Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

Unfortunately, even if he surrendered, he could not escape being escorted to Chang'an and beheaded.

The Tang Dynasty also pacified the vast northwest region, taking a solid step towards unifying the country.

Ling Chi knew everything that was happening outside through the daily conversations of the diners. He also knew that the Li Tang dynasty would not be able to unify the country for another six years, during which time the country would be plagued by constant wars and the population would decrease significantly. But there was nothing he could do; this was the painful period before the collapse of the old regime and the establishment of the new one. No dynasty in history had ever been without its share of death.

Originally, Ling Chi only wanted to stay on Peach Blossom Island, detached from worldly affairs, and live a happy life as a wealthy man. But things didn't go as planned. Li Zitong, the leader of a rebel army who called himself the King of Chu, seized the opportunity to occupy Yangzhou, proclaimed himself emperor, and even set 'Wu' as the name of his country and 'Mingzheng' as the reign title, officially becoming a small, separatist state.

Normally, this would have been fine, since historically, Li Zitong would not have been emperor for more than a few years before being captured by Du Fuwei and sent to Chang'an to surrender.

Li Yuan did not actually convict Li Zitong; in fact, he even bestowed upon him considerable rewards, allowing him to live a comfortable and wealthy life in peace. Unfortunately, the man was still ambitious and always dreamed of escaping back to make a comeback. So he actually ran away, only to be captured by officials at Lantian Pass and sentenced to death.

Ling Chi wouldn't care about such a piece of trash, but this guy's territory was very close to Peach Blossom Island. He had been to Peach Blossom Island a few times to eat delicious food and was very envious of the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver that Peach Blossom Island earned every year. He even tried to send a thousand naval troops to rob Peach Blossom Island, but they all disappeared without a trace and no one came back.

At the time, it really startled him. In addition, he heard that people who had their eyes on Peach Blossom Island never returned, which made him list Peach Blossom Island as one of the forces that should not be provoked.

But times have changed. Now he has declared himself emperor and commands tens of thousands of troops. As the saying goes, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are the king's subjects." I am the emperor, so the people and wealth of your Peach Blossom Island belong to me.

Following this logic, Li Zitong gathered five thousand men and sailed straight to Peach Blossom Island, intending to seize its territory and wealth, and incidentally abduct the island's beautiful women to enrich his harem.

Yes, during those few meals on Peach Blossom Island, he discovered that even the maids there were incredibly beautiful, and there were even celestial beauties he had never seen before walking around, which captivated him.

He had tried to abduct the women then, but unfortunately, his thousand-strong naval force never returned, and Peach Blossom Island remained unscathed, thwarting his plot. This time, Li Zitong, leading five thousand naval troops in a personal expedition, vowed to conquer Peach Blossom Island and plunder its money, grain, and women.

When Wanwan, who was on business with the Yin Gui Sect at the time, heard the news, she couldn't help but smile and say, "They really don't know what's good for them."

I'm just... curious! How will Brother Ling deal with an army of five thousand?

Wanwan temporarily left the affairs here to her gang members and headed straight for Peach Blossom Island alone.

With her current Grandmaster cultivation level and speed, she arrived at Peach Blossom Island from Yangzhou in just two hours. At this time, Peach Blossom Island was as peaceful as ever, as if unaware of the impending invasion.

"Oh, you are..." The maid who was in charge of greeting her asked with surprise and doubt after seeing Wanwan, "Are you... Miss Wanwan?"

"It's me." Wanwan smiled. "I remember you. Your name is Cuiyu, right?"

“That’s right.” Cuiyu nodded happily. “Miss Wanwan has such a good memory. Speaking of which, it’s been two years since Miss Wanwan last came to Peach Blossom Island! Have you been very busy these past two years?”

"Yes! Very busy." Recalling the struggles with the righteous forces such as Cihang Jingzhai over the past two years, she still felt lingering fear. Although she is fine now, she had at least five near-death experiences during those two years. If she hadn't been alert enough and hadn't been highly skilled in martial arts, she would probably be a skeleton in a grave by now.

Who would have thought that old bastard Ning Daoqi would help Cihang Jingzhai deal with him!

My trip to Yangzhou was partly for business, but actually, it was also to recuperate from my injury.

A few days ago, she was chased by Ning Daoqi and Liao Kong. If it weren't for her excellent lightness skill, she probably would have been trapped there.

Moreover, it seems that the old monk Liaokong is about to break through to the Grandmaster realm, which puts a lot of pressure on her.

Besides informing Ling Chi and Li Zitong of their impending attack, the main reason for coming to Peach Blossom Island was to seek their help.

"Where is Brother Ling?" Wanwan asked.

"At this time, the young master should be instructing Miss Shi in martial arts!" Cuiyu said.

Miss Shi?

Wanwan didn't take it to heart, assuming it was another maid Ling Chi had picked up from outside.

"I'd like to see Brother Ling, is that convenient?" Wanwan asked.

