Chapter 81 Attracting the Second Steward
"You don't actually think that as long as you get to Night Pool Palace, you'll be able to meet the reincarnation of that human emperor, do you?"
"Even the heads of the nine major families are not qualified to meet that person. If you go there, you probably won't even be able to see Lord Helian, the chief steward of Yetan Palace," Qu Minghao said.
"Oh? Whether we can meet or not, we'll only know when we get there. You don't need to worry about that."
"Now, hand over all your storage rings, and then get as far away from you as possible!" Xi'er glared fiercely.
Qu Minghao and Zhou Wu are now injured, and only two of their four companions remain.
They were so terrified that they had no intention of resisting and obediently handed over their storage rings.
Xi'er and Bo Yi didn't bother arguing with the two anymore. They took out a map and sped towards Night Pool Palace.
Once they were out of sight, Zhou Wu frowned and scolded Qu Minghao: "Idiot! You knew you couldn't afford to mess with those two, so why did you have to say anything?"
Qu Minghao was also filled with regret. He shouldn't have spoken up. If those two hadn't asked, he should have played dumb and not said a word.
Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets. Recalling the whole story, he couldn't help but refute it:
"Isn't it all your fault that we've ended up in this situation?"
"If it weren't for your suggestion to find the treasure in the secret realm and then launch a sneak attack to kill the formation master, Du Lingling and Gong Feiyang might still be alive."
"It was my suggestion, but didn't you all agree at the time? Now that the sneak attack has failed, you're blaming me instead."
But do you know? Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise!
If we hadn't entered the secret realm this time, we would have had no way of knowing about the invasion of those terrible insects.
"Now, before this news spreads, let's hurry back and pack our spare storage rings, then leave Star-Picking City as soon as possible and find a safe place to stay," Zhou Wu said.
“You’re right. You look honest, but you’re actually the most cunning person around,” Qu Minghao nodded.
He couldn't care less about the infighting now. Just thinking about how terrible those insects were made him wish he could sprout wings and fly as far away from here as possible.
"Those two new idiots stole our things, and instead of running away, they insisted on going to Night Pool Palace."
"If we anger the Palace Master, we'll be reduced to ashes!" Zhou Wu said sullenly, then parted ways with Qu Minghao and went their separate ways.
These people, whenever they take on a mission and go out, will hide most of their treasures in a spare storage ring, and then place it in a secret place known only to themselves.
This was also to be on the safe side in case of being robbed by a powerful person. Unexpectedly, this time the robbery failed and the victim was robbed instead.
Xi'er and the others didn't care about the regret and panic of the two. They traveled at high speed and arrived at the foot of Cloud Peak, where Night Pool Palace was located, in about half a day.
As its name suggests, Yunshangfeng (Cloud Peak) is soaring into the clouds; those who haven't climbed it simply cannot imagine how high it really is.
It is said that Ye Tan Palace is located halfway up Yun Shang Peak, where it is shrouded in mist all year round. Only on very clear days can one see Ye Tan Palace appearing and disappearing in the mist.
Xi'er and Bo Yiyan arrived at a place about fifty miles from the foot of Yunshan Peak and saw a market town.
It's bustling with people coming and going.
When the two arrived at the market, they asked around and learned that the people from Night Pool Palace had cordoned off an area of fifty miles around Cloud Peak, and no one was allowed to enter without permission.
Bo Yiyan couldn't help but frown: "I didn't expect this place to be just like those two cowards said. Let alone wanting to see the Night Pool Palace Master, we can't even get close to the foot of the mountain."
“Uncle Bo, don’t worry, I have a way to get them to come to us,” Xi’er said.
"What kind of mischievous idea have you come up with this time, you little rascal?" Bo asked with a smile.
“Of course, we still have to rely on our hot pot!” Xi’er said.
For a newcomer like myself, what could be better than a fragrant hot pot to attract the attention of the people at Night Pool Palace?
After entering the market, the two immediately found an open space, took out a hot pot, and started cooking.
They chose a spicy hot pot, and the broth was specially made with beef tallow from fifth-grade takin. This beef tallow doesn't taste much different from regular beef tallow, but it smells the best.
Just half an hour later, their hot pot was surrounded by layers of people.
People kept coming over to ask if they sold such delicious food.
Once enough people had gathered, Xi'er and the others spoke up: "Everyone! My uncle and I are new to this market and would like to let you all know the taste of our Xiangpiaopiao hot pot."
However, with so many people, it's impossible for everyone to taste the food, so we decided to select a few prominent managers to sample it.
Our market town is the closest to Yetan Palace, so I think we should invite the steward of Yetan Palace to try it first!
