One dish consisted of thin slices of fish, white and lustrous as jade. They melted in the mouth with a sweet seafood flavor, and after swallowing them, a warm sensation actually rose within his dantian.
Another dish was made of deep-red meat cut into thumb-sized cubes. It was wonderfully chewy, with juice flooding out at every bite, and the Spirit Force contained within was no less potent than that of a sixth-grade pill.
Meng Xinghe raised his wine cup. "Brother Li, you traveled all the way from the Eastern Domain to Central Province. You must have had a hard journey. Now that we have met at sea and can drink together at the same table in Stilltide City, let Old Meng welcome you and wash away the dust of your travels. You must drink this cup."
Li Bufan did not stand on ceremony. He raised his cup, clinked it against Meng Xinghe's, and drained it in one gulp. The wine was warm and mellow upon entering his mouth, but after passing his throat, it turned into a current of heat that spread through his chest and belly. His entire body felt pleasantly warm.
The two ate, drank, and chatted merrily. Meng Xinghe was a forthright man who spoke cleanly and directly, never beating around the bush. Li Bufan was likewise straightforward by nature. The more they spoke, the more they hit it off, and before they knew it, more than half the food and wine on the table had disappeared.
After draining the last mouthful from his cup, Meng Xinghe set it down, his expression turning more serious. "Brother Li, you have only just arrived in Central Province. Do you know much about the distribution of powers here?"
Li Bufan shook his head. "To tell the truth, though I am