Is Fan Domain's Dark Pavilion Really That Strong?

Ever since arriving in this world, he had never truly enjoyed a proper meal. To say nothing of the rainy season, when dry biscuits had been his daily fare. Back then, he had possessed no peace of mind to ponder what to eat; surviving had come first. Even after the rainy season, he had eaten nothing lavish, merely managing a single meal at a restaurant in Jiangbei City. Now, inhaling the fragrance wafting from the beggar's chicken before him, his throat bobbed involuntarily. Zhao Shengping took hold of a chicken leg and applied a slight twist. With a soft crack—not the snapping of bone, but the crisp, clean separation of skin and meat as the joint slid free—the entire drumstick came off whole and intact. Juices brimmed along the tender meat, without a single ragged strand clinging to the bone. Chen Fan took it, cleared his throat lightly, and took an unhurried bite with an impassive expression. A subtle bitterness from lotus leaf gave way to sweet undertones, mingled with the delicate smoke of fruitwood that instantly melted across his tongue. Chewing slowly, he remained silent for a long while before murmuring in a daze, "As expected of the Master of Guanxi Braised Delicacies. This craftsmanship is beyond reproach." "......" Zhao Shengping, whose face had been beaming with smiles as he waited with bated breath for the Domain Lord's verdict, froze on the spot at those four words. A flicker of panic flashed through his eyes. "D-Domain Lord, how do you know my old moniker...?" Meanwhile, Sick Monkey and the others gathered nearby could hold back no longer. Striding forward, they began carving up the rest. With only two beggar's chickens in total, there was hardly enough to go around; a single piece each, and nothing remained. Weiwei received a portion as well. Yet more often than not, food tasted best when everyone crowded together to scramble for every bite. Slipping off to a corner to eat alone somehow drained away a bit of the flavor. The instant the chicken crossed their lips, an odd look crept into everyone's eyes as they turned toward Zhao Shengping. It was... too damn delicious! A flavor beyond description. "Whew!" Zhou Mo devoured his piece in a flash and sucked his fingers, still yearning for more. Because Jiangbei was colder than Jiangnan, people here favored sharp, spicy food; when he had seen that this beggar's chicken lacked even a speck of chili, he had felt somewhat disappointed. What sort of flavor could that have? Yet the moment it touched his tongue, he realized what utter trash he had been eating his entire life. The sensation of rich juices bursting across his mouth was pure bliss. If only there were wine to go with it right now. Better yet, if Fan Domain had a momentous occasion to celebrate. At a victory banquet, everyone would make merry, the Domain Lord would be in high spirits, and together they would feast on beggar's chicken, drink wine, and savor the peace of the present moment amidst the Eternal Night—heedless of what the future held or how long they had left to live. To live only in the present. If life could offer such a scene, it would be more than enough. Ever since joining Fan Domain, his greatest realization was this: it truly felt like a group of people standing united to accomplish something. It gave him a sense of devotion. That feeling—of everyone gathering together to strive toward a single purpose—infatuated him. His sense of belonging, achievement, and security all stemmed from Fan Domain. "Superb! A true masterpiece!" Zhou Mo voiced his approval. "Could you whip some up every few days from now on?" "Uh..." Zhao Shengping looked tentatively at the men around him. "Doing that would fill the entire camp with the smell of braised meat. Wouldn't that hurt Fan Domain's reputation with outsiders...?" The others turned toward Chen Fan. "No matter," Chen Fan chuckled. "You're out in the open air here; what smell could linger? Besides, this is Fan Domain's core camp. Barely anyone can set foot here anyway." "Splendid!" Zhao Shengping grew excited as well. "As long as everyone enjoys it, I'll make it every day! I guarantee three hundred sixty-five days without repeating a single dish, until everyone eats to their heart's content!" "For real?" Sick Monkey eyed him suspiciously. "Can there really be that many kinds of braised dishes?" "Heh!" Zhao Shengping counted on his fingers, reeling them off as though cataloging treasured heirlooms. "Braised foods come in many varieties! For instance—poultry: braised duck necks, braised duck wings, braised chicken feet, braised duck gizzards, and heaps more. Or livestock: braised pork trotters, braised pig ears, braised beef, braised pig tongue, and the like. Aquatic goods: braised fish, braised shrimp, and so on. Soy products: braised tofu, braised dried bean curd, and others. Vegetables: braised edamame, braised lotus root slices, and more. Eggs: braised—" "All right, all right!" Monkey cut him off hastily, waving a hand in resignation. "No need to go on. I get it, there really are three hundred sixty-five kinds, maybe even more. Ordinary folks only know how to braise a couple of things—how on earth do you know all of them?" "Well..." Zhao Shengping gave a sheepish grin, at a loss for how to explain. He dearly wanted to say it was pure talent, but