(Sanctuary Commensality & Repurposed Relief Convoys)
The sun sank beneath the western horizon. Then, painting the clouds in brilliant shades of tangerine and violet, the grand central courtyard of the Floating Mountain transformed into a festival of pure culinary bliss.
In the center of the flat stone slab square, Old Man Tie Shan and Da Shi had set up twelve huge split-basin hot pot cooking pots.
Forged by Tie Shan from heat-resistant fiery dark rock and polished bronze, each cooking pot measured four paces in width, large enough to bathe an ox. They were mounted upon stone fire pits connected directly to the Earth-Core earth-heat chimney pipes, channeling gentle underground dragon-fire that heated the cooking pots without producing a single speck of acrid soot.
Inside each massive basin, two contrasting broths bubbled with intoxicating vigor.
On the left side of the crescent dividing wall simmered the fiery crimson chili broth. A rich, crimson pool infused with roasted fire-cloud peppercorns, dried red chilis, star anise, crushed cassia bark, and aged beef animal fat that sent rich, spicy steam billowing into the evening air. On the right side bubbled the clear golden wild-mushroom broth. A calm, fragrant nectar simmered for eight hours with fresh mountain matsutake, wild morels, angelica root, sweet dried goji berries, and tender chicken bones.
