"Young Lord, this is a Nine Fungi Bear Bladder Soup. It uses nine different kinds of lingzhi mushrooms and has the gall bladder of a Pyreghost Bear and other assorted beasts. It's very nourishing.
"And this rice with spirit fruits has the cured juices of plenty of spirit fruits. The rice is three-month energy rice. After coming to maturity, we leave it in a place with high natural energy and let it bask for three months.
"And this one..."
In the dining room, Li Luo, Jiang Qing'e, Cai Wei, and Yan Lingqing were seated. Ox Biaobiao was scurrying back and forth with heaping platters. Each dish was fragrant as could be.
"That's too much nourishment." Li Luo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He thought Ox Biaobiao was speaking metaphorically, but it seemed like he was serious on making Li Luo more herbal than a poultice.
"Your body is growing at this phase of your life, Young Lord. You need more nourishment. You can't go wrong," Ox Biaobiao beamed.
"Thanks, Uncle Biao. Let's eat."
Jiang Qing'e seemed to accept it as normal. Thanking Ox Biaobiao, she began eating.
Li Luo followed her lead, taking hearty helpings of these delicacies that were hard to get a hold of in the City of Southwind. He enjoyed them fully, giving Ox Biaobiao a big thumbs up to show his appreciation.
After stuffing himself, Li Luo felt a strong fire within his body that made him feel hot all over.
Thanks to Biaobiao's exceptional culinary skills, even Jiang Qing'e and Cai Wei could not maintain their decorum, and tucked in with uncommon fervor.
Ox Biaobiao watched them tackle the mountain of food with a big, satisfied smile on his face.
When they had all eaten their fill, he called servants over to clean the tables and then serve them each a cup of sweet tea.
"This is Floweret Steeped Tea. After eating those highly nourishing foods, you need something strongly calming to quench the fires of the body."
Li Luo drank it all in one gulp and then felt his body begin cooling down immediately. It seemed like the resonant power within him had grown stronger.
"Uncle Biao's the best," Li Luo marveled.
Ox Biaobiao's laughter boomed out. "Young Lord, you're too kind. I will prepare it for you daily. Nourish you up."
He packed the table and took his leave.
Li Luo stared at Ox Biaobiao's retreating figure with a tingle of suspicion. He kept saying Li Luo was empty and needed nourishment...
Just a casual remark?
Or... did he know something?
Two months ago, he had gained acquired resonances. He had indeed been empty of blood essence, and even his lifespan had been shortened... But he had not even told Jiang Qing'e, to spare her the worry.
Could it be that Uncle Biao... knew? Impossible.
Li Luo turned back to Jiang Qing'e, who was delicately sipping at her tea. "How strong is Uncle Biao?" he asked in a low voice.
She looked up at him. "I saw him use resonant power a long time ago. Roughly at the Resonant Master stage."
Li Luo didn't really believe that. He was average...?
She seemed to guess what he was thinking. "There's no need to speculate. All we need to know is that Uncle Biao is trustworthy. That's all," she said simply.
Li Luo thought about it and nodded. Indeed, there was no need to overthink it. Whether he was stronger than he let on or not, if he wasn't going to volunteer information, they shouldn't push it out of him. After all, if his parents had entrusted all food matters at House Luolan's headquarters to him, he had their absolute trust.
Jiang Qing'e unhurriedly sipped her tea. Finally, she rose. "Let's go. It's about time."
Li Luo stood up as well, sucking in a deep breath. It was showtime. A declaration of the young lord's presence to all at House Luolan's headquarters, and that he was here for good.
In the future, he would be one of the controlling powers here.
It was a simple yet highly significant custom.
Calming himself, he followed Jiang Qing'e out of the hall. They passed through a long corridor and pushed through a set of doors at the end.
The blindingly bright lights inside forced Li Luo to squint as he entered.
When his eyes adjusted, he saw that many people were seated behind the long tables at both sides of the room. They were all looking at him with unreadable expressions.
There was a strange stiffness in the atmosphere here.
Jiang Qing'e's voice rang out to break it. "Do you all not see the Young Lord here?"
Only then did they stand up in twos and threes, cupping their hands. "Our respects to the Young Lord."
Li Luo smilingly replied to them in kind. "My respects to you too."
They could all see that this unusually handsome young man had inherited the looks of Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan. However, none of their charisma or natural commanding presence were visible. Instead, all they saw was youthful greenness.
Many of the higher management at House Luolan had forgotten about Li Luo ever since his blank palaces had come to light. Even though he was the rightful heir to the house, his blank palaces had pronounced his death sentence.
No one would be willing to leave House Luolan in the hands of a powerless young lord.
Therefore, they had put him out of mind in recent years. And now the mascot of House Luolan had appeared before them again.
However, he was no longer the same blank palace cultivator that he once was. He was first in the Tianshu Province's exams and had earned his place in the Astral Sage College.
Although the difference between him and Jiang Qing'e was still huge, he was no longer a complete invalid. If the two truly married in the future, perhaps there would still be hope for House Luolan.
Unsure of how to feel yet, they again cupped their hands in respect.
"This is Pavilion Master Lei Zhang, on the Council of Nine. You should have met him before. He is the only Pavilion Master who remains at House Luolan's headquarters. He is also in charge of the headquarters' security matters." She pointed to a middle-aged man in the foremost seat on the left. Li Luo had noticed him when Pei Hao had come to the old manor.
"This is the master of the resonant artifacts workshop, Yuan Jin."
Li Luo looked at him. He was a scholarly middle-aged man that did not look at all the part of a resonant artifacts expert.
"And the pill workshop mistress, An Hongyan."
She was a beautiful matron with a prim air about her, clad in white.
"Greetings, Young Lord."
The three that Jiang Qing'e had just introduced held high positions in House Luolan, and they all bowed to him.
Li Luo nodded in acknowledgement. He neither appeared too friendly nor too cold.
Li Luo noticed something wrong. The Suncreek Villa's headquarters management was not here.
He turned to Jiang Qing'e, who was also looking cold and angry. Her voice rang out with steel in it.
"Where is the Suncreek Villa's President Hanzhi?"