Chapter 35: You Mean You Want to Do This, Then That?

Baique Tower had already closed early for the day.

Before long, under Master Zhao’s call, the entire second floor was packed with master chefs.

They’d rushed over from every major restaurant in Zhao Family Ravine, all people Master Zhao considered trustworthy.

Xu Gu sat at the head seat.
Huan Caiyi sat at his side, quietly looking over the crowd.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out.

On Master Zhao’s left, at the fourth seat, an argument started.

A master chef who had come late and couldn’t find a seat scanned the room, then fixed his gaze on the sneaky-looking man sitting in the fourth spot and said:

“Why are you sitting there? That whole row is for the four major cuisines of Chuan, Lu, Huai, and Yue! Are you even a master chef?”

Everyone took these things very seriously today.

All the chefs had come in full dress, each wearing the golden spatula that symbolized their “master chef” status.
Only this one guy hadn’t brought one.

People blinked, looked at each other, and when they realized nobody recognized him, they all fell silent.

So they all turned to stare at the sneaky guy in seat four, faces full of doubt.

Who is this random freeloader who slipped into a master-chef gathering?

“Master chef? A mere master chef counts as something?” the sneaky man snorted. “You lot know Yellow Crane Tower, right?”

“Of course we know. It’s the number one famous restaurant in the world,” someone replied.

People in Baique Street called this place “Little Yellow Crane Street” — how could they not know Yellow Crane Tower?

“Heh. Blind fools.”

The man puffed out his chest, turned his back with a cold snort, and strode toward the stairs.

“What’s his status?”

The chef who’d questioned him earlier frowned, a bit uneasy now. What if he’d just provoked someone he shouldn’t?

Everyone looked at one another and shook their heads. Faces turned stiff and serious. Some even stood up.

“Him? He washed dishes at Yellow Crane Tower,” Master Zhao said lazily.

“…”

The master chefs were speechless.

They’d almost let themselves be bluffed.

A dish washer from Yellow Crane Tower — what’s there to be proud of?

Master Zhao added, “He’s my good friend’s disciple. My friend’s taste buds went bad in his later years, so he started oversalting everything. This kid followed him for over ten years and picked up the heavy-salt habit.

“His control of heat and fire is actually excellent — a rare genius on the chef’s path, with real potential to become a Stir-fry God.

“But he uses far too much salt, so he failed the master chef exam.”

“I’d originally wanted to invite my friend here, but he sent his disciple instead.”

“Let him stay,” Xu Gu said calmly.

“Really?”

Zhao Big Mouth, who had already reached the door and was about to leave, froze, then lit up with joy.
He hurried back at a trot and sat down again.

“Since his control of heat is good, he can stay here and tend the fire,” Xu Gu added.

Zhao Big Mouth: “…”

He really wanted to swear, but in the end he swallowed it.

Either way, he’d been washing dishes at Yellow Crane Tower. Going from dishwashing to fire-tending wasn’t exactly a step down.

His master had told him: as long as he could attend this “master chef training,” his skills would definitely improve drastically.

After that, Xu Gu questioned the chefs one by one and had every single one of them sign a spiritual contract for confidentiality.

Then he said:

“You’ve all heard the context and the stakes. This matter is crucial. You must never speak of it to anyone.

“Once you step through this door, you can never again be known by the world for what you truly are. You’ll hide your names, change your faces, and start over.

“And you won’t be able to leave the sect grounds.

“Of course, if there are people you can’t bear to leave behind, you may bring your families with you. But they won’t be allowed to go out either.”

“We understand.”

Those who stayed were, naturally, people willing to accept those conditions.

“Go get ready. We leave this afternoon,” Xu Gu said.

“That’s… it?”

Up to this moment, Huan Caiyi still felt as if she were dreaming. Everything had been too easy.

Had she just been overthinking everything before?

Or was Xu Gu simply too terrifyingly capable?

Two missions that were viewed as nearly impossible back in the Demon Grotto —
Before he’d even had a proper meal, Xu Gu had already resolved them both?

Most of their time so far had been spent… traveling?

Once the chefs all left to pack their things, Master Zhao personally went into the kitchen and made a few dishes. He brought them out with a broad smile.

“Senior brother, why don’t we have a few drinks?” he said.

Xu Gu didn’t refuse.

He’d been cultivating constantly for a while now — it wouldn’t hurt to sit down and enjoy a real meal.

“Strange. Middle of the day, and you’ve closed your doors? Not doing business anymore?”

A voice full of breath suddenly called out.

A man in a bailiff’s uniform stepped in, his aura solid and imposing.

“Li Shouhe, Constable Li?”

Xu Gu raised a brow and smiled.

He’d done his homework before coming.

He’d investigated all the official ranks and postings in the Zhao Family Ravine prefecture, as well as key righteous figures — their faces, cultivation levels, main areas of activity, even what they liked and disliked.

This Li Constable was only Foundation Establishment, but he was the deputy constable of Baique Street City — the equivalent of a deputy bureau chief in Xu Gu’s past life.

