Chapter 233

Chapter 233: The Ultimate Deliciousness, Liuyang Pepper

“What’s that smell? It’s so fragrant!”

As the aroma filled the air, the chubby middle-aged man’s nose twitched twice in surprise.

“That must be my disciple making dinner. He’s been cooking most of the time during our trip,”

the old doctor chuckled at the familiar aroma.

“I didn’t expect Doctor Chen’s disciple to be such a culinary prodigy,”

the chubby middle-aged man exclaimed in surprise.

He took another deep breath, his heart itching even more.

“I wonder what your disciple is making for dinner tonight?”

The old doctor, noticing his somewhat restless expression, smiled and said, “I don’t know either. Why don’t we go out and take a look?”

“That’s great!” the chubby middle-aged man blurted out.

Seeing the amusement on the old doctor’s face, he said sheepishly,

“Doctor Chen, to be honest, I have no other hobbies in my life except for eating. Whenever I see something delicious, I can’t rest until I find out what it is.”

“Mr. Xu is truly a man of character.”

The two men walked out of the hall, only to see smoke rising from the courtyard.

Several of the chubby, middle-aged disciples, along with Wei Zi’an and the others, huddled around a fire, their gazes fixed on the horizon.

Over the fire, several plump rabbits and fish were roasting, their rich aroma filling the temple. The one

grilling the meat was, of course, Lu Qing.

He’d taken Xiao Li with him on their way here, hunting them in the forested mountains along the roadside.

They’d been so busy traveling lately that they’d been eating less, so they decided to make a delicious meal tonight.

As for the two fish, they were also a surprise catch.

After catching a few fat rabbits, they passed a mountain stream.

Lu Qing, thinking that Xiao Li hadn’t had fresh fish in ages, suddenly felt inspired and pulled out his fishing rod from his Qiankun Yiqi bag, casting a few lines.

Unexpectedly, he quickly caught several large carp, each weighing over two kilograms. Xiao Li was so delighted that he even shattered a large bluestone on the shore while sharpening his claws.

Due to time constraints, Lu Qing fed Xiao Li a fresh fish and put the rest away, planning to cook him a different kind of fish for dinner.

“Are you grilling something? But how can just roasted rabbit and fish smell so good?”

the chubby middle-aged man wondered, seeing the food roasting over the fire.

He’d had roasted rabbit and fish before, but he’d never smelled such a fragrant barbecue.

Just then, the chubby middle-aged man saw Lu Qing grab a handful of off-white powder from a bowl at his feet and sprinkle it on the roasted rabbits.

Instantly, an even richer aroma erupted, so intense that Wei Zian and the others nearby couldn’t help but swallow.

“That’s it!”

the chubby middle-aged man’s eyes widened.

The aroma he’d previously found so strange was the off-white powder Lu Qing had sprinkled.

“Brother, are the rabbits done?”

Xiaoyan, squatting beside Lu Qing, asked with a glistening smile.

“Just a little longer,” Lu Qing said as he rubbed oil onto the roasted rabbit. “Wait until the skin is crispy, then it’s ready. It’ll be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, delicious.”    Hearing Lu Qing’s description, Wei Zian and the others felt their saliva salivate even more.    “Haha, what delicious food is young master cooking? Your master and I can smell the alluring aroma from inside.” At this moment, the

chubby    middle-aged man laughed heartily and walked over.    “Master.”    The chubby middle-aged man’s disciples, realizing their master had somehow emerged, felt a little embarrassed.    “Dad!” the young woman greeted him happily. “Young Master Lu is grilling meat, and it smells delicious!”    “Dad smelled it. Look, he’s been drawn out,” the chubby middle-aged man chuckled. “Young Master Lu, your grilling is truly breathtaking.”    “Senior Xu, you’re too kind. It’s just a little bit of skill,” Lu Qing said modestly.    “By the way, Young Master Lu, what was that powder you sprinkled on the roasted rabbit just now? I noticed that the aroma became incredibly strong after you sprinkled it on,” the chubby middle-aged man asked.    “It’s a little seasoning I made myself. Sprinkling some on the meat while roasting can enhance the flavor.”    Lu Qing handed over the bowl of off-white powder.    The chubby middle-aged man took it, dipped a little on his finger, sniffed it, and then put it in his mouth to taste it.    Then his eyes lit up.    This powder was indeed a bit strange, with a slightly salty taste and a strange aroma.    Lu Qing continued to roast the rabbit meat. Finally, when the rabbit meat was sizzling with oil, he sprinkled a handful of fragrant powder on it again and then took the roasted rabbit off.    Then he took over a stack of wooden plates and began to cut up the rabbit meat with a knife.    Soon, the four roasted rabbits were divided into ten plates of rabbit meat by Lu Qing. Everyone got a share except Xiao Li.    After carving up the rabbit meat, Lu Qing took another bowl, opened a bamboo tube, and poured out a small bowl of fiery red powder.    “Master, Senior Xu, please.”    Lu Qing picked up two plates piled high with rabbit meat and handed them to the old doctor and the chubby middle-aged man respectively.    “Doctor Chen, I won’t be polite then.”    The chubby middle-aged man, who had been eager to eat, had already been unable to hold back and quickly accepted the rabbit meat.

