Sights and Stories of Yuanling City (3)

Just then, everyone saw Yuan Zhiyun, who had reached the middle of Seven Stars Street Square, lightly leap from the white peacock and land smoothly, walking gracefully towards the crowd.

Dressed in an exquisite pale yellow dress, she arrived in front of the dense crowd. Every move she made was graceful and charming. She had no servants following her and stood alone in the crowd of cultivators, like a gentle breeze, detached from the world.

"Because I made a bet with my clansman Yuan Shangpu today, I, Yuan Zhiyun, wish to assemble a five-person team to go to the Icefield Mystic Realm, which will open in five days, to capture the Ice Plains Spirit Essence. Of course, I will reward you handsomely after we succeed."

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

The surrounding cultivators were all somewhat incredulous.

What is she saying?

That's Ice Plains Spirit Essence! No one has ever been heard of catching one again from that Icefield Mystic Realm in a hundred years! I never expected Yuan Zhiyun to drop such outrageous news right off the bat.

Many people shook their heads and whispered among themselves.

Are you participating?

"No way! I've heard that the Ice Plains Spirit Essence is elusive in the secret realm. Forget catching it, you'd be lucky to even see it once! If you really agree to go looking for it, wouldn't that be a complete waste of time? If I go in and collect Ice Stone Grass, I could have quite a few."

"Exactly! This Icefield Mystic Realm is only open for a short time, only fifteen days in total. We could use that time to fish for some Silver-Tailed Fish; each one costs fifty Spirit Stone!"

"But don't you want the generous reward from Yuan Zhiyun?"

"A generous reward? Didn't you hear people say it's 'after the matter is accomplished'? Doesn't that mean if the matter doesn't succeed, there won't be a generous reward?"

For a time, there was much discussion around, but not a single person expressed their intention to join Yuan Zhiyun's group.

Na Yuan Zhiyun was not in a hurry at all. She stood calmly with her hands behind her back, her eyes leisurely scanning the bustling crowd. The white peacock standing straight beside her was raising its long neck and holding its head high, its eyes slightly closed as if it were dozing.

Lin Xiao looked around and saw that he had asked about everything he needed to know, and there was nothing new to report for the time being, so he left with the flow of people.

No one noticed him, this twelve-year-old boy with no cultivation whatsoever.

After leaving Seven Stars Street, he went straight to Jiang Household Livestock Firm.

Lingzhu, Lingzhu, roast suckling pig!

Guided by Liao Pantu, Lin Xiao quickly arrived at Jiang Household Livestock Firm. Among the various spirit birds, he immediately spotted the stall selling spirit pigs, where several people were buying them. He hurried over.

"Greetings, sir. Our spirit pigs are 250 Spirit Stone each, no bargaining. Are you interested in buying one?"

A waiter came over to greet him.

Lin Xiao glanced at the customer who had just paid Spirit Stone to buy a spirit pig. He saw a waiter carry a spirit pig out, and the customer skillfully took it, hoisted the tender white piglet onto his shoulder, and turned to leave.

So he said to the waiter who had greeted him:

"I'll give you an extra five Spirit Stone. Would you mind sending one of them to the Immortal Fragrance Pavilion for me?"

Clearly, many customers make this request regularly, and the waiter nodded knowingly.

"Alright, sir, that'll be two hundred and fifty-five Spirit Stone!"

Lin Xiao reluctantly paid the Spirit Stone, but when he thought of the delicious food Senior Liao had described, and realized that he hadn't eaten roast suckling pig in many years, he swallowed hard and forgot about the more than two hundred Spirit Stone he had just spent, only looking forward to the delicious food he was about to eat.

After leaving Jiang Household Livestock Firm, he hurried to the Immortal Fragrance Pavilion.

At this time, Immortal Fragrance Pavilion was bustling with people because the Wu Household was holding a banquet there to recruit talents for their Lineage.

Immortal Fragrance Pavilion is a quaint and antique restaurant with six floors.

Today, the Wu Household has booked the top two floors, and only arranged a few servants on the first floor to receive the arriving cultivators.

The servants didn't give the young man, who showed no signs of Spiritual Power, much of a look as he approached.

Lin Xiao bypassed them and entered the Immortal Fragrance Pavilion.

As soon as he entered the lobby, a waiter at the Qi Refining First Layer came to greet him. Following what Liao Pantu had taught him on the way, Lin Xiao calmly told the waiter that he had ordered a spirit pig to be delivered soon, and then asked him to arrange a private room for him.

The waiter quickly guided him upstairs:

"This way, sir/madam."

Lin Xiao nodded slightly and followed him upstairs. He glanced casually at the bustling lobby on the first floor and asked:

Where is Master Luo?

The waiter paused for a second or two upon hearing his words, then immediately replied:

"Master Luo passed away two years ago. Now, our head chef at the Immortal Fragrance Pavilion is Master Qian, Master Luo's eldest disciple. Master Qian has perfectly inherited Master Luo's skills. Back when Master Luo was alive, he said that Master Qian had already surpassed him. Please rest assured, our Immortal Fragrance Pavilion's taste is absolutely the same!"

As he spoke, he stepped aside to lead the way, and even gave Lin Xiao a thumbs-up.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao gave a soft "oh" and said nothing more.

Upon arriving at the private room on the second floor, the waiter poured him tea.

"Sir, besides the roast suckling pig, would you like some side dishes or drinks? Our Immortal Fragrance Pavilion's Pinhui Spirit Wine is renowned throughout the entire Southern Spirit Domain, and we also have our side dishes,"

He pulled a cookbook from his Storage Bag at his waist, opened it, and handed it to Lin Xiao.

"Look, sir, this Eight-Flavor Silver-Tailed Fish is our signature dish at the Immortal Fragrance Pavilion. This Silver-Tailed Fish is extremely rare, only available during the Icefield Mystic Realm, which is open for fifteen days each year. It's a truly exceptional delicacy. Currently, our stock at the Immortal Fragrance Pavilion is very limited. We'll only be able to sell it for a few more days before it's completely gone. You'll have to wait until the Icefield Mystic Realm opens in five days."

Lin Xiao remembered hearing someone mention the name "Silver-Tailed Fish" earlier, so he became curious and ordered it.

As for the Pinhui Spirit Wine that the waiter strongly recommended, Lin Xiao originally didn't want it, but Liao Pantu in the Soul-Nourishing Pendant sent him a telepathic message asking him to order a cup, so he asked the waiter to bring him a cup of Pinhui Spirit Wine.

These two items, plus the processing fee for the roast suckling pig, totaled fifty-five Spirit Stone. Although Lin Xiao felt a little heartbroken, he calmly took out the Spirit Stone.

The waiter excitedly accepted the Spirit Stone offered to him and said:

"Alright! Please wait a moment, sir, your food and drinks will be served shortly!"

After the waiter left, Lin Xiao sent a telepathic message to Liao Pantu:

"I'm only twelve years old, why would I drink alcohol?"

Liao Pantu didn't answer him, but instead told him to quickly take out the Isolation Formation he had previously inscribed in the sect and put it on.

Lin Xiao did as instructed, taking out the Isolation Formation and setting it up.