“What’s inconvenient about it?” Cuiyu knew that Ling Chi seemed to have a bit of a crush on Wanwan. Back then, Wanwan had also spent half a day wandering around Peach Blossom Island, a privilege that ordinary guests didn’t receive. Cuiyu was quick-witted and knew that such guests should be given plenty of freedom. “Miss Wanwan, come with me, I’ll take you there.”

"Thank you for your trouble." Wanwan smiled happily.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Ruthless and Cold-Hearted

Peach Blossom Island, Sword Testing Pavilion.

Seeing Shi Feixuan's aura steadily rising and gradually becoming ethereal, Ling Chi sighed softly, "This day has finally come."

With a soft pop, a burst of celestial energy exploded within Shi Feixuan's body, swirling around her continuously. Faint chants of Buddhist hymns echoed, making Shi Feixuan appear as if she were a living Bodhisattva.

A year ago, after three days of consideration, Shi Feixuan finally chose the path of 'fake Lingchi'.

She knew that this choice would exhaust her potential and make it difficult for her to reach the Void Shattering Realm in this lifetime. But as Ling Chi said, she was not a pioneering genius to begin with. The reason she became the strongest disciple of Cihang Jingzhai was simply because she had a stronger ability to learn and imitate.

With the experience of her predecessors, she embarked on the fast track of cultivation. However, after reaching the Sword God Selflessness realm, there was not much experience for her to draw upon to reach the Sword Heart Clarity realm, which is why she was stuck at this realm and could not break through.

If she relies on her own understanding, she may reach the realm of sword enlightenment, but it will likely take her eight or ten years. However, learning from and imitating Ling Chi will only take one or two years.

Now, Wanwan, a demonic sorceress two years younger than her, has already reached the Grandmaster level, while she is stuck here and unable to advance. Her anxiety and jealousy led her to choose to seek quick success and instant benefits.

The reason is quite good. Grandmasters are already the strongest in the world. In any case, let's become one of the strongest in the world first. Maybe an opportunity will come along in the future and we can continue to break through!

After a year of hard work, today, Shi Feixuan finally broke through to the Sword Heart Clarity Realm and entered the ranks of Grandmasters.

The immortal energy was gradually absorbed by Shi Feixuan. Although there were no special effects, Shi Feixuan had become one with the immortal energy. Although the special effects were not visible, her very existence was the special effect. Ling Chi had the feeling of watching a beautiful woman in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"—beautiful to the point of being unreal.

Shi Feixuan bowed to Ling Chi excitedly: "Feixuan thanks Brother Ling for his guidance."

"You're welcome." Ling Chi sighed, "While becoming a Grandmaster is a cause for celebration, Wanwan will leave you far behind in ten years."

"..." Shi Feixuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Brother Ling, can you sit in the death trap?"

Ling Chi: "..."

Girl, your thinking is dangerous!

So, I've become your guinea pig?

Ling Chi slapped her on the back of the head: "Go play somewhere else!"

Shi Feixuan originally wanted to dodge, but while her mind caught up, her body couldn't, and she ended up taking a solid slap.

"Oh dear!" Shi Feixuan leaned forward, looking at him with a resentful expression.

"Don't look at me," Ling Chi said. "I'm living a perfectly good life now. Only someone who's crazy would sit in the death trap. If you want to sit there, sit there yourself. I'm not going to serve you."

“Brother Ling…” Shi Feixuan clutched his clothes: “Feixuan is also half a disciple of Brother Ling. Can Brother Ling bear to watch Feixuan stop here and be bullied?”

"How can you be so heartless!" Ling Chi remained unmoved: "You chose this path yourself, so walk it yourself. I have my own path to follow, and I don't have time to care about you."

"Brother Ling..." Shi Feixuan resorted to persistent pleading: "Please help Feixuan!"

"I won't help you no matter what you say. Besides, you're already a Grandmaster. Helping you would mean breaking through the void, and I haven't even broken through that myself yet! Why should I help you?"

“I am willing to marry you,” Shi Feixuan suddenly said.

"Huh!?" Ling Chi was stunned for a moment, thinking he was hallucinating. He reached out and touched her forehead: "You don't have a fever! Why are you talking nonsense?"

"..." Shi Feixuan pushed him shyly: "I'm not sick, I'm telling the truth."

"Hehe." Ling Chi shook his head: "Keep your true feelings to yourself! You know I love your master. If you dare to marry me, your master will be the first to make you regret it."

"..." Shi Feixuan opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.

During her two years on the island, she had almost forgotten about her master. This wasn't entirely her fault; although she had sensed a slight ambiguity between Ling Chi and Fan Qinghui, as a disciple, she dared not think too much about it. Furthermore, she was focused on improving her cultivation level, so she simply put the matter aside. Until just now, in order to continue her breakthroughs, she begged Ling Chi to enter a life-long seclusion, but when that failed, she tried to achieve her goal through marriage. Unfortunately, her plan was immediately thwarted.

Unfortunately, she had no choice; after all, it was her master who had given her this cold shoulder!

The apprentice is stealing her master's man? That's a bit too much for her.

Just as the atmosphere became awkward, a voice saved her.

"Brother Ling, I'm here!" Wanwan saw Ling Chi's figure in the distance from the other side of the corridor and waved and shouted impatiently.