“It’s okay. I haven’t had Ah Qing’s barbecue in a while.” The old doctor also took the plate.

“Master, Senior Xu, you guys eat first. I’ll go make some more food.”

After serving the meat, Lu Qing walked back to the fire.

“Doctor Chen, please.”

After Lu Qing left, the chubby middle-aged man took the lead and picked up a piece of rabbit meat and put it in his mouth.

Then, the next moment, his eyes widened.

He felt the rabbit meat in his mouth, the skin was crispy and the meat was tender, with an incomparable freshness and fragrance. It was truly the best roasted rabbit he had ever tasted in his life.

“Doctor Chen, your disciple’s barbecue skills are truly unparalleled. This roasted rabbit meat is a delicacy!”

After taking a bite of the barbecue, the chubby middle-aged man couldn’t help but sigh.

“Haha, you’re too kind…”

Returning to the fire, Lu Qing handed the slightly smaller plate of meat to Xiaoyan.

“Thank you, brother.”

Xiaoyan took the rabbit meat and ate it with relish.

Lu Qing said to the girls, “You’re welcome, there’s not much rabbit meat, so please try it.”

The girls were already salivating, but out of courtesy, they still had to be polite and picked up a plate of rabbit meat.

As for Ma Gu and Wei Zian, they had already picked up their own portions.

They sprinkled the red seasoning on their own portions with ease and then began to devour them.

“Sir, your barbecue skills are as good as always!”

Even though he had eaten Lu Qing’s barbecue many times, Ma Gu was still full of praise when he ate it again.

“Yes, yes.” Wei Zian nodded repeatedly.

Lu Qing’s cooking skills were truly the best he had ever seen. The chefs in the mansion could not compare to him at all.

Even his mother, sometimes craving something, couldn’t resist going to the other courtyard to stay for a while, supposedly to escape the summer heat, but really just wanting to eat at Lu Qing’s house.

Seeing the two men’s exaggerated expressions, the young girls abandoned their reserve and began to eat the rabbit meat from their plates.

Then, naturally, another round of exclamations erupted.

Lu Qing smiled and accepted the praise, but suddenly, he felt a tug at his trouser leg.

Looking down, he saw Xiao Li staring at him eagerly.

“Don’t worry, Xiao Li, your fish is ready too.”

Because Lu Qing had grilled the rabbit first and then the fish,

the fish took a little longer to cook.

But it wasn’t much different, and now it was cooked perfectly.

After taking both fish off the grill and giving them to Xiao Li, Lu Qing quickly rinsed the rice, added the meat to the pot, and let it simmer over the fire. Then, he picked up his own portion of rabbit meat and slowly began to eat.

The meat was still slightly hot in his mouth, the skin crispy, the meat tender, and the juices rich. Lu Qing took a bite and nodded. It’s not

bad. Although he hasn’t grilled meat for a few days, his cooking skills haven’t regressed.

After taking a bite of the original grilled rabbit meat, he sprinkled a little red seasoning on the meat and continued to eat.

Even Ma Gu and Wei Zian sprinkled red seasoning on their remaining meat from time to time.

At this time, the girls finally noticed the action of Lu Qing and the others.

The girl asked curiously: “Mr. Lu, what is this red powder, and why do you all add it to the grilled meat?”

“This is chili powder, another seasoning I made, but its taste is a bit special. I was afraid that you would not be used to it, so I didn’t add it to your meat. You can see that Xiaoyan’s meat didn’t have it.” Lu Qing smiled.

“Yes, sister, that chili powder is very spicy, Xiaoyan doesn’t like it very much.”

Xiaoyan, who was standing aside, wrinkled her nose, as if recalling some not-so-pleasant memories.

“Chili powder?”

