Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

Feng Qingyang, who was drinking porridge, put down his bowl and chopsticks, grabbed the carrier pigeon in his hand, and untied the paper strip tied to the pigeon's leg.

“Grandmaster Feng, your grand-disciple has settled down in the capital. Would you like to come and enjoy your retirement here? Your grand-disciple lives in the Ling family in the western city and runs a restaurant called Chef God Restaurant. High-ranking officials and nobles line up to eat there, and the daily income is countless, which is enough for Grandmaster Feng to enjoy his retirement.”

"No wonder we haven't heard from that kid lately, turns out he's gone to the capital to enjoy a life of leisure," Feng Qingyang said with a laugh.

He put away the note, stroked his snow-white beard, and couldn't help but swallow hard, thinking of the delicious meals Ling Chi had prepared.

A few days later, Feng Qingyang arrived in the capital.

Instead of going to Ling Chi's house immediately, he found out the location of the Chef God Restaurant and went to take a look.

Upon seeing this, I was completely taken aback.

This...this official robe, could it be a vice minister?

This...this is also a Vice Minister?

Another... another Vice Minister?

At least I'm not a vice minister anymore... Hmm? Minister! ?

Seeing a steady stream of high-ranking officials, each with a terrifyingly high rank, entering the Chef God Restaurant for a meal, Feng Qingyang was utterly bewildered.

"This kid is doing so well?" Feng Qingyang felt that his later years would be quite comfortable.

……

After a busy day, Ling Chi returned home to find an old man squatting at her doorstep. It was freezing cold, and he looked utterly pitiful.

"This... old man, why are you squatting at my door?" Ling Chi, being kind-hearted, immediately stepped forward to ask, "Is there something troubling you?"

“Indeed, there are difficulties.” Feng Qingyang raised his head, his expression sorrowful: “I am starving to death.”

"Feng...Grandmaster Feng!"

……

Inside the main room, Feng Qingyang sipped the congee from the clay pot, his pale face becoming increasingly rosy.

"Ding! You have conquered the stomach of the top-tier white-clad diner Feng Qingyang. Conquest count +1."

Seeing that Feng Qingyang's porridge alone was equivalent to the workload of serving a hundred high-class white-clad diners, Ling Chi was moved to tears: "Grandmaster Feng, you are still the best to your grand-disciple."

Several young maids looked at Feng Qingyang curiously, seemingly not expecting that their young master would have a senior from his sect come to visit.

I wonder if I'll be staying here permanently? If I am, how will we get along?

The maids were a little uneasy.

After finishing his bowl of porridge, Feng Qingyang sighed and said, "Another bowl, please."

"Okay." Ling Chi immediately filled Feng Qingyang's cup and said, "Grand Uncle Feng, please enjoy, there's plenty more."

"Hehe, your porridge is still the best. I've been craving it for half a year," Feng Qingyang said with a smile.

Ling Chi looked somewhat guilty: "It's because my grand-disciple hasn't shown enough concern for Grandmaster Feng."

"What does it have to do with you?" Feng Qingyang shook his head: "You bear the heavy responsibility of Mount Hua, so you should prioritize important matters. I understand."

“This…” Ling Chi hesitated.

Feng Qingyang looked doubtful: "What? Just say what you have to say, no need to beat around the bush."

"To be honest, Uncle-Master Feng..." Ling Chi decided to tell the truth: "Now that Master has practiced the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique, he has become neither male nor female. I was afraid that he would harm me, so I left Mount Hua and came to the capital to live."

"What!?" Feng Qingyang nearly dropped the bowl of porridge in his hand, utterly shocked: "Quick! Tell me everything you know!"

"Yes, Uncle-Master Feng. The matter is like this..."

Ling Chi recounted the whole story in detail, focusing on Yue Buqun's inner demons and his mental journey of being willing to castrate himself to cultivate the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual.

Feng Qingyang was completely stunned after hearing this.

This was the first time the eight maids present had heard about their young master's past. Although they didn't know much about the martial arts world, they knew that the leader of the Huashan Sect was a very important figure. Yet, this very important figure had castrated himself to learn a sword technique…

Are all people in the martial arts world this ruthless? How terrifying.

