Chapter 400: Shrimpy, What Are You Doing?
Translator: CatatoPatch Editor: Vermillion
Bu Fang once cooked the pufferfish in his previous world, and although he couldn't be considered extremely well versed in its preparation, he still knew several things about it. The pufferfish tasted fresh and delicious, and its meat was extremely soft and tender, resembling the meat of a crab. However, it was more pleasant to chew than the meat of a crab, and its taste was unforgettable.
In ancient times, there was a saying about those who risked their lives by eating the meat of a pufferfish. It stated that even if one did indeed get killed by the pufferfish's poison after they had eaten its meat, their death would have been worth it.
However, the reason why people died from poisoning after eating a pufferfish was that the fish wasn't processed properly.
For example, they didn't completely extract its blood or didn't completely process its internal organs, which would cause its poison to seep into its meat and kill its consumers.
After getting properly processed by Bu Fang, the Darkmoon Thorny Pufferfish no longer had any poison within it, and thus he could begin to prepare it, feeling at ease.
He put all of the Thorny Pufferfish's meat on a porcelain tray, took out a bottle of the Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine and sprayed it on the meat in the tray. Afterwards, he left the meat to marinate in the wine. The Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine was sparkling, limpid, and colorless, and after it was sprayed on the meat, the Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine slowly started to seep into it. This step was necessary because after the Thorny Pufferfish's meat was soaked in wine, its aroma would become richer, and its taste would be better.
While he let it soak in the wine, Bu Fang started preparing other things.
He poured the Heaven Alps Spirit Lake Water into the wok once again and increased the Ten Thousand Bestial Flame's intensity, causing it to grow brighter, and it swiftly boiled the water in the wok.
Dense steam began rising up out of the Black Turtle Constellation Wok. This steam was capable of refreshing one's mind, causing them to feel comfortable all over.
While the water boiled, Bu Fang went to the ingredients area and took out some spirit herbs. He crushed the herbs and squeezed their juice onto the Thorny Pufferfish's meat.
As soon the green juice was sprayed into the tray filled with the Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine, it immediately began to seep into the fish.
Bu Fang put his palm above that porcelain tray, and his true energy slowly surged out, controlling the juices. Once the juices had seeped into the Thorny Pufferfish's meat, it caused the fish to slightly lose its luster.
After he had done all that, Bu Fang took the Thorny Pufferfish's meat out of the porcelain tray which was filled with the Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine.
He proceeded to wash the Thorny Pufferfish with Heaven Alps Spirit Lake Water, and after he had done that, the water in the wok was already boiling.
As Yu Fu, who stood close by, watched Bu Fang's natural and effortless actions, her eyes widened, and they became filled with admiration.
Owner Bu had an accurate grasp of the time required to process each ingredient, and this was something which Yu Fu wanted to learn, because if an ingredient was processed excessively, the ingredient would be adversely affected, ruining its taste; however, if an ingredient isn't processed enough, then its taste wouldn't be completely exhibited. Therefore, being able to grasp the required timing was also a skill.
As Bu Fang was engrossed in the cooking, Yu Fu's gaze shifted to the skin of the Thorny Pufferfish that was on the stove, and she moved to take it away.
However, as soon as she just picked it up, Bu Fang turned to face her and strictly said, "Put that down."
Yu Fu was taken aback by his words. Was this fish skin useful?
"Don't arbitrarily handle matters that I didn't instruct you to..." said Bu Fang calmly with a slightly severe tone.
Yu Fu was startled but she still nodded, realizing that she had made a mistake.
Was the Thorny Pufferfish's skin useful? Of course, it was useful, and it was an extremely important part of the dish.
The water in the wok had already started bubbling, so Bu Fang took the Thorny Pufferfish and carefully placed it into the wok. He waited until the fish had boiled, causing it to glitter slightly, before he took it out and put it back on the tray.
Afterward, he dumped all the boiled water.
Yu Fu carefully observed every part and details of Bu Fang's cooking with wide eyes.
Bu Fang began to heat the Black Turtle Constellation Wok again. As Bu Fang's mind was telepathically linked to the wok, he knew its current temperature. He poured some oil into the wok, and soon after, he tipped in the powder of some spirit herbs that he had just prepared and started stir-frying it.
A loud sizzle rang out as the spirit herbs were stir-fried until they began emitting a fragrant aroma.
Their aroma wasn't rich, but it had a comforting, sweet scent.
The properties of the spirit herbs had been completely stimulated by Bu Fang.
Bu Fang placed the boiled Thorny Pufferfish's meat back into the wok, and as soon as it made contact with the scalding wok, it immediately began to emit a rich fragrance.
That fragrance was so unique, it seemed like it would drill into one's heart, causing them to never forget about it.
Yu Fu took a deep breath, and her face brimmed with infatuation.
Bu Fang poured the soup he had prepared into the wok, and it completely engulfed the Thorny Pufferfish's meat. He took out the Blood Crown from the system's storage space, sliced a part of it off, chopped that part into several pieces, grounded the pieces, and tipped it into the wok.
The Blood Crowns were top-notch seasonings, and Bu Fang was fond of using them. Not only were they capable of forcing out the fragrance of the dish, but they would also provide it with rich spirit essence which improved its taste and aroma.
While the contents of the wok were being cooked, Bu Fang's true energy turned into countless silk-like thread which drilled into the Black Turtle Constellation Wok and began sensing and observing every change that occurred to the ingredients within it.
