The next day, Orion and Wang Lingxin returned to the Liu family residence. Orion met with Liu Mingzhen to continue their discussions about their joint business. Mingzhen proposed the idea of also selling fried chicken in the new restaurant specialized for cultivators and adding MSG to the fried chicken.
However, the fried chicken would be made from a special ingredient: chicken Spirit Beasts. Orion agreed, allowing the Liu family to experiment with modifying the recipe to incorporate chicken Spirit Beasts.
After a brief discussion with Liu Mingzhen, Orion sought out Wang Lingxin and found her enjoying tea in the pavilion near the flower garden.
"So here you are," Orion stated as it approached Wang Lingxin.
"Master, have you finished your business?" Wang Lingxin inquired, setting down her teacup.
"Yes, I have. You will be tasting the fried chicken and also helping them to make fried chicken using chicken Spirit Beasts. Can you do it?" Orion asked.
"Sure, I'll do my best," Wang Lingxin replied.
"Do you want me to stay and accompany you?" Orion inquired.
"There is no need. Master, you can return first," Wang Lingxin replied.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Orion asked.
"Yes, don't worry about me," Wang Lingxin reassured.
"Alright, but don't cause any trouble, okay? I'll come to get you around sunset," Orion reminded her.
Orion then rode in the horse carriage back to the residence, while Wang Lingxin headed to the kitchen of the Liu family residence.
"Hello, good morning, everyone," Wang Lingxin greeted as she entered the kitchen.
"Good morning, Ms. Lingxin," replied the chefs. They didn't see her as just a mere kid, especially with her professional skill in food critique and tasting.
"Let's make delicious fried chicken!" Wang Lingxin exclaimed, raising her fist.
"Oooo!" exclaimed the chefs in unison.
With the sun high above, Wang Lingxin sampled the freshly fried chicken.
"This is good enough. I think it's okay to sell it," she remarked.
The chefs cheered, relieved to see their hard work pay off. Wang Lingxin's approval lifted their spirits after she had critiqued many of their previous attempts. As professional chefs, their confidence had been shaken by Wang Lingxin's critiques, and not receiving approval from a young girl had affected their morale.
However, as seasoned professionals, they finally mastered how to make the fried chicken and earn Wang Lingxin's approval in just two days, a feat that took Orion several days to achieve. After perfecting the normal fried chicken, it was time to experiment with making fried chicken using meat from chicken Spirit Beasts.
"Miss Lingxin, have you ever tried eating chicken Spirit Beast?" one of the chefs asked, the oldest among them and the head chef.
"Chicken Spirit Beast? I haven't," Wang Lingxin replied.
"Then you should try it first so you can give a better judgment later when testing the Spirit Beast fried chicken," the head chef suggested.
"I'll let you taste one of the best dishes on our menu at the Liu family restaurant. I'm sure you'll like it," the head chef continued. "Come on, everyone, help me prepare!"
The other chefs scrambled to prepare the Spirit Beast fried chicken. After a while, a bowl of soup with chicken Spirit Beast meat, its broth a rich red color with many spices floating within, some oil glistening on its surface, steaming hot, was served in front of Wang Lingxin at the table. Wang Lingxin used a spoon to lift a bit of the broth to her lips, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Wow, such flavor! The broth is thick and rich, bursting with flavor. There's a unique blend of spices and the essence of the chicken Spirit Beast. While it looks and smells spicy, it's surprisingly mild. There's also a hint of sweetness and plenty of savory goodness. Truly exceptional," Wang Lingxin remarked. She then used the spoon to pick up a piece of meat, finding it tender and easily picked up. She tasted it.
"Wow, the chicken Spirit Beast truly has a unique aroma and taste. The meat is tender, infused with the seasoning. When eaten together with the soup, it's a delightful combination of flavors. This is really outstanding," Wang Lingxin added.
"Fufufu," the head chef chuckled, standing from the side with a wide smile crossing his face as he folded his arms, clearly satisfied. The other chefs also smiled; their confidence restored after receiving praise from Wang Lingxin's critique.
"Come on, now let's try to make Spirit Beast fried chicken," the head chef exclaimed.
"Oooo!" the chefs responded eagerly. Meanwhile, Wang Lingxin continued to savor the chicken Spirit Beast soup.
Liu Mingzhen and Liu Wang watched from the window of the kitchen, coming to check the kitchen after hearing the commotion. "Finally, they succeeded. Now, they just need to make the Spirit Beast fried chicken," Liu Mingzhen remarked.
Liu Mingzhen then left, still having a lot of work to do. Liu Wang followed behind.
"Master, today should be the day Elder Yang arrives in Yanjing," Liu Wang mentioned.
"Mmm... hopefully the MSG can help Father break through," Liu Mingzhen replied.
The gentle breeze brought a refreshing touch, rustling the flowers and grass. Currently taking a brief break to enjoy some fresh air, Wang Lingxin found that the recipe and experiment for the Spirit Beast fried chicken were far from complete. The meat wasn't tender enough, and the seasoning struggled to penetrate it, among other challenges.
