Chapter 257: Ying Shuang's Transformation
Ping Xinyan's confusion didn't last long. Half-dazed, she followed the other three women in picking out her staff meal. As Qi Han went into the kitchen to cook, the other three explained the situation to her.
Once she understood, Ping Xinyan became excited.
Working as an employee at the Small Shop came with such perks?
Not only could they be the first to try every new dish the boss introduced, but they could even taste dishes that hadn't yet been launched!
At that moment, she realized that aside from the many dishes displayed on the wall, the boss had even more creations that hadn't been revealed yet.
What was this?
This was a stockpile of unreleased content!
And today, she could indulge herself by trying two dishes that no regular customers could even dream of tasting!
How amazing was this?
It was like being a reader sneaking a peek at an author's unpublished drafts!
Just thinking about it made Ping Xinyan's heart race.
So exciting!
And the three women didn't stop there. They also told her about the special effects of the "Wensi Tofu" they had tried earlier.
According to them, that dish not only tasted incredible but also had an extraordinary effect.
After eating the Wensi Tofu, one could gain insight into a mystical technique called "Refining Power to Silk." However, this effect wasn't guaranteed; it depended on luck.
Last time they tried the dish, only Ying Shuang managed to gain insight. Within two days, she had fully mastered the technique. According to her, mastering "Refining Power to Silk" had boosted her strength by a full 20%!
This not only made Fu Ya and Ji Yunruo, who had tried but failed to gain insight, intensely envious but also left Ping Xinyan, who hadn't yet tried it, eagerly anticipating her turn.
I'm a fairy!
Fairies are lucky!
So, I'll definitely succeed on my first try!
It didn't take long for Qi Han to emerge from the kitchen, carrying four plates of "Jade Dragon Tendons."
Having seen many wondrous sights, the four women were no longer easily awed by such phenomena. At most, they silently admired the display.
As the ethereal spectacle of water dragons soared into the air, the four women quickly refocused their attention on the jade-like dragon tendons in front of them.
"Wow..."
Looking at the dish, which appeared tender and enticing, Ping Xinyan couldn't help but swallow nervously.
As Qi Han's dishes increasingly produced such marvelous phenomena, customers in Shrek City had privately categorized them under a new label: "Phenomenal Dishes."
Some diners also called them "Purple Card Dishes."
The former term naturally came from the magical phenomena accompanying the dishes. The latter referred to their price tags, which were distinctively purple and stood out on the menu wall.
Ping Xinyan had never had the chance to try a Purple Card Dish. She used to hesitate to spend so much money on a single dish. Now, as an employee, she felt it would be inappropriate to choose such an expensive item as her staff meal.
The dish before her, though not marked with a purple price tag, clearly belonged in the same category, given its wondrous phenomenon. This was Ping Xinyan's first time tasting such an extravagant dish, and naturally, she felt a bit nervous.
Carefully, she picked up a small piece of dragon tendon with her chopsticks. Watching it quiver slightly, Ping Xinyan's eyes lit up.
How tender!
The texture was somewhat reminiscent of the pork tripe in a pork tripe chicken soup, but the dragon tendon was noticeably more tender and even more enticing.
As she brought the chopsticks closer, she noticed even more details of the jade-like dragon tendon: its slightly curled shape, the shimmering broth on its surface.
At the same time, the rich, tantalizing aroma overwhelmed her senses.
Mmm… I can't hold back any longer.
Ping Xinyan popped the dragon tendon into her mouth, her cheeks puffing slightly as she chewed. In the next moment, her eyes lit up with delight.
So… delicious!
The flavor was worlds apart from the 1 Star or 2 Star dishes she'd previously tried at Small Shop. The difference in taste for this 3 Star dish was unmistakable.
Even diners with little knowledge of gourmet food could easily conclude, after tasting both, that 3 Star dishes were undeniably more delicious.
Previously, Ping Xinyan thought her daily staff meals were the tastiest food in the world. But after trying the Jade Dragon Tendon today, she realized it wasn't her palate but her financial situation that had limited her imagination.
The tender, slightly springy dragon tendon released its rich, savory flavor with every chew, allowing the exquisite taste to linger on her tongue.
After swallowing a piece, Ping Xinyan felt a faint warmth spreading through her abdomen. Gradually, this warmth expanded outward, coursing through her limbs and filling her entire body.
So soothing!
Unable to resist, she picked up another piece with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth.
Fu Ya and Ji Yunruo felt similarly. After savoring a piece of the dragon tendon, they too experienced the rich, savory taste and the comforting warmth that spread through their bodies. The three women's faces grew visibly content, and they began eating at a faster pace.
However, something unusual was happening to Ying Shuang.
"Mmm... so delicious!"
After finishing her last piece of dragon tendon, Ying Shuang closed her eyes in satisfaction, a hint of a smile on her face. She reached for her spoon to taste the Wensi Tofu Qi Han had also served, but her movements suddenly froze.
The warmth that had been gently flowing through her body surged dramatically as the final piece of tendon entered her stomach.
Is this the dish's special effect?
Ying Shuang blinked in surprise, but things soon became even stranger.
As the warmth surged, she felt as though something within her was resonating with it. It was as if a dormant part of her had been awakened, and the warmth responded by growing hotter.
Gradually, the comforting warmth turned into an intense heat.
As a fire-element spirit master, Ying Shuang wasn't bothered by the heat. Instead, she felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and relaxation.
Her skin began to flush slightly, and her body felt weak, as though she had a fever or was mildly intoxicated.
"Ah…"
A soft moan escaped her lips, but what surprised everyone was the tiny flame that emerged when she opened her mouth.
It was only then that the other three women noticed something was wrong. They all stood up in alarm, with Fu Ya rushing over to her side.
"Shuang, are you okay?"
The moment Fu Ya touched her arm, she flinched slightly and frowned.
So hot!
Ying Shuang's skin felt as though it was burning like charcoal.
What's happening?
"It's fine." Qi Han's calm, slightly exasperated voice reassured them. "This is the special effect of the Jade Dragon Tendon. It can slightly enhance the quality of a spirit master's martial spirit. The effect is especially pronounced for those with fire-element or dragon-type martial spirits."
Even Qi Han hadn't anticipated such a dramatic reaction from Ying Shuang.
Fire-element and dragon-type martial spirit…
Shuang fit both criteria.
Fu Ya glanced at Ying Shuang, who had her eyes tightly shut and was leaning back in her chair with a dazed smile. The exposed parts of her skin were slowly developing dragon scales. These scales resembled those she manifested when summoning her martial spirit, but now they were becoming smoother and subtly changing in color.
As Qi Han had said, her martial spirit was undergoing some unknown transformation.
Simultaneously, waves of heat began radiating from Ying Shuang, spreading outward.
Seeing this, Fu Ya frowned slightly and activated her ice-element spirit power to lower the temperature around them.
Fortunately, Ying Shuang was wearing the system's custom-made uniform. Had she been in regular clothes, the intense heat might have burned them to ashes.
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