Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

Qin Chuan took a deep breath: "It's alright, I'll just pay the money."

After saying that, he turned and went upstairs; he didn't want to see Ling Chi.

If he weren't on a mission for his sect, he would leave right now and never come to Peach Blossom Island to suffer again.

I'm so angry.

……

Half an hour later, more than a dozen dishes were served one after another, and each one made Li Shimin feel like he was flying.

He finally understood why Peach Blossom Island was so profitable; even he indulged in the food without regard for his image, let alone others.

Li Er was quite narcissistic.

In comparison, Qin Chuan, although sitting at the same table with them, ate two dishes he ordered on his own: a tea egg and a pickled mustard tuber from Peiling (not a typo), which were extremely expensive.

He didn't know why he ordered those two dishes; he just wanted to spend money and indulge himself.

When Ling Chi brought up the last dish, he saw that nearly half of the dishes on the table were gone, and chuckled: "It seems that these dishes are quite to Shimin's liking."

The reason he smiled at Li Shimin was because Li Shimin had just given him a very good recipe.

True Dragon Emperor: Advanced Blue Recipe, Dragon Aura +1, Valid for three uses.

The so-called "dragon energy" does not refer to the luck of becoming an emperor, but rather to a general concept that means that no matter what industry or task one is in, the chances and luck of becoming the top performer in that industry are twice as high as others. And since the effective number of times is three, that means three times more chances than ordinary people.

No wonder Li Shimin succeeded in his bid for the throne; this guy was born with a dragon's aura protecting him, giving him many times more chances than others. It's just a pity for Li Jiancheng; not only did he die, but even his sons were all killed. For people in ancient times, nothing was more painful than having no descendants.

Because after his death, no one would sweep his grave during the Qingming Festival, and no one would light incense for him when they thought of him. This was an unbearable pain for the ancients.

But what could he do? He had a younger brother named Li Shimin! Not only did he enjoy killing his brothers, he also enjoyed taking their women... Sigh! The openness of the Sui and Tang dynasties was truly astonishing.

"It's not that it suits my taste, it's that every dish Brother Ling makes is incredibly delicious, I just can't resist!" After being repeatedly served the dozen or so dishes on the table, Li Shimin's goodwill towards Ling Chi skyrocketed, and he even started calling himself "little brother" now.

Ha, so what if he's a great emperor of all time? Compared to my delicious food, he's just a little brother.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Shameless

Seeing her husband's friendly and harmonious attitude towards Ling Chi, Changsun Wugou was very happy: "Brother Ling, please sit down! Otherwise, your brother-in-law will eat it all up in no time!"

Ling Chi laughed and said, "Eat it all if you can! We'll make more when you're done."

Ling Chi sat down at the dining table and placed the last dish of Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms in front of Changsun Wugou: "Wugou, this is for you."

Looking at the dish before her, shaped like a peach blossom forest, Empress Changsun exclaimed, "How beautiful! Thank you, Brother Ling!"

"No need to thank me," Ling Chi said with a smile, "Have a taste!"

"Hmm." Empress Changsun picked up a piece of 'peach blossom' and put it in her mouth. She was immediately captivated, and the dish's effect kicked in, increasing her charm by 2.

Sixteen-year-old Empress Zhangsun was already a very charming girl, and now she possessed two more charms, causing Li Shimin to look at her differently. However, while the look was different, it was in a slightly different direction.

It's not addiction, but rather... struggle? Conflict?

"Huh?" Qin Chuan didn't have so many thoughts and said bluntly, "Is it just my imagination? Madam Li seems to be more charming."

Empress Zhangsun blushed and smiled, "Young Master Qin is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise."

“It’s not an overstatement,” Ling Chi said. “This dish is inherently more appealing.”

"Huh?" All three of them were somewhat surprised.

"Is it strange?" Ling Chi laughed. "This table has more than a dozen dishes, each with its own different effects. Shimin, don't you feel that your strength, body, energy, and everything else have become stronger?"

"Huh? This..." Li Shimin was slightly shocked: "I thought it was just my imagination because the food was so delicious, but it turns out..."

