Jade Rainbow Bridge (Two-in-One)

"Even Master can't swat away mosquitoes?"

Liang Qu received the answer and felt relieved.

Yang Dongxiong nodded in response.

"Among the five types of insects—robin, scaled, hairy, feathered, and larval—the vast majority are born with a spirit and seek advantage while avoiding harm."

Only a small number of Naked Insect, insects, and scale insects, such as planarians, flying mosquitoes, and oysters, are excessively mentally deficient.

Unless one becomes Spirit Monster or monster and develops sentience, they will not be able to sense the power of Martial Artist. Even I, as their master, have to light mosquito coils at night, otherwise it's too noisy.

There are five kinds of creatures in the world: snails, scaled creatures, hairy creatures, feathered creatures, and insects.

These five categories represent the understanding of organisms held by our predecessors.

Among them, "Naked Insect" refers to naked insects, which are hairless and armorless, such as planarians, earthworms, and frogs. Humans are also hairless and armorless, so the sage is the leader of "Naked Insect".

The rest is easy to understand. Scaled insects are scaly animals, including winged flying insects, and the dragon is the Chief of Scaled Insects.

Caterpillars refer to land animals, Feathered Insect refer to birds, and insects refer to shelled worms and some shelled aquatic creatures.

"Then it's not just my problem. Some creatures are indeed too stupid to feel fear."

Once the cause was understood, the Liang Qu was much more balanced.

As long as I'm not an exception, that's fine.

He then ran out and returned carrying several huge copper pots, six in total, which he arranged in a circle on a large table.

The copper pot has a unique shape, with a hollow chimney protruding from the middle.

These six copper pots were made by Li Yuan from his third senior brother's shop a few days ago, and Liang Qu brought them along when he went to invite his third senior brother.

"Your vessel shape is quite unique."

Yang Dongxiong had never seen such novel cooking utensils before. He picked one up, examined it, and made a guess.

"Is it a hot pot? Is the middle part for holding charcoal?"

"Hey, Master has such discerning eyes!"

Yang Dongxiong laughed and said, "It's just hot pot, I'm afraid you wouldn't make such a big fuss about it, would you?"

Hot pot is nothing new; it's been around for a long time, and there are several hot pot restaurants in Ping Yang County.

It's not uncommon to cook food while eating it; Da Shun calls it "Antique Soup" (meaning "antique soup"), named after the "gudong" sound made when food is put into boiling water.

There are even hot pots with two compartments, called "Five Flavors Pot," which are copper pots divided into five sections to cook different foods and prevent them from mixing flavors.

Liang Qu's true innovation lies in combining all of these elements, along with his Liang's Secret Recipe Broth! "That's right, today's highlight is your disciple's secret hot pot base!"

He opened the earthenware pot and poured the scarlet hot pot base into the copper pot, followed by bone broth, mushrooms, and pickled vegetables.

When they were poured out of the earthenware jar, they were still steaming and had not cooled down completely.

Not everyone likes spicy food.

To this end, Liang Qu prepared a total of six pots: three spicy, one beef bone, one mushroom, and one pickled cabbage, bringing together the four most common flavors.

Spicy, savory, fresh, and sour! Yang Dongxiong sniffed, his nose itching. "Such a strong spicy aroma! How many chilies did you put in? Why does it smell so good?"

"The finest butter, paired with chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, scallions, fermented soybeans, star anise, fermented glutinous rice, broad bean paste, white sugar, cardamom, fennel seeds, licorice root, and amomum villosum..."

Liang Qu rattled off more than ten kinds of information in one breath, too many to count on ten fingers.

Yang Dongxiong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that it was perfectly reasonable for it to smell so good.

"I never imagined you had a talent for cooking..."

Liang Qu chuckled.

"It smells so good! I can smell it even in the backyard. I'm already thinking about what to eat tonight."

Xu Shi walked leisurely out of the corridor, holding a small round fan in her hand, which covered half of her face. She showed Great Prosperity the six bronze pots in front of her.

"Xiao Jiu, what's this thing you're carrying called? I've never seen it before."

"Replying to Master's Wife's wife, I call it hot pot, and it's something I've been experimenting with recently."

It has a spicy and savory flavor, perfect for hot pot, especially meat rolls. I've also prepared other flavors in case some people don't like it too spicy.

"Hey, Madam! I could smell it from the front door, let alone the backyard!"

