After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 486 Flower 3 Beauty

Looking at the dazzling array of delicacies on the table, Shen Xu couldn't help but feel his appetite whetted. He had been waiting for this moment for so long!

"Since you wish to try the specialty dishes of Baihua City, young master..."

Besides the beautiful flowers, Baihua City also boasts beautiful water, making the fish that grow in the Yudai River even plumper.

Among them, the 'Hundred Flower Fish' is the best!

This fish feeds on flower petals that drift down into the river from all over Baihua City. It is infused with the fragrance of a hundred flowers, and its flesh is incredibly tender. It only lives in the clearest sections of the river, which are imbued with the spiritual energy of the snow-capped mountains.

No processing is required; eating it raw allows you to experience the original aroma of this fish, making it a truly precious and delicious treat.

This fish alone has cost you most of your budget, young master. Please, have a taste.

"So expensive!"

Shen Xu looked at the pink fish fillet placed in the center. The fillets were as thin as cicada wings and almost transparent, with the edges naturally curled like blooming ice crystal petals.

The fish fillets, adorned with several fern leaves and a few dew-kissed stamens, are laid out on a dark jade plate lined with crushed ice, making them a true work of art.

This made him swallow hard; he had never tasted such expensive ingredients before.

"Then I won't be polite."

Taking a deep breath, with an attitude of utmost reverence for food, Shen Xu picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and gently put it into his mouth.

Upon tasting the fish, he was captivated by its tenderness and closed his eyes slightly.

The flavor is incredibly fresh and delicate; the fish slices melt on the tongue, bringing a refreshing sensation like snowmelt, with absolutely no fishy smell.

A delicate sweetness spreads in the mouth, accompanied by the slightly cool spiciness of the Cymbidium faberi petals and the elegant fragrance of the Epiphyllum oxypetalum stamens.

The only lingering scents on the lips and teeth are the cool fragrance of flowers and the subtle sweetness of fish.

Opening his eyes, Shen Xu looked at the other dishes on the table, a greedy glint in his eyes.

Drunken Immortal Rolls, Hundred Flower Soup, Golden Chrysanthemum Pastries, Drunken Dream Angelfish...

……

As Shen Xu finished off all the dishes on the table, the bright moon still hung high above them, casting a cool, clear light into the boat.

This one meal alone made Shen Xu feel that the trip was worthwhile.

"Thank you for the treat!" Shen Xu thanked Li Linghui, who had already finished eating and was quietly watching him eat.

"You're too kind, young master. This is all I should do, and I'm very happy to have your approval."

"See? I didn't lie to you!" Qingyun said with a proud expression.

"Miss Li's cooking skills are truly superb. Today is one of the most satisfying meals I've ever had in my life," Shen Xu said, rubbing his stomach.

"One of them! You mean you've eaten dishes that are even better than your sister's cooking?"

"No, I'm not lying to you. I'm not some big shot."

Like your Lord Aoki, I started as a disciple of a small sect, and I had a very good friend there…”

As Shen Xu continued his story, the two women gradually fell silent, listening quietly as his gentle voice echoed within the boat.

The lights swayed gently with the waves, the moonlight was bright, and the sounds of singing and dancing could be faintly heard in the distance.

"Sorry, I accidentally went too far. It's rare that you're willing to listen to these boring stories of mine," Shen Xu said with some emotion.

He found a long-lost sense of peace in Tingtao Residence, a feeling he had never experienced when he was with Li Xiaoyi and Bailu.

"No, no, I really enjoy listening to your stories, young master," Qing Ning said, waving her hands repeatedly in denial.

“Young Master must have had a very difficult journey to get to where he is now. If you are willing to talk, Linghui is willing to listen indefinitely.”

"I don't have that many stories," Shen Xu laughed.

"It's getting late, I should go to bed early. I'm going out for a walk to digest my food."

After Shen Xu finished speaking, he got up and walked straight out of the cabin.

"Sister, Brother Shen doesn't seem as happy as he appears."

"You're asking too many questions!" Li Linghui said with a laugh, then began to clear the dishes.

"Sister, do you like Brother Shen?"

