The Li Family truly lives up to its name as a wealthy household. The ingredients used for the dinner feast were extremely generous, and the table full of dishes was truly a banquet.
There were things that flew in the sky, swam in the water, ran on the ground, and called in the mountains... an astonishing variety that left Fan Wubing dazzled.
To be honest, since Fan Wubing came to this world, he hadn't had a decent meal. In his early years at the Fan Family mansion, his body was extremely fragile, barely able to withstand anything, with only 2 health points, so he couldn't eat randomly. He only ate the finest foods, without too many seasonings.
After entering the Eternal Immortal Sect, cultivators didn't focus on food and drink, making the meals even plainer. Most disciples relied on Grain Avoidance Pills to get by.
The desire for oil and salt combined with "Tongue Desire" made it even harder for Fan Wubing to endure than sitting across from Lady Li.
Landlord Li was quite a gourmand. As Fan Wubing ate, he cheerfully introduced each dish with a wealth of detail, from ingredients to preparation, like he was reciting a treasured lore.
Fan Wubing wasn't too concerned with how the dishes were made, only with what he gained from digesting the food through "Tongue Desire."
[Cultivating "Devouring Stars, Chewing Moon"...]
["Tongue Desire": After consuming a certain food, you are expected to increase your maximum life value by 0.05]
0.05!
Fan Wubing was shocked... so much? It equaled half the reward of meditating in front of the Enlightenment Stele for half an hour! And this was just from a mouthful of food.
He couldn't help but ask,
"Landlord Li, what's the story behind this dish?"
Landlord Li enthusiastically explained, with emotion and expression,
"This dish is called 'Vinegar Slip Morning Fish Belly.' It's made with top-quality aged vinegar from the Orchid Nation and the fish belly of a small blue-tailed fish caught early in the morning at the Luoyu River. First, let the small blue-tail fast for half an hour to make the fish belly crisper. When cleaning the fish, do it in one go, keeping the belly and not the meat. Then, put it in the pot, lightly fry it, and finally use the pre-prepared vinegar sauce to cook and slide it..."
As Fan Wubing listened, eating, he felt a sense of disoriented...
He seemed to see, with his own eyes, an old man fishing on the cold morning shore of Luoyu River, catching a small blue-tailed fish. He felt as if he transformed into this small blue-tailed fish, delivered to Landlord Li's residence, entering the kitchen, watching the cook's movements. From killing the fish, to entering the pot, to being plated and served...
Everything was so clear.
Suddenly, he awoke with a start,
["Tongue Desire": After consuming the food "Vinegar Slip Morning Fish Belly," you have obtained this food's preparation method]
Fan Wubing was astonished!
Could it really be like this? Does "Tongue Desire" not only absorb essence to increase life value cap?
If he consumed a single pill, wouldn't he... gain the pill refinement method?
Gulp!
Fan Wubing swallowed his saliva.
This "Tongue Desire" is even more useful than he anticipated.
He continued to indulge himself, listening to Landlord Li's vivid descriptions. The meal was especially satisfying, probably the most comfortable one he'd had in his life.
After finishing the meal, he added up a total of 4.8 points increase in his maximum health value, approximately equal to meditating in front of the Enlightenment Stele for forty-eight days straight. The cultivation progress of "Devouring Stars, Chewing Moon" increased by 0.8%.
He couldn't help but sigh. This is like working a job, where some strive diligently and earnestly. The result of a month's effort doesn't match what others earn in just an hour.
Such disparity.
After the meal, Fan Wubing, pretending to perform some wrapping-up tasks, impressed Landlord Li.
Landlord Li was quite pleased with the outcome of the commission, having indeed noticed changes in his wife. Thereupon, he wanted to befriend Fan Wubing, this young Immortal Disciple who could effortlessly solve problems that even Foundation Establishment Stage disciples could not. He intended to retain Fan Wubing overnight.
But Fan Wubing was keen to find a quiet place to carefully ponder things over, so he politely declined.
Landlord Li, charmed by his rejuvenated wife, did not insist further. After offering Fan Wubing some additional recompense, he concluded the commission.
...
As a place where immortals and mortals blend, Weiri City is seldom restricted by worldly rules, with no curfew and lights illuminating the entire night.
