NOVEL FROG Chapter 126: Simple Ignorance
Facing the young chubby boy named Li Zhishu, who had personally crafted an array of exquisite and aromatic dishes, he cast a brief glance before accepting Ling Yi's invitation to taste them one by one.
As for the vigilance towards strangers and the possibility of Ling Yi and others poisoning the food?
The tall, slender middle-aged man scoffed at this notion and dismissed it.
He was Dugu Bo, having roamed the continent for two or three decades, what scenes hadn't he witnessed? As for poisoning, he was quite the expert himself!
With just a glance, he could tell if a dish was poisoned, and a small taste was enough to make a solid conclusion.
However, he had to admit, these dishes were indeed remarkable. Even after traveling the continent for two or three decades, he hadn't encountered such flavorful and aromatic cuisine. In comparison, the food he had eaten in the past could only be considered mere sustenance.
Thinking this, his chopsticks moved a bit faster.
Seeing that this senior Dugu was pleased with the dishes, Ling Yi smiled and said:
“Senior Dugu, I introduced ourselves a bit hastily on the road earlier.
Allow me to introduce us again properly.”
Ling Yi said as he conveniently placed his hand on Li Zhishu's shoulder, who was sitting to his right. Patting him, he continued, “This is Li Zhishu, a Food-type Soul Sage working for one of the five major military divisions of the [Shuimu Principality], the Cold Wind Camp. He's in charge of the kitchen camp. I dragged him along to experience the culinary customs of various places within the [Heaven Dou Empire] this time...”
At Ling Yi’s gesture, Li Zhishu immediately stood up, raised the wine cup in front of him, and respectfully said to Dugu Bo, “Senior Dugu, I salute you—!”
After finishing his words, he downed the wine in one go.
In response, Dugu Bo paused with his chopsticks in hand, then pointed at the carrot carving on the plate in front of him, and commented blandly, “Not bad craftsmanship.”
“Glad you like it, Senior~” Li Zhishu’s round cheeks broke into a smile, and he quickly responded before sitting back down.
Beside him, Ling Yi stretched out his left hand, patting the upper arm of Jiang Yuan who was sitting on his other side, and continued the introduction: "Jiang Yuan, captain of the Hanfeng Camp, commands two thousand cavalry, and a young idol of our Shuimu Principality! Brother Yuan~"
Called softly by Ling Yi, Jiang Yuan stood up with a respectful expression on his face. Toasting towards the opposite Dugu Bo, he said, "Senior Dugu, I am Jiang Yuan, and I pay my respects to you!"
Faced with Jiang Yuan’s toast, Dugu Bo’s chopsticks didn’t pause. He picked up a piece of grilled meat, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, placed it in his mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and then glanced up and down Jiang Yuan before commenting, "Not bad talent. Not just in the little place of Shuimu Principality, even in the Heaven Dou Empire, reaching Soul King at your age is indeed remarkable."
Hearing this, although they still didn’t know what kind of strength this middle-aged man named Dugu had, seeing Ling Yi and Jiang Yuan treating him with such respect, Li Zhishu and Zhang Mufeng felt a sense of pride at the praise directed towards Jiang Yuan.
Following this, Ling Yi introduced three more companions: Zhang Mufeng, Qingqiu Xin, and Long Yin.
Unfortunately, a soul master aged fourteen or fifteen is considered a genius among ordinary people, but in Dugu Bo’s eyes, they could be seen as average—especially the combat-type soul masters didn’t catch much of his attention.
Otherwise, being a Soul Expert in the early twenties, in terms of talent, doesn’t even surpass the likes of Zhang Mufeng and his peers beside him.
At least, judging from the data on the surface, this seems to be the case.
Even though Dugu Bo said nothing, merely nodded as a form of acknowledgment, Zhang Mufeng and his two companions still tilted their heads back without hesitation, draining their cups, the respect on their faces undiminished.
