Chapter 270: Another Stick Please
Translator: CatatoPatch Editor: Vermillion
Bu Fang"s slender and thin finger flicked the ice cover lightly. Immediately, the cover emitted a faint cracking sound.
A beam of white true energy burst forth from Bu Fang"s finger, then rumbled unrestrainedly into the ice cover. Subsequently, under everyone"s astonishment, the ice cover started to become a blossoming flower bud, unfurling petal by petal.
The ice-cold chilliness within the ice cover soared like a mushroom cloud, ramming into the ceiling and surging out.
One light ray, then two blossomed densely from the white porcelain plate. Everyone"s gaze reflected the delicate brilliance.
However, it had gone beyond everyone"s expectations. The fragrance they had imagined did not rise up to the brilliance circulating in front of their eyes. There was no pervading strong fragrance. It was something very inconceivable because, to the majority of them, the aroma of the dish was the prerequisite they used to determine whether a dish would be delicious.
The brilliance gradually dwindled. Subsequently, everyone couldn"t help but narrow their eyes as they looked at the porcelain plate. On the plate, the ice crystal had shattered into shards. In the middle of it, lay an inlaid diamond ice crystal cube.
"This... can this be eaten?"
"Could Owner Bu have made a mistake... This is an art piece, right? How is this a dish?"
"So beautiful, but can this really be eaten?"
...
The diners were all extremely puzzled. One after another, they were in a bit of doubt. There was no aroma, and upon judging its appearance, it basically did not look like a dish that could be eaten... This was not the dish they imagined. It was not surprising that they would be so skeptical about it.
Even Xiao Xiaolong and Yu Fu were somewhat puzzled. They had never once seen such a weird-looking dish before either.
On the face of the slightly plump old man was an expression of astonishment. However, very quickly, this expression disappeared. He frowned and scrutinized the ice-crystal cube. He then lifted his head and looked at Bu Fang puzzledly.
"Owner Bu... What kind of dish is this?" the old man asked.
He was an experienced chef and had seen a lot of bizarre dishes before. Therefore, he was not too shocked by it. It was just that he truly couldn"t tell what kind of dish this was. Hence, he asked Bu Fang directly and hoped the man would give him an explanation.
Nevertheless, Bu Fang curled up his mouth slightly as he smiled and did not speak. He pointed at the popsicle that had suddenly appeared on top of the ice crystal.
The slightly plump old man contracted his pupils as he extended his hand and picked up the popsicle. Immediately, the chilliness permeating from the popsicle made his face tremble slightly.
After he lifted the popsicle, the ice crystal cube unexpectedly came with it.
"Take a bite, you might be surprised," Bu Fang said.
This... Can this really be eaten?
The slightly plump old man glanced at Bu Fang suspiciously. When he saw Bu Fang"s unperturbed look, he narrowed his eyes, opened up his mouth and took a small bite at its corner.
"Oh!"
Just as the slightly plump old man bit down, his eyes immediately widened and his pupils shrank. His face was filled with an inconceivable expression.
Xiao Xiaolong and the others were also startled. There"s something odd?!
The astonishment in the old man"s eyes vanished slightly as he strongly bit down on it. There was no ice-cold feeling of eating a ice cube like he had imagined. The ice crystal on the surface of the cube was not an ice cube at all.
Crunch, Crunch!
The old man took a small bite at the corner of the dish and started to chew. Immediately, there were the sounds of crunchiness of nipping into a spirit fruit. At this moment, the more the old man chewed, the more apprehensive he got. On the surface was the crunchiness of a pulp, in the middle was a strange and soft flavor like a soft mud. Within it, there was a familiar flavor mixed. It was his Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar!
That diamond-looking thing was unexpectedly a pulp... Oh! Right... it"s the fifth grade Jadeite Fruit! If that fruit pulp was stir-fried, it would turn glittery and translucent like an ice crystal. Furthermore, there was a concentrated aroma in it that would blossom and burst out the moment it entered one"s mouth.
The old man closed his eyes, savoring the concentrated and not greasy pulp aroma that was blossoming in his mouth. The pulp was gentle like jade and the meat paste was mellow and rich, making the Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar even more sweet and sour. This caused him to be permeated into a peculiar ambience in an instant.
All of a sudden, it was as if a light ray had pa.s.sed by in a flash in front of his eyes, his entire being turned rigid, when he swallowed the delicacy in his mouth down. After falling into his stomach, it seemed like a roaring Flood Dragon that was about to burst out as its leg stomped down, causing the whole mountain peak to tremble violently.
"This... Could this be a real dragon liver?!" The old man looked at Bu Fang unconfidently while his heart was filled with shock.
Bu Fang nodded his head, answering the shock in the old man"s heart.
