Whose Meat Was It? Madam's Praise

Once the great cauldron was set up, two days and one night passed. This time, brewing the Essence Food was bitter and exhausting, but no one died.

The Dragoncry Charcoal had burned almost completely away.

The broth in the cauldron was refined from ash-gray to pale green, then finally turned milky white. Its flavor changed from muddy to clear, gradually wafting outward. At the faintest sniff, sweetness welled up in one's mouth.

A faint, refreshing fragrance drifted out, gathering without dispersing, its lingering scent stretching for miles.

"This Essence Food Treasure Soup is truly good stuff."

"Madam is as beautiful as a celestial maiden. If not for Madam, we would never taste even a sip in our lifetimes."

"Yes. Madam is even willing to give such Treasure Soup to servants. Alas, those servants are as lowly as mud. How could they bear such grace from Madam?"

By the time the work was complete, the cauldron fire had gone out. The house guards were dismissed several miles away. The estate's towering buildings and dense greenery blocked their view, leaving them unable to see the bronze cauldron.

They had no chance of witnessing the opening of the soup.

"Madam is beautiful as a celestial maiden, yet mysterious and ethereal." Everyone harbored similar thoughts.

Suddenly, someone said:

"Madam eats the meat, while we drink the soup. I wonder how it will be distributed this time."

The moment those words were spoken, everyone perked up.

"By the custom of previous years, the house guards receive seventy percent, Commander Pang gets twenty percent, and of the remaining fifty percent, twenty goes to the Grade-A guards, while the other thirty is divided equally among the Grade-B, Grade-C, and Grade-D guards."

"There are many of us Grade-D House Guards. Barely calculated, each person can drink two or three mouthfuls."

Whenever this time came, everyone wished they could climb a little higher. The higher one climbed, the fewer people there were at the same rank.

The share of soup one could receive... naturally became greater as well.

"But this time may be different. Didn't you see? There were four pieces of meat this time. The largest piece naturally belongs to Madam. But there are still three others."

"Yes, now that you mention it, it truly is strange. One piece for Commander Pang, one for Miss Qiuyue, but who gets the last piece?"

As they discussed this, everyone grew even more animated. That piece of meat had nothing to do with them, but whose household the meat would fall into was well worth investigating.

"My guess... is that it will go to Eagle Lord. I remember Madam once glanced at Eagle Lord."

"Ah! You mean the last Winter Hunt? When Eagle Lord killed that Spotted Tiger, Madam turned her head to look?"

An uproar swept through the crowd as everyone looked toward the front. Hua Hanying stood tall with his chest out, immensely pleased with himself. He naturally carried an air of proud disdain.

His thin lips curved upward. Stirred by the crowd's words, his thoughts became increasingly lively and expectant.

Could it... really be for me?

Madam truly did glance at me during the last Winter Hunt.

His heart pounded wildly. The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed, and joy surfaced on his face.

"Cough, cough. Do not speak nonsense. How could we possibly speculate on Madam's intentions?" Hua Hanying said softly, pretending not to care as he stopped them.

"Eagle Lord, everyone saw it with their own eyes. There is no harm in talking about it."

Wan Xingke, also a Grade-A House Guard, nudged Hua Hanying with his elbow and said with a chuckle.

Even among Grade-A guards, strength and seniority mattered. Among several hundred house guards, Hua Hanying's talent and martial attainments were both second to none.

"Very well." Hua Hanying waved a hand. He was quite willing to let everyone discuss the matter, and it brought a glow to his face.

The crowd continued:

"For Eagle Lord to receive such fortune, alas, it is because iron must be hard before it can be forged. The Winter Hunt comes every year, yet only Eagle Lord can bring back a Spotted Tiger."

"Congratulations, Eagle Lord. Congratulations!"

"I only wonder what that meat tastes like. When the time comes, please tell us what its flavor is like."

If that piece of meat truly is for me, if Madam truly values me, then I must seize this chance and perform desperately. Best of all... I must make Madam look at me a second time, and remember my name!

Hua Hanying could no longer remain calm. He turned toward the cauldron, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he looked full of high spirits.

Before long, a sound of footsteps approached. The house guards looked at Hua Hanying, their envy seeming almost tangible.

