A Bite of Douluo Continent

At this moment, the middle-aged man was looking at the price list of the small shop with great interest. When he saw Qi Han come down, he slowly said, "Are you the owner and chef of this Cold Food Shop?"

"Boss, this is the Prime Minister of the Empire..." Qin Yue quickly approached Qi Han and whispered a reminder.

The middle-aged man glanced at Qin Yue but didn't say anything more.

prime minister?

Qi Han glanced at the middle-aged man in surprise, never expecting that he was actually the Prime Minister of the Empire.

The Star Luo Empire has five departments: the Enforcement Department, the Military Affairs Department, the Martial Spirit Department, the Noble Department, and the Governing Department.

The Enforcement Division is responsible for enforcing and upholding the law and punishing acts that violate imperial laws. This division is located in every city of the Star Luo Empire and functions similarly to a police station.

The Military Affairs Department is responsible for handling important military affairs and holds military power. It is a separate entity, and its main function is to guard the empire's borders and resist foreign invasion. This is where the Star Luo Empire's army is located.

The Martial Soul Division and the Noble Division were the two most recently established among the five divisions. After the Martial Soul Hall was destroyed five thousand years ago, no one was in charge of managing the function of Martial Soul Awakening, which once caused riots and chaos. A large number of children of the right age lost their eligibility to awaken. Under these circumstances, Dai Mubai, one of the original Shrek Seven Devils and the then emperor of the Star Luo Empire, ignored the opposition of the nobles and forcibly established the Martial Soul Division.

The Martial Soul Division is located throughout the empire. It conducts a unified Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony for all children of school age, regardless of their background, and provides resources and training to children with Soul Master talents. It is a division that is functionally similar to the Spirit Hall, but no longer retains the power institutions such as the Elder Council, and is directly governed by the empire.

After that, feeling that the power of the nobility was too great and even suppressed the imperial power to a certain extent, Dai Mubai quickly established the fifth department after the emergence of the Martial Soul Department: the Noble Department.

The Nobles Division is specifically responsible for managing nobles and lords. The Star Luo Empire still retains the noble system of dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons. Nobles have privileges that ordinary people do not have. The Nobles Division was specifically formed to control the power of the nobles and has the right to impeach nobles and lords when they break the law, and to directly punish the nobles and lords after approval.

However, the exercise of power by the above four departments cannot bypass the Executive Department, which is known as the heart of the five departments.

The Executive Office has existed since the founding of the empire. No one knows the truth about why the founding emperor of the Star Luo Empire established the Executive Office nearly 10,000 years ago, but the power of this office is something that even the emperor himself cannot bypass.

The Executive Secretariat itself is essentially a combination of the Supreme Court and Parliament.

The Prime Minister, on the other hand, is the leader of such a behemoth, the undisputed number one, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is second only to the Prime Minister.

But Qi Han was not flustered at all. After all, the Tang Clan's leader was sitting upstairs, and Cao Rang was also a high-ranking member of the Sea God Pavilion. In terms of status, neither of them was lower than Xu Changling.

"Welcome to our restaurant, Your Excellency Prime Minister. I am the chef and owner of this restaurant."

Qi Han's words were polite yet neither servile nor arrogant, prompting Xu Changling to glance at him again. "I heard that during the Cold Food Festival, there's a dish called hot pot that can only be eaten on the second floor. Is that true?"

Qi Han glanced at Qin Yao subconsciously, only to see Qin Yao instinctively shrink her head back.

She just told Xu Yiyun, so I suppose the Prime Minister overheard it.

Qi Han didn't care too much. This was something the waiter should explain to the diners, and there was no need to keep it a secret. Qin Yao had already said it.

"Yes, but there are quite a few guests upstairs right now..."

For some reason, Qi Han had a feeling that if the Empire's Prime Minister went upstairs and encountered people from the Tang Clan and Shrek Academy, something bad would happen.

"Oh?" Xu Changling smiled slightly. "Then let's go to the second floor."

In his spare time, he liked to travel incognito, enjoying tea in teahouses and taverns, listening to the conversations of various diners, whose words often gave Xu Changling a lot of inspiration.

Therefore, he preferred to go up to the second floor rather than eat on the empty first floor.

Perhaps a comment from the diners upstairs will appear in his memorial the next day?

Chapter 129 Xu Changling's Shock

Led by the Qin sisters, Xu Changling took his beloved daughter up to the second floor.

"Wow!"

As soon as she entered the bamboo forest environment on the second floor, Xu Yiyun couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. At this moment, she felt as if she had walked into a bamboo forest, with dappled bamboo shadows all around her without any sense of incongruity.

There was nothing special about it from the outside, but I never expected that there would be such a hidden world on the second floor.

Xu Changling was no less shocked than his daughter, but he was used to keeping his emotions hidden. His pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

A soul skill related to illusions? Or something else?

Xu Changling probed outwards with his spiritual power and quickly discovered the clues. A look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Interesting design.

Deep down, he felt a greater sense of importance towards this small shop called Hanshi.

The owner didn't seem to be from the Star Luo Empire. He remained neither humble nor arrogant in front of me. Everything in the shop was different from the outside world. This little shop was probably not simple.

The bamboo forest on the second floor has an extraordinary and shocking effect on every first-time diner, but Xu Changling, who has already noticed the clues, quickly turned his attention to the tables of diners on the second floor.

Upon arriving on the second floor, the unique and rich aroma of hot pot had already filled his nostrils. This unprecedented sensory experience made him extremely curious about the special delicacies on the second floor.

