ARLQLCC chapter 46

The matter of Su Ji teaching the apprentice disciples and greatly improving their cooking skills spread throughout the entire Yunxian Sect overnight.

In the dining hall, disciples called out to their friends. Some disciples who had originally planned to make do with some pastries, upon hearing the news, dashed toward the dining hall so fast they practically left afterimages, afraid that if they arrived too late there would be no food left.

After Yunxian Sect investigated and punished the Second Elder, they switched back to using top-grade spiritual plants. Many disciples from small sects had never even eaten top-grade spiritual plants before. If not for the horrifying taste that had driven them away, who would pass up food rich in spiritual energy and instead eat those dry pastries?

The transformation of the apprentice disciples took only one morning. Everyone admired Su Ji to the point of complete reverence. They had originally thought that cooking skills were like cultivation and could only be improved step by step.

No one had expected Su Ji to completely transform the apprentice disciples in just one morning. For a time, everyone was calling him the leading figure among chefs in the cultivation world. If the cafeteria ever shut down, he could always consider opening a cooking class instead. The cultivation world lacked for nothing—except cooks who could actually make delicious food.

This matter did not just spread among the disciples. As soon as the news came out, it reached the ears of the First Elder.

…

Yunxian Sect, Lianxiao Peak.

Three thousand steps wound around the mountain, with drifting clouds lingering among the peaks.

A disciple wearing high-ranking disciple robes was using spiritual energy in his right hand to support a food tray as he headed toward Jingyi Residence at the summit.

Jingyi Residence was no longer as quiet as before. Three sect masters from the Four Great Sects had gathered here and were chatting and laughing with the First Elder.

The disciple arrived at the entrance of Jingyi Residence and gently knocked on the bamboo door. A voice from inside said, “Enter,” and the bamboo door opened inward automatically. The disciple bowed to the sect masters and carried the tray over to the First Elder.

A man in light-colored robes, with gentle features as warm as jade, teased, “First Elder, what good thing have you had your disciple bring over?”

The First Elder took the tray and set it on the tea table in the center. Waving his hand with a smile, he said, “Sect Master Tao, you flatter me. It’s nothing special. Because of the dining hall matter, I asked a little friend to help me train the remaining apprentice disciples. Today is his first day, so I had a disciple bring some dishes back to see how things turned out.”

Tao Yue unfolded his folding fan and nodded. “So that’s how it is. Speaking of it, our disciples in Mingxia Sect often complain that the dining hall chefs don’t cook well either. Good chefs are hard to find.”

As soon as he said that, it immediately resonated with the other sect masters. Even in Kunlun Divine Palace, the number one sect in the world, the chefs’ cooking was only barely passable.

Because of this issue, Xie Daoqi had often been nagged by Xie Qinghuai. Unfortunately, although Kunlun Divine Palace had every heavenly treasure imaginable, they still could not dig up a chef who could truly cook well.

Tao Yue added, “First Elder, quickly taste these dishes. If there’s improvement, please introduce that little friend to me as well. It would solve a major problem for me.”

The First Elder was just taking the chopsticks from the disciple when he heard this, he laughed. “Sect Master Tao, to be honest, I don’t have much hope for today’s meal. You don’t know this, but because of Lin Hu’s influence, the food made by our apprentice disciples was truly hard to praise. I only hope that before the Sword Trial Tournament ends, they can show some change. Then I’ll be thanking the heavens.”

Tao Yue snapped his folding fan shut and sighed. “First Elder, how will you know whether there’s a surprise unless you try it? Anyone who catches your eye must have something extraordinary.”

The First Elder laughed heartily and removed the spiritual barrier covering the tray, revealing the dishes inside.

The aroma rushed out, and the dishes were both fragrant and brightly colored.

He sniffed carefully. There was no smell of fragrance-enhancing powder.

The First Elder was startled. Compared to the dishes he had tasted that day, these were worlds apart. Could it be that in just one morning, Su Ji had really managed to completely transform them?

Filled with doubt, the First Elder picked up some mapo tofu, dipped it in the sauce, and slowly placed it into his mouth.

The one eating was the First Elder, but for some reason the remaining sect masters also became nervous.