Ling Chi turned around and saw Wanwan's smile even brighter. She tiptoed to the ground and rushed to him like a phantom, throwing herself into his arms: "Brother Ling, I missed you so much! Did you miss me?"

"Witch, prepare to die!" Before Ling Chi could speak, a strong killing intent and palm wind appeared behind him and slapped towards Wanwan's face.

Wanwan thought Peach Blossom Island was safe, so she was unprepared. In addition, she was suffering from internal injuries. By the time she realized what was happening, the palm strike was only one centimeter away from her.

Wanwan's pupils dilated: Am I going to die?

A sudden dizziness.

"Girl, what do you think you're doing?!" Ling Chi's reprimanding voice reached her ears. Wanwan shook her slightly dizzy head and saw that Ling Chi was holding her and standing in another position. The palm strike from before had not hit her.

Seeing that Ling Chi had actually saved Wanwan, Shi Feixuan was furious: "Brother Ling, she's a demoness from the Demonic Sect!"

“I know she’s a demoness from the Demonic Sect, but since she’s on Peach Blossom Island, she’s my guest. Have you forgotten the rules of Peach Blossom Island: guests are guests, and no one is allowed to settle personal grudges on Peach Blossom Island!” Ling Chi said in a deep voice.

"This...I..." Shi Feixuan was speechless and could only stare intently at Wanwan, who then made a face at her.

Shi Feixuan was furious: "Brother Ling, she provoked me!"

"Hmm?" Ling Chi turned to look at Wanwan, who immediately adopted a weak and pitiful appearance: "Brother Ling, I'm injured, can you help me heal?"

"Are you injured?" Ling Chi put Wanwan down, took her wrist, and checked her pulse. It was weak and feeble.

"How could a Grandmaster like you be injured?" Ling Chi asked. "Who injured you?"

"They were two grown men." Wanwan leaned on his shoulder, looking like she was about to cry. "They ganged up on me, Brother Ling, you have to stand up for them!"

"Two grown men?" Ling Chi asked thoughtfully. "One of them is Ning Daoqi, right?"

Wanwan was surprised: "Wow! Brother Ling is so smart, he guessed it right away."

"It's nothing. The only ones who are at odds with your Yin Gui Sect are the righteous martial arts sects led by Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Chanyuan. You are a Grandmaster, so even if Sister Qinghui and Liaokong join forces, they probably can't do anything to you. But you mentioned two men. After thinking it over, the only one who can hurt you is a Grandmaster. Ning Daoqi has a close relationship with Cihang Jingzhai, so Sister Qinghui will definitely invite him to deal with you. As for the other man... an ordinary Grandmaster would just be a hindrance. So it must be the monk Liaokong, who is close to a Grandmaster."

"Wow! Brother Ling guessed right again, that's awesome!" Wanwan clapped her hands vigorously, looking as excited as a fangirl.

But in her heart, she was thinking about something else: Sister Qinghui? Could it be Fan Qinghui from Cihang Jingzhai? This Fan Qinghui is already sixty years old, but Brother Ling calls her Sister Qinghui. Is Brother Ling really already in his forties or fifties?

Looking at Ling Chi's eighteen-year-old face, he thought to himself: I wonder what kind of martial arts she has practiced? She really has the art of preserving her youth.

"Let me heal your injuries first." Ling Chi said to Wanwan, then turned to look at the unwilling Shi Feixuan and said, "I will not get involved in your feud, but you are not allowed to fight on Peach Blossom Island. Also, you have just broken through to the Grandmaster realm, and your realm is unstable. Go and stabilize your realm first! Otherwise, if you really fight, Wanwan will kill you."

Shi Feixuan felt a chill run down her spine. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only endure it for the time being. After bowing to Ling Chi, she glanced at Wanwan and left the Sword Testing Pavilion.

Wanwan was quite unsettled: Brother Ling just said she had broken through to the Grandmaster realm? Damn it, now Cihang Jingzhai has two Grandmasters, and with that bald monk Kong added to that, our Demonic Sect is in danger this time.

Ling Chi took Wanwan to the guest room and used his internal energy to heal her injuries. Wanwan's internal injuries were not serious, and after Ling Chi's treatment, she recovered to about 70-80% in just one hour.

"Continue practicing your internal energy. I'll go and prepare some food to strengthen your muscles and bones. You should be fully recovered in three days at most," Ling Chi said to Wanwan, who also wanted to stop practicing, after finishing his internal energy cultivation.

Upon hearing these words, Wanwan continued to practice her internal energy, but felt a little aggrieved: she really wanted to say 'thank you,' but she couldn't say it, which made her feel terrible.

Not long after, Ling Chi brought over two meat dishes and a plate of dumplings to soothe the muscles and regulate the qi.

"Come and eat!"

Upon hearing this, Wanwan slowly finished her exercise, breathed a sigh of relief, and stood up with a giggle, saying, "Brother Ling, thank you, I feel much better now."

"You're welcome, come and eat!" Ling Chi sat down to the side and asked, "Would you like some wine?"

Wanwan nodded: "Have a drink!"