Chapter 271 - 267: Cooking Instant Noodles
Chapter 271: Chapter 267: Cooking Instant Noodles
Qiankun Bags were divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower Three Grades. Even the Lowest Grade one cost several thousand Gold Coins, something an ordinary person could never afford. Those who owned Qiankun Bags were typically Martial Artists at the Martial Arts Seventh Realm, or even Qi Condensation Stage Martial Artists in the Eighth and Ninth Realms.
In the Southern Tang Country, Qi Condensation Stage experts in the Seventh to Ninth Realms were rare, so many people had never seen a Qiankun Bag. The young Escort Master, for example, had only heard legends about their miraculous properties but had never laid eyes on one. Big Beard, however, being the Chief of the Escort Agency and having traveled far and wide for many years, was far more worldly.
"Excuse me, is your agency’s caravan heading to the Golden Scale Imperial City?" Ye Xing asked, walking up to Big Beard.
"No, Young Master, we aren’t going that far. Our caravan is heading to the Central Cloud Main City in Central Cloud Province," Big Beard replied enthusiastically.
"Central Cloud Main City?" Ye Xing’s eyes flickered. He mused for a moment before saying, "Even though it’s not the Golden Scale Imperial City, it seems to be in the same direction, so it’s on my way. Could I trouble you for a ride?"
"Yes, of course," Big Beard nodded.
"I’d like a private carriage," Ye Xing said firmly.
"A private carriage? That’s a bit pricey. Sharing a carriage is just one Gold Coin per person, but a private one costs ten Gold Coins. It’s much more expensive," said Big Beard.
"That’s fine. Arrange a carriage for me." Ye Xing pulled ten Gold Coins from his pocket and handed them to Big Beard. He wanted a private carriage so he wouldn’t be disturbed; it would be much quieter and more peaceful for his Cultivation inside.
This was the main reason Ye Xing wanted to travel with the Escort Agency’s caravan. He could make progress on the road while cultivating in the carriage—it was a perfect arrangement. Of course, there was another reason: the men of the Escort Agency had traveled extensively and knew the roads between cities well. With them as guides, he wouldn’t need to bother with a map, which made things much more convenient.
Big Beard immediately accepted the ten Gold Coins from Ye Xing. "Right this way, please follow me. By the way, I’m Yang Lei, Chief of the Weiyang Escort Agency. And how should I address you, Young Master?"
"My surname is Ye," Ye Xing said with a slight smile.
Yang Lei immediately led Ye Xing to a carriage. "Young Master Ye, you can take this one. Little Fei, come over here and drive for Young Master Ye."
"Right away!" The young Escort Master, Little Fei, was very quick-witted. Although he couldn’t see anything special about the young master before him, he knew the Chief’s insight was far superior to his own. He understood that someone the Chief treated so respectfully was a person he absolutely could not afford to offend; in fact, he should try his best to curry favor.
It was now early morning. After resting for a night, the people in the caravan began trickling out from the Wind and Cloud Inn, returning to their convoy with their bags and luggage. Guarded by the Escort Masters of the Weiyang Escort Agency, the caravan departed from the Wind and Cloud Inn, left Ning’an City, and began the journey toward Central Cloud Province.
The caravan was quite large, with four to five hundred people in total. There were merchants with carts laden with goods, as well as commoners and Martial Artists traveling independently to Central Cloud City. The Weiyang Escort Agency itself had about a hundred Escort Masters. Their duty was to protect all the merchants and travelers, guaranteeing their safety and the security of their property. The mission would be complete once everyone was delivered safely to their destination.
The carriage wheels rumbled on as the long caravan snaked its way down the winding dirt road.
About four to six hours after leaving Ning’an City, it was noon. The golden sun shone down from high above, adding a touch of warmth to the deep winter day. The green leaves lining the road were coated in a pale golden light, giving them a lustrous sheen.
"It’s noon! There’s an open space just ahead. Let’s pull over, rest, and make lunch!"
At the order from Chief Yang Lei, the caravan of several hundred people slowly came to a halt. After being cooped up in the carriages for so long, everyone was eager for some fresh air. They all disembarked and began preparing to cook.
Inside one of the carriages, Ye Xing, who had been in the middle of his Cultivation, opened his eyes.
’It’s noon already? I’m actually getting a little hungry. Guess I’ll make a bowl of instant noodles.’ With that thought, Ye Xing lifted the carriage curtain, found a large, flat rock nearby, then took a small gas stove out of his Qiankun Bag and started to cook his noodles.
The other travelers were busy with the tedious, time-consuming process of making a meal—some gathered firewood from the nearby woods while others moved stones to build makeshift stoves.
Ye Xing’s gas stove, however, had its own fuel canister. He placed an iron pot on top, added the instant noodles and some water, and ignited the burner. A blue and red flame immediately roared to life.
Instant noodles—quick, convenient, and tasty—were a widely beloved dish for a reason. ’Especially the first time you try them,’ Ye Xing thought, ’they’re unbelievably delicious.’ He still remembered his own first time as a kid. He had practically licked the bowl clean and even made a grand declaration: "Mom, I’m going to eat instant noodles every day from now on!" Remembering that childhood "oath" now made him cringe with embarrassment.
As the noodles were cooking, Ye Xing noticed a small boy dressed in fine brocade approaching him. The boy was only about eight or nine years old, his gem-like black eyes fixed curiously on the dancing flames beneath the iron pot. "Huh? Big Brother," the boy asked, filled with curiosity, "there isn’t any firewood under your pot, so why is there a fire?"
"Because my stove uses gas," Ye Xing said with a smile.
"What’s gas? I’ve never seen it before," the little boy asked, tilting his head as he stared at the flames in wonder.
"Gas is a substance that can burn," Ye Xing explained patiently to the boy. "Just like a candle can make a flame. You don’t always need firewood to make a fire."
The instant noodles cooked very quickly, and before long, a tempting aroma wafted from the pot. Even Ye Xing, who ate instant noodles so often he was tired of them, could feel his mouth watering at the smell.
"Wow, that smells amazing! Where is that coming from? What is that smell? It’s so good!"
"Haha, that’s the smell of instant noodles!" Ye Xing laughed. He poured the noodles into a bowl, picked up a plastic fork, and was just about to eat when he noticed the little boy. A trail of drool was trickling from the corner of the boy’s mouth, and his big, dark eyes were fixed on Ye Xing with a pitiful, hungry look.
Ye Xing was speechless for a moment. "You want some too, little guy?" he asked.
"Uh-huh!" The little boy nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright, here you go. Take it." Ye Xing sighed with a wry smile, handing the bowl to the little boy. "I’ll just make another one for myself." He then took out another packet of instant noodles and put them in the pot.
"Thank you, Big Brother!" the well-dressed boy exclaimed, taking the noodles happily. "You’re the best! I’ll go get you some chicken wings in a little bit. My sister’s grilled chicken wings are delicious!"