Came Because of Our Song ✔️

The Game Is On ~1

GusuLan has always secluded itself from the eyes of the world, only known to be in existence thanks to the Clan's and Sect's ever-growing knowledge and exemplary scholars and cultivators; who, the common folks knew to recognise from their cloud white robes and sacred forehead ribbon.

The ridiculous number of rules also played a rule....

Though that was known by mostly people of Caiyi and nearby areas apart from important sects.

The thing which amazed people the most was their lifestyle and cuisine.

GusuLan forbids non-vegetarian food and killing of animals but even they couldn't live on whole vegetarian diet throughout the year- life on snow covered mountains can only be so much heavenly as few plants could be grown in the rocky terrain which would feed the whole Sect.

Given the fact that cultivators often nighthunted in places where greens were a luxury farmers and poor couldn't afford, they had to bend the rule.
Fish was a staple part of the diet and was consumed by all, but meat of any other animal was scarcely included.

The streams and ruvers cascading down the mountain provided ample opportunities for fishing and so it was an obvious part of diet. Herbs found on the mountain were usually of high medicinal value and kept in storage but some daily use roots and small herbs were included in soups, congee, and other food items.

Cultivators did eat chicken or sometimes pheasant meat from time to time when young, during nighthunting or in their diet so as to be familiar with the food and adjust their body in case of emergency though pork meat was exclusively forbidden.

The meat was seen as a sign of luxury and lavish, along with the fact that dishes made from it were spicy which clashed with their bland culinary style.

And GusuLan forbids indulgence and lavishness.

Only the elderly belonging to the servants' and workers' families who did not had the chance to form a core and needed the extra fat and energy which only the meat could provide were exempted from the rule. Even then, pork was hardly allowed. The most they got was bird meat or lamb meat on special occasions.

But there has been war, and their has been compromise. You cannot fight a war and be petty about the food. Spice is common in all culinary culture and the others won't change to bland congee and boiled tofu just for them; though their might be no spice at times.

In the war camps, there were fried mushrooms, roasted pheasant, thin and watery congee, thick soups, meat broth and many other things which the Lans wouldn't even dream of eating in any other circumstances. Sometimes, when they were in the outskirts of a town or village even salt and grains were luxury.

Those days they lived on simply fire cooked meat of whatever animal they could hunt or if a Wen Fort or quarry was near, raw food was also on plate.
Chopsticks and bowls forgotten, the cultivators ate directly from anything which could hold the food or in case of solid food- with hands.

The common folks sometimes helped them, but they were scared. Dirty robes, which had not glimpsed the face of a tub or proper washing in months hung on their body- the rivers and lakes an open bathing area for anyone who did not care much about proprietary and just needed a wash.

Long hairs can be a hassle.

Extremely complex hairstyles forgotten, a half top-knot with the sacred ribbon wound together in the hair was what kept the hair out of their face. Some even kept their hair in high buns, the whole hair gathered at the top, less chance of getting your hair tugged.

All in all, the SunShot Campaign had taught them many things.

Lan Xichen has to remind himself that the Imperial Palace had nothing to do with the war of the cultivation world and so the prince must not be aware of all the hardships they faced during a war.