Of the Three Fresh Delicacies of the Yangtze River, shad had particularly exacting requirements when it came to preparation. Its scales could not be scraped off, because beneath them lay a rich layer of fat. That fat was exceptionally delicious and the very reason shad could rank among the Three Fresh Delicacies of the Yangtze River. If the scales were removed, the fish's flavor would diminish by at least half.
A Dou Emperor could already go without food or drink; simply absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy each day was enough to sustain their consumption. But Xiao Xian was not one of them. He greatly enjoyed the pleasures of eating and drinking. In his view, if a person did not eat, what was the point of living?
Xiao Xian was not the only customer in this teahouse. The neighboring tables were also full, occupied by merchants constantly traveling about and wandering martial artists.
People of the martial world could not bear loneliness and loved showing off. Once a few of them gathered together and downed a few cups of horse piss, they immediately began bragging. One would claim that on some day in some year, he had slaughtered countless bandits, and that battle had been so earth-shattering that ghosts wailed, gods howled, and even the sun and moon lost their light—none of it was exaggeration.
Another would claim he had encountered countless masters and fought them for countless exchanges, only for them to develop a special bond in the end. Sparks of love flew between them, and they slaughtered a chicken to swear brotherhood.
A third was even more outrageous. He claimed that he had never suffered a single defeat since entering the martial world, so he had named himself Dugu Qiubai, hoping that one day he might taste what