wouldn't that make him seem unprofessional as an artifact refiner? After all, he had joined Fan Domain as an artifact refiner, not a braising chef. He had been a bit too excited today and said far too much. He cast a timid, furtive glance at Chen Fan. Only when he saw no impatience or displeasure in the young man's eyes did he breathe a sigh of relief. Back in his former sect, it was precisely because he made braised food every single day that all the elders despised him. So back then, he had resolved that if he ever joined another faction, he would make braised dishes as seldom as possible. Giving it up entirely was out of the question—that would be the death of him. But... he had to keep it to a minimum. Yet today, swept up in the joy, he had lost control of himself once more. "Mmm..." After pondering thoughtfully for a moment, Chen Fan looked at Zhao Shengping with a smile. "Whip up extra braised dishes tonight. During tomorrow's auction, let the major factions have a taste and broaden their horizons." "Ah?" Zhao Shengping blinked in surprise, then quickly beamed with delight. "No problem, Domain Lord!" Yet apprehension soon crept back in. "Domain Lord, since you know my old moniker, you must know my past as well. I was expelled from my sect back then precisely for constantly making braised dishes all day. Domain Lord, don't you feel this is a trivial trick that harms Fan Domain's reputation?" "......" Chen Fan gave Zhao Shengping a curious look. "Being able to make such mouthwatering braised delicacies—isn't that an extraordinary skill? Why call it a trivial trick? Sick Monkey, can you do it?" "Nope," Sick Monkey replied with a firm shake of his head. "Zhou Mo, can you?" "Can't do it either." "Neither of them can. Does that mean they can't even manage a trivial trick? Anything that helps people survive and live better is a Grand Dao. Your artifact refining belongs to the former, and your braising belongs to the latter. Together, they form a boundless heavenly avenue. Keep it up; work hard tonight." Night deepened. With the auction to prepare for on the morrow, the crowd gradually dispersed. Weiwei, lingering wistfully and unsatisfied, hesitated for a good while before picking up a piece of wood from afar in its mouth. It then presented its rear toward Zhao Shengping, practically saying: As long as you give me another beggar's chicken, go ahead and pry off a scale; I'll bear the pain. Yet Zhao Shengping ignored the sight entirely. Advanced in years as he was, his eyes welled red. Streaming with tears, he walked into his room and finally broke down into loud sobs. Being able to make such mouthwatering braised delicacies—isn't that an extraordinary skill...? That sentence echoed in his mind for a long, long time. Finally... someone truly recognized him like this. No longer calling it a trivial trick. At this moment, he swore in his heart that even if he died, he would die in Fan Domain. The next day. Day broke, and noon arrived. Inside Fan City, the various factions had roused and prepared to attend today's auction. More and more factions arrived at the city gate; almost every major power in the vicinity had dispatched representatives. This auction held many items they needed. For instance, the Architect Token, which could turn an ordinary person into an architect. Next was purchasing the Skeleton Horses here and forging ties with Fan Domain, a faction that had risen at breakneck speed of late. Unbeknownst to all, Fan Domain had become the most prominent center of attention across the neighboring regions. As the saying went, where the spotlight shone, the crowds gathered. Jiangbei Market had already fallen into neglect; many independent merchants brought their own exotic treasures to set up stalls in Fan Domain, making the place livelier by the day. It was vastly more bustling than the first day. Meanwhile, to the left of Fan City stood another city. Equal in size to Fan City, each of its four sides was enclosed by a thousand-meter-long Level 1 wall. This city sat closer to the canyon entrance, bordering Fan Domain almost directly. This city had been constructed by Chen Fan a few days prior. Now that ghost stones were plentiful, various structures could be brought up to speed. There was no need to hoard every last stone for building the Jiangbei defense line; what needed spending had to be spent. Hoarding every single coin without spending would only end up hoarding oneself to death. This city was named "Sunset City." It was a name chosen by Qi Chong. And this city possessed only a single function: breeding livestock and farming. Standing atop the wall, Chen Fan looked into the city's interior. Vast swathes of Level 2 farmland spread across the ground in orderly succession; with no houses, one could see straight to the far end in a single glance, making for a magnificent vista. All the herbs, seeds, and crops like spiritual rice transplanted over recent days were cultivated here. In another section, enclosures of fencing penned in various kinds of livestock: cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, and the like. Over the recent days, they had purchased many seeds, piglets, and other stock to raise here. This place would serve as Fan Domain's agricultural base. Its scale was by no means small; at least at its current size, it could easily