The daily life of a genius who enjoys gossip and cultivates immortality

Chapter 113 Beast Tide 15

Everyone enjoyed the sweet pastries. If the pastries were so delicious, how wonderful the meal to come would be!

Just as everyone was filled with anticipation, another group of maids entered from outside. They were not carrying food, but pots of orchids. Although none of the people present knew how to appreciate orchids.

But they still have basic aesthetic sense; each orchid has its own characteristics, and these orchids are of high quality.

As soon as the maid entered, Zhao Wenqi stopped eating and quietly admired the orchids that had been brought in with Cheng Jiu and the others.

Some are still in bud, like shy young girls, but they slowly bloom at room temperature, looking delicate and beautiful!

Some orchids are beautiful but flamboyant. Orchids are usually a symbol of gentleness and grace, but these flamboyant orchids are like a lady from a noble family showing a different side of herself, which is particularly charming.

The final piece was so beautiful that it captivated everyone present. They couldn't quite put their finger on what made it beautiful, yet they couldn't quite put their finger on what wasn't. The most peculiar thing was the light emanating from the center of the flower, which consisted of nine colors arranged in a staggered and orderly fashion.

After the head maid finished her demonstration, she saw Zhao Wenqi beckoning and walked over naturally.

Zhao Wenqi took out two bags of spirit stones from his ring: "These orchids are indeed worthy of the Lord's careful cultivation. I'm afraid that if the Lord claims to be second in the entire Youlan City, no one would dare to claim to be first."

"You flatter me, Immortal Lord!" The leading woman smiled upon hearing this, her tone filled with pride and respect.

“We are very satisfied. These are my two junior sisters. I would like to ask for two orchid seeds for them. I wonder if the host would be willing?” Zhao Wenqi placed two bags of spirit stones in the woman’s hands.

The woman examined it carefully, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Please have a seat, fellow Daoist. I will go and inquire with the host. It is almost noon now, and the meal will be served shortly."

"Thank you for your trouble, fairy!" Zhao Wenqi cupped his hands in greeting.

After the woman and her entourage left, a group of servants entered, carrying food boxes. They opened the boxes and took out the food inside.

As the food was laid out, melodious music filled the air on the boat. Sweet and gentle singing flowed with the music, as pleasant as soft honey, making people feel happy.

"Eat up! This restaurant only serves ten guests a day, and you need to make a reservation in advance," Zhao Wenqi urged. "You've come at the perfect time today; if you had come any later, you might not have been able to enjoy the food here."

Cheng Jiu was eating when he picked up a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, and his eyes widened in delight: "Delicious! The fish is sweet and fragrant, but not cloying! It even has a hint of orchid fragrance!"

"It's delicious! The most famous thing about this building is the orchid fish! It eats orchids exclusively. The owner of this building has planted a whole valley of orchids and also specially raised these spirit fish that eat flowers."

"The spirit fish has been eating these flower petals since it was a baby, so its flesh carries the fragrance of orchids. In addition, the host's cooking skills are excellent, so every year many fellow Daoists come to Youlan City specifically for this taste," Zhao Wenqi explained.

Yingyue chewed on the crisp, sweet vegetables: "Senior brother, why do I feel like this boathouse is more like a flower shop than a restaurant?"

The introduction to orchids before the meal was truly profound.

“It’s not an illusion!” Zhao Wenqi said, “There is an orchid in Youlan City that is the one you last saw, and Youlan City is famous for it.”

Orchids are highly spiritual, and not everyone can cultivate such a graceful orchid. Even if someone can cultivate one, the quality of the flower will vary from one grade to nine depending on the cultivator's talent, aptitude, and other factors.

The Nine-Rank Orchid is a rare treasure in the entire cultivation world, and it has the effect of improving one's aptitude.

Because of the existence of the Orchid, the Orchid City holds the Orchid Tournament every year, in which contestants who have been trained in the city compete.

The one who cultivated the highest-grade orchid is called the Orchid Immortal. "Speaking of this, Zhao Wenqi paused: "The Orchid Immortal is able to cultivate high-quality orchids, and her talent in planting spiritual herbs is also quite high. Every year, our sect will send elders to Orchid City specifically for this purpose."

If a disciple is accepted into our sect and their talent meets our minimum requirements for accepting disciples, they will become an outer disciple. If they do not meet the requirements, they will be assigned to a plantation under the sect's jurisdiction as a menial disciple.

Therefore, Youlan City attaches great importance to the Youlan Assembly, as it is a rare opportunity to enter the Guiyuan Sect through one's own efforts.

The seven people eating next to them kept nodding and eating, and the amount of food on the table visibly decreased.

Zhao Wenqi stopped his introduction as he watched this scene. It turned out that while he was introducing himself, these seven guys were only focused on eating?

He had gone to great lengths to reserve this place. No, if he finished talking about the food and his junior brothers and sisters showed it off, he would be devastated.

Thinking this, Zhao Wenqi joined in the cooking, practically grabbing it. As soon as he moved, everyone at the table started moving as well.

