Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

"I know that too, but I don't know which direction to strive in." Li Shimin took another sip of wine and said, "Now that Yang Guang is about to fall, my father will surely establish a new dynasty and become emperor. At that time, my elder brother will probably be made crown prince, and I..."

Seeing his distress, Empress Zhangsun served him a bowl of hot soup: "Husband, drink some hot soup to cheer yourself up!"

Li Shimin felt a warmth in his heart and chuckled, "Thank you, Madam."

Seeing Li Shimin drink the hot soup, Ling Chi smiled slightly and said, "Boy, even if your father becomes emperor, with the territory your Li clan currently occupies, who will listen to your orders?"

“No one will listen.” Li Shimin shook his head and said, “We can only fight.”

“That’s right, we have no choice but to fight.” Ling Chi nodded and said, “To wage war, you need people who know how to fight. Let me ask you, if we’re only talking about fighting, who is stronger, you or Li Jiancheng?”

“Of course, I am stronger!” Li Shimin said without hesitation. “In terms of civil administration, I am confident that I am no less than you, elder brother, but I can only say that we are not far apart. However, in terms of martial arts, I am confident that I am superior.”

"That settles it then." Ling Chi smiled slightly: "When it comes to leading troops into battle, do you think your father would prefer to send you or Li Jiancheng?"

“Of course I’m your younger brother.” Li Shimin’s eyes lit up: “Brother Ling, you mean…”

"Just accumulate strength and wait for the right opportunity." Ling Chi smiled slightly and said, "How about this! When you leave, I will prepare a ship full of grain for you, enough for an army of 100,000 for a month. When you go back to lead the troops into battle, just let me know. I have accumulated some wealth over the years, enough to feed an army of 100,000 for a year."

Li Shimin stood up abruptly and bowed deeply with great excitement: "Brother Ling, thank you very much."

"No need for thanks." Ling Chi waved his hand. "I have a hobby of collecting all kinds of rare ingredients. When you become emperor, help me find some thousand-year-old ginseng, ten-thousand-year-old lingzhi and the like. Oh, and also prepare a copy of some miscellaneous books for me. If you find any rare iron ore, save some for me as an exchange for my assistance to you."

"This... Brother Ling, I understand that you want rare ingredients, and I also understand that books can expand knowledge, but what does Brother Ling want iron ore for?" Li Shimin asked, puzzled.

"The kitchen utensils I use are all made of rare iron ore." Ling Chi drew his Dragon Scale Knife from his back waist and said, "Look at this cleaver of mine, it's made of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron. Not only is it extremely sharp, but when you use it to cut vegetables and meat, it can also preserve freshness to the greatest extent and enhance the taste of the dishes. Pretty good, right?"

"..." Seeing Ling Chi actually showing off a kitchen knife to him, Li Shimin didn't know what to say: "Uh, it's really a good knife."

"You seem to look down on my kitchen knife?" Ling Chi's eyes turned cold.

"No, how could that be?" Li Shimin waved his hands repeatedly: "I was just surprised that Brother Ling even used a kitchen knife made of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron."

“Alright!” Ling Chi put the cleaver back in and said, “Just like you want to become emperor, my pursuit is to become the number one chef in the universe. I am still exploring the path to becoming a chef. One day, I will become a chef.”

"Uh, Brother Ling, what a great ambition! I admire you." Li Shimin felt that the world was too big, and that he had seen the rarest bird in the world.

A master chef!

That's a really 'good' ambition.

……

Li Shimin did not stay on Peach Blossom Island for long. On the morning of the third day, he boarded a cargo ship filled with grain prepared for him by Lingchi and left Peach Blossom Island.

The ship was loaded with various grains. Ling Chi didn't give him high-yield crops like corn, potatoes, or sweet potatoes. Right now, Li Yuan was still in charge of the Li clan, and Ling Chi didn't want Li Yuan to steal the 'auspicious omen.' These high-yield grains would only truly appear on the historical stage when Li Shimin ascended the throne and became emperor.

On the ship, Li Shimin looked at the clean grains without a single grain of sand and was overwhelmed with emotion: "Brother Ling has been a great help to me."

"Yes," said Empress Zhangsun. "Husband, if we are to ascend to the throne in the future, we must repay Brother Ling properly."

"Of course," Li Shimin said. "Compared to my elder brother, Brother Ling is more like my own brother. A drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude. I, Li Shimin, will repay Brother Ling's kindness to me a hundredfold in the future."

Changsun Wugou smiled slightly and turned to look in the direction of Peach Blossom Island: Brother Ling, I will definitely repay the kindness you have shown me.

