Spicy!

That was the Beastman’s first sensation.

Of course, he didn’t know this feeling was called "spicy." All he knew was that his tongue felt like it had been violently beaten by something.

Before he could figure out what had hit him, a rich, oily fragrance spread through his mouth.

The chili oil was bright red, fragrant, and spicy without being overwhelmingly fiery, carrying a mellow aroma.

The sharp scent of vinegar followed close behind, its rich, tangy flavor stimulating his taste buds and making him salivate uncontrollably.

The peanuts were crispy, the tofu skin had absorbed all the flavors, and even though this was his first time eating something spicy and tears were streaming down his face, he couldn’t stop!

Seeing his reaction, the crowd of onlooking Beastmen was startled.

’Is this what they mean by "so good it makes you cry"?!’

The Beastman, hissing from the spice, paid no mind to the stares of the crowd. His eyes were now fixed on the roujiamo.

The baijimo bun, toasted until both sides were slightly crispy, emanated a rich, wheaty fragrance. The outside was crisp, the inside fluffy. The Beastman took a bite, and with a CRUNCH...

The aroma of wheat was intense, but the fragrance of the meat was just as impressive.

The pork belly was fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry. The braising sauce was savory with a hint of sweetness, coating the finely chopped pieces of marbled meat...

The people around him were waiting for his verdict, but instead, the Beastman shot to his feet and sprinted to the back of the line as if running an 800-meter dash. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Someone couldn’t help but ask, "Zhang Tian, just tell us! How was it?"

Zhang Tian swallowed the last bite of his roujiamo, drained the soup from the hot and sour noodles, and exclaimed while drenched in sweat, "So satisfying!"

"Delicious!"

"So fragrant!"

Well, regardless of the actual taste, Zhang Tian’s reaction alone was enough to convince them it was worth trying.

Many Beastmen had initially thought that forty copper coins for a bowl of hot and sour noodles and a roujiamo was a bit expensive, so they had been holding back and observing.

But now, a crowd of people suddenly rushed to join the not-so-long line, and it quickly grew much longer.

The Beastman who was second in line, upon seeing Zhang Tian’s reaction, decisively bought four portions of each.

He was about to marry his childhood sweetheart, a young female. One portion for each of them, and one for each of their Female Mothers. It was perfect.

As for their Beast Fathers... there were too many of them, and he didn’t have enough money. Maybe next time.

The storage space provided takeout boxes, which made it convenient to carry.

Zhang Tian recognized him and grew anxious when he saw how much he bought.

’If everyone in front of me buys this many portions, will there be any left by the time I get to the front again?’

Worried, Zhang Tian kept craning his neck to look toward the front of the line.

Fortunately, Beastmen buying multiple portions were in the minority. Most were single males, the kind who only had to feed themselves. Only those with a Female Mother or a Female Master would buy extra.

The portions of hot and sour noodles and roujiamo that Yu An sold were generous. One serving was enough to leave most Beastmen half-full, so very few people would get back in line for seconds like Zhang Tian.

Soon, it was Zhang Tian’s turn again. He held up one hand. "I want five portions!"

"What? Five portions!"

The Beastman behind him said in disbelief, "Boss Yu only sells three hundred portions a day! Isn’t your appetite a little too big?"

"Yeah, yeah! There won’t be any left for those of us at the back!"

Zhang Tian cupped his hands in a gesture of apology. "My apologies, everyone. My Female Master is pregnant and can’t stomach anything. I want to let her try this."

"But you don’t have to buy five portions! Can’t you just buy more tomorrow?"

Zhang Tian replied as if it were obvious, "Everyone knows Boss Yu’s hot and sour noodles and roujiamo are delicious. What if I can’t get any tomorrow?"

This...

They were speechless. They even felt Zhang Tian had a point, and some began to think the same way.

Yu An, who was in the middle of preparing an order, overheard and spoke up. "These two dishes are best eaten hot. The hot and sour noodles will get soft and lose their chewy texture when they’re cold, and they’ll become oily and heavy."

"A cold roujiamo will become dry, hard, and tough, making it very difficult to eat. Plus, in this weather, it’ll go bad just like beast meat if left out too long. I recommend eating it as soon as possible."

"Oh?"

Zhang Tian’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Boss Yu, you said before that you’d only be selling for seven days. If my Female Master gets used to your food, what will she do if she can’t eat anything after you leave?"

It’s easy to grow accustomed to luxury, but difficult to return to a simpler life. The Beastmen suddenly realized the delicacy in their hands had an expiration date.

Once that time was up, trying to eat this again would be as hard as climbing to the heavens!

’Finally, someone asked the question.’

A small smile played on Yu An’s lips. "Don’t worry. Actually, the Beast God taught me how to make these dishes in a dream. He cannot personally teach his children the recipes, so He had me do it in His stead."

"The Beast God has tasked me with spreading a new delicacy in every place I visit. Starting tomorrow, my Beast Husbands and I will teach everyone how to make hot and sour noodles. The roujiamo is a bonus, but we can teach you that as well."

As soon as she said this, the entire crowd erupted. Zhang Tian was the first to ask, "Boss Yu, is that true? We can learn to make it too?!"

"SOB, SOB... I knew the Beast God was the greatest! To think He cares so much about us, His children... I could cry..."

The atmosphere was electric. Some began discussing it heatedly with their companions, others knelt on the ground to thank the Beast God for His gift, and of course, some thanked Yu An as well.

Standing beside Yu An, Mo Yan was very surprised. "An’an..."

"Shh," she said with a wink. "We’ll talk about it when we get back."

After hearing Yu An’s announcement, Zhang Tian decided to buy just one portion to take back. He would wait for her to teach the recipe and then learn to make it himself for his Female Master.

The remaining few dozen portions sold out quickly. Word spread like wildfire, and before Yu An and her group even made it home, half of Quan City knew what had happened.

As the Beastmen passed the news from person to person, someone, somewhere, changed how they referred to her, and they began to call Yu An the "Beast God Envoy."

Before long, the news had even reached the City Lord of Quan City.

"An’an, why are you going to teach them?"

Ao Wu, unable to contain his impatience, was the first to ask after they returned home.

They didn’t know where Yu An had learned her culinary skills, but they knew one thing for sure: it wasn’t from any dream sent by the Beast God.

The men unconditionally supported any of Yu An’s actions; they were just curious about her reasons.

"To win the hearts and minds of the people," Yu An said, tapping the table. "We’re going to the Imperial City to confront the Beast Emperor. If we can’t defeat her, or if she has already named an heir, then I’ll just start a rebellion."

"I’m her daughter in name, after all, so I have a claim to the throne. Who do you think the common people will support? Me, who has the Beast God’s blessing, or someone else?"

The corner of Feng Xuan’s mouth twitched. ’An’an really dares to say anything,’ he thought.

’How can she talk about something as treasonous as rebellion so casually?’

Han Li and Ao Wu, along with Lan Ying who had just joined them today, were instantly on board. They immediately declared that their Female Master was the best and fully supported her plan to rebel.

Mo Yan and Feng Xuan were a bit more rational, but could they really object to something their Female Master wanted to do?

Of course they’d support her!

"It’s not set in stone yet," Yu An said with a wave of her hand. "Things might just go smoothly. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Just as she was about to assign teaching tasks to the men for the next day, there was a sudden knock on the courtyard gate.

Feng Xuan stood up. "An’an, I’ll get the gate."

He pulled the gate open, and the metallic scent of blood drifted in. Outside, a tiger covered in wounds lay on the ground.

Seeing Feng Xuan, he opened his mouth, but collapsed into unconsciousness before he could utter a single word.