Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

After listening to Li Gongfu recount the whole story, Ling Chi nodded and said, "I see. So, your county magistrate wants me to buy this abandoned prince's mansion?"

Li Gongfu nodded: "I know you may have some resentment, but although this Prince Qiu's mansion has been abandoned for many years, it still belongs to the county government. Of course, you can rebuild it if you want, but you should go to the government office to buy it before you start construction."

Ling Chi felt somewhat helpless. Human affairs were just too troublesome. Unlike the Heavenly Court, where the Jade Emperor could simply provide a house without any formalities, allowing people to move in immediately.

“Alright!” Ling Chi said, “Anyway, I’m not really in the mood for sightseeing today, so I’ll go with Officer Li.”

Li Gongfu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you understand, young master. Please."

Ling Chi exchanged a few words with Bai Suzhen and the others, then followed Li Gongfu to the Qiantang County government office. The county magistrate of Qiantang County was a typical old hand in the ancient officialdom, well-versed in the rules of officialdom. Although greedy, he knew the bottom line. When Ling Chi came here to discuss the price of the Qiu Wang Mansion with him, the county magistrate did not make things difficult for him and directly quoted a price of five thousand taels.

Five thousand taels is really not expensive at all. After all, it has an area of ​​more than 10,000 square meters and a good location. If it hadn't been abandoned, you wouldn't have been able to buy it even for 50,000 taels of silver.

Ling Chi readily handed over the silver notes and smoothly acquired the land deed and house deed for the Prince Qiu's mansion. Everyone was happy.

Chapter Eleven: Let's Learn to Cook First

Having resolved the housing issue, Ling Chi emerged from the county government office and said to Li Gongfu, "Officer Li, have there been any more thefts of treasury silver recently?"

"Huh?" Li Gongfu was taken aback. "How did you know?"

"You should thank me," Ling Chi said, patting the house deed and land deed. "Where do you think that vixen is hiding?"

"!!!" Although Li Gongfu was a bit slow-witted, he immediately realized what was going on when he saw the man's actions and tone of voice: "Could it be that the demon has been hiding in the Prince Qiu's mansion all along!?"

"Officer Li can rest assured now." Ling Chi smiled slightly, then turned and left.

Li Gongfu watched his retreating figure with a complex expression.

After finishing his shift and returning home, Li Gongfu looked preoccupied. Xu Jiaorong, noticing his unusual mood, asked, "Gongfu, what's wrong? Why do you look so troubled?"

"Alas!" Li Gongfu sighed and said, "Don't mention it. I was blind and mistook a hero for a fraud."

"What hero is a fraud? What exactly happened?" Xu Jiaorong pressed.

Li Gongfu sighed and recounted how he had met Ling Chi at his doorstep and the hints Ling Chi gave him before leaving today. After finishing, Li Gongfu took a sip of hot tea and said, "I, Li Gongfu, have lived an upright life, but I never expected to wrong an good person. I was truly blind."

"So that's what happened." Xu Jiaorong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I think you shouldn't worry. Since that young master Ling Chi didn't blame you, he probably didn't take it to heart. You can buy two packs of pastries and go to his place to apologize another day."

"Well... alright!" Li Gongfu had no other choice but to try what his wife suggested.

Two days later, Li Gongfu took half a day off and bought two bags of fine pastries to visit the Ling residence and apologize.

When the maid opened the door and saw that it was Li Gongfu, she asked, "So it's Officer Li. Is there something you need?"

Li Gongfu asked somewhat awkwardly, "Is your young master home?"

"My young master!" the maid said, "He took the young ladies out to play early this morning. Is there something you need him to do at the government office?"

"No, no," Li Gongfu said. "Actually, I wanted to apologize to your young master." Li Gongfu handed over two packets of pastries and said, "When your young master returns, please tell him that Li Gongfu misunderstood Young Master Ling and hopes that he will forgive my rudeness."

The maid blinked, took the snacks, and asked, "Isn't Officer Li going to come in and sit down?"

"No, no," Li Gongfu said. "I have some official business to attend to, so I won't bother you any longer. Please pass on my message, thank you."

The maid nodded: "Take care, Officer Li."