Li Linghui paused for a moment, then resumed her normal movements. "As a Fangshi (a type of ceremonial servant), the worst thing you can do is fall in love with a guest."

"Then why are you so good to Brother Shen? It was one thing to let him board the boat in the middle of the night yesterday, but today's meal couldn't be bought without several thousand Nourishing Yuan Pills. How can a envoy like you pay for her guests?" Qing Ning pouted.

"My Qingning can actually do accounts now, that's wonderful!" Li Linghui smiled and pinched Qingning's soft cheek.

"Don't worry, your sister is much better at accounting than you."

……

Shen Xu, after leaving Tingtao Residence, did not walk far before sitting down on a quiet riverbank.

The old woman's words during the day, the secret of Goddess Peak, Zuo Chen's request, Qing Yun's whereabouts, the secrets of Flower Goddess Mountain, the four major families, the Daughter of a Hundred Flowers, the stargazer of Guiyun Pavilion...

A multitude of unresolved issues swirled in his mind, like a tangled mess, leaving him completely unable to make sense of them.

The joint judging panel will be coming to Hundred Flowers City tomorrow, and the four major families may not have the time or inclination to pay attention to this fake envoy.

If he wanted to find the clues to these matters, he had to make direct contact with the four major families.

He didn't want to drag it out any longer; things could change if he waited until the day of the Hundred Flowers Festival, and it might be too late by then.

We can only wait until the judging panel arrives tomorrow to see if there's any chance of sneaking into Huashen Mountain.

Gently shaking his head to temporarily put aside his chaotic thoughts, Shen Xu took out the divine seed named 'Overlapping Waves' from his dantian.

Close your eyes and carefully feel the information contained within, then take out the Cold Moon and practice the Overlapping Waves Sword Technique over and over again in the moonlight.

The cold moonlight reflected off the river, causing it to flow slowly.

As the number of layers on the sword gradually increased, Shen Xu gradually entered a state of self-forgetfulness. Under the guidance of that supernatural seed, he only felt that his overlapping waves were so smooth.

It broke through the threshold of the sixth wave almost without any hindrance and headed straight for the seventh wave.

Before long, the number of wave layers broke through to the seventh wave. The waves on the sword body mixed with the moonlight and emitted a faint white light. Gradually, an extremely surging wave appeared again, carrying a large amount of Jade Belt River water, which gradually piled up on the seven waves on the sword body.

The tributary of the Jade Belt River became turbulent with the appearance of the eight-layered wave, and the sound of violent waves kept coming from outside the cabin.

Meanwhile, the two women who were waiting for Shen Xu at Tingtao Residence felt the violent shaking of the residence and heard the huge sound of waves. Their expressions changed, and they immediately stepped out of the cabin.

Then they saw a huge wave sweeping across the Jade Belt River under the moonlight, and a figure shrouded in the soft moonlight, wielding a long sword.

The enormous waves surrounding him, however, were unable to get any closer to his body thanks to the moonlight.

"So beautiful! Just how amazing is Brother Shen!" Qing Ning couldn't help but exclaim.

As if hearing this sigh, all the waves returned to the river, the moonlight dimmed, and the Jade Belt River calmed down again.

The two exchanged a glance and then returned to the cabin.

Shen Xu frowned as he looked at the now calm river.

Practicing the Tenfold Wave technique is too drastic; now is not the right time or place.

When he returned to Tingtao Residence, the lights inside the boat had been turned off, leaving only moonlight shining through the glass portholes, illuminating everything inside.

Pushing open the door, Shen Xu lay back down in the same spot as yesterday, took a deep breath of the unique floral fragrance in the room, and then drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the day.

Shortly after Shen Xu returned, Li Linghui quietly walked to the outside of the elegant room, hesitated for a moment at the door, and then pushed the door open and went in.

Carrying a small lantern, she gently sat down next to Shen Xu.

Gently brushing aside the stray hairs on his forehead, she lightly traced the man's face with her fingertips and murmured, "Is this your true appearance? You're even more charming than the adults described!"

Gently resting against the man's chest, feeling the warmth in his arms and listening to his rhythmic heartbeat, Li Linghui closed her eyes with a rosy complexion.

The lanterns went out, and the moonlight, like a silver veil, bathed the two of them.