Chapter 1257 - White Emerald Jade Soup

Each time He Yingwu caught the faint smile at the corner of Liu Wuxie's lips, his heart skipped a beat.

"Wuxie, don't tell me you're planning to con others again," He Yingwu whispered. From his understanding of Liu Wuxie, this meal couldn't possibly be just for fun. There had to be a plan hidden beneath his calm demeanor.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

After all, Liu Wuxie had once fooled the Immortal Slaughter Palace, Mu Heng, Sheng Yue, the War Dragon Institute, and even the Dharma Institute. He had outsmarted them all.

"Even food can't shut your mouth!" Liu Wuxie shot He Yingwu a glare as the dishes arrived. The chefs prepared each plate exquisitely, crafting every detail so flawlessly that no one could resist with just a glance.

"Uncle He, can you tell me how my master cons others?" Xiao Luo asked innocently. She stuffed her mouth with a Divine Dragon Hand, chewing with bliss as oil glistened on her lips.

"Ahem, you'll find out in time," He Yingwu said, dodging the question. He grabbed a piece of Azure Bee Buddha Fang and bit into it, juices bursting across his tongue; it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

"It's delicious!" Xiao Luo exclaimed, utterly absorbed in her food. The dishes melted the moment they touched her tongue. These were no ordinary foods; the chefs crafted them with the very laws of heaven and earth.

"These aren't common dishes. This Divine Dragon Hand is condensed with dragon aura, holding a trace of divine dragon essence. It can strengthen the physique and expand the soul sea..." Liu Wuxie explained. To taste an authentic Divine Dragon Hand in the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain was rare indeed. Whoever owned the Heavenly Gale Pavilion had to be an extraordinary figure.

"It seems you know your food well!" A voice cut in. An old man appeared before Liu Wuxie, having overheard his commentary.

"I only know a little," Liu Wuxie replied, narrowing his eyes. He hadn't sensed the old man's arrival at all. Through Ghost Eye, he saw that the man concealed his aura perfectly. He was likely an Earth Immortal.

Other Earth Immortals who visited Liu Wuxie's courtyard never hid their cultivation, so he judged their strength easily. This man, however, had concealed his aura so entirely that he appeared ordinary to everyone else. That alone shocked Liu Wuxie.

"To describe the profundity of these dishes so well—young man, you're no simple character," the old man praised. "The Heavenly Gale Pavilion has endured for tens of thousands of years, and you're the first to analyze its cuisine with such perfection."

He glanced around the hall. The other diners devoured their meals without a thought for flavor, while Liu Wuxie savored each bite, analyzing it with a discerning tongue.

"I'm only displaying petty tricks before a true master. You flatter me," Liu Wuxie replied with a wry smile. By now, he had guessed the old man's identity.

"I have one dish I've never served to anyone before," the old man said before vanishing. "Seeing you today, I'd like to invite you to taste it."

The restaurant returned to calm, as though the old man had never appeared.

"Master, who is that elder?" Xiao Luo asked curiously.

"He's the owner of the Heavenly Gale Pavilion," Liu Wuxie answered. He hadn't expected his casual remarks on the dishes to draw out the pavilion master himself.

"What?!" He Yingwu exclaimed, so stunned that he set his food down. He couldn't believe the insignificant-looking old man was the master of this grand pavilion. To run such a place, where every dish contained laws, requires an extraordinary owner.

Meanwhile, Duan Li had already received word of Liu Wuxie's presence in the Heavenly Gale Pavilion. He immediately marched over with his men. If he could kill Liu Wuxie, he could seize the interstellar teleportation array and escape the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain.

Once he returned to the Laman Astral Domain, even the Heavenly Dragon Sect couldn't touch him. Whenever he recalled what had happened on Anlu Star, he ground his teeth so hard in rage that he had long lost count of how many teeth he had broken.

Determined, Duan Li led dozens of experts straight toward the Heavenly Gale Pavilion, unwilling to let Liu Wuxie slip away.

Time passed, yet the mysterious old man did not return. That alone proved the dish he promised was extraordinary.

Then came heavy footsteps outside. A group of twelve men appeared before Liu Wuxie—familiar and unfamiliar all at once. Liu Wuxie recognized Duan Li among them, though several of the Immortal Slaughter Palace disciples were strangers to him; he could see the Laman Astral Domain's laws flickering around the group.

"You're a little late," Liu Wuxie said calmly, setting down his cup. He poured himself more wine, completely ignoring their presence.

He Yingwu had already guessed who they were, but what unsettled him most was Liu Wuxie's composure.

"Liu Wuxie, for the past three months I've thought of nothing but tearing you apart—chewing your flesh and drinking your blood!" Duan Li snarled. He had neither eaten nor slept well during these months, consumed only by hatred.

