Chapter 150 - 145: Sights and Sounds at Qingfeng Tower

Chapter 150: Chapter 145: Sights and Sounds at Qingfeng Tower

If his pockets were lined with cash, or if he had more Soul Energy points than he knew what to do with, Li Heng certainly would have acted magnanimously. Once this man, who was very likely a clerk, approached, he would have followed his lead up to a fourth-floor Private Room in Qingfeng Tower to splurge.

He’d want to taste the delicacies renowned throughout Li Liang City and see for himself just how exquisite they truly were.

But now was clearly not the time for such extravagance. So, after a brief pause, Li Heng asked the man if they were in need of any "butchers" for processing Soul Beasts.

Hearing that Li Heng had no intention of going upstairs to spend money, and seeing that he wasn’t moving, the clerk from Qingfeng Tower didn’t look down on him in the slightest. He simply said,

"If you’ve come to Qingfeng Tower seeking work, Sir Soul Warrior, you’ll have to discuss the specifics with the first-floor Steward. This way, please."

The clerk’s respectful attitude didn’t waver just because Li Heng wasn’t a customer. He remained as deferential as he had been at the start. It was no wonder Qingfeng Tower was one of the three great establishments in the city.

’In business, attitude is seventy percent of the battle.’ At least, that’s what Li Heng thought. His impression of Qingfeng Tower so far was quite good, and he made a mental note to come back as a customer when he had the chance.

And so, with the clerk leading the way, Li Heng was guided to the first floor and presented to a portly man who exuded an air of wealth.

"Sir Soul Warrior, our establishment has dedicated specialists for butchering our other Soul Beasts. However... I recall that sales of the fourth floor’s Silver Thread Flying Fish have been suspended for two days for some reason. I wonder, Sir Soul Warrior, how familiar are you with the Silver Thread Flying Fish? How are your knife skills?"

This first-floor Steward was incredibly busy. One hand flipped through what looked like order slips—small wooden tablets—while the other flicked beads on an abacus.

The Steward was direct with Li Heng. Despite being busy, his tone wasn’t off-putting; he was quite amiable.

Li Heng understood. This was just the first floor, and though none of the patrons were Soul Masters, the place was packed to capacity. The staff was bound to be swamped.

"If it’s not too much trouble, could you take me to the kitchens?"

Li Heng didn’t have any particular knife skills; he relied on his Longsword Swordsmanship. But with his level of control over the Longsword, simple butchery shouldn’t be a problem.

At the same time, he was amazed. ’Qingfeng Tower’s division of labor for butchering Soul Beasts is so detailed! Each type of Soul Beast requires its own specialized "butcher".’

The Steward didn’t move, merely nodding his head. The clerk then led Li Heng around the front hall and headed straight for the kitchen area—not the first-floor kitchen, but directly up toward the fourth floor.

"Sir Soul Warrior! Here at Qingfeng Tower, we pride ourselves on ’elegance.’ The first and second floors are for commoners, but to even set foot on the second floor, one must be exceptionally wealthy and influential. The third floor is for Soul Apprentices; from the patrons to the chefs, all must be Soul Apprentices. And the fourth floor is for Soul Warriors, exclusively serving esteemed guests of the Soul Warrior realm. To maintain that ’elegance,’ only those who are also Soul Warriors are qualified to enter the fourth-floor kitchens."

As they walked, the clerk continued to explain things about Qingfeng Tower, even though Li Heng hadn’t asked. It kept the climb from feeling boring or awkward.

Just like the front of the house, the kitchens had their own dedicated staircase. Passing by the kitchens for the first three floors was a bit of an eye-opening experience for Li Heng.

’So even cooking can be this elaborate.’

But it wasn’t until he reached the fourth floor of Qingfeng Tower that Li Heng understood the meaning of truly elaborate.

Mountain Game, Seafood, Exotic Beasts, Six-Legged Varieties, Miscellaneous.

The fourth-floor kitchen was massive, divided into five sections. The first things he saw were a group of fellow Soul Warriors and a large number of Soul Beasts.

The Soul Beasts, however, were kept in a separate, clearly demarcated area away from the food preparation stations. At the pass-through between the kitchen and the front hall stood a young woman. She was using a pair of pure silver chopsticks to test a dish that was about to be served.

Only after the young woman nodded did the dish receive approval to be carried out to the guests.

"This way, Sir Soul Warrior!" Only after Li Heng had taken a moment to scan the fourth floor did the clerk from Qingfeng Tower speak up, beckoning for Li Heng to follow.

The other people in the kitchen merely gave Li Heng a cursory glance upon his sudden appearance before returning to their work, too busy to pay him any mind.

Silver Thread Flying Fish: Restrained

Level: 21

Grade: Tier Two Low-Grade Soul Beast

Strength: 16 (-5)

Agility: 16 (-5)

Spirit: 12 (-5)

Soul Energy: 310

Soul Energy Skills: Poison Thread Needle, Scale Armor.

The clerk led Li Heng to the Soul Beast area, walking straight up to a large fish tank.

This wasn’t just any large fish tank. It had a restraining effect on any fish-type Soul Beast below Tier Three. No matter how much they thrashed about, they could never leap out. Moreover, the longer they were confined, the weaker the fish inside would become.

Li Heng didn’t ask about the tank, his gaze fixed on the fish swimming within. The stats for the Silver Thread Flying Fish appeared before him.

"Sir Soul Warrior, please step aside! Watch out!"

Just as Li Heng was studying the fish, the clerk suddenly moved in front of him, shielding him as he guided him a few steps back.

Li Heng instinctively turned to see a man in his early thirties holding a curved blade in his right hand. Before the man stood a Tier Two Soul Beast known as a "Misty-Step Deer."

With a downward flick of his right wrist, the man sent the blade arcing toward the Misty-Step Deer’s throat. A spray of blood instantly erupted.

But the blood didn’t splatter everywhere. Instead, after the man’s swing, the blood seemed to gain a life of its own, swirling around his curved blade in an orderly fashion, not a drop out of place.

Hmm?

’Is that... wind?!’

The instant the man began to cut, Li Heng felt a faint breeze brush against his cheeks and hair.

’This blade work is impressive!’

It wasn’t just clean and efficient; not a single drop of blood was wasted. Immediately after, another man stepped forward with a large Jade Porcelain Bowl to collect the blood.

Once the blood was collected, the breeze rose again. Each time Li Heng felt that gentle wind, the man with the blade would carve off a perfectly square, neat cut of venison.

In no time at all, the once-whole Misty-Step Deer had been completely butchered. Throughout the entire process, not a single drop of blood had stained the floor, the deerskin remained perfectly intact, and even the man’s curved blade was as pristine as it had been at the start.

"Sir Soul Warrior," the clerk said, now that the spectacle was over, smiling at Li Heng. "Here in the kitchens of Qingfeng Tower, besides our prized ’elegance,’ we also value speed, precision, and ferocity. Before you is the Silver Thread Flying Fish. Perhaps... you’d care to give it a try?"

Li Heng understood. Though the clerk had phrased it as "giving it a try," this was clearly a test of his skill.

If he could butcher the Silver Thread Flying Fish with the same level of skill that man had just shown with the deer, he would surely be able to secure a position at Qingfeng Tower.

Hearing this, Li Heng felt a stir of interest. After all, a single Silver Thread Flying Fish was worth 310 Soul Energy points. He had no intention of letting that slip by. With a thought, he drew the Empty Cicada Longsword from his Space Stone.