A Bite of Douluo Continent

But now these diners prefer to choose Tianxingzhai.

If the Cold Food Festival were to close now, it's conceivable that Tianxingzhai would soon become the best restaurant in Mingdu, surpassing the somewhat declining Mingtingque.

From this perspective, Wu Henian should be happy.

But the thought of never being able to taste the dishes of the Cold Food Festival again made him somewhat unhappy.

During this period of tasting the dishes of the Cold Food Festival, he felt that he had benefited a lot. Many of the dishes gave him a lot of inspiration and also opened up his mind recently, allowing him to develop several new dishes.

"Brother Henian, why do you think Hanshi is closing down?" Ye Ansheng asked, rubbing his chin with a puzzled look. "Hanshi's business is getting better and better. Shouldn't they take this opportunity to expand and strengthen their business?"

"I don't know." Wu Henian shook his head, a hint of contemplation in his eyes. "Perhaps... Boss Qi's original purpose wasn't to make money?"

He couldn't help but recall his scattered memories of his great-grandfather.

My great-grandfather was the same kind of person, focusing only on researching new dishes and not caring at all whether Tianxingzhai could make money.

This is probably the realm of a genius who is obsessed with cooking.

...

Tonight's business is going to be more demanding for Meng Yun than usual.

Almost every customer who entered the store clamored for Qi Han to continue operating.

But considering the potential dangers the boss might face if he stayed in Mingdu, Meng Yun naturally couldn't join the diners in their commotion, and could only politely explain the reason.

Meng Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief as the store was nearing its end. Just then, an elderly man with white hair walked into the store, which made her eyes light up slightly. "Grandpa De, you've come."

The elderly man surnamed De left a deep impression on Meng Yun. He always managed to be among the last batch to enter the store, leisurely finishing his meal just as the store closed. He would then chat with the owner and Meng Yun for a bit. He was very knowledgeable, humorous, and approachable.

“Yes.” De Hongchen nodded, then frowned slightly. “Little Mengyun, tomorrow is the last day of business for Hanshi Festival. Will it close after that?”

"Yes." Meng Yun felt a little embarrassed. Grandpa De would come to Hanshi twice a day, and he obviously liked the dishes there. He probably wouldn't be able to eat there anymore. "The boss has other things to do and will probably leave Mingdu."

De Hongchen's face didn't show much surprise, only a slight annoyance, and he sighed softly, "If only it had been a few days later."

"Huh?" Meng Yun blinked. "What do you mean, a few more days later?"

"It's nothing." De Hongchen shook his head slightly, then revealed a warm smile. "Tonight, I'd like a bowl of dragon beard noodles and a serving of crab-stuffed orange."

"Okay, wait a minute."

...

Dinner service ended quickly. Qi Han walked out of the kitchen and saw De Hongchen slowly drinking the last sip of noodle soup. He smiled slightly.

He was deeply impressed by the kind old man. His gentle elder demeanor was somewhat similar to that of the two seniors, Qi Po Xiao and Tang Qian Qiu. However, unlike the two invincible Limit Douluo of the era, this Grandpa De was just a wealthy old man living in retirement in the nearby neighborhood.

Seeing Qi Han come out, De Hongchen put the bowls and plates on the table and waved to him, "Little Qi, come, come, sit down, let's chat."

"Okay." Qi Han smiled slightly and sat down in front of De Hongchen.

He had a good impression of the old man in front of him, and now that he was about to leave Mingdu, he felt a little reluctant to part with him.

"Are you really going to leave Mingdu?" Gu Xuan asked Qi Han. De Hongchen looked at Qi Han and said with a hint of deeper meaning, "The struggle for the princes in Mingdu has reached a fever pitch, and the situation is a bit tense. It might not be safe to leave at this time."

Qi Han had also heard something about what De Hongchen had said.

Currently, the two princes most qualified to vie for the throne in the Sun Moon Empire are the eldest prince and the third prince. Their open and covert struggle has now reached a fever pitch, causing the entire Ming capital to become somewhat tense.

However, this had nothing to do with him. Qi Han was even somewhat relieved. Perhaps it was precisely because of the struggle between the two princes that Han Shi was able to live peacefully for a month without being discovered by the royal family of the Sun Moon Empire.

Therefore, upon hearing this, he simply smiled and said, "There's nothing I can do. My home is too far from Mingdu. Opening a shop in Mingdu was a way for me to prove myself. Now that I've achieved my goal, it's time to go back."

"Oh?" De Hongchen's eyes flashed slightly. "Proving yourself...that's good."

He then smiled slightly, "Do you remember when I was young I also loved to travel the continent like you? Back then I was a Soul Master, but I later suffered a hidden injury and my strength was not as good as before, so I had to honestly go into business and retire."

"Hmm?" This was the first time Qi Han had heard De Hongchen talk about himself, and he was slightly surprised.

Hidden injuries…

There was a slight movement in his heart.

I wonder if the Qing Dynasty's "Ten Thousand Blessings Meat" can cure this?

It should be possible. If Senior Qi Po-xiao's hidden injuries could be healed, how could an ordinary old man not be able to?

Just as this thought crossed his mind, De Hongchen suddenly changed the subject, "By the way, Xiao Qi, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Huh?" Qi Han was taken aback by the other party's sudden change of topic. He was a little confused when he saw the other party's gaze, which was like that of an elder caring for a junior.

This feeling is like visiting relatives during Chinese New Year and being asked if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend...

Meng Yun, who was pretending to tidy up the chairs, paused in his actions and looked at Qi Han with a gossipy gaze.

