"Young Master Lu actually made so much braised pork?"
Looking at the bright red, glistening pieces of meat from that night, Madam Wei exclaimed with delight.
"Madam, you said this is braised pork?" Wei Xinghe asked, "Why does it look a little different from what we make at home?"
"The dishes that Young Master Lu makes are quite different from others. Our household chefs can never achieve this glossy, reddish color of meat."
Madam Wei said with some regret.
Two or three years ago, Lu Qing rescued her from the mountains and brought her to Jiuli Village. The first meal she ate there included braised pork.
She could never forget that taste.
Later, he asked Lu Qing for the recipe, but for some reason, the cooks in the manor could never make the meat look as good as Lu Qing's, and even the taste was inferior.
"It must be the seasoning," the old doctor said with a smile. "Aqing always likes to experiment with unusual seasonings, so the taste is probably different."
"It should be. In the recipe given by Young Master Lu, the one called soy sauce is something that the chefs in the manor have never been able to figure out."
“I remember Ah Qing did quite a lot before, Madam can ask him for some later.”
As the group chatted, dishes continued to arrive.
Steamed fish, poached chicken, stir-fried beef, mutton soup...
Dishes were laid out on the table, with various flavors available.
Not only is it neatly arranged on the plate, but the portion is also very generous.
After the dishes were served, two more villagers carried up a large steamer.
The steamer was steaming hot, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.
It makes those who smell it feel refreshed and clear-headed.
"This fragrance..."
Wei Xinghe and Wei Shanhai both looked at the steamer in surprise.
As experts at the Innate Realm, upon smelling the fragrance, they actually felt their bodies lighten, and even the speed at which their internal energy circulated increased slightly.
What is being steamed inside? The mere smell of it is enough to elevate the cultivation of powerful individuals like them by a fraction.
Without Wei Shanhai and the others even asking, the villagers who brought up the steamer revealed the answer.
Opening the steamer lid reveals a basket of perfectly steamed, translucent rice, each grain distinct.
What's even more remarkable is that the rice, which is snow-white and translucent, also has wisps of golden light, making it look extremely beautiful.
"This is the spirit rice that Aqing planted a while ago. Yesterday, the spirit grains were harvested, and he thought he would invite everyone to try this spirit rice."
The old doctor said with a smile.
He had seen what the spirit rice looked like yesterday when Lu Qing was husking the spirit grain, so he wasn't surprised this time.
"Is this the spirit rice that Young Master Lu has been busy planting recently?"
Wei Xinghe stared wide-eyed at the rice in the steamer.
He had been living in the villa for the past few months, so he naturally knew about Lu Qing's cultivation of spirit grains.
However, I never expected that the spirit rice inside would look like this after the spirit grain was hulled.
"Dr. Chen, have you ever eaten this spirit rice?" Wei Shanhai asked.
"Not yet. Sharing is worse than enjoying alone. I think it's more delicious to taste this spirit rice with everyone."
"In that case, I must taste this spirit rice to see what it really tastes like."
Upon hearing this, Wei Shanhai and the others became even more eager to taste the spirit rice.
In the courtyard, after all the dishes had been served, Lu Qing picked up a glass of wine and said loudly:
"Fellow villagers, since my parents passed away, Xiaoyan and I have received a lot of protection and care from you all, which helped us get through the most difficult period."
Ah Qing and Xiao Yan had always wanted to host a proper banquet for everyone, but they could never find the right opportunity.
Yesterday, I had a small harvest from the spirit grains I had been cultivating for several months.
So I'm taking this opportunity to invite everyone over for a casual meal.
Don't be shy, everyone. Eat as much as you like.
All-you-can-eat drinks and food!
Everyone watched as Lu Qing stood there, tall and elegant, with an extraordinary bearing, holding a wine glass.
I was deeply moved.
Especially for elderly people like Grandpa Zhang, their eyes welled up with tears.
That once extremely thin boy, who struggled to even survive, has now finally achieved great things.
"Alright, everyone, please don't stand on ceremony, let's start eating."
Lu Qing downed the glass of wine in his hand in one gulp.
Seeing this, everyone stopped being polite and prepared to pick up their chopsticks.
Even when it's time to eat, the young people at each table wait for the older folks to start eating before they begin to pick up food themselves.
The first thing everyone did was grab the bowl of braised pork.
There's no way around it; the reddish-brown, oily, and glistening appearance of braised pork is just too tempting.
Few people can resist the temptation of such delicious food.
A villager picked up a piece of braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat and put it in his mouth. The next moment, his eyes widened.