Pang Long entered their sight with a hearty laugh. Hua Hanying's gaze burned as he stared fixedly at Pang Long.

Unexpectedly, Pang Long merely nodded at him before turning and darting past him. He walked straight into the Grade-C House Guards and called to one figure, "Li Xian, Madam summons you."

The moment the words "Madam summons you" were spoken, everyone stood dumbfounded, their faces filled with shock.

They looked around at one another, their gazes gradually converging on one person. There was bewilderment, surprise, and confusion...

A mere Grade-C House Guard was qualified to be summoned by Madam!?

"Alright!"

Li Xian had long expected this. He calmly stepped out of the crowd.

"Wait here. Behave yourselves."

"This time, there is plenty of Essence Soup. Everyone will get a share, hahaha."

Pang Long was in high spirits.

The two headed into the distance, and the house guards immediately broke into noisy chatter.

"Li Xian? That Li Xian who started as a servant, then rose to Grade-C within a month of becoming a house guard?"

"Hiss! I have heard quite a bit about that lad. Who would have thought... who would have thought that he would be the one receiving meat this time!"

"If you ask me, Li Xian may have potential, but compared with Eagle Lord, he is far too green. By all rights, it should not have been his turn."

"I reckon Li Xian has some hidden connection with Commander Pang. During his last promotion, Lord Pang gave him a Tiger Force Pill!"

"If that is the case, perhaps Lord Pang strongly recommended him for the meat this time as well."

"Alas, with such a connection, how can we possibly compare?"

Their words carried sourness and bitterness, along with a deep sense of unwillingness.

"Enough."

Hua Hanying said coldly, "Madam and Commander Pang's decisions are not for you to speculate on recklessly. Shut your mouths."

This time, his tone carried anger and viciousness.

No one dared say another word.

Hua Hanying clenched both fists, glaring coldly at Li Xian and Pang Long's retreating backs. His jealousy and rage were beyond words.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. Who exactly is this Li Xian? Madam grants meat, so why give it to him instead of me? Commander Pang... I have always respected you so greatly, yet you treat me like this.

Jiang Yun, a Grade-B House Guard, also stared deeply at Li Xian's retreating back.

This lad truly has some backing. I should find a chance to ask Sister Qiuyue and probe into his background.

Three others were deeply affected as well. They were Zhao Han and the other two, who had once shared a room with Li Xian and gotten along quite well with him.

How much time had even passed? Yet in a daze, they realized that Li Xian seemed to have already climbed higher and higher.

Near where the bronze cauldron stood, Luo Fang knelt prostrate on the ground.

The Essence Food had finished brewing, and all that remained was for Madam to distribute it. By custom, the Servant Quarters overseen by Luo Fang would receive thirty percent.

"Li Xian? What is he doing here?"

He suddenly saw a familiar figure walking this way.

River-Turning Sea-Churning waves rose in Luo Fang's heart. He could only force himself to remain calm and secretly observe the situation.

"What is your name?"

Beside the great cauldron used to brew the Essence Food.

Li Xian was brought before Madam. He kept his head lowered, looking at his own toes, while a faint fragrance reached his nose.

"Reporting to Madam, my name is Li Xian," Li Xian answered truthfully.

Madam Wen nodded. "Tell me, how did you pass through wind and snow to reach Qingning County?"

Li Xian's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought, As expected. After I left that day, Madam had been secretly following me all along. Fortunately, I did not choose to flee. Being pursued by that Snow Demon Monkey might have left me with a sliver of hope. But if Madam had set her sights on me, then hope would have been faint indeed.

He answered truthfully, "My hearing has been sharp since childhood, and I am quite sensitive to the wind. By listening to the sound of the wind, I can roughly determine directions."

"The fact that I reached Qingning County that day also contained an element of chance. Perhaps, in the unseen world, there was already some destined arrangement."

"You are not bad."

Madam Wen's voice rang out again.

It carried a trace of praise.

Madam Wen had witnessed all of Li Xian's actions that day. After buying the rouge, he immediately returned, which at least proved that his loyalty could be clearly seen.

Hearing Li Xian's steady voice yet noting his young age, Madam Wen could not help growing curious about his appearance. She ordered, "Raise your head and let me see."