Wang Lingxin decided to take a break and wander through the flower garden, she enjoyed playing in the Liu family garden. It was expansive, filled with a variety of flowers, and meticulously maintained, offering a refreshing and calming atmosphere.
As she wandered, her gaze fell upon a tree beyond the wall, adorned with plump and enticing purple fruits, its beauty captivating her attention. Impressed, she approached closer, eventually arriving at the moon gate. Peeking inside and finding nobody around, after a moment's hesitation, she decided to venture in.
Unbeknownst to her, a masked figure wearing all black clothes slowly materialized near the moon gate, standing quietly as he watched Wang Lingxin approach the tree. Inside, there were many other trees, but no flowers like in the flower garden, just trees.
Okay, now what do I do? the masked man pondered internally, feeling conflicted and unsure.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The area Wang Lingxin entered was a restricted area, and not everybody was allowed to enter. It was where his master, Liu Mingzhen, planted and grew various Spiritual Fruits, and all the trees inside were Spiritual Fruit trees.
The purple fruit that had attracted Wang Lingxin's attention was also a Spiritual Fruit, called Violet Essence Fruit, highly sought after and very beneficial for Golden Core cultivators. At auctions, it could fetch thousands of spirit stones.
The masked man was the guard of this place, and now he was conflicted because although the area was restricted, his master had instructed that Orion and his disciple, Wang Lingxin, were important for the Liu family. They must never be offended, and they should always do their best to cater to and help them.
After thinking about it, the masked man decided to let Wang Lingxin venture inside. He was sure that his master would allow Wang Lingxin to enter anyway and might even give her the fruit.
Now, after he let Wang Lingxin enter, if she really took the fruit, he was certain his master would allow it. However, there was still a possibility that his master might scold him a bit to vent his anger.
Sigh, I'll just accept being scolded by the master, the masked man thought, his figure disappearing again, nowhere to be seen, while also sending information to Liu Mingzhen via Spiritual Sense.
Wang Lingxin stood in front of the purple fruit tree, looking up at the five fruits dangling from its branches. A sweet and enticing scent wafted from them, captivating her senses. She couldn't help but wonder if the fruits tasted as good as they looked, given their enticing appearance and sweet fragrance.
After a moment of contemplation, she glanced around and noticed many other trees, but none bore fruit. Wang Lingxin then decided to return to the flower garden.
"Hello, Miss Lingxin," a voice came from behind Wang Lingxin as she walked.
Wang Lingxin turned around, surprised by the sudden appearance of someone. It turned out to be Liu Mingzhen. "Greetings, Mr. Liu Mingzhen," Wang Lingxin bowed courteously.
"Hahaha, no need to be so formal. Just call me Uncle Mingzhen," Liu Mingzhen chuckled.
"Greetings, Uncle Mingzhen," Wang Lingxin bowed respectfully once more.
"Good girl," Liu Mingzhen nodded. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I was just checking out that purple fruit. It looks interesting, and it smells good," Wang Lingxin explained.
"Well, it's a special fruit after all. Do you want it?" Liu Mingzhen offered with a smile.
"Is it okay?" Wang Lingxin hesitated, noticing there were only five fruits on the tree.
"Of course, these fruits grow all year round. It's just that they're slow to ripen," Liu Mingzhen assured her. With a swift gesture, he waved his hand, and a purple fruit fell from the branch. Extending his hand, he deftly caught the fruit using his Spiritual Sense, and it landed softly on his palm.
"Here you are," Liu Mingzhen handed her the fruit.
"Wow, thank you very much, Uncle Mingzhen," Wang Lingxin said gratefully, taking the fruit. As she examined it closely, she noticed that its scent was even sweeter up close. She wondered how to eat it.
Seeing Wang Lingxin's curiosity, Liu Mingzhen smiled. "Come, I'll show you how to enjoy this fruit," he offered, leading her to the kitchen.
The Violet Essence Fruit was very valuable, but Liu Mingzhen was still okay with giving one to Wang Lingxin. It was a gesture to build a good relationship with her. He also considered giving some to Orion, viewing it as a good investment.
In one of the dimly lit rooms within Orion's residence, Orion was busy at a table. Slime skins hung on the walls, and on the floor, many buckets were filled with slime body liquid, some containing slime body parts. The slime body liquid had splattered on the floor.
On the table in front of Orion, there was a large bucket filled with slime body liquid, and inside it, a Spirit Beast core was connected to many small and long tubes. These tubes were the slime's meridians, and the Spirit Beast core was from a wolf Spirit Beast.
Orion internally noted, The research progress is rather successful. This is good. Checking its internal clock, it realized, It's almost time to pick up Wang Lingxin. With that, Orion began tidying up the room, storing some items on the table into its storage ring, and calling Chunhua to clean up the rest.
While experimenting with the slime, Orion discovered several uses for it. The slime's skin proved to be versatile, capable of being both soft and hard, as well as weak or strong, elastic or rigid. It could also change shape, adapting to different conditions as needed.
