Magic Chef of Ice and Fire

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Feng Nu looked at Nian Bing from the side. She hadn't noticed before, but now she realized that this tall, blonde youth was incredibly handsome. His coarse clothing couldn't hide his inherent nobility. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. Feng Nu knew she would never forget the look of dedication on Nian Bing's face when he was cooking. She softly asked, "Nian Bing, where do you plan to go after dinner?"

Nian Bing didn't look at Feng Nu; his spirit was gradually relaxing in silence. "I will stay in Bing Xue City for a while. My master said that the chefs from two restaurants here have remarkable skills. I want to check it out, maybe I can learn something."

Feng Nu understood, "You're talking about Dacheng Restaurant and Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant. Eating there is frighteningly expensive. I've only heard about them, never been inside. However, I believe they couldn't make that magical pigeon rice like you did. How long do you plan to stay here and where will you go next?"

Upon hearing Feng Nu's detailed questioning, Nian Bing turned to look at her. Feng Nu's pretty face turned slightly red, she quickly said, "I don't have any other intentions. We are friends, after all. I just want to know where I can find you in the future."

Nian Bing smiled, "I will stay in Bing Xue City at least until you finish making the Zheng Yang Knife. As for the future, I will probably journey to every corner of the continent. Eight years of cooking practice, and now eight years of cooking enlightenment. My practice has ended, now I need the process of enlightenment. I don't even know if eight years would be enough for me to travel across the entire continent."

Something seemed to occur to Feng Nu, "Actually, becoming famous isn't necessarily a good thing. Look at my master, his God Zhu weapon was so famous back then! Generals from various countries take pride in owning a weapon made by my master. But what was the end result? Every empire wanted to confine my master to their own country and have him make weapons for them. If he wasn't so famous, my master wouldn't have had to live out his twilight years in such a humble place. Before forging the Li Tian Sword, my master told me that whatever your profession, if you want to reach its pinnacle, you must have strong power as backup. Otherwise, it's impossible to do whatever you want."

"Strong power as backup?" Nian Bing's heart stirred. He nodded approvingly and said, "Ancestor Hua Tian is right. If you have strong power backing you, you can better pursue what you want. No wonder your Fighting Qi is so powerful. Ancestor Hua Tian must have put a lot of effort into you."

Feng Nu smiled faintly, "Your magic isn't bad either! Both ice and fire. I don't know how you trained. Don't those two types of magic conflict?"

Nian Bing didn't want to discuss this issue, he stood up, "Maybe. But I only use low-level magic, so it doesn't affect much." Fire and Ice of the same origin is one of his biggest secrets. Obviously, he couldn't let others know easily. Even though he already had some fondness for the girl in front of him.

The two of them continued to chat, mostly about amusing things that happened when they were learning with their masters. By the time Nian Bing remembered that the pigeon rice was ready, they both felt like time had flown by too fast.

"Wow, this is so delicious. It's so fragrant." Feng Nu exclaimed with the first bite of the pearl-like pigeon rice. Her beautiful eyes were filled with appetite. Nian Bing didn't know much about women, but seeing Feng Nu eating at a frenzied pace, his eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Nian Bing, why aren't you eating? If you don't start now, I'm going to finish it all. Why is your pigeon rice so delicious? I only saw you add salt!" Feng Nu said while eating, not forgetting to remind Nian Bing. Nian Bing chuckled, "I'm eating. The reason the pigeon rice is delicious is because the nutrition of the pigeon is fully combined with the rice; the inside has the pigeon meat, the outside has the pigeon bone soup. The two together give the rice the aroma of pigeon meat. Adding some salt enhances the taste, making it naturally delicious." While speaking, he also began to eat. If he didn't start eating now, he seriously doubted that there would be any left for him.

Both of them managed to finish the entire pot of rice. Nian Bing counted, he only ate about thirty percent of it, while the remaining seventy percent had all gone into Feng Nu's stomach. Flopped against the back of the chair, she was slightly out of breath; her lips looked even more lusciously red, and there were noticeable sweat trails on her pretty face. "Nian Bing, this is delicious. This is the first time I've had rice this good. No wonder Predecessor Zha became famous around the world."

