Chapter 267: As You Were Saying... Which Dish Did You Find Unsatisfying?
Translator: E.3.3. Editor: Vermillion
The Imperial City of the Light Wind Empire.
In the empty main halls sat a silent Ji Chengxue. He clutched a letter in his hands so tightly that the pages had become wrinkled. His bloodshot eyes widened as he stared at this letter in shock.
After quite a while, as if a tight string finally loosened, Ji Chengxue sagged into the throne. It felt like all the energy in his body has been sucked out.
The letter also fluttered onto the floor.
"Dead… Chief Eunuch Lian is actually… dead." Ji Chengxue muttered with dull eyes and a bitter face. He was now filled with regret. Why did he ever approve Lian Fu's mission to personally capture Ji Chengyu, as it merely brought upon a tragedy at the end.
Ever since the late Emperor Changfeng's reign, Chief Eunuch Lian had been the seventh grade warrior protecting the Imperial City. With him there, the palace was always secure. He and Great General Xiao Meng made up the dynamic duo that safeguarded the Imperial City, effectively deterring the intrusion of sects. However, as of now… Chief Eunuch Lian, a seventh grade Battle-Saint, has fallen.
Bang!
Ji Chengxue smashed the throne with his angry fist. His face was filled with remorse and rage and his eyes were red with streaks of blood. He couldn't help but clench his teeth.
"Damn it! Ji Chengyu… No matter what has come of us, Chief Eunuch Lian was still a senior figure who watched us grow up. You actually had the nerve to kill him!"
Ji Chengyu must have played an undeniable role in Lian Fu's decease. Lian Fu was clearly out to capture Ji Chengyu, and furthermore, his death corresponded with the first traces of news on Ji Chengyu.
Was Ji Chengyu's force of influence already strong enough to eliminate a seventh grade Battle-Saint? Could it be Ji Chengyu has colluded with some kind of formidable association?
After all, Ji Chengyu had collaborated with the Joyous Union Sect, the White Bone Palace, and other warriors before. Was he now involved with some powerful party… to sabotage the Light Wind Empire?
Lian Fu's death brought Ji Chengxue an intense sense of crisis, prompting his heart to beat rapidly and fiercely.
"Reporting… Your Majesty, General Xiao Meng requests to meet!" An eunuch shouted loudly outside the main halls.
"Let him in, now!"
Ji Chengxue's voice had hardly faded when a burly figure sauntered in and stepped into the middle of the main halls.
Xiao Meng peered at Ji Chengxue's bloodshot eyes and sighed softly in his heart. Lian Fu's death was no trivial matter. The fall of a seventh grade Battle-Saint was a huge loss for the empire. However, compared to his news…
"Your Majesty, I've received some urgent messages. Hangyang County, Jianyang County, Shangxuan County and other large counties are all under the attacks of ferocious spirit beasts. It has caused a huge number of casualties and deaths. The Western Mistery City is also suffering the assault of a seventh grade spirit beast. There are some injuries and deaths there as well…"
Ji Chengxue, still immersed in the sorrow over Lian Fu's death, got a worse headache upon hearing the bad news.
With so many large counties disrupted at the same time, hell would soon break loose in the Light Wind Empire…
Why would these spirit beasts rampage out of the blue? They have always peacefully coexisted with the human society, so why were they suddenly stirring up trouble? Ji Chengxue couldn't even convince himself that nobody was scheming behind all of this.
Though it was true that the impending spring season caused spirit beasts to become more irascible, it was still rare in the history of the Light Wind Empire to have them collectively attack human cities.
"General Xiao, send someone to further inspect the situation. Make sure we gain the most accurate intelligence. In addition, dispatch armies to these cities to help subdue the spirit beasts."
Ji Chengxue rubbed his temples and replied helplessly. That was the best he could do in the current situation.
Xiao Meng nodded. After gazing at Ji Chengxue knowingly, he turned around to leave the main halls.
Ji Chengxue pursed his lips and mumbled to himself. At last, he lifted up his head and sighed. Since the old times, emperors have always had such a burden on their shoulders. Others were brought to believe this was a rewarding position and hence fought for the throne. Yet, how many of them could ever experience the onerous duties that came with the post.
Ji Chengxue suddenly missed the gourmet delicacies and fine wines in Owner Bu's store.
Those were simpler, more carefree days—devouring delicious dishes while gulping down exquisite wine.