In addition to its skin, the slime had various body parts, including tubes that were situated within its body. These tubes had a semi-transparent color and were widely used as lamps, reminiscent of neon lamps from Earth. It was this unique slime lamp that piqued Orion's interest in slime and began experimenting with it.
Despite others deeming certain parts of the slime as useless, Orion found value in them. While most people focused on the skin, tubes for lamps, and the Spirit Beast core, Orion noticed another body part that often went overlooked: the slime meridian.
These smaller tubes, similar to those used for lamps but on a smaller scale, were typically discarded or considered useless by others. However, Orion saw potential in them and has been experimenting with them, showing great results.
After reading numerous books and scrolls, Orion learned that slime meridians were among the best, even surpassing those of Dragons and Phoenixes in effectiveness at transmitting Qi. However, despite this advantage, slimes were inherently weak due to their Spirit Beast core (Dantian) being unable to store much Qi. Orion has made significant progress in its experiments regarding slime meridians, showcasing great potential and promising results.
Orion attached a slime meridian to another Spirit Beast core, currently using the Spirit Beast core of a Two-tailed Wolf, which Orion had slain in the past. During the experiment, Orion discovered that slime meridians couldn't directly absorb LQ (Liquid Qi); instead, the LQ would dissolve the slime meridian, likely because the LQ contained too much pure Qi and the slime meridian couldn't handle it.
Orion found a solution: by soaking the Spirit Beast core in LQ, it would slowly absorb the Qi. Then, by connecting the Spirit Beast core with the slime meridian, the slime meridian was able to absorb and transmit the Qi from the Spirit Beast core.
It worked. The previously transparent slime meridian now glowed with a beautiful cyan color. By referring to scrolls and books, Orion noted that the slime meridian appeared to be active, effectively transmitting the Qi from the Spirit Beast core to the meridian system.
Orion wondered if this could be considered an artificial Dantian and meridian system. Theoretically, it was, as cultivators and Spirit Beasts function similarly, with their Dantian acting as a battery and their meridian as a cable, albeit for storing and transmitting Qi instead of electricity. However, Orion knew it would need to conduct further experiments to confirm its hypothesis and put the findings to use.
Orion rode the horse carriage to the Liu family residence to pick up Wang Lingxin, while Chunhua remained behind, cleaning the room where Orion had conducted the experiment. She had grown accustomed to the task, wiping the table clean and mopping the floor diligently. Carrying the heavy bucket filled with slime body liquid and body parts, she made her way outside to the trash pit, where she dumped them one by one.
At the corner of the room, there sat a bucket filled with slime tubes, but Chunhua had no intention of throwing them out. Instead, she planned to sell them later. Her master had once experimented with these tubes to create slime lamps but had lost interest after succeeding. When Chunhua proposed the idea of selling them instead of discarding them, Orion agreed and allowed Chunhua to sell them. This way, Chunhua could earn some money to contribute to the orphanage.
Chunhua often wondered why her master preferred to discard the most valuable body parts of the slime instead of using them to create slime lamps. She couldn't help but ponder why her master seemed to be more interested in the slime's skin and what appeared to be its meridian.
For Orion, the slime lamp is indeed interesting, but that's it, it's just a lamp. Even if Orion were to decide to make and sell them, the profit would be small. However, Orion sees great potential in the slime's skin and meridian, which is why it's solely interested in them. As for the other body parts of the slime, Orion has no qualms about discarding them. On the other hand, Chunhua views slime lamps as a promising source of income, but for Orion, they're simply a waste of time.
Orion arrived at the Liu family residence to pick up Wang Lingxin, then the two of them rode in the carriage back to their own residence.
"So, how is the fried chicken? Did they succeed?" Orion asked during the journey.
"Yes, the chefs successfully made the fried chicken. It's delicious enough," replied Wang Lingxin.
"That's great," said Orion.
"But for the Spirit Beast fried chicken, they still need more time," Wang Lingxin added.
"I see. Did you have fun today?" Orion inquired.
"Mmm," Wang Lingxin nodded. "Uncle Mingzhen gave me a delicious purple fruit. It's so sweet and yummy."
"Have you thanked him?" Orion asked.
"Of course," Wang Lingxin replied eagerly. "Master, let me tell you about the fruit. The smell is so sweet, and to enjoy it, you first cool it down on ice, then cut it open, and slice it into small pieces. After that, you pour honey on it and then eat it. The fruit is sweet, soft, refreshing, and with honey, it adds even more sweetness and deliciousness. I can't wait for another fruit ripen so I can eat more," Wang Lingxin said, licking her lips in anticipation.
At the same time, in the Liu family residence, Liu Mingzhen was in his workroom, scribbling something on paper when he suddenly felt uncomfortable in his heart. "Huh... That's weird. What is this sudden uncomfortable feeling?" Liu Mingzhen pondered for a moment before shaking it off and returning to his work.