Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

"A dream?" Lingzhu blinked and asked, "What's that?"

“It’s something you’ve always dreamed of doing,” Ling Chi said. “Like becoming a great hero who helps the weak and punishes the strong.”

“Hmm…” Lingzhu frowned and thought for a long time, finally shaking her head blankly: “I think it’s fine as it is now, there’s nothing I want to do.”

"..."

Ling Chi patted her bun and said, "Go play!"

"Oh." Lingzhu ran off to play hide-and-seek with Su Mei and Xiaoqing while munching on a chicken leg.

Ling Chi beckoned Wang Shu and said, "Come with me to Nuwa's Heaven."

“Yes, young master.” Wang Shu stood gracefully beside Ling Chi, and stepped with him into the Nuwa Heaven.

At this moment, Nuwa was playing with mud in the Nuwa Heaven. When Ling Chi saw the image she was creating, he was stunned.

Nuwa sensed the arrival of Ling Chi and Wang Shu, exclaimed "Ah!", and hurriedly put the clay figure she was making into the Mountain and River Map. Her face flushed, and she stammered, "Brother Ling, what brings you here?"

Ling Chi gave Nuwa a meaningful look and said, "Were you making my clay sculpture just now?"

That's right, the clay figure that Nuwa was just creating was in the shape of Ling Chi.

Nuwa's heart was pounding, and not only did her face turn red, but her neck and ears also turned red: "I...I...I was just playing around with it."

"Heh..." I believed your lies.

"Go ahead and squeeze me! Just remember to make me look nice." Ling Chi's words eased the awkwardness between them.

Seeing that Ling Chi wasn't angry with her, Nuwa felt relieved, and the blush on her face gradually faded. She said, "I understand." She paused, then asked, "Brother Ling, what brings you here? Did Lingzhu get into trouble?"

Lingzhuzi ran away to the God of Cookery two years ago and hasn't returned since. Nuwa thought she had gotten into trouble again.

"No, not at all." Ling Chi raised his hand and pointed, and a set of table and chairs appeared on the ground. He pointed again, and the table was full of food and wine.

"Eat something first, I have something to talk to you about."

"Oh." Nuwa sat down and Ling Chi also sat down. Wang Shu refused to sit down and stood beside Ling Chi to serve him.

"The Heavenly Court is short of 365 righteous gods. Hongjun has already produced the Investiture of the Gods, and he wants the disciples of the sages to be listed on the list. You already know about this, right?" Ling Chi asked.

Nuwa nodded, then, a thought struck her, and asked, "Brother Ling, do you have any ideas?"

"It's just a minor tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, nothing serious," Ling Chi said. "I wanted to ask you what your plans are for Ling Zhuzi's future?"

"Lingzhuzi?" Nuwa looked bewildered. "Arrangements? What's there to arrange? Isn't she doing just fine now!"

"..."

Ling Chi shook his head: "Ling Zhuzi only knows how to eat, drink and have fun now. With you and me here, we can protect her, but she can't stand on her own. In the long run, she will become a useless person. Do you want her to be like this for the rest of her life?"

“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Nuwa said. “We are all saints anyway, what’s wrong with protecting her for a lifetime?”

"...You've successfully convinced me." Ling Chi smiled helplessly: "Originally, I was thinking of using this Investiture of the Gods calamity to help Ling Zhuzi obtain a position as a true god in the Heavenly Court. Since you have no such idea, then forget it."

"Hmm, forget it!" Nuwa happily munched on a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and said, "Besides, being able to eat Brother Ling's delicious food every day is much more comfortable than being a celestial god in the Heavenly Court. Lingzhuzi definitely won't want to go to the Heavenly Court."

"..."

Ling Chi suddenly realized that the reason Ling Zhuzi didn't reincarnate was all because of him. If it weren't for his appearance, Nuwa and Ling Zhuzi wouldn't have been able to eat top-quality food anytime, anywhere. Because they had become picky eaters and developed a strong appetite, they couldn't give it up, which is why they had no interest in the position of a righteous god in the Heavenly Court.

Ling Chi sighed: Oh well, there's no shortage of Nezha on the Investiture of the Gods anyway. If Ling Zhuzi wants to eat, drink, and have fun in the God of Cookery, let her do so. Anyway, this little girl loves to play and can bring a lot of joy to people.

It's just that the world is missing Nezha, which is somewhat regrettable.

……

After eating and drinking their fill, Ling Chi took Wang Shu back to the God of Cookery Realm, while Nuwa secretly took the clay sculpture out of the Mountain and River Map and continued to knead and shape it.

Two hours later, a life-size clay sculpture of Lingchi was completed. Nuwa blew a breath of spiritual energy into the sculpture, and it instantly came to life.

Ling Chi's eyes held a hint of confusion: "Where is this?"

Nuwa smiled and said, "Husband, are you still half asleep? How could you forget your own home?"

"Uh??" Ling Chi looked at the beautiful and dignified Nuwa, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes: "Who are you?"

