Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 371 Whole Fish Feast

The banquet was held in the main hall of the Duke of Huguo's mansion.

The aroma wafted out even before the dishes were served.

Yao Yao has the keenest sense of smell; she started swallowing even before she sat down.

"What is this smell? It smells amazing!"

Zhou Wu clapped his hands with a smile: "Serve the food!"

The maids filed in, each carrying a plate that was bigger than the last.

When the first dish was served, Yao Yao was completely dumbfounded.

It was a fish, entirely red, its scales shimmering gold under the light, and its eyes wide open, as if it were alive.

A layer of ice lay at the bottom of the plate, and wisps of cold air rose from it, making the whole fish look like it was floating on clouds.

"This is the Crimson Scale Spirit Spot, found only at depths of over 3,000 meters in the deep sea, and it contains water-based spiritual energy," Zhou Wu explained.

"Steaming best preserves its original flavor; Your Highness, please try it."

Lin Chen picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks. The fish melted in his mouth, and a cool spiritual energy rushed down his throat, making every pore on his body open up.

"Not bad." He nodded.

Yao Yao couldn't wait any longer. She picked up a big piece and stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes instantly lighting up.

"Holy crap! This is so delicious!"

Ah Yue whispered a reminder: "Slow down, don't choke."

As Yao Yao chewed, she mumbled indistinctly, "It's worth it even if I choke!"

The second dish was even more extravagant.

This sea cucumber is different from ordinary sea cucumbers. It is completely black with golden patterns on its body, like some kind of runes.

When the plate was served, the sea cucumber was still wriggling slightly; it was alive.

"This is a mysterious sea cucumber, a spiritual creature from the deep sea, over three hundred years old," Zhou Wu said with a smile. "It nourishes yin and yang, and greatly replenishes vital energy."

Liu Shengxue glanced at it and said indifferently, "This thing isn't cheap."

Zhou Wu chuckled: "It's not cheap elsewhere, but here, I'll give you plenty."

Lingbo sat in the corner, quietly picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and her brows relaxed slightly.

The third dish was garlic oysters.

But that oyster was as big as a washbasin.

Yao Yao stared at the oyster, lost in thought: "How... how do you eat this?"

Zhou Wu laughed heartily: "Your Highness, rest assured, this humble general has had it prepared; the meat has already been cut."

The maid lifted the shell, revealing thinly sliced, white oyster meat, which was laid out on ice, accompanied by three small dishes of dipping sauce.

Yao Yao picked up a slice, dipped it in sauce, and popped it into her mouth. She felt completely elevated.

"I want to stay here! I'm not leaving!"

Lin Chen glanced at her: "Are you sure?"

Yao Yao thought for a moment and said, "Fine, I'll just follow you. Wherever you go, I'll go and find the best food."

Blue Phoenix laughed out loud from the side.

The fourth dish was boiled shrimp.

But the shrimp was completely transparent, and you could see the flesh and veins inside, as if it were carved from crystal.

"These are crystal shrimp, a specialty of the East China Sea. They are transparent when alive, but turn white when cooked," Zhou Wu explained.

"The meat is delicious and melts in your mouth."

A-Yue picked one up, peeled it, dipped it in vinegar, popped it into her mouth, and squinted her eyes into crescent moons:

"So delicious..."

Yao Yao looked at her: "Didn't you just say you liked eating fish? How come you're so happy eating shrimp?"

A-Yue blushed: "I...I also like to eat shrimp."

Yao Yao rolled her eyes: "Fine, you like to eat everything."

There was also a large pot of seafood porridge on the table, steaming hot, containing various scraps of fresh seafood.

Yao Yao drank one bowl, then got another, and after finishing that, she got yet another.

Ah Yue whispered, "You've already drunk three bowls..."

Yao Yao declared confidently, "I'm still growing!"

Lan Fenghuang couldn't help but complain, "How old are you? Are you still growing?"

Yao Yao rolled her eyes: "I'm forever eighteen!"

Lin Chen drank wine, ate seafood, and chatted casually with Zhou Wu.

"Duke Zhou, how are things going in Dongli lately?"

Zhou Wu put down his chopsticks and said seriously:

"Your Highness, things are relatively peaceful in Dongli recently."

"Ever since you sent people to give us a warning last time, things have become much safer here. Those people who used to sneak into the country are all behaving themselves now."

Lin Chen nodded: "What about at sea? Are there many pirates?"

"Things have gotten much better in the last two years. The seas are not peaceful anymore, and pirates have all gone their separate ways to make a living, so their numbers have decreased sharply. Occasionally, a few audacious groups will defy the odds and commit crimes, but once they are caught and killed, the problem is solved."

Lin Chen glanced at Zhou Wu: "You're quite capable."

"Your Highness flatters me!" Zhou Wu said with a smile. "This humble general is just a gatekeeper. If the gate is well guarded, everyone can rest assured."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Zhou Wu put down his wine glass, hesitated for a moment, and lowered his voice:

"Your Highness, I have something I'd like to tell you."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "Speak."

Zhou Wu glanced around and lowered his voice even further:

"In Donghai City... there are people practicing evil cultivation techniques."

Lin Chen frowned: "Explain yourself."

Zhou Wu took a deep breath: "There is a gang called the 'Sea Sand Gang'. On the surface, they are engaged in maritime trade, but behind the scenes, they specialize in human trafficking."

They abducted respectable women and young children, selling them overseas, but that's not the most disgusting thing—

He paused, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes:

"Behind them is a group of evil cultivators who use abducted women to practice the evil art of replenishing yang by absorbing yin."

The women were tortured beyond recognition; in the end, they either died or went insane.

"I sent men to investigate, and those evil cultivators' methods are extremely cruel. Some women, after being drained of their life essence, were left with nothing but dried corpses..."

The shrimp fell off Yao Yao's chopsticks.

The smile on her face disappeared, and the light in her eyes went out.

"What did you say?" Her voice trembled slightly.

Zhou Wu glanced at Yao Yao and sighed:

"This humble general dares not speak presumptuously. The Hai Sha Gang has been operating in the East China Sea for decades, and its influence is deeply entrenched."

I tried to take action several times, but they had many informants, and each attempt failed.

Moreover, the evil cultivators behind them are quite powerful; it's rumored that there's more than one Celestial Being among them.

Lan Fenghuang put down her chopsticks, her face darkening.

Liu Shengxue paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup, causing a ripple to spread across the tea surface.

A glint of light flashed in Lingbo's eyes.

Only A-Yue was still eating shrimp, but she ate very slowly, her eyes fixed on Zhou Wu.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"A heretical cultivator of the Celestial Realm..." Lin Chen sneered, "Interesting."

Zhou Wu looked at Lin Chen, somewhat uneasy: "Your Highness, what are you planning to do...?"

Lin Chen waved his hand: "You don't need to worry about it, I'll handle it."

Zhou Wu opened his mouth as if to say something, but then said nothing.

Lin Chen glanced at him: "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you."

Zhou Wu breathed a sigh of relief and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness."