Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

"Bai Suzhen (Xiaoqing) greets Sister Su Mei."

Su Mei smiled charmingly: "Hello."

Ling Chi said, "I also have a panda mount, but that guy is greedy and lazy. All he does all day is eat and sleep. He's probably munching on bamboo in the bamboo forest in the backyard right now! I'll introduce him to you later."

Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing nodded, no longer making a fuss about the strange things around Ling Chi.

Chapter Ten: Ji Gong?

"Mmm, what... what is this? It's so delicious!" Xiaoqing took a sip of wonton soup and then a bite of wonton. Her face immediately flushed red, and she began to pant heavily.

"It's just a bowl of ordinary wontons." Su Mei smiled charmingly, "Although it's much worse than what Brother Ling makes, it's still pretty good, belonging to the top-tier purple cuisine."

"Purple top-tier?" Xiaoqing and Bai Suzhen both looked bewildered: "What level is purple top-tier?"

"These are the grades that Brother Ling assigned to the dishes. From low to high, they are white, blue, purple, red, gold, and diamond. Each grade is further divided into three sub-grades: ordinary, high-grade, and top-grade, for a total of eighteen grades. Purple top-grade is the ninth grade. Although it is not considered very high-grade, it is something that cannot be eaten in the mortal world. It is only available in the Heavenly Court."

The maid who can turn beans into soldiers can not only guard the house, make the bed, warm the bed and act cute, but also do laundry and cook. Under Ling Chi's blessing, her cooking skills have reached the purple level. She can cook almost all recipes of purple level and below. Although Ling Chi cooks for the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother in the imperial kitchen every day, since she has the ability to turn beans into soldiers, she has been living the life of a rich landlord at home.

"I never imagined there was so much to learn about cooking. It's truly eye-opening," Bai Suzhen exclaimed.

Xiaoqing didn't have any particular feelings; she just wanted to enjoy her breakfast.

Ling Chi smiled slightly and said while eating, "Did Guanyin Bodhisattva say that you and I have a connection?"

Bai Suzhen nodded and said, "You also said you would enlighten me. I never understood it before, but now I do."

"Do you want to become an immortal?" Ling Chi asked.

"Yes." Bai Suzhen nodded: "Only by becoming an immortal can one achieve immortality."

“Immortality is real, but it’s very restrictive,” Ling Chi said. “Every day you have to do your job, and because you’re immortal, you’ll be working endlessly. I’ve been cooking for the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother for over four years and I can’t take it anymore. If you become an immortal and face endless work without freedom, would you still want to become an immortal?”

"This..." Bai Suzhen hesitated, then fell silent.

"Ah! So being a god is this miserable!" Xiaoqing couldn't bear to hear it. She grabbed Bai Suzhen's wrist and said, "Sister, let's not be gods anymore, okay? It's good enough to be free and at ease in the human world! Why go to heaven to be servants?"

"This..." Bai Suzhen hesitated, unable to make a decision: "Let me think about it."

"It's alright," Ling Chi said. "Becoming an immortal is simple. When I return to Heaven, I'll take you with me. I'll be spending some quiet time in Qiantang County for a while. You and Xiao Qing can stay here temporarily and think it over slowly."

Bai Suzhen breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Young Master Ling."

"Don't be so polite," Ling Chi said. "But what about you? Why did you suddenly leave Qingcheng Mountain back then? Do you remember what happened?"

Bai Suzhen shook her head and said, "I only remember that after I woke up, I was on Mount Emei, and I had a whole set of demon cultivation methods in my mind. So I went into seclusion on Mount Emei for a period of time. Later, I returned to Mount Qingcheng and continued to cultivate in seclusion until I was reborn. Only then did I leave Mount Qingcheng and later met Guanyin Bodhisattva at the Golden Summit of Mount Emei."

"I see." Ling Chi immediately understood what was going on. "It seems you've encountered a fortuitous opportunity, but I wonder who gave you this opportunity?"

Bai Suzhen pondered for a moment and said, "There is always a name hidden in my mind, but I can't find it. Maybe one day in the future, by chance, I will remember this name, and then I will know who gave me this opportunity."

Ling Chi nodded: "Having such an opportunity is a good thing, but your cultivation is a bit slow. It's been 1,700 years and you've only just undergone a complete transformation. It's really too slow."

Bai Suzhen blushed and said, "I'm too stupid. Although the cultivation method is in my mind, there are many meanings I don't understand. That's why I stumbled and struggled to cultivate until now before I was reborn and transformed into a human."

"I see." Ling Chi suddenly realized that the reason was that they had only been given textbooks and had to learn everything on their own.

