Chapter 154 Sharpening Knives in the Kitchen! Su Changqing Cooks Personally

By the time the morning hearing in front of the Taiji Hall ended, the sun had risen considerably.

The lights in Baiyu Square were dazzling.

But at this moment, the most dazzling thing in Tianqi City was neither the sun, nor the immortal cage in front of the Taiji Palace that held three guests from the upper realm.

It's a message.

The news seemed to have grown legs, traveling along palace roads, streets, teahouses, and mansions, rushing towards all directions of Tianqi City at an almost absurd speed.

—The seven steps to picking fruit at the Imperial Palace have been revealed!

—Bei Li Tianxia was already involved in the game!

Xiao Se is the main fruit, and Lei Wujie and the others are "a string of fruits"!

—Soon, some kind of "guide" will come to decide whether this world is worth continuing to raise!

After listening to this, Mr. Su turned around and went to the kitchen to cook!

The first few points are enough to shock a lot of people.

The last one, which seems the most outrageous, is precisely the one that people talk about the most.

no way.

This looks so much like Su Changqing.

When others heard that a great enemy was approaching, they would close their doors to discuss matters, strengthen defenses, be filled with murderous intent, and see enemies everywhere.

Su Changqing is doing well.

After hearing the words "Guide," he looked up at the sky, asked what he wanted for lunch, and then prepared to go to the kitchen to sharpen his knives.

This absurd composure has ironically become Tianqi City's greatest reassurance.

Many people who were initially anxious about the "closed garden," "fruit picking," and "receiving envoys" found that hearing this sentence actually put their minds at ease.

Why?

Because Mr. Su still had the energy to cook.

That means—

It's not a big deal.

At least, it wasn't serious enough to make him stop using the spatula.

……

Behind the side hall of Taiji Hall, the large courtyard that originally belonged to the outer side of the Imperial Kitchen has now been completely taken over by Changqinglou Tianqi Main Store.

The high palace walls blocked out some of the noise from outside.

In the courtyard, several large stoves are lined up, wisps of smoke rising and steam billowing. The air is filled with the aroma of rice, savory flavors, medicinal herbs, and hot oil, as well as a sweet fragrance brought forth by spiritual energy.

This place is not like the kitchen of the imperial palace.

It's more like a strange battlefield where the world of martial arts and everyday life are forcibly mixed together.

And today, the head chef of this "battlefield" is none other than Su Changqing.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, everyone who was busy with their work subconsciously paused for a moment.

The next moment, Lei Wujie was the first to shout.

"The boss is here!"

"The boss cooked it himself!"

"Today's a sure thing!"

The voice was incredibly loud, as if reinforcements had finally arrived at the front lines.

Su Changqing glanced at him.

"Are you very free?"

Lei Wujie's expression immediately turned serious, and he shook his head frantically.

"Not idle at all, not idle at all!"

"I was just chopping meat!"

As he spoke, he quickly raised the large cleaver in his hand, trying to demonstrate how busy he was.

Unfortunately, the pile of minced meat on his cutting board was chopped into uneven sizes, a mess, and looked like it had been chewed by a dog.

Su Changqing glanced at it and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Is that meatballs you're chopping up, or swill for pig feed?"

Lei Wujie: "..."

The men in the courtyard immediately turned red in the face.

Wushuang was washing fish on the other side when she heard this, and the corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Lei Wujie was somewhat unconvinced and muttered under his breath, "Aren't they all pretty much the same? In the end, they all end up in the pot and we still eat them..."

"Um?"

Su Changqing glanced at him.

Lei Wujie immediately stood at attention: "The boss is right! It's completely different! I'll re-chop it! I'll re-chop it right now!"

After saying that, he buried his head and began frantically trying to salvage the situation.

Li Hanyi carried Su Xiaonuo in from behind, and upon seeing this scene, a faint smile flashed across her eyes.

She discovered that no matter if it was the Patrol Hall, the Heavenly Palace, the Shepherd, or the Guide outside, as soon as she entered the kitchen courtyard, the whole atmosphere would inexplicably become normal.

Oh no.

It can't be said to be normal.

It should be said that it will become very similar to Changqinglou.

Despite the pressing matter, I still started cooking, casually scolded Lei Wujie a couple of times, arranged for Wushuang to cut the fish, and then considered what to feed the children for lunch.

This feeling is wonderful.

It's also very reassuring.

