Gourmet of Another World
chapter-187

On a dark night, the snow lingered, and two crescent moons rested partly hidden between the clouds .

Light Wind Empire Imperial City, the Palace .

The inside of the main halls of the palace were brightly lit . The sound of dance and music echoed ceaselessly and the aroma of fine wine and gourmet delicacies pervaded the air of the palace . At the center, female dancers twirled their waists, trying hard to show off their beauty .

Court musicians, sitting in a corner, heartily performed pleasant melodies . The female dancers twirled and fluttered gracefully in accordance with the music . It was dazzlingly beautiful, making it difficult to swerve one's gaze elsewhere .

In the upper tiers of the main halls, Ji Chengxue sat upon the throne dressed in fine, luxurious garments . On the two sides sat important ministers of the royal court, many of which were new faces . They were obviously promoted by Ji Chengxue after the grand cleansing took place .

The big name households of the empire were also seated . Were it the members of the Xiao family, the Ouyang family, or the Yang family, they all sat within the main halls toasting each other, emitting waves of laughters .

The Ghost Chef sat close to Ji Chengxue . The wrinkles on his face stirred, revealing his contentment within .

"Master Wang, this sovereign has heard the former emperor's praise of the master back when he was still active and well . He said the master is a legend of the empire, having travelled across the continent for decades, and has witnessed countless wondrous spectacles as well as people and phenomenon . Allegedly, it was because the master desired to cultivate his cooking skills . It really demands this sovereign's admiration . "

Ji Chengxue filled a white jade cup with Bejewelled Nectar Wine as he verbally esteemed the Ghost Chef Wang Ding . Just as his voice faded, he drained the wine within the cup with one gulp .

Wang Ding also lifted the jade cup, expressed his appreciation towards Ji Chengxue, and gulped down the wine . He smacked his lips and acclaimed that it was good wine .

"Your Majesty, you mistakenly flatter me . This old fellow is nothing more than someone who wandered about the continent, certainly unworthy of the weight of your Majesty's commendation . " Wang Ding smiled softly .

Ji Chengxue sincerely revered the elder before him . Of course, a large part came from his cooking skills and other capabilities . But the story that Ghost Chef Wang Ding had journeyed across the continent was indeed truthful .

"Master Wang is being modest . The Hidden Dragon Continent is vast and without boundaries . This sovereign is aware that the Light Wind Empire is nothing more than a pellet-sized dot within the continent . My heart yearns for the vast universe out there, and thus this deference to the master comes from the bottom of the heart .

"If Master Wang can afford his time, how about introducing this sovereign to some of the places within the Hidden Dragon Continent, for the sake of satisfying this sovereign's curiosity . " Ji Chengxue faced the Ghost Chef Wang Ding, rising the glass again as he spoke .

The Ghost Chef did not turn down the request . He was actually born in the Light Wind Empire, and as the Empire prospered, his fame as the Ghost Chef also spread . The numerous years afterwards he spent roaming through the continent, and it was only a couple of years ago that he settled in seclusion outside of the Wildlands, in Qingyang Town, and opened a small restaurant .

The crowd within the main halls suddenly turned to gaze at the Ghost Chef, while their ears perked up . One often felt an inexplicable yearning for the unknown, and even those as noble and privileged as the imperial aristocrats could not escape this . Even someone as almighty as Xiao Meng held his breath in curiosity .

"This old fellow had travelled across the continent for decades . It's a shame to admit that I have yet to cover the entire continent . The continent is boundless, and this old fellow believes he could never reach the ends even if he devoted an entire lifetime . But this old fellow did not end up empty-handed .

"Your Majesty should be aware of the Wildlands . It is vast in territory, filled with countless savage beasts, and is practically known as a forbidden zone to humans . But in the continent, there are many regions as such . " The Ghost Chef Wang Ding took a sip of the Bejewelled Nectar Wine, emitted a long breath, and said slowly .

"Your Majesty should be aware of the Wildlands . It is vast in territory, filled with countless savage beasts, and is practically known as a forbidden zone to humans . But in the continent, there are many regions as such . " The Ghost Chef Wang Ding took a sip of the Bejewelled Nectar Wine, emitted a long breath, and said slowly .

"Up north there is a field of vast, boundless swamp known as the Illusory Spirit Swamp . Its level of menace is not even a degree lower than that of the Wildlands . The spirit swamp is broad, but the species of spirit beasts are rich and the amount of spirit herbs innumerable . Even seventh grade spirit herbs exist there . This old fellow trekked across the Illusory Spirit Swamp for many years and has witnessed plenty of peculiar species, for example, the serpent-men tribes, the scorpion-men tribes, and more . "

The crowd within the main halls gasped, taking in a chilled breath, serpent-men tribes… that sounded pretty incredible .

"There is a big city in the spirit swamp, built by the serpent-men tribes, that is towering and majestic . There are many warriors among the serpent-men tribe, much more than the Light Wind Empire can conceive . Within the Illusory Spirit Swamp, the serpent-men aren't the strongest . Instead, there is another villa erected among the clouds, called the White Cloud Villa . This old fellow has only heard of this villa's name but has yet to witness it with his own eyes . "

Ji Chengxue's eyes sparkled, a gush of heated blood surged up his heart as he took in a chilled breath . White Cloud Villa, serpent-men city… The continent was immense, and it truly contained an infinite variety of fantastic phenomena .

