Ning Zheng's luck had been exceptionally good. With 20.3 billion, his journey through the Immortal Realm had gone smoothly, giving him a truly wonderful experience.
It could be called a culinary journey. He had gone around the markets sampling street food, and had also successfully secured Jiu Cai Rong's Native Player login quota, becoming the second batch of Native Blacksmiths after Wu Shengjing and the others.
"Lastly, someone even gave us gifts before we left. How very kind."
After returning to Jiuzhou, Ning Zheng roughly sorted through his gains in his room at Sword Forging Manor, then went straight to the mountaintop.
When he arrived at the plaza, the blacksmiths were gathered around the Quest Board, discussing things and bragging.
"Wow, the shops in the Immortal Realm are really interesting."
"I wonder if I can go work as a shop assistant in an Immortal Realm shop and help Immortal Jiu Cai Rong."
"Golden Core—too cool!"
"That Jiu Cai Rong over there is the second merchant we've met."
"He tricked a girl into becoming free labor?"
"I wonder if we can trick this girl into coming here to log in! She looks like a professional chef. Our Mountain Villa needs her."
"That's right. If she came to Sword Forging Manor, I could finally eat soup dumplings. Luminous cuisine—take one bite and you taste that fresh flavor, and you even see beautiful illusions. It'd be like a food anime coming to life."
"I'm already sick of eating Food God's cooking."
"Urgh!~"
Players were an extremely food-focused bunch.
Because they held a Bonfire Party every night and enjoyed fine food, their demand for cuisine was enormous.
After most people finished laboring and earning money, they were willing to spend lavishly on food.
Food had always been the blacksmiths' second-largest expense.
The first expense,