Su Xiaonuo's eyes lit up as soon as she entered the courtyard.

"Father!"

"Fish!"

She spotted the lively fish jumping around in the wooden basin at a glance, and with a kick of her legs, she tried to pounce off Li Hanyi's arms.

"Slower."

Li Hanyi put her down, then gave her some final words of advice.

"Don't reach out and grab it, it's slippery."

"oh!"

Su Xiaonuo verbally agreed, but the next moment she still squatted down by the wooden basin, staring intently at the two silver-white spirit fish inside with her big eyes.

The fish was clearly no ordinary fish; its scales shimmered with a faint blue-silver light in the sunlight, and when it flicked its tail, a ring of fine spiritual patterns rippled in the basin.

Su Xiaonuo was so engrossed in watching that she stretched out a little finger and tapped the edge of the basin.

"Be good, okay?"

"There will be food for me, my mother, and my father later."

"You need to try to make your food taste better."

"..."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Lei Wujie almost burst out laughing on the spot, his shoulders shaking as he gripped the kitchen knife.

Wushuang silently lowered her head and continued scraping the scales.

Li Hanyi rubbed her forehead.

Su Changqing nodded seriously.

"That's right."

"If the ingredients understand, they will naturally work harder."

Su Xiaonuo was immediately delighted, as if she had received authoritative certification, and said to the spirit fish even more earnestly:

"Did you hear that?"

"You need to work harder!"

The two fish flicked their tails in the basin, splashing water as if in silent protest.

……

While the kitchen was bustling with activity, business in front of the Taiji Hall never stopped.

Sikong Changfeng is never idle.

He had just finished checking the final accounts of the morning's "morning review" when he turned around and began arranging the seating, refreshments, price lists, copying staff, and even planned to temporarily set up a small stall to sell "limited edition wooden plaques for the pre-heating of the guides".

Xiao Se watched him directing things back and forth, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

"Can you take a break?"

Sikong Changfeng didn't even look up, his abacus clicking away.

"What are you resting for?"

"The hype is right in front of us. If we don't seize it now, are we going to wait until the guiding force actually arrives before making any preparations?"

"If the customer flow surges and the service can't keep up, who will be responsible for the bad reviews?"

Xiao Se's eye twitched violently.

Negative review?

You're even using that word now?

A disciple from Snowmoon City approached cautiously, carrying a newly written plaque, and asked:

"Third Lord, what do you think of this title?"

Sikong Changfeng took it and looked at it.

A line of eye-catching text was written above:

[Afternoon Recap: Why Did the Guide Arrive? Who Will Survive After the Park Closure?]

Sikong Changfeng frowned.

"Too straightforward, not captivating enough."

"change."

"Change it to—"

He pondered for a moment, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"Who will the guide arrest first? After the park is sealed off, will you still be you?"

The disciple was filled with awe and immediately took notes.

Xiao Se stood aside, silent for a long time, before finally uttering a sentence.

"You're definitely suited for this."

Sikong Changfeng snorted, his tone even a little arrogant.

"That's natural."

"Back in Snowmoon City, I just hadn't found the right path."

"Now it seems that opening restaurants, doing projects, managing events, handling ticketing, and capitalizing on trending topics are my destiny."

Xiao Se said coldly, "You'd better not let those people up there hear the word 'destiny'."

Sikong Changfeng paused for a moment, then decisively changed his mind.

"Then let's call it... career planning."

"..."

……

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Su Changqing had already begun to actually get to work.

The dishes for lunch today were simple.

Fish porridge, steamed shrimp, meatball soup, and a few refreshing side dishes.

It sounds unremarkable, just like an ordinary lunch for a family of three.

But the problem is—

The "ordinary" things in Su Changqing's hands are never ordinary.

He first washed his hands, then rolled up his sleeves.

The movements were casual and slow.

But just by standing in front of the cutting board, one's entire aura naturally changes.

Not sharp, not domineering.

But it's very stable.

It's as if all the knives that should fall, the fire that should be lit, the stewing time that should be simmered, and the perfect freshness that should be achieved have already been arranged in order in his mind.

Wushuang has already sent over the prepared spirit fish.

The fish has a slender body, extremely fine bones, and is crystal clear. There is even a trace of spiritual spring energy remaining inside its belly.

"Boss."

Wushuang spoke up.

"This fish possesses a trace of icy spirituality; if you cut into it directly, the flesh will tighten up first."

