Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

Zhao Ling'er blushed slightly, feeling that there was a divine will at work at play.

"One room it is!" Ling Chi said. "Please bring us a table of good wine and food, and the signature dishes."

The shopkeeper smiled broadly: "Don't worry, sir, it's guaranteed to be the most delicious signature dish in all of Yangzhou."

then……

"It's awful." Zhao Ling'er felt the harshness on her taste buds and said, "This stir-fried mushrooms and bok choy has too many flaws."

"This crab meat lion's head meatball is also subpar." Ling Chi said helplessly, "It seems the chef at this inn is quite incompetent."

"What should we do?" Zhao Ling'er frowned as she looked at the table full of dishes. "We can't just throw them away, can we?"

“Even the food on your plate is the result of hard work,” Ling Chi said. “If it’s not very tasty, so be it! We can’t waste it, otherwise it would be the greatest disrespect to the chef, no matter how bad his skills are.”

Ling Chi took out a plate of dumplings from his spatial storage and said, "You eat this, I'll eat the other dishes myself."

“No.” Zhao Ling’er shook her head: “If Master can eat it, Ling’er can eat it too.”

Seeing Zhao Ling'er forcing herself to eat the food on the table, Ling Chi smiled slightly and placed the dumplings under the table for the little fox to eat. Although it was just an ordinary dumpling, it shimmered with a purple light, and after the little fox ate it, she instantly felt her body filled with power.

Five-Element Dumplings: +5 to all five elemental spirits, valid for three uses.

……

After finishing the signature dish, which wasn't particularly delicious for the two of them, and seeing that it was still early, Ling Chi took Zhao Ling'er and the little fox out for a stroll.

Compared to Suzhou, Yangzhou was no less prosperous. However, the streets and alleys were filled with voices cursing the new governor of Yangzhou, which made Zhao Ling'er unconsciously look at Ling Chi.

"To put it nicely, this prefect governs strictly; to put it bluntly, he's clearly just looking for an excuse to amass wealth, and he's most likely a corrupt official."

Recalling what her master had said outside the city gate, Zhao Ling'er's admiration grew even stronger: Master was right after all.

Unbeknownst to them, the two humans and the fox had reached the northernmost city wall of Yangzhou, gazing at the distant scenery.

"The scenery here is so beautiful." Zhao Ling'er looked at the fiery clouds on the horizon, took a deep breath, and felt completely relaxed.

“The world is vast, so you must take the opportunity to travel around it,” Ling Chi said. “It will broaden your horizons, cleanse your mind and body, and temper your will, which will be very beneficial for your governance of the Bai Miao people.”

"Mmm." Zhao Ling'er nodded and smiled sweetly, "Master, it's so good to have met you."

"Why are you suddenly getting all sentimental?" Ling Chi laughed. "Sentimentality won't help; I still have to cook tonight."

Zhao Ling'er pouted, looking coquettish: "Master~~~~~"

“Hehe…” Ling Chi was about to speak when he suddenly noticed something strange about a house.

"Shh~~~" Ling Chi raised a finger to make a shushing gesture, then pressed Zhao Ling'er's head down and hid behind the battlements to observe the situation.

Zhao Ling'er looked bewildered and asked telepathically, "Master, what's wrong?"

"Don't speak, look at that house," Ling Chi transmitted telepathically.

Residential houses?

Zhao Ling'er turned her head and looked at the houses not far away. She saw a brightly dressed woman standing in the courtyard of the house, throwing a package into the well in the yard.

Zhao Ling'er frowned slightly, feeling that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Chapter Fifty: An Unexpected Reunion

When the woman returned to the house from the yard, Ling Chi asked, "Did you figure it out?"

Zhao Ling'er pondered, "Master, could she be the female thief?"

"I can only say there's suspicion, not certainty." Ling Chi smiled slightly. "However, someone who's acting suspiciously in their own home is probably not a good person."

"I also feel something's not right." Zhao Ling'er nodded. "Should we go check it out?"

"Do you know how to check?" Ling Chi asked.

Zhao Ling'er nodded: "Use invisibility magic to become invisible, and then investigate secretly."

