As Mu Yichun expertly maneuvered the meticulously crafted Skyward Sword, he simultaneously spoke on his phone. Although it was well past noon, the marketplace bustled with a vibrant crowd. Thankfully, the sight of this grand magical sword kept pedestrians at bay, providing him with a measure of convenience.
"Old Mu, it's a full hour's journey from the main city to the novice village, making it a two-hour round trip. You must understand how many gold coins we are losing in that time!" remarked a young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses inside the sword.
Yet Mu Yichun felt a thrill of joy at the thought of potential losses. "Losses? Once you taste that rice, I bet you'll be rushing to the novice village every day!"
"Don't fret, we will arrive soon. I haven't been to the novice village marketplace in ages. I had no idea it would still be this lively! We must hurry; if we delay, we might miss out!" With that, Mu Yichun accelerated his pace.
...
After several twists and turns, the magnificent sword finally glided into the bustling stall area of the marketplace.
"Oh wow, am I seeing things? Look at that orange flying artifact!"
"Oh my goodness! Isn't that the entry-level flying tool that only appears in the main city? When did it arrive in our novice village?"
"Brothers, remember to support each other! Anyone who can afford such an artifact is undoubtedly a big spender! We must make a killing! After all, an entry-level flying sword is worth at least a million gold coins!"
Finally, the flying sword came to a halt. The occupants exchanged glances, as it seemed they had arrived at the wrong place.
In this corner stall, the dust on the ground accumulated three inches deep; it hardly appeared to be a hotspot for eager shoppers!
"Old Mu, you're not joking, are you? What is this? You brought us all this way just for a serving of rice? I pushed through dungeons worth tens of thousands of gold coins for you; you must compensate for my losses!" The man in gold-rimmed glasses complained, his irritation evident.
Suppressing his inner excitement, Mu Yichun commanded the Skyward Sword to shrink into a silvery needle, flying elegantly into his ear—it was a display of utter finesse.
Delicious food should be shared with good friends, especially since he had been salivating over it daily; he felt somewhat lonely and thought others should join in this delightful torment.
...
"Is this really as delicious as you claim? While it looks bright and appealing, rice is still just rice. What could be so different?" One of the leaner companions was already impatiently reaching for a serving.
The fragrant aroma of rice wafted from his hands, slowly enveloping the entire stall area, awakening another young man, a dandy, from his slumber.
"Perhaps. I'll take a bite first." The dandy, indifferent to time or money, regarded Mu Yichun as his leader.
Experience taught him that following his leader was never a mistake!
In an instant, three servings of Dragon's Saliva Rice were sold, and Zhao Shen emerged from his vendor state. Though he was a genuinely enthusiastic person, he understood that in the presence of successful individuals, one could only earn respect by being even more impressive.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for grasping the essence of the Culinary Master; you are rewarded with a bottle of spring water."
...
"Bro, sorry for the delay; I encountered a few issues on the way. I brought some friends to enjoy your rice; could you please prepare another serving? I'm feeling quite tempted," Mu Yichun said, swallowing hard as he looked at the three people holding rice bowls.
"Apologies, but I truly can't. I promise to notify you first when I have new culinary delights," Zhao Shen replied, touched by Mu Yichun's sincerity; perhaps he was the first person to genuinely appreciate him.
Warm feelings of camaraderie flowed through Zhao Shen's heart.
In the eyes of the young man with glasses, a tasteless staple like rice could not possibly be swallowed alone. Even oatmeal needed consideration regarding its sweetness, let alone bland rice.
However, when he glanced at the dandy, who had eagerly started eating, he realized he had been mistaken; either he was wrong, or the dandy had lost his mind.
...
Having grown up together, they were indeed friends from prominent families. Although Dou Dou listened to Mu Yichun, the young man knew Dou Dou's taste well.
Currently, Dou Dou resembled a street urchin, tossing his spoon aside and grabbing the rice with his hands, devouring it hungrily. The enticing aroma wafted around him, a delightful fusion of earthy grains and creamy notes invading his senses.
"Is it really that delicious?" The young man with glasses couldn't help but wonder, as he held himself to high culinary standards.
As a grain of rice found its way into his mouth, the young man with glasses became the third victim of the Culinary Master's Dragon's Saliva Rice. Seeing his companion nearly finished, the lean man also began to indulge, and the three of them devoured the food like starving beggars encountering a lavish feast.
Zhao Shen watched this scene with satisfaction. This was precisely the effect he desired; after years of yearning for such recognition, he finally had a venue to showcase his culinary skills.
No longer would he need to worry about failing to capture the essence of his dishes.
Moreover, he discovered that his cooking skills were upgrading, with the quality of his dishes steadily improving.
Although the initial "inferior product" had astonished Mu Yichun, any enhancements thereafter were not significantly noticeable.
...
"Oh my heavens, your rice can also enhance attributes? I just gained 12 points in attack power!" the lean man exclaimed in shock after finishing his meal.
"What? Yesterday it was 10 points, and today it's 12? Could it be that your food's enhancement effects are scalable?" Mu Yichun was completely astounded.
Even Zhao Shen was taken aback; the revelation about the increase in attack power had come from Mu Yichun first. To think that the enhancement effects could actually improve!
"Could it be related to the proficiency of the skills?" Zhao Shen pondered inwardly.
"My goodness, this is divine! Bro, give me another serving! Spring, after all these years of trickery, you've finally done something worthwhile!" The dandy exclaimed, tears streaming down his face, having completely forgotten about women and games, fixating solely on the rice before him.
"And me! I want a serving too! No, make that ten! I want to stock up in my backpack!" the young man with glasses added eagerly.
"Boss, here are 10,000 gold coins! Give me a hundred servings!" the lean young man declared, startling those nearby.
...
"A hundred servings? Can you even finish that?" Mu Yichun inquired incredulously.
The lean man shook his head, a knowing expression on his face as he replied, "Spring, have you considered that each serving of Dragon's Saliva Rice grants a 12-point boost to attack power for 24 hours? While that may not seem significant for us, what about our brothers just emerging from the novice village? That's a fundamental attribute boost of two levels! In simulation life, experience gained from monster hunting is distributed according to level, and you cannot bring others along. So just think about how crucial those 2-level attributes are in the early stages!"