Chapter Forty-Four: Variables

"Yue Buqun... he's so foolish!" Feng Qingyang sighed, feeling a pang of guilt.

If he hadn't gone into seclusion in despair back then, but instead forcefully seized the position of sect leader, would Yue Buqun have been forced into this state?

But when he recalled what happened back then, Feng Qingyang's expression became complicated, as if he had some secret he couldn't tell anyone.

"It was my choice back then that ruined him," Feng Qingyang sighed dejectedly.

“It has nothing to do with Uncle-Master Feng.” Ling Chi quickly comforted him, “This was all Master’s own choice. It’s just that I never expected Master to become like Dongfang Bubai after castrating himself… I can only come out and find some peace and quiet.”

Feng Qingyang shook his head: "The Sunflower Manual was originally a martial art created by eunuchs of the previous dynasty. The Evil-Repelling Sword Technique is derived from the Sunflower Manual, so it is not a righteous martial art. However, the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique is extremely powerful and can make one a top master in a short time. It is not surprising that Yue Buqun castrated himself to practice it, but I did not expect it to turn out like that."

“Actually, I’m not too bad off. At least I can go down the mountain and find some peace and quiet. It’s just that my master’s wife…” Ling Chi said with a look of regret, “My master’s wife is only in her early forties, but she has become a widow. I’m afraid she won’t have a good life in the future.”

Upon hearing Ling Chi mention Ning Zhongze, Feng Qingyang's expression turned somewhat strange, though he couldn't quite articulate his emotions.

"Ugh!"

"Grandmaster Feng?"

Seeing the concerned look on Ling Chi's face, Feng Qingyang shook his head: "I'm a little tired."

"Then Grand Uncle Feng should rest early!" Ling Chi said to Zhu'er and Ju'er, "Take Grand Uncle Feng to the east wing."

"Yes, young master." Zhu'er and Ju'er bowed and said, "Grandpa, please come with us."

……

After Feng Qingyang left, Shuang'er said, "Brother, something's not right with Grandmaster Feng."

“Something’s not quite right.” Ling Chi stroked his chin. “Especially when they talk about Master’s wife.” He paused. “These are not things that we junior disciples should discuss. Let Uncle Feng stay at home properly. You can ask Uncle Feng to teach you a few sword techniques when you have time. Don’t waste this hard-won opportunity.”

"Hmm." Shuang'er nodded repeatedly, then thought for a moment and said, "From now on, will Zhu'er and Ju'er take care of Uncle Feng?"

"Whoever is free can take care of him," Ling Chi said with a smile. "We don't have that many rules in our family." Turning to the maids, she said, "Just treat Grandmaster Feng as your own grandfather, there's no need to be so formal."

"Yes, young master."

Ling Chi's words relieved the maids, who were genuinely afraid that a bad-tempered tyrant had come to their home.

Nobody wants their hard-won happy life to be ruined by a single bad apple.

……

After Feng Qingyang arrived, the atmosphere in Ling Chi's house changed somewhat. Previously, the family consisted mainly of young people, who joked and played around without restraint. But with Feng Qingyang present, the maids dared not joke or play around so freely. After all, they didn't know him well, and they were afraid of giving Feng Qingyang something to say about it.

But as time went on, the maids discovered that Feng Qingyang wasn't bad-tempered at all; he was a very kind old man who treated them like his own granddaughters.

After getting to know each other better, the maids relaxed, and the house gradually returned to its former cheerful atmosphere.

On Feng Qingyang's side, on the second day of his stay, he discovered that the maids in his household were all practicing the Huashan Heart Sutra and Huashan Sword Technique, and their aptitude and comprehension were quite good, no worse than the Huashan disciples.

The Huashan Inner Power and Huashan Sword Technique were, after all, just the basics, and Feng Qingyang didn't mind passing them on to outsiders. Occasionally, when the mood struck him, he would even give them some pointers. In doing so, the maids' affection for him deepened, and they gradually began to treat him like their own grandfather, giving the lonely Feng Qingyang a sense of happiness, like having children and grandchildren around him.

