"Huh? Where's my ginger?"
Chef Li plated the stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar and was about to make ginger-spicy snake when he realized there wasn't a single piece of ginger left.
Ying Bing snapped out of her reverie from looking at the boy's now-childish face, and after a long silence, pointed to the plate of shredded potatoes.
"It's over there."
"..."
Li Mo thought to himself, "No wonder these two potatoes made such a big plate."
It turned out to be shredded potatoes stir-fried with shredded ginger.
The culinary skills required for making Ice Block are still increasing.
After an incense stick had burned, Li Mo, carrying a tray, arrived at the main hall with Ice Block, where they met Xie Xuan's gaze.
"Brother Li, thank you for yesterday at Wind and Moon Cottage..."
Xie Xuan forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, indicating that he had moved on, but the aftereffects were still quite strong.
"As fellow swordsmen, helping others is the source of happiness; why bother with trivialities?"
Li Mo put down the tray, then calmly took Ice Block's delicate hand.
"?"
Xie Xuan felt there was something wrong with what he was saying.
But I don't know exactly what the problem is.
Looking at Li Mo's sunny and cheerful smile, he decided not to dwell on the trivial details.
"To be able to move on so quickly, Brother Xie is truly a free spirit."
Bai Jinghong nodded. He had always felt that those who practiced swordsmanship should be more elegant and unrestrained.
"I'm not sad at all."
Xie Xuan ignored the two people opposite him, took two big gulps of wine, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh.
But the lingering effects still made his nose tingle.
He could only pick up a piece of stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar to distract himself.
"Brother Xie, why are you crying?"
"These shredded potatoes are fucking delicious!"
"Um?"
Princess Little Jiang curiously reached out with her chopsticks, wanting to know how delicious it was that could make someone cry. Then, she was so overwhelmed by the spiciness of the vinegar-flavored ginger that she stuck out her pink tongue.
Li Mo also took a bite.
How can it be called "master's"?
Hmm, this isn't just a dish, it's a work of art! You can taste the sour, bitter, and spicy flavors in it, but there's no sweetness at all—it's just like life itself...
Ying Bing blinked and also reached out with her chopsticks.
"Ice Block, have this."
Li Mo intervened in time, feeding Ice Block a piece of stir-fried snake meat, thus stopping her dangerous attempt.
"I want to eat some of that." Ying Bing's cheeks twitched slightly.
She wanted to know what the first meal she made with Li Mo tasted like.
At least, it looks pretty good...
"I'll describe it to you."
Li Mo said seriously, "This dish looks like me, but it tastes..."
His gaze drifted towards Xie Xuan, seemingly casually.
Ying Bing glanced at Xie Xuan, nodded, and gave up on the idea of eating the potato and ginger shreds.
"???"
Xie Xuan suddenly stopped feeling sad about the breakup.
Because compared to heartbreak, it seems that the gazes of the Divine Hammer Little Overlord and the Cold Fairy are more hurtful.
"To be honest, I've come today to say goodbye. After the Weapon Forging Conference, I will go into seclusion to cultivate diligently. I won't emerge until my Pure Jun Sword Intent is fully developed."
"The next time we meet may be at the Hidden Dragon Assembly, or it may be a long time from now."
Judging from his tone, it seems he doesn't intend to participate in the Hidden Dragon Assembly unless he achieves a breakthrough in swordsmanship.
"Speak," he said, standing up, taking a sip of his drink, saying goodbye, and preparing to leave.
"Thank you, Brother Xie!" Li Mo called out to him.
"Don't try to persuade me anymore, my mind is made up! No need to see me off!"
Xie Xuan looked quite nonchalant.
"I'm not seeing you off, I'm going with you."
"?"
"I am also a participant in the Weapon Forging Conference."
"???"
Xie Xuan froze on the spot as Li Mo took out a black iron token from his pocket.
He desperately wanted to escape.
But it seems there's no escaping it.
At this moment, at the Heavenly Mountain Sword Villa.
The Imperial Capital Mountains, the capital of the capital, are covered in snow all year round, with no distinction between the four seasons, and are always in a state of severe cold.
The Sword Furnace was the only warm place.
The renowned Sword Furnace is now on its day of rest. The fire and the sounds of forging have ceased, for the Weapon Forging Conference is in three days, and the Sword Furnace needs to prepare for it, thus halting all activities.
The apprentices here all have at least seven or eight years of experience in weapon forging.
They chatted quietly as they tidied up.
"That young man from earlier seemed to be of unusual background. What's his origin?"
"That's Zhong Zhenyu, the only Prince of Southern Pacification. He's the thirty-ninth in the Hidden Dragon and spends most of his time in the Southern Border. It's normal that you haven't seen him before."
"He brought many valuable gifts; I wonder which master weapon maker he will request to make a donation?"
"Should it be Grandmaster Huo Bingzi? Many of the weapons that performed exceptionally well in the Hidden Dragon Assembly were made by him."
Even among renowned instruments, there are differences.
"Yes, some famous artifacts are comparable to or even stronger than Mystic Weapon, but they lack spirituality."
"Alas, those kinds of masterpieces can only be forged by a grandmaster, or even a divine craftsman."
"Not only that, the materials used are enough to forge a precious weapon."
Above sharp weapons are famous weapons, above famous weapons are Mystic Weapon, above Mystic Weapon are treasured weapons, and only then do we get divine weapons.
Using materials meant for forging precious weapons to create a renowned artifact is a blatant waste.
Behind this lies substantial financial resources and a wide network of connections.
Therefore, in terms of weaponry, the talented individuals from humble backgrounds are already at a disadvantage compared to the local talents from the Imperial Capital.
The apprentices shook their heads and sighed as they set up the venue for the event, when suddenly a commotion broke out at the entrance.
"Welcome, Your Highness!"
Someone shouted.
So everyone who passed by wisely lowered their heads.
Jiang Yu entered through the door, accompanied by Azure Bird and a woman in a gorgeous red dress, exuding an air of nobility.
She was tall and slender, with fiery red hair that seemed to burst into flames as she jumped. She had fair skin, a beautiful face, and seemed to have lived a life of luxury.
Upon seeing her, the apprentices all swallowed hard.
Princess Yuyang, now the youngest princess of the Great Yu, is deeply favored by His Majesty and possesses extraordinary talent, standing out among all the princes and princesses, second only to the eldest princess.
"Brother Crown Prince, you promised me you'd give me a fine sword for my birthday."
Princess Yuyang said sweetly.
"Master Craftsman Du has been away from the furnace for many years. I expect he will not disappoint you this time."
Jiang Yu revealed a doting and easygoing attitude that was unbecoming of his status.
Du Wufeng, one of the four remaining master craftsmen of the Sword Furnace, is especially skilled in forging swords.
Its most famous work is the Heavenly Human Divine Sword that now hangs high above the Heavenly Human City!
The blacksmith apprentice, who overheard only a few words, and the craftsmen from all over who had come to participate in the conference, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of their mouths.
Clearly, Jiang Yu and Princess Yuyang came for the Hidden Dragon Assembly.
To forge a legendary weapon, would you commission a master craftsman to open the furnace and refine it?
Throughout the entire world, perhaps only the Crown Prince of the Great Yu possesses such power.