…
Bu Fang had returned to his store. The gust of wind faded as the glistening spots of the magic array also vanished.
Back into his own room, he finally felt a sense of comfort. Whitey's duplication had already disappeared, not that this was something Bu Fang minded at all.
Sniffing at the somewhat rotten smell on his body, Bu Fang knitted his brows into a frown. He walked straight to the bathroom to take a shower.
Hot steams continued to rise, leaving strands of Bu Fang's hair slightly moist. After putting on a new robe, he walked out of the bathroom, feeling alive again.
Bu Fang brushed through his wet hair and left it untied. Then, he walked out of his room to go downstairs.
Having been away from the store for so many days, he was now primarily concerned with how business had fared.
It sounded quite busy in the kitchen, with the sound of chopping, frying, and pots clanging together ringing by his ears.
Rich fragrance drifted within the kitchen and the store, inducing one to take in deep breaths.
"Not bad, the two little ones have seen tremendous improvements in their cooking these days." Bu Fang nodded as a satisfied look flashed across his face. By simply smelling the food aroma spreading through the air, he could detect the level of their cooking.
He didn't step into the kitchen and instead, marched into the store.
Before even setting foot in the store, he caught the sound of a quarrel inside.
Bu Fang instantly frowned.
Arguments hardly broke in this store. Ever since the Five Stripes Path-Understanding Fruit incident, those in the Imperial City seldom dared to make a scene here.
Perhaps the the store's name was not big enough throughout the empire, yet in the Imperial City, even the rich and powerful weren't stupid enough to bother him.
"This old fellow travelled all the way here from the Hundred Thousand Alps and you serve me this crap? Though the taste is technically not bad, and the spirit energy contained is rich… But! This is far from all the praises I've heard about the gourmet delicacies of this store?" A rough, very much displeased, voice rang in the air.
"I already told you that Owner Bu is not here at the moment. All your dishes are cooked by the apprentices. Everybody is aware of that, so why be so picky about it?" A trace of impatience and uneasiness could be detected in Ouyang Xiaoyi's tone.
Bu Fang narrowed his eyes. It turned out that someone was unsatisfied with the taste of the dishes? Bu Fang refrained from expressing any opinion. Though Xiao Xiaolong and Yu Fu's skills have yet to reach his level, both the flavor and spirit energy within each dish still lived up to their prices.
Entering the store, Bu Fang caught sight of a bunch enjoying their meals. Ouyang Xiaoyi had her back to Bu Fang and was currently arguing with a rather chubby, white-bearded old man.
The chubby elder had a kind, even somewhat charming face, one that was impossible to truly get mad at.
Yet, Ouyang Xiao here bickered with him relentlessly.
The old man was so peeved he couldn't help but burst into a laugh, "You, little lassie, are really unreasonable. I'm just giving my complaints here, why can't you understand where I'm coming from. I'm merely stating the facts—although the dishes taste fine, they are still yards away from what I expected given all the rumors."
Ouyang Xiaoyi pursed her lips, ready to retort him. By now, she had become very defensive of the store.
Before she even opened her mouth, a calm and gentle voice rang behind her.
"Xiaoyi, stop arguing."
The chubby old man narrowed his eyes, lifting up his head to face Bu Fang. His charming, likable face flushed red.
Ouyang Xiaoyi was caught by surprise. Then, she turned around in excitement to see the slender figure of Bu Fang standing there with a head of dampen hair.
"Owner Bu! You're back!" Ouyang Xiaoyi's eyes instantly lit up. She began to dart towards him eagerly but then, recalling something else, froze on her tracks and rolled her adorable eyes. She humphed at Bu Fang.
"What a surprise that you still remember this place!" Ouyang Xiaoyi puckered her lips, her cheeks puffed.
The corners of Bu Fang's mouth gently curved. He walked forward and patted Ouyang Xiaoyi's head. Then, he directed his gaze at the chubby elder.
Studying the old man, Bu Fang squinted his eyes. Though he himself had rubbish combat capabilities, he still had the cultivation of a sixth grade Battle-Emperor. Relying on his cultivation, he could easily sense the formidable energy circulating within the old man's body.
Well… so what if he might be a terrifying warrior?
"As you were saying… which dish did you find unsatisfying?" Bu Fang tilted his head, gazed at the old man, and asked calmly.