Storm of Gods

Chapter 250 Do it again

Bocuse picked up his glass and took a sip. "He was once the youngest director in our association, possessing a rare talent as a gourmet. But geniuses are often also eccentric. When he was promoted to the Sixth Elder, it was discovered that he was secretly researching dark cuisine and created a branch of dark cuisine."

"I heard that the 'dark cuisine' branch has been purged?"

Bogus shook his head and smiled bitterly, "He was one of the strongest members in the association. He was very meticulous in his actions. After creating the Dark Cuisine, his strength improved even further. He also secretly recruited many members. Even though we gathered the elite forces of the association, he still managed to escape. The association has been investigating him for years. We never expected him to be hiding in the most conspicuous place, Herdan. It seems that he must have accumulated enough power over the years. He should not be underestimated."

"Was Anthony's heart-digging after drinking a side effect of the 'dark cuisine'?" Li Xin suddenly asked.

Bocuse nodded. "It should be. The Food Association's culinary mission is to bring joy. Customers enjoy the food and give back their willpower to us. This process is slow and not addictive. But dark cuisine is different. The purpose of dark cuisine is to conquer and extract the willpower of the user. Once consumed, one will be controlled and must consume it every once in a while, otherwise one will lose control of their emotions, break down, and go crazy. But if it is maintained well, it will give the user a false sense of elevation."

Li Xin and Christie both felt a chill run down their spines. The enemy had already corrupted Anthony to this extent. How many people in Heldan had consumed the Dark Cuisine? Were the large number of missing people used as food?
“You probably already know how serious the situation is, and that he has someone much more powerful backing him, someone who is practically all-powerful in Heldan. To be frank, the Night Watchers are not powerful enough in Heldan to get involved in this case,” Bocuse said very sincerely. “I suggest you two think this through.”

Li Xin glanced at Christie, who smiled slightly and said firmly, "Mr. Bocuse, the Night Watchers are not afraid of any evil forces. This is the meaning of our existence, especially since he has caused great disaster to ordinary people. We are willing to do our best in this case."

Bocuse's sharp features remained largely unchanged, but his eyes held a newfound appreciation. He was good at saying nice things, but he could see Christie's determination, since the case was essentially unrelated to the Night Watchers.

Unfortunately, this is not something that can be done simply by having the will. "The Gourmet Association is determined to clean house. If you can find him, the Gourmet Association will remember this favor. His real name is Alan Ducaser, but he will probably be using another name now. Remember, under no circumstances should you touch dark cuisine. Once you get involved, even the gods cannot save you. Also, please be sure to hand him over to us. This time, we will definitely not let him escape again."

The two sides reached a preliminary consensus, but it was clear that Bocuse was not targeting the Night Watchers, but Li Xin.

When they returned, Bocuse gave them a small gift: jam he had made, which could be eaten with bread and other foods. In Bocuse’s words, Li Xin was destined to be associated with the Gourmet Association.

The jam jar was very pretty. Li Xin thought that after he finished eating it, he could use it to store things. After getting Mima Mustard Seeds, he suddenly developed a love for collecting things and always wanted to fill it up. He even thought that storing some naan bread would be nice.

The danger of the dark cuisine had been suspected before, but today it has been further confirmed by professionals. Simmons has informed Didia to be careful. At present, neither the Gourmet Association nor the Funeral Directors can find the other party. It really is only Didia who may be able to contact them. They are trying to lure the snake out of its hole, but the snake is also a bit cunning. So far, Didia has not found anything.

On the way back to the Carp Dragon Inn, the destination was tacitly agreed upon, and the surrounding scenery was beautiful. The carriage clattered along the bay, taking in the beautiful scenery. However, the scenery inside the carriage was even more breathtaking, but Christie inside had no heart to appreciate it.

"Sister, you're not planning to take care of Number One by yourself, are you?" Li Xin asked.

Christie shook her head. "Actually, there are only about a dozen people who can achieve this in Heldan, including nobles and important figures in the church."

Li Xin agreed. At this point, the scope had actually narrowed down. However, Li Xin felt that none of the people he had contacted were fools. The Vatican, the Funeral Directors, and even the Gourmets Association today probably all had their own suspicions.

“Definitely. After going around for a while, I’ve found that they’re all all talk and no action,” Li Xin said helplessly. “They always want us little people to be used as cannon fodder.”

Seeing that Li Xin found it amusing, Christie couldn't help but chuckle. "You're no small fry. To be recognized by both Prince Aklis and the Gourmet Association, there are very few people like that in the entire Heldan."

“They only need me temporarily. Big shots like to use cheap and approachable methods to get their subordinates to work themselves to the bone. It’s nothing to be proud of.” Li Xin smiled. “But I’m happy that you had a good meal tonight.”

Christie's body trembled slightly, and when she turned to look at Li Xin, her eyes were already watery. "How many women have you fooled with that mouth of yours?"

Li Xin smiled wryly, "Would you believe me if I said I'm a theorist and have never had any practical experience?"

