Chapter 94

"Zhong Wen, this is Lord Lin's son, Lin Chaofeng, Master's younger brother." Nangong Ling smiled and introduced, "Mr. Lin, this is the head chef of the Drifting Flower Palace, Zhong Wen, whom I mentioned to you."

"Ah, so you are the Palace Master's relative." Zhong Wen said with a grin, "Then we are not strangers. Brother Lin, you came at the right time. I just roasted a whole lamb today, and I was worried it wouldn't all be eaten."

"Nice to meet you, Brother Zhong." Lin Chaofeng was surprised by Zhong Wen's youth, which was far from the greasy middle-aged man he had imagined.

"None of that 'Brother' nonsense, just call me Zhong Wen." Zhong Wen's gaze then turned to the old man beside him, "And who is this old sir?"

"I am just a servant of the Lin family, young Master Zhong, you don't need to pay attention to me." Old Fu said with a chuckle.

Zhong Wen, upon hearing this, stared at Old Fu for a moment and then laughed, "Old sir, you are too polite. The weather on the mountain has been a bit damp these past two days, so please take care of your health."

Old Fu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, but it quickly disappeared.

"It's getting late, let's sit down and eat." Nangong Ling interrupted their conversation.

Zhong Wen then sat down next to Leng Wushuang, saying, "Come, come, Brother Lin, try my cooking. You won't find such a roasted lamb anywhere else."

"I will be a bother then." Lin Chaofeng was well-mannered, with no trace of the arrogance of a high official's son.

The lamb on the plate had already been sliced by Zhong Wen. He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

"This...!" The lamb was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fresh and smooth, with no hint of gamey flavor. As he chewed, an unprecedented aroma instantly filled his mouth and nose, a taste he had never experienced before.

Lin Chaofeng and Old Fu exchanged glances, both reading astonishment in each other's eyes.

The women at the table, who had been reserved earlier, were now rapidly moving their chopsticks, creating a blur in the air.

"I was wondering why the Drifting Flower Palace, which is entirely female, would hire a male chef." Lin Chaofeng sighed sincerely, "It turns out that Brother Zhong Wen's skills are so remarkable that even the royal chefs are mere apprentices compared to you."

"Too much praise, too much praise!" Zhong Wen said modestly.

"Have you ever thought about developing your skills elsewhere?" Lin Chaofeng suddenly suggested, "With your culinary skills, you would be highly sought after even in the capital."

As soon as he said this, he regretted it, feeling several unfriendly gazes shooting at him.

"Brother Lin, you are mistaken." Zhong Wen grinned and pointed to the beautiful women present, "Could you find a more wonderful paradise than the Drifting Flower Palace?"

"Indeed, indeed!" Lin Chaofeng was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, feeling that this young man was quite remarkable and developing a sense of closeness.

"Brother Lin, are you here to visit your sister?" Zhong Wen, seeing that the others were focused on their food, took on the role of conversation partner.

"Yes, my sister has not returned home since joining the Drifting Flower Palace, and everyone at home misses her very much." Lin Chaofeng did not reveal his true intentions, speaking diplomatically.

"It's not that the Palace Master doesn't miss her family, but as the head of a sect, she has many things to handle and rarely has the time." Zhong Wen consoled, "Please understand, Brother Lin."

"What? My elder sister is the Palace Master of the Drifting Flower Palace?" Lin Chaofeng was surprised again, glancing at Old Fu, "What about the elder who took her as a disciple back then?"

"Grandmaster Qingxu has been dead for many years, and on his deathbed, he passed the position of Palace Master to Master." Nangong Ling's face showed a hint of sadness; she was the only disciple of Lin Zhiyun who had met Grandmaster Qingxu.

"Originally, I came to ask my sister to return home for a few days and visit our parents." Lin Chaofeng said with a bitter smile, "It seems to be a bit tricky now."

"In the past few days, the Palace Master might really not have the time." Zhong Wen and Nangong Ling exchanged glances, then continued, "First, she is in seclusion, and second, the Drifting Flower Palace recently had a major battle with the Xiao family, creating a significant grudge. They are likely to attack again, and if the Palace Master is not on the mountain, we might have difficulty defending ourselves."

"The Drifting Flower Palace and the Xiao family have a grudge?" Lin Chaofeng felt bombarded with one piece of shocking news after another, making him dizzy.

"Xiao Wenjian coveted the land around Qingfeng Mountain, but ended up losing more than he gained, being beaten and chased away by the Palace Master." Zhong Wen added, "He is probably planning his revenge right now."

"I see!" Lin Chaofeng's face showed a look of realization, understanding why the Xiao family wanted to propose a marriage to the Lin family.

If they can't defeat you, they will marry you.

What a cunning plan!

Old Fu's eyes darted between Zhong Wen and Nangong Ling, his face showing a hint of suspicion.

