Delicious

A quarter of an hour later.

Cheng Buzheng saw a luxurious restaurant in the distance. On its massive door plaque were three gilded characters: "Liuxian Restaurant." The building not only occupied an area of a hundred paces, but it also stood six stories high, making it the most opulent restaurant in the town.

At this moment, the restaurant's main doors were wide open, with patrons occasionally trickling in and out.

According to local gossip, the restaurant wasn't originally called Liuxian Restaurant. Later, an immortal supposedly descended to dine there. Upon hearing this, the owner was overjoyed and had a new plaque commissioned overnight.

The rumors about Liuxian Restaurant slowly spread throughout the town, becoming increasingly vivid and detailed.

In the past, when Cheng Buzheng heard these stories, he couldn't help but sigh, thinking the owner was a marketing genius. Since tales of gods and demons were very popular among the common folk, the owner had instinctively learned how to capitalize on the hype.

Thinking about it now, he suspected those rumors were likely true. He didn't believe a restaurant owner would dare to make a mockery of an immortal.

The wrath of an immortal was not something a mere restaurant owner could withstand.

Cheng Buzheng glanced at the three gilded characters and strode directly toward the restaurant.

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, a waiter hurried over to him, bowing his head with a smile.

"Guest, would you like to order our signature dishes?"

The waiter knew that this youth in coarse cloth was unlikely to order the signature dishes, but the words slipped out involuntarily. After all, recommending a signature dish earned him a small commission.

Consequently, this line had almost become his catchphrase.

Cheng Buzheng looked at the waiter and seemed to see his past life, where he had broken his own back just to make a living. The two were so similar.

"Where is the Young Master?"

The waiter looked at him in surprise. He hadn't expected this gentle-looking youth to have a connection to the Young Master, and he muttered to himself in confusion.

He felt quite envious, but his expression didn't betray a hint of it.

The waiter quickly put on a professional, fake smile and gestured with his right hand. "The Young Master is dining in the Fortune Hall on the third floor. Please, follow me."

Led by the waiter, they arrived outside the Fortune Hall on the third floor. Looking at the closed purple wood door, which was carved with exquisite lines, the waiter finished his duty, bid him farewell, and retreated.

Cheng Buzheng pushed open the purple wood door. Inside, a massive round table sat in the center of the room. The four walls were paneled with precious wood, carved with various intricate patterns.

The overall effect was not only grand but also quite elegant.

Sitting on a chair by the round table was a thin youth in a white robe with delicate features. However, his thin lips ruined that sense of gentleness, adding a touch of harshness instead.

This person was Cheng Buzheng's recently made friend, the young master of the Qian family, Qian Zhe.

"Buzheng, look at these good things!" Qian Zhe said, his face beaming with joy as he pointed toward the table.

Cheng Buzheng's gaze fell upon the solid wood round table. It was covered in a variety of dishes, including the signature ones the waiter had mentioned: Dragon Fighting Tiger, Immortal's Aftertaste, and Three-Roll Dragon Meat.

Suddenly.

His heart stirred. In the center of all the dishes, resting on a massive tray, was a lobster of an unknown species, nearly a meter long.

He had never seen a lobster of such size; it was likely either a type of Demon or Monster, or not far from becoming one.

Seeing the bright red, armored lobster, Cheng Buzheng couldn't help but swallow hard. He forcibly tore his gaze away, looked at Qian Zhe, and smiled.

"How on earth did you manage to get your hands on such a giant? This is truly beyond my expectations."

Qian Zhe seemed very satisfied with Cheng Buzheng's reaction. When he had first seen this behemoth, he too had been greatly astonished. Usually, the lobsters he saw were at most the size of a palm; when had he ever seen one so enormous?

"If you hadn't told me, how would I have known that such a delicacy existed in this world!

You know I love to eat—I've decided that you, Qian Zhe, are a friend I'm keeping!"

Cheng Buzheng smiled slightly and said:

"Young Master Qian, this giant needs to be eaten with a dipping sauce to be a true delicacy; otherwise, it would be a waste! Let me go prepare some!"

"No need for that, I've already prepared it!"

As he spoke, Qian Zhe waved his hand and reached out to uncover two white porcelain bowls stacked together. Inside were the seasonings he had mentioned.

Cheng Buzheng hurried over, divided the seasoning into two, poured it into the white porcelain bowls, and then picked up a pair of shears from the side and walked over to the giant shrimp. He exerted force to snip off the front claw along the joint.

"Young Master Qian, have a taste. I guarantee it's incredibly delicious!"

Cheng Buzheng cut an opening in the shell, revealing the white, tender, translucent meat with its clear texture.

A fresh, savory aroma wafted from the translucent white meat. Cheng Buzheng then placed the giant shrimp claw onto the plate in front of Young Master Qian.

"I trust you wouldn't dare lie to me, kid!" Qian Zhe dipped the meat into the seasoning and chewed slightly. His eyes lit up, and he laughed and scolded:

"This is truly a delicacy! You kid, how did you come up with this? You really know how to eat!

Let's eat together. Such a giant shrimp—I couldn't finish it alone!"

Cheng Buzheng smiled:

"Then I shall accept your invitation.

This is my first time eating such a giant as well. I've only ever had palm-sized ones before, and they didn't have much meat.

It's all thanks to your influence, Young Master Qian!"

Afterward, he wrote down the entire preparation process and every detail for the stir-fried crawfish and handed it to Qian Zhe.

Immediately, the Fortune Hall was filled with constant laughter and cheer. Under Cheng Buzheng's intentional flattery, the young master Qian ate to his heart's content.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Young Master Qian leaned lazily back in his Grandmaster Chair, looked at Cheng Buzheng, and slowly spoke:

"You know that Liuxian Restaurant is run by my old man. By offering me such a secret recipe for gourmet food, you're essentially handing me a cash cow.

Whatever you need, Buzheng, just name it."

Although Qian Zhe spoke with great magnanimity, Cheng Buzheng knew these were merely polite pleasantries. He was well aware of what kind of person Qian Zhe truly was; he was certainly not some naive, hot-headed youth who didn't understand the ways of the world.

Cheng Buzheng had already calculated his move, and he replied in an unhurried manner:

"Young Master Qian, we are friends. Talking like this means you don't consider me a friend!"

As he spoke, a look of displeasure appeared on his face.

This was merely a psychological tactic of retreating to advance. Having just deliberately flattered him, and considering his own status, he knew that Qian Zhe would definitely not flip out right now. After all, the young master was only a boy of fifteen or sixteen; he hadn't yet reached the level of being cold-hearted and ruthless.

Sure enough.

"My brother is wrong. If you have any trouble in the future, just tell me. I still have a bit of influence in this town!"

Qian Zhe said with a face full of sincerity, though inwardly, he didn't think much of it. A small favor was, of course, a trivial matter, but if it were real trouble, he would be unable to help.

At the same time, he held this youth in high regard. He knew that the boy before him was the most prized Medicine Boy of the town's doctor—or rather, his disciple.

According to the information he had gathered, this person's medical skills had already reached seven or eight-tenths of the level of the doctor at Bairen Hall.

In the future, his medical skills would surely surpass his master's. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so eager to befriend a mere Medicine Boy.

He wasn't that cheap.

Qian Zhe's mental abacus was clicking away loudly.

And as for Qian Zhe's calculations, Cheng Buzheng was perfectly aware of them. Otherwise, how could his own schemes succeed?

PS: Dear readers, happy early National Day! The editor is still working hard to type away. Give me some motivation so I can write with more vigor! The usual rules: I'm setting out my bowl, politely asking for three things (please add to your library, please recommend, please vote).

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