Chapter 173: Chivalry Without a Name

Chapter 173: Chivalry Without a Name

On the surface, he pretended not to know if the food suited his taste, but every dish in the small platter was exactly what he loved.

Lin Nuo felt this couldn’t be a coincidence.

You can select one coincidence, two coincidences, but to have them all be coincidences? That’s just too much.

Especially the pastries—he directly picked the Huajiyi canned Meat Floss Cake.

Thinking of the Huajiyi pastry shop, Lin Nuo took three seconds of silence; it was all that Poison Bee’s fault.

During his time training on Tianling Mountain, his meals mainly came from two people, Ruo’er and Liu Shuqin, with Ruo’er being the one primarily serving him. Liu Shuqin would occasionally show off her cooking skills—she’d sometimes help out in the Xuanyun Sect’s kitchen, and Lin Nuo would get to taste her dishes now and then.

However, since returning from the campaigns outside Hu City, Liu Shuqin had been cooking more often, and every time, she’d specifically prepare meals just for him. Sometimes she’d even let Ruo’er take a break, becoming Lin Nuo’s personal chef and showing some awareness of his food preferences.

Lin Nuo had a high regard for Liu Shuqin’s cooking. The rumors around Tianling Mountain about Liu Shuqin being suitable to be a virtuous wife were by no means unfounded. In terms of being domestic, no one in the entire Tianling Mountain could surpass her.

Now, what could her deliberate selection of his favorite dishes mean?

Lin Nuo, despite his craving and eagerness to eat, needed to keep calm and composed.

He asked, “Miss Liu, if you truly don’t know my tastes, how did you select such dishes?”

“I just made the food that someone important loves to eat.”

“Someone important?”

“Yes, a very important person. I don’t mind telling you; isn’t there still one person on the Poison Bee’s assassination list? Lin Nuo, my junior martial brother, is an extremely important person to me.”

Liu Shuqin placed the platter on the stone table of the pavilion and sat across from Lin Nuo.

“My junior brother has helped me; without him, there would be no current me, nor the me from before who was so lost. Had it not been for his guidance, I wouldn’t know how I’d be today. Thanks to Lord Wu eliminating evil, my junior brother has been spared some trouble; I’m just very grateful to Lord Wu. These dishes are what my junior brother loves to eat. If Lord Wu doesn’t like them, I can cook something else for you.”

“No need; these dishes are deliciously fragrant and appealing, and there’s no need to redo them. I appreciate your kindness, Miss Liu.”

Lin Nuo decided to keep the dishes. It’d be quite a shame to send such good food away.

Since arriving in Zhou Ling City, he’d tried many local delicacies, but honestly, he still missed the cooking of Ruo’er and Liu Shuqin; their dishes truly suited his taste.

The food was placed before him, but since Liu Shuqin was watching, he felt awkward to dig in. After all, he was currently covering his mouth and nose with a cloth, which needed to be taken off to eat.

“Lord Wu, is the food not to your liking? Why aren’t you eating?” Liu Shuqin asked.

“The dishes and soup are still hot; I’ll wait a moment,” he replied.

“Oh, that’s fine then.”

A gentle breeze swept by, and petals from the blooming flowers in the garden fell. Liu Shuqin gently tucked a strand of her hair that blew with the wind, gazing at the flowers in the water, just like Lin Nuo did earlier.

“Lord Wu is quite impressive; you established your own sect at such a young age, and you even have a highly skilled disciple.”

“You flatter me,” Lin Nuo said cautiously.

Noticing Liu Shuqin’s gaze on the flowers, he thought of grabbing a Meat Floss Cake to eat, but worried she might turn her attention back, he held himself back.

At that moment, Liu Shuqin seemed to recall something, turned to him slightly and said, “Apologies, Lord Wu, I suddenly have something to attend to; I’ll take my leave for now.”

“No problem; Miss Liu, please do what you need to do,” he responded calmly, thinking, this is great! You leave first, and I finally get to eat. Otherwise, being watched by you, I could only look and not eat.

As Liu Shuqin walked away gracefully, Lin Nuo felt relieved.

Alright, now that she’s gone, let’s dig in.

Should I call that girl Ling Meng to join?

No, there’s no need to call her; she might not even wake up, and even if she did, it might not suit her taste, and even if it did, she wouldn’t have any chopsticks.

Oh right, I only have one pair of chopsticks and a spoon. No need to call her; let her continue her sweet dreams!

Lin Nuo removed the cloth from his face and picked up his chopsticks to start eating. The familiar flavors were still there; Liu Shuqin’s cooking was still absolutely delightful. The steamed turbot tasted fresh, and the rich aroma of the cordyceps soup felt as if everything was specially prepared for him. Every dish was to his liking.

Lost in the delicious food, he remained unaware that, beside him, there was a wall with a window. If someone chose the right angle, they could see him through that window.

Unbeknownst to him, Liu Shuqin had already approached that window, in the perfect position to observe Lin Nuo while he dined.

Although spying was not a noble act, Liu Shuqin genuinely wanted to clarify one thing.

Was this person called Wu Ying Ge truly Lin Nuo?

After Lin Nuo removed the cloth, she scrutinized his facial features and movements.

His face was somewhat similar to Lin Nuo’s, but his skin was much darker, adorned with a few scars, resembling someone who had lived a rough life, bearing a weathered appearance unlike Lin Nuo’s spirited look.

As for his attire, she’d noticed right from the start how the light grey cloak was vastly different from Lin Nuo’s white robes; there was no way to discern based on clothing alone.

Facial features and clothing can be altered, but dining habits are much harder to change.

Liu Shuqin could see clearly that the platter had sauce, and she purposely didn’t pour it over the steamed turbot, watching to see if Wu Ying Ge would do so.

He didn’t. Like Lin Nuo, he didn’t. Lin Nuo liked to pick up the fish and dip it in sauce when eating.

As for the soup, most people would directly drink from the bowl. Not Lin Nuo; he had a peculiar habit of pouring the soup into a cup, drinking it, and usually taking a sip after about three mouthfuls of rice.

Such habits were the same as Lin Nuo’s.

And there were other small details, mostly matching up perfectly. Coupled with the way he walked and his height, every detail aligned.

This was no mere coincidence; it was evidence!

But if it truly was him, why would he deliberately pretend to be someone else in Zhou Ling City?

The likely reasons had to do with his personality and chivalrous style—low-key in handling matters, acting heroically, without leaving his name behind.

Liu Shuqin had heard of the assassin’s principle, that they wouldn’t specifically kill those not on the list. The Poison Bee list didn’t include Wu Ying Ge, but he did go to battle with them; it was very possible that the Poison Bee learned of Lin Nuo’s true identity and attempted to kill him. But due to being outmatched, they fell to Lin Nuo instead.

Or, Lin Nuo might have known all along he was on the Poison Bee assassination list, taking the initiative to pretend to be Wu Ying Ge and wipe out the Poison Bee.

If it was the latter, he would likely have revealed his identity.

Truly, a strong individual—low-key and unassuming, acting heroically without claiming recognition.