Chapter 115: Turbulence at the Five Flavors Pavilion (Part Two)

"You, you people?" The burly man in black accompanying the youth surnamed Wei was furious at the sight. He lunged forward in a single stride, supporting the dizzy and ears-ringing youth with one hand while glaring fiercely at Ji Mo and Jin Lie.

At the same time, a flicker of irrepressible dread laced his angry gaze. A beast pet that could effortlessly swat the youth to the ground and smash a chair to pieces could hardly be an ordinary creature; it was most likely a fierce spirit beast. And what kind of person could afford to travel with a spirit beast as a pet? In an instant, the expressions of everyone in the dining hall turned highly complex as they looked toward Ji Mo's table.

Having been batted to the floor by a cat-like beast pet, the youth surnamed Wei was initially ablaze with fury. Regaining his wits with great difficulty, he was just about to throw a tantrum when his personal guard yanked hard on his arm. Startled for a moment, he frowned and turned his head to look. The guard in black gave him a slight shake of the head. Only then did the youth remember: how could any beast pet capable of casually swatting him to the ground be a common animal?

He must remember that he himself was a ninth-layer Body Refining cultivator, yet he had been completely powerless against the claws of that red-furred cat. A miniature beast pet that could effortlessly bat a ninth-layer Body Refining practitioner to the ground with a single paw had to be a spirit beast. At the thought of the words "spirit beast," a chill ran through the youth's entire body. The opening of the Luanyao Sect's mountain gates to accept disciples was just around the corner—could these few people before him be immortal masters from the Luanyao Immortal Sect? As this realization dawned upon him, his gaze toward Ji Mo became filled with dread.

Although there was a profound divide between immortals and mortals, and cultivators generally did not slaughter ordinary people unprovoked, things would be entirely different if mortals provoked them first. Was the majesty of an immortal something easily offended?

Ji Mo took in the expressions of the youth surnamed Wei and everyone else in the dining hall. With a helpless look, she glared at Jin Lie without saying anything, then picked up her chopsticks once more to continue enjoying the delicacies on the table. Seeing this, Qiu Hanyuan and Han Li also lowered their heads to eat from their bowls. The other diners, sensing that Ji Mo's table was extraordinarily mysterious, naturally did not dare to stare for long and quickly averted their gaze. The hall, silent for a brief moment, instantly returned to its previous state.

After about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the diners throughout the hall suddenly caught a whiff of an exotic, savory aroma drifting to their noses. Everyone involuntarily lifted their heads and looked toward the source of the scent. Two attendants emerged, each holding a tray with two dishes, followed closely by Lan Mo and Su Ye.

The attendant trailing Lan Mo carried a tray holding a plate of vibrantly colored "Three Fresh Delights" and a plate of stir-fried pig's stomach slices, while the attendant behind Su Ye held a plate of verdant, unknown bracken fern and a plate of roast meat. The mouth-watering, exotic aroma was emanating precisely from the plate of roast meat in Su Ye's hands.

"Actually, there is no need for everyone to taste them; the appearance and aroma alone are enough to tell that this Young Master Su's culinary skills indeed far surpass my own. However, since Young Master Su has already prepared these two delicacies, it would be a regrettable pity not to let everyone here have a taste. For the sake of fairness, every person at every table seated on the first floor may sample a single chopstick's worth. You shall judge the outcome of our match. Lang Si, Song Wu, serve the dishes!" Lan Mo said, crossing her arms as she surveyed the guests filling the hall.

Aside from the two dishes, the trays held by Lang Si and Song Wu also contained a pair of chopsticks. Starting from the table nearest to them, the two attendants placed a small chopstickful of food onto the plate of every single guest at the table. Proceeding in this manner, they made the rounds to all twenty-some seated tables in the first-floor hall. By the time they served the last person at the very last table, the four dishes were precisely depleted.

"Hmm, these Three Fresh Delights and Verdant Radish Bracken are pretty much evenly matched, but the flavor of this roast meat is indeed far superior to the stir-fried pig's stomach slices," several veteran diners who frequently patronized the Five Flavors Tower lowered their voices to discuss among themselves after tasting the dishes.