Xiao Luo blinked in confusion at the venomous words. She didn't understand why these strangers hated her master so fiercely.

"This is the Heavenly Gale Pavilion. Do you truly plan to fight here?" Liu Wuxie asked with a smile. Anyone foolish enough to cause trouble in this place was tired of living.

Around them, patrons set down their chopsticks to watch.

"Who's that kid? Why are several Primal Origin Realm cultivators surrounding him?" whispered a few guests.

"The Heavenly Gale Pavilion prohibits fighting. Unless they sought death, they dared not act," another old man mocked. Even Void Realm experts wouldn't stir trouble here, much less those of the Primal Origin Realm.

The tension thickened. Duan Li saw his chance to strike and stepped forward, releasing the crushing aura of a Primal Origin Realm cultivator, bearing it down on Liu Wuxie.

He Yingwu tensed, ready to rise, but Liu Wuxie stopped him with a hand.

Just then, an invisible ripple dispersed Duan Li's aura. The old man reappeared, carrying a covered plate. The Immortal Slaughter Palace cultivators instinctively cleared a path for him.

"Young friend, this is my specialty. I've never unveiled it before. I hope you will try it," the old man said, placing the plate before Liu Wuxie and reaching to lift the lid.

Wine has its confidants; food does too. In that moment, the old man treated Liu Wuxie as his confidant.

"I fear I may disappoint you, senior," Liu Wuxie said with a shrug, his gaze lingering on Duan Li and his men. With them here, he couldn't fully savor the dish.

"Do you need me to kill them for you?" the old man asked calmly. His words alone made Duan Li and his followers recoil in horror. They could tell instantly that this unassuming elder possessed unfathomable strength.

"They're just clowns, not worth troubling you," Liu Wuxie replied. He had no intention of letting Duan Li distract him. His trip here was for far more important matters.

"You people have three breaths to leave. The Heavenly Gale Pavilion does not welcome murderous intent—it spoils the taste of food," the old man declared. A torrential aura erupted from him, forcing Duan Li and his men back.

The suffocating killing intent they carried was too overwhelming for this place.

"Liu Wuxie, let's see how long you can hide here," Duan Li spat before retreating. He would wait outside, biding his time.

Peace settled once more, though many patrons felt disappointed that the confrontation ended so abruptly. They turned back to their meals.

Liu Wuxie ignored Duan Li entirely and focused on the plate before him. The aroma rising from it stirred such hunger in him that he swallowed involuntarily.

"Don't lift the cover yet. Let me savor the fragrance first," Liu Wuxie said, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply.

The old man grew curious and paused. He wanted to see what Liu Wuxie could discern from the aroma alone.

"Just one breath makes my mouth water. There's a faint sweetness—it must be White Emerald Jade Soup," Liu Wuxie said, opening his eyes as he named the dish.

The old man froze in disbelief. He swiftly lifted the lid to reveal a plain-looking bowl of soup. White radish-shaped morsels and emerald-green leaves floated across the surface.

"Young friend, may I know your name?" the old man asked, pushing the soup toward him in invitation.

"Junior Liu Wuxie pays his respects to Senior Lou!" Liu Wuxie rose and bowed deeply.

"You know me?" The old man's smile turned mysterious.

"Who else but the pavilion master of the Heavenly Gale Pavilion could prepare such a dish?" Liu Wuxie replied. He gently lifted a spoonful of the soup and tasted it, closing his eyes to savor the flavor.

"The white jade condensed under moonlight, and the emerald leaves came from the essence of a ten-thousand-year white lotus. It took forty-nine days of painstaking effort to brew. This is no ordinary soup but a celestial dish," Liu Wuxie said as he opened his eyes, the aftertaste still lingering.

The soup entered his stomach, and indescribable comfort spread through him. A faint spirituality enveloped his being, and even his soul sea rippled as though purified.

"Hahaha! What more can one ask for than to find a confidant in life? Tonight, let us drink until we are drunk!" the old man declared, his voice thick with emotion. A lifetime spent creating cuisine had never moved him so deeply.

"Tonight may not be possible, but I will return when I can. I am grateful for the soup," Liu Wuxie replied, bowing again. The dish was a treasure. Just one sip had expanded his soul sea and infused him with a trace of immortal energy rising from the mist of the soup.

"Since you have urgent matters, I won't detain you. I look forward to the day we sit together to discuss cuisine," the old man said, and then vanished as though he had never been there.

The moment he disappeared, cultivators from nearby tables surged forward and leaned close to inhale the lingering fragrance. Some even looked ready to snatch the bowl straight from their hands.

An old man at the pinnacle of the Primal Origin Realm eagerly announced his bid: "Young friend, I'll offer one million astral stones for that soup."