Here lies both the worldly life between common folks and the ethereal aura of those cultivators. In another sense, this place satisfies the living needs of mortals and the cultivation needs of cultivators alike.
It's a city well-suited for ambling and exploring.
Fan Wubing strolled along the spacious main road, Weiri Dao. Lights and banners adorned both sides, and in the distance, the city's lake hosted a splendid and dazzling lantern festival. Many men and women, arm-in-arm, walked through Weiri Dao, heading to join in on the festivities.
Accustomed to a solitary life on Enlightenment Peak, this hustle and bustle somewhat overwhelmed him.
Next to the lantern festival was a market, where he paused to browse some curiosities.
While finding treasures in the market might be rare, it wasn't impossible.
Walking through various stalls, Fan Wubing's mood rose with the lively atmosphere.
He stopped at a stall selling various trinkets, contemplating whether to buy a gift for his Senior Sister upon her return.
"Ol... Old, boss! How much for this book, this one, and this one together?"
A familiar voice came from the stall next to him, prompting Fan Wubing to turn and look.
He saw Luo Qingyao standing in front of a stall filled with various mixed books and comics, holding three books in her hands. He instinctively glanced at the covers of the three books...
"On Loving Cats," "Me and My Dog Wife," "My Foxy Wife from the Moon Palace."
He was looking at the three books.
Luo Qingyao was looking at him.
Then, their eyes met.
Luo Qingyao's face started turning red from her cheeks, quickly spreading to her ears and neck. She looked at the books in her hands, then stiffly said,
"Senior Brother Fan, it's been a while."
"Junior Sister Luo, we just met yesterday."
Suddenly, she moved closer, stretched out a hand in front of Fan Wubing, and kept chanting,
"You saw nothing, you saw nothing..."
Trying to hypnotize Fan Wubing.
Fan Wubing blinked, then pretended to just notice her,
"Oh, Junior Sister Luo, what brings you here? I didn't see anything just now!"
Luo Qingyao's eyes drooped, she covered her face and said,
"Senior Brother, I want to die."
"Come on, you're still young. There's plenty of time left until I forget everything from just now, right?"
"Boo hoo hoo... I want to die even more now!"
"Junior Sister, there's nothing wrong with it. After reading too many serious books, it's normal to glance at something less serious once in a while."
Luo Qingyao lowered her hand, her eyes widened, staring straight at Fan Wubing,
"So you also think these are not serious! Then why did you have to... that... rabbit!"
"I said it was a misunderstanding, but you left without listening to my explanation!"
"Then, Senior Brother, what kind of things do you like?"
Luo Qingyao moved closer. This girl wasn't shy at all, grabbing Fan Wubing's sleeve with an expression that said she wouldn't let go unless he confessed.
Fan Wubing said,
"I'm devoted to the Dao, I have no plans in that regard. That's the truth."
Luo Qingyao wasn't disappointed, instead, she laughed,
"You should have told the truth sooner. You came up with such strange reasons, I was so scared I dreamed about rabbits all night."
"I told you earlier, you just didn't take it seriously..."
Luo Qingyao giggled.
Fan Wubing thought, though this girl was a bit childish, she knew how to let things go.
"By the way, are you still buying the book?" the vendor asked.
Luo Qingyao's face, which had just recovered, turned red again,
"No, no! Who would read such things!"
The vendor scratched his head,
"But just now, I saw you enjoying it, little girl. Who reads a book and doesn't buy it?"
"I did not! Boss, don't talk nonsense..." Luo Qingyao tried hard to recover her image, and got so worked up in her defense that she immediately recited a passage from the Holy Sage Book to prove she's into serious reading.
"All right, all right, Junior Sister Luo. Boss, I'll buy a book from you, let's drop it."
Saying this, he casually picked up a book, handed over two copper coins to the vendor. He glanced at the book cover, "Love of the Dragon," and then put it away without much thought; after all, they were all less serious books.
As a disciple from a reputable sect, he might at most read it once, but never twice.
"Senior... Senior Brother, how about we go to the lantern festival?"
Luo Qingyao looked hopeful.
Fan Wubing thought, a girl like her is easily satisfied; agree to one small request and she'll be happy for a long time. But if you ignore her, she'll probably keep pestering.
After figuring it out in his head, he cheerfully said,
"Sure, let's go."