Xi'er didn't actually know who the manager of Yetan Palace was, but as soon as she spoke, the people who were watching and smelling the fragrance immediately turned their eyes to a middle-aged, plump woman standing at the back of the crowd.
The plump woman had only gone out to shop and happened to come over to see what was going on, drawn by the aroma. She never expected to be pushed to the front by everyone.
"Young lady, I am the second steward of Night Pool Palace. You can call me Steward Liu," the plump woman said with a smile.
"Manager Liu, you look kind and resemble an elder in my family. How about I call you Aunt Liu?"
Xi'er had a sweet and innocent smile, and a very sweet tongue. The plump aunt didn't think she was deliberately flattering or fawning over her at all; on the contrary, she was quite pleased.
She frequently visited this market, but had never seen Xi'er before. The little girl looked unfamiliar and clearly did not know her beforehand.
The suggestion to let her taste it first was probably made on a whim, out of respect for the wishes of Ye Tan Palace.
"Alright, you can call me Aunt Liu. What's the little girl's name?" Manager Liu said in a very amiable manner.
Xi'er was surprised to find the second steward of Yetan Palace so easygoing, which put her in a good mood.
"Aunt Liu, my name is Bai Xi, but my family calls me Xi'er. If you don't mind, you can call me Xi'er." Xi'er's tone was just the right amount of affection, which was pleasing to the ear without being cloying.
“Alright, Xi’er, Aunt Liu will take the liberty of letting everyone try your delicious dish today,” said Steward Liu.
Xi'er quickly took out various seasonings and prepared a small bowl of fragrant dipping sauce.
Because she wasn't sure what Manager Liu's taste was like, she chose a mildly spicy base and dipping sauces mainly consisting of sesame paste, crushed peanuts, and other flavorful condiments.
Manager Liu watched as she placed the ultra-thin slices of fatty beef into the pot. After a few seconds, the beef changed color and was taken out of the pot. Then, he used serving chopsticks to pick it up and put it into a dipping sauce bowl, smiling as he invited her to taste it.
This way of eating was something that not only the onlookers had never seen before, but even she, the well-informed manager, had never heard of it.
She tentatively picked up a perfectly cooked slice of beef, and felt an overwhelming excitement on her tongue.
It's rich but not greasy, delicate and smooth, with the aroma of butter, and the slightly numbing and spicy broth flavor all permeate it, creating an indescribable delicious taste.
"Good, good, good!" Manager Liu exclaimed repeatedly.
She casually cast a soundproof barrier and discussed with Xi'er, "Little girl, can you sell me the recipe for this dish? I'll pay you five hundred high-grade spirit stones."
Don't worry, I just want to make this delicious food for our Palace Master. I will never reveal your recipe to anyone, and it won't stop you from making money in this market.
And if you promise me that, I'll immediately tell everyone how delicious your food is, and most people will believe me.
Xi'er didn't expect that this Manager Liu was such an impatient person. He had only tasted it once and was already planning to buy the recipe.
"Aunt Liu, I would gladly give you this recipe for free. But just having the recipe won't make the same delicious dish."
"As you probably know, cooking delicious food isn't just about having a recipe; you also need to master the different heat levels and the proportions of seasonings. These are skills that require long-term cooking experience to acquire," Xi'er said sincerely.
“What you said makes sense. How about you sell me the finished product along with the hot pot?” Manager Liu said again.
"To be honest, Aunt Liu, my uncle and I are both independent cultivators. Even if we have good cooking skills, it's not easy to establish ourselves in this market."
"If you would be so kind as to recruit us into Night Pool Palace and make us your esteemed chefs, we can create even more delicious dishes," Xi'er said, blinking her bright, watery eyes.
Manager Liu already had a good impression of her, and now that he heard her say this, he was somewhat tempted.
In addition, her uncle was very handsome and had an otherworldly air about him, and he treated her with neither servility nor arrogance.
Unlike those handsome male cultivators from the lower classes who fawn over and flatter female cultivators of high status, even trying to use their beauty to gain resources.
Overall, she liked both the uncle and nephew very much.
"Although I am the second-in-command, the decision to hire a cook for Night Pool Palace is not made by me alone."
"Here's what I'll do. I'll take you inside, and you can prepare some delicious food for our head steward. If he's satisfied, the matter will be almost settled," said Steward Liu.
"In that case, thank you very much, Aunt Liu, for your help! Don't worry, if my nephew and I can become chefs at Night Pool Palace, we will do our best to make more delicious food that will satisfy you," Xi'er said gratefully.
The onlookers had hoped that after Manager Liu tasted it, they might have a chance to try it themselves. However, in just a short while, the uncle and nephew packed up their pots and pans and left the market with Manager Liu.
The crowd could only sigh in disappointment and disperse, their enthusiasm waning.
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