"Okay, wait a moment."

……

As evening approached, Ling Chi and the women returned home. A maidservant stepped forward and said, "Young Master, Constable Li Gongfu came this morning."

"Oh?" Ling Chi asked, "What's he here for?"

"He came to apologize to the young master," the maid said with a smile. "He even brought some snacks!"

After listening to the maid's story, Su Mei chuckled and said, "This Li Gongfu is quite interesting."

"To err is human, to forgive divine," Bai Suzhen said. "Officer Li is a good man."

“Indeed.” Ling Chi smiled and said, “It is truly rare that you have not been corrupted while serving as a constable in the county government, but you are a bit too impatient.”

Bai Suzhen smiled and said, "No one is perfect. It's good enough to be kind-hearted."

"No one is perfect, but even demons can be perfect." Ling Chi looked at Bai Suzhen and said, "I think you are perfect."

Bai Suzhen exclaimed, her face flushed with shyness: "Young Master Ling, you..."

Xiaoqing giggled: "Young Master Ling, you wouldn't have taken a fancy to my sister, would you?"

"Why not?" Ling Chi said, "Gentle, beautiful, kind, and generous—she has almost all the virtues a woman should have. What man wouldn't like that?"

Bai Suzhen blushed even more: "Young Master Ling, you flatter me. Suzhen is not that good."

“I think Young Master Ling is right!” Xiao Qing said, “There’s no other woman like my sister in the world.”

Su Mei suddenly jumped onto Ling Chi's back, wrapped her arms and legs around him, and said coquettishly, "Brother Ling, isn't Mei'er perfect enough?"

You little devil, look at the treasure!

Ling Chi said, "If you didn't always go around raiding bird nests, that would be perfect."

Su Mei immediately pouted and said, "I just thought it was fun, and I didn't hurt those birds."

Ling Chi smiled without saying a word.

"Tsk." Su Mei jumped down and sat down to drink tea to quench her thirst.

Ling Chi smiled and opened the pastries that Li Gongfu had sent. The pastries were quite good, with many different flavors, and were considered top-quality in the entire Qiantang County. It seemed that Li Gongfu had really spent money.

It's a pity that I've gotten so used to eating my own homemade desserts that I don't really appreciate the ones sold outside anymore.

Ling Chi had the maids distribute the snacks, then said to Bai Suzhen, "After playing for a while, what are your thoughts now?"

Bai Suzhen pondered for a moment and said, "Are immortals really not free?"

“Just like ordinary people struggling to survive, even gods have their own responsibilities. They can’t imagine living like this, doing whatever they want without anyone interfering,” Ling Chi said.

Bai Suzhen nodded, remained silent for a moment, and said, "But if you don't become an immortal, you will eventually die. So what?"

"Who says that immortality requires becoming an immortal?" Ling Chi smiled slightly: "Before I went to the Heavenly Court, I was the king of Qingcheng Mountain, and I already had the ability to live forever."

"Really!?" Bai Suzhen's eyes lit up.

“Of course it’s true,” Ling Chi said. “I have plenty of ways to achieve immortality.”

"But..." Before Bai Suzhen could speak, Xiaoqing asked, "Since you have already achieved immortality, why do you still want to become the God of Cookery in Heaven?"

Bai Suzhen looked at him, also wanting to know the reason.

“It’s very simple,” Ling Chi said. “Because I’ve never been to Heaven, I wanted to see what Heaven is like. Besides, Heaven has many ingredients that don’t exist on Earth. Over the years, I’ve relied on Heaven’s ingredients to develop quite a few new dishes. If I hadn’t gone to Heaven that time, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, I have a lot of freedom. If I don't want to do it anymore, I can naturally leave. For example, when I asked for a long leave this time, didn't the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother agree?"

"You're really just self-promoting," Xiaoqing scoffed. "Who knows if what you're saying is true?"

"Xiaoqing..." Bai Suzhen glanced at her helplessly.

"Okay, okay! I won't say anything then." Xiaoqing muttered, "Seriously, don't blame me if you get scammed."

Ling Chi smiled faintly: "Why would I need to lie to you?"

Xiaoqing stopped muttering.

