made of ancient wood, and the servants, all quick-witted and eloquent, surrounded the round-faced disciple and ushered him into the private room.
"Do you have any signature dishes? I'd like one of each."
"Please wait a moment!"
Upon seeing that this was indeed a big customer, and confirming his own good judgment, the waiter was overjoyed and happily went to serve the dishes.
A table laden with all sorts of delicacies from land and sea looked truly appetizing: translucent jade shrimp, deep-fried fish in soy sauce, tender and juicy pork, stir-fried mushrooms with vibrant red and green hues, and crispy glutinous rice balls…
The round-faced disciple nearly spit on his own foot.
He couldn't wait to pick up the food and put it into his bowl. The first bite was amazing, the second bite was a bit bland, and the third bite was greasy. After tasting a few bites of various dishes, he reluctantly stopped eating.
My stomach was full, but my heart wasn't; I just didn't feel quite satisfied.
Perhaps it's because I've tasted the finest nectar that I can no longer stomach other mundane things. The round-faced disciple patted his round belly and thought to himself.
Seeing that he had finished eating, the waiter approached him with a beaming smile and asked, "Did you enjoy your meal, sir?"
"The food is worse than that at Biyuefang, and it doesn't really suit my taste."
The round-faced disciple, straightforward and outspoken, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and prepared to turn and leave. The servant quickly followed beside him, saying, "Sir, you are a distinguished guest of Biyuefang. My establishment mainly serves wine, so our food is naturally not as good as Biyuefang's. Why don't you stay and have a taste?"
The round-faced disciple didn't want to say more to him, so he simply walked out and waved his hand. After taking a few steps, he turned back and asked, "Is there a restaurant called Cui Liang Wild Game?"
The servant hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes, yes."
Following his instructions, the servant pointed out the way, then looked around mysteriously before whispering in his ear, "Our master says that the shop owner is a mountain monster in disguise! Sir, you should be careful and it's best not to go."
The round-faced disciple, who had been feeling drowsy, suddenly became interested upon hearing this, his eyes widening in surprise: He had intended to casually visit Miss Yan and inquire about how she had obtained two top-grade immortal herbs, but there was such a rumor about it? He was even more determined to go and see for himself.
I hadn't really looked at Miss Yan properly the other day, and assumed she was just an ordinary mortal. But after hearing what she said today, I think it makes sense: how could an ordinary mortal obtain immortal herbs? She must be some great demon in disguise, hiding her aura and blending into the mortal realm.
Impatient to walk and disregarding taboos, he drew a formation in a corner and arrived at Cui Liang's shop in the blink of an eye.
Before he even reached the door, he was drawn in by the rich aroma of sweet rice mixed with the scent of red dates. It smelled steaming hot and must be delicious, so he couldn't wait to push the door open and go inside.
I had expected it to be bustling with people like Guiyuelou, but instead it was quiet and deserted, with clean windows and tables, small green plants, and a little cat playing in the sunlight on the wooden floor.
Upon hearing the arrival of the newcomers, three young women peeked out from behind, the leader of them exclaiming enthusiastically, "Sir, what would you like to order?"
"This taste..."
"Oh, it's red date steamed cake!"
Yan Yunzhao was busy washing and pitting dates in the kitchen when he heard Jingming cheerfully calling from outside that a customer was going to buy all the steamed cakes. His hand suddenly paused.
Who dares to be so arrogant? This was originally supposed to be her and the Three Grass Demons' lunch!
However, since it was a rare opportunity to make money, Yan Yunzhao didn't mind and just cooked another pot. She washed her hands, took off her apron, and came out of the kitchen to see: wasn't this the chubby senior apprentice who always followed Liu Jiang around?
For some reason, Yan Yunzhao blurted out, "Senior Brother Yuan."
He was very easygoing and wasn't annoyed by the absurd address. He just asked anxiously, "When will the red date steamed cake be ready?"
"About half an hour later."
To prevent him from getting impatient, Yan Yunzhao brought him a glass of plum juice, but she cleverly refrained from using magic, otherwise this disciple, whose cultivation was higher than hers, would definitely have noticed.
However, when they met some time ago, the disciples of the apothecary saw that she did not show any abnormality. In addition, considering that she had the golden finger that allowed her to inexplicably "invisible" before, she guessed that the true form of the Spirit-Gathering Grass had come into play.
Brother Yuan kept drinking his plum juice, sip after sip, until he finally managed to look up and ask, "What is this?" before burying his head back into the cup.
Yan Yunzhao couldn't help but chuckle as he explained the ingredients of the plum juice, and sat down with Sancao Yao to watch him chug down a whole bamboo tube of plum juice.
"This is wonderful! How can it be so delicious? I'd like to try something spicy right now. Please bring it to me, Mr. Yan."
"Brother Yuan has a good appetite, please wait a moment."
Seeing that her senior brother Yuan was having a good appetite, Yan Yunzhao went to the backyard and got the dried chili peppers that she had pickled some time ago.