Ling Chi smiled slightly, turned to Qin Chuan and said, "Brother Qin, do you know why these two dishes you ordered are so expensive?"

Qin Chuan suppressed his dissatisfaction and humbly clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "I would appreciate your guidance, Brother Ling."

"These tea eggs can soothe the mind and improve mental clarity, reducing the risk of qi deviation. Although Brother Qin may not feel it now, he will know the benefits of these tea eggs when he breaks through in his martial arts someday," Ling Chi said with a smile.

Qin Chuan was utterly shocked: "Really!?"

"What good would it do me to lie to you?" Ling Chi asked with a smile.

Qin Chuan shook his head and said, "I just find it unbelievable."

"The most incredible thing is yet to come." Ling Chi pointed to the pickled mustard tuber dish and said, "This pickled mustard tuber has the power to make one's words come true."

"What!?" Not only Qin Chuan, but also Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun exclaimed in surprise.

"How is this possible!?"

“Nothing is impossible.” Ling Chi smiled slightly and said, “However, one must have the ability to make one’s words come true. Brother Qin, you…” He looked Qin Chuan up and down and nodded, “Now that you have the strength of a Grandmaster, it would probably take one-tenth of your true energy, physical strength and energy to kill a third-rate expert. If you want to kill a second-rate expert, it would take about one-third. If it is a first-rate expert, it would take about eighty percent.”

Qin Chuan was taken aback: "They'll die just by speaking?"

“Yes.” Ling Chi nodded, then pointed at Li Shimin and said, “If you just say ‘Go to hell’ to him, Shimin will probably die.”

Li Shimin: "..."

"Brother Ling!!" Empress Changsun protested, feigning annoyance.

"Hehe, just kidding." Ling Chi smiled and said, "Actually, it's not worth it to make your words come true. With Brother Qin's skills, killing five or six top-tier experts at once is more than enough, but if you use your words to make them come true, you can only kill one. It's better not to use it unless absolutely necessary."

"Phew..." Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "Brother Ling, you really scared me."

"With me here, what are you afraid of?" Ling Chi glared at him: "You don't have the bearing of a true emperor at all."

Li Shimin: "..."

Qin Chuan took a deep breath, stood up, and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Brother Ling, I will never forget your great kindness in this lifetime."

He knew that Ling Chi had specially prepared these two dishes for him. If not, why would these two dishes happen to be exactly what he needed? There couldn't be such a coincidence in the world. It was all out of Ling Chi's kindness towards him.

"I haven't done you any favors," Ling Chi waved his hand. "You paid for it."

"Brother Ling, how about you give me one too?" Li Shimin said with longing.

Ling Chi glanced at him: "Get lost!"

Li Shimin: "..."

Qin Chuan was deeply moved, but he didn't say thank you again. He raised his glass and said, "Brother Ling, I'd like to toast you."

Ling Chi was taken aback: "Do you want some wine?"

Qin Chuan smiled and said, "These are the wines I brought myself. Although the wines on Peach Blossom Island are good, they are too expensive. Fortunately, I obtained a recipe for wine from the Western Regions elsewhere and brewed some wine myself. The taste is acceptable."

"..." Ling Chi looked at the deep red liquid in Qin Chuan's wine glass and could tell at a glance that the wine was not filtered properly, its shelf life was definitely short, and the taste would not be very good.

Ling Chi untied the wine gourd from his waist and poured some deep red liquid into the wine cup. The aroma of the wine filled the air, attracting the attention of the three people present.

Li Shimin swallowed hard and asked, "Brother Ling, what kind of wine is this?"

"Wine." Ling Chi smiled slightly. "The grapes were planted in the eighth year of the Daye era. That year, the weather was favorable, and the grapes were of the best quality. I made some wine myself, and after five years of aging in the cellar, it has become even more mellow and fragrant. Take a sniff."

Ling Chi brought the wine cup to Li Er's face. Li Er took a deep breath and immediately felt refreshed and intoxicated.

"Wu Gou, smell it too." He then handed the wine glass to Changsun Wu Gou. Changsun Wu Gou smelled it and found that in addition to the smell of alcohol, there was a very strong grape aroma, which was sweet and slightly intoxicating.