"Very good." Ling Chi smiled slightly: "I'll go back to the inn first, and come find me after you've checked."

"Ah."

……

Ling Chi carried the little fox back to the inn and saw two drunk men harassing a beautiful young woman in yellow on the second floor. But few women who dare to come out alone are simple. With a wave of her hand, the young woman in yellow knocked the two drunk men to the ground, causing a buzzing sound.

Ling Chi happened to walk over there and saw this scene. He gave a thumbs up: "Young lady, you have some impressive skills."

"Hmph!" The woman in yellow had half her face covered by her hair, and even with only half her face showing, she was stunningly beautiful. No wonder the two drunkards harassed her.

The woman in yellow initially thought Ling Chi was another lecherous man trying to pick her up, but when she saw the little fox in his arms, she paused for a moment, her eyes softening: "Is this your pet fox?"

"Isn't it cute!" Ling Chi stroked the little fox a few times. The little fox squinted its eyes comfortably, looking very happy. It was so cute!

The woman in yellow's eyes lit up, and she pursed her lips: "Treat it well, don't mistreat it."

“I’m not a pervert, why would I abuse small animals?” Ling Chi said.

"That's good." The woman in yellow glanced at the little fox again and stepped downstairs.

"Hey, young lady," Ling Chi said, "It's getting dark. Go home early, or you'll be late and get fined by the authorities."

The woman in yellow turned her head to look at him, nodded, and left the inn.

……

Before curfew, Zhao Ling'er returned to the inn.

"Master, I'm back." In the guest room, seeing Ling Chi feeding the little fox, Zhao Ling'er pouted and said, "Master, you seem so relaxed!"

"Otherwise what?" Ling Chi asked with a smile. "How's the investigation going?"

Speaking of this, Zhao Ling'er became serious: "Master, there are many women in that courtyard, and there is an underground passage under the well where a lot of gold and silver treasures are stored. From their conversation, it can be confirmed that they are a gang of female thieves."

"Gold and silver treasures?" Ling Chi asked, "You didn't confiscate them?"

“Those are stolen goods, how can they be confiscated?” Zhao Ling’er pouted, “Master, your idea of ​​double-crossing is wrong.”

“If you don’t take these stolen goods, most of them will probably end up in the prefect’s pocket after the government seizes them,” Ling Chi said. “But once this money is in my… cough, your pocket, you can use it to do many good things for the country and the people, such as building bridges and roads, digging canals and diverting water, which can help the Bai Miao people develop better.”

Zhao Ling'er frowned slightly and shook her head: "I don't think this is right. I don't want money that isn't clean."

“So, you’re too kind.” Ling Chi sighed. “Having morals is a good thing, but having too high morals will make you suffer a lot, and may even implicate those around you. If you want to be a good high priest, you must consider the entire Bai Miao people, not just yourself. I once heard a great man say that when you’re in that position, what you have to do is ‘I will be selfless and live up to the people’s expectations.’ That is the highest realm for those in high positions.”

"I will put aside my own interests and live up to the expectations of the people..." Upon hearing these eight words, Zhao Ling'er felt as if she had been enlightened, and her state of mind instantly rose several levels.

"That's a very good saying," Zhao Ling'er asked. "Master, which great person said that?"

"Don't ask who it is," Ling Chi said. "If you can do this, the Bai Miao people will be grateful to you for countless generations."

Zhao Ling'er nodded and said, "Then I'll go and collect all that gold and silver now."

“I’ll go!” Ling Chi stood up. “After all, this isn’t a good thing. You can leave this to your teacher. All you need to do is remain untainted by the mud. I’ll take care of the dirty stuff for you.”

"Master..."

He patted Zhao Ling'er on the shoulder: "Don't think about anything, just have fun. Once you get to Miao territory, you won't have another chance."

Zhao Ling'er looked at him and nodded: "Mm."

……

That night, Ling Chi emptied the female thief's hideout and carved a line of words on the wall: "I've taken the money. If there's a next time, I'll send you to jail."

At dawn the next day, when the female thieves saw the empty underground treasure vault and the words on the walls that seemed to be written with magical energy, they were all terrified.

