Master of Strange Dao

"Lord Ji, you are too kind. I was passing by your mansion and thought I'd drop in to say hello."

"Teacher, I am still on official duty right now. This time, Brother Qing was invited to discuss some matters, so it's not convenient to stay long. I'll visit another day."

"Since you're already here, why the hurry to leave? Let your teacher's wife prepare some food and drink, so Young Master Qing can taste the home-cooked meals. They're not the same as those outside."

Ji Bochang warmly welcomed them and even bowed slightly to Yu Ziqing.

"My student here is still young. If there's any lack in hospitality, I hope Young Master Qing won't mind."

"Lord Ji, you're too polite. Brother Su and I are friends; we don't care for trivial formalities."

Seeing as Yu Ziqing spoke this way, Su Li didn't insist on leaving urgently and agreed to stay for a meal.

Yu Ziqing responded with a smile but internally tried identifying Ji Bochang as either the chief director or an incarnation, failing in each attempt.

The issue was that information from the Old Chief Venerate was incomplete, with Ji Bochang hiding some secrets, even from the Shadow Department.

Alternatively, Ji Bochang might have been the chief director or an incarnation, but he used some method to evade detection by the Compass, with key identification information missing as well.

No matter how Yu Ziqing assembled the data in his mind, he could not determine a conclusion.

An hour later, the food and drinks were ready. The group sat at the dining table, with Yu Ziqing eating the dishes but abstaining from alcohol.

"The home-cooked meals are indeed different from those outside, with a unique flavor. The fish is fresh and tender, which is rare; I wonder how it was made. It's even better than the chefs at the restaurants."

Yu Ziqing appeared to be enjoying himself immensely, shamelessly eating half the fish as if he were in his own home.

Ji Bochang's wife couldn't contain her smile upon hearing the praise.

"It's just a regular recipe, nothing special. If the young gentleman likes it, I can write down the method for you."

"Much obliged." Yu Ziqing immediately stood and offered a bow with a serious expression.

Moments later, Mrs. Ji finished writing down the recipe, detailed in its method, and handed it to Yu Ziqing. He carefully examined it and accepted it solemnly.

After the meal, Yu Ziqing and Su Li left the Ji Mansion, and Yu Ziqing returned to Chongwen Building.

Yu Ziqing leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and communicated with Lou Huai.

"Did you remember the aura of everyone we encountered?"

"I remembered everyone you met, big brother."

"Did you sense anything unusual?"

"Nothing unusual. That person also had no Devil Thought, likely having gone through Almsgiving. His aura was obscure, suggesting he had previously been severely injured."

Yu Ziqing sat there, taking out the recipe Mrs. Ji had given him.

Yu Ziqing naturally knew the fish was cooked by Mrs. Ji, which was why he ate half of it and specifically praised it, asking for the recipe.

Looking at the detailed requirements for the ingredients and the meticulous method, even specifying the type of oil and soy sauce to use, Yu Ziqing smacked his lips and closed his eyes to recall.

Every ingredient listed in the method seemed to move, and after a moment, Yu Ziqing opened his eyes.

An ingredient was missing.

No, the fish contained an extra ingredient.

Or rather, that ingredient enhanced the flavors of the other seasonings beyond their limits, making the fish even more delicious when combined.

Yu Ziqing genuinely wasn't pretending to enjoy the food; he truly loved it, and the fish was indeed excellently cooked. He wasn't acting; everything was true.

The next day, Yu Ziqing accompanied Su Li to stroll through the local market.

He purchased various seasonings locally but still failed to identify the final mysterious ingredient.

Even with Lou Huai's help, they couldn't find it.

They spent half the day shopping for a large quantity of spices before arriving at the Shadow Department government office with Su Li.

On the surface, it appeared that Yu Ziqing was reconciling with the Shadow Department, but in reality, it was to meet Fu Xiao.

It was to see if Fu Xiao dared to show up in front of him.

He did not go to any confidential places like the Prison; Fu Xiao presented himself openly to Yu Ziqing.

Seeing Yu Ziqing holding a Compass, Fu Xiao could not help but laugh helplessly.

Naturally, the Crown Prince implicitly approved of Yu Ziqing's actions, treating it as a face-saving gesture for this young master who had psychological shadows from the past, as well as a massive-scale impromptu unidentified target detection.

After all, Yu Ziqing carrying an always-active Compass through the streets differed entirely from the Shadow Department doing the same.

Everyone could understand Yu Ziqing, but if the Shadow Department acted so, they would soon have a pile of complaints on Emperor Li's desk.

Yu Ziqing confirmed that Fu Xiao was neither an incarnation nor the chief director, but the rusty sword still could not complete the identification due to missing critical information.

After Su Li stepped back, Yu Ziqing discussed the main topic with Fu Xiao.

"Thank you for the information, Chief Venerate."

"You're welcome. After assuming the Chief Venerate title, I naturally do not wish for any conflicts with Jinlan Mountain. As Chief Venerate, I naturally follow His Majesty's directives."

"Good, then let me reciprocate with some news, people affected by the Evil Skill, I can cure, and currently, only I can cure it."

Fu Xiao's eyes twitched slightly, then he quickly bowed in salute.

"As one of the many cultivators under the heavens, Young Master Qing deserves my respect."

"No need for courtesy; when the time is right, I can make it known to the world."

After chatting a bit longer, as Yu Ziqing finished his visit and was leaving, Ye Jiuyuan intentionally pretended to accidentally cross paths, showing up to let Yu Ziqing conduct a detection.