Ling Chi couldn't help but shake his head and said, "What a pity. If you hadn't met that person back then and had stayed by my side, you would be at least twice as good as you are now. I really don't know if what you encountered was a stroke of luck or bad luck."

Bai Suzhen: "..."

After breakfast, the maid prepared tea and set out some snacks. Ling Chi and Bai Suzhen continued chatting, talking about their respective experiences over the years.

There's not much to say about Bai Suzhen; she's basically stayed in a cave for 1,700 years. Ling Chi, on the other hand, has a much richer life story, which made Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing gasp in surprise.

What shocked them the most was that Ling Chi had won the favor of almost all the big shots in the Three Realms. Even the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother tried their best to meet some of his not-too-excessive requests. He was simply a pet that everyone loved, flowers bloomed when they saw him, and cars would get flat tires when they saw him.

Xiaoqing was sweating more and more as she listened, thinking to herself: Luckily I met my sister, otherwise if she had really poured the sewage on the door and wall, I would not be alive.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized it made sense, and her gratitude towards Bai Suzhen grew stronger: Sister, Xiaoqing will serve you for the rest of her life to repay you.

Feeling Xiaoqing's burning gaze, Bai Suzhen looked puzzled.

Time always flies when you're chatting, and before you know it, it's noon.

After lunch, Ling Chi said, "I'm going to go for a walk outside. Do you want to come?"

Bai Suzhen said, "This is my first time in Qiantang County. If Young Master Ling doesn't mind, please take me with you!"

“I’ll go too,” Xiaoqing said. “I know this place best. I’ll be your guide, sister and young master.”

"Then I'll have to trouble you." Ling Chi smiled slightly, then turned to Su Mei and asked, "Are you going?"

“Go ahead!” Su Mei said with a smile, “I love lively atmospheres.”

"Let's go then!" Ling Chi took a few maids with him and went out.

It's October now, the weather is cool and perfect for going out. Ling Chi is dressed like a young master from a wealthy family, and he's accompanied by beautiful women of different styles, which naturally attracts the attention of many passersby.

"Whose young master is this? I've never seen him before."

"It's probably from out of town. It looks really tall. Could it be from the north?"

"With so many young ladies and maids with him, he must be a young master from a wealthy family."

"Damn it, why wasn't I born into a wealthy family?"

"You're just a tofu seller, you should save your breath!"

"Hey, if I do one good deed every day from today until I die, maybe I can be reborn as a young master in a wealthy family in my next life. Let's give it a try."

"I don't believe you for a second, you old geezer, you're a really bad guy."

"..."

"Hangzhou has so many beautiful sights, especially West Lake. Every March, it's bustling with tourists." Xiaoqing told Bai Suzhen about the various beautiful sights and local customs of Hangzhou. Bai Suzhen listened and nodded repeatedly, smiling, "Although I haven't been in the mortal world for long, I've heard the saying, 'Above is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou.' If Hangzhou is so beautiful, then Suzhou must be just as beautiful."

“Sister is right. I went to Suzhou a few days ago. Although the scenery there is different from Hangzhou, it has more of the beauty of a water town with crisscrossing waterways. I’m sure you’ll love it there,” Xiaoqing said.

Bai Suzhen nodded with a smile: "I will definitely visit Suzhou when I have the chance in the future."

“We don’t need a chance! We can watch whenever we want, since we can all fly and make several round trips in a single day!” Xiaoqing said.

Bai Suzhen smiled and said, "There's no rush. Let's tour the place with Young Master Ling first."

“Xiao Bai knows how to talk.” Ling Chi opened his folding fan and fanned himself, looking dashing and debonair, just like a prince or a grandson of royalty. “Hangzhou has too many legends. For example, I heard a couple of days ago that there is a crazy, eccentric monk at Lingyin Temple, whose Dharma name is Daoji. He is said to have supernatural powers and is rumored to be the reincarnation of a certain Arhat. I wonder if it’s true?”

“Daoji! I’ve heard of him too,” Xiaoqing said. “He’s just a crazy monk. I even saw him eat dog meat with my own eyes!”

"Oh?" Ling Chi asked, "When did you meet him?"

“It was probably two years ago!” Xiaoqing said. “I was strolling around the city when I saw a ragged monk going to a dog meat stall and asking people for dog meat. It was hilarious.”

"It's really funny." Ling Chi sighed. According to modern history, Ji Gong would not have been born for another eight years, but in this world, he had already appeared. It seems that this world really cannot be referenced by modern history, that would be to make things difficult for oneself.

"And then?" Ling Chi asked, "Didn't you go and say a few words to Daoji?"

