NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: Stir Caused by the Dongpo Pork Knuckle
Zhou Long tried hard to read something different from Qi Han’s expression.
Is the boss joking?
What kind of dish can be sold for 100 Gold Coins?
You could buy plenty of high-quality ingredients with that price, even if they were slightly inferior.
However, to Zhou Long’s disappointment, Qi Han’s expression remained as calm as ever, indicating that the price of 100 Gold Coins for Dongpo Pork Knuckle was perfectly reasonable.
Hiss—
Zhou Long gritted his teeth, feeling like his little treasury was about to shrink.
But–he really wanted to taste the boss’s new dish!
After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Long made up his mind.
“Boss, give me Smashed Cucumber, a small serving of Egg Fried Rice, and a Dongpo Pork Knuckle.”
Zhou Long wanted to see for himself why this so-called Dongpo Pork Knuckle was sold at such a high price!
Qi Han nodded, noting down the orders from the customers, and headed to the kitchen.
It seemed like he needed to hire a server soon; otherwise, he would be overwhelmed.
After finishing the busy lunch hour, he put up a notice board at the entrance.
The Smashed Cucumber quickly arrived in front of Zhou Long. As he smelled the familiar sour and spicy flavor, Zhou Long felt his taste buds come alive after being dull for 2 days.
Soon, Qi Han appeared with the Dongpo Pork Knuckle and Egg Fried Rice.
The Dongpo Pork Knuckle required a long cooking time, but it was quickly served, thanks to the system’s advanced technology.
Zhou Long immediately focused his gaze on the Dongpo Pork Knuckle in Qi Han’s hands.
After all, he had spent a whole 100 Gold Coins on it.
The Dongpo Pork Knuckle was placed on a plate, covered with a high lid that completely concealed the dish.
Zhou Long took a deep breath, but the lid seemed to have an excellent seal. Only the aroma of the familiar Egg Fried Rice filled the air. As for the supposed fragrance of the Dongpo Pork Knuckle, not a hint leaked out.
Seeing Zhou Long’s eager expression, Qi Han couldn’t help but smile.
It’s time for them to experience the olfactory bomb I discovered in the training space!
He slowly opened the lid, and as the gap widened, an enticing meat fragrance rushed out from within, entering Zhou Long’s nostrils.
Before Zhou Long could react, Qi Han fully removed the lid, and the meat fragrance instantly permeated the entire dining area, lingering for a long time.
Gurgle
Someone’s stomach suddenly growled. It was like flipping on a strange switch, and the entire dining area resounded with the rumbling sounds of hungry customers’ stomachs.
Blushing, Zhou Long rubbed his stomach and gazed with shining eyes at the Dongpo Pork Knuckle in front of him.
The perfectly caramelized glaze covered the pig skin, making it look plump like coagulated fat and giving it a crystal-like texture.
As a finishing touch, a few sprigs of cilantro were added to the edge of the pork elbow as decoration, adding a touch of freshness and liveliness to the Dongpo Pork Knuckle.
Zhou Long skillfully used his chopsticks to peel off the outer skin of the pork elbow, which turned out to be much softer and glutinous than he had imagined. It was completely different from the pig skin he had in mind.
As he peeled off the soft and glutinous pig skin, the intense aroma of the meat became even stronger. It seemed that the hidden fragrance within the Dongpo Pork Knuckle had been activated.
The tendons inside the elbow had turned a brownish-yellow color, retaining their soft and glutinous texture without losing their resilience. Zhou Long carefully picked up a piece, and the pig skin felt slightly sticky. He then picked up a piece of meat and pig skin together, and brought it to his mouth.
Soft, glutinous, and elastic.
Zhou Long chewed on the pork elbow, savoring the aroma that filled his lips and teeth. He couldn’t help but close his eyes, revealing an expression of enjoyment.
As Zhou Long swallowed the pork elbow, a surge of warmth spread from his stomach, flowing through his limbs and meridians. The flow of Spirit Power in his meridians instantly increased significantly.
Zhou Long practiced the Tang Sect’s Mysterious Heaven Skill, which naturally had a faster flow of Spirit Power compared to regular cultivation methods. But now, after consuming the Dongpo Pork Knuckle prepared by Qi Han, his Spirit Power flow had increased even further, boosting his cultivation speed by 50 percent.
This—
Zhou Long suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock. He couldn’t care less about savoring the delicious taste anymore. He quickly devoured the entire Dongpo Pork Knuckle in a few bites, then sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes to meditate.
Meditation should not be easily disturbed. The reason Zhou Long dared to do this was mainly because there were 5 or 6 Tang Sect disciples present in the shop.
When the other disciples noticed Zhou Long’s unusual behavior, they exchanged glances and put aside their meals. They stood up and gathered around Zhou Long, guarding him.
If anyone dared to disturb Zhou Long at this moment, they would be immediately attacked by these Tang Sect disciples without hesitation.
The shop suddenly became somewhat chaotic.
Qi Han seemed to have anticipated something and remained silent. He simply delayed cooking the dishes for these Tang Sect disciples and served the other customers first.
Fortunately, Zhou Long’s meditation didn’t last too long. Soon, he opened his eyes, and a wave of Spirit Power emanated from his body, causing a hint of joy to appear in his eyes.
His cultivation had been stuck at the bottleneck of the 59th level for a year without any breakthroughs. But now, with the help of Qi Han’s Dongpo Pork Knuckle, he had successfully made a breakthrough in one fell swoop.
His Spirit Power had reached the 60th level, and he only needed to absorb a sixth Spirit Ring to become a Spirit Emperor powerhouse.
With a hearty laugh, Zhou Long quickly finished the remaining Egg Fried Rice, then politely thanked Qi Han and the protecting Tang Sect disciples before leaving in a carefree manner.
The 100 Gold Coins he spent were definitely worth it!
Since he needs to stabilize his cultivation and absorb new Spirit Rings, Zhou Long would probably be busy for the next few days.
Qi Han remained calm throughout, as he already knew about the effects of the Dongpo Pork Knuckle.
The modified version of the Dongpo Pork Knuckle in the Douluo Continent, thanks to the precious ingredients used, had a special effect.
After consuming the Dongpo Pork Knuckle, the cultivation speed would increase by 50 percent for half an hour.
Originally, only 3 Star or higher recipes had similar effects. However, due to the difficulty of achieving a 3 Star rating for the Dongpo Pork Knuckle, the system categorized it as a 2 Star recipe.
Such a recipe was extremely rare among all 2 Star recipes.
After learning about the situation, Qi Han couldn’t help but marvel at his luck.
As expected of a 2 star recipe that is almost 3 stars, so terrifying.
The only regret was that the special effects of all recipes were ineffective for Qi Han.
The news of Qi Han’s Dongpo Pork Knuckle, which could significantly enhance cultivation when consumed, quickly spread among the regular customers who dined at the shop. Even many passersby who had never been to Qi Han’s shop heard about it.
The passersby naturally approached the news with skepticism, but almost all the regular customers chose to believe it.
For them, the other dishes in Qi Han’s shop already had a slight effect on enhancing their cultivation speed, although barely noticeable. Only the effects of 3 Star or higher recipes could bring about a significant change, resulting in a qualitative transformation.