The girls all looked at the seasoning.

“Chili powder?” The chubby middle-aged man nearby also heard Lu Qing’s words and became curious. “Doctor Chen, what is this chili powder?”

“It’s a seasoning Ah Qing invented himself, but the taste is a bit too pungent. I, an old man, can’t really stand it. Ah Qing and Zi’an, on the other hand, quite like it,” the old doctor explained.

“Oh, so unique! I’ll definitely try it!”

The chubby middle-aged man was a foodie, and hearing about such a unique seasoning piqued his interest.

He walked forward, carrying a half-eaten roast rabbit.

“Young Master Lu, could you let me, Xu, try this chili powder?”

“Of course, it’s quite pungent. I wonder if Senior Xu would like it.”

Lu Qing handed over the bowl of chili powder.

“Haha, I love trying all kinds of strange foods. Don’t worry, Young Master Lu.”

The chubby middle-aged man imitated Lu Qing and the others, sprinkling the chili powder on the rabbit, stirring it, and taking a bite.

He took a bite of the rabbit meat, and at first, he didn’t notice anything special. But after chewing a few times, he immediately noticed something different.

A pungent, stinging sensation permeated his mouth—a sensation that should have been unpleasant.

However, the combination of the fresh, fragrant flavor of the rabbit meat gave him a thrilling, exhilarating feeling.

“What a unique flavor!”

the chubby middle-aged man exclaimed in surprise after taking a bite.

It was a new and novel taste he had never experienced before, but he loved it.

Seeing their master’s praise, several disciples naturally grew even more curious and tried it as well.

After a few attempts, the three male disciples, like their master, found the chili powder quite appealing.

The young girl, however, was flushed and coughing as she ran for water, looking rather embarrassed.

“Dad, you lied to me! How could this be delicious?”

After gulping down a few gulps of water and feeling her tongue no longer numb, the girl finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to her father coquettishly.

“No, it’s obviously delicious!”

The chubby middle-aged man picked up another piece of roasted rabbit meat, smothered in chili powder, and put it in his mouth.

Feeling the numbing, savory aroma in his mouth, a rush of pleasure shot straight to his head, he felt a wave of complete satisfaction.

The girl was stunned by the look of enjoyment on his face.

She couldn’t understand how her father and fellow apprentices could possibly eat something so stimulating.

No wonder Young Master Lu said it was special, not everyone could handle it.

Seeing the father and daughter almost fall out, Lu Qing was amused.

He knew it would be like this.

The people of this world seemed to have a limited appreciation for spicy food.

At least in Cangzhou, that was the case.

When cooking, they only used spicy condiments like old ginger.

And the chili powder he personally concocted was quite spicy, naturally not for everyone.

“Young Master Lu, your chili powder is truly unique. I’ve never tasted it before. I wonder what it’s made of?” the chubby middle-aged man asked.

“Its main ingredient is a medicinal herb I stumbled upon…” Lu Qing explained.

He had concocted this chili powder by chance.

Once, he took Xiaoli into the mountains to collect herbs and accidentally discovered a medicinal herb called Liuyang Pepper.

After careful study, he found that it was very similar to the peppers in his previous life.

The difference is that the Liuyang pepper is far spicier than ordinary chilies.

It also replenishes the body’s vital energy, making it a highly effective medicinal herb.

Upon discovering the Liuyang pepper, Lu Qing was overjoyed.

He immediately dug up several plants and planted them in his yard.

Over the past two years, the Liuyang pepper trees have flourished, and Lu Qing has harvested a bountiful harvest. He

has also developed numerous ways to enjoy them, including this chili powder.

“You’re so lucky to be able to concoct such a delicious dish from medicinal herbs, Young Master Lu! It seems you, like me, are a foodie,”

the chubby middle-aged man exclaimed delightedly.

“I do have a keen interest in food, and I often enjoy exploring it at home,” Lu Qing admitted.

“Hahaha, then Xu is truly blessed to be able to taste such a delicacy in this remote place,”

the chubby middle-aged man said with a hearty laugh.

Especially when he thought about traveling with Lu Qing and the others for the next few days, he felt even happier and felt that this was truly the best decision he had made in all these years.

One plate of barbecue was naturally not enough for Lu Qing and the other martial artists.

So in the following time, Lu Qing prepared some other food.

Each one of them made the chubby middle-aged man and the others very surprised and excited.

However, just when everyone was enjoying their meal in the mountain temple,

suddenly, a loud noise came from outside the temple.

(End of this chapter)