"This is the liver of a seventh grade spirit beast, the Frozen Domain Flood Dragon. Even though it can not be compared to the tastiness of a true dragon"s liver, it"s compatible with the stir-fried jadeite fruit, making it even tastier. Finally... I specially added your Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar, causing the taste of this dish to increase by another level. Vinegar is the key to this dish," Bu Fang said.
"Without this vinegar... I truly have no intentions of cooking this dish."
The old man nodded earnestly, somewhat proud of himself. Subsequently, his gaze shone when he looked at the cube as he bit it mouthful after mouthful. The aroma burst forth within his body, causing him to feel blessed with the desire to close his eyes. Subconsciously, he felt as if he had sat cross-legged on the back of the Flood Dragon and was following the creature as it spread its wings and soared.
Crack!
Unconsciously, the old man had already finished eating the popsicle. With a bite, he had bitten the popsicle into shards. Losing the support of true energy, the popsicle stick melted into ice-cold water.
"Delicious! Truly delicious... Old man, I had never once tasted such a peculiar delicacy before. This kind of delicacy is a good match with my fruit vinegar. Hahahaha!" The old man started to laugh carefreely.
When they saw how excited the old man had became after finis.h.i.+ng the delicacy, the surrounding people all felt like their hearts had been messed with by something.
Xiao Xiaolong and Yu Fu were in extreme astonishment. They looked at Bu Fang in admiration. He truly deserved to be called Owner Bu, to be able to make a mult.i.tude of bizarre things.
"Owner Bu... is it possible to make another stick for me? I will supply you with the fruit vinegar!" The old man licked his lips. He crinkled his eyes and laughed as he looked at Bu Fang.
At this moment, he was certain that Ye Ziling did not lie. Owner Bu may look young, but his culinary skills had reached a unimaginable degree. This Dragon Liver Popsicle exceeded the understanding he had for the dishes he tasted in the past as it was filled with a new and odd feeling. Furthermore, that taste... had practically left him a rich aftertaste.
"Sure, but I will be charging a fee for it. 800 crystal for a portion," Bu Fang reclined on his chair as he shot a quick glance at the old man, then his lips curled as he said.
Didn"t you despise the dish for not being tasty before? Weren"t you boasting arrogantly over here before?
Why don"t you continue boasting?!
Bu Fang crossed his arms around his chest and looked at the old man indifferently. When the surrounding people heard the price Bu Fang quoted, they inhaled in a mouthful of cold air.
800 crystals... Was Owner Bu trying to rob people?
This was just a dish…
"Sire should have tasted the difference and peculiarity in this dish and also the true energy contained in it. There was also the tastiness of the dish and in addition to the difficulty of making the dish… It is worth 800 crystals," Bu Fang said.
The old man"s complexion was in extreme pain. That"s right, with his culinary standards, he was naturally able to tell the rareness in this dish. It didn"t matter if it was the true energy in his body that had started to revolve faster without his knowing or the meticulous control of true energy used to make this dish, it made him gasp in admiration.
A dish, 800 crystals… and this was also under the circ.u.mstances of him providing the Eight Spirit Fruit Vinegar. Indeed worth it.
"Sure! I am convinced of Owner Bu"s workmans.h.i.+p. This is 800 crystals. I"ll have to trouble Owner Bu to make another plate of it for me." The old man gritted his teeth and took out a bulging bag that he placed on the table. His gaze regarded Bu Fang luminously.
Bu Fang stood up and waved his hand casually. He put away the crystal and opened his mouth afterwards.
"If you want to eat the Dragon Liver Popsicle, please come back tomorrow. Oh… Do remember to leave behind the fruit vinegar," Bu Fang said. After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked to the kitchen.
The old man was taken aback. He did not get angry, and his smile was very straightforward. He asked Yu Fu to go to the kitchen to bring out a saucer to pour some fruit vinegar in. After that, he stored the gourd as he hummed in a minor key and left the small store.
If he said tomorrow, tomorrow it is. In any case, he was not in a rush. He was extremely interested in the Dragon Liver Popsicle. To be able to utilize his fruit vinegar in such a way on a delicacy made his heart feel somewhat itchy. He must savor the dish tomorrow and must find the technique to make it. Once he returned, he was going to try cooking it himself. This way, his fruit vinegar would have ample opportunities to s.h.i.+ne!
After the old man left, those diners who were standing in a circle also dispersed. The business hours was also about to end for today, so Ouyang Xiaoyi and Xiao Xiaolong bid farewell to Bu Fang and left the small store. The door shutters joined together and the operations came to an end.
"Rest early. Tomorrow, I am going to inspect on your knife work and carving skills." Just as Bu Fang was about to return to his room, he spoke to Yu Fu, who was about to enter the kitchen to practice her dishes, causing the latter to be taken aback slightly.
"Owner Bu will be inspecting our knife work and carving skill..." Yu Fu"s complexion was somewhat odd. Wouldn"t Xiao Xiaolong be in deep sh*t?