Chapter 78, Food Is Served!

Translator: StarReader

 

“Miss Ah Nu, do not belittle yourself because of your lowly status. We are martial brothers, regardless of our former backgrounds; once we join groups, we are no longer under official jurisdiction. We are neither commoners nor ranked by noble or base birth—our worth is measured solely by talent and martial standing. Though Miss Ah Nu still holds official ties, you are a heroine in our Wu Region’s martial circles. Please take your seat! The young heroes have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

 

Manager Liu laughed heartily.

 

“Sister Ah Nu, your playing sounds like celestial music. I doubt anyone in the Wu Region can match your skill. Why don’t you join my table? Then we can chat and learn a bit about the zither.”

 

Han Shu smiled.

 

Since Young Miss Ah Nu arrived at the banquet, the gazes of all the young heroes were elsewhere, dimming her brilliance considerably.

 

Though she felt envious, she could not show it and instead tried to maintain her poise and draw the attention of the young heroes back to her.

 

“Thank you, Manager Liu, and Sister Han Shu, for your kind words. You are too generous! I only have a slight understanding of zither arts and cannot compare with you and the martial prowess of the heroes, who are all masters in the Wu Region martial world.”

 

Ah Nu bowed slightly and smiled.

 

“Young Miss Ah Nu, it has been a long time! Please join us.”

 

All the young heroes rose to greet her, warmly inviting Ah Nu to their table. Sharing a table with the highly renowned Young Miss Ah Nu was a great honor.

 

Ah Nu’s gaze swept across the tables, and as she prepared to select a seat, she unexpectedly saw Ah Chou and Su Chen sitting alone at the edge of the hall. A hint of surprise flickered in her beautiful eyes.

 

Su Chen and Ah Chou were not particularly well known in the Wu Region martial world. Even though Ah Chou had gained a bit of fame after competing in the arena, they were not considered noteworthy in the eyes of this group of people.

 

The young martial heroes had arrived in small groups, well-acquainted with each other, so naturally, no one was willing to sit at a table with the unfamiliar Su Chen and Ah Chou.

 

“Distinguished heroes, no need for excessive courtesy.”

 

Ah Nu smiled as she spoke, walking directly toward the table where Su Chen and Ah Chou were seated.

 

The young heroes watched as Ah Nu took a seat at Su Chen’s table, and a wave of disappointment and regret washed over them.

 

“These two fellows are truly fortunate to be seated with Ah Nu.”

 

“I suspect Young Miss Ah Nu dislikes boisterous gatherings, and that area is quiet and empty, so she chose to sit there. Otherwise, with their reputations, who would recognize them?”

 

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have left that seat vacant. Then I could have sat with Young Miss Ah Nu as well.”

 

The young heroes felt frustrated, muttering to themselves.

 

Han Shu saw their disappointed expressions; her heart filled with anguish.

 

But thankfully, this brief interlude quickly passed, and the first grand feast of the Wu Region’s young heroes was about to begin.

 

…

 

“Young Miss Ah Nu, please, please have a seat!”

 

Ah Chou was visibly excited, quickly pulling out a chair for her. He smacked his forehead. “Oh… forgive me, let me introduce myself. I am Heaven Falcon Group’s Ah Chou, pleased to meet you!”

 

“Thank you, Ah Chou! You seem quite young to be attending this feast for Wu Region’s heroes. You are sure to achieve great things in the martial world. You’re too polite calling me Young Miss; you can call me Sister Ah Nu instead.”

 

Ah Nu smiled, nodding slightly.

 

“Alright, Sister Ah Nu! And this is my brother…”

 

Ah Chou repeatedly nodded excitedly.

 

After taking their seats, Ah Nu winked at Su Chen, appearing quite pleased, and offered a charming smile, saying softly, “I never expected to see Young Master Su here! If I had known you were attending this banquet, I wouldn’t have felt so awkward, worrying about not knowing anyone.”

 

She was a top-tier courtesan of Mist Terrace, still unmarried.

 

To maintain her value, Mist Terrace forbade her from accepting external engagements to prevent rumors that could damage the reputation of Gusu’s highest-priced courtesan.

