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墨書 Inktalez
The Small Tavern had been closed for three days, and on the third night, the surrounding houses were disturbed by a savory aroma that kept them awake. By dawn, the scent had intensified and wafted even further.
The regulars guessed that the Small Tavern was reopening, seemingly with new dishes on the menu. As they lined up at the usual time, they indeed saw the buzz-cut chef setting up the breakfast stall.
The line was particularly long that day, with many new customers drawn in by the enticing smell.
Although he had a buzz cut, the scars from his vows were still faintly visible on his scalp. Here at Sang Qingxiao's place, the Half-Demon's physique needed no disguise; his hunched frame stood tall, giving him an overall imposing presence. Thus, once customers became familiar with him, they referred to him as Monk, and he never minded. If fate allowed, he would even chat a bit about Sutras.
"Is there a new dish? Can we have it for lunch?"
Misha set down what he was doing and said to wait a moment before turning to enter the Small Tavern. When he came back out, he had posted a large sheet of paper covered in writing on the tavern's outer wall.
Someone read aloud that a new dish called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was being sold for ten taels of gold per pot, with only ten pots available on a first-come, first-served basis.
"Wow! Ten taels of gold?! That's quite a price," the crowd murmured in surprise.
"Monk, is that price correct?"
Misha shook his head. "It's not wrong."
"It's just one dish; even the Imperial Kitchen couldn't charge ten taels for a single dish, could they?"
Misha pointed to the paper and continued reading; all the ingredients were listed there.
Another person began to read: sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, dried scallops, fish maw, fish bladder, clams, ham, pig stomach, lamb shank, pig trotters, beef tendons, chicken, duck gizzards, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, pigeon eggs, cordyceps fungus, morel mushrooms, yellow ginseng, and aged Shaoxing wine.
"Monk," someone said. "I've heard of sea cucumbers and abalones before; fish maw is also easy to understand. But what is this fish bladder?"
"It's Money Fish Swim Bladder," Misha explained. "It's a type of deep-sea fish bladder. This fish lives in deep waters and only comes to the surface to breed during certain lunar phases; it's extremely difficult to catch. If fishermen manage to net one in three generations, it’s considered divine favor. The fish has such a strong odor that it needs to be soaked for several days."
"And what about that ham?" another asked.
"It’s made from special curing methods applied to pig hind legs and must be stored in a cool and ventilated place for three months to achieve the best flavor."
"And cordyceps?"
"Also known as Cordyceps," Misha replied. "It's a medicinal herb found in high-altitude snowy regions in the west. It starts as an insect buried underground and sprouts above as grass; hence it’s called cordyceps."
The onlookers asked questions eagerly as Misha answered each one as instructed by Sang Qingxiao.
When there were no more questions to ask, no one doubted its price anymore.
Flying in the sky, running on the ground, swimming in the sea, and even gathered from the snowy mountain peaks, all were combined into this pot of soup. In addition to pigs, chickens, and ducks, there were over thirty kinds of rare mountain delicacies and seafood. Even a moderately wealthy family would find it hard to afford just one of these ingredients, let alone the fact that many of them came from far and wide, things that ordinary people had never even seen.
I heard from Monk that this dish not only required rare ingredients but also had different preparation processes for each one. In short, it was extremely time-consuming. The broth was infused with aged liquor, and controlling the heat was also quite meticulous; one had to keep a close watch on it.
The dish was soft and tender, rich in meaty aroma, savory yet not greasy, with an endless depth of flavor.
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