These dishes were served in fixed quantities, and no one from outside seemed inclined to come in and order more.

Those who cultivate immortality abstain from grains, yet they have quite a appetite.

The chef who prepared this meal is clearly of high rank.

However, the ingredients used are all precious but of low quality. Low quality means delicious but low in energy.

Even Cheng Jiu, a Golden Core cultivator, wouldn't feel full after finishing all the dishes on the table.

Even if they are close senior brothers or sisters, they absolutely cannot give way to each other when it comes to getting a meal.

That just so happened that everyone at the table was thinking the same thing.

At this point, it all comes down to skill.

Zhao Wenqi, relying on his physical cultivation and superior strength, won first place.

The two brothers, Gong Cheng and Gong Yu, worked together and held their own, while Huo Yan, taking advantage of his low profile, would occasionally launch sneak attacks and steal the prize.

Cheng Jiu was also very fast at picking up food, and quickly secured his place in this fierce competition.

Yingyue was quick-witted and agile, forcefully intervening. Although she was occasionally intercepted, she still managed to snatch quite a bit of food.

Only Wen Sishu and Qin Che are good at it; one is a complete novice, and the other's strength is mediocre.

The Gong brothers, Gong Cheng and Gong Yu, couldn't compete with Cheng Jiu and Ying Yue, and Huo Yan and the other two would often ignore him, so their main target for competition was Qin Che.

At least Qin Che, who was able to compete for food, still had a chance to get to the table, while Wen Sishu could only sit on the sidelines, reluctantly eating her rice, hoping to grab a little bit.

A perfectly good meal was turned into something resembling a battle of wits.

Gong Cheng, Gong Yu, and Cheng Jiu Zhao were all targeting Qin Che, which infuriated him.

Qin Che had been trying to sow discord between Gong Cheng and Gong Yu, but the two brothers showed their brotherly bond so well that he couldn't succeed. Instead, Qin Che was driven to the point of exasperation by the two of them.

Qin Che and Wen Sishu weren't too bad either.

Zhao Wenqi, considering that Wen Sishu had taken on the majority of the treatment tasks in Youlan City, would occasionally grab some food and put it in his bowl.

Yingyue also showed her love as a senior sister by helping Wen Sishu grab a lot of food.

As for Qin Che, Huo Yan would occasionally help him from the sidelines.

Everyone present was a good eater, and in no time, the dishes on the table were all gone.

Cheng Jiu commented with lingering satisfaction: "Delicious, but there's too little!"

"Senior brother, you still haven't explained why this ship building is mainly for selling flowers?"

Zhao Wenqi thought about it carefully, and realized that he really hadn't said anything! He organized his thoughts and said, "This owner has been obsessed with flowers since childhood. His family has been running a flower shop for generations and has a huge orchid valley."

When this poster was young, the Guiyuan Sect was recruiting disciples. He had the talent to meet the standards for being accepted as a disciple, but he ultimately refused and insisted on staying in Youlan City despite his family's objections.

The largest flower shop in the city belongs to their family. The fact that the protagonist refused to join the Guiyuan Sect is quite outrageous in the entire Youlan City. Although his family was somewhat disappointed in him, they eventually accepted him.

A long time passed, so long that the matter was almost forgotten by everyone. During this time, the owner remained unknown, until one Orchid Festival, when the owner brought out a ninth-grade orchid.

Cheng Jiu and the others drank tea and listened to the host's story.

"It caused quite a stir at the time. There aren't many treasures in the cultivation world that can improve one's aptitude. For this Grade Nine Orchid, even the elders of the sects were mobilized."

Many powerful figures gathered in Youlan City, where an auction was held for this ninth-grade Youlan orchid. "Do you know how many spirit stones it cost in the end?" Zhao Wenqi asked, trying to get his junior brothers and sisters involved.

Cheng Jiu thought for a moment. Since it could improve one's aptitude and was given by a powerful being, it was definitely for his offspring: "Ten million top-grade spirit stones."

She chose to apply for a higher score.

Zhao Wenqi gasped. Ten million top-grade spirit stones? How could Junior Sister Cheng Jiu say that? Putting everything else aside, even a year's worth of spirit stones at the Body Peak only amounts to that much.

Seeing this, others began to quote even lower prices.

"Eight million?" Miyagi asked.

"Six million?" Gong Yu probed, observing Zhao's expression.

"Three hundred?" Yingyue thought for a moment.

Zhao Wenqi didn't want to hear any more of the quotes. Her heart couldn't take it anymore. This three hundred was definitely not three hundred top-grade spirit stones. How could she casually utter such a price?

"A full one million top-grade spirit stones were used to bid for this ninth-grade orchid."

Huo Yan and Qin Che seemed quite surprised, while the others felt just so-so. Since Cheng Jiu learned alchemy, he had never lacked spirit stones. Although Yingyue and the other two might have felt it was a bit much before, once their alchemy skills improved, they didn't think one million was a lot.