 

She wasn’t obliged to attend such martial gatherings.

 

But this time, Manager Liu of Heaven Falcon Group personally invited her, stating that Young Leader Han Shu was hosting the first banquet for young heroes of the Wu Region, and all those invited were the scions of influential families from major groups.

 

Manager Liu personally guaranteed that Young Miss Ah Nu would not encounter any problems.

 

Mist Terrace didn’t want to offend these future powerholders of Wu Region’s groups and thus agreed to let several first-rate experts and two maids escort her to Heaven Falcon Inn for the banquet.

 

Ah Nu felt displeased and had no choice but to come.

 

What surprised and delighted her was unexpectedly encountering Su Chen at the banquet.

 

There were others who were even more surprised.

 

Ah Chou heard Ah Nu’s words, and the introduction of Su Chen abruptly ceased, revealing a look of astonishment, his mouth agape, and he looked at Su Chen with disbelief, then at Ah Nu, exclaiming, “Brother Chen, Sister Ah Nu, this doesn’t make sense. When did you two meet? How did I not know?”

 

One resided in a secluded chamber within Gusu’s pleasure quarters, the other constantly cultivating at Medicine King Estate or traveling for miscellaneous tasks, neither with opportunities for socializing.

 

Ah Nu chuckled lightly, saying, “Oh, this has a long story to it. Three years ago, Mist Terrace was nurturing me to learn zither skills and debuting me as a courtesan specializing in zither playing, with a quite high price—a full two silver taels. But at that time, my reputation was not apparent, and no guests were willing to spend that much silver to listen to a few zither pieces.

 

“Then Young Master Su passed by Mist Terrace and, for some unknown reason, wanted to hear a zither. Matron Li introduced him as my first customer, who paid two silver taels to listen to my few pieces.

 

“Young Master Su was the first listener of my zither when I started, so of course I’d remember. After that, listeners gradually increased. He is truly my benefactor!”

 

Just three short years have brought so much change; her reputation and fortune were now unparalleled in the Wu Region. Playing a single tune now costs a hundred silver coins, a far cry from what it once was.

 

The accommodations and treatment at Mist Terrace had also grown increasingly luxurious. She had several maidservants attending to her and was always accompanied by a first-rate expert when she went out.

 

Ah Chou finally understood what was happening.

 

But he was even more astonished, staring at Su Chen with an incredulous expression: “No way! I remember three years ago, Brother Chen was an errand disciple in the Medicine King Group and didn’t earn much at all! He was so frugal that he would try to break a copper coin in half to use as two, and when he went shopping, he only bought a one-coin copper coin tofu pudding and pancake, being very frugal. Yet he actually spent a full silver coin, a thousand copper coins, to listen to Young Miss Ah Nu’s few tunes? It’s simply unbelievable!”

 

“I just happened to pass by, hoping to get a glimpse of what a brothel looks like. I didn’t expect to run into Young Miss Ah Nu at this banquet after three years; it was quite a surprise!”

 

Su Chen smiled awkwardly.

 

He had been preparing to secretly investigate Han Mountain Daoist Temple, leaving a backup route in the county town. Hiding behind Mist Terrace, he just happened to encounter Young Miss Ah Nu just as she debuted and listened to her play the zither for three days.

 

He swiped an immortal book from the Han Mountain Daoist Temple. After the three-day city lockdown in Gusu was lifted, he returned to the estate and never went back to Mist Terrace.

 

This matter was a bit strange, and he was embarrassed to mention it to Ah Chou, who naturally wouldn’t know.

 

Su Chen never imagined that Ah Nu, who was just debuting and had no fame, would become a renowned zither master in Gusu, one of the two beauties who reigned supreme in the Wu Region.

 

Three years passed in a flash, and he still remembered it as if it were yesterday.

 

…

 

The Wu Region Youth Heroes Grand Banquet had begun.

 

Soon, the servers of Heaven Falcon Inn were carrying plates of delicious dishes and placing them on the banquet table.

 

Red braised pig’s trotters, secret recipe braised beef, roasted whole lamb, countless other exquisite mountain and seafood delicacies—all these were aside. Just the three renowned delicacies of Vastest Lake, rockfish, Silverback Swordfish, and red tail prawns, there were seventy or eighty plates.