Su Changqing nodded.

"Know."

He raised his hand and gently stroked the fish's body, a faint, gentle aura penetrating its belly.

The next instant, the slightly chilly spiritual energy that had been clinging to the fish meat seemed to melt away as if blown away by a spring breeze, and quietly dissipated.

The texture of the fish meat also becomes softer and looser at this moment.

Wushuang watched this scene, a slight light appearing in her eyes.

I learned something new.

Lei Wujie, who was still struggling with the pot of minced meat, couldn't help but come over when he saw this.

"Boss, is it really okay to just touch this fish like that?"

"Um."

"Can I just touch this flesh too?"

Su Changqing glanced at him.

"Can."

Lei Wujie's eyes lit up.

"real?"

"If you don't eat tonight, you can save this step."

"..."

A burst of suppressed laughter suddenly echoed in the courtyard.

Lei Wujie's face fell, and he slunk back to continue chopping meat.

Su Changqing raised his knife.

brush.

When the first blade fell, almost no one could see how it traveled.

All I saw was the spirit fish tremble slightly on the cutting board, and the next moment, a slice of fish so thin it was almost translucent was completely peeled off.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

The blade wasn't sharp.

It even gives people a very composed feeling.

Every cut was incredibly precise, clearly separating the fish bones, tendons, meat, and fat membranes without any hesitation.

In just a short while, the entire fish had been completely dismantled.

The fish slices were neatly arranged on a white porcelain plate, resembling layers of translucent jade.

Set the fish bones aside.

Set the fish head aside.

The tenderest part of the fish belly was picked out by Su Changqing and placed in a small bowl.

Su Xiaonuo spotted it immediately and ran over.

"Father, is this for me?"

"Um."

"Wow!"

"Why is this one the best?"

"Because it's the tenderest."

"Does Mother have one?"

Li Hanyi, who was watching from the side, had a slight change in her eyes upon hearing these words.

Su Changqing smiled and picked out an even finer, softer piece from under the belly of another fish, placing it in another small bowl.

"Your mother has one too."

Su Xiaonuo was immediately satisfied and nodded earnestly.

"And what about Father?"

"I'll just eat whatever I want."

"That won't do!"

The little girl immediately became unhappy.

"Daddy wants the best too!"

"Daddy works the hardest!"

Upon hearing this, Li Hanyi looked at the child, and her eyes involuntarily softened.

Su Changqing smiled and reached out to pinch her cheek.

"Alright, then Father will keep one for himself too."

"Uh-huh!"

Xiao Nuonuo was happy and went back to keep an eye on the steaming shrimp.

Li Hanyi stood to the side, suddenly recalling the time she first met at that small tavern in Snow Moon City.

Su Changqing was like that back then.

It seems that no matter what happens outside, whether he's facing the Tang Clan, the Dark River, the Tianqi Court, or even this extraterrestrial behemoth, once he enters the kitchen, he remains the same person.

He would save the tenderest part of the fish for his daughter, a bowl of sweet soup for her, and also leave the best portion for his wife.

These small, ordinary, and almost taken-for-granted little things are the most touching.

……

The fire quickly rose up.

Put the fish bones into the pot, first fry and then simmer.

Just as a soft sizzling sound came from the pot, a thick, white broth began to rise to the surface.

Su Changqing didn't add too many ingredients, just a few slices of spirit ginger, a small piece of snow ginseng, and a wisp of extremely fine spiritual spring water from the Changqing Realm.

In an instant, the umami flavor in the pot seemed to be awakened.

concentrated.

But it's not greasy.

Fragrant.

But it is not domineering.

Like a layer of warm mist rising from a mountain spring, it just emerged and slowly drifted away along the entire back kitchen courtyard.

Lei Wujie was chopping meat with his head down when he smelled this aroma and stopped chopping.

"Oh My God……"

"Boss, this smells amazing!"

Wushuang also looked up.

He wasn't a foodie, but at this moment he had to admit it—

The aroma of Su Changqing's fish soup alone is enough to make one feel as if their entire chest has been warmed and soothed.

The imperial guards guarding the gate outside the courtyard smelled the odor, and their originally upright postures unconsciously relaxed, their Adam's apples bobbing at the same time.

One of the younger ones even secretly glanced into the courtyard, only to meet Lei Wujie's gloating gaze.

"Are you craving it?"

"It's a pity you didn't get a share."