The meat in my mouth was tender and juicy, with the lean meat melting in my mouth and the fat melting in my mouth. It was soft, sweet, and fragrant.
The rich flavor spread in my mouth, and the taste was simply indescribable.
It's fair to say that he's never tasted such delicious meat in his entire life.
"Ah Qing, how did you cook this meat? How can it taste so good?"
"Pork can be cooked this well? It's even better than beef and lamb!"
Other villagers who had tasted the braised pork also stared wide-eyed.
I was amazed by the taste of this braised pork.
"This braised pork is truly quite different from what we have at home."
Inside the room, Wei Xinghe also exclaimed in amazement.
"Young Master Lu's cooking skills have improved even more."
Wei Shanhai tasted a piece of meat and exclaimed in admiration.
He often visited the hillside courtyard and would frequently stay for meals.
So I've had this braised pork a few times, but I still feel that Lu Qing's version this time is even better than before.
As for Hu Laosan and his daughter Hu Zezhi, it goes without saying.
This was the first time they had ever tasted such a unique dish.
"It seems that Aqing has collected some special spices during our trip to Zhongzhou. It must be related to this," the old doctor explained.
Although their journey to Zhongzhou was quite rushed, Lu Qing would sometimes wander around the vicinity of their lodgings to see if there were any unexpected discoveries.
As a result, he obtained many special seasonings.
After enjoying the braised pork, Wei Shanhai and his group tried the other dishes on the table, which were equally delicious.
Each dish has a unique flavor and can be called a true delicacy.
After tasting all the dishes, the group finally turned their attention to the steaming bowl of spirit rice.
They knew that although the dishes on the table were delicious, the spirit rice was the real highlight of today's feast.
"Dr. Chen, are there any special considerations when eating this spirit rice?" Wei Shanhai asked.
"Probably not." The old doctor shook his head. "Aqing didn't explain any special way to eat this spirit rice. It should be eaten like regular rice, just like regular rice."
"Grandpa Wei, let me serve you rice."
At this moment, Xiaoyan obediently stepped forward to serve rice to everyone.
Soon, bowls of crystal-clear spirit rice were served by Xiaoyan and placed in front of everyone.
The rising steam and the delicate fragrance wafting through the air were even more enticing to the crowd than the delicious food on the table.
"Dr. Chen, then we won't stand on ceremony."
Wei Shanhai was the first to pick up his bowl, take a mouthful of rice, and put it in his mouth.
Seeing this, the others also picked up their bowls and began to eat.
The moment a mouthful of rice entered their mouths, everyone immediately sensed the extraordinary nature of this spiritual rice.
The rice grains were soft and sticky yet chewy, and incredibly delicious.
With each chew, a natural and pure aroma lingers between the lips and teeth.
The taste was so wonderful that it was an immense pleasure.
So everyone couldn't stop eating, taking bite after bite, until they finished all the rice in their bowls.
"The taste of this spirit rice is truly indescribable; it is the best rice I have ever eaten in my entire life."
After finishing a bowl of spiritual rice, Wei Shanhai's eyes showed an incredulous expression.
More importantly, he also sensed that this spiritual rice contained a very gentle life energy, no less than that of precious medicinal herbs.
"Moreover, I feel that my body feels much lighter after eating this spiritual rice."
Madam Wei was equally surprised.
"Ah Qing said that this spirit rice contains spiritual essence, which can nourish the human body and enhance vitality. It is a very mild spiritual tonic. Madam's feeling is not an illusion," the old doctor explained.
"Such a precious item, yet Young Master Lu used it directly to entertain guests; he is truly generous."
Hu Laosan was deeply shocked.
He was a Bone Refining Realm martial artist, and his own blood and qi power was not weak.
But after eating just one bowl of spiritual rice, he felt that his qi and blood, which had not improved for a long time, had noticeably increased.
If a bowl of rice has such a miraculous effect, wouldn't it be possible for him to break through his limits and even reach the Inner Organ Realm in no time?
Hu Laosan immediately realized just how precious the spirit rice that Lu Qing had taken out to serve his guests was.
Even a martial artist of his age, whose cultivation path had long since come to an end, could enhance his qi and blood.
If those young and exceptionally talented geniuses could receive the assistance of this spiritual rice...
If consumed regularly, wouldn't one's cultivation progress by leaps and bounds, advancing at lightning speed?!
"Senior Wei, Patriarch Wei, everyone, Lu Qing is late, please forgive me."
At this moment, after Lu Qing finished entertaining the villagers outside, he went into the house.
