Chapter 472: Rare Delicacy

Chapter 472: Chapter 472: Rare Delicacy

Shen Hao wrapped an arm around Lian Xiang’s waist as he watched Chef Zhang’s hands with curiosity.

Before catching the fish, Chef Zhang put on a glove, reached into the water, and scooped up a Cold Moon Fish onto the chopping board. Then, with a slender, long knife, he twirled it rapidly—a flash of knife work: descaling, gutting, all done in one go. Even with Shen Hao’s sharp eyes, he barely saw a flicker of blood on the board before it was immediately rinsed away with clean water.

"What fast knife work!" Shen Hao frowned slightly. This chef was lightning-quick both drawing and sheathing the knife; his movements were honed to the limit. And yet, this man really was just an ordinary person.

Is this the pinnacle of skill through constant practice?

As this thought flashed through his mind, he saw the chef had already finished the first step of preparing the Cold Moon Fish sashimi.

He took off his glove and replaced it with a pair of transparent gloves, thin as cicada wings.

"What’s special about those gloves?"

"Heh heh, my lord has sharp eyes. Those gloves are unusual—they’re made from rice paste, carefully molded. Mainly, they prevent the chef’s hands from touching the raw fish directly, and rice paste gloves won’t contaminate the sashimi with anything unclean."

"You just throw them away after use?"

"Yes, they’re only used once."

Wearing these paper-thin gloves was tedious. With help from two assistants, it took over ten seconds to fit them snugly to his hands. Then he swapped in a knife half a foot long and half an inch wide.

By this point, the fish on the board was still twitching; its nerves hadn’t fully settled.

A minuscule sound of blade splitting flesh: "Sss..."

It was like slicing through butter. As the knife lifted, the chef clearly showed off a little—flicking his hand so that Shen Hao and the others could clearly see that translucent slice of fish clinging to the blade; only at the edges could you make out the faint texture of the flesh!

Sliced this thin, there was no need to pick out bones—their presence wouldn’t be noticed when eating.

Slice by slice, they were plated. The knife seemed to dance like a butterfly—beautiful and awe-inspiring.

One fish, and in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it was all sliced and arranged on a plate, even forming a flower-like pattern. In the middle, a small dish of yellow-red dipping sauce.

Of course, if you want the purest umami, you don’t need the sauce; just use chopsticks to pick up a piece and pop it straight in your mouth to be whisked away into the depths of the Bai River, tasting the origin of freshness itself.

The first bite was a revelation—"melts in your mouth," truly like an explosion of freshness, lighting up your taste buds while a cool scent rushes to your nose, just like the mist by the river on a summer’s night.

"Delicious!"

Shen Hao nodded heavily after three pieces. It was his first time eating anything like this.

Once Shen Hao moved his chopsticks, everyone else started as well, each lost in their own bliss.

Don’t be fooled by the fish weighing over two catties—even so, it didn’t last long. A few chopsticks each, and it vanished quickly, the dipping sauce scraped clean as well.

The chef, seeing the food was gone, had the servants bring ginger tea. He explained eating raw fish left coldness lingering in the stomach, which wasn’t good for the body, but hot ginger tea aided digestion and dispersed the chill. A necessary pairing with sashimi.

Sipping steaming ginger tea, they watched Chef Zhang continue cooking the second Cold Moon Fish...

Three fish. It felt more like a show than a meal—it took a full half an hour to finish. After that came the usual dishes, but what had seemed tasty before now felt lacking in comparison.

"I’ve heard this Cold Moon Fish isn’t just delicious, it’s good for Alchemy too, has a calming effect," Liu Hengyi said, not enjoying the later dishes either, just drinking wine.

"For Alchemy?"

"Mm. Sometimes Cultivators come to the fishermen asking for these fish—they use them for Alchemy."

The banquet went on. Shen Hao still downed two bowls of rice to fill up, then, in high spirits, challenged Liu Hengyi to a drinking contest—pulling out a one-year aged Wuliangye from his Storage Bag. "Let’s each finish two jars first."

As it turned out, Liu Hengyi, who always bragged about holding his liquor, rolled under the table after two jars. Shen Hao blinked in surprise for a while before realizing: So this is your so-called "good tolerance"?

With Shen Hao just getting warmed up, he couldn’t find anyone left to drink with.

Lian Xiang? That woman never drank much—three cups, five at the most, and that’s it.

The songstress who had been accompanying Liu Hengyi was sensible enough to have the servants prop him up and carry him out of the private room. She said they’d find him a quiet place to sleep it off, or just let him sleep there if necessary. On the way out, she notified his attendants, too.

"Bang."

The door shut behind them, leaving only Shen Hao and the two women inside.

Lian Xiang was still draped over Shen Hao as usual, while Ning Ziye took small sips of wine, her face clearly showing her annoyance with Shen Hao.

"Madam Ning, didn’t you say you’d play your new piece for me? Now that we’ve eaten and drunk, isn’t this the perfect time? Why not give us a taste of your skill?"

"Not in the mood."

"Staying in one place too long is bound to sour your mood, Madam Ning. You should start your tour of the Dynasty, exploring its great rivers and mountains—wouldn’t that be delightful?" Shen Hao poured himself another drink, shooting a sidelong glance at Ning Ziye, who was still sitting there like a roadblock. If only this woman would take her leave, he could get a bit more intimate with Lian Xiang.

"Trying to shoo me away? Hmph, keep dreaming. I’ll be staying here a while longer to watch over Lian Xiang—so she doesn’t fall prey to a wolf like you." As she spoke, Ning Ziye tried to tug Lian Xiang upright from Shen Hao’s arms, but the latter was limp as if boneless and wouldn’t budge.

Maybe annoyed, Ning Ziye smacked Lian Xiang’s arm and scolded her: "Can you act a little proper? Sit up!"

"Hee hee, nope! I’m a songstress—I’m not meant to act proper."

It was unspoken, but all three of them knew full well that neither woman was just a songstress or zither master. Their work was more along the lines of secret agents.

"I’ve always wondered—how exactly do you two sell the information you gather at the Flower House? Do you pick your buyers?"

Lian Xiang glanced up at Shen Hao, then buried her face back in his arms, apparently choosing not to answer. Instead, it was Ning Ziye who looked sternly at Shen Hao.

"What? Trying to probe our bottom line? Tsk, Lord Shen, you’d better worry about yourself. I heard you nearly got killed in the street by an Illusionary Kill assassin recently. Any leads yet?"

"Madam Ning, sounds like you’re the one digging into my business now, isn’t it?"

"Not many people are skilled in Illusionary Kill techniques, and it’s not just anyone who’d dare attack a Hundred Households of Xuanqing Guard out in public—that takes guts. Still, I think whoever tried to kill you had more in mind than just murder—they wanted to cause a stir. Looks like they didn’t succeed though." Ning Ziye finished her thought, hitting right at the heart of the matter.