 

“It’s here! I’m starving! Finally, the food is served! No idle chatter, let’s eat!”

 

Ah Chou, having intentionally skipped lunch to wait for this grand evening banquet, was famished and drooling with excitement.

 

“This plate of Silverback Swordfish is our Heaven Falcon Inn’s signature dish. Butcher Zhang’s knife skills, the head chef’s unique secret technique, plus various spices, seared vigorously in hot oil—the color, aroma, and taste are all enticing. This three hundred gram Silverback Swordfish costs a fortune of ten silver taels, a delicacy that even wealthy households in the county rarely indulge in.” He said, “Come on, Brother Chen, Sister Ah Nu, eat up! Tonight, Young Miss is treating, so we don’t need to spend any money!”

 

Ah Chou’s eyes sparkled as he introduced the dish to Su Chen and Ah Nu.

 

He had been a server at the Heaven Falcon Inn for several years, constantly serving plates, and was naturally very familiar with these exquisite dishes.

 

However, he had never had the opportunity to taste them before, only seeing martial artists and wealthy merchants enjoy their deliciousness.

 

Now, he finally had the chance to sit at the table and savor their flavors.

 

In the hall, the young martial artists at each table were paying attention to Young Miss Ah Nu’s table. They heard Ah Chou exaggerating the excellence of the dishes and shook their heads, revealing a look of disdain.

 

Just a few plates of Vastest Lake delicacies? They were already sick of them and didn’t even bother to pick up their chopsticks—what was there to boast about?

 

Ah Chou was an unknown, but he had the qualification to attend the Wu Region’s highest-end martial artist banquet and was lowering his own value by focusing entirely on these few dishes.

 

Ah Chou cut a piece of the most tender and delicious red-braised pig’s head meat and handed it to Ah Nu, saying, “Sister Ah Nu, you’re so thin. This is Butcher Zhang’s great work, picking out the fattiest part, and the head chef’s cooking skills are the most savory! Eat more!”

 

Ah Nu smiled and pushed it back, saying, “I have a small appetite; I can’t eat that much. Ah Chou, you eat; you’re growing and training in martial arts. Eating more meat will give you strength.”

 

…

 

Silverback Swordfish!

 

Su Chen stared at the plate of fragrant, delicious Silverback Swordfish, remaining silent for a long while before failing to pick up his chopsticks.

 

Five years ago, in his hometown of Zhou Village, when he was a twelve-year-old innocent boy, he would wake before dawn to fish in the river and once encountered a Silverback Swordfish weighing close to half a kilogram in the small river.

 

It moved like a strand of shimmering silver light, floating to the surface to eat the fish bait he cast, illuminated by the lamplight hanging on the bamboo raft, dazzling and moving in the night.

 

Catching a Silverback Swordfish required a calm mind, centered energy, accurate eyes, and swift hands—it greatly tested a fisherman’s skill.

 

If he had caught that Silverback Swordfish weighing back then and sold it to the Heaven Falcon Inn, he could have easily made seven or eight hundred copper coins.

 

Perhaps those copper coins could alleviate the difficulties at home. It might even allow his parents to abandon the idea of selling him to a wealthy household in the county.

 

This small Silverback Swordfish in the dish had the power to change his entire destiny.

 

Alas, he was startled away by that foul crow.

 

He still failed to catch that fish.

 

Ultimately, nothing changed.

 

By chance, he wandered to Gusu County City, and he and Ah Chou each sought refuge with the Medicine King Group and the Heaven Falcon Group, thereby stepping into the martial arts and becoming a generation of experts.

 

Su Chen sighed inwardly.

 

Time passed, and just five years had brought about so much change.

 

Ah Chou did not notice Su Chen’s expression and was devouring a plate of Silverback Swordfish, wanting to make up for the regret of being a server at the Heaven Falcon Inn, enduring constant scolding, yet never having the opportunity to taste such deliciousness.

 

Ah Nu hastened to advise, “Ah Chou, eat slowly; be careful of fish bones getting stuck! This fish needs to be chewed slowly and deliberately to remove the fish bones.”