With Li Shimin's return by boat, the world is about to be thrown into turmoil.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: It Turns Out Shi Feixuan Was Quite Stupid

Peach Blossom Island, Sword Testing Pavilion.

"Sister Wugou is gone!" Shi Feixuan, dressed in flowing white robes like a fairy, gazed into the distance with a desolate expression.

Over the past year, she and Empress Zhangsun had spent every day together, getting along well and becoming like sisters. Empress Zhangsun's gentleness, kindness, and consideration for others while being strict with herself earned her sincere respect, but also her deepest pity.

Such a good girl is hard to find in this world.

Li Shimin was truly blessed.

"I've only been gone a little while, and you're already slacking off, huh?" Ling Chi's voice came from afar. Shi Feixuan turned around and saw him walking briskly towards her, munching on a red bean bun.

Shi Feixuan shook her head: "I didn't slack off, it's just that I'm a little sad that Sister Wugou left."

"You're such a grown woman, why are you still feeling sentimental?" Ling Chi tossed her a red bean bun from afar: "Wu Gou is living a happy life with her husband, so sweet! What's there to be sad about? Listen to me, eat this, and all your worries will disappear."

"..." Shi Feixuan caught the red bean bun and asked, "Brother Ling, I have been cultivating according to your requirements for a year, why can't I still touch the threshold of Grandmaster?"

“There’s no year, it’s only eleven months,” Ling Chi corrected.

"..." Shi Feixuan asked helplessly, "Where exactly did I go wrong?"

“Didn’t I tell you already!” Ling Chi said, “First, your skill level is insufficient, and second, your realm is not high enough. The Cihang Sword Manual is a technique that focuses more on mental state. I have you read Buddhist scriptures every day and patiently answer your questions to improve your mental state. Unfortunately, you are still too stupid. It has been 11 months and your mental state has not improved much.”

Shi Feixuan: "..."

I'm so sorry I'm so stupid.

"Hey, look." Although the student was a bit slow, he still had to teach. Ling Chi pointed to the peach blossoms floating in the air not far away and asked, "Is it the wind moving or the flowers moving?"

Shi Feixuan looked at the peach blossoms, remained silent for a moment, and said, "If there is no wind, the peach blossoms will not move, so it is the wind that is moving them."

"But you can't see the wind, you only see the peach blossoms moving, how do you explain that?" Ling Chi pressed.

Shi Feixuan pondered, "Brother Ling, are you saying that some superficial phenomena are actually driven by invisible reasons?"

"It's not stupid to think of these things," Ling Chi smiled slightly and said, "But my first question was, is it the wind that's moving or the flowers that's moving? What was your answer?"

Shi Feixuan was silent for a moment, then said, "The wind and the flowers are both moving."

"Idiot." Ling Chi slapped her on the back of the head, making her lean forward. "If I hit you, was I the one moving, or were you?"

"..." Shi Feixuan glared at him with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance: "If you don't hit me, I won't move. If you hit me, both of us will move."

"You can't make a living from rotten wood!" Ling Chi said with a helpless expression, rubbing his temples. "That's why your mental state can't be improved. You're not smart enough and your comprehension is lacking."

Shi Feixuan had been rebuffed by Ling Chi for eleven months, and had long since gotten used to it and become numb to it: Hehe, I'm stupid, I'm really sorry!

"Looks like cramming is the only option." Ling Chi sighed and said, "Let me tell you the answer! It's not the wind that's moving, nor the flowers, nor me, nor you, but the heart!"

"!!!" Shi Feixuan was slightly taken aback, then her eyes widened as if she were thinking: "My heart is moved... my heart is moved... I see, I see."

Shi Feixuan's state of mind suddenly improved significantly at this moment. Although she had not yet reached the Grandmaster level, she finally saw the threshold from afar.

"Thank you, Brother Ling." For the first time in eleven months, Shi Feixuan expressed her heartfelt gratitude to him and bowed very solemnly.

"..." Ling Chi waved his hand: "No need. Actually, I was a little surprised too. Although I always say you're stupid, you are, after all, the most talented disciple of Jingzhai. Your comprehension should be very high, so I've been using guiding methods to teach you, but with little effect. But just now, when I directly presented the answer to you, your mindset improved greatly..."

At this point, Ling Chi said with some surprise and a touch of emotion, "You really are stupid."

Shi Feixuan: "..."

“I should have adjusted my teaching methods, but out of responsibility for you, I have a question that concerns your future achievements. You must think it over carefully before answering me,” Ling Chi said solemnly.

Seeing his serious expression, Shi Feixuan nodded: "Brother Ling, please ask. Feixuan will think it over carefully."

Ling Chi nodded and said, "Given your current situation, the fastest way to become a Grandmaster is to tell you the answer to how to become a Grandmaster, just like before. You just need to follow the instructions."

