Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1514 - 1507: Exotic Cuisine

Chapter 1514: Chapter 1507: Exotic Cuisine

The carriage traveled along the street and arrived at a residence, which had a feel similar to that of a courtyard house, surrounded on three sides by houses, with an open wall facing the front. The opening was large enough for the carriage to enter and stop inside the courtyard.

Although the courtyard was small, it contained everything necessary, including guest rooms, a kitchen, and a stable in the corner for resting the horses.

The living room opposite the main gate was two stories high, a building height common in the town; during their arrival, they had even seen buildings three or four stories high. Of course, due to the structural limitations of the houses, this was almost considered the limit for ordinary buildings.

Upon arriving in the courtyard, Cheng Ziang jumped down from the carriage, looked around satisfactorily, and nodded to the mayor, "This place is not bad."

"Eh, as long as Manor Lord likes it!" said the mayor of the Demon Clan with a smile.

"Good, you can go out first. After we inspect the house, we will invite the sacred figure inside," Cheng Ziang said.

"Uh..." the mayor hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say something.

"What’s wrong," Cheng Ziang paused before adding, "Oh right, remember to bring food and drinks to the door, no need to come inside, we will take care of the sacred figure ourselves."

"Can we see the sacred figure?" the mayor asked hesitantly after a long pause.

"Well, it depends on fate and devotion. True faith brings enlightenment. It’s excessive to expect to offer suggestions to the sacred figure without any contribution," Cheng Ziang cheerily clapped the mayor’s shoulder, smiling brightly. Though his face could not be seen, one could feel his jovial tone.

"Eh, yes, yes, your words are very wise, Manor Lord. We will certainly treat you well, especially the sacred figure," the mayor nodded eagerly.

"Good, that’s the way it should be. If you perform well, in a few days I will ask the sacred figure to bless you, so you too can experience what only cultivators can," Cheng Ziang stated.

"Really?" Upon hearing this, the mayor was overjoyed and excitedly said, "We will definitely treat you well."

"Go prepare the meals then. The journey has been tiring, and the sacred figure also needs to eat and rest. Do not disturb him unnecessarily," Cheng Ziang patted his shoulder.

"Okay, okay, rest well, we’ll prepare the meal immediately!" the mayor nodded excitedly and then left the courtyard with his people.

"You really know how to bluff, casually promising them big dreams," Hu Daoke walked up to Cheng Ziang after watching the mayor leave, teasing him.

"That’s not bluffing, it’s cultivating a sense of mystery through speech. Look, now they regard Luo’er as a deity, a good sign," Cheng Ziang replied, nodding in satisfaction.

At that moment, there was a commotion in the carriage. Luo’er stuck his head out and exhaled deeply, "Phew, finally they’re gone, I was almost suffocating."

"Come down yourself, sacred figure, or do you really need us to invite you?" Cheng Ziang glanced at him, teasingly said.

"What are you talking about," Tangmo descended from the carriage, carrying the heavy Magic Wand, and rolled her eyes at him, "Acting involves playing the role thoroughly, not acting one way in front of others and another behind their backs. We must act until we ourselves believe it."

Saying this, she held the Magic Wand in one hand and extended the other towards Luo’er, respectfully saying, "Sacred figure, please come down and enter the room."

Seeing her serious demeanor, Luo’er couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head, placing his hand in hers and slowly stepping down from the carriage with her assistance.

"You’re getting too caught up in the role," Cheng Ziang watched their actions, somewhat speechlessly said.

"What role? Be polite to the sacred figure!" Hu Daoke slapped the back of his head, went up to Luo’er proactively, and then helped Luo’er lift his long robe.

"Ah, scoundrel, I am the Azure Dragon, the leader among the four, show some respect, you jerk!" Cheng Ziang’s soul nearly flew out from the slap, causing him to burst out in exasperation.

However, Tangmo was indeed right; since they had already started acting, they must act thoroughly. They shouldn’t wait until someone approached them to start acting; they should perform until everyone fully embraced their roles.

Thus, the group, following the pre-set script, invited Luo’er, who was playing the saint, into the house and settled him in a room on the second floor.

Soon, the Demon Clan brought food and drinks for the group to enjoy. They placed the food at the entrance of the courtyard, and then had their own guards bring it inside.

After closing the door, the group finally had a chance to breathe and promptly took off their masks, revealing their true faces. It must be said that wearing masks was indeed a painful affair, especially for those with oily skin, ending up with their faces all greasy.

Moreover, with the masks on, many things became impossible, such as drinking water. So as soon as the food and drinks arrived, the group fiercely competed for the beverages.

The beverages were contained in clay pots, a type of alcohol that was very mild, even sweet-tasting. If one dabbed their fingers in the alcohol, they would soon become sticky, which was quite uncomfortable.

The group was really thirsty; Feng alone drank two large bowls before finally taking a deep breath. Hu Daoke even finished an entire jar on his own, earning a look of disdain from Cheng Ziang.

The main staple provided by the Demon Clan was predominantly rice, mixed with some beans, which showed that even in the Otherworld, there were staple grains similar to those on Earth.

Their dishes were much more abundant, predominantly cured foods accompanied by a rich variety of dipping sauces. The meat was cut into large pieces, and the usual way to eat was to alternate between bites of rice and sips of wine, followed by grabbing a piece of meat dipped in sauce with one’s hands.

In addition to cured meats, there were also fresh stew meats, roasted poultry, and more. What was more horrifying was that the meals provided by the Demon Clan included insect dishes, and not just one kind.

There were long, black insects fried in oil similar to centipedes. There were also bug-like insects stewed and served with dipping sauce. There were also insect-sized like soybeans similar to ants, fried until crispy and sprinkled with spices for eating.

Most unacceptable was a white worm the size of a thumb, its protein content expanded fully due to high heat. Biting into it released a hot burst of juice that flooded the mouth.

"How could they serve us these dishes; are they trying to intimidate us?" Tangmo angrily said, slamming the table upon seeing the disheartening dishes.

"I actually think it’s quite good," Cheng Ziang said, picking up a fried bug resembling a centipede and chewing it thoughtfully. After reflecting a moment, he nodded and said with satisfaction, "Hmm, not bad, this taste is really good, crunchy."

Luo’er also tried one and then nodded, "Sort of similar to water centipedes."

"What’s a water centipede?" inquired Hu Daoke, puzzled.

"It’s an aquatic insect, seems to be the larvae of dragon lice. A chef from school’s cafeteria got some and cooked up a special meal. I had good relations with them so I joined in, and I still can’t forget that taste. Fried and topped with pepper salt, the flavor is crispy and nice," Luo’er explained earnestly.

"See, even a gourmet like Luo’er says it’s delicious, what’s there to worry about?" Cheng Ziang then picked up another one, offering it to Tangmo.

"Is it really good?" Tangmo took a step back, frowning with a look of disgust.

"If you don’t think of them as bugs, everything is delicious. In fact, insects are much more nutritious than meats," Luo’er commented from the side.

"If you don’t eat it, then Little Fengye is going to finish it all," Cheng Ziang added.

Everyone looked at Feng following his words, seeing her devouring the food voraciously without any regard that it was made from insects.

"Little Fengye must have eaten a lot of bugs when she was younger, so she doesn’t really care..." Cheng Ziang said, looking at her with a pained expression.

"I’ll try this one," volunteered Hu Daoke, bravely picking up a beetle stuck to the dipping sauce and popping it into his mouth.

His expression was odd, frowning one moment and then relaxing the next. After chewing for a long time, he ultimately spit it out.