"Young Master Lu, what are you saying? It is our good fortune to be able to taste such delicious dishes and spirit rice," Wei Shanhai said with a smile. "By the way, Young Master Lu, did you have a good harvest of spirit rice this time?"
Lu Qing was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Senior Wei, are you perhaps tempted? This spirit rice is just something I casually cultivated."
However, if Elder Wei wishes, I can spare you several hundred catties.
Thanks to Lu Qing's meticulous care, the spirit grains planted this time are growing very well.
The rice ears that formed were also exceptionally full.
So this time he also reaped a great harvest.
Two acres of spiritual fields yielded a total of over three thousand catties of spiritual grain.
Even after removing the husks, there are still at least two thousand catties of spirit rice.
Giving a few hundred kilograms to Wei Shanhai wouldn't have much of an impact.
Anyway, he, his master, and Xiaoyan couldn't eat too much.
Moreover, in a few months, he will be able to harvest another batch of spirit grains.
"However, Senior Wei, although spirit rice is good, for a Xiantian realm expert, it can only increase their cultivation at most."
To break through to a higher realm, one still needs to diligently cultivate and hone one's skills.
Lu Qing advised.
"So, Young Master Lu thought I was asking for this spirit rice for myself? Not at all," Wei Shanhai said with a smile. "I'm asking for it on behalf of Zian and Zihao."
Especially Zihao, who didn't have the same opportunities as Zian, his cultivation has probably fallen behind considerably.
With this spiritual rice, perhaps we can catch up.
"You found Zihao?" Lu Qing asked in surprise.
He had naturally heard about the destruction of the Qingyun Sword Pavilion in Jeju two months ago.
He also knew that Wei Zihao, as a disciple of the Qingyun Sword Pavilion, had also disappeared in that calamity.
Based on Lu Qing's assumption, Wei Zihao was probably already dead.
After all, so many experts from the Qingyun Sword Pavilion died tragically; how could he, a mere post-natal realm cultivator, possibly escape such a fate?
But judging from Wei Shanhai's words, it seems that Wei Zihao is not dead.
“Young Master Lu, I was just about to tell you this,” Wei Xinghe said at this moment.
"Two days ago, my Wei family's spies discovered Zihao's whereabouts in the prefectural capital."
He seemed to be hiding something with several other disciples from the Qingyun Sword Pavilion.
"Zihao is in the prefecture, so why doesn't he contact you? I remember that your Wei family also has businesses in the prefecture, right?" Lu Qing's heart stirred.
"This is also what we are wondering about. The spies in the manor reported that when they saw Zihao, he was in a hurry, as if he was avoiding something."
Therefore, I suspect there might be another reason why he deliberately avoids contacting his family.
"Avoiding what?" Lu Qing pondered for a moment. "Patriarch Wei, do you mean that Zihao is facing danger and is deliberately not contacting you to avoid implicating your Wei family?"
"Based on the information from our spies in the manor, Ah Hai and I speculate that this is very likely the case."
"It made Zihao willing to put himself in danger rather than ask his family for help."
Clearly, in his mind, the person who poses a danger to him must be extremely terrifying, far beyond what your Wei family can withstand.
Could it be the mysterious force that destroyed the Azure Cloud Sword Pavilion?
Lu Qing analyzed.
Wei Shanhai sighed, "We think so too, but the thought that Zihao might be in danger makes my wife and I extremely anxious and restless."
Madam Wei couldn't help but show a sorrowful expression.
"So, Patriarch Wei, what do you intend to do?"
Lu Qing could understand; as parents, how could they stand idly by and watch their son be in danger?
"I'm thinking of going to the prefectural capital to see if I can bring Zihao back," Wei Xinghe said, expressing his idea.
“I’m afraid that’s not a good idea. Since Zihao isn’t contacting you, there must be a reason. If you, Patriarch Wei, suddenly go to meet him, it might catch him off guard and disrupt his plans.”
"Of course I know that, but if I don't go to the prefectural capital, and if something happens to Zihao because of it, I'm afraid I'll never have peace of mind for the rest of my life."
Of course, I also know that this journey is fraught with danger, and I know that you, Young Master Lu, are skilled in divination.
So I'd like to ask you, what are my chances of survival on this journey?
Lu Qing: "."
He doesn't know anything about divination techniques; those are just excuses he uses to justify his supposed superpowers.
However, seeing the determination on Wei Xinghe's face, he knew that persuasion was impossible.
No father would ever truly stand by and watch his child be in danger.
So he thought for a moment and took out a sword-shaped jade talisman from his pocket.