Xiang ChangSong and Hu Qi walked quickly through the corridor and into the hall.

Xiang ChangSong placed his hands on the table, leaned down, took a deep breath, and his stomach rumbled.

"So, what were you doing all this time, junior brother? Turns out it was hot pot! But why does this broth smell so good? Junior brother, let's open a restaurant together. You just need to provide the recipe, and you don't have to worry about anything else, like choosing the location or hiring staff. We'll split the profits 50/50!"

"Junior brother, let me do it. I'll split it 40/60 with you. I'll take 40% and you take 60%.

Xu Zishuai arrived unexpectedly from outside, ruining Xiang ChangSong's promising business.

"How can Senior Brother Xu compete with his junior brother for profit? That's not fair!"

"What do you mean by being kind or unkind?"

Lu Gang's voice came from outside the door, accompanied by a beautiful figure.

"Senior Brother Lu, Senior Sister Zhuo? Hurry up, Junior Brother, everyone's here! Where's the food? Hurry up and serve the food! I've been teaching apprentices all afternoon, and I've drunk three cans of water. I'm so thirsty!"

"I'll get the kitchen to do it right away."

Liang Qu ran to the kitchen and quickly led several servants up, placing plates of sliced meat rolls and bowls of prepared condiments on the table.

Another person held an iron shovel in one hand and used iron tongs to put the red-hot charcoal into the copper pot with the other.

Liang Qu only brought the broth and seasonings; everything else was from his Master's shop.

My Master's ice cellar was huge, and it had everything. The mutton was frozen solid, and you could slice it directly to make excellent meat rolls.

When people eat hot pot, they usually dip their meat in various sauces, and everyone chooses their favorite.

It's not like it's the first time we've eaten together. We eat together four or five times a month. We're very familiar with each other, like we're at home.

Liang Qu's favorite ratio is one spoonful of crushed peanuts, one spoonful of chopped cilantro, one spoonful of chopped green onions, one spoonful of oyster sauce, one spoonful of minced garlic, and finally drizzled with sesame oil until the sauce is completely submerged, creating an irresistible aroma.

"The water's boiling, let me have a taste first."

The scalding red oil bubbled and boiled in the copper stove, steaming out billowing white vapor.

Xiang ChangSong picked up a piece of cooked mutton roll with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce on his plate, and stuffed it into his mouth before it had cooled down, scalding him so much that he was breathing out hot air.

"Ha, ha, that's delicious!"

"This is the first time I've ever had such a delicious hot pot. It's really unique. No wonder I heard Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother arguing as soon as I walked in. They could really open a restaurant in Ping Yang County. The business would definitely be great. I'll take care of all the copper pots that Junior Brother wants!"

"Third senior brother is joking. I don't have time to manage the restaurant. Everyone, please try this."

Liang Qu took a plate of dark-colored stuff from a servant and placed it on the table. The plate contained palm-sized thin slices covered with black spots—the very soul of hot pot: tripe! He had specially asked the servants of the Yang Residence to buy it and process it, soaking it in ice water until it was dark, shiny, and of excellent quality.

Xu Zishuai picked up a piece and examined it repeatedly before finally remembering what it was.

"Beef tripe? Offal can be eaten?"

Liang Qu held up two fingers. "Senior Brother Xu, try it. It should be hot for two breaths, not too hot."

Xu Zishuai heated up a piece of food with some skepticism and put it in his mouth. Everyone's eyes were focused on him, but they saw his brows furrowing more and more tightly.

Liang Qu asked with a smile, "How is it?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'll try it again."

He scalded another piece, and after a crisp crunching sound, Xu Zishuai swallowed it.

"What now?"

"It's not tasty, don't try it, I'll suffer for you."

Only then did everyone realize what was going on, and they snatched the tripe that had been moved away from Xiang ChangSong.

"You still took some if it's not good?! Give it to me!"

"Senior Brother Xu is being unfair."

Yang Dongxiong also tentatively tried a piece and nodded.

"It tastes great; it's the first time I've ever had something so crisp and crunchy."

"Please eat as much as you like, everyone. I had Uncle Hu make a lot, and there are still many more plates to come!"

Hu Qi was sweating profusely from the spiciness when he suddenly felt a gust of cold air on his neck. He looked around and asked, "Why is it so cool in Master's room? Did you put out Ice Chamber?"