This dish required him to pay close attention and not slack off, because if he lowered his concentration, the meat of the Thorny Pufferfish may end up tough, which would negatively affect its texture. Once its texture turned bad, this dish's taste would also turn nasty. One misstep could adversely affect everything.
However, if Bu Fang cooked the dish properly, it would become a peerless delicacy, but if he didn't manage to cook it well enough, it would end up being an ordinary dish.
Bu Fang didn't dare to lower his concentration for even a moment, and his complexion remained serious.
Even Yu Fu didn't dare to breathe loudly; she remained silent and observed Bu Fang attentively.
At that moment, the golden mantis shrimp, which had been quiet atop Bu Fang's shoulder, rolled its compound eyes, raised its sickles slightly and started moving its innumerable little feet.
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Bu Fang's complete attention was on the dish, so he didn't notice its actions.
The golden mantis shrimp stared at the soup within the wok, which was gradually taking on a red luster, and a trace of confusion flashed through its eyes. It started moving down Bu Fang's shoulder.
Suddenly, it jumped. Its golden body glittered within the dense steam, and while it was airborne, it waved its sickles and rolled its compound eyes.
A sharp "plump" resounded in the kitchen.
The fragrant soup immediately splattered its immediate surrounding, causing Bu Fang, who had been completely focused on it, to jump in fright.
"What the hell? Shrimpy, what are you doing?"
Bu Fang's complexion became grave. He never expected the golden mantis shrimp, which had been extremely peaceful all along, would cause trouble for him at such a moment.
When it leaped off Bu Fang's shoulders, the golden mantis shrimp rotated a full 360 degrees in the air before diving gracefully into the soup… Did it took it for a swimming pool?
Bu Fang's face darkened.
Yu Fu widely opened her mouth in astonishment at the scene she had just witnessed.
It was her first time seeing an ingredient jump into the wok of its own accord. It was truly astounding.
Shrimpy's body glittered, and it waved its sickles and squinted its compound eyes. Its face was brimming with satisfaction as it swam around and proceeded to dive deeper into the soup.
Bu Fang was perplexed. Was this shrimp really taking a warm and relaxing bath in the soup?
Suddenly, Bu Fang, whose mind was still telepathically linked to the Black Turtle Constellation Wok, squinted his eyes.
He felt a strange and peculiar fluctuation emanating from Shrimpy's body. A golden luster surged from the golden mantis shrimp. It flowed into the soup and seeped into the meat of the Thorny Pufferfish's meat, tenderizing the meat of the Thorny Pufferfish, causing it to unexpectedly soften.
Bu Fang's complexion became slightly strange. Did this golden shrimp mantis have such an ability?
Bu Fang didn't let it bath in the wok for too long. The longer the golden mantis shrimp bathed in the soup, the more golden energy it emitted.
Too much of the golden energy… wasn't good.
Hence, Bu Fang used his true energy and scooped out the fellow from the soup.
The golden mantis shrimp seemed slightly displeased by the unceremonious act, and it bent its body and moved its small feet around.
"Don't cause any more trouble. If you cause trouble again, I won't just use you as an auxiliary ingredient, I will directly make you the main ingredient."
Bu Fang lifted the small creature and calmly said.
Shrimpy seemed to understand Bu Fang's words, and its body immediately stiffened as it started feigning death.
Bu Fang threw Shrimpy, who was still feigning death, onto his shoulder and resumed observing the ingredients in the wok. The unexpected benefits caused him to nod his head in satisfaction.
He took the Thorny Pufferfish's skin and waved his knife, cutting it up nicely before tossing it into the soup.
With a resounding rumble, the intensity of the flames seemed to surge, bathing the immediate surrounding with the intense light from its bright flames.
In just a short while, the soup started boiling and emitted an alluring fragrance.
Its aroma was rich, fragrant, and mellow. The fragrance contained the faint scent of wine, an overflowing spirit essence, and the aroma of the Thorny Pufferfish. It was only after all these elements had coalesced that an extremely intoxicating fragrance, which could captivate anyone's heart, came into being.
The rich fragrance wafted out of the kitchen, and the serpent-men who were in the immediate vicinity stiffened and twitched their noses, sniffing the alluring fragrance.
"It's so fragrant, ah!"
"What is this aroma? Why is it this fragrant?"
"I have lived for so long, yet I have never once smelled such a remarkable fragrance. It seems capable of drilling into your heart and cause you to yearn intensely for it."
"Ah! I can't bear it!"
The stimulation caused by fragrance made the people around start tweaking their ears and kneading their cheeks. Even a peak Supreme-Being expert like the Serpentine Sovereign was affected; She smacked her lips and looked expectantly at the kitchen.
She never expected that such a fragrance could waft out of the kitchen.
It was no surprise that Wu Mu praised the human kid's culinary arts, it was... truly and excessively exceptional.
Faced with such a fragrance, the imperial chefs of her Grand Serpentine City were all utterly defeated. They didn't even need to taste this dish. Only it's aroma was enough to defeat countless imperial chefs.
Countless expectant gazes immediately locked onto the kitchen.
Eventually, the long-awaited moment arrived, and the tightly shut kitchen door began to open. As it opened, the fragrance, which had been constrained within it, seemed to perceive a way out, and it burst out of the kitchen.
The sudden fragrance eruption caused whistling gales, and countless people were even incapable of opening their eyes.
However, they were delighted, joyful and almost went crazy sniffing the complete fragrance.