"It's all thanks to Ling boy." Feng Qingyang felt that the best decision he had ever made in his life was to retire in the capital.

Living out one's life like this doesn't seem so bad.

Feng Qingyang was grateful to Ling Chi, but in fact, Ling Chi was even happier about his arrival.

Since arriving in the capital, Ling Chi's culinary experience points haven't changed much. Although some military officers have visited the Culinary God's Pavilion, their level is at most high-level white, and the 0.01 experience points they gain each time is negligible, plus they don't come every day.

However, Feng Qingyang can give him a fixed 3 experience points every month. At this rate, he can raise his cooking skills to the blue level in less than a year.

What does it mean to be upgraded to the blue level?

This means he has gained an extra kitchen helper position and has a slight chance of winning over Zhu Fei.

……

Just as Ling Chi was living a happy life in the capital, troubles broke out again in the martial arts world.

After Ling Chi left Blackwood Cliff, Ren Woxing, who had been waiting for an opportunity, finally lost his arrogance and, ignoring the advice of Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying, insisted on attacking Blackwood Cliff.

Without Linghu Chong's help in learning the Dugu Nine Swords, Ren Woxing's fate was predictable.

Ren Woxing was first blinded by Dongfang Bubai, and then his internal organs were shattered by a palm strike, resulting in his tragic death at Blackwood Cliff.

Xiang Wentian was also doomed to die, but before he died, he helped Ren Yingying break through the encirclement and escape from Blackwood Cliff.

From then on, Dongfang Bubai was virtually invincible in the world, and the influence of the Sun Moon Cult grew ever stronger.

Faced with this situation, the righteous sects of the martial arts world could no longer remain passive.

Seeing that Ling Chi had been missing for several months, Zuo Lengchan hardened his heart and immediately launched a call for the Five Mountains Alliance to unite and fight against the Demonic Sect in his capacity as the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance.

However, in the face of Zuo Lengchan's call, apart from the Taishan faction expressing its support, the Huashan, Hengshan, and Hengshan factions all expressed their opposition.

Their reasoning was simple: "Although Dongfang Bubai unified the Sun Moon Cult, that battle also severely weakened the cult, posing no immediate threat. Moreover, Dongfang Bubai and Yang Lianting spend their days secluded, seemingly uninterested in cult affairs. The Sun Moon Cult without Dongfang Bubai is not dangerous, and sending a force without him would be meaningless."

This infuriated Zuo Lengchan, who, unwilling to give up, had no choice but to activate the second plan.

On the fifteenth of March next year, the Five Mountains Sword Sects will re-elect their leader.

If the Four Mountains Alliance Leaders were to succeed, all would be well. But if Zuo Lengchan were to continue as the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, the alliance would be dissolved.

Faced with Zuo Lengchan's coercion, the other four major sword sects had no choice but to agree. No one believed Zuo Lengchan could continue as the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, especially since Ling Chi was a member of the Huashan Sect.

No matter how powerful Zuo Lengchan is, can he be more powerful than Ling Chi?

Even Zuo Lengchan himself wasn't very confident, but the die was cast and the arrow had to be released.

The other sects had their own thoughts about the May alliance meeting, but Yilin was very happy: "I can see Brother Linghu and Senior Brother Ling again."

On the other hand, the Huashan Sect was not as relaxed as others might imagine.

The main hall of the Huashan Sect.

"Is there still no news about Chi'er?" Ning Zhongze asked.

"No." Linghu Chong shook his head, looking helpless. "Since leaving Blackwood Cliff, Junior Brother has disappeared without a trace. I don't know where he went."

"Could my junior brother have been harmed?" Liu Hou'er asked with a worried expression.

"Pah! Stop jinxing me!" Linghu Chong shouted. "Junior Brother's martial arts are unparalleled. Who could possibly harm him? I think it would be you who would do it."

Faced with the angry glares from his master's wife and fellow disciples, Liu Hou'er shrank back: "I... I naturally can't compare to my junior brother. But it's too abnormal that my junior brother has been missing for months without any news."