"Ahem." Qi Han coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, feeling his face getting hot. "Grandpa De, I don't have a girlfriend yet."

"Oh?" De Hongchen smiled, but his eyes held a hint of inquiry. "And the person you like?"

"The person I like..." Qi Han paused slightly, and a beautiful figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

It's been over a month since I came to the Sun and Moon Continent and haven't seen her.

"It seems so." Noticing the change in Qi Han's expression, De Hongchen smiled. "No wonder you were in such a hurry to leave Mingdu, you're probably going to see her, right?"

"Hmm...I guess so." Qi Han nodded.

Qi Han had been eager to complete his mission and return to Douluo Continent because he was unfamiliar with the place and people there, which made him feel like he couldn't fit in. But wasn't she also a factor in his decision?

"Boss, what kind of girl do you like?" Meng Yun asked curiously, sitting down next to Qi Han.

“Her?” Qi Han’s face showed a hint of reminiscence, then he smiled slightly. “She was one of my customers, a year younger than me. She was polite to everyone, and on the surface she was sensible, intelligent and understanding, but deep down she was a very gluttonous girl.”

“She is much better than me, plus some other reasons... so I have never told her directly that I like her. I just use various excuses to personally serve her the dishes every time she comes over…” Qi Han touched Gulu, who had already come over, and smiled. “She also likes Gulu very much, so I bring Gulu with me every time I serve the dishes, so that I can chat with her a bit more.”

"Even better than the boss?" Meng Yun's eyes widened. She knew that besides his unparalleled culinary skills, Qi Han also possessed a cultivation level of five rings, even stronger than a typical level five soul master.

Isn't a 20-something-year-old from the Fifth Ring Road outstanding enough?

"At least for now, she's far superior to me." Qi Han smiled slightly, but there wasn't much frustration in his eyes.

It has been exactly one year since he transmigrated here, but he has already gone from zero soul power level to almost becoming a six-ring Soul Emperor. This cultivation speed is so fast that even a genius wouldn't dare to do it, let alone someone with cheat codes.

Although Yu Lianxin's cultivation speed was also fast, and with the frequent consumption of various cold dishes, she broke through from the eighth ring to level eighty-six in just one year. In another year or two, she might even become a titled Douluo. However, she was still much slower than Qi Han.

Therefore, Qi Han is confident that he will surpass his opponent in cultivation in the future.

Having known Yu Lianxin for so long, Qi Han's interactions with her went far beyond simply offering her a dish each time. He had secretly asked Fuya for help in finding out Yu Lianxin's criteria for choosing a partner.

Yu Lianxin had publicly mentioned this a long time ago when she was being pursued by many male students from the inner court at the Sea God's Fate Conference, so it wasn't hard to find out.

She has two criteria for choosing a partner.

First, you must surpass her in ability; second, you must have excellent cooking skills.

These two points alone stumped countless suitors of Yu Lianxin.

At Shrek Academy, a place teeming with geniuses, Yu Lianxin was the most talented among them all.

He possesses twin martial souls and innate full soul power, and broke through to the eighth ring before the age of twenty-five.

At this rate, Yu Lianxin will definitely become a Title Douluo before she turns thirty. Such talent is enough to make others look up to her. How easy would it be for her peers to surpass her in strength?

And good cooking skills... this also requires a lot of practice and study, and cannot be achieved overnight.

So here's the question: if you want to keep up with your soul power cultivation, where do you find the time to hone your culinary skills?

And coincidentally, Qi Han had already satisfied one of those conditions.

Based on the speed at which he increases his soul power level by completing system tasks, another aspect that promises a bright future for him is...

He had already planned that once his cultivation surpassed hers, he would openly and honestly pursue Yu Lianxin!

"Boss, you can definitely do it!" Meng Yun nodded heavily, full of confidence in Qi Han.

De Hongchen smiled and nodded, then stood up. "In that case, I'm relieved."

"Huh?" Qi Han blinked. "Grandpa De, what are you worried about?"

"It's nothing, you'll find out later." De Hongchen walked to the entrance of Hanshi Temple, turned his head and smiled mysteriously.

Qi Han scratched his head, "Grandpa De, wait a minute!"

"what happened?"

Will you be coming over for dinner tomorrow?

"Of course." De Hongchen stopped and chuckled. "This is your last day of business. If we miss this meal, who knows when we'll be able to enjoy your cooking again? Of course we can't miss it."

"Then..." Qi Han hesitated for a moment, then his expression hardened.

Since it's the last day anyway, let's have some fun and then run away.

What's there to be afraid of!

"Grandpa De, could you come over after dinner tomorrow? I have a special dish I'd like you to try."

"Oh?" De Hongchen's face showed a hint of surprise. "Not those on the menu?"

"No."

“Okay.” De Hongchen smiled. “It’s only right to reciprocate, so I’ll bring you some local specialties from Mingdu so you can take them home.”

With that, he waved his hand and left Hanshi.

Watching De Hongchen leave, Qi Han smiled slightly, "Meng Yun."

"what?"

"After we open for dinner tomorrow, I also have a special dish prepared for you to try."

Having made someone work for free for twenty days, Qi Han felt he needed to show some appreciation.

Chapter 526 I Have an Idea (Part 2, Please Vote)

The morning court session was a routine meeting held every morning in the Sun and Moon Empire's palace.

Such meetings were something the court officials in the capital had been experiencing since they took office, and were no longer a novelty.

But today's morning court session was quite different.

One of the reasons was that the Imperial Tutor rarely attended the morning court session.