Chapter 251: Monster of the Dragon River

Outside the Southern City, spring showers drizzled down .

The sun that hung in the sky radiated like a big ball of fire, emanating an irritating amount of heat . On the banks of the Dragon River, there remained many people fishing quietly . They held their breaths as they sat there, waiting for a plump fish swimming in the stream to bite the bait .

Upon the Dragon River sat fishing boats afloat . Some folks sat cross-legged on the boats, completely at ease . Others cast their fishing nets into the water to capture the fleshy fishes of the Dragon River .

At the Ten-Mile Pavilion of the Southern City .

A row of men in black sauntered in . They wore veils and bamboo hats that fully concealed their faces, so nobody could easily recognize them . But the energy their bodies emitted was both sinister and frightening .

Many folks resting in the Ten-Mile Pavilion knitted their brows and kept their distance when they saw these men . Indeed, these men in black gave others quite an unpleasant feeling .

"The Southern City is right ahead of us . The river that envelops the city is the Dragon River . " A hoarse voice rang in the air, stopping the steps of this squad of men .

"The Dragon River? Haha… it's time to make it a genuine river of dragon . " Another raspy voice echoed in everyone's ears, prompting squeals of laughters with his remark .

This crew of men continued walking along the road until they hit the Dragon River . Sensing the surging flow of water, these men felt a trace of excitement smear across their concealed faces .

"Xiao Meng's daughter is currently in the city, right? I wonder whether Xiao Meng would rush to the Southern City if he knew his daughter was in danger?"

"Xiao Meng is the great general who guards the Imperial City . He would not leave there easily for the Southern City… but no matter what, our plan must go on . " The scratchy voice chuckled .

They said no more and proceeded to summoning the true energy within their bodies . Dark mystifying magic arrays appeared in their hands, within which peculiar energies fluctuated .

"Into the water . "

One of the five men burst out a shout . Then, all five marched forward and miraculously stepped onto the water without sinking in . In other words, they were floating on the surface of the river .

They ferociously dipped their palms, which were wrapped by dark magic arrays, into the river stream .

Buzz…

Strange waves of fluctuation spread outwards, until the entire surface of the river was covered by such ripples .

Those fishing fluttered open their eyelids, revealing a trace of confusion in their gazes .

The fishing boats also shook ever so slightly, prompting the fishermen to raise their heads up in alarm . Yet, after a look around, they found nothing unusual .

The five-men squad took their hands out of the river, sniggered with low voices, and backed onto the shore . The magic arrays in their hands had already disappeared . Then, the five merely stared blankly at the Dragon River .

Rays of sunlight pierced through the sky . Watching from a higher plain, one could notice that below the Dragon River… a gigantic shadow was vaguely emerging .

…

Bu Fang stared at the steaming hot Dragon River Vinegar Fish before him, his eyes sparkling slightly .

A dark-colored sauce was poured over the plump fish . Its white, aromatic flesh was emitting a rich fragrance . One couldn't help but take in a deep breath .

The fish was big in size and cut by the chef into two halves along its stomach . The left half was processed with unique carving techniques—sliced vertically five times with the third cut horizontal . On the right half, a deep slit could be traced along the spine, without any damage done to the outer skin .

The chef evidently handled this Dragon River Vinegar Fish with the utmost proficiency . Both the carving and cutting exhibited rich experience and skillful technique, much better than the processing of the foie gras .

An addition suddenly appeared in the recipe journal provided by the system, causing Bu Fang to narrow his eyes . He had his fair share of dishes ever since entering the Southern City, yet none had been recorded into this recipe journal . So far, only this Dragon River Vinegar Fish made it into the journal . It seemed like the dish must be deemed authentic and delicious enough to be bookmarked by the recipe journal .

Once the dish had been recorded, Bu Fang could easily discern every step of its making, which meant he could easily learn how to cook it . This was definitely a wonderful and convenient function for Bu Fang .

"Owner Bu, have a taste . This Dragon River Vinegar Fish is very fine . " Xiao Yanyu peered at Bu Fang and smiled .

Bu Fang nodded, picked up the bamboo chopsticks again, and went for it .

His chopsticks flicked, removing a piece of skin, thus allowing the rich, aromatic sauce to seep into the white, soft fish's flesh . Afterwards, Bu Fang exerted some force and picked up a huge piece of juicy, tender fish . The flesh, held between the chopsticks, quivered slightly as it emanated warm steams and a dense fragrance .

Bu Fang cast a glance at this piece of fish and lightly nodded . This plump fish of the Dragon River was a little better than those found in the Illusory Spirit Swamp . After all, the fishes differed given varying kinds of living environments . The conditions of the Dragon River were excellent, and so naturally its fishes were fresh and fleshy .