"In the east, there is a plain of continuous large mountains, referred to as the Hundred Thousand Mountains, where there is an endless sweep of mountainous ranges and peaks . That was the most frightening zone for this old fellow, who spent a decade there but could not reach the ends of the ridges… The forces of power within the mountain ranges are complex, there are spirit beasts, humans, and unknown species . They all compete for the resources within the mountains for self development .

"In the south, there is a boundless ocean . It stretches beyond one's visual horizons, but nobody could tell where it ended…"

The Ghost Chef Wang Ding shared a great deal, or maybe it has been too long since he last told his tales . That night, he unleashed his words, describing with meticulous details his adventures . For the crowd within the main halls, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience .

It turned out that the continent… was really that limitless and beyond belief .

"Master Wang really is a saint . All these places you've mentioned are unimaginable for us here . The northern Illusory Spirit Swamp, the eastern Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Southern boundless ocean… Hmm, the mere sound of it floods this sovereign's heart with emotions . " Ji Chengxue raised the wine glass once again, and toasted the Ghost Chef Wang Ding .

Wang Ding also raised his wine glass and drained it .

Wang Ding also raised his wine glass and drained it .

Suddenly, a waft of aroma drifted by, and a number of graceful court maids carrying porcelain plates strolled in . Rich fragrance emanated from the porcelain plates .

Ji Chengxue noticed this and suddenly burst into laughter, "Haha, finally here, Master Wang, give this a taste, here is the Oyster Bun that this sovereign specially ordered someone to purchase from Owner Bu . Master Wang has intensively studied cooking and would probably appreciate it . "

The Ghost Chef Wang Ding was taken back . His gaze turned to the porcelain plate that court maids have laid down in front of him . Within the plate was a piece of round-shaped, plump golden fried bun .

Ji Chengxue licked his lips, picked up the piece of Oyster Pancake, and took a bite . Suddenly, the rich aroma burst forth, and with the plump oyster in his mouth he felt completely intoxicated . Because of preoccupation with busy court affairs, whenever he needed to satisfy his cravings, he could only eat this Oyster Bun .

So savory… unbelievably savory!

The Ghost Chef took in a deep breath, and as the rich fragrance provoked his taste buds, he was unable to restrain his mouth from watering .

He also picked up this Oyster Bun and took a bite . It made a light crispy sound .

As the outmost layers of the Oyster Bun was ripped open, its aroma burst out like an exploding bomb and embraced the Ghost Chef, keeping him intoxicated and unable to escape . His mouth could not stop chewing, and the fragrances from the meat, oysters, and shredded turnips intermingled, presenting him with an unprecedented taste and texture .

"Delicious! Absolutely too delicious!" Wang Ding snapped back to reality and swallowed a mouthful as he showered it with praise .

"Haha! As long as Master Wang likes it . Since this sovereign planned the banquet, he specifically ordered many people to head down and purchase this Oyster Bun from Owner Bu . Each person is limited to one order, and each order only contains two pieces . With this many orders of Oyster Pancake, Owner Bu is probably feeling exhausted by now . " Ji Chengxue chuckled .

"Owner Bu? Do you mean the owner of Fang Fang's Little Store, located in the alleyway?" Wang Ding was dumfounded . He gazed at Ji Chengxue as he asked in bewilderment .

"Haha! As long as Master Wang likes it . Since this sovereign planned the banquet, he specifically ordered many people to head down and purchase this Oyster Bun from Owner Bu . Each person is limited to one order, and each order only contains two pieces . With this many orders of Oyster Pancake, Owner Bu is probably feeling exhausted by now . " Ji Chengxue chuckled .

"Owner Bu? Do you mean the owner of Fang Fang's Little Store, located in the alleyway?" Wang Ding was dumfounded . He gazed at Ji Chengxue as he asked in bewilderment .

"Precisely . Could it be Master Wang is acquainted with Owner Bu?" Ji Chengxue was astonished .

The Ghost Chef Wang Ding shook his head with an odd look on his face, took a bite out of the Oyster Bun, and replied: "I had just left the store before entering the palace . "

Oh? Ji Chengxue was immensely intrigued . The Ghost Chef Wang Ding was acclaimed as the man with the greatest cooking skills within the Empire . It was fascinating to know what kind of feedbacks he would give after trying Owner Bu's cooking .

"Owner Bu's cooking abilities is flawless . What is unique is that every dish of his contains a rich concentration of true energy, this is extremely inconceivable and not something a commoner can achieve," the Ghost Chef added . But just as he finished speaking, his brows formed a frown .

"But… Your Majesty, there is something to be mentioned, but this old fellow is unsure whether that is appropriate . "

"Speak your mind freely . " Ji Chengxue regained a serious posture .

"This little store has an ambiguous origin, and Owner Bu is of an unknown identity . Their existence in the Light Wind Empire Imperial City, within the capital of a kingdom, may bring about unthinkable disaster to the Imperial City . " The wrinkles on the Ghost Chef's face froze as he spoke earnestly .

At this claim, Ji Chengxue, Xiao Meng, and Grandpa Ouyang all blanched in astonishment .

Owner Bu will bring catastrophe to the Imperial City? Now that sounds like a joke…