They had all heard about the Yunxian Sect dining hall incident. Originally, Xie Daoqi had no interest in the internal affairs of other sects, but his treasured son had gotten involved, and that was how he learned that the disciple who had been wronged was his son’s newly made good friend.

Since Xie Qinghuai’s bad temper made it difficult for him to make friends, Xie Daoqi was naturally more than happy to see it happen, so he had paid close attention to how the matter was handled.

Likewise, because of this incident, they had all heard the outrageous story of the First Elder nearly vomiting while tasting his own sect’s food. They were extremely curious about what kind of dishes could taste so terrible.

Now, as they watched him taste the food, they all silently broke into a cold sweat on his behalf.

If he couldn’t hold it back and vomited, they would simply pretend not to see it.

However, the scene they had expected did not occur. The moment the tofu entered his mouth, the First Elder’s eyes widened as he stared at the dishes before him in disbelief.

Tao Yue asked curiously, “How is it?”

The First Elder looked uncertain and took another bite, this time of the diced dried tofu with zhajiang sauce¹Zhajiang sauce (炸酱) is a traditional Chinese sauce made primarily from fermented yellow soybean paste (黄豆酱) and sweet bean paste (甜面酱).. After finishing that bite, he still refused to believe it and took a bite of the tomato stir-fried eggs. After trying all three dishes, he said in shock, “This… this…”

Tao Yue was so curious he practically stretched his neck to the breaking point. “First Elder! How is it? Hurry and say it!”

The lingering fragrance still remained after he swallowed. The First Elder set down his chopsticks and said in disbelief, “This… this is simply a complete rebirth!”

Tao Yue had an impatient personality that did not match his appearance. He hurriedly asked a disciple to bring him a pair of chopsticks. “First Elder, you don’t mind if I try some too, do you?”

The First Elder waved his hand. “Sect Master Tao, please help yourself.”

Tao Yue stood and walked to the tea table. Following the same order in which the First Elder had tasted the dishes, he tried each one. The more he ate, the brighter his eyes became. After setting down his chopsticks, he gave a thumbs-up. “This flavor is no less impressive than my private chef!”

Three ordinary home-style dishes had unexpectedly earned praise from two mighty experts. At the side, Xie Daoqi and Fang Que exclaimed, “Can it really receive such high praise?”

The First Elder turned to the disciple and asked, “What exactly happened this morning?”

The disciple stepped forward and recounted everything he had seen and heard.

“First Elder, after Chef Su entered the back kitchen this morning, he never came out again. According to the serving disciples, Chef Su taught very carefully, and there was none of the abuse and scolding that Lin Hu was known for.”

“All three dishes were made entirely by the apprentice disciples. Chef Su did not help at all. He truly brought all nineteen apprentice disciples to this level in just one morning. Not only were our sect’s disciples very satisfied, but the disciples from the other sects were also extremely pleased.”

As soon as the disciple finished speaking, Tao Yue put down his chopsticks and said eagerly, “First Elder, what sect is this little friend from? Please be sure to introduce him to me!”

Fang Que was also somewhat tempted. The chefs of Chenxin Sect were mediocre at best, and he knew the disciples often complained in private. In the past, he had disdained to deal with such trivial matters, but after covering up for Fang Lanting, a rift had developed between him and the disciples. If he could recruit Chef Su to Chenxin Sect and solve the dining hall issue, perhaps the disciples would remember his kindness.

But Tao Yue had already spoken first, and it was awkward to openly compete for him. When the time came, he could simply offer an enormous amount of spirit stones and let Su Ji reject Tao Yue of his own accord.

The First Elder stroked his beard and laughed heartily. “As for this Little Friend Su, he belongs to no sect and is a rogue cultivator. By chance, he became acquainted with Xicheng, and this training plan was also recommended by him.”

Fang Que smiled and offered flattery without a trace. “With the Young Sect Master’s recommendation and your discerning eye, First Elder, it is only natural that this Little Friend Su was able to stand out.”

The First Elder smiled faintly and continued, “Sect Master Fang flatters me. This Little Friend Su is quite an extraordinary person. On the very first day he set up a stall on Lianshuo Peak, disciples from all sects lined up in a long queue, and the entire square was packed just to buy one bowl of noodles from him.”

