Chapter 130: Chapter 124: Golden Body Cross Training Skill Advancement, The Lantern Festival Arrives

Wu Liangchen secretly decided he would find a river tomorrow and test it.

The next day, Third Brother was nowhere to be seen. Wu Liangchen stopped by the First-Class Restaurant and found Niu Er holding down the fort by himself, so he stayed for a while to keep him company.

It wasn’t until nearly midnight that the diners gradually began to leave.

That was when Third Brother finally arrived.

Today, Third Brother was wearing a navy blue dress. Her face was a little pale, which softened her usual heroic aura and gave her a more feminine air.

Third Brother was slightly taken aback to see Wu Liangchen sitting downstairs with Niu Er, but she quickly broke into a smile.

"Want a drink?"

"Sure!"

The back kitchen had just shut down for the night, but upon hearing that Third Brother had arrived, the master chef immediately fired up the stoves again, and the sounds of sizzling and frying filled the air.

By now, there were no other customers on the first floor, so the two of them simply sat near the entrance, sipping their drinks slowly as they watched the night outside.

"Last night, I led my men and smashed three of the Beheading Gang’s casinos in a row. This morning, that ’Big-head Mo’ sent someone to sue for peace."

The Gang Leader of the Beheading Gang is a mysterious figure; few have ever even seen him. The one usually in charge is the gang’s "White Paper Fan," a man named Mo Daoyuan, though in the martial world, people prefer to call him "Big-head Mo."

"I didn’t even bother with him," Third Brother sneered. "I just told the messenger that if they dare to stir up trouble again, I’ll smash that big head of his myself next time."

Wu Liangchen knew it couldn’t have been as simple as Third Brother made it sound. Smashing three casinos in one night was easy to say, but the act itself must have been fraught with danger.

After all, the Beheading Gang was no pushover.

Otherwise, Third Brother wouldn’t look so exhausted.

But Wu Liangchen didn’t ask. He just raised his cup and toasted Third Brother.

Just then, the food was ready. It wasn’t a lavish feast, just five simple dishes and a soup.

But these had been personally prepared by the master chef of the First-Class Restaurant, who even served them himself.

"Third Brother, and this honored guest, this is a vegetarian version of ’Three-Shredded Medley’ I created. I used matsutake mushrooms instead of chicken and made the ’ham’ from mushroom broth, then shredded it all finely. Please, have a taste and see what you think?" This master chef’s hair was graying, but he was incredibly respectful towards Third Brother.

"Not bad!" Third Brother said with a nod after taking a bite.

Wu Liangchen also took a bite. It was indeed savory, fragrant, and smooth, but he also detected a faint floral aroma.

"Did you add flowers to this?"

"Impressive!" The master chef gave Wu Liangchen a thumbs-up before continuing with obvious pride.

"I picked these osmanthus flowers last year when they were in full bloom, washed them, and preserved them using a special technique. Not only has the fragrance not faded, but it’s also developed a unique flavor."

Wu Liangchen’s comment clearly hit the mark for the master chef. After all, only a true gourmand could have detected the osmanthus he’d added.

He then pointed to another dish.

"This dish is called ’Phoenix Returns to the Nest.’ I make the nest by frying a mix of mashed potatoes, matsutake, and puréed egg. The little ’bird eggs’ inside are made from egg yolks stuffed with minced mushrooms. Please, have a taste!"

Wu Liangchen looked at the dish, which indeed resembled a bird’s nest. He picked up a piece with his chopsticks and tried it, his eyes immediately lighting up.

"Interesting. Did you add winter bamboo shoots to this as well?"

Now the master chef was truly impressed. "You have an incredible palate, sir! That’s right. To enhance the umami, I specifically purchased freshly dug winter bamboo shoots and used only the most tender tips. I can’t believe you identified it in a single bite."

With each of the following dishes, Wu Liangchen pointed out the subtle, clever details hidden within, leaving the master chef completely awestruck. He looked as though he had just met a kindred spirit and was lamenting that they hadn’t met sooner.

After the chef left, Third Brother looked at Wu Liangchen in amazement. "I never would have guessed, Xiaowu," she said suddenly. "Not only are you an expert in Martial Arts, you’re also a connoisseur of fine food?"

Wu Liangchen smiled. "I wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur. I just like to eat."

In truth, the main reason Wu Liangchen could pick up on such subtle differences was due to his senses, which had grown sharper as his martial prowess increased.

Wu Liangchen didn’t know if it was the same for other Martial Artists, but his own five senses had been growing increasingly acute as his strength grew.

They drank until the early hours of the morning. When they finally stepped out of the First-Class Restaurant, a fine drizzle was drifting down from the sky. Although Huangpu Guard was in the south and had a warm climate, the air at this hour felt damp and cold.

Third Brother coughed lightly a couple of times and pulled her clothes tighter around herself.

"This damn weather in Huangpu Guard... it rains every year around the Lantern Festival."

"I’m off!"

With that, she climbed into her carriage, gave Wu Liangchen a wave, and departed.

Wu Liangchen stood on the side of the street, watching until the carriage disappeared into the distance. Only then did he turn to leave. But instead of heading home, he walked off into the misty rain.

Under the incessant drizzle, Huangpu Guard gradually fell silent. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Only over at Flower Square did lights still flicker, with the faint sound of laughter and conversation drifting through the air.

Wu Liangchen sped across the city’s rooftops. By now, the speed of his Body Technique far surpassed that of other Martial Artists at his level.

A single leap could cover thirty or forty meters. With a light tap on a roof ridge, he would launch himself forward again.

He tore a path through the rain and mist, a corridor that took a long time to close behind him.

Finally, he arrived at the bank of a river.

It was a tributary of the Great Qing River. It wasn’t particularly wide, but the water ran deep and was very clean, which was why most of the citizens of Huangpu Guard drew their water from it.