Food System in Cultivation World

In the villa, Feng Yuanbai arrived.

Not only did he come, but he also brought Cui Yunqi and Ning Xing along.

In fact, Cui and Ning had already sent a letter yesterday, making an appointment with Chen Xu to visit today.

No one expected to find Chen Xu in the kitchen when they arrived.

Cui Yunqi almost doubted his own eyes; he was clearly at the kitchen door, yet insisted on pulling Ning Xing back a few steps.

Ning Xing, puzzled, was dragged away, only to be led back into the kitchen.

Only then did Cui Yunqi confirm that he indeed saw Chen Xu in the kitchen.

In an instant, the kitchen of this villa not only hosted the top scorer of the current provincial exam in Yunjiang Prefecture, but also the top scorer of the previous exam, alongside a young noble from an aristocratic family and the County Magistrate of Yunjiang.

So many extraordinary figures crowded into the smoky kitchen, making it seem cramped and awkward, as if the air itself had thinned.

Madam Sun, the cook, was dumbfounded, starting to doubt her own eyes as well.

Yet, the son of the Cui Family, adorned with a jade crown and golden belt, asked, "Brother Chen, did I hear correctly that you personally prepared the dishes here?"

Madam Sun thought: Even if this is true, could he really admit it?

To her surprise, Mr. Chen not only admitted it openly but also replied with a smile:

"Here are two plates of Glazed Jade Scroll; one was made by Steward Sun, and the other was made by me personally after learning from Steward Sun.

Brother Feng, Brother Cui, Brother Ning, since all of you arrived just in time, why not have a taste and judge?

Guess which plate was made by Steward Sun and which by me, Chen?"

Feng Yuanbai's eyes lit up immediately and he said, "A guessing game? Wonderful! But should there not be a prize if the guess is correct?"

Chen Xu asked in return, "Brother Feng, what sort of prize do you seek?"

Feng Yuanbai promptly replied, "When we part in the future, how about a farewell poem from you, Xu?"

Goodness, it seems he had this in mind ever since Wu Zhengze received a poem.

Even though Wu Zhengze has already taken the Poetry Scroll back to Jichuan, Feng Yuanbai still persists, seizing every opportunity to ask.

Chen Xu was just about to respond when Cui Yunqi suddenly clapped his hands and said, "No, no, Lord Feng, that wouldn't be fair."

"Why would it be unfair?" Feng Yuanbai raised an eyebrow.

Cui Yunqi, with a graceful demeanor yet irritating words, explained, "This is the villa of the Feng Mansion, and the cook is from your household, whose skills you undoubtedly know well as the Lord.

Once you taste it, you could easily discern the difference, couldn't you? Winning would not be an honorable victory, not at all."

After speaking, as a younger generation, Cui Yunqi hurriedly clasped his hands, bowing slightly to Feng Yuanbai to show respect.

What could Feng Yuanbai do?

Caught between laughter and exasperation, he couldn't bicker with his junior. So, the discussion of the prize was settled there.

Though Chen Xu called Feng Yuanbai Brother Feng, and addressed Cui Yunqi and Ning Xing as Brother Cui and Brother Ning, in reality, Cui and Ning would not dare to call Feng Yuanbai brother casually.

Everyone spoke their own lines, seemingly harmonious, yet there was an inexpressible undercurrent.

Cui Yunqi helped Chen Xu out of the predicament without seeking any credit.

With a casual demeanor, he took a pair of bamboo chopsticks himself.

Then, with a random pick, he happened to select the Glazed Jade Scroll made by Madam Sun.

Cui Yunqi took a bite, chewed carefully for a moment, and then placed the remaining half of the Jade Scroll onto a nearby dish used for leftovers.

He said nothing, merely savoring it in silence, before picking another Glazed Jade Scroll from a different dish.

Again, he picked one up and took a bite.

Suddenly, his expression momentarily froze; there was a spring thunder turning into rain kind of intense change in his otherwise indifferent eyes.

Hurriedly, Cui Yunqi lowered his gaze to hide his expression.

He still said nothing, just quietly finished eating the Glazed Jade Scroll he had picked completely.