There was no way Xu Gu wouldn’t recognize him.

Huan Caiyi’s expression stayed steady, but her heart was a mess.

“Why is a constable here? Is our mission about to fail?” she hurriedly whispered to Xu Gu.

She had every reason to panic.

Right now, she was a demon cultivator, and they were in the middle of tricking a group of master chefs into going to the Demon Grotto to refine pills.

A constable showing up at this moment could not be good news.

If they were exposed, her undercover career would end right here.

“He’s not here for us,” Xu Gu said, glancing toward Master Zhao.

Just as Huan Caiyi was still confused, Master Zhao exploded:

“You brat, who told you to come in here? Get out! Can’t you see I’m entertaining guests?”

“Father-in-law? Why aren’t you in the kitchen?”

Li Shouhe, who’d entered a moment ago with his back straight and chest puffed, turned pale in an instant.

His waist bent nearly double, his face full of flattery.

“Your son-in-law was just coming to see you. I didn’t expect you to be in the middle of entertaining guests.”

None of this surprised Xu Gu.

He’d already learned that Master Zhao was Li Shouhe’s father-in-law.

Huan Caiyi, on the other hand, stared at Xu Gu in shock, her admiration growing even deeper.

Does my senior brother have some kind of omniscience talent?

Why does he seem to know everything?

Master Zhao glanced at Xu Gu.

Seeing that Xu Gu didn’t seem bothered, and thinking of how he’d be leaving soon and might never see this son-in-law again, his attitude softened.

“What is it? Just say it. Everyone here can be trusted,” he said.

Li Shouhe’s gaze swept over Xu Gu and Huan Caiyi.

Out of professional habit, his eyes sharpened for a moment.

Then he saw Huan Caiyi flash the Gold Token, and his grin immediately brightened as he sat down beside Master Zhao.

“I greet you, honored guests,” he said to Xu Gu and Huan Caiyi.

Then he carefully pulled a manual from his robe and said to Master Zhao:

“Father-in-law, look at this.”

“What?” Master Zhao snapped impatiently.

He’d never liked this kid much to begin with.

The brat had stolen his daughter away. Just seeing him was enough to sour his mood. Now he was even playing coy, which only fanned the flames.

Li Shouhe quickly explained:

“A martial arts manual. Ranked number one under heaven, far ahead of any other manual!

“It was discovered in the tomb of a demon cultivator. As long as martial artists cultivate this technique, their strength will soar in no time!”

“I’m a body cultivator — and a Cooking Divine Master on top of that. What do I want with a martial arts manual?” Master Zhao snorted.

“If that’s all, then beat it. Don’t get in the way of my meal with our honored guests.”

“No, no.” Li Shouhe hurriedly waved his hands.

“It’s not for you, Father-in-law. It’s for those who practice martial arts.”

He lowered his voice slightly and continued,

“They say: ‘the knight uses martial strength to defy law; once you carry a weapon, your killing intent rises.’

“Most martial folk… they’re really no good people.

“And the Great Shang laws are too lenient on mortals. That gives these martial types plenty of loopholes.

“They’ve been getting more and more lawless, bullying the locals, stirring up chaos everywhere, sometimes worse than demon cultivators!”

Master Zhao nodded—he agreed with that much.

If demon cultivators were rats, most martial artists were cockroaches.

“But then why hand them a supreme manual?” he asked.

Obviously, it was to set the board and lure those so-called legendary martial heroes out, then catch them all in one sweep.

If this worked, it’d be a huge merit for Li Shouhe. He might even get promoted.

Of course, he couldn’t say it like that.

He had to dress it up so it sounded profound and full of gravitas, so his father-in-law and these noble guests would look at him differently.

As he racked his brains for the right words—

Xu Gu, who’d been silent, suddenly spoke:

“Constable Li, don’t tell me your plan is to find some high-level cultivators in the government to revise this manual,

“Add a condition that must be met before cultivation can begin—say, self-castration, or severing one’s reproductive essence…

“Then have a few million copies printed and spread across the martial world,

“Start a wave of brutal competition and peer pressure, forcing every martial artist to learn it.

“At that point, all of the martial world’s warriors would no longer be able to have children.

“If martial artists can’t reproduce, the martial path will eventually die out.

“That would truly be catching them all in one net.”

“Huh?”

Inside, Li Shouhe’s mind reeled like a tidal wave.

His jaw dropped; he swallowed hard, utterly stunned.

There was such a viciously brilliant method?

Xu Gu looked at him with admiration and added,

“As expected of Constable Li. So full of strategy. To think you could come up with such a brilliant plan.”

“Ah?!”

Li Shouhe was shocked again.

Is that really what I was thinking?

…Yes. Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking!

His expression turned solemn as he nodded slowly, then said to Xu Gu:

“As expected of an honored guest—you saw my intentions at a single glance.

“If this plan succeeds, I will memorialize it to the court and make sure you receive great merit for it!”

(End of this chapter)