"Ha! I feel the same way. Young Master Su's meat dish is indeed far superior to mine. The greatest pursuit of my life, Lan Mo, has always been to become the finest chef. Now that it is proven my culinary skills are inferior to Young Master Su's, starting from today, the Five Flavors Tower will officially close its doors. As for me, Lan Mo, I will apprentice myself under Young Master Su and wholeheartedly study the culinary arts," Lan Mo said with a loud laugh upon hearing the murmurs of the crowd.

"What? Mistress? The Five Flavors Tower is closing?" The two attendants who had followed her out were shocked upon hearing this. Not only them, but the entire hall of diners was taken aback as well. No matter how exceptional Su Ye's cooking was, he was merely a passerby and could not possibly cook for them on a regular basis. Meanwhile, Master Lan's culinary prowess had long been renowned throughout Jiangwu City. Yet now, simply because she lost a meat dish to a customer, she was going to shut down the Five Flavors Tower? How could the diners of Jiangwu City ever accept this?

"That's right. After tasting the meat dishes cooked by Young Master Su, I realized that the meat dishes I create are practically inedible. If I do not take a master and improve myself, how could I face the customers who love my cooking? The reason I came to Jiangwu City to open a shop all those years ago was in the hope of meeting a true mentor and continuously refining my culinary skills. Now that my mentor has appeared, Lan Mo's wish has been fulfilled. There is no need for any of you to try and persuade me otherwise," Lan Mo waved her hand, cutting off any further attempts at persuasion.

Once Lan Mo spoke, no one dared to utter a word. The Five Flavors Tower might look like an ordinary civilian tavern—it had no private rooms, its prices were fair, and regardless of a customer's status, everyone was treated equally inside—yet a tavern like this not only bustled with guests, but no one had ever dared to cause trouble here. This was due not only to Lan Mo's culinary skills, but also to her fists.

When Lan Mo arrived in Jiangwu City eight years ago and first opened the Five Flavors Tower, her business model had stepped on the toes of many people. During the initial period after its opening, quite a few troublemakers came looking for trouble. Without exception, every single one of them walked in upright and was carried out horizontally. Even the son of the city lord at the time had both of his legs broken. Not only did the city lord not dare to seek justice for his son, but he had even scurried over in a panic to offer a personal apology and kowtow in remorse.

After that incident, the reputation of the Five Flavors Tower was thoroughly established. As time passed, Master Lan's culinary skills became as widely known across Jiangwu City as her fearsome martial prowess. Over the years, countless powerful factions and prominent figures emerged in Jiangwu City, yet no one ever dared to cause trouble at the Five Flavors Tower again. Now that Lan Mo had decided to close the establishment, although everyone felt it was a great pity, no one dared to say anything more.

"Miss Lan, if you wish to take me as your master, shouldn't you obtain my consent beforehand?" Su Ye looked at the dashing, overbearing female chef before him and asked with a wry smile.

"What? Young Master is unwilling to take me as a disciple? As long as you accept me, I will be your most capable enforcer. Whatever matters are inconvenient for you to handle yourself, leave them to me. Anyone you wish to deal with, but find troublesome to handle personally, you can leave to me to take care of. Furthermore, my benefits include..." Lan Mo glanced at Su Ye, immediately patted her chest, and rattled off a continuous stream of her various advantages.

"Miss Lan, do you know how to brew wine?" Hearing Lan Mo's rhetoric, the corners of Ji Mo's lips curved upward involuntarily. At first glance, this young woman behaved in a peculiar, eccentric manner and seemed rather lacking in worldly tact. Yet, bizarrely, not only did her words and actions fail to arouse Ji Mo's aversion, but they also carried an indescribable sense of warmth and familiarity. Suppressing a smile, she interrupted Lan Mo's lengthy speech.

"Brew wine? I know how, of course I know how to brew wine! As someone who aspires to become the top chef in all the heavens and myriad realms, how could I not know how to brew wine?" Interrupted mid-sentence, Lan Mo was slightly startled for a moment, but then answered instinctively without missing a beat. (To be continued...)