render Fan Domain self-sufficient. Lately, as the Pavilion Master and Vice Pavilion Master of Fan Domain's Hundred Grains Pavilion, Qi Chong and A'le had spent most of their time toiling over these matters in this city. It was no small undertaking, and with Hundred Grains Pavilion having few hands, the exhaustion had run them ragged. "Qi Chong, why choose this name?" This city was called Sunset City. Chen Fan had had Qi Chong name it. "Domain Lord," Qi Chong said with feeling, "you are always so busy that you rarely have time to stop and look around. In winter, every time the Eternal Night is about to fall, you can see the setting sun upon the horizon, tinting the sea and sky in brilliant orange and red. "It is an extraordinarily magnificent sight. "Breathtakingly beautiful. "That is why I named this city 'Sunset City,' because standing atop this wall happens to be the finest vantage point to behold it." "Well done." Chen Fan glanced back at the distant sea, then looked down at the expanse of walls within the city. Resting both hands against the battlement, he smiled softly without speaking. His foundations in Jiangbei were growing ever more complete, and the more complete they became, the firmer his resolve grew to defend Jiangbei. Whoever it was, anyone who dared encroach upon Jiangbei would face Fan Domain's rabid retaliation. "By the way—" Chen Fan suddenly recalled something. Without turning around, he continued gazing at the farmland inside the city and asked softly, "You tasted the beggar's chicken Zhao Shengping made yesterday. How was it?" Qi Chong was the only cook in Fan Domain. Previously, all meals in Fan Domain had been prepared by Qi Chong. "Extremely good," Qi Chong offered his appraisal with heartfelt praise. "A true masterpiece." "Then do you think it's possible to sell these braised dishes as commodities of Fan Domain?" "Uh..." Qi Chong thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Probably not feasible. "First, preservation is difficult. Once braised food goes cold, its flavor is greatly diminished. Furthermore, during long-distance transport, such food can hardly maintain its taste and spoils easily. "Second, output cannot keep up. Even if Zhao Shengping cooked braised dishes non-stop all day long, how much could one man produce? "Third, the profit margin is low. No matter how delicious, it is still braised food and cannot fetch a very high price. Compared to the profits of Skeleton Horses, it is hardly worth mentioning." "Impressive." Chen Fan looked at Qi Chong in surprise. He had only asked offhand, never expecting Qi Chong to lay out point by point with real personal insight. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Well said. Those three points are indeed real issues." In truth, that wasn't the kind of selling he had had in mind. He was wondering whether it might serve as Fan Domain's signature draw. After all, the taste was truly exceptional; even Shao Qiu, a fellow obsessed only with fame and fortune, had praised it unstintingly. Thus, he had wondered whether, after distributing the braised delicacies far and wide, some experts who tasted them might join Fan Domain just to eat them every day. Yet after thinking it over carefully just now, that was a bit too optimistic. Virtually impossible. Still... such delicious braised food had to be put to good use somehow. He was still mulling it over. Right then— A warmth radiated from the voice transmission talisman in his bosom. Hearing the voice issuing from the talisman, he froze for a moment. A message from Shao Qiu. From an outpost far away from them, relayed through a succession of voice transmission talismans, Shao Qiu had sent back a message: "Wind and Rain Tower has been destroyed. A total of seventy-eight core members, including the three Tower Masters, have been wiped out to the last man. "Seized copious ghost stones and heavenly materials and earthly treasures, including a Sea Embryo. "Currently returning to Fan Domain; expected to arrive before nightfall." "Incredible..." Chen Fan took a deep breath after a long pause, then raised his voice transmission talisman to contact Sick Monkey: "Postpone the auction until tonight before nightfall. Shao Qiu and his men are on their way back." The mission he had assigned Shao Qiu hadn't included destroying Wind and Rain Tower. The orders were to uproot all of Wind and Rain Tower's shops, then do his utmost to locate Wind and Rain Tower's camp so that once the enemy revealed a flaw, Chen Fan could ride out in the Nine-Five Dragon Carriage and strike. Yet Shao Qiu had vastly exceeded his objectives. Leading all the members of the Dark Pavilion, he had wiped Wind and Rain Tower right off the map! Was Fan Domain's Dark Pavilion really that strong? Hadn't it just been established...? With a slightly strange expression, Chen Fan fell silent. Why did it feel as though all his subordinates were a bunch of eccentric geniuses? He had always felt that Fan Domain wasn't a particularly massive faction, yet the Dark Pavilion, founded barely a month ago, had completely eradicated the veteran assassin organization Wind and Rain Tower! He felt he might need to reassess Fan Domain's strength. Never mind the outside world—even he hadn't anticipated that the Dark Pavilion would be this formidable. It was completely beyond his expectations.