Yulian frowned slightly, looking hesitant, as he stared at the plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice in front of him.
He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he last ate meat. Thirty years? Fifty years? Or when he was twenty and watched a group of cannibals devour an entire village?
Although he eventually froze those disgusting guys into dust, years later he single-handedly stormed the ogre tribe on Demon's Island and almost wiped out the entire tribe.
But even after nearly a hundred years, that scene still lingers in his mind, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable when he sees meat.
Strangely enough, seeing the ham cut into rice grain sized pieces in this Yang Zhou Fried Rice today didn't make him feel uncomfortable at all. The aroma of eggs and the flavors of various ingredients mixed together, instead making him feel a little restless.
He usually ate only boiled vegetables, and occasionally a boiled egg was considered a treat. He can't stand the slightest bit of meat. So, looking at this plate of eggs with a slightly oily surface and all sorts of random ingredients mixed together, he actually felt a urge to eat it, which he found somewhat unbelievable.
He followed Crassus into the restaurant only because he didn't want Crassus to get closer to Amy first after he had just taken on an apprentice.
"Should I try a bite?" Yulian hesitated.
"Boss! Another serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice! Your Yang Zhou Fried Rice is absolutely delicious!" A young man sitting next to him put down his spoon; he had finished his entire plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice, his face beaming with satisfaction.
"Okay, please wait a moment." Yabemia replied with a smile, turning and going into the kitchen.
"Is it really that delicious?" Yulian glanced at the young man. There wasn't a single grain of rice left on his plate, it was as clean as if it had been licked clean.
"Master Turtle Shell, don't you like rainbow fried rice?" Amy asked Yulian, somewhat puzzled.
"That guy can't eat meat, he probably hasn't tasted meat in almost a hundred years." Crassus, who had already eaten half a plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice, looked at Yulian with pity. He knew some of what had happened back then; he had been on the Demon Islands when the cannibals were wiped out, and most of the survivors had died at his hands.
He didn't hate demons much, but those demons that feed solely on humans had no reason to exist in this world. Even if the racial war ended, those guys would never stop.
The conflict between Ice and Fire garnered immense attention on the Nolan Continent back then. Everyone thought they were mortal enemies who would fight to the death the moment they met. But how many people know that the two of them also joined forces to do some major things that are unknown to others, such as the extermination of the ogre race, which has always been an unsolved mystery.
"It's so pitiful if can't eat meat." Amy said, looking at Yulian with a pitying expression.
"Who says I can't eat meat!" Seeing the pitiful looks from Crassus and Amy, Yulian's fighting spirit immediately flared up. He grabbed the spoon next to him, scooped out a spoonful from the middle, and stopped when he brought it to his mouth.
The enticing aroma wafted into his nose, and Yulian's usually mediocre appetite had been whetted by the delicious bowl of tofu pudding he had just eaten. He glanced at Amy, who was full of anticipation, gritted his teeth, and opened his mouth to feed himself the fried rice.
"How could it taste like this! Meat, it can be so delicious!" Yulian's eyes widened in surprise. The egg wrapped around the rice almost melted in his mouth. After biting into the ham that had been cured for many years, the salty and fragrant meat juices overflowed. Yulian, who had completely forgotten what meat tasted like, felt as if all his taste buds had been awakened at once. They were cheering and jumping for joy to welcome their king's return.
Although there were only a few pieces of ham the size of rice grains, the profound and unique flavor still gave Yulian an unprecedented shock, instantly awakening the strongest feelings deep within him.
Suddenly, he recalled something. Before that incident, he was a meat lover.
Besides the ham, the shrimps, infused with the freshness of the sea, blended with the flavors of mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and scallions that cut into size of rice grains. The taste was so delicious and harmonious that it brought his long-dormant taste buds to the peak of ecstasy.
What surprised him even more was the subtle fragrance of the Fountain of Life within the rice. Those who hadn't tasted the Fountain of Life might think it was just some kind of seasoning, but he had tasted it before. He just hadn't expected Mai Ge to be able to obtain it and add it to the dish.
"Ah..." Yulian couldn't help but exclaim in admiration after swallowing a mouthful of Yang Zhou Fried Rice. His attention was completely drawn to the plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice in front of him. He took another spoonful and scooped it into his mouth, one bite after another, unable to stop.
"Grandpa Turtle Shell seems to be enjoying it very much. He doesn't seem to dislike it at all?" Amy smiled.
"It can only be said that Boss Mai's food is just too delicious." Crassus was also somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Yulian, who never ate meat, to actually eat the Yang Zhou Fried Rice with ham in it, and judging from his expression, he was completely engrossed in it.
However, he then thought that when he was in Luo Du, he could only eat half a bowl of rice, but after coming here, he ate two plates of Yang Zhou Fried Rice every meal, which was about the same as Yulian's.
Clink!
The spoon made a soft sound as it hit the plate. Yulian was startled, only then realizing that he had finished a whole plate of Yang Zhou Fried Rice.
A dish with meat in it, and he had actually finished it all!
And after finishing it, he didn't feel nauseous at all. In fact, he even had the urge to have another plate.
Yulian hadn't felt this way in years, and his heart started racing. His gaze involuntarily drifted to the Rou Jia Mo putting to the side.
This was another dish he had never seen before. The white flatbread was cut in half and stuffed with minced meat that was both fatty and lean. When Yulian first saw this dish, he was reluctant to accept it, feeling that it was too greasy and all meat.
But after finishing a serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice, he suddenly felt a strong craving for meat. The little bit of ham in the Yang Zhou Fried Rice was no longer enough for him. This Rou Jia Mo was clearly more suitable.
"Will this taste different from the meat I just ate?" Yulian hesitated as he reached for the Rou Jia Mo. The rich aroma of braised meat wafted over him, and although it was indeed different from ham, but it was just as tempting, so he couldn't resist taking a bite.
The soft, crispy Bai Ji Mo was infused with some braised meat juice, sweet with a hint of saltiness. The tender braised meat almost melted in his mouth. Although it was a mix of lean and fatty meat, but it wasn't greasy at all. He took a bite, and the rich sauce seeped out from the meat, completely igniting his restless taste buds. It was like a carnival, the aroma of meat raged in his mouth and then transformed into a violent surge that rushed into his body.
"Ah—" Yulian couldn't help but let out a long exclamation, his eyes lighting up as he looked at the Rou Jia Mo in his hand, his blood boiling, his heart pounding.
This was the feeling of youth. Back then, he also liked to run around in a white robe, thinking of himself as a righteous and fortunate mage, a hero.