Twenty hours later.
Dr. Qiu En, looking exhausted, walked into Mo Du’s large tent.
“Greetings, Speaker, and Mr. Zhang Wei. May I ask what urgent matter requires my presence?”
“Have you been busy until now?”
“I’ve performed over forty surgeries continuously and am nearing my limit. My hands are trembling. For the safety of my patients, I have handed over the remaining cases to my subordinate doctors.”
Even ordinary doctors need opportunities to hone their skills.
Zhang Wei made a gesture.
On the table appeared the tiger blood wine and salt-baked roasted meat from the Galon Tiger Feast. These two dishes, when paired, strongly replenished yang energy and had a powerful invigorating effect.
“This is…”
“Please, don’t stand on ceremony. This is what a medical professional deserves.”
Dr. Qiu En looked at Zhang Wei with gratitude and began to eat heartily at the table.
Beside them, the human-skin doll recounted the patients’ conditions and produced the hallucinogenic agent.
Dr. Qiu En said between mouthfuls, “Brain damage… that’s incredibly difficult to resolve!”
“I am a surgeon. Even for eyeballs or eardrums, I have no problem, but the brain itself…”
Zhang Wei’s expression darkened. Was there truly no way? Would they remain a sleeping beauty forever?
Dr. Qiu En pondered for a long time. “I apologize, but surgery has its limits. To truly solve this problem, Mr. Zhang Wei, it will depend on you.”
“On me?”
“Yes, you are a chef, a creator of miracles. For the King of Northern Cuisine, are one or two miracles really that difficult?”
Zhang Wei gave a wry smile. You truly think highly of me. I have absolutely no clue how to handle something like this. Although, it’s true that in this world, cuisine can solve many problems…
Dr. Qiu En seemed to recall something and suddenly exclaimed, “When we took over Yù City, we plundered its state library. I seem to recall seeing several books about brain-related ingredients. I found them quite interesting at the time…”
“Where are those books now?”
“Hmm… they should be in the spoils warehouse, or perhaps in the carriages the elders used when they fled.”
…
What followed was a long and arduous search. The Land of Clouds had limited resources, and paper and animal hides were expensive, making books highly esteemed. Similarly, when the Northern Allied Forces plundered supplies, these hardcover books kept in the treasure pavilion were naturally taken along.
“Record of Cloud Variations… Flower Mountain Compendium… Towards the Cloud Crane…”
“History of Cloud Country Reclamation… Buried Truths…”
“Legendary Sky Vegetable Garden… Lightning Sea of Clouds…”
Tens of thousands of books were collected. Finding relevant information was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Zhang Wei mobilized hundreds of people to sift through them, uploading any potentially useful information for secondary review. Meanwhile, Zhang Wei immersed his mind in the inner sanctum, hoping for clues within the diverse collection of books he had previously purchased from the Desert Bookstore. With the boost from the time dilation, Zhang Wei’s efficiency was not significantly lower.
“Look at this, everyone, a Tornado Spirit from the Storm Sea, capture level 85 or higher.”
“That’s obviously fake. How can you capture a tornado?”
“Let me show you mine. The Apple of Eden, capture level unknown. It’s said that eating it can awaken wisdom and knowledge that do not originally belong to you. These books all mention it, so it must exist!”
“The Apple of Eden… I seem to recall that. Isn’t that… that kind of aphrodisiac, the one that can unlock many positions?”
“Holy crap, I was too hasty.”
…
Through the team’s screening, they retained ingredients that were verifiably real, documented historically, and could be concretely captured.
A small story among them caught Zhang Wei’s attention. Legend had it that a brave noble in the Land of Clouds had a mother suffering from Celestial Loss Syndrome (dementia), who was in a daze all day and unable to handle state affairs. Under the guidance of a wise elder, this noble captured an exceptionally elegant and noble goldfish from a cold pool among the clouds. This goldfish had a long tail like a majestic gown, and it navigated the clouds like a creature from paradise. This goldfish was the renowned Phoenix Koi! It was said that the soup made from it was immensely beneficial for vital energy, with miraculous effects of reviving the dead and restoring flesh and bone.
“This Phoenix Koi, isn’t that the one I asked Gang Tu for and didn’t get?”
“According to Gang Tu, the Phoenix Koi is critically endangered due to extensive hunting. The last time one appeared was several years ago.”
Zhang Wei continued to read and discovered that this so-called noble was none other than the previous Lord of Yù City! The book was completed twenty years ago… If that’s the case, this noble could not be older than ninety. In the Great Culinary Era, ninety years old is not old at all!
“Chu Xiang, go to the prisoner camp immediately and bring the former Lord of Yù City here! If you can’t find him, then interrogate those nobles!”
Chu Xiang sighed helplessly. Who is the commander between us now? Mo Du is critically ill, and I’m in charge, aren’t I? However, seeing the human-skin doll, Qing Cheng, Ju Feng, and the others looking at him as their leader, Chu Xiang wisely chose to remain silent.
“Mr. Zhang Wei, the former Lord of Yù City has been brought forth!”
A middle-aged High-Class being was led in. His majestic mane was like that of a lion, though interspersed with streaks of white.
“Commander of the Human Realm, Lait Fu, pays his respects.”
Zhang Wei tossed the book over.
“The protagonist of this book, is it you?”
Lait Fu picked up the book and said, “This is my autobiography. Of course, I am the protagonist.”
Zhang Wei: … Do nobles all have a penchant for writing autobiographies?
“Is the content of the book true?”
“Of course!”
Seeing Zhang Wei’s unfriendly gaze, Lait Fu added, “The storyline is true, it has just undergone a bit of artistic embellishment.”
“What about the part where the Phoenix Koi cures illness?”
“This… alright, I’ll confess. I obtained the Phoenix Koi through an auction. I never went to the cold pool among the clouds, nor did I encounter any pool fairy… The part about a one-night stand, that was all my invention.”
Zhang Wei roared, “Shut up, say another foolish word and I’ll flay you!”
Lait Fu instinctively covered his groin.
“I’m asking about the part where the Phoenix Koi saved someone. Was its medicinal effect really that good?”
“Ahhh, you’re asking about that! Of course! My mother was in a coma for half a month, but after eating the Phoenix Koi, she woke up immediately. She could eat, drink, and was very healthy.”
Effective! It indeed matched the legend.
Zhang Wei said fiercely, “Do you know the consequences of lying to me?”
“Regarding the medicinal effects, there isn’t a single false word. Many people in Yù City know about this matter. There would be no need to fabricate it!”
“I want a Phoenix Koi now. If you help me obtain it, I will pardon and release you and your family.”
“Including my assets?”
“Even the assets of others.”
Lait Fu was overjoyed! He never expected such good fortune in his life. Not only did he not lose a cent after being captured as a hostage, but he could also make a hefty profit! As for the interests of other nobles… What did that have to do with him?
Lait Fu respectfully said, “Your Excellency, Commander of the Human Realm, I have a way to obtain the Phoenix Koi!”