Culinary Arts That Transcend the Mundane (Part 2)

Zhang Hupan couldn't understand Liu Xizhen's excitement at this moment. From childhood, Liu Xizhen had been showered with love. Although Liu Zhiyi was a straightforward man who repaid kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance, he was extremely doting and careful with Liu Xizhen, never daring to be negligent. No matter how busy his career was, Liu Zhiyi would personally cook her favorite dishes every weekend. Many years had passed, but the warmth of those family moments was still infinitely memorable. Although Liu Xizhen was now a mother, having been spoiled since childhood, she didn't know how to cook. Therefore, since her father's passing, Liu Xizhen had never eaten a meal at home. Eating at home might seem like a very ordinary thing to most people, but for Liu Xizhen, it was a luxury! For Liu Xizhen, home had become something very distant. After her father's death, Liu Xizhen had never again experienced the warmth of family, only relying on her mother. Now, Zhang Hupan's suggestion had reminded her of that familial warmth, making her eager to experience that long-lost family atmosphere once more.

Women are born shopaholics, whether it's browsing in department stores, flea markets, or even supermarkets. Since she hadn't cooked at home for several years, one could say that besides permanent kitchen fixtures like range hoods and gas stoves, the house was completely bare of related kitchenware and dining utensils. This showed the sheer volume of shopping involved! Moreover, women are naturally picky. Even with his Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, Zhang Hupan felt like screaming for mercy in his heart! After a full hour of shopping, Liu Xizhen finally ceased her frenzied shopping spree. Under the astonished gaze of the cashier, the pathetic Zhang Hupan left the supermarket like a migrant worker, laden with bags. If that young lady cashier knew that all this was just for cooking one meal at home, one could only wonder what her expression would be.

Since there were too many items, and Zhang Hupan couldn't very well put them into his storage ring in broad daylight, coupled with Liu Xizhen's eagerness to go home and cook, they hailed a taxi despite the supermarket not being far and having a free laborer. As they passed through the Western Paradise, Zhang Hupan suddenly remembered something. He asked Liu Xizhen for the bar's key and hurried back to the bar to retrieve some cocktail-making tools and foreign liquor. Liu Xizhen was very curious about Zhang Hupan's actions. Could he actually make cocktails? That was a profession filled with difficulty and artistry, something that couldn't be learned in just a few years. Yet, Zhang Hupan had only been at the bar for a little over a month. Liu Xizhen couldn't possibly connect Zhang Hupan with mixology. When she asked him what he needed these for, Zhang Hupan gave her a look as if she were an idiot and said, "To make cocktails, of course!"

"Hahaha, that's hilarious! You can make cocktails? You're just bragging!" For some reason, Liu Xizhen found herself particularly uninhibited when she was with Zhang Hupan. With the preconceived notion that Zhang Hupan absolutely couldn't make cocktails, hearing him claim he could, she burst into unrestrained laughter.

As a Nascent Soul Stage expert, let alone making cocktails, he could directly brew wine in his hands just by holding the raw ingredients. Poor Zhang Hupan, the supreme existence of the Wudang Sect, was being mocked by an ordinary worldly woman, yet he couldn't show the slightest hint of displeasure. He could only comfort himself inwardly, telling himself not to stoop to a woman's level.

All women seem to have a touch of germophobia, especially noble women like Liu Xizhen, who come from good backgrounds and possess outstanding looks. Their germophobia is even more severe. As soon as they arrived home, she plopped down on the sofa, exclaiming breathlessly, "I'm exhausted!" Her delicate hands fanned herself repeatedly with a tissue. Before Zhang Hupan could fully appreciate Liu Xizhen's charmingly languid and alluring posture. Liu Xizhen's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she dashed upstairs. As she reached the second floor, she turned back, flashed Zhang Hupan a charming smile, and said coquettishly, "Hupan, I'll leave the downstairs to you. I'm going to take a shower first!" With that, she vanished like a gust of wind, leaving behind only a string of playful laughter. It seemed Liu Xizhen was in a very good mood today!