However, Xu Changling, who originally intended to observe the food on the other diners' tables, soon narrowed his gaze slightly.

These diners... they look familiar.

The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, held every five years, is the most important moment to showcase national prestige, and he naturally would not be absent.

As the Prime Minister of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Changling had never had a good relationship with Emperor Dai Yuansheng. The two often had great conflicts due to their differing political views. However, in front of outsiders, they would still pretend to be a harmonious ruler and his subject.

Therefore, during the past few days of competition, he sat in the seat behind the Emperor of the Empire to watch the games.

Xu Changling couldn't possibly be unaware of Shrek Academy, which had dominated the Soul Fighting Tournament for almost five thousand years and had long since become a towering giant. He even had detailed information on every participating team member, including the reserve team members.

To his surprise, he found that everyone from Shrek Academy was there.

Was it just a normal dinner gathering for the participating teams, and they just happened to choose this restaurant?

Or is there another reason?

He walked slowly forward to Cao Rang's side and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, I have long admired you."

Super Douluo is a pillar of strength everywhere, and deserves such respect from him.

Cao Rang had already spotted the newcomer and recognized his identity. He was somewhat surprised that Xu Changling had taken the initiative to greet him, but he still put down his chopsticks and nodded slightly in acknowledgment, "Prime Minister Xu, there's no need to be so polite."

Shrek City does not belong to the Star Luo Empire, so Cao Rang does not need to be too polite to Xu Changling. This is normal. Xu Changling nodded and smiled, and was about to turn around and leave so as not to disturb Cao Rang's meal. Suddenly, his eyes caught a glimpse of the face of the person sitting opposite Cao Rang, and he was suddenly shocked.

That is...

Xu Changling sat somewhat blankly at an empty hot pot table next to her daughter, still filled with many questions.

Why is the Tang Clan leader here?

Tang Sect and Shrek Academy...

In that instant, many records about the origins of the two came to mind.

wrong!

He quickly realized that the key to the problem lay not in the Tang Sect or Shrek Academy, but in this small shop.

According to Yiyun, this small shop was clearly open for the first time, and it was already very unusual that all the Shrek Academy team members came. Even the Tang Sect Master came in person.

What incredible skill!

This shop must be something extraordinary!

"Dad? Dad!"

"Huh?" Xu Yiyun's slightly reproachful shout brought Xu Changling back to his senses. Looking at his beloved daughter's pouting lips, Xu Changling smiled apologetically.

I promised to take my daughter out for dinner, but now I'm starting to overthink things again.

As for the background of this little shop, we can have those guys investigate it later.

"Dad, you're spacing out again! We haven't ordered the hot pot base yet! How about we each order one?"

The bottom of the pot?

Xu Changling, who had been lost in thought, hadn't heard the Qin sisters' introduction of the hot pot. He smiled awkwardly, took the menu handed to him by Xu Yiyun, and quickly figured out how to eat this unfamiliar delicacy.

"Then let's have a... seafood hot pot base."

...

Tang Qianqiu picked up a slice of snowflake beef, blanched it in the hot pot in front of him for a few seconds, then dipped it in sesame sauce, put it in his mouth, and couldn't help but show a satisfied expression on his face.

This beef is so delicious, it's truly indescribable.

In front of him, Cao Rang was sweating profusely as he ate, facing the steaming hot pot broth.

With the cultivation level of a Super Douluo, eating hot pot shouldn't be this intense, but Cao Rang found that not consciously suppressing the secretion of sweat glands made eating hot pot feel more comfortable.

Wow... Boss, this hot pot is way too spicy!

Looking at this junior who had little manners, Tang Qianqiu shook his head helplessly.

He naturally saw the recommended way to eat the snowflake beef in the recipe, but he really couldn't appreciate the strong spicy flavor of the hot pot. In comparison, the mild but equally delicious health-preserving hot pot suited his taste better.

As the head of the Tang Clan, Tang Qianqiu was also well-versed in the medicinal classics of the pharmacy. He quickly identified several types of nourishing and conditioning herbs from the health-preserving pot.

The delicious taste and health benefits greatly increased Tang Qianqiu's fondness for this health-preserving hot pot.

"Was that little guy the prime minister of the Star Luo Empire?" Tang Qianqiu picked up another slice of snowflake beef, his lips moving as he transmitted his voice to Cao Rang's ear.

Cao Rang paused slightly, his chopsticks holding his hand pausing. "That's right, that's Xu Changling, the Prime Minister of Xingluo."

Tang Qianqiu narrowed his eyes, nodded, and said nothing more.

He remembered the name.

This little guy named Xu Changling thought his trickery was flawless, but he underestimated the intelligence capabilities of the Tang Clan.

Given the importance of Xingluo Capital as a stronghold, how could the Tang Clan not investigate such a major event as a hall master being tricked into a trap? Under the full investigation of the Tang Clan, they had already uncovered the fact that Xu Changling had sent people to other city branches to deliver messages.

Tang Qianqiu had previously thought that the one who devised the plan behind the emperor's back and dragged Liu Xu into the Xingluo dispute was this prime minister known for his wisdom and strategy, but the actual situation seemed to be different.

That's right, such a smart person wouldn't do something so stupid.

However, this also indicates that the Prime Minister of the Star Luo Empire, whose power is second only to the Star Luo Emperor, seems to be standing on the opposite side of the royal family.

Moreover... this time, following the clues, Min-do's people also uncovered some incredible information.

The prime minister is actually relying on those guys.

It seems there's going to be a good show in Xingluo City soon.

Chapter 130 The Name of Cold Food Festival Must Not Be Tarnished