Chapter 37.3 Matsutake Meat Roll (c)
Translated and Edited by Gumihou
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Note from Gumihou:
Please read the previous chapter before starting on this. Some changes had been made at the end to fix the plot. By the way, do check out the
Chapter Adjustment page which explains how this works exactly. It’s actually quite a big headache, but the things Gumihou would do to fix a story could be summarized as A Lot.
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Muah!
I know my birthday is tomorrow, but I’ll probably be busy cooking my own birthday feast because we can’t go out for meals and the only takeout we’re getting is a roasted duck. Yum!
Feng City.
It took Feng Luo five days to travel from the Imperial Capital to Feng City by flying griffin. When he reached to the Feng Clan House, he could not wait to show the Immortal Jade Petal Lotus to his grandfather.
“Grandfather, what do you think of this?”
When Grand Elder Feng saw the jade-coloured lotus inside the jade box, his eyes lit up. Though it was clear that he was still restraining his feelings as he cautiously lifted the item out. First, he sniffed the flower lightly, the delicate yet powerful scent seemed to pierce through his nose right into his spirit. Next, he gave one of the petals a careful lick, unwilling to take a full bite even as cold sweetness flashed across his tongue. With this, he could more or less ascertain that this was indeed, the Immortal Jade Petal Lotus.
“Where did you get this?” Grand Elder Feng asked, “What was it exchanged for?”
“A friend. She handed it to me with the understanding that I will give her the remuneration once I return to the Imperial Capital.” Once its authenticity was confirmed, Feng Luo was even more touched and grateful to have this good friend. Even he would not have been able to hand over such a treasure without a guarantee to a close friend, let alone to someone who’s practically a stranger.
If he knew that Shiyu had given the flower to him because she had no inkling of the value behind it, he probably would not be half as touched.
Grand Elder Feng nodded, “The Jade Petaled Immortal Lotus is very important to our Feng Family. Take a copy of the list of items in the treasure house to the Imperial Capital and let her choose what she wants.”
“Yes.” Feng Luo assented.
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When Shiyu finally exited the Feng House, she looked at the pitiful amount of silver in her money pouch and in a fit, proceeded to rashly pick all the Cinnabar Fruit from the space to sell.
“By the way, what grade is the Vermilion Fruit?” Shiyu asked San Pang.
“Yellow Grade Middle Tier.” San Pang said, but then added. “I suggest you don’t sell them, use them for yourself.”
“But I won’t gain anything even if I eat them. If I refine them into Pill Medicines and take them that way, it would only destabilize my foundation. I think it’s better to just slowly build up my foundation instead of relying on these things.”
“That’s fine too.”
Once Shiyu picked all the Cinnabar Fruits, there were more than a hundred fruits in total. She sold these fruits in small amounts to several different medicine shops and trade establishments. At the end of the day when she counted up the money, there was more than 5 million in silver.
While roaming through trading establishments, a few things caught her eye, there were human skin masks for sale, for example, that legendary xuanhuan item one sees on TV and novels all the time. However, the item that really caught her attention was an invitation to the Palace Banquet in half a month.
“To think that people would actually sell something like this…” Shiyu stared at the invitation letter, framed within a cheap wooden frame like a painting and propped up for all to see.
However, the person selling the invitation also made it clear that what they wanted was not money, but an item. Specifically, a rare medicine called an Ice Lingzhi. While rare, it was not especially precious except this guy wanted one that was 500 years old.
“A 500-year-old Ice Lingzhi is almost a Yellow Grade, High Tier medicine. Tsk, tsk, this guy certainly knows how to do business.” San Pang whispered. He had reverted back to his ordinary radish form and was now lying unmoving in Shiyu’s arms.
Shiyu studied the man selling the invitation letter. He was middle-aged, sloppily dressed and incredibly dirty. There were red capillaries in the whites of his eyes and his clothes looked like they had not been washed for a long time.
“Boss, surely you know your invitation is too expensive, right?” Someone said, voicing out the opinion of everyone.
“Can’t afford, don’t buy.” The man was incredibly terse.
With such a nasty attitude, people who had been slightly tempted to make an offer or counter offer were immediately put off. Though to be fair, none of them was able to produce a 500-year-old Ice Lingzhi anyway.
“Do you think someone will make the trade?” Shiyu asked San Pang.
“Only an idiot would allow themselves to be taken advantage of.”
Shiyu: “… …”
After leaving the stall, Shiyu continued to stroll around, looking at various items from different booths. Finally, she spent 200,000 on a human skin mask. She also bought a few inexpensive medicinal ingredients. Since medicinal ingredients grow more valuable with age, the ones she had just bought were quite young, and therefore not very expensive despite their incredible awe aspiring names.