“I believe you,” Christie said.

"Huh?" Li Xin was a little curious about their quick agreement. Of course, he didn't think it was based on any kind of trust between them. "Why do you trust me?"

Christie couldn't help but look out the window. "You always act like... a big wolfhound."

???

Li Xin had already put one arm around Christie's waist. Her waist was very soft, delicate, and fair, something he knew all too well. "Sister, just bear with it a little longer, we'll be there soon."

"What I should endure is... *sob*"

The atmosphere shifted, and the two kissed, though they knew the environment was inappropriate, so they tried their best to restrain themselves… The carriage arrived at the entrance of the Carp Dragon Inn. The door opened, and Li Xin alighted with an air of composure, then helped Christie down. The carriage drove away, and the two went into the room hand in hand. The moment the door closed, they could no longer control themselves.

……

After their passion subsided, the two entwined themselves in each other. At this moment, Christie's eyes had regained their clarity. "The first and second Visceral Demons can actually be seen as two separate cases. The Church is seriously investigating the second one and has spent considerable effort on it, but the perpetrator's level of concealment is extremely high. Every time they dispose of the body, they handle it very well, with professional methods. The second one has no malice towards ordinary people and only kills those who deserve to die. The target is the Earth Mother Goddess Church. The first one is the real demon, and this demon is very powerful, so powerful that even the Prince, the Church, and the Gourmet Association are wary of it. Could we speculate in this direction?"

Li Xin nodded, leaning against the snow-white softness, wanting to act like a fool.

"There probably aren't many people like that in Heldan, are there?"

"There are still some. There are probably five or six who are the most likely suspects. Of course, they are just the most likely targets. Whether they are the murderers or not still needs to be investigated to know." Christie gently bit her finger. Investigating these people is not something that ordinary people can do. The Night Patrol would be crushed if they encountered Heldan's power.

Just as Christie was deep in thought, she sensed that the little wolf had become arrogant again.

She was unaware that her actions were dangerous, and since there was nothing she could do to stop it anyway.

“We need to investigate. No matter how difficult things are, they become simple once we take action,” Li Xin said. “I think Bogus is determined to clean house, but he doesn’t want to involve Herdan’s forces. He only wants to catch their traitors. If such a secret organization is so stable, we should use their strength against them. We can’t just confront them head-on. It just feels like they’re not that eager.”

“No, the Gourmet Association and the Dark Cuisine Branch are irreconcilable enemies. The Gourmet Association holds a path to the gods, and the emergence of the Dark Cuisine Branch has disrupted the Association's fortune. Simply put, the Gourmet Association gathers people's wishes through cuisine, which is a win-win situation, while Dark Cuisine absorbs people's wishes, harming others for its own benefit. This has a huge impact on gourmets, so no matter what, the Gourmet Association must clean house. Bocuse is just the person in charge; their manpower is definitely much greater than that.” Christie clung to Li Xin, and she began to get into the swing of things.

"Shouldn't we let the Undertaker handle this opponent? We can just follow behind and fight on the periphery. A head-on confrontation is too dangerous."

“Of course, we need to achieve the greatest results while remaining safe, results that will be recognized by the Heldan royal family,” Christie laughed. “That’s also our mission, ah~”

Because of their deliberate restraint, Li Xin's sudden movement caused Christie to let out a soft moan that made her bones feel weak.

Li Xin was also unconvinced. He could still be so dedicated to his work at this time, which meant that he himself hadn't been working hard enough.

thump thump thump...

"Here we go again! What's going on? Are you trying to kill us all?!"

“Yesterday it was David, today it’s Ashin, and tomorrow it’ll be David again. These two guys are just inhuman.”

"Sigh, there's no work in the middle of the night. If I could earn money, I would go out and work. Young people, they have no self-control at all. It's one thing for David to live for today and not live tomorrow, but Young Master Xin is foolish."

"Old Fang, you should have seen through this long ago at your age."

"Bullshit! I'm perfectly healthy!"

Dali and the others simply didn't have David and Daenerys's ability to sleep so soundly in this situation, almost as if they were under hypnosis. They went outside to cool off. Heldan was great in every way, except the weather was too hot.

Inside the room, Li Xin had no idea what Christy was thinking. Sometimes he could feel her passion and sincerity, and other times he felt that her thoughts had wandered elsewhere. In fact, he knew that Christy was not a woman who wanted to be tied down, but he also felt that as a man, shouldn't he take the initiative in clarifying their relationship?
At the Blue Agate Bay restaurant, he actually wanted to say something to Bocuse, but he always felt something was missing.

“Christie, I think…” Li Xin said.

Christy smiled gently and looked tenderly at Li Xin. "What are you thinking? Don't overthink it. There's no need to rush the investigation. Take your time. We've already made significant progress. They're the ones who should be anxious."

“No, I meant to say…” Li Xin was hesitating about how to begin.

Christie chuckled. "You want... to do it again?"

……

(End of this chapter)