Once entering the mouth, the fish's flesh softened, as if melting into a river of sauce that trickled down one's throat . The faint acidic flavor also burst forth, mixed with a hint of sweetness .

This taste lingered in his mouth, causing Bu Fang to squint his eyes . It left a sense of delight in his heart .

"How is it?" Xiao Yanyu, chin in her hands and exquisite wrist exposed, smiled at Bu Fang .

Bu Fang nodded his head . After all, this was the authentic Dragon River Vinegar Fish . Its taste was naturally good . But then again, there were also plenty of flaws and more room for improvement . Bu Fang picked up another piece of fish and puckered his lips .

Xiao Yanyu also picked up a piece of fish and sent it into her mouth . Her red lips parted slightly as she chewed softly, trying to feel that fragrance spread through her teeth and tongue .

The other side dishes were also served . Each, steaming hot, looked rather delicate . The aroma of these dishes pervaded in the air, stimulating one's appetite .

Bu Fang took another bite of the fish as he fell into a deep contemplation . The recipe journal didn't merely record the procedures of this Dragon River Vinegar Fish but also marked a bunch of improvements, which were more suitable for oceanic spirit beasts .

Although the cooking of this Dragon River Vinegar Fish preserved its tastiness, it had lost the original spirit energy . The plump fish of the Dragon River was a second grade spirit beast that contained a degree of spirit energy in its flesh . Yet, no spirit energy could be found in this cooked fish, which was quite a waste .

The recommended improvements recorded in the journal even underlined how to circulate spirit energy during cooking so that none of the ingredients' spirit energy would vanish .

This was the dream of many chefs . However, circulating the spirit energy during cooking was really too difficult to grasp . It usually required thousands of times of practices before someone could master it and truly preserve the spirit energy of the ingredients . This was why Elixir Cuisines were so hard to cook .

"Ah! Somebody got hurt!"

A commotion broke out right beneath the Drunken Fragrance Restaurant, disrupting Bu Fang's chain of thought . Xiao Yanyu cast a glance at Bu Fang and both peered downwards .

The streets near the city gates had burst into chaos, as flurried crowds jammed the roads so badly that not even a flood could get through .

"Go get a doctor! Don't just stand here!"

At the entrance to the city, a young man drenched in water looked around the crowd with bloodshot eyes and shouted in fury . His eyes were filled with desperation and fear .

Laying before him was a fragile middle-aged man with both legs broken . Blood gushed out nonstop, forming a pool of gory redness .

His legs were injured by horizontal gashes, as if bitten by something savage . Even his bones could be easily discerned .

Waves after waves of wounded people were carried through the city gates . They all seemed to have the same injury—their bodies suffering serious bites . Crimson blood was dying the entire entrance to the Southern City red . A repulsive smell of blood dissipated in the air .

"What's going on? Why are there suddenly so many injuries? It looks like they are all fishermen of the Dragon River . " Xiao Yanyu was dumbstruck as she opened her mouth in astonishment .

As the moat of the Southern City, the Dragon River naturally contained plenty of spirit beasts, the levels of which were not high though . The cultivation of these fishermen were also at first or second grade tops . Their source of true energy was weak but enough to fish and provide for their families .

In the past years, only someone coming across a strong spirit beast that had accidentally entered the Dragon River would be bitten and wounded . However, the situation this time was way worse and simply too horrifying .

"That wound… must have been caused by some kind of large predatory fish . " Bu Fang observed .

Huh? Xiao Yanyu was dumbfounded, unable to understand what Bu Fang was talking about .

"Let's go down to take a look . " Bu Fang didn't offer any further explanations . He had already tasted this Dragon River Vinegar Fish and recorded the dish into his recipe journal . As for this imperfect plate of Dragon River Vinegar Fish, Bu Fang no longer had any yearnings for it . Besides, the spreading smell of blood had also badly affected his appetite .

The environment in which one dined could have tremendous influences on one's appetite .

Xiao Yanyu nodded along and put on her veil again . Bu Fang called for the waiter and paid him two golden coins .

They didn't ask for the change and directly walked down the stairs, heading for the miserable sights by the city gates .

Armored guards rushed through the streets . They quickly sealed off the scene and dissolved the crowds to restore order .

Wounded fishermen continued to be carried in through the entrance . The residents of the Southern City felt their hearts sink . It looked like the spirit beast that had accidentally entered the Dragon River this time was a tough one .

"Ouch!! There's a monster!"

Suddenly, the fishermen burst into an uproar outside of the city's entrance . Their hollers caused everyone gathering by the southern city gate to panic .

A deafening roar spread from outside the city .