The kitchen and dining room were both on the first floor, so Zhang Hupan didn't follow Liu Xizhen upstairs, though he wanted to. Society today is filled with high technology, and even kitchens are no exception. Range hoods, gas stoves, pressure cookers, and the like were all unfamiliar to Zhang Hupan, who had always cooked with firewood and iron pots in the past. Although Zhang Hupan was considered exceptionally intelligent – otherwise, how could he have broken through to the Golden Core Stage by the age of one hundred and become a Nascent Soul Stage expert, a miracle in the cultivation world? – these novel kitchen appliances still took him fifteen minutes to figure out. Fortunately, Liu Xizhen was taking a shower at the time. Otherwise, if she saw Zhang Hupan's curious gaze fixed on the appliances, she would have immediately ordered takeout or insisted on eating out. However, it was precisely the sound of Liu Xizhen showering upstairs that made Zhang Hupan's mind wander, decreasing his learning ability, as his hearing was much sharper than ordinary people's. Otherwise, he should have been able to master the use of all the appliances within ten minutes.

Since the critical issue of operating the kitchen appliances had been resolved, cooking and preparing meals would be a breeze for Zhang Hupan, who had been in this profession for nearly a century.

Since Liu Xizhen wasn't around, Zhang Hupan didn't need to deliberately conceal his astonishingly superb skills. If anyone, or any chef, were to pass by now, they would undoubtedly be dumbfounded and unable to believe what they were witnessing.

For Zhang Hupan, cutting vegetables and scaling fish didn't require knives. A true martial arts master could achieve the state of "I am the knife, the knife is me," let alone Zhang Hupan, who was already on par with an Immortal. Zhang Hupan merely used a bit of spiritual energy, and all the vegetables and fish were prepared. All that remained was the cooking.

In the Xuanwu Immortal Realm, to satisfy Zhang Sanfeng's palate, Zhang Hupan had studied various famous dishes from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, with great diligence. He had even concocted various highly unique seasonings himself, the taste of which was by no means comparable to today's MSG or soy sauce. Since there were only two of them, they didn't prepare an excessive amount of dishes, but they still made six dishes and one soup, all Hangzhou Cuisine.

In fact, Hangzhou Cuisine is a "mysterious cuisine." Hangzhou Cuisine can be traced back over a thousand years to the Southern Song Dynasty, when Lin'an was a prosperous capital city, attracting numerous renowned chefs from north and south and a multitude of merchants from all regions, reaching its peak. Historically, Hangzhou Cuisine is divided into two major schools: "Lake Style" and "City Style." The former primarily uses fish, shrimp, and poultry, excelling in techniques like quick stir-frying, clear stewing, and tender sautéing, emphasizing flavors that are clear, fresh, crisp, and tender, and focusing on preserving the original taste. The latter mainly uses meat, with cooking methods such as steaming, braising, quick-boiling, and stewing, emphasizing light oil, light thickening, and delicate, fresh, and tender flavors, with a focus on the harmonious blend of freshness and saltiness.

Perhaps Zhang Hupan is the only person in history to have been in the culinary profession for a century, which also destined his cooking to be unparalleled. Although Zhang Hupan's dishes were derived from Hangzhou Cuisine and deeply bore the imprint of "Lake Style" and "City Style," they far surpassed both schools.

"West Lake Vinegar Fish," "Braised Pork Ribs," "Garlic Mashed Amaranth," "Deep-fried Eggplant with Garlic Crumbs," "Crispy Winter Melon," "Eye-brightening Bitter Gourd," and "West Lake Water Shield Soup." Six dishes and one soup, all prepared with effortless skill. Instantly, a rich aroma filled the kitchen, whetting the appetite.

Showering, women always take their time, unlike men who finish their arduous task of bathing in what feels like the duration of a roaring rock song. Thus, by the time Zhang Hupan had arranged all the dishes on the dining table, the beautiful woman had still not emerged from her bath. Of course, with a century of experience in the culinary arts and his Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, Zhang Hupan's cooking speed was easily four to five times that of ordinary people. This was one of the reasons why the dishes were ready, but the female protagonist had yet to appear.

After finishing the cooking, Zhang Hupan began to worry about Liu Xizhen's birthday gift! Although his Universe Ring contained countless high-quality jades, and Zhang Hupan now knew their value, presenting them to Liu Xizhen would certainly not seem shabby. Although the jade he had given to Liu Feifei last time had not attracted Liu Xizhen's attention, and she had merely thought it was a piece of fine imitation jade, Zhang Hupan did not want to give away such priceless jade again. On one hand, Liu Xizhen's failure to recognize the jade's value last time did not mean she wouldn't recognize it this time! If Liu Xizhen discovered the jade's worth, Zhang Hupan would find it difficult to provide a suitable explanation. On the other hand, if Liu Xizhen thought the jade was merely an imitation, Zhang Hupan would feel even worse. They were both adults, and giving an imitation item would be too low-class, too embarrassing! (To be continued)