Chapter 24 – Stroll Through the Markets

“It’s… palatable. Surprisingly,” Qin Yun said.

 

They sat across from each other at a wooden table, sheltered beneath a swath of heavy fabric stretched over five sturdy posts, a makeshift haven from the relentless midday sun.

 

Beside them, a pot of soup sent up gentle wisps of steam, while shallow bowls sat between them, holding a modest sample of Yun Jingfei’s latest culinary experiment.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she said, eyes slightly narrowed.

 

“Try it yourself,” Qin Yun chuckled.

 

With a hint of reluctance, Yun Jingfei scooped up a spoonful and tasted it. The warm broth, dotted with uneven chunks of meat and vegetables, filled her mouth as she chewed with care.

 

To her surprise, the meat and vegetables were tender, but a wince still crept across her face. She paused, considered the taste, then swallowed and buried her head in her hands.

 

“Where did I go wrong?” She asked.

 

The soup managed to be both painfully bland and yet dominated by the wild, musky flavour of hare—a combination so odd it seemed almost intentional.

 

“Did you not think to season the ingredient?” Qin Yun asked. “Just some salt would have done something, at least.”

 

“I did!” she replied, feeling betrayed. “You even saw me put some in there!”

 

“That pitiful amount? That hardly did anything.”

 

Yun Jingfei frowned.

 

“Then, why didn’t you say anything? How am I supposed to know if you don’t speak up?”

 

“Because failure is the key to success,” Qin Yun smiled. “If I did everything for you, how are you supposed to improve? I doubt you’ll forget next time.”

 

She snorted, unable to muster a retort. The sting of this culinary defeat would surely haunt her when her turn came around again.

 

“Still, what should we do about this?” she asked. “I hardly even want to take another bite.”

 

“Wait here.”

 

Qin Yun rose from his seat. He headed toward the storeroom, and after a minute of rummaging, withdrew with an assortment of small jars in hand.

 

“Where did you find those?” Yun Jingfei asked. “I was looking for them.”

 

“I’m sure you did,” Qin Yun chuckled. “They were hidden in the mess you made. You just had to use your nose.”

 

She fell quiet, her head dipping lower. Qin Yun sensed the shift instantly and felt compelled to ask what was wrong.

 

“Well…” she said, reluctantly. “These burns are more than just skin-deep. My nose isn’t as good as it used to be.”

 

In retrospect, it made sense. He wondered why he didn’t think of that possibility. Over half of her face had been destroyed by the flames. It was only expected that there would also be some neurological damage.

 

Perhaps this explained her struggles in the kitchen. Still, Qin Yun suspected her culinary skills had always left something to be desired.

 

Anyway, this wasn’t a subject he had any interest in touching. Not at the moment.

 

“Anyway,” he said. “At this point, there’s nothing to do about the gameyness. The best we can hope for is to overpower it.”

 

With that, Qin Yun popped open several jars, letting the aroma of spices fill the air. He poured generous amounts into the pot, even scraping their bowls back in before stirring with determined vigour.

 

After a while, once the flavours had blended, Qin Yun tasted the result. His expression was rather complicated. Seeing this, Yun Jingfei tried it herself.

 

She mirrored his conflicted look exactly.

 

The wild flavour still cut through, impossible to mask, but at least the soup no longer tasted like hot water.

 

It was, technically, an improvement, though Qin Yun doubted he could ever call it enjoyable. At best, it scraped by as ‘not bad.’

 

“That’ll do, I suppose,” Qin Yun said, filling their bowls once more. Hunger trumped taste—he would have eaten anything at this point, even raw.

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Between reluctant spoonfuls and the occasional wince, Yun Jingfei finally circled back to the conversation they had abandoned earlier.

 

“So… about this auction. When is it, exactly?”

 

“The main event is in a week,” Qin Yun replied. “Before that, a number of smaller events are scheduled, allowing those with less valuable items to put them up for auction. It’s almost like a festival, really.”

 

“And this happens a few times a year?”

 

“Yes,” he replied. “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? When you think about it, the amount of wealth that passes through this city is staggering.”

 

“And this Lian Clan is the one responsible for it all? Isn’t it too much for just one single family?”

 

“Well, they built it from the ground up. They are entitled to the wealth that comes with it. Of course, a part of their earnings is taken by the city’s management, the price to allow them to operate within this city.”

 

“So, the City Lord Manor is supervising them?”

 

Qin Yun reflected, trying to find the best way to explain this.

 

“On paper, all four main clans are supposed to be equal,” he said. “However, in practice, the City Lord Manor does hold the greater authority. They have managed the city’s various operations since almost the very start. They have long proven themselves, so the other clans defer to them in these matters.”

 

“And, they are content with this arrangement?”

 

“Why wouldn’t they be?” Qin Yun shrugged. “With the way things are, everybody profits. Why rock the boat? Most old farts know this is better this way.”

 

“What about the young ones?” she interjected. “I doubt they are all that thrilled to be in such a stagnant world. I’ve known some with some wild ambitions.”

 

“Oh, they do exist,”Qin Yun smiled. “Jin City may look peaceful, but that’s only on the surface. The more time you spend here, the more you’ll come into contact with the city’s underside.”