"What's there to say?" Xiaoqing said. "He's filthy and smelly, I can't be bothered with him!"

"You're amazing." Ling Chi exclaimed in admiration, "However, it's unprecedented in history for Buddhism to produce such an unconventional figure. I wonder if Buddhism will be able to accept him?"

“A monk who eats meat and drinks alcohol, it’s no wonder the Buddhist community would not tolerate him,” Xiaoqing said. “What kind of monk eats meat and drinks alcohol? I think he’s just using his status as a monk to scam people out of food and drink.”

Ling Chi smiled without saying a word.

"What are you laughing at?" Xiaoqing asked, a little annoyed. "Don't you know how annoying your gaze is!"

"I'm really sorry about that," Ling Chi said. "But I really like girls like you who are simple-minded and carefree all day long. Unlike me, I have to manage a whole family's affairs and rarely have any peace and quiet."

"Are you praising me or laughing at me?" Xiaoqing frowned slightly, feeling that Ling Chi's words were not a compliment.

"It's definitely a compliment," Ling Chi said with a smile. "Let's go! Let's take a stroll down that street ahead."

……

In the coming days, Ling Chi took Bai Suzhen and others out for sightseeing almost every day. They visited many famous mountains and ancient temples, and became the subject of much conversation among the people of Hangzhou.

Many people thought he was a young master from the north who came to Hangzhou for sightseeing, but as the Ling residence was discovered by someone with ulterior motives, many people began to speculate whether this young master intended to stay in Hangzhou for a long time.

Some people recognized that the so-called Ling Mansion was the former Qiu Wang Mansion, which made them a little worried: Would this young master and his beautiful wife and concubines encounter ghosts living there?

These people are overthinking it. They've encountered two snake demons, let alone ghosts, and they're living comfortably in the mansion, having a wonderful time every day!

However, as the Ling family was mentioned more and more often, it attracted the attention of the government.

Although the Qiu Prince's Mansion was abandoned, it was still a state-owned residence. Ling Chi occupied the Qiu Prince's Mansion without saying a word and transformed it into the Ling Mansion. If he didn't spend some money on these officials, how could they possibly feel comfortable?

So on this day, Li Gongfu led a team of constables to the Ling residence and knocked on the door: "Open the door! Open the door quickly!"

"Who is it?" A maid from the manor hurried over: "Stop taking pictures, we're coming."

The gates of the Ling residence opened, and a maidservant, seeing the group of constables, asked, "Gentlemen, what brings you here?"

“Good question,” Li Gongfu said. “My magistrate heard that you have illegally occupied the Prince’s Mansion and turned it into a private residence. He is very unhappy and sent me to invite your head to the county office. Please call your head to come with me.”

The maid blinked and said, "My young master and young lady have gone out for a trip and are not at home."

"What? Not home?" Li Gongfu frowned and asked, "When are they coming back?"

"They'll be back before sunset," the maid said.

"What? Before sunset?" Li Gongfu waved his hand: "No, this constable can't wait that long. Since he's not here today, then have him go to the Qiantang County government office first thing tomorrow morning, otherwise you won't be able to stay here."

The maid nodded: "I understand. I will tell my young master when he returns."

"Hmm." Li Gongfu glanced inside the door, took a slight breath, and cursed under his breath: What a rich bastard!

Just as Li Gongfu was about to leave, he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from afar: "Hey! Isn't this Officer Li Gongfu?"

Li Gongfu turned his head and saw a young man in a magnificent robe walking towards him with a group of beautiful wives and concubines. The moment he saw him, Li Gongfu froze: "You...you're that charlatan from the other day!?"

"..." Ling Chi stepped forward to Li Gongfu and said, "Officer Li, although we have met once, my reputation is not something you can slander."

Li Gongfu was very embarrassed. From Ling Chi's clothes and demeanor, he knew that he had misunderstood him.

Li Gongfu may not have many other merits, but his ability to admit and correct his mistakes is one of them: "I had many misunderstandings with you that day, please forgive me."

Seeing that Li Gongfu apologized to him, Ling Chi forgave him and said with a smile, "Officer Li, you've come all this way to my house with so many people, what brings you here?"

"Your home?" Li Gongfu was taken aback, then exclaimed in surprise, "This Ling residence is your home?"

“That’s right.” Ling Chi opened his folding fan and fanned himself, then smiled and said, “This Ling residence took me a lot of effort to build. Would you like to go in and take a look, Officer Li?”

“Uh…” Li Gongfu coughed twice and said, “Thank you for the invitation, young master, but we will not go in.” He paused and then said, “I am here on the orders of our county magistrate to inform you, young master.”

"Oh?"