Chapter 1224 - Qilin Bone Soup
Chapter 1224 Qilin Bone Soup
Soup was a major category of food. A delicious bowl of soup could make one immerse in it with just a sip. However, soup making was a test to the chef’s mastery of temperature, and the higher the grade of ingredients, the more advanced the temperature control ability was needed because high-grade ingredients were full of essence. Once the best time to complete the cooking was missed, the essence in the ingredients would be easily destroyed or even disappear, causing the soup to taste bad.
Before making the soup, Bu Fang needed to prepare the required ingredients. With a thought, he entered the Heaven and Earth Farmland, picked some fresh ingredients and took some dried ones, then returned to the kitchen.
He cut them into the right sizes and used blue-and-white porcelain plates to contain them. On the first plate was dried Vermilion Fruit peels, which contained most of the essence of the fresh peels and could lock the freshness of the soup. Another plate contained the leaf of the Nine Revolution Great Path Tea. Bu Fang had cut the leaf in half, and its aroma permeated the air. There were also dried scarlet spirit fruits the size of a fingernail, which looked like dried goji berries in his previous life. He saw this kind of spirit fruit before, so he collected and planted it in the farmland.
After both the medicinal ingredients and the food ingredients were prepared, it was time to cook the soup. Bu Fang washed the Black Turtle Constellation Wok and placed it over the White Tiger Heaven Stove, then opened his mouth and breathed a mass of white flame, which squeezed into the stove and began to burn ragingly.
He filled the wok with the Spring of Life. The cold, refreshing liquid exuded rich life energy. Next, he added the Qilin Bone. There was some flesh on the bone, but it was not much and would be mainly used to make the soup. The cold water gradually heated up to boil the bone in the wok. During the process, Bu Fang didn’t release his mental force.
Flames danced and burned. Soon, the water boiled, and the bone rolled violently in it. Even then, Bu Fang furrowed his eyebrows. He seemed to hear the roaring of the Dark Qilin’s will, which was contained in the bone. The will would severely affect the dish’s taste, he knew. It was like cooking braised fish without getting rid of the fishy smell, which would destroy the dish.
He reached out a hand, and his spirit sea suddenly began to surge. With a rumble, the golden phantom spirit opened its eyes, which burst with golden light. The next moment, a sharp beam of light cast down into the wok, quickly turned into tiny motes, and dissolved into the water.
All of a sudden, a knife energy appeared in the boiling water and slashed toward the Dark Qilin. The bestial roar grew more intense as if it was trying to fight back. It was futile, however. Before very long, the Qilin’s will was wiped out.
The following steps were not so complicated. Bu Fang took out the Qilin Bone and washed the blood from it with the Spring of Life. After that, he poured the water out of the wok and placed the bone back into it. The meat on the bone had turned slightly dark and was steaming. He picked up a plate and added the dried spirit fruits and slices of Son Mother Ginger he had prepared in advance. Then, he filled the wok with water again until the bone was fully submerged. When he was done, he made the Black Turtle Constellation Wok close up its upper part with a thought.
The next moment, Bu Fang’s mental force poured forth, turning into fine threads and wound about the wok. Like the strings of a zither, he could sense every movement in the wok through them. A plume of white immortal flame gushed out of his mouth and squeezed beneath the wok. The fire roared and began to heat the water.
He lowered his arms to his waist, looked down slightly, and shaped his mental force into the finest silk. His eyes were fixed at the wok as if they could see through it and everything inside.
The soup was boiling, while the energy in the Dark Qilin Bone was released in bits and dissolved into the liquid. The threads of mental force wound about the wok and danced like the strings of a zither, as if they were playing a piece of flowing music. As the energy in the bone was released, melodious notes jumped out of the wok and composed into a fascinating piece of music.
At this moment, Xixi walked into the kitchen. She lifted the curtain and made the bell chime, but that didn’t disturb Bu Fang’s focus at all. She glanced around curiously, wondering what dish Bu Fang was cooking.
‘Is Teacher Bu making soup?’ The little girl craned her head and watched, sniffing. A rich meaty aroma filled her nostrils, and the look in her eyes changed as she stared intoxicatedly at the threads of mental force. She also seemed to have heard the beautiful piece of music played by the strings. It was the most primitive form of music, and she was fully immersed in it.
‘Teacher Bu’s cooking skills are truly amazing!’
Under Bu Fang’s mental force, the white flame slowly changed. Halfway through the cooking, he opened his eyes, removed the lid, and added dried Vermilion fruit peels, goji berries, and various spices. As soon as these ingredients were added, the soup’s aroma exploded, rushing out of the wok and caressing his face like hands.
He covered the wok again. Flames continued to burn, and the music was growing more and more intense like a fierce storm, ringing incessantly.