"This wine smells wonderful." Empress Changsun's face flushed slightly. "I'm already a little tipsy just from smelling it!"

“It seems you’ve never drunk alcohol before, Wugou.” Ling Chi laughed. “This wine isn’t very strong, only a dozen degrees. You feel a little dizzy just from the smell. It seems you don’t have a high tolerance for alcohol. You’ll have to practice more in the future. Otherwise, if Li Er ascends the throne and you, as the Empress, are intoxicated by the aroma of the wine before even drinking it at a banquet, that would be a huge joke.”

These words jolted Li Shimin awake, and he said nervously, "Brother Ling, be careful what you say."

"What are you afraid of?" Ling Chi said, "This is Peach Blossom Island, no spies will hear us."

Turning to Empress Zhangsun, she said, "Wugou, your husband is a bit of a coward!"

Empress Dowager Changsun shook her head: "Brother Ling, you misunderstand. My husband is not a coward. He is just afraid of being punished for his words and implicating his family."

These words stirred up Li Shimin's emotions. He once again realized the extraordinary nature of his wife and her protectiveness towards him.

"Tsk." Ling Chi was very annoyed: "In the end, it's just weakness. If you were strong enough that you didn't have to care about anything, what wouldn't you dare to say?"

Empress Zhangsun smiled and said, "My husband is certainly not comparable to Brother Ling. After all, Brother Ling is a celestial being, while my husband, although born into a noble family, is ultimately just a mortal."

“That’s true.” Ling Chi nodded and said, “Forget it, it’s too much to ask a mortal to compare with me.”

Li Shimin: "..."

Empress Changsun covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Yes, Brother Ling is the best."

Qin Chuan looked at the scene before him, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Brother Ling, I, Qin, would like to offer you a toast."

"Oh?" Ling Chi saw Qin Chuan holding up his wine glass and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, it's all Li Er's fault for interrupting. Come on, Brother Qin, cheers."

Li Shimin: What does this have to do with me? Why am I always the one who gets hurt?

After finishing one cup of wine, Ling Chi happily poured himself another. Seeing Li Shimin staring intently at his wine gourd, he remained silent for a moment before pouring him a cup anyway: "This wine has a life-extending effect; one cup can add a month to your life. I usually drink this wine myself, but for Wu Gou's sake, I'll give you a cup!"

Li Shimin's eyes widened: "Increase lifespan!?"

Qin Chuan and Changsun Wugou also looked shocked.

Ling Chi smiled faintly: "Otherwise, why do you think I've always looked so young? You know, I've been on Peach Blossom Island for over ten years."

Li Shimin was extremely excited and stood up, clasping his hands in a fist salute: "I never imagined that Brother Ling was a celestial being. I have been disrespectful."

"Don't give me that." Ling Chi poured him a glass of wine and said, "Until you sit on the dragon throne, this is the only glass you can drink."

Li Shimin understood the subtext and his desire to sit on the dragon throne became stronger than ever before.

"Here, Wu Gou." Ling Chi poured a cup for Changsun Wu Gou: "The effects of this wine will take ten days to be fully absorbed. Drink this cup first, and I will give you a second cup in ten days."

"Brother Ling, I am unworthy of such kindness." Changsun Wugou was moved like never before. She had stopped seeing him as soon as she arrived outside Chang'an City, but Ling Chi not only did not hold it against her, but treated her as well as before. How could she not be moved?

"Stop with the formalities." Ling Chi glared at her. "Just drink it if it's offered to you."

"……Um."

Qin Chuan: "..."

"Brother Qin, stop looking and drink!" Ling Chi said with a smile, "Come on, let me toast you."

Seeing that Ling Chi, Li Shimin, and Changsun Wugou were all drinking longevity wine, while he was only drinking ordinary wine, Qin Chuan felt extremely resentful.

I also want to live forever!

Breaking through the void is too far away; at most, one can only live for a little over a hundred years. But as long as one obtains Lingchi's wine and drinks a cup every ten days, one can achieve immortality. As long as one can achieve immortality, breaking through the void becomes insignificant.

"Brother Ling, this wine of yours..."