Chapter 193: Chapter 190: Unsatisfactory Food
On this day, the Mountain and Sea Empire welcomed two guests.
An old man and a young woman, a grandfather and his granddaughter.
The old man was thin, with a buzz cut and graying hair. Dressed in coarse linen, he would occasionally toss a small pill into his mouth, squinting in enjoyment.
The young woman was a charming and lovely girl, with fair skin, beautiful features, and a graceful, willowy figure.
Emperor Li Shimu himself was waiting at the main gate of the Imperial City to receive them. All civil and military officials were in attendance, as were the Clan Leaders of the Six Great Clans.
It was a grand and solemn affair.
"This junior, Li Shimu, greets Master Liu."
Li Shimu even forewent "We," the royal pronoun exclusive to the Emperor, instead bowing as a junior. This was enough to show the immense importance he placed on the old man.
The old man smacked his lips and waved his hand impatiently. "You’re still as meticulous as ever, kid. It’s annoying to watch. I’ve come to stay for a while. Is that a problem?"
Overjoyed, Li Shimu quickly replied, "Of course! It is always convenient for Master Liu to visit."
He had been waiting for this day for many years.
"This way, please. This junior has prepared a banquet. I had the finest ingredients brought in from across the lands, to be prepared by the Empire’s most outstanding chefs. I hope it will be to your satisfaction."
Li Shimu knew the old man’s temperament very well. In this world, only one person and one thing could move him.
The person was his granddaughter standing beside him; the thing was exquisite culinary delicacies.
"The most outstanding chefs?" the old man scoffed. An image of a simple, honest face that he both loved and hated surfaced in his mind.
’More outstanding than him? Impossible.’
Li Shimu was startled, unsure of what the old man’s scoff meant, but he didn’t dare to ask.
This old master was known to be fickle. There would be hell to pay if he was angered.
He turned his gaze to the young woman at his side and said with a smile, "This must be Miss Ruyan. It has been a few years, and you’ve blossomed into an even more stunning beauty. Truly a face that could launch a thousand ships!"
The young woman smiled and curtsied slightly. "Thank you for the compliment, Your Holiness."
"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Let’s eat. I do miss your palace’s cuisine."
With that, the old man ignored everyone who wanted to greet him, took the young woman by the hand, and flew directly toward the Imperial Palace.
Even the Clan Leaders of the Six Great Clans were left standing there, but none dared to utter a single complaint. They simply followed obediently.
Li Shimu gave a wry smile. ’Same old temper, same old attitude.’
This old man and young woman were none other than Liu Hong and Liu Ruyan, who had recently left the Void Sect.
One’s stomach had been conquered by Mo Qi, and the other’s heart had been captured by him. Naturally, they had to follow wherever he went.
...
At the royal court banquet, Liu Hong sat in the seat of honor. The only ones qualified to dine at the main table with him were Li Shimu, the Clan Leaders of the Six Great Clans, and a few old patriarchs from the Imperial Academy.
The other high-ranking officials and the many outstanding youths of the younger generation could only dine at side tables, more than a hundred feet away.
The gazes of all the young men present were intensely focused on Liu Ruyan, burning with passion.
This was not only because of her beauty and figure, but also because their elders had secretly sent them a message: ’Win over Miss Liu, and you will have the final say in all family matters from now on!’
They were all too familiar with the name Liu Hong. Since childhood, their elders had warned them time and again that in the Mountain and Sea Empire, he was the one person who must never, ever be provoked. No exceptions.
To put his terrifying power into perspective, there was once a foreign faction that took to the mountains as bandits, wreaking havoc throughout the Mountain and Sea Empire, burning, killing, and plundering without restraint.
The Mountain and Sea Empire had dispatched troops to eliminate them on more than one occasion.
However, the bandits were powerful and protected by treacherous terrain. Despite suffering heavy losses, the Empire was still unable to deal with them.
As a result, the bandits grew exceedingly arrogant, showing less and less regard for anyone else.
That is, until they ran into Liu Hong and angered the powerful Array Master.
A single Array enveloped the bandits’ entire stronghold.
No one knew what happened inside, but overnight, not a single bandit was left alive. Even the mountain they had occupied was blasted into dust.
Li Shimu, who was personally leading the imperial campaign, happened to witness this. From that day forward, Liu Hong became the most honored guest of the Mountain and Sea Empire.
It was said that he was one of the top three Array Masters in the Empire. In truth, he wasn’t just number one—the second and third-ranked masters weren’t even worthy of carrying his shoes.
"Master Liu, please try this. It’s Lotus City Snow Clam. The meat is plump and succulent, with a delicate lotus fragrance," Li Shimu said, personally presenting the dish to Liu Hong.
It was a cup of stewed snow clam, with a milky broth and a pure, fragrant aroma.
Liu Hong first took a sip of the broth, then fished out a snow clam leg and took a bite.
He chewed twice before spitting it out, frowning and shaking his head.
’The broth is passable, but it lacks Spiritual Energy. There are too many clashing flavors from the side ingredients, and it needed a bit more sugar. The details are completely off. It’s a far cry from what Mo the kid can do. As for the snow clam meat... what a waste! A colossal waste! Such a fine ingredient. In Mo Qi’s hands, it would be absolutely divine!’
Seeing Liu Hong’s deeply dissatisfied expression, Li Shimu was completely baffled.
He had specially chosen this stewed snow clam as a new dish in recent years. Not only was it delicious and innovative, but it also miraculously retained fifty percent of the snow clam’s medicinal properties. A single bite was said to be intoxicating.
He couldn’t understand why Liu Hong would react this way.
"Come, come, please try this honey-glazed roast duck. It used to be your favorite."
Not daring to dwell on it, Li Shimu quickly brought over a plate of roast duck, personally slicing and arranging it for him.
This time, Liu Hong didn’t even lift his chopsticks. One look at the roast duck’s color and he lost all interest in eating it.
’The honey glaze is uneven. It was clearly taken out of the oven half a breath too late, which made the color a bit dark. That means it must have a hint of a burnt, charcoal taste. Sigh... I miss Mo the kid’s cooking. Whether it was appearance or flavor, his was always perfect!’
At this thought, Liu Hong took out a Medicinal Pill and popped it into his mouth. Only then did his expression soften.
Li Shimu was utterly bewildered by Liu Hong’s behavior. ’This is all wrong.’
He remembered how Liu Hong used to be full of praise for the honey-glazed roast duck, eating at least five or six birds in a single sitting.
What was wrong with him today?
And what on earth was that dark, unassuming little pill?
’Could it really be more delicious than the snow clam and the roast duck?’
Of course, he didn’t know that over the years, Mo Qi’s cooking had made Liu Hong’s palate incredibly discerning.
The delicacies he once fondly remembered and savored now seemed riddled with flaws, so much so that he couldn’t even bring himself to take a bite.
"Master Liu...?" Li Shimu couldn’t help but ask. However, Liu Hong was completely absorbed in the delicious flavor of the Medicinal Pill and paid him no mind.
"Please don’t mind him, Your Holiness," Liu Ruyan explained. "Grandfather’s tastes have changed a lot recently. Aside from a few specific foods, it’s difficult to pique his interest."
"Might I ask, Miss Liu, what specific foods would those be?" Li Shimu inquired. He had already made up his mind: no matter what it took, he would find a way to keep Liu Hong in the Empire this time.
Whatever those foods were, he would find them, no matter the cost.
