Chapter 89: Can’t Eat Meat
“Generally speaking, they wouldn’t sell their children, but a severe famine struck a few years ago and the villagers almost starved to death. They resorted to selling the children just to buy food. That’s why you don’t see any young ones around now…” As Shen San watched his master’s expression grow increasingly dark, his voice trailed off until it was barely a whisper.
What on earth was wrong with the people in that village? They had actually managed to infuriate his usually good-tempered master!
Later, Shen San received a hefty bounty for handing the group of bandits over to the local authorities.
He flipped the heavy silver coin in his hand, a cheerful grin spreading across his face. “Master, we actually got a reward. How about we find a nice restaurant and get something good to eat?”
Passersby stared at them in utter astonishment. A tall man in his twenties was actually calling a baby in a stroller “Master”?!
“Is that guy out of his mind?”
“Could it be that the kid in the stroller actually has some kind of mystical powers?”
“I’ve always said those baby carriages are bad news! Those bizarre contraptions have only been around for a few years, right? People are losing their minds!”
Listening to the whispers and pointing from the crowd, Lu Yunxi’s eye twitched. She covered her face with her tiny hands in sheer helplessness. “Just move!”
Shen San couldn’t care less about what the locals thought. With a bright smile, he wheeled her straight into the grandest restaurant in town.
Down in the main dining hall, the two ate their meal while listening to the surrounding chatter.
“Have you heard? A ton of martial arts masters have been gathering in Huzhou lately!”
“Your news is old hat! The real story is that a legendary treasure has surfaced in Huzhou. That’s why everyone is rushing over there.”
“I wonder what kind of treasure it is? It’s even drawn the attention of the major academies.”
Huzhou?
The master and disciple subconsciously pricked up their ears mid-bite. According to the clues Shen San had gathered, her aunt was supposed to be in Huzhou. They hadn’t expected that just as they were preparing to head there, so many figures from the martial underworld would suddenly converge on the area.
They exchanged a look, both seeing the mutual helplessness in each other’s eyes. After traveling together for so long, they had grown quite fond of their quiet, ordinary routine and had no interest in getting swept up in such chaotic affairs. As for the treasure… they completely ignored it. Hadn’t they stumbled into enough treasures along the way? They had amassed plenty of Orange-grade items and even a good amount of Gold-grade materials.
Lu Yunxi pointed a tiny finger toward a plate of meat. Understanding her look instantly, Shen San picked up a thinly sliced piece with his chopsticks and brought it to her mouth.
The next second, however, his hand was abruptly slapped away.
Lu Yunxi watched the meat stop just two centimeters from her face. She leaned forward, trying to snag it, but it remained firmly out of reach. Her chubby little face contorted into a fierce scowl.
Both master and disciple turned their heads in unison to glare at the middle-aged man who had suddenly intruded upon their table.
“Is this your first time being a father?” the man sighed, shaking his head at Shen San. “Don’t you have any basic common sense? Your child is barely a year old! She can’t digest such large pieces of meat!”
With that, the middle-aged man puffed out his chest proudly, sat down right next to Shen San, and began to lecture him continuously on the art of child-rearing. “Babies this age are at their absolute cutest, and they really don’t need much solid food. Just feed her a little goat milk every day…”
Lu Yunxi sat stone-faced as the man rambled on to Shen San. She could only stare longingly at the dishes on the table, feeling incredibly depressed. After all, her current character model was only a one-year-old. How terrifying would it be if she suddenly broke character and leaped onto the table to gorge herself?
Shen San suppressed his laughter and quickly paid the bill after sending the talkative stranger on his way. The two found a secluded spot to properly fill their stomachs before officially setting out on their journey.
Out of all the continents, the Water Continent and the Forest Continent were the largest; the Island Continent was the smallest, and the rest were medium-sized. Huzhou sat at the northernmost tip of the Water Continent, while their current location was at the absolute southern end. Even at Shen San’s maximum travel speed, crossing the entire landmass would take at least a month or two.
“It’ll probably be summer by the time we arrive,” Shen San murmured, wrapping her snugly in a thick blanket. He pushed the stroller forward, stepping onto the long road ahead.
Lu Yunxi glanced at the roadside ice that was just beginning to thaw. She opened her mouth to agree, but a sudden wave of drowsiness hit her. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the stroller and drifted off to sleep.