"It's not Ice Chamber," Yang Dongxiong pointed to the Ice Platform in the corner that was emitting steam. "A few days ago, Yue Long sent me two things called Ice Platform. They can emit cool air on hot days, making it much more comfortable to sleep at night."

"Such a good thing? Where can I buy it? I'll go buy one."

"Yue Long said it's a new product from the Imperial Capital. It will probably be a while before it's available on the market."

Xu Zishuai was quite disappointed.

"It's been so hot lately, and it's the Plum Rain Season too. It's been raining so much that it's hard to breathe outside. I can't even go outside to practice my exercises every day, otherwise I'll be covered in sweat and it'll be really uncomfortable. I've even started practicing meditation."

Senior Sister Zhuo scooped up a few pieces of cooked meat. "Isn't that Celestial Ship Merchant Guild opening the day after tomorrow? They said they're going to hold an auction, and there might be Ice Platform for sale there. By the way, is Master going to the auction?"

Yang Dongxiong wiped the corner of his mouth.

"The head of the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild of Commerce personally delivered an invitation to me. Since I had nothing else to do, I figured I might as well go and show my support."

"I heard that the Sky Shipping Auction has countless rare treasures. Last month in Huaiyin Prefecture, an ancient book was sold for more than 1.3 million taels! Even if I sold myself, I couldn't afford a fraction of that book. I don't know if it's true or not."

"More than 1.3 million? Those things have nothing to do with us. I doubt there are any treasures that valuable at auctions in Ping Yang County."

"Not necessarily. Apart from the counties near the Imperial Capital, how many other counties have as many people and as many Martial Master as we do? Plus, it's the first time we've held this event, so they're bound to take it seriously."

"Who would we sell it to?"

Xiang ChangSong was puzzled.

Ordinary wealthy merchants could easily come up with a few thousand or even tens of thousands of taels, but when it came to millions, only Aristocratic Clan families could afford it.

Their family really owns a mine; their clansmen often have thousands of members.

Xu Zishuai ladled some clear soup into his bowl. "Junior Brother Xiang, have you forgotten about the County Magistrate of Ping Yang County? Isn't the Jian Family Aristocratic Clan prominent family with three True Image? One million taels is no small matter. I heard people discussing it the other day, saying that he made contributions to disaster relief."

Not to mention the Jian Family, there's also Brother Yue Long, the grandson of the Duke, a very prestigious family. And then there's Wei Lin, whose grandfather is the Duke of Liang.

"Those from the Demon Subduing Division, or perhaps others, are mostly from wealthy and powerful families; there are quite a few prominent clans in Ping Yang County."

"Our county is changing faster and faster every day. I wonder if my senior brother will still recognize me when he comes back."

A while ago, two more houses were built next to my house. They were both three courtyards with large gardens, incredibly Fugui, just like my Ninth Junior Brother's house.

"Me? My place is simple. There aren't even any carvings on the pillars. It's just that the place is big. Land in Yi Xing Town isn't worth much. Besides, when it was built, it wasn't even a town. It was just a small village. We could build it as big as we wanted."

"It will be valuable in the future. When Ping Yang County really becomes Pingyang Prefecture, Yi Xing Town will definitely be incorporated. At that time, Junior Brother's house will be in the middle, which will be the central location!"

"I can't even imagine how comfortable a three-courtyard house with a garden would be. I find my two-courtyard house so boring."

"Speaking of which, I've never been to Ninth Junior Brother's house, let alone had his housewarming banquet. When will Junior Brother Liang make it up to me?"

"Isn't today's meal one?"

"Hey, I saw this mutton roll dragged out of Master's ice cellar with my own eyes, does that count?"

"Why not? Senior brother, you were having a great time eating, and now you're turning your back on me?"

The crowd laughed and made noise.

Yang Dongxiong and Xu Shi didn't talk much, but watched everyone with smiles.

Time flies like a galloping horse.

June 18th, it didn't rain, just overcast, the world shrouded in a gray hue.

According to the information on the invitation, the Sky Shipping Auction will begin at 5:45 AM and is expected to last for one and a half hours, with lunch provided at the end.

After a morning workout, Liang Qu took a shower to get rid of the sweat, rummaged through his wardrobe, and chose a simple yet fitted black outfit with red trim. It was a gift from his Master's Wife in May.

Since becoming an apprentice, he has hardly bought any ordinary clothes, only a few pairs of shoes and socks.