When he wanted to pick a second one, he suddenly realized that both Feng Yuanbai and Ning Xing were also reaching for their second chopsticks simultaneously.

Their chopsticks were about to collide when Cui Yunqi's pair shot through like arrows from a side angle, making a sudden twist and grab.

Swish! Another Glazed Jade Scroll was caught between his chopsticks.

Meanwhile, Feng Yuanbai turned his wrist, reaching in from the side, and also managed to grab a Glazed Jade Scroll.

By this moment, the little white porcelain dish was clean and empty, nothing else remained.

This dish had a total of five Glazed Jade Scrolls; Chen Xu originally intended to experiment, so the portion was small.

Who would have thought it wouldn't be enough for the three to have two tries each, causing Ning Xing to sigh and set his bamboo chopsticks aside.

He found it rather peculiar.

With backgrounds like his and Cui Yunqi's, what fine foods hadn't they tasted? How could a small Jade Scroll entice them to compete for it?

But its deliciousness was indeed extraordinary.

At the first bite, the thin, pliable skin was savory, aromatic, and sweet; as you bite further, layers of salty, crisp, fresh, and soft flavors burst within the mouth.

In that instant, the richness of the taste seemed to unfold an entire springtime within one's mind.

It sent a thrilling sensation directly from the tongue to the heart.

Before Ning Xing realized it, he instinctively wanted to go for a second bite.

Who would have thought Cui Yunqi, being crafty, moved both quickly and skillfully, while Feng Yuanbai was seasoned in his technique, making it impossible for Ning Xing to compete with them?

He came up empty, causing him to suddenly come to his senses.

Hey, what exactly did I just eat?

Could this dish have been made by the Feng Mansion's cook?

In theory, it should be so, as Ning Xing could hardly believe that someone as scholarly as Chen Xu could possess extraordinary culinary skills.

Wouldn't he be better off studying? How could he possibly delve into cooking?

Even if he did, how could he possibly attain such exceptional skill?

Ning Xing was almost ready to conclude in his heart that the second plate of Jade Scrolls was made by the Feng Mansion's cook.

Yet, right at that moment, he noticed something off about the expression of the Feng Mansion's cook.

The cook stood at the side of the stove, tiptoeing to look this way.

Her slightly rounded body seemed almost on the verge of toppling over, her face slightly plump and full of disbelief, with her eyebrows tightly knitted together.

If she weren't a bit plump, she would probably be scratching her ears like a monkey.

Though she refrained from such actions, the anxious and puzzled state was evident.

In a normal situation, would a cook who created a dish that the host and guests would fight over show such anxious perplexity?

Ning Xing found it all rather unfathomable, but couldn't help making a guess at this moment:

Could it really have been Chen Xu who made the second plate of Glazed Jade Scroll?

Surprised, he was about to voice his answer when Cui Yunqi preemptively spoke and said, "Brother Chen, this plate of Glazed Jade Scroll was made by you, right?"

He pointed to the now empty white porcelain dish.

Chen Xu immediately smiled and replied, "How so?"

Cui Yunqi, with an enthusiastic expression, answered, "Though I've never tasted the Feng Mansion cook's skills before, I'd imagine they wouldn't be exceptional.

But this second plate of Glazed Jade Scrolls is truly extraordinary.

One could well say it captures all the freshness of spring, even surpassing the sweetness of nectar. Such extraordinary craftsmanship must surely be the work of an extraordinary person.

Brother Chen, your literary talent, divination skills, and philosophical discussions are all superb, making you a truly intelligent person in this world.

Creating such a fine delicacy indeed seems perfectly natural."

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What natural reasoning? It's nonsense!

Ning Xing almost laughed in exasperation.

Yet he heard Chen Xu say, "Brother Cui, your praise is truly undeserved.

The Glazed Jade Scrolls were actually made by learning from Steward Sun on the spot, with the ingredients initially prepared by Steward Sun.

The difference in taste was due to one special ingredient."

Cui Yunqi immediately asked with curiosity, "What is it?"

Chen Xu smiled slightly.