Chapter 33 — Down the Mountain
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 5 of 7
The waiter chuckled. "The gentleman has a keen eye. This 'Clear-Stewed Dream Fish' is our Mountain and Sea Garden's signature dish—fragrant and silken-smooth, sweet on the tongue. Within a hundred li of Heyin City it's famous indeed."
Zhang Qingyue swallowed, took up his chopsticks, put a bite in his mouth, and at once closed his eyes and nodded without cease: "Ah, the flesh is wonderful—but the cooking's better still. The sweetness means a little sugar; ginger slices were added to cut the fishiness; mm, there's the fragrance of seared scallion, so fresh scallion heads must have been used; ah, and rarest of all is how well the pepper and five-spice—yes, that's it—and the sesame oil are matched. Marvelous, marvelous!"
His rapt expression left Qi Hao and Zeng Shuyan staring, and even Lu Xueqi looked at him with a strange cast to her face; but the waiter standing by was truly lost in admiration and cried aloud: "The gentleman is a connoisseur indeed—he knows his goods!"
Only then did Zhang Qingyue notice the looks of those around him. He flushed, hastily set down his chopsticks, but could not resist one more question: "If I may ask, waiter, where does this Dream Fish come from?"
Before the waiter could answer, a woman's voice came from a large table next door: "This Dream Fish is a specialty of Mount Zhugou in the southern lands, a thousand li from here—how could it be brought so far? Is this establishment not cheating its guests?" (Note 1)
The others were startled and looked over. At that large table sat eight people: six men in yellow robes, and two women—one in a long pale violet gown, her face veiled in gauze so that her features could not be seen, though the little skin she showed was white as snow; the other was the one who had spoken, a girl of no great age, only sixteen or seventeen by the look of her, in a water-green dress, fair and lovely, with fine brows, snowy skin, and a pair of bright, quick, large eyes that made one's eyes light up; compared with Lu Xueqi she was scarcely a shade behind.
Zhang Qingyue said "Ah," and saw that after speaking, the girl's gaze had fallen on Lu Xueqi at his table, as though she too had been struck by Lu Xueqi's beauty. Women love beauty; even one as cold and frosty as Lu Xueqi could not help but look at the girl a moment longer.
The waiter now smiled apologetically. "The guest speaks truly. But you may not know: a hundred years ago this Dream Fish was indeed found only on Mount Zhugou in the south; later, however, Master Daoyan of the Canglan Sect passed through Mount Zhugou and specially brought the fish back, placing it in the Hong River north of Canglan Mountain. By now it has not only lived but flourished, and we all owe our good fortune in this delicacy to Immortal Daoyan of Canglan Mountain!" As he spoke, his face took on a look of the deepest reverence.
Zhang Qingyue and the other Canglan Sect disciples were of course pleased, and smiled; but the young girl, hearing this, turned and exchanged a look with the gauze-veiled woman, then sat back—though she gave a little snort.
After the savory dinner, Zhang Qingyue and the others returned well satisfied to their rooms. At the gate of the western court Qi Hao said to them: "Rest here tonight, all of you. Tomorrow morning early, we set out for Kongsang Mountain."
Zhang Qingyue and Zeng Shuyan answered; Lu Xueqi said not a word but walked straight to her room and shut the door with a "bang." Qi Hao was taken aback, gave the two of them a wry smile, and said: "Junior Brothers, rest early as well."
Zhang Qingyue looked once at his handsome face—in the light of the setting sun Qi Hao's bearing was in no way diminished from before, but rather had gained a touch of otherworldly grace—and suddenly felt his spirits sink, his energy fail him. He barely managed a word to Zeng Shuyan, and, ignoring Qi Hao altogether, went off to his own room.