“Xicheng may usually be carefree, but I watched him grow up. No matter how unreliable he seems, he always has a certain pride. I never expected him to lower himself and set up a noodle stall together with this Little Friend Su.”

“Even Young Master Xie is very close to him. Among the people who defending him that day, I also saw the Sword Venerable’s personal disciple. Sect Master Fang, that was your sect’s Yuan Chenxin, wasn’t it?”

Fang Que froze. “Yuan Chenxin? That child keeps to himself. Aside from one good friend within the sect, I didn’t know he was acquainted with a rogue cultivator.”

For some reason, a vague sense of foreboding arose in his heart.

The First Elder said, “From what I saw, Young Master Yuan is also very close to Little Friend Su. When Little Friend Su was trapped in the Seven-Star Formation, Young Master Yuan drew his sword and broke the formation despite the danger. It truly showed who stands by you in times of adversity.”

The more Fang Que listened, the more something felt off.

The surname Su, and someone who could make Yuan Chenxin devote himself wholeheartedly…

A name flashed through his mind, but it felt absurd. Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked cautiously, “First Elder, do you know this Little Friend Su’s full name?”

The First Elder nodded. “Of course. His surname is Su, and his given name is Ji. Not only are his cooking skills outstanding, but at such a young age his cultivation is already close to the middle stage of the Soul Transformation realm. Among disciples in the Soul Transformation realm, his talent stands head and shoulders above his peers.”

Xie Daoqi let out an “Oh” and became interested. “Middle stage of Soul Transformation? Then his cultivation is even higher than Xie Yao’s.”

“Exactly.” The First Elder sighed regretfully. “It’s a pity Little Friend Su did not participate in the Sword Trial Tournament. Otherwise, I would truly like to see who would win if he fought Xie Yao.”

Tao Yue praised, “This Little Friend Su has extraordinary talent and superb cooking skills. He knows the Sword Venerable’s personal disciple and is close to two young sect masters. I heard from my disciples that even the Demon Venerable Tu is very close to him. He is truly a heaven-blessed genius. With talent and connections like these, he is still only a rogue cultivator. If I had known earlier, I would have tried to recruit him long ago.”

The three of them began discussing Su Ji’s talent, but Fang Que, who had started the topic, could no longer say a single word. It felt as if he had been thrown into an endless icy pool, chilled to the bone from head to toe.

He had not been mistaken that day on the martial arena. The person beside Tu Yan was indeed Su Ji!

He had never imagined that after leaving the sect, Su Ji would not become increasingly down and out. Instead, he had become acquainted with the two young sect masters whom Fang Que had always dreamed of currying favor with.

Sect Master Yun’s seclusion to break through to the Tribulation Transcendence realm was almost certain to succeed. Yun Xicheng was his only son, and his relationship with Su Ji was so close that once Sect Master Yun emerged from seclusion, he would certainly look after Su Ji because of his son.

And then there was Xie Qinghuai. With such a spoiled personality, he had actually become friends with Su Ji. What deep scheming.

Xie Daoqi doted on his son more than life itself. If Xie Qinghuai gave his wholehearted trust to someone, then given how much Xie Daoqi cherished him, Su Ji would surely be treated as an honored guest.

If Su Ji’s ties to the two young sect masters were already enough to leave Fang Que with a thorn in his throat, then the fact that Su Ji also knew the Demon Venerable made him wish he could go back to that day. Even if it meant severing father-daughter ties with Fang Lanting, he should never have indulged her in framing Su Ji!

But it was all too late now. Tao Yue had also taken an interest in Su Ji. That meant all the top powers on the continent now had ties to him.

Only Chenxin Sect.

Only he, Fang Que, had offended Su Ji completely.

His hands hidden in his sleeves clenched tightly, his legs trembling. Regret nearly drowned him.

From now on, he absolutely… absolutely must never provoke Su Ji again!

Author’s Note:

Fang Que: How did they all become his friends???

Su Ji & Xie Qinghuai: We have one person we both hate. 🙂

You can read the full completed story here with instant full access. ✨

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  Zhajiang sauce (炸酱) is a traditional Chinese sauce made primarily from fermented yellow soybean paste (黄豆酱) and sweet bean paste (甜面酱).