Chapter 40: The Exchange Delegation Departs! Dugu Bo: Cook the Rice Before the Guests Arrive!

The short-haired girl suddenly turned back to look at a stunningly cold and curvaceous beautiful woman behind her, whispering softly:

"Mom! Why don't you make an exception for once and snatch him away from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"

Shui Ningyan, the beautiful dean of Tianshui Academy, was startled. She then gave the short-haired girl a sharp, annoyed rap on the head and scolded, "Shut up!"

The girl pouted and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Lu Yu and Meng Shenji had reached the front of the formation and stood before Xue Qinghe, bowing slightly in greeting.

Xue Qinghe stepped forward, ignoring Meng Shenji entirely, and instead reached out to help Lu Yu up. He then smiled and said, "Lu Yu, there is no need for such formalities when you are with me in the future."

This gesture, along with Xue Qinghe's words, caused the expressions of many to shift slightly. Although they had long heard of Lu Yu's reputation, they had not expected the Imperial Royal Family to hold him in such high regard. After all, Xue Qinghe now held significant power and could well represent the stance of the throne itself.

"Since everyone has arrived, let us depart!"

At Xue Qinghe's command, the twenty-some Spirit Kings standing in neat formation behind him jumped onto the carriages. For this Imperial delegation, Spirit Kings were serving as coachmen—a clear show of muscle by the Heaven Dou Empire toward the Star Luo Empire. Aside from Xue Qinghe, the remaining members of the royal delegation all possessed cultivation levels of the sixth ring or higher.

The group boarded the carriages, and the caravan set off in a grand procession along the main road.

As the caravan departed, a girl in a black dress among the crowd turned silently and walked back into the city gate.

On the other side, up on the city wall, Dugu Bo looked at his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, who was gazing longingly at the departing group. He sighed and said, "Yan-yan, if you wish to go along, Grandfather can have you added to the royal delegation."

Dugu Yan shook her head. "No! I must focus on my cultivation and break through to level forty before the Spirit Master Tournament begins! I want to join him in the competition!"

With that, Dugu Yan turned and descended from the wall. Dugu Bo remained standing in the wind, his expression flickering between uncertainty and contemplation. He had been hoping to play matchmaker between Lu Yu and his granddaughter. After all, Lu Yu could purge the toxins caused by the Jade Phosphor Serpent spirit; if the boy grew stronger, he might be able to help Dugu Yan completely eradicate the bone-gnawing poison. Furthermore, Lu Yu possessed extraordinary lightning abilities, suspected to be a second martial spirit. If Dugu Yan were with him, their descendants would likely be free from the hidden dangers of the Jade Phosphor Serpent lineage.

However, the problem was that the boy had never expressed his feelings, while his granddaughter was completely head-over-heels for him, which irritated Dugu Bo.

Suddenly, Dugu Bo gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and muttered, "Just wait until that little brat returns; I will make him clarify his intentions! If it comes to it, I'll just force them into a marriage!"

Ten days passed in a blur, and the Imperial delegation finally reached the edge of the Heaven Dou Empire's territory. Along the way, every city they passed received them with the highest honors. Even ignoring the fact that the group was led by Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, the mere presence of so many powerhouses and young geniuses was enough to demand the attention of every city lord.

After resting in a small border town, the delegation bypassed the Star Dou Great Forest and entered the buffer zone between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires. Even for a Titled Douluo, crossing the Star Dou Great Forest was no easy task.

Once they crossed the border, the caravan stopped before entering Star Luo territory to set up camp and rest. Xue Qinghe walked to the center of the camp and called out loudly:

"Everyone, we are about to enter the Star Luo Empire! The borders of the Star Luo Empire are rife with bandits. Everyone here is a precious asset to the Heaven Dou Empire, so please stay alert and avoid any accidents!"

Having said this, Xue Qinghe glanced in Lu Yu's direction before returning to his own carriage.

Lu Yu was sitting by a campfire, roasting meat. He had brought the meat himself, along with a full set of seasonings. In a previous life, Lu Yu had worked in a barbecue restaurant to make ends meet and had mastered the craft.

Although Xue Qinghe’s words were grave, the students from the various academies did not pay them much mind. In their eyes, with the teachers from their respective schools and the many powerhouses sent by the royal family, there was no danger to fear, even if they encountered bandits.

The twenty-some Spirit Kings were currently standing guard in the perimeter, while the students chatted and laughed with ease. Lu Yu’s area, however, was the most bustling. Throughout the journey, most members of the delegation had been relying on dry rations, but Lu Yu never compromised on his food. Whenever the caravan stopped, he would light a fire to roast meat, and whenever they passed a river, he would catch fresh fish to grill.

Most importantly, Lu Yu's roasted meat smelled absolutely divine!

At first, everyone tried to hold back, but as time went on, the mouth-watering aroma made their cold, hard rations seem completely unappetizing. Eventually, people began trying to cozy up to Lu Yu.

In an ironic turn of events, the first person to approach Lu Yu was Huyan Li of the Elephant Armored Academy! This was the same guy who had been annoyed by Lu Yu’s tardiness earlier, yet now he was conquered by the scent of the roasted meat.

Everyone expected Lu Yu, hailed as the greatest genius of the Heaven Dou Empire, to be arrogant and dismissive of Huyan Li. To their surprise, when Huyan Li brazenly asked for some meat, Lu Yu didn't push him away but instead tossed him a roasted lamb leg.

Consequently, the group of burly men from the Elephant Armored Academy swarmed over, and even Huyan Zhen joined in. These guys had massive appetites, and Lu Yu naturally didn't have the time to act as their cook. He simply gave them some pointers on fire control and technique, provided them with some seasonings, and told them to fend for themselves.

Though the meat these big, rough men cooked was less than impressive, it was still better than dry rations, so they stopped pestering Lu Yu. Lu Yu didn't keep his methods secret either; he shared his techniques and some spices with the others as well.

Even so, people still found ways to get close to Lu Yu, craving the delicious meat he prepared with his own hands. Thus, Lu Yu set a rule: whenever the caravan stopped, only ten people were allowed to eat at his spot. They had to hunt their own game and pay a "dining fee" of ten gold spirit coins each. Even with these conditions, people still broke their necks competing for a spot. Fortunately, the teachers and royal representatives were too proud to compete with the students.

"Brother Lu! This is a rabbit I just caught! I should be the first one today, right?"

Just as Lu Yu finished roasting a wild boar leg, a tall, handsome-looking youth with silvery-gray hair styled in a pompadour and wearing a cyan school uniform trotted over. He was holding a wild rabbit. Lu Yu took one look and said softly, "Leave the rabbit and wait over there for a while."

"You got it!" The youth grinned, placed the rabbit beside Lu Yu, and happily skipped over to sit nearby.