Why not make a pot of Maoxuewang? Wash and slice all the meat ingredients and put them into the pot. Add shrimp, duck blood, cured meat, and sliced pork. Of course, you can't forget potato slices, bean sprouts, cabbage, and Yan Yunzhao's specially made bean curd sheets. Dozens of side dishes are added to the pot, the red oil bubbles and the aroma of chili is tempting.
Chili peppers don't taste good on their own, but when they're combined with other foods in cooking, their deliciousness increases exponentially.
Sure enough, when Brother Yuan saw the spicy blood curd, he pounced on it like a hungry wolf, and was so engrossed in the aroma that he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
When he had almost finished eating, the steamed cake was ready. Yan Yunzhao thought he was already full, but unexpectedly he said, "Give it to me."
"Senior Brother Yuan, won't you get an upset stomach?"
He shook his head, his mouth full of juice, and mumbled, "I don't have any special talents, except for my appetite. These past years in the sect, I've been fasting every day, which has been really tough on me."
Yan Yunzhao laughed and said, "I've heard that those who practice fasting should not break the precept easily, otherwise their cultivation will not progress and they may even regress. Senior Brother Yuan, aren't you afraid of this?"
He shook his head again, took the red date steamed cake, and began to eat it heartily.
The white rice in the steamed cake was stained with red dates. Yan Yunzhao was generous with the red dates and put a lot of them in the steamed cake. Because of the rich flavor, the white rice was not so sticky after steaming.
These red dates have thin skins and thick flesh; they are carefully selected, and each bite releases a burst of rich juice—they are simply irresistible.
After wolfing down the red date steamed cake, Brother Yuan finally filled his stomach. He took the handkerchief handed to him by Shuyu, wiped his mouth, and casually sighed, "The food at Guiyuelou is really hard to swallow."
"Senior Brother Yuan actually went to Guiyue Tower? What did you think of it?" Yan Yunzhao asked curiously.
"There are many recipes, but all the dishes taste the same, which is really boring."
Recalling that lunch, Senior Brother Yuan sighed with what seemed like disdain.
"If you like my cooking, Brother Yuan, please come and eat here often."
Yan Yunzhao greeted her with a smile, but Senior Brother Yuan seemed to remember something and scrutinized her carefully.
His aura was ordinary, he had no spiritual root, and no demon core. "Isn't he just a mortal?" Senior Brother Yuan thought to himself, then relaxed and sat down, leisurely enjoying the satisfaction after his meal.
Yan Yunzhao felt strange being stared at and touched his face: "Is there something on my face?"
Senior Brother Yuan, however, adopted a mysterious and cryptic expression: "No, no. It's just a little rumor. I love debunking myths."
This Senior Brother Yuan is truly an oddball, but also quite interesting.
Upon hearing this, Yan Yunzhao understood what he meant. He must have also heard the rumors in town. So, he had a sudden idea and said, "Immortals are most familiar with catching demons and subduing monsters. Why don't you help me dispel these rumors, Senior Brother Yuan?"
"No, no. I am a disciple of the Medicine Sect, and I know nothing else." Senior Brother Yuan slowly closed his eyes, seemingly very profound.
Yan Yunzhao himself came from a cultivation sect, how could he not know? No matter what kind of cultivation sect it is, there are compulsory courses and professional courses.
He was from the Medicine Sect, but that didn't stop him from learning how to identify demons. Anyway, no one could tell she was a demon. If Senior Brother Yuan could stand up and defend her, the shop's business could return to normal.
Senior Brother Yuan was well aware of her little scheme, so he offered a small reward: "I need a magical herb. It doesn't have to be a top-grade herb like Deer Life Grass, but it must be something that is hard to find in the Immortal Realm."
This was an outrageous demand. Yan Yunzhao was about to ridicule him when he remembered something and simply beckoned, saying, "Simple, come with me."
Senior Brother Yuan followed her arrogantly to the backyard with his arms crossed, and almost knelt down when he saw the giant tree.
The tree's grain is so regular it resembles an ancient carving; its trunk reaches for the sky; its branches and leaves are too high to pick; and it never sheds its leaves in autumn...
This...this...
Isn't this the divine tree bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor that escaped from the Demon Realm many years ago? He hadn't seen it in person, but he had learned about it in his sect.
Brother Yuan's eyes widened in disbelief, and for a moment he was speechless, his tongue tied in knots.
"I'll give you a jug of this sap; surely that should be considered payment?"
Yan Yunzhao remained calm and composed, but Senior Brother Yuan's mouth could hold an egg. He stammered, "Give me...give me...a...pot?"
"nature."
Yan Yunzhao took a white porcelain pot from the backyard, opened it, and showed it to his senior brother Yuan to check its authenticity.
The sap is milky white, with a sweet and lingering aroma; just one whiff is enough to make one feel refreshed and blissful.
Brother Yuan, as if in a dream, carried the pot of divine tree sap and returned to Biyuefang in a daze.
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