As for the other two, their master was very wealthy. Their parents had also left them a lot of things, so they had no concept of spirit stones at all.

Zhao Wenqi, however, seeing the indifferent reactions of the others, began to doubt his life. Wasn't a million a lot?

You can buy ten ninth-grade formations, isn't that great!

Looking at Yingyue, Cheng Jiu and Wen Sishu immediately understood: alchemists are all rich and powerful.

As for Gong Cheng Gong Yu, who was standing to the side, he was a disciple of Qingyang Venerable, which was understandable.

Zhao Wenqi continued, "The master has always wanted to cultivate the best orchids, but he declined the invitation from Guiyuan Sect."

He wanted to open a flower shop. There were so many flower shops in Youlan City, most of which had a long history. Even if the owner cultivated a ninth-grade Youlan orchid, there were still very few customers.

Later, he opened a boathouse on this moat and set up a table of dishes for the guests who came to admire the orchids.

He regarded the orchids he cultivated as his children, so he didn't call it buying, but rather asking for their marriage.

Since opening this shipyard and cultivating the first Grade Nine Orchid, the owner, who hadn't cultivated another Grade Nine Orchid, has surprisingly cultivated yet another one—the very one we saw last. This Grade Nine Orchid is not for sale; to purchase it, one must buy its seeds.

"But I remember that the ninth grade orchid is already the highest grade, isn't it?" According to my senior brother, the ninth grade of the Youlan orchid is already the best, and it is the best orchid in the world. Doesn't the Youlan orchid count?

"Nine-grade orchids are not it. The pinnacle of orchids is ten-grade." A sudden voice interrupted their conversation.

The group looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man dressed in white, neatly groomed but with an ordinary appearance, walk in through the door. He seemed ordinary, but he possessed an indescribable charm.

“Fellow Daoist Zhao, I originally thought you were no ordinary person, which is why I specially allowed you to skip the queue and come to my Lanlou. But it turns out you are no different from the rest of the world. You have disappointed me greatly!” The man looked at Zhao Wenqi reproachfully.

How long has Zhao Wenqi been in Youlan City? How could he have booked a reservation at this ship so quickly? Of course, he must have used some means to find an opportunity to befriend the owner of this ship. Otherwise, how could he know so much?

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, please don't be angry. How could I not believe you? My junior brothers and sisters came to Youlan City, and I wanted to let them experience the influence of Youlan, and also to entertain them, so I brought them to your shiphouse," Zhao Wenqi comforted them.

"Is that so?" Xiao Lanze asked hesitantly.

"Of course. Although we haven't known each other for long, don't you know what kind of person I am?" Zhao Wenqi said with a confident expression.

Cheng Jiu and the others nearby remained silent. They were brought by Zhao Wenqi, and they felt obligated to help him.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lanzhe panicked and said, "Of course I don't doubt your character, fellow Daoist. However, young fellow Daoist, if you don't know Youlan, it's best not to make a judgment."

"I'm sorry!" Cheng Jiu apologized crisply.

Xiao Lanzhe blushed immediately: "Fellow Daoist Zhao has already presented the betrothal gifts."

He took out two red boxes from his ring and placed them heavily in the hands of the two people: "Please treat them well. If you cannot cultivate them and wish to discard them, please return them to my ship. I will definitely return the betrothal gifts. Please do not abandon them."

"Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Xiao, we will definitely treat them well." The two ignored Xiao Lanze's words; they could tell he was a fool.

He was extremely obsessed with orchids.

"I wonder how Fellow Daoist Xiao's tenth-grade orchid is doing now?" Zhao Wenqi asked.

Xiao Lanze said very seriously, "Please don't say such stressful things, it will put pressure on Xiao Sanbai Ershisan. I have never thought that they must become tenth-grade orchids before I love them! No matter what grade they are, I love them all equally."

As he spoke, his eyes were extremely gentle. "Little Three Hundred and Twenty-Three had a bug before, and it was only after a lot of treatment that it became listless and not as energetic as before."

But recently this plant has been eating well and sleeping soundly, and there are faint signs that it will bloom. However, I want to let it grow for a couple more years so that it can slowly recover.

These two are both young plants, the most vigorous of my collection, of high quality, and undoubtedly possess exceptional talent. If you treat them well, they will surely reward you with the most delightful surprise.

Cheng Jiu and Ying Yue held the box in their arms with great care, and under Xiao Lanze's gaze, they treated the seeds inside with utmost reverence.

Xiao Lanze was very satisfied with their attitude. "After the beast tide ends, the Youlan Conference will be held. I look forward to seeing the two children participate in the Youlan Conference. I will definitely go and support them."

"We will definitely nurture them well!" Seeing Yingyue, Cheng Jiu could only make this promise again.

Xiao Lanzhe was extremely satisfied with their attitude. Although they were novices at first, their attitude towards orchids was very satisfactory. Seeing this, he stayed to explain the 128 important points about orchid cultivation to them.

The two of them were seeing stars, but they still forced themselves to listen and took careful notes.

It's really hard to refuse someone like that!