The Legend of Fangren

"Hezi, why don't you go and rest for a while? I'll keep an eye on the inn."

Fang Shi moved a chair over and sat by the window, staring at the street below and the post station diagonally opposite.

The crowds kept coming and going, and the beast calamity in Qingye City had not subsided. Merchants who stopped in the city to rest saw the large flow of people and simply set up stalls by the roadside to do business.

It's a pity the two of them had something to do, otherwise they would have definitely gone to take a stroll in such a lively street scene, something they had rarely encountered in their lives.

"Fangzi, haven't you seen anyone you know yet?"

The morning passed in the blink of an eye. Luo He, who possessed cultivation, quickly had a full night's sleep and felt hungry as soon as he got out of bed.

"no."

Fang Shi shook his head, then heard her stomach growl and said with a smile, "Let's go downstairs and get something to eat."

"How about we eat some fruit? You said to be careful, Fangzi."

"It is precisely because we are careful that we appear natural. We came on horseback, which makes us look like we are not ordinary people to others. The waiter at the restaurant must have been calculating how much money we would spend when he saw us this morning. If we don't go out to order food now, it will attract some attention."

Restaurants and eateries are always places with the highest flow of people, and while they are crowded and chaotic, they are also good places to inquire about things.

So the two went outside and found the place bustling with people, tables and chairs packed tightly together, shoulders and elbows bumping into each other. There was no quiet spot to be found, let alone any empty tables and chairs.

Unlike the locals who are strapped for cash, guests who come from afar eat out whenever they can, and if they're lucky, they can make some friends and do business.

Seeing this, Fang Shi frowned: "He Zi, let's split up. You keep an eye on the post station, and I'll go down and gather information. I'll bring you some food later."

"Then be careful." Luo He saw how crowded it was downstairs and didn't want to go down, so she slipped back into her room.

Fang Shi went downstairs, called over the waiter, and handed him a wad of cash: "Two of your restaurant's signature dishes, please..."

He looked around to see if there were any empty tables he could share, and finally chose the one in the far corner.

"That table will do."

"Alright." The waiter took the money, counted the amount, and immediately beamed with joy.

This young master was clearly not short of money. This string of cash was more than enough to buy two signature dishes. After paying the shopkeeper, there would still be a lot left over, which naturally ended up in his pocket.

Oh dear, we really have to thank Qingye City for the beast disaster. Under normal circumstances, we would never see so many wealthy merchants.

It's so oily and flavorful that it makes your mouth and teeth shine.

"One serving each of steamed lamb slices and roasted lamb leg, please!"

I called out to the counter, and the waiter quickly ran to the kitchen to personally attend to me. A moment later, he came out carrying two large porcelain plates.

He squeezed through the crowd and came to Fang Shi. "Sir, please enjoy your meal. These two signature dishes are generously portioned and will fill you up."

The waiter was right. When the two large plates of lamb chops and legs were brought to the table, they immediately took up most of the table. Each of the thick lamb ribs and the robust lamb legs had a small knife stuck in it, so they had to be cut off before they could be put into people's bowls.

"Hmm." Fang Shi nodded and then ignored the waiter.

Unfortunately, the waiter thought he could make more money, but since he had already received a tip, it didn't matter if he didn't.

After the waiter left to attend to his work, Fang Shi curiously examined the so-called signature dishes of the restaurant.

He hadn't expected the signature dishes to be these two large meat dishes, because when he last visited Qingye City, the inn mostly served ordinary vegetarian dishes.

Although there are reasons such as the current difficulties faced by beasts and the shortage of food, meat and vegetables are a major problem in the Xuan Realm. Ordinary people cannot afford to eat much of it, and even restaurants should not serve such large plates of meat as if it were free.

The money he gave earlier wasn't given randomly; although it wasn't a small amount, it was still worth it compared to the two large plates of meat.

Could there be something wrong with this meat? Is it not good quality meat?

Cut off a slice of lamb leg with a knife and taste it.

"Um……"

Although the lack of seasonings made the meat taste a bit bland, its tender texture made up for it.

The roasting technique prevented the meat from becoming too dry, but rather made the skin crispy and fragrant with the aroma of natural oils.

The ecology of the Xuan Realm is incomparable to that of my previous life; the quality of the ingredients is simply too good, and simple cooking is enough to create a dish.

Strangely, the mutton lacked the gamey, fishy smell that Fang Shi was familiar with; wild creatures always have these.

There is only one possibility: this sheep is not wild, but domesticated.

This makes things even stranger. In the Xuan Realm, raising animals requires great care, as the scale and number are crucial. Even if they are raised by city officials and nobles, there cannot be too many.

Most of the meat came from hunting in the wild, while the meat from domesticated livestock was tender and delicate, and was mostly used by officials and nobles to enhance their prestige.

What? Could it be that the official family in Qumu City has produced a skilled animal husbandry expert? They have so much meat that they can sell it to restaurants.

If this were a long-term thing, Senior Sister Qu should be eating meat regularly. However, whenever Fang Shi brings Luo He delicious food, it always attracts her. It doesn't look like she's eating well at all.

According to Luohe, Senior Sister Qu always timed her meals perfectly so she could rush to the canteen to grab the best dishes, showing no signs of being a spoiled young lady at all.

So this is what has happened recently.

Just then, Fang Shi, who had eaten a few pieces of meat, noticed that the merchants at the same table were glancing over from time to time. A little embarrassed when he saw this, he smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I can't finish so much, and it would be a waste to leave it. We are people from all over the country, and it is fate that we are sitting at the same table today. Why don't we share it?"

The four or five people opposite, who were clearly together, beamed with joy upon hearing this and said, "Oh, young brother, you're so generous, then we won't stand on ceremony."

Taking the knife from Fang Shi, they each cut off a piece of meat, their mouths watering just looking down at the bowl.

Fang Shi then asked, "Judging from your attire, you gentlemen are people who travel far and wide to do big business, yet you don't seem to eat much meat. Is it possible that restaurants serving meat dishes are rare elsewhere?"

"Of course," one of the men on the other side said. "Where in other cities can you find a restaurant that can use such a large piece of meat as its signature dish? Even in a few large cities, the restaurants would be many times more luxurious than this one, and it's not a place that ordinary merchants like us can afford."

"Yes, and this meat doesn't taste wild at all." Another person added, "It's one thing if it's meat from ordinary hunting; ordinary people can afford to eat it occasionally if they save up some money. But if this meat is from domesticated animals, not only ordinary people, but even restaurants shouldn't be able to afford it. Otherwise, how can it be called fragrant meat?"

These men were indeed traveling merchants; they had seen a lot and could notice many strange things. However, they were just passersby, and after making a few curious remarks, they didn't delve into it further.

After finishing his meal, Fang Shi packed up the lamb chops he hadn't eaten much of and took them back to his room.

"Wow! They even have large lamb ribs! This restaurant sells that? I've hardly ever seen them at the Naejong Kitchen."

"Yes, this place seems a bit strange."

Fang Shi sat to the side, propping his chin up with his hand, watching Luo He eat heartily with a smile on his face, but his mind was elsewhere.

Seeing that he was acting like this again, Luohe forked a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Mmm~ I'm full."

No, I don't think you've eaten enough.

Otherwise, why are you staring at me like that? You must be craving the meat in my mouth!