Spring came, winter went, and in the blink of an eye, several more years had hurried past.
Spring, Year 3184 of the Longchang Calendar of Great Qian.
Qing'an Prefecture.
Within the Qing'an Basin lay thousands of miles of fertile fields, girdled by green waters. It was one of Great Qian's famed "lands of fish and rice." Accordingly, the dining industry here was exceptionally developed.
Outside Qing'an Prefecture City stood an estate called Elegant Residence.
This culinary estate covered an enormous area, combining dining and lodging in one place with great distinction. It was quite renowned throughout Qing'an Prefecture, and diners from other prefectures often came specially to visit.
For Xuanwu cultivators traveling to Qing'an Prefecture from elsewhere, Elegant Residence was an essential stop if they wished to experience Qing'an cuisine.
Its fame was evident from this alone.
Yet Elegant Residence was not an asset of the Zuoqiu Clan, Qing'an Prefecture's foremost aristocratic family. Rather, it belonged to King Cheng, an imperial clansman.
To King Cheng, it might have been a trivial little enterprise. But because it had King Cheng's Estate behind it, Elegant Residence had been able to establish itself in Qing'an Prefecture and stand toe-to-toe with several other culinary estates.
One day.
Xu Qingbo, the manager of Elegant Residence, was sitting behind the counter by the entrance, absentmindedly doing the accounts, when a clear bird cry suddenly rang out from the sky.
He looked up and saw a Flying Carriage drawn by a gigantic white bird approaching from afar.
The bird pulling the carriage was snowy white, as translucent as fresh snow. Its bearing was incomparably graceful, its spiritual charm extraordinary, making it instantly recognizable.
"Jade-Clawed White Egret?" Xu Qingbo said in surprise. "People from the Zuoqiu Clan?"
The Jade-Clawed White Egret was a fourth-rank spirit bird, as well