[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-188":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338651,4572,"Chapter 188: The Boastful Adamas?","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-188",188,"\u003Cp>“Father, this pastry doesn’t even have a drop of honey—how can this even be called a dessert? It probably has no sweetness at all, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, who had always wished for his brother to fail, immediately spotted the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smirked, finally feeling at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought his elder brother’s confident words were just empty flattery, that he’d truly found a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result? The pastries became even more beautiful and refined—but still no honey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can a beautiful pastry be eaten like honey?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Adamas smiled beside him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve been waiting for this question!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evan, who said a pastry without honey isn’t sweet, isn’t a dessert?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adamas’s voice rang out loudly—not just to their table, but to nearly half the guests at the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire hall fell silent; everyone stared at Adamas in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can a pastry without honey be considered a sweet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course not!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the universal consensus among nobles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without honey, what’s the difference from plain white bread?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At most, it’s just missing the hardened outer crust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan blinked, then realized—his heart surged with joy. “Brother, listen to yourself! Can a pastry without honey be called a dessert? You’re going to drag Father’s and the Austen family’s honor into the mud!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the accusation, Adamas remained calm, finally turning to the guests with sincere expression: “Esteemed guests! I know that in the past, a pastry without honey was not considered a sweet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I say this: that was the past. From today, after this Austen Hou Jue estate banquet, that will change!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sweet pastries no longer need honey—and their flavor will be richer, more delicious, uniquely delightful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lords, I know words alone mean nothing—please, taste them now, and you’ll see whether I speak truth or falsehood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, listen—what is Adamas saying? Can a pastry without honey even be swallowed?” Evan felt his elder brother had gone mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Austen Hou Jue frowned deeply but said nothing immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was clearly questioning whether his eldest son was truly confident—or had lost his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, please try one! I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!” Adamas turned to the Austen Hou Jue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long look at his eldest son, the Austen Hou Jue granted him one final chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his eldest son’s claim was false, the Austen family wouldn’t just be a laughingstock of the Eastern Region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might become the entire kingdom’s joke for the rest of the year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, he picked up a rabbit-shaped pastry from the tray—its appearance was exquisite, lifelike in every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike pastries of old, which were either cylindrical loaves for pouring in honey filling or doughnuts designed for even honey coating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rabbit shape could still be coated with honey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But honey would be hard to control, dripping everywhere—extremely rude at a banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After observing for a moment, the Hou Jue took a deep breath and slowly placed the rabbit pastry into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the pastry touched his tongue, an unusual flavor spread across his taste buds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First came a rich wheat aroma; after that, an unprecedented sweetness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sweetness differed from honey—it was natural, as if the wheat itself carried its own sweetness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could wheat have sweetness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had some druid developed a new magical wheat variety, naturally sweet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hou Jue estate had no shortage of sweets—even every meal included sweet honey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because of that, the Austen Hou Jue could better sense the difference and superiority between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honeyed pastries were indeed sweet, but heavily dependent on the chef’s skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too much honey made it cloying; too little made it bland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this wheat pastry was different—it was sweet, yet not cloying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bite, and the sweet, rich aroma filled his mouth—utterly natural, deeply mellow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, are you alright?” Seeing the Austen Hou Jue frozen in place, Evan grew uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because he feared for his father’s safety—but because he wondered why his father hadn’t yet scolded Adamas for his nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Austen Hou Jue came to his senses; his stern face slowly softened into a joyful smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adamas, you’ve done well. This pastry… is truly delicious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had feared the family’s honor would be ruined by his eldest son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he knew: this banquet wouldn’t bring shame—it would make the family’s name ring far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His banquet would become the legendary feast whispered about among nobles for months to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My own banquet will become the legendary feast spoken of by nobles in the coming days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding nobles erupted in uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Austen Hou Jue’s approval spoke volumes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the nobles, curious, reached for the silver platters before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As each exquisitely shaped pastry entered their mouths, gasps and exclamations filled the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! Good heavens! What is this flavor… so unusual!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! No honey, yet still sweet—and full of wheat aroma!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mine has red beans inside, and they’re sweet too! How miraculous! I think it’s even tastier than honeyed pastries!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the exclamations, Evan’s face turned deathly pale; his body began to tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adamas glanced at his younger brother with a smile and continued: “Father, besides these ordinary pastries, I’ve specially prepared a birthday gift for you—something no one has ever seen before!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something never seen before?” The previously buzzing hall fell instantly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, they would have dismissed this Hou Jue’s son as boasting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But having tasted the honeyless pastry, they now waited with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Austen Hou Jue also looked at his eldest son with keen curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, this birthday gift is called a birthday cake!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the banquet hall’s doors opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several servants pushed a serving cart slowly into the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the cart sat a round platter one meter in diameter, holding a white, spherical object, adorned with red jam-written characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the cart stood a plate one meter in diameter, bearing a snow-white round object adorned with red jam-written characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adamas, what is a birthday cake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, a birthday cake is the most delicious pastry in the world!” Adamas declared firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, birthday cake is the most delicious pastry in the world!” Adams declared firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is he serious? The most delicious pastry in the world? I admit the honeyless pastry is unbelievable—but this claim? Where does it leave the royal court pastry masters and the ducal family’s masters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly! The ducal families and royal court don’t just have skilled pastry masters—they also have rare ingredients!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right—remember, the Duke’s family and the royal house not only have master pastry chefs but also access to all manner of rare ingredients!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles had believed in the “never-before-seen gift”—after all, the world was vast, and unfamiliar things were plausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to claim that the white pastry before them was the most delicious in the world? They thought Adamas was blowing smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Austen family was merely a Hou Jue house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the most delicious pastry would struggle to surpass those of the royal court and ducal families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adamas!” The Hou Jue felt his eldest son had gone too far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could speak, Adamas cut him off: “Father, and esteemed guests!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you think I’m lying—so now, I shall serve the birthday cake to each of you. Taste it yourselves—and see whether I’m boasting!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know you all think I’m lying, so now I’ll divide this birthday cake among you all—let each of you esteemed lords taste it and see whether I’m boasting!\u003C\u002Fp>",1233,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","23182344ca5242a5d8aa42f6ac58db22234e1ef251fc527390c835a9693ca625","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-189","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-187",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]