Xixi’s little face was flushed as she watched, and beads of sweat were rolling off her forehead. It was not easy for her to keep up with Bu Fang’s cooking. Although she was gifted, his cooking skills had reached a level that was worthy of being respected and admired.
The cooking was done. Bu Fang simmered the soup on low fire and retracted his mental force. After that, he turned and glanced at Xixi. The look in his eyes had become gentler.
“Xixi, take a break and get ready for soup.”
The little girl nodded obediently, turned, and was about to walk out of the kitchen.
“Oh, don’t forget to tell me when that strange uncle who asked you to cook the Leek Blossom appears,” Bu Fang said in a serious voice. The world is dangerous, and he didn’t want Xixi to be cheated by a pervert at such a young age.
“I will, Teacher Bu,” Xixi replied with a smile before walking out of the kitchen.
Bu Fang nodded and turned his eyes to the Black Turtle Constellation Wok. He removed the lid. Fingers of steam rose like Qilins, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, while an auspicious gleam broke out of the wok, dazzling to look at.
He closed his eyes and sniffed. The soup didn’t have any greasy smell, and it had a refreshing aroma that was pleasing to the nose.
Bu Fang seldom made soup, but he was very satisfied with what he had cooked this time.
He brought the soup out of the kitchen and came to the dining area.
Ding!
The sound the bell made as the curtain was being lifted instantly attracted the attention of all in the restaurant. Xixi sat obediently in a chair, while Flowery and Nethery looked at him with great anticipation.
Bu Fang had no idea where Lord Dog had gone, but he wasn’t worried at all. No one could bully that mangy dog. The Black Dragon King wasn’t in the restaurant as well because he had been thrown out by Flowery. He deserved that, since Bu Fang already reminded him not to taste the dish.
He placed the dark wok in the middle of the table. The rich fragrance of the soup permeated the air, mellow and fascinating, surging with powerful energy. Then, he produced blue-and-white porcelain bowls and filled one with a spoon. The soup seemed to gleam like crystal as he handed the bowl to Nethery.
“Drink it while it’s hot,” Bu fang said.
The dish should be effective in suppressing the curse in Nethery’s body.
After that, he continued to serve the soup.
The rippling soup looked pretty, and the rings on its surface, which were the grease from the meat, were fascinating to look at.
Nethery held her bowl with both hands. The steam rose from the soup, wrapping her face and warming her cold body, while the fragrance of the soup kept filling her nostrils and made her swallow. She pursed her lips, and just when she was about to drink it, the sound of footfalls came through the door.
Bu Fang was filling a bowl with soup when he heard the sound. He paused and slightly furrowed his eyebrows. The footfalls were heavy and sounded like that of a mountain. He raised his head, looked toward the door, and saw a mountain of flesh approached from a distance.
The meaty mountain swaggered in front of the restaurant, and when it tried to enter, it was stuck between the door frame.
The corner of Bu Fang’s mouth twitched as he wondered who this guy was.
Xixi, holding her bowl of soup, turned around and saw the heap of flesh. Her eyes lit up instantly. “Teacher Bu, that’s him! He’s the strange uncle who made me cook Leek Blossom!” the little girl cried out excitedly.
‘Oh? So this fatty is the pervert? No wonder Xixi keeps calling him a strange uncle. He does look… strange. Well, it’s an achievement to grow so fat!’
The restaurant door wasn’t small, so Bu Fang had never imagined that someone could be caught by the frame. Even Fatty Jin, the rich fellow in the Light Wind Empire and the fattest guy he had ever seen, would not be caught by a door. He wondered what kind of lifestyle had made this fatty so fat.
“It smells so good! This meaty aroma is extremely pure and contains a hint of dark aura! The ingredient is absolutely superb! Old Ding never saw anything like it!” Caught at the door, the fat man kept wriggling his body, sniffing the meaty aroma. “Old Ding can already smell it from far, far away… and it didn’t disappoint Old Ding! Oh, Brother… Your door is a little small. You need to replace it with a bigger one!”
After wriggling for a while, the fat man who called himself Old Ding finally squeezed through the door. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with a hand and saw the soup in the wok. Grunting, he walked to the table, sat in a chair, and gave everyone a smile. Then, he rubbed his hands and told Bu Fang, “Brother, give me a bowl of soup!”
Nethery and Flowery glanced at the fatty, then retracted their gazes and focused on the bowls in their hands.
Looking at Fatty Ding, Bu Fang’s face grew serious.
‘So this is the strange uncle who tried to lead Xixi astray? And he had the gall to ask for my soup?’
“There’s no meat or soup… Do you want an empty bowl?” said Bu Fang, looking at Fatty Ding with an expressionless face.