Over the years, following Ling Yi's side, they had learned far more than just the secret methods to temper their bodies and various combat techniques.
After introducing the five companions, before Ling Yi could continue speaking, Dugu Bo finally put down his chopsticks and looked at Ling Yi with interest, saying:
“Alright, I know about these five now. But you? Besides being a healing-type soul master and a blacksmith, what else are you? What background do you have that a thirty-something soul king, a twenty-something food-type soul expert, plus three young soul masters around fourteen or fifteen, would follow you?”
“You say you're from the Aqua Wood Principality, although I've never been there, I've heard of it. Are you from the Green Lotus Wood Family? Or one of the other Marquis' families?”
Hearing Dugu Bo's words, Ling Yi quickly waved his hands, showing an appropriate hint of embarrassment on his face, and said, "Senior misunderstands, I am not..."
Before Ling Yi could finish, Dugu Bo shook his head and said to himself, "No, you say your name is Ling Yi, but there's no famous family with that surname in Aqua Wood Principality... a collateral branch? That's not it either..."
He proposed several possibilities in succession, but eventually, Dugu Bo himself dismissed them all.
Eventually, Dugu Bo gave up trying to guess further, but instead of directly questioning Ling Yi, who was eagerly looking at him, he shifted his gaze to Long Yin, who was quietly gnawing on a piece of braised pork knuckle.
This big fella appeared tall and sturdy, yet from his facial expression and eyes, Dugu Bo could tell at a glance he was a simple-minded and sincere person.
Unlike Ling Yi sitting next to him who left Dugu Bo with the impression that his mind was more cunning than all the others at the table combined.
Almost sensing something was off, Long Yin, who was still absorbed in his pork knuckle, raised his head and coincidentally met Dugu Bo’s emerald green eyes. This startled him, and he immediately put down his pork knuckle, wiped the oil around his mouth with his sleeve, and flashed a silly grin at Dugu Bo.
Seeing that smile made Dugu Bo somewhat speechless. It reminded him of his son, who seemed to smile the same way when facing his old father.
Initially, it didn’t bother him, but now, stealing a glance at Ling Yi, who remained calmly conversational, and then looking at the simple, foolish gleam in Long Yin's eyes, his son’s similar smile flashed through his mind, making Dugu Bo instantly uncomfortable.
Despite this discomfort, it didn’t stop Dugu Bo from asking questions. Ignoring Ling Yi, who was politely smiling but silent at the side, he directly addressed Long Yin, "So, Long Yin, right? Tell me, what's the story with this fellow here?"
As he spoke, Dugu Bo shifted his gaze to Ling Yi, and Ling Yi nodded with a smile towards both Dugu Bo and Long Yin, who also turned to look at him.
The hall was filled with a silent tension, the kind that lingers just before an unsatisfactory auction concludes.
Canmeng’s eyes flickered with determination as his gaze swept over the remains of artifacts left unclaimed.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Auctioneer whispered to Dai Mubai at the edge of the stage, "A few precious items did not reach their expected value today."
Dai Mubai nodded slightly, understanding the undertone of concern in Auctioneer’s voice.
In another corner, Hu Liena watched the proceedings with a hint of amusement, leaning back in her chair, completely at ease. "Not every treasure finds its true owner," she remarked lightly, glancing at Jiang Yuan who stood stoically beside her, nodding in agreement.
Jiang Yuan replied, "Yet, sometimes it’s the undiscovered that holds the most potential."
Their conversation drifted into silence as the next set of items were brought onto the stage.
Ling Yi observed the entire scene, his expression thoughtful. Unlike the others, his interest lay not in the artifacts themselves but in the people bidding on them. "It’s fascinating, the hearts of people," Ling Yi mused aloud, catching the attention of Yu Tianheng standing nearby.
Yu Tianheng shrugged, "In a place like this, everyone shows what they value most eventually."
(End of Chapter)