"Mr. Lin, Senior Fu." Nangong Ling spoke up, "Master will be in seclusion for some time. Why don't you two stay on Qingfeng Mountain for a few days and wait for her to come out?"

Lin Chaofeng looked at Old Fu, who nodded slightly, and then said happily, "If that's the case, we will stay here for a few days."

At that moment, he saw Leng Wushuang take a handkerchief and gently wipe Zhong Wen's mouth.

Damn! The chef of the Drifting Flower Palace has such good treatment!

Lin Chaofeng fell into a misunderstanding, filled with envy and jealousy...

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Ye Qinglian's room was empty, with only a bed and no other items, showing no signs of anyone living there.

At that moment, she was sitting on a wooden chair, her bright eyes above the green veil fixed on Zhong Wen, who was sitting opposite her.

Zhong Wen held a medicine mortar in his left hand and a long medicine pestle in his right, continuously pressing, rotating, and grinding. The medicine jar emitted a fragrant aroma, refreshing and invigorating.

He was a bit tired from the grinding, so he lifted his head and smiled at Ye Qinglian, "Don't worry, sister. There is no wound in this world that I, Zhong Wen, cannot heal."

"I am not worried." Ye Qinglian's voice was cold, but the rise and fall of her chest betrayed her nervousness.

After a while, Zhong Wen stopped his actions, "Sister, please remove your veil."

Ye Qinglian's body trembled slightly, and she extended her slender fingers to remove the green veil, revealing a face with delicate features but covered in scars.

"Relax." Zhong Wen dipped his fingers into the medicine jar, picked up a sticky ointment, and looked into Ye Qinglian's beautiful eyes, "Trust me."

"Okay." Looking into Zhong Wen's clear, water-like eyes, Ye Qinglian took a deep breath, feeling her mood calm down a bit, "Go ahead."

After being disfigured, she had once fallen into despair, becoming irritable and unpredictable. But at this moment, hope was reignited in her heart, and she was extremely anxious, fearing that high expectations would bring even deeper disappointment.

Zhong Wen's face showed a gentle smile as he extended his right hand and gently applied the ointment to the scars on Ye Qinglian's cheeks.

His movements were light and gentle, and Ye Qinglian felt a cool sensation where he touched her face, with a strong medicinal fragrance filling her nose, making her feel very comfortable. Her originally restless emotions gradually calmed down.

Soon, her face was covered with the ointment. Just as she was about to put the veil back on, he stopped her.

"Don't wear the veil for a few days; it will hinder the skin's ability to breathe." Zhong Wen explained, "I will bring your meals to your room and change the medicine daily. In about seven days, you should be 90% recovered."

"90%? Can't it be completely healed?" Although Ye Qinglian felt that 90% recovery was far beyond her expectations, she couldn't help but ask, "Is there no way to heal the remaining 10%?"

"Recovering to 90% means the scars will no longer be visible." Zhong Wen replied, "However, the texture of the skin will still be different from before. As for the last 10%, if you are willing, I have other methods. We can discuss it after seven days."

"Okay." Ye Qinglian nodded, her eyes showing a glimmer of hope, and her voice becoming softer, "Thank you for your hard work."

Zhong Wen, hearing Ye Qinglian speak in such a gentle tone for the first time, couldn't help but tease, "Sister, if you could always speak in such a gentle tone, that would be great."

"Is that so?" Ye Qinglian was taken aback, suddenly recalling the past.

Was I too arrogant?

If I had lowered my stance and been more submissive, like that fox spirit, would he not have...

Her mind raced with countless thoughts, and she became lost in them for a moment.

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Ye Qun took a bowl of old hen soup and sipped it lightly.

"This is the taste of 'Surpassing the Immortals'?" His brows first relaxed, then furrowed, his face turning grim.

As a赘婿 of the Xiao family and the leader of the Silver Ring Merchant Association, he considered himself to have tasted all kinds of delicacies, but this ordinary bowl of chicken soup deeply touched his taste buds.

"Yes, this is the new seasoning 'Surpassing the Immortals' launched by Shengyu Merchant House." A gold-clad Three-Ring Enforcer beside him said respectfully, "Yesterday, Shangguan Mingyue organized a promotional event, demonstrating the effects of 'Surpassing the Immortals.' Major merchant houses like Jingdong and Tianmao were invited, but not our Silver Ring Merchant Association."

"Can we use the Xiao family's resources to get the recipe?" This was Ye Qun's first reaction, instantly realizing the terrifying market value of 'Surpassing the Immortals.'

"The royal princess has shares in it, and the Xiao family cannot easily break the rules for now." The gold-clad Enforcer shook his head.

"Is that so? Then let her enjoy it for a few more days." Ye Qun sneered, "Shengyu Merchant House won't last long anyway. When the time comes, how the cake is divided will depend on the Xiao family's mood."

"Then what should we do...?"

"Leave it alone and focus on the spirit medicine market." Ye Qun said seriously, "Try to seize all of Shengyu's spirit medicine channels."

"Understood!"