Chapter 770: Chapter 250: Netherworld Cuisine
Ning Zhuo turned away without looking back and left.
The elderly steward saw his departing figure and wanted to reprimand him, but the words got stuck in his throat.
“This pockmarked youth is somewhat peculiar; could he have someone backing him, hence not fearing us?”
“Otherwise, how could he be so brazen?”
Contemplating deeply, the steward felt the situation might be complicated and decided to suppress his anger for now, choosing instead to investigate this person first.
Ning Zhuo sat back down in the dining hall, drawing the attention of many.
Sun Lingtong discreetly continued crouching in the corner, eating his meal. Ning Zhuo’s departure and return were under his watchful eye.
Should anything unusual occur, he would spring into action immediately.
After sitting down, Ning Zhuo was drawn to the Spirit Food before him.
Vermilion Soul Jelly.
This was a semi-transparent red square cake, with large Magic Prohibition patterns appearing on the surface, seemingly from the “Yin Nourishing Scripture.”
Upon tasting it, Ning Zhuo initially found it flavorless; then sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors all surged forward, causing him to squint and grimace, struggling to adapt to it.
But soon, these complex, impactful flavors swiftly faded, like a candle extinguished by the rain, all emotions being swept away.
Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but feel wistful.
Reincarnation Black Algae Roll.
This Spirit Food was crafted using yellow bean curd to wrap Nether River algae.
Ning Zhuo took a small bite; the texture was terrible. The bean curd was dry and tasteless, resembling layers of talisman paper. The algae were excessively salty, making one wish to spit out their tongue!
Iron-scorched Rib Bone.
The rib was charred black, heavy as iron. Upon taking it, Ning Zhuo immediately felt a stabbing pain in his soul.
He attempted to bite into it; the meat on the rib was exceedingly tough, requiring great effort to manage a few bites.
After some chewing, he felt a strong sensation of burning encompassing his body and soul, very torturous.
The main dish was a bowl of tongue-drawn noodles.
These tongues were extraordinarily fresh, so fresh they either writhed in the bowl, licked, or curled.
Ning Zhuo tried eating a slice, feeling the tongue frantically moving within his mouth, as if unwilling to be eaten.
After he finally managed to chew it, the sauce contained within the tongue fiercely assaulted his taste buds; the sourness was nearly maddening.
After consuming one slice, Ning Zhuo struggled to continue, feeling his teeth might be dissolved by the sourness.
This lunch at Cangyang Villa was, frankly, beyond words.
Ning Zhuo fared relatively well, while the others who arrived with him made a spectacle of themselves, ridiculed by many male concubines, creating quite a scene.
“Haha, newcomers, you still have a lot to learn.”
“Can’t even eat a meal; what else can you do?”
“Better to leave early than make a fool of yourselves here!”
Someone, dissatisfied, mobilized Mana, attempting to suppress the Spirit Food in his mouth to stop it from misbehaving. However, he was immediately noticed by nearby Paperman Servants and whipped.
The Paperman Servant sternly said, “These Spirit Foods are crafted painstakingly at great expense by our City Lord’s Mansion.”
“You must not use Mana, contaminating these Spirit Foods, causing immense waste.”
“If you cannot even eat, you might as well leave early!”
The male cultivator who was whipped blushed fiercely, forced to silently endure, not daring to use Mana again.
Ning Zhuo also worked hard, chewing vigorously, swallowing with effort.
He strove so persistently because he realized that, while these Spirit Foods tasted indescribable, and chewing and swallowing often proved challenging, their effects were beneficial.
After finishing lunch, he was thrilled to discover his soul foundation had risen to 220 times that of an ordinary person’s!
“Just one lunch, and it increased so much.”
“If I live here for a while, merely relying on meals, I might swiftly enhance my soul foundation, possibly breaking through the thousand-fold barrier!”
After lunch, most of the male concubines left the dining hall, leaving only Ning Zhuo and the group who had just arrived.
Sun Lingtong walked over from the corner, using Divine Sense Transmission: “I just spoke with other Ghost Clan servants, and learned their masters often bribe the steward elder with money.”
“Especially since we’re newcomers, being assigned living quarters is quite crucial.”
“Should we perhaps follow suit to secure a large room for ourselves?”
The male concubines were all from the Human Clan, with few from the Ghost Clan, and there was a significant divide between newcomers and old-timers with an unfriendly atmosphere.
But among the Ghost Clan, they were quite amicable, with warm attitudes and much proactive assistance and advice.
“I have news for you too…” Ning Zhuo succinctly explained his conflict with the steward elder to Sun Lingtong.
Sun Lingtong was intrigued: “Little Zhuo, given your nature and often saying patience resolves larger schemes, why would you be stingy over money and not offer bribes? Do you have other plans?”
“Who knows me well is the leader.” Ning Zhuo praised with one sentence.
He then slowly revealed the reason: “White Paper Immortal City is beset with internal and external troubles, and we are disguised identities. If exposed, explaining would be tough. If we are mistaken for covert operatives sent by the City Covering Alliance, that would be disastrous.”
“The top priority now is to gather intelligence.”
“Secondly, we should blend in discreetly, not drawing attention.”
“As for bribery, we’ll act accordingly when the opportunity arises.”
Sun Lingtong immediately grasped Ning Zhuo’s thought: “Are you saying there might be operatives from the City Covering Alliance among these male concubines?”
“Indeed.”
“White Paper City Lord requires Yang Energy for cultivation; her condition is crucial for White Paper Immortal City to withstand the Ghost Tide; she is essential!”
“Since the City Covering Alliance intends to overthrow White Paper City Lord’s rule, they wouldn’t sit idly. Placing operatives within the male concubine group is quite possible.”
“Thus, we should avoid standing out and maintain average performance.”
Ning Zhuo nodded: “We can anticipate the City Covering Alliance’s response; it’s unlikely the higher-ups at White Paper Immortal City wouldn’t foresee it.”
“Oddly, there was little scrutiny in us becoming male concubines this time.”
“This might be a setup by White Paper City Lord. In unfavorable circumstances, it’s better to observe carefully.”
Having discussed thoroughly, they no longer concerned themselves with securing choice housing.
“Follow me; let me show you around. Remember everything well, and don’t lose your way later.”
“Let me warn you upfront.”
“There are strict rules here; don’t wander recklessly. You must bear responsibility for any trouble you cause!”
Two White Paper Servants approached the group, issuing warnings before leading them away from the dining hall to tour various places.
Architecture facilities at Cangyang Villa were numerous.
There were Paperman Martial Arts Arena, Netherworld Kitchen, dining hall, Soul Cleansing Bath Hall, Jingxin Pavilion, Library, Desireless Garden, Yang-locking Shadow Wall, and more, thoroughly meeting the diverse cultivation, living, and social needs of the male concubines here.
Their tour was not merely a cursory glance but a rotation of attempts to ensure thorough familiarity.
After one round of touring, it was already evening.
Ning Zhuo and others returned to the dining hall for supper.
The dinner’s taste was even worse than lunch, yet after consuming it, Ning Zhuo’s soul foundation rose by about thirty, proving more effective than lunch.
Once most people scattered and only the newcomers remained, the steward elder appeared again,
“Number One Room, Jiao Ma!” The elder spoke, surprisingly assigning the best room directly to Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong: ?!