I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 451 This little guy is quite handsome! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Hearing the kind woman say this, Li Chen expressed his gratitude and then headed to the location of the Holy Maiden of the Witchcraft Holy Land, which was also the end of the long wooden table.

As soon as I arrived, I heard a voice with a strange accent, yet somewhat sweet.

"Gentlemen, please try this! These deep-fried bamboo worms are incredibly crispy, and paired with our special sweet and sour sauce, I guarantee you'll want more!"

The speaker was a sweet-looking and lively young girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old.

She was born with bright eyes and white teeth. Her almond-shaped eyes were adorned with exquisite indigo eye makeup, and the corners of her eyes were decorated with tiny silver foil, which made her lively eyes even more dazzling.

Her full lips were painted a bright vermilion, and when she smiled, two cute little tiger teeth were revealed.

What is most striking is her stunning figure: a slender waist above a full bosom, and a simple, antique-looking bronze bell hanging from a silver necklace that rings crisply with her movements.

He wore a silver crown with ox horns on his head, a symbol of his status, with fine silver tassels hanging down on both sides.

She wore carved silver bracelets on her wrists and ankles, which jingled as she walked.

She wore an indigo-colored short jacket with intricate insect patterns embroidered on the front and cuffs.

She wore a knee-length pleated skirt, revealing a pair of long, slender legs, and embroidered knee-high boots.

Her long, jet-black hair was braided into several thin braids on both sides, showing that she had a lot of hair.

Colorful ribbons were tied to the ends of her hair, which bounced in the air with her lively movements.

"This young man is quite handsome!" The girl spotted Li Chen in the crowd at a glance, and her eyes lit up immediately.

She praised him in the local dialect, meaning that the young man was very handsome.

Upon hearing this, Li Chen smiled slightly.

His smile was like a gentle spring breeze, so incredibly handsome that even the young girl Li Meng was stunned, and the surrounding Tian Ce merchants all turned around to look.

"Damn, he's really handsome." A businessman muttered to himself.

Most of these merchants were snobbish. Seeing Li Chen's extraordinary attire and outstanding demeanor, they immediately and politely offered him the seat of honor: "Young master, please sit down, please sit down!"

Li Chen was still considering how to ask about the Yin-Yang Gu, but seeing this, he took a seat.

Li Meng immediately and enthusiastically served a plate of golden and crispy fried centipedes: "Little bro, are you here to do business too? Try our specialty, it's delicious! And it's especially good for your health!"

Just as Li Chen was about to pick up his chopsticks, Daoist Yang Ci quietly moved over and whispered, "Master, let me try it first."

His eyes were full of vigilance, fearing that these insects might be harmful to the emperor.

Li Chen waved his hand to indicate that it was alright, so Yang Ci had no choice but to step back, but he still stared intently at the plate of centipedes, his face full of doubt. Could this thing really be eaten?
With a crisp "crunch," Li Chen took a bite out of the centipede leg without changing his expression. After chewing it carefully, he nodded and praised, "Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the salt and pepper seasoning is just right, truly delicious."

Li Meng clapped her hands and jumped for joy, her silver ornaments jingling: "I knew it!"

She turned around and brought out various insect dishes, including honey-glazed bee pupae, spicy bamboo worms, and garlic-flavored crickets, which filled the entire table.

"Is this your first time visiting our sacred land of witchcraft, little pot-pot?" Li Meng asked, resting her chin on her hands and blinking her big eyes. "Want me to be your guide? There are so many fun places here!"

The surrounding merchants all smiled knowingly. Everyone knew that Saintess Li Meng had extremely high standards and usually treated merchants with a purely businesslike attitude. Her enthusiasm today was truly rare.

Some merchants also noticed that Li Meng's eyes shone when she looked at Li Chen. As the Holy Maiden of the Witchcraft Holy Land, she also sensed that these merchants were very polite to Li Chen and assumed that he might have a high status outside, so their attitude was naturally very good.

In addition, Li Chen is indeed handsome, which makes this young, budding beauty very fond of him.

Normally, women usually have a good first impression of Li Chen, which is one of the advantages of being good-looking.

Zhu Zhuying, a concubine by Li Chen's side, saw this scene, smiled faintly, and said nothing.

She knew how charming Li Chen was; this young beauty had only seen one side of him, and he was even more impressive in other aspects.

Zhu Zhuying also knew that if this beautiful young woman really got along well with Li Chen, her rise to prominence would be just around the corner.

Seeing Li Chen eat some, Yang Ci Daoist swallowed and tentatively picked up a few bites with his chopsticks. After chewing, his eyes lit up.

"Hmm? This taste..." He widened his eyes in surprise, then picked up another piece of fried bee pupae. The crispy outer skin wrapped around the soft insect meat, and the aroma was wonderful. It was much more delicious than he had imagined.

"Indeed excellent!" Daoist Yangci couldn't help but exclaim, and then, with renewed vigor, began to feast.

As he ate, he exclaimed, "The Tian Ce Dynasty is truly full of rare and exotic delicacies. Even for a Saint Realm expert, there are still many things I have never tried."

He recalled what his mentor once said: "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles."

The reason he was able to break through to the Saint Realm was because he traveled all over the world, gained extensive knowledge, and developed a broad mind.

This insect feast has given him a vague sense of enlightenment, as if his path of cultivation has broadened considerably.

Seeing that Li Chen and Yang Ci Daoist were both enjoying their meal, Li Meng smiled broadly and leaned closer to Li Chen, asking, "Little pot, where are you from? Is your family quite wealthy?"

As soon as she spoke, she realized she had been a bit presumptuous and quickly waved her hand, saying, "Ah, I didn't mean to pry into your family's wealth. I was just thinking that if we could promote our local specialties, we might be able to earn some more money..."

Li Chen smiled slightly, his tone calm yet exuding undeniable confidence: "I am from the capital, and my family's businesses are spread throughout the entire Tian Ce Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, the businessmen present all turned their heads in surprise.

Some people chuckled under their breath, thinking Li Chen was bragging; others had gleaming eyes, secretly plotting how to curry favor with this "big shot" later.

After all, if Li Chen were to tell the truth, his family must be quite large, ranking among the top in the entire Tian Ce.

Some even speculated that Li Chen was a scion of some powerful family within the Imperial Capital Chamber of Commerce.

Li Meng blinked. Although she didn't quite understand the business landscape of the Tian Ce Dynasty, judging from Li Chen's demeanor, he was far from being an ordinary rich young master.

She asked with great interest, "So what do you think of our insect banquet? Is it possible to sell it in your capital city?"

Li Chen nodded and analyzed seriously: "The insect feast is very unique and tastes good. My family owns many chain hot pot restaurants. If we can select some insects that are suitable for cooking and add them to the pot, along with some crispy fried snacks to go with drinks, it should have a good market."

He had just been thinking about this issue. If the insect banquet could be promoted, it would not only enrich the food culture of the Tian Ce Dynasty, but also give the people in the south who raised insects another way to make a living.

When the people are prosperous, society will naturally be stable.

Food is the most important thing for people. If they are well-fed, who would think of rebelling?

(End of this chapter)