The imperial guard blushed, quickly stood up straight, and pretended that he hadn't smelled anything.

In the courtyard, Su Changqing had already begun preparing the porridge.

The rice had already been soaked for a while. After being put into the pot, it boiled with the fish soup, and the aroma of rice and the savory flavor gradually blended together, becoming more and more delicate.

When the water was almost cooked, he gently pushed the fish slices into the pot.

Thin slices of fish, as thin as cicada wings, curl and unfurl in the boiling porridge, and in just a few breaths, they transform from translucent to a beautiful milky white.

Immediately afterwards, a wisp of spiritual energy was also thoroughly boiled, rising upwards with the steam.

In that instant, the entire kitchen courtyard fell almost silent.

Even Little Flower had flown onto the roof beam at some point, craning its neck to peer into the pot.

"It smells so good...it's so white...the boss is amazing...the boss is the best in the world..."

A faint smile appeared in Li Hanyi's eyes.

Although she had eaten Su Changqing's cooking countless times, she still had a very subtle feeling every time she saw him cook.

It was just cooking.

It's as if it's gathering all the essence of heaven and earth, the freshness of the mountains and fields, and the warmth of human life into a pot.

In the end, it boils down to the simplest, yet most comforting, thing.

The fish porridge is almost ready, while the steamed shrimp are already in the steamer.

The shrimp are larger than ordinary shrimp, and their shells are translucent. When steam rises, they reveal a light pinkish-gold color, which is very beautiful.

Lei Wujie finally managed to chop the meat into a passable size and quickly presented it as a prize.

"Boss, how about this time?"

Su Changqing glanced at it.

"good."

"That's good!"

Lei Wujie breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he had won a tough battle.

"What's next?"

"Make meatballs."

"I know how to do that!"

He immediately rolled up his sleeves and prepared to go.

The next moment, Su Changqing took the basin and said calmly, "You'll turn meatballs into stones."

Lei Wujie: "..."

Is there any chance this can be fixed?

Wushuang silently added, "Indeed."

Lei Wujie turned his head in grief and indignation: "Whose side are you on?"

Wushuang calmly said, "Stand on Maruko's side."

"..."

The courtyard erupted in laughter again.

Su Changqing lowered his wrist, and the force in his palm skillfully penetrated into the minced meat. In just a moment, the whole bowl of minced meat seemed to come alive. The tendons and bones were straightened, the fat was kneaded evenly, and the aroma and essence of the meat were compressed even more finely.

Then he squeezed with one hand and gently scraped with a small spoon in the other.

A perfectly round and smooth meatball fell into the soup.

One.

Two.

Three...

Each one is about the same size, round as if measured with a ruler. After being put into the pot, they float gently as the hot soup boils, and they actually have a bit of a "bouncy" feel to them.

Su Xiaonuo's eyes lit up.

"Daddy! They're jumping!"

"Yes, it's getting used to it."

"Does it taste better when it's cooked?"

"It tastes even better."

"Then I'll eat three!"

Li Hanyi said softly from the side, "Let's make it clear first, you can't eat too much."

Su Xiaonuo immediately shrank her neck.

"...those two and a half."

Even Su Changqing laughed at this.

"Add more if it's not enough."

"Yay!"

……

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking.

Meanwhile, rumors of the "approaching envoy" were growing stronger in Tianqi City.

The sign for the afternoon review session has already been hung up in front of the Taiji Hall.

The scene at the ticket office was even more exaggerated than in the morning. Many people who were originally of noble status and unwilling to stand for long periods of time were now disregarding their dignity and queuing up exceptionally well.

Because everyone knows the answer.

This is no ordinary bustling scene.

This is a truly momentous event that will determine the future trajectory of Apocalypse and even the entire Northern Realm.

But strangely—

The more this is the case, the less chaos there will be.

No one escaped.

No one panicked.

The aroma of fish porridge and steamed shrimp wafting from behind the Taiji Hall was simply irresistible.

It was so stable that it felt absurd.

It seems that as long as the porridge is still simmering and the kitchen of Changqinglou is still burning, the sky will never fall.

Even those courtiers who were initially uneasy about the "receiving envoy" couldn't help but think to themselves:

No matter how important the matter, it always has to wait until Mr. Su finishes cooking.

This idea is strange.

Yet, I felt perfectly at ease.

And deep in the sky, the extremely faint, almost invisible crack had indeed become a little clearer than before.

Extremely fine.