Every time the seasons changed, my Master's Wife would send someone to deliver clothes. The styles were quite nice, and all of them were aesthetically pleasing.

There's no need to dress extravagantly for an auction. Those who receive invitations are all people of high status. Big Brother Xu and his group will definitely be there. Why should we go and compete with them in terms of extravagance?

Isn't that just deliberately going there to embarrass yourself?

Hanging up the sachet and putting away the Waist Token, at 1:15 AM, Liang Qu took the invitation and rode up Red Mountain to Ping Yang County.

"Painted beams soar towards the clouds over Nanpu at dawn, and beaded curtains roll up to reveal the rain over Xishan at dusk."

Liang Qu walks through the street, looking up at the tall buildings in front of him.

In the past, when I came to Ping Yang County, I only visited a few places: Yang Residence, Wharf, Academy, and Clinic, all in the southeast. I never came to the west.

They had no idea that a three-story building had sprung up on the flat land to the west.

Carved beams and painted rafters, the Jianzhang Palace is filled with orioles.

Roughly calculated, the entire Sky Vessel Tower is about 25 meters high.

It has three floors in total, and each floor is at least eight meters high. Even without going inside, you can imagine how spacious and grand it is.

only...

The building's design struck Liang Qu as odd; he felt something was off about this lobby-style building.

Like... a towering tree? Liang Qu lightly spurred his horse, Red Mountain, understanding his intention, quickened his pace. After turning a corner, they discovered that the area in Sky Vessel Tower was almost completely packed with people.

Ordinary people can't get into the auctions Celestial Ship Merchant Guild, but that doesn't stop them from watching the excitement from outside.

Where there are people, there will naturally be vendors, carrying loads on a shoulder pole and walking around selling wontons, steamed buns, and candied hawthorns.

The area in front of Sky Vessel Tower was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.

Liang Qu had no choice but to get off and lead the horse. He was 1.86 meters tall, half a head taller than the others, and he immediately saw the acrobatic performance in the crowd.

It was a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old standing on one leg on a wooden stake, with a large vat on his head.

The sweltering weather left a layer of sweaty oil on the boy's neck, so evenly distributed that it looked as if it had been brushed on.

The large vat was at least half the size of a boy, and it was trembling from his hands to his feet and neck, with bulging veins that twisted under his skin like thin snakes, making one wonder if he had squeezed every drop of blood from his very bones.

Liang Qu led his horse over, and the people around him unconsciously made way for him.

His clothes were clean and tidy, without a single crease, and had a faint scent of spices; he certainly didn't look like an ordinary person.

Liang Qu had rarely seen such martial arts skills before, so he couldn't help but stop and take a look.

I've heard that according to the unwritten rules of the martial arts world, if the large vat on your head falls down, you have to swallow the broken pieces of pottery raw.

"Liang Qu! What are you looking at?"

Liang Qu looked up.

Ran Zhongshi and his companions stood at the entrance of Sky Vessel Tower and waved to him.

"They're here!"

It's not easy for anyone.

Liang Qu felt his pocket, took out a small piece of silver, about the size of a fingernail, about a qian (a unit of weight), and threw it into the broken bowl in front of the boy, which drew frantic thanks from the man next to him.

The boy swallowed hard, a smile creeping across his salt-covered face, and pushed even harder.

"Big Brother Ran, Brother Xiang, Brother Bai."

When Liang Qu came to the crowd, a servant came forward to lead his horse.

Xiang Fangsu glanced behind her.

"What's so interesting about a few martial arts moves?"

"I find it strange; I've never seen anything like it before."

"Come on, you've received the invitation now, right? Let's go inside and have a look around?"

"Good."

The Steward at the door glanced at the invitation and bowed to lead the group inside.

Liang Qu followed the crowd through a corridor and into a spacious hall. As soon as he entered, he was stunned by the sight before him.

Not only him, but many people around him also stopped and felt a profound sense of awe.

The entire hall was almost a plaza, without a single pillar, except for the very center, where an extremely large ancient tree grew! Its trunk was as green as jade, and its thick, lush branches extended in all directions, intertwining and coiling like pythons to form a large canopy that supported the entire second floor!

"What is this thing?" Ran Zhongshi patted him on the shoulder. "Brother Liang, you've never seen this before, have you?" "The Jade Rainbow Bridge Tree. This entire Sky Vessel Tower we're standing on grew from that tree!"