Nian Bing forced a smile, "My surprise is no less than yours, Feng Nu. Do all girls eat this much? You should know, I cooked this meal anticipating we would also have dinner. This was all based on my own estimated portion size, I never thought we'd finish it all together."

Feng Nu, her face beet red, glared at Nian Bing and pouted, "I have porridge every day, is it wrong for me to have a full meal? You should've told me earlier that my dinner was included here."

Nian Bing gave a small chuckle, "As long as you like it, that's all that matters. If a chef's dish is completely eaten, it means you've given them the best encouragement. Apart from Master, you are the first one to taste my cooking. I need to get going; it's getting late. If I don't leave for my next destination soon, I may have to sleep at an inn tonight. You've eaten a lot, take a rest."

"Nian Bing." Feng Nu suddenly halted him, Nian Bing, just about to stand up, looked at her questioningly.

"Can you visit me more often in the future? I feel really lonely since Master has left. More importantly, after having the meal you cooked, I'm afraid I won't be able to stand just drinking porridge anymore."

Looking at the sparkles in Feng Nu's eyes, Nian Bing's heart softened, he smiled, "Don't worry, I'll come to see you whenever I'm free. And I'll cook for you."

Feng Nu's face lit up with a joyful smile, "You better keep your promise, I'll be waiting for you here."

Nian Bing inwardly cried that he had been caught off guard - the power of beauty is indeed strong. No wonder back then even Master had slipped. However, since he had already promised, he would surely see it through. It was just roughly a month anyway. Once the Zheng Yang Knife was ready, he would leave this place. In the future, it's best to keep a distance from women.

Finally stepping out of the Second-Hand Ironware Shop, Nian Bing breathed a sigh of relief. He reached into his pocket and touched his belongings, besides the Zheng Yang Knife left with Feng Nu, he had brought everything else with him. Dacheng Restaurant, Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant, which one should he choose? He'd figure it out. Since Master once said, once you reveal your cooking skills, you must leave immediately. For this reason, he would start from scratch.

Dacheng Restaurant and Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant are located in the most bustling area of Central Street in Bing Xue City, with the two restaurants facing each other across the street, they have always been the biggest competitors.

The Dacheng Restaurant is exquisitely decorated. From the wide Central Street of Bing Xue City, it stands out as the most prominent building on the left side of the street. It's four storeys high and covers an area of tens of thousands of square meters. The entire edifice is mainly dark red and gold, reflecting its luxury. A red carpet is laid out from the interior hall all the way to the doorway. There are two large stone lions, each approximately three meters high, standing on both sides of the entrance. Suspended above the five-meter-wide gate, there was a golden plaque with three large characters, -- Dacheng Restaurant. There's a couplet on both sides of the door, with 'Golden Glory, Jade Dew, Fine Delicacies,' written on the left and 'Silver Treasure, Sweet Fountain, Wonderful Dishes,' written on the right. At the entrance, there are four beautiful young girls dressed in long red skirts in charge of reception. They lead groups of guests dressed in fancy clothes inside. It is the place that dignitaries and noble people most like to frequent, as if only here can their status be displayed.

Directly across from the Dacheng Restaurant, there is the antique Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant. As the name suggests, while it may not be as luxurious as the Dacheng Restaurant, it has a distinct elegance. This three-storey restaurant is decorated mainly in turquoise. Every detail depicts an unassuming elegance. The words 'Qing Feng Zai' in turquoise ink on the plaque at the entrance are strong and powerful. Clearly, they are the work of a master calligrapher. Couplet posts on either side of the entrance read: 'Scholars discussing and laughing over a green tea,' on the left and 'Literati tasting vegetarian dishes back and forth,' on the right. Scholars and literati usually frequent this place. The reason why it can stand against the Dacheng Restaurant over the years is that it houses the meetings of the Association of Magic. As one of the most noble professions, mages have a transcendent status in any country, and the Association of Magic is highly praised by the royal families of the great empires. The Association of Magic in each empire may not interact with each other, but each possesses an influential power in their own country.