Extremely shallow.

If you don't look up and look closely, you'll hardly notice it.

But if you stare at it for a long time, you will find that deep in the crack, there is a light colder than the clouds in the daytime, slowly approaching.

It was as if someone had pushed open an extremely heavy and distant door.

But the door wasn't fully open yet.

What's behind the door hasn't really been revealed yet.

It's just getting closer little by little.

A tiny bit of projection.

Little by little, the oppressive feeling from above seeps down.

High up in the side hall, Xiao Se stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the line of change in the distance, his expression more somber than usual.

"It's definitely getting faster."

He said in a low voice.

Not far behind, Wushuang also looked up and asked, "Should we set things up first?"

"Arrangements must be made."

Xiao Se said calmly.

"But whether it can actually be used depends on Mr. Su's opinion."

Lei Wujie happened to be passing by carrying a basket of freshly washed vegetables, and upon hearing this, he immediately replied:

"What are you still looking at? I don't think we need any cloth."

"If one of them comes, the boss arrests one; if two come, the boss locks them both up."

Xiao Se glanced at him.

"You seem quite confident."

Lei Wujie raised his head.

"Of course."

"Can't you smell the boss's fish congee?"

"The situation is so stable, what's there to panic about?"

Xiao Se: "..."

Wushuang: "..."

For a moment, they didn't know whether to say Lei Wujie was audacious or that his logic was absurd yet effective.

In the back kitchen courtyard, Su Changqing had already scooped out the last steamed shrimp and placed it on a white porcelain plate.

The shrimp meat was translucent and steaming hot, with a small dish of light dipping sauce on the side.

The fish porridge was served in a celadon bowl, and sprinkled with finely chopped green onions and very lightly ground chili pepper.

The meatball soup is milky white and clear, with plump meatballs and a few tender green bok choy floating on top.

These three simple dishes, when placed on the table, even seem to be warmed by the steaming, fresh aroma in the sunlight at the turn of morning and noon.

Su Changqing washed his hands, turned around and called out.

"Dinner's ready."

This sound wasn't loud.

But it's very stable.

It was as steady as if it had suppressed the very breath that was currently hanging in mid-air in the entire city of Tianqi.

Li Hanyi walked over with Su Xiaonuo.

The little girl's eyes were already shining brightly, and when she saw the dishes on the table, she almost forgot to say "Let's eat!"

Fortunately, she finally sat up obediently, put her hands together, and said earnestly in a childish voice:

"Thank you, Father!"

Su Changqing smiled, first scooped her a small bowl of fish porridge, carefully blew on it to cool it down, and then handed it to her.

I picked out the tenderest shrimp, peeled it, and put it in her bowl.

Then, he served Li Hanyi a bowl.

Li Hanyi took the bowl, glanced down at the thin, jade-like fish slices and the perfectly cooked rice porridge, and the chill and contemplation in her eyes unconsciously dissipated.

Not far away, Sikong Changfeng was rushing over. He originally wanted to report on the afternoon review session, but after smelling the aroma, he paused in his tracks.

He stood at the gate of the courtyard and couldn't help but swallow.

"Mr. Su..."

Su Changqing looked up.

"What is it?"

"The afternoon show is already full again, and the evening show reservations are on the third round. Some people are even asking if they can secure a year-long front-row ticket in advance once the ushers arrive—"

As Sikong Changfeng spoke, his gaze drifted more and more toward the table.

Su Changqing glanced at him and said calmly:

"Are you done talking?"

"I'm done talking."

"Um."

Su Changqing nodded and pointed to the side.

"Go and get yourself a bowl."

Sikong Changfeng's eyes lit up instantly.

"Okay! Alright!"

That speed was even faster than going to the cashier.

Upon seeing this, Lei Wujie immediately rushed over as well.

"Me too!"

Although Wushuang didn't say anything, she silently took half a step forward.

Standing outside the courtyard gate, watching the group of people huddled around the pot, grabbing at their food, Xiao Se suddenly felt—

The greatest source of confidence in this world may not be a sword, power, or soldiers.

Instead, it's a pot of fish porridge that's still ready to be served on time even as the guides approach.

The crack in the sky was still slowly approaching.

Something higher up is indeed coming.

But at this moment, everyone's hearts were calmed down at the dining table behind the Taiji Hall.

Because they know.

The welcoming set meal hasn't been officially served yet.

But the chef had already turned on the fire.