Bai Suzhen watched this scene and thought to herself: Indeed, one thing can subdue another.

"If I don't go to the Heavenly Court, how can I achieve immortality?" Bai Suzhen asked.

“The simplest way is to drink a cup of fine wine,” Ling Chi said. “Fine wine is my unique wine; drinking a cup will grant you immortality.”

"That……"

"You have the elixir of immortality, why are you giving it to your sister?" Xiaoqing interrupted again, "What is your purpose?"

"Why are you everywhere?" Ling Chi glanced at her and said, "My goal is, of course, to make Xiao Bai my person. What other goal could I have?"

Xiaoqing was stunned; she never imagined that Ling Chi could say such shameless things so openly.

Bai Suzhen felt extremely shy, never expecting that Ling Chi would have such feelings for her. Although she also had feelings for Ling Chi, the social atmosphere of this era was quite conservative, and men and women were generally reserved with each other, unlike Ling Chi who was so direct.

Su Mei chuckled and said, "You really don't understand Brother Ling at all. If he hadn't taken a liking to you, why would he be so patient with you and take you out to play? Don't you have any idea?"

Su Mei's words left Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing speechless. As the saying goes, when someone gives you a gift, they always have something in mind. Whether a man is nice to a woman or a woman is nice to a man, there must be some ulterior motive. Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing should have understood this long ago.

"Alright," Ling Chi said, "There's no rush. There are still several decades before I return to the Heavenly Court. You can do whatever you want during this time, just give me an answer before I go back."

"No need." Bai Suzhen shook her head and said, "There's something I'd like to confirm." She paused, then continued, "Young Master Ling, besides the elixir of immortality, are there any other ways to achieve eternal life?"

“Of course there is,” Ling Chi said. “Another way is to become my contracted spirit beast, just like Mei’er.” Ling Chi pointed at Su Mei and said, “Mei’er has been my contracted spirit beast for over 1,700 years. Since she turned 18, her appearance has never changed. Once you become my contracted spirit beast, your life will be bound to mine. As long as I live, the spirit beast will never die.”

"But if you die, Sister Su Mei will die too, right?" Xiao Qing ruthlessly exposed the side effect.

“That’s right.” Ling Chi nodded. “So I won’t force those who are unwilling, after all, I have other ways.”

Xiao Bai breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Is there any other way?"

Ling Chi didn't answer immediately, but looked at Bai Suzhen and asked, "Can you cook?"

"Huh? Cooking?" Bai Suzhen was taken aback, then shook her head: "I've never cooked before."

“Then try learning to cook from the maids in the kitchen!” Ling Chi said. “I’ll give you three days. Cook three dishes each day, and I’ll give you my answer after three days.” He paused, then added, “Remember, you must do your best. Otherwise, it will affect your judgment, and the consequences will be serious.”

Bai Suzhen was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."

"Hmm." Ling Chi pointed to the kitchen and said, "You can go to the kitchen and take a look, so you have a general idea of ​​what to do. You can get up early tomorrow and learn to cook with the maid!"

Bai Suzhen nodded and left the front hall with Xiaoqing, heading towards the kitchen.

On the way to the kitchen, Xiaoqing kept complaining: "What the hell! What does immortality have to do with cooking? I think he's just deliberately making fun of my sister."

Bai Suzhen said, "Xiaoqing, Young Master Ling is not that kind of person. You shouldn't always go against Young Master Ling, otherwise you will be the one who suffers in the end."

Xiaoqing pouted: "Fine, at worst I'll just stop confronting him directly in the future."

So, will you only ever carry him on your back from now on?

Bai Suzhen smiled helplessly: "You!"

……

In the front hall, Su Mei sat on Ling Chi's lap and asked, "Brother Ling, do you want to see Bai Suzhen's culinary talent?"

Ling Chi smiled slightly: "Otherwise what?" He paused for a moment: "If she has this talent, I will naturally give her a position as a kitchen helper. After all, there are already sixteen kitchen helper positions, but nine are vacant. Of course, we should fill them if we can."

Su Mei said somewhat dejectedly, "It's a pity that they don't have that talent, otherwise they would definitely be the eighth kitchen helper."