“An event?”
“Yeah! The city is hosting a food tasting competition today, and there are incredible prizes for the top three!” Passersby peered into the crowded square, their faces green with envy. “You won’t believe it, but last year’s grand prize was a voucher for a whole year of free meals!”
Shen San raised an eyebrow. “That sounds neat. Why don’t you give it a shot?”
While he spoke politely, he didn’t actually think much of it. A simple meal voucher for a single year wasn’t a very alluring reward to someone with his inventory.
“You don’t understand! In our Water Continent, that voucher lets you eat for free at any restaurant in any city!” the passerby sighed wistfully. “It’s a pity I’ve never been able to win. The difficulty is just too high, otherwise I’d definitely try my luck.”
Neither Lu Yunxi nor Shen San paid much attention to the man’s words. However, the crowd filling the square was immense. Swept up in the surging tide of people pushing and shoving, Shen San found himself carried right into the center of the main stage area instead of moving away.
When the host on stage caught sight of them, he blinked in surprise before his eyes lit up with excitement.
“Dear friends, look at this! Truly spectacular! Today, we have a devoted father who brought his child along! Our inn’s competition is incredibly popular, drawing even parents who are willing to brave the crowds to participate!” The host chatted away as he strode over to Shen San. “Excuse me, sir, is this your child? You’ve gone to such great lengths to join us today with your little one—are you here to fulfill a dream?”
Shen San stood frozen, completely speechless. He had literally been shoved onto the stage by accident.
Lu Yunxi sat in her stroller nearby, giggling softly as she watched his predicament.
Seeing her, a group of young women, aunts, and older ladies from the crowd immediately swarmed over, playfully pinching her cheeks and making funny faces.
“What an adorable baby! I want to dote on her forever!”
“Is it a boy or a girl? She’s so beautiful!”
“How can a baby be this lovable? Her little expressions are hilarious!”
Shen San watched his master get completely buried under a sea of overaffectionate aunts. He chuckled quietly to himself for a good long while before finally stepping in to rescue her from the crowd.
Once the master and apprentice took their proper places on stage, the enthusiastic crowd was held back by the event staff. Both of them let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Amidst the chaotic dynamic, the competition officially commenced. Shen San stared at the bowl of soup resting in the center of the stage, falling into complete confusion.
“Contestants, please step forward one by one,” the host explained with a gleaming smile. “Your task is to taste the soup and guess the exact number of ingredients hidden within the broth. Whoever guesses correctly will claim our first-round prize. If no one hits the exact number, the reward goes to whoever is closest.”
When his turn arrived, Shen San walked over, caught a whiff of the aroma, took a tiny sip, and returned to his spot looking entirely perplexed. He stared at the endless stream of contestants, falling into deep thought. Unsure of his choice, he tentatively turned his gaze toward Lu Yunxi in the stroller.
Master, what do you think?
Lu Yunxi understood his silent plea perfectly but chose to completely ignore him, quietly sipping her goat milk. What a joke! Setting aside the fact that she was currently locked in a baby’s body, she was sitting a good fifty meters away from the stage! Even if she held a Grandmaster Chef rank, she was still bound by human limitations and could only catch a faint scent from this distance. She might be able to deduce a few base components, but identifying every single element required an up-close taste test.
Feeling thoroughly aggrieved, Shen San withdrew his gaze, agonized over the options for a long time, and finally submitted his answer.
“…Let us congratulate the victor of our first round, Mr. Shen San!” the host announced enthusiastically. He held aloft a cup crafted from solid gold, presenting it to the warrior. “Congratulations on claiming the first-round prize—the Golden Chalice!”
Shen San accepted the pure gold cup, a massive grin splitting his face so wide his eyes nearly vanished. The surrounding spectators erupted into cheers.
Lu Yunxi sat in her stroller, completely speechless.
The subsequent rounds followed the exact same format, though the mechanical difficulty scaled up; contestants were now required to specifically call out the exact names of the ingredients within each soup.
The first-place winner of each round earned three points, second place earned two, and third place earned one. Any placement below fourth received zero points. The competition spanned ten rounds in total. The participant with the highest cumulative score at the end would claim the ultimate grand prize: a full year of free meals and premium lodging across the continent. Second and third place would receive a scaled-down version of the reward, granting them six months of free accommodation and dining.