Shiyu returned to her inn with her shopping. Within the privacy of her room, she entered the space after setting San Pang aside. She had noticed early on that vegetation planted within this space matured very quickly. Using this to her advantage, she began placing the newly bought medicinal materials in various random corners. As for the three Ice Lingzhis, these were carefully planted right next to the Spring of Life.
The tops of each Ice Lingzhi was patterned in a way that showed a line on its glossy surface once it had reached a hundred years old. For every one hundred years, there will be one additional line. Therefore, five rings for a500-year-old Ice Lingzhi. Shiyu hoped that one of these three Lingzhis will reach five rings before the Palace Banquet!
After a bit of gardening, Shiyu stood up and looked around the space. Everything was at varying shades of green and very lush, hardly a wilted leaf to be seen anywhere. More importantly, the area seemed to have expanded?
When she finally left the space, she found San Pang rolling around the bed, apparently enjoying himself. Thus far, he had never said anything about her suddenly appearing and disappearing into the thin air. It looked like he was respecting her secrets, and would not pry. After all, if one started prying into other people’s secrets, their lives might be at stake if they found out something they shouldn’t.
“San Pang, what do you know of the Cooking God Society?” Shiyu might as well asked this guy. The information she had gotten from Feng Luo was too vague. Since it had something to do with cooking, she was interested to find out more about it.
“The Cooking God Society?” San Pang blinked, respect in his eyes, “That’s an amazing group.”
“Oh?”
“It should be said that anyone who can join the Cooking God Society is the best of the best.” San Pang sat upright. “Even in those planes above, the Cooking God Society exists in a low-key manner. If you get the chance, you should try and become a member.”
Shiyu was becoming more and more curious about the so-called Cooking God Society. However, she was still cautious, after all, there were plenty of associations who called themselves ‘Best of the best’, and this radish fay had been stuck in the mountain dirt for years after all, so what could he know about various human associations?
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Time went by in a flash. Shiyu checked on her Ice Lingzhi every day. Having nothing better to do, she went shopping. With money burning in her pocket, she strolled about the shops, this time patronizing the clothing store looking at all the colourful Hanfu [1] and ancient Chinese dresses one normally sees on TV.
[I decide to put the shopping scene here instead of the next chapter]
There was the solemn and dignified Crossing Collar Dress
-the graceful and refreshing Upper Chest Ru Qun
-the so-called Fairy Maiden Dress
-the Moonlight Skirt
-the Horseface Skirt
-were all wonderfully gorgeous and beautiful.
Not only was the embroidery work incredibly fine and detailed, the material high class and expensive, but some were also studded with precious gems to add more sparkle to strategic bits of the dresses. Finally, she could see and touch the patterns described as ‘Like floating clouds tinted by dawn’ right before her eyes.
As a typical woman, Shiyu had always been in the pursuit of beauty. She had loved Hanfu even as a young girl, but wearing them was not at all convenient for everyday life. Nor was her figure suitable for Hanfu dresses. In the end, she had only bought one dress that sat in a box at the bottom of her drawer. However, now that she has both money and figure, why hesitate?
So she shopped and shopped, and as long as something caught her eye, they were all packed up and sent to the inn. Naturally, now that she has plenty of gorgeous clothes, she must have matching jewellery to complete the look.
What woman could resist the siren calls of jewellery? Rings, necklaces, bangles, bracelets, hairpins, and combs in all kinds of colours and precious materials. Shiyu went a little crazy buying up this and that bit of sparkly that caught her eye. By the time she left the last jewellery store, she was shocked to find that her fortune had dwindled down a good percentage. However, when she thought of the jewellery piled up inside her space ring, an oddly satisfying feeling welled up inside her.
Thus far, Shiyu felt that the Eastern Martial Empire gave her the best sense of belonging in this weird timespace. If only because this country gave her some sense of belonging ever since coming to this strange land.
Time goes by in a flash, especially when one was having fun shopping with lots of money and the figure to wear whatever beautiful clothes they like. Seven or eight days flashed passed like nothing and soon, one of the Ice Lingzhi loafing by the spring water grew its fifth banded ring.
On this day, Shiyu checked out of the inn. She then checked into a new one wearing her human face mask and one of her new dresses. When she left the new inn, she was already dressed in yet another extravagant outfit complete with a ridiculously luxurious robe she had bought just for this occasion. Fortified by her expansive armour and secure in the knowledge that no one would be able to recognize her, she flounced towards the trading establishment she had been to just a week ago and made her way to a very specific stall.
There, sitting right next to his Palace Banquet invitation, the sloppy looking middle-aged man was looking even more irritated than ever. Though the frown on his brows might well be anxiety rather than irritation.
Shiyu grandly made her entrance with a swish, luxurious hood up over her head, and declared, “I want your Palace Banquet invitation!”
[Gumihou: Ahhh, I love Hanfu~ ^^ They have a completely different charm compared to yukata and kimono. ]
[1] Hanfu of all Kinds!
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