Lin Feng opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of the second floor of the Council Hall.
Outside the window was a dark red sky. Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds, dyeing the entire Beacon Fire Town in a dim yellow hue.
He sat up and stretched his muscles and bones.
The sense of trance from returning from Blue Star had already dissipated.
He went downstairs, crossed the Council Hall, exited through the side door, and walked along the bluestone path toward the Lords Kitchen.
He encountered several subjects on the way who bowed to him one after another; he waved his hand and kept walking without stopping.
The Lords Kitchen was a separate building behind the Council Hall, slightly larger than ordinary residences, with cooking smoke rising from its chimney.
Before he even got close, he slled a scent mixed with the aroma of at and spices.
Lin Feng pushed the door open and entered.
The kitchen was steaming. Li Gui stood before the stove, holding a long-handled spatula, flipping contents in a large iron pot.
He wore an apron, and his forehead was covered in sweat, but his movents were very nimble.
Beside the stove, two apprentices were chopping vegetables, the at chunks on the cutting board sliced neatly.
In the corner, another apprentice was tending the fire, the flas making his face glow bright red.
"Lord!" Li Gui was the first to see Lin Feng. He quickly put down the spatula, wiped his hands on his apron, and hurried over to greet him.
The two apprentices chopping vegetables also stopped their knives and stood respectfully.
Lin Feng waved his hand. "Carry on with your work."
He looked at Li Gui. "Master Li, what's for dinner tonight?"
Li Gui rubbed his hands, a smile on his face, and began to list the dishes, his voice carrying the pride of an old chef:
"Tonight we've stewed a pot of braised pork using that Long-snouted Wild Boar sent from Qingmu County yesterday. The fat-to-lean ratio is just right. It's been stewing for two hours and is incredibly tender.
There's also stead Green-Scaled Fish, caught fresh from the lake this morning.
I'll pair it with a wild vegetable atball soup and a dish of pickled radishes as an appetizer. The staple is multi-grain pancakes, toasted against the side of the pot until they're crispy and fragrant."
Lin Feng nodded. "Sounds good."
Li Gui gave a chuckle. "Don't you worry, Lord. You know my skills."
Lin Feng smiled and took a walk around the kitchen. The large pot on the stove was bubbling, and the aroma of the braised pork wafted into his nose.
The stear nearby was emitting white steam, likely the stead fish.
Several rows of freshly made wild vegetable atballs were laid out on the cutting board, looking green and refreshing.
"Alright, once the al is ready, just have soone deliver it to the Council Hall," Lin Feng said.
Li Gui patted his chest. "Rest assured, Lord, I'll deliver it personally in a mont."
Lin Feng nodded, turned, and walked out of the kitchen.
The Council Hall was empty.
Lin Feng sat in the main seat and flipped through the territory's accounts.
Population, taxes, grain reserves, mineral inventory—he needed to have a clear grasp of everything.
The Mithril Mine at North Slope Village was still being mined, producing thirty units of raw ore daily.
Tian Zheng's slting furnace was under construction and would be operational in three days.
Copper and tin ingots would arrive within seven days, at which point recruitnt could begin imdiately after the expansion of the Great Qin Elite Camp.
Things had to be pushed forward one by one; they couldn't be rushed, but they couldn't be delayed either.
As he was thinking, footsteps ca from the doorway. Li Gui walked in carrying a large tray, followed by two apprentices, one carrying dishes and the other holding bowls and chopsticks.
"Lord, the al is here."
Li Gui placed the tray on the table and personally arranged the dishes one by one.
Braised pork, stead Green-Scaled Fish, wild vegetable atball soup, pickled radishes, and multi-grain pancakes filled the table.
Lin Feng picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of braised pork.
The at was stewed until tender, lting in the mouth, rich but not greasy, with a hint of sweetness within the savory flavor.
"Master Li, your skills have improved," Lin Feng praised sincerely.
Li Gui's eyes crinkled into slits as he smiled. "Please take your ti, Lord. If it's not enough, I'll make more."
Lin Feng waved his hand. "It's enough. You all go eat as well."
Li Gui led the two apprentices out.
By the ti he finished eating, the sky had already darkened.
Lin Feng stood up and stretched his limbs. He walked to the wall and picked up the Wildfire Spear leaning in the corner.
The ancient seal script runes on the spear shaft flowed slightly under the candlelight, and the dark red shaft shimred with a cold, eerie luster.
He pushed open the door of the Council Hall and strode toward the east.
The guards at the East Gate saw him and hurriedly opened the city gate.
Lin Feng nodded and walked out of the gate alone, disappearing into the twilight.
The Crying Rift Valley was about a hundred miles northeast of Beacon Fire Town.
By the ti Lin Feng arrived, it was pitch black.
The entrance to the Rift Valley looked like a wound hacked open by a giant axe, with steep rock walls on both sides and a bottomless darkness where nothing could be seen.
Wind poured out from the valley mouth, carrying a damp, rotting scent.
Lin Feng didn't rush in. Instead, he found a flat rock at the entrance, sat down, laid the Wildfire Spear across his knees, and closed his eyes.
Tonight's goal was to reach Level 25. He was currently Level 24, with just a bit left on his experience bar.
However, the monster levels in the Crying Rift Valley ranged from 15 to 30, so gaining one level wouldn't be much of an issue.
More importantly, after reaching Level 25, he would gain an attribute point.
If he added this attribute point to Strength, his total Strength would break 60.
Once a main attribute broke 60, it would unlock extra attribute effects, likely sothing like increased damage or so attribute penetration, but it wouldn't increase attack speed.
Lin Feng initially felt it was a bit of a pity, as attack speed directly affected the opponent's block rate.
But on second thought, it made sense. Attack speed was fundantally determined by the sum of Strength (or Intelligence) and Agility.
If two people had the sa sum of Strength (or Intelligence) and Agility, their block rates against each other would both be 80%.
Looking at it this way, not adding attack speed was actually quite reasonable.
Lin Feng opened his eyes and checked the ti. 9:50 PM.
He stood up, gripped the Wildfire Spear, and cast his gaze into the bottomless darkness of the valley mouth.
9:55 PM. There was no movent in the Rift Valley.
9:58 PM. The wind stopped, and the damp, rotting scent at the valley mouth vanished.
It was replaced by an indescribable silence, as if sothing had covered the mouth of the entire Rift Valley.
9:59 PM. Lin Feng tightened his grip on the spear.
10:00 PM sharp.
From deep within the valley floor, a wisp of grayish-white mist suddenly surged out.
At first, the mist was very thin,
like early morning fog, barely visible in the darkness.
But in an ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) instant, it began to churn and spread frantically, like a living thing, erupting from the bottom of the valley!
The mist surged over the rocks on the valley floor, flooded across the dry riverbed, and climbed up the rock walls on both sides.
Its speed was astonishing; in just a few breaths, it had surged to the valley mouth.
Lin Feng stood at the entrance as the grayish-white mist churned around his feet, washing over his boots like a tide and continuing to spread outward.
He glanced down, gripped the Wildfire Spear, and strode into the Rift Valley.
The grayish-white mist closed behind him, swallowing him whole.
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