Shi Feixuan nodded.

“But your achievements in this life may end here.” Ling Chi sat on the railing of the Sword Testing Pavilion and said, “Because that was not your own insight, but an imitation of me. Therefore, in the future you will only become another me, and will never become someone who surpasses me.”

Shi Feixuan: "..."

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Ling Chi asked.

Shi Feixuan nodded: "Feixuan understands."

“If you’re thinking about the distant future, you must comprehend it yourself in order to continuously climb to higher realms. Not to mention breaking through the void, surpassing the Grandmaster realm shouldn’t be a problem,” Ling Chi said.

Shi Feixuan nodded again.

"So, make a choice!" Ling Chi stood up. "I'll give you three days to think carefully about which path you want to take. If it's the first one, you can become a Grandmaster in a few months, but that's the limit of your achievements in this life; if it's the second one, then it depends on your comprehension."

After saying that, Ling Chi turned and left the Sword Testing Pavilion. He was quite busy today as he had to entertain a special guest.

……

The Lakeside Pavilion is located in the center of the man-made lake on Peach Blossom Island. From here, one can enjoy a very elegant view of the lake. Lingchi would absolutely not allow guests who lack sufficient cultural refinement to dine here at Peach Blossom Island.

Peach Blossom Island has been open to visitors for over a decade, but only a handful of guests have ever been able to dine at the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

The last person I dined here was a middle-aged man in fine clothes. He had a very profound cultural background and could play many musical instruments. Ling Chi had a very pleasant conversation with him and even exchanged skills on the qin and xiao together. It was a great pleasure to find a kindred spirit.

Unfortunately, this happened two and a half years ago, and the middle-aged diner has not returned since. Ling Chi was also somewhat annoyed. At the time, he thought the middle-aged man would come often, so he only asked for his surname but didn't know his name.

Two years ago, when Ling Chi was traveling the world, she tried to find him, but the world is so vast that finding a person is like finding a needle in a haystack. Apart from knowing that his surname was Wang, she had no other clues. Now, whenever Ling Chi thinks about it, she feels deep regret.

What a missed opportunity to connect with someone!

Two and a half years later, another renowned figure has arrived on Peach Blossom Island—the one whose name is known throughout the world…

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Exchanging Flute Skills with Shi Qingxuan

Not long ago, Wang Tong, a renowned Confucian scholar from Luoyang, celebrated his birthday, and Shi Qingxuan was invited to attend. However, an unexpected incident occurred at the banquet: a Turk named Ba Feng Han started a fight during the celebration, which greatly displeased her.

Left with no other choice, she played a tune on her flute to defuse the conflict. However, there were too many people present, and preferring peace and quiet, she did not wish to show herself and thus left Wang Tong's residence.

Originally, she was supposed to return to her secluded cottage in Chengdu, but at Wang Tong's birthday banquet, many guests were talking about the delicacies of Peach Blossom Island, praising them as unparalleled and unique. This piqued her curiosity. So, taking advantage of this trip, she decided to visit Peach Blossom Island first, to see if the food there was as delicious as the rumors suggested.

Several days later, she boarded a ship at Zhoushan Wharf and headed to Peach Blossom Island.

When she saw Peach Blossom Island from afar at sea, she found it incredibly beautiful. The peach blossom forests that covered the entire island, and the fragrance of peach blossoms carried by the sea breeze, made her squint her eyes and thoroughly enjoy the moment.

After landing on the island, a young woman dressed as a maid led her through a peach blossom grove and into the lobby of a restaurant, where she met Ling Chi, who was eating sesame balls.

"Young master, this is the first time this young lady has come here, and she came alone," the maid said to him.

"Oh?" Ling Chi put down the hemp ball and asked with a smile, "May I ask your name, young lady? And why have you come here alone?"

"My name is Shi Qingxuan." Shi Qingxuan said softly, "I've heard that Peach Blossom Island has unparalleled cuisine, so I came here to try it."

Shi Qingxuan!?

Ling Chi's eyes lit up: "Could it be that Qingxuan is here in person?"

Shi Qingxuan nodded.

"Hahaha, good, excellent!" Ling Chi laughed: "I have long heard that Master Qingxuan's flute skills are unparalleled. I am also quite knowledgeable about the qin and xiao. I would like to invite Master Qingxuan to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. After I have finished some trivial matters, I will personally cook a good meal for Master Qingxuan and we can exchange some insights on the arts."

Shi Qingxuan frowned.

"If you all agree, Qingxuan, this meal is on me." Ling Chi chuckled. "You may not know, but the food on Peach Blossom Island is very expensive."

"..."