"Big sister, what should we do?!" a female thief asked a tall, mature, beautiful woman in a panic.

The female thief leader was named Ji San Niang, who concealed her true identity as a seductive widow. Originally, she was a pitiful person, sold into a brothel by her parents at a young age. As a child, she worked serving tea and water to the patrons, and through this environment, she learned many seductive techniques. When she was thirteen, a wandering swordsman accidentally left behind a martial arts manual, which recorded martial arts techniques, lightness skills, hidden weapons, and a magical technique that released flames.

After obtaining this martial arts manual, Ji San Niang practiced diligently and finally succeeded in her training just before turning fifteen and being ready to serve customers, thus escaping the brothel. After many twists and turns, she settled in Yangzhou several years ago.

Because of her childhood experiences, she believed that no man was good. Several years ago, in order to conceal her identity, she married a wealthy merchant in Yangzhou. On their wedding night, she tormented him all night, preventing him from going out to meet guests. In less than half a year, the wealthy merchant was tormented to death by her. Poor outsiders thought that he had married a beautiful bride and died of a stroke.

From then on, she gained a reputation as a flirtatious widow. Many men wanted to sleep with her but failed. Instead, those who tried to have sex with her were "visited by her in the middle of the night," and valuables were stolen from their homes. After this happened many times, many people thought she was a woman who brought bad luck to men, and no one dared to mess with her anymore.

Later, she gradually gathered some pitiful girls, taught them martial arts, and then had them steal things for her. As a result, the reputation of her female thief gang grew increasingly well-known in Yangzhou. The governor of Yangzhou repeatedly sent men to hunt them down, but to no avail. The governor, incompetent and foolish, was helpless and ordered that no one could leave the city, but the operation to capture the female thieves still yielded no results. She was very pleased with herself, and last night she went out to scout the area with her maid. Unexpectedly, upon returning, she witnessed this scene.

Although Ji San Niang had experienced many trials and tribulations, this was the first time she had encountered someone who had caught her by the nose, and she was momentarily at a loss. Fortunately, she quickly regained her composure and said with an uncertain expression, "It seems we've encountered a master. We shouldn't be moving around for the time being. We'll talk again after this storm has passed."

"But all the money has been taken. What are we going to do for the next few days?" the female thief said worriedly.

Without money, what will they eat? What will they drink? How will they survive without food or water?

"Let's pawn some jewelry first," Ji San Niang decided decisively. "Things will be better once we get through this period."

"Yes."

……

For the next few days, the female thief gang made no move, and Yangzhou enjoyed a rare period of peace.

Until this day.

"Master, Ling'er has had enough fun. Let's go somewhere else!" Zhao Ling'er said, looking charming and cute in her new clothes.

"Okay." Ling Chi nodded. "Where would you like to go next?"

"I've heard that the capital is very prosperous, and Ling'er wants to go there to see it," Zhao Ling'er said.

"The capital?" Ling Chi was slightly taken aback, then chuckled, "What a coincidence, I was originally planning to take you to the capital as well."

"Hehe, could this be what they call telepathy?" Zhao Ling'er said with a hint of shyness.

"Haha, maybe so!" Ling Chi laughed and said, "Rest tonight, and we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

"Hmm." Zhao Ling'er nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "But isn't Yangzhou City a place where you can enter but not leave?"

“Ordinary people certainly can’t get out, but is it difficult for us?” Ling Chi retorted.

"..." Zhao Ling'er shook her head and said, "But I feel sorry for others who can't get out. Their families must miss them very much."

Ling Chi stroked his chin and said, "In that case, we can only let the authorities arrest them."

……

That day, Ling Chi single-handedly stormed into the female thieves' lair, tied them all up tightly, and led them into the yamen (government office).

When the governor of Yangzhou learned that these women were female thieves, and after Ji Sanniang confessed her crimes, the ban that had plagued countless travelers was finally lifted.

The next day, Ling Chi, Zhao Ling'er, and the little fox left Yangzhou City. Just as they were about to head to the capital, Ling Chi stopped and glanced at the mountains and forests ahead.