"My husband is indeed confused from sleeping. I am your wife, Nuwa!" Nuwa's words fooled Lingchi, making him believe that the two were husband and wife.

"My lord must be tired! Let me take you to rest." Nuwa coaxed and tricked 'Lingchi' into going to the bedroom to rest...

...100,000 words omitted here...

The world of culinary gods.

Ling Chi suddenly shivered.

"Young master, what's wrong?" the attentive Wang Shu asked.

"Something feels off." Ling Chi frowned. It was as if he'd been seduced by a bad woman...

He knew this was not a misperception. As a sage, any feeling he had was a premonition or something in progress. However, this time, when he tried to calculate with his fingers, he could not figure anything out. It was very strange.

Fortunately, judging from my feelings, it shouldn't be a bad thing.

Otherwise, he would definitely be on guard, instead of just having some inexplicable feelings like he does now.

"Never mind, it's nothing." Ling Chi said to Wang Shu, "I'm going to the mortal realm, are you coming?"

Wang Shu said, "Wherever you go, young master, I will go."

Ling Chi smiled slightly. He hadn't expected this maid who had taken the initiative to come to him to be so clingy. However, she had served him very well over the years and he couldn't find any fault with her.

A goddess of the Moon Star, willing to be his little maid—if word got out, he'd be slapping himself a few times over.

……

In the primordial era, the capital of the human race was Yin.

At this time, the supreme ruler of the human race was Wu Ding. Wu Ding was an extremely capable monarch. He was diligent in government affairs and appointed convicts, namely Fu Yue, who was born into slavery, as well as virtuous and capable people such as Gan Pan and Zu Ji to assist him in governing. He worked hard to make the Shang Dynasty's politics, economy, military, and culture develop like never before. At this time, the Shang Dynasty can be said to be at its most prosperous state.

Unfortunately, water overflows when it is full, and the moon wanes when it is full. As Ling Chi walked through the streets of Yindu, he could clearly see that the fortunes of the Yin Shang Dynasty had reached their peak and were about to enter a period of decline.

This is unavoidable. From a historical perspective, there is no such thing as a dynasty that never declines. As long as 'history' doesn't go astray, the Shang Dynasty will be replaced by the Zhou Dynasty after maintaining its rule for eight hundred years.

At this time, the Shang Dynasty had been in existence for over six hundred years, and in another hundred years or so, it would come to an end.

Chapter 40 Zhunti Gets Beaten Up All Over His Head

Time flies, and a century has passed in the blink of an eye.

Fifty li outside the capital of the Shang Dynasty, Chaoge, lies a small village surrounded by clear waters and swaying willows, a place of exceptional beauty, named Songjiazhuang. Several years ago, a family of a different surname arrived in Songjiazhuang. A man named Jiang Heng, a descendant of Shennong, one of the Three Sovereigns, had fallen on hard times and settled in Songjiazhuang. He later married a woman from Songjiazhuang named Song, and they had a son named Jiang Shang, courtesy name Ziya. Because Song had dreamt of a flying bear entering her womb before Jiang Shang's birth, he was also known as Feixiong (Flying Bear).

Jiang Shang was quite different from other children after his birth. He would often sit on a large rock by the village, lost in thought. Because of the dream Song had before Jiang Shang's birth, Jiang Huan simply thought Jiang Shang was born with extraordinary talent and let him be. The village children thought Jiang Shang was strange and often mocked him. Only Jiang Shang's cousin, Song Yiren, always protected his eccentric cousin.

When Jiang Shang was in his teens, both Jiang Huan and Lady Song passed away. Jiang Shang, having somehow heard about the pursuit of immortality, came to bid farewell to his cousin, Song Yiren. Upon hearing Jiang Shang's words, Song Yiren sighed and said, "Cousin, you are born extraordinary. Perhaps seeking immortality is the right path for you!" So he did not stop him.

Jiang Shang only knew hearsay about cultivating immortality, so how could he know where to find it? Fortunately, he met a fellow seeker on the road named Shen Gongbao. Shen Gongbao was a righteous and straightforward man who was also single-mindedly pursuing the Dao. Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao hit it off immediately and agreed to seek the Dao together.

Shen Gongbao, having traveled extensively in the prehistoric world, was knowledgeable and experienced. He said to Jiang Shang, "If we're talking about enlightened beings in the world, the Three Pure Ones and the Two Western Saints are the most outstanding. However, the West is too far away. The Supreme Pure One is tranquil and inactive, and the Upper Pure One is far away in the East Sea. Only the Jade Pure One's Kunlun Mountain is the closest. Why don't you and I go to Kunlun Mountain and try our luck?"

Jiang Shang had no objection, so he followed Shen Gongbao and headed towards Kunlun Mountain.

Now, after more than seven hundred years of great governance under the Shang Dynasty, the land is prosperous and the people are thriving. There's a saying that in times of peace, one seeks the Dao, which speaks to the high standard of living among the common people. Consequently, more and more people are cultivating the Dao in search of immortality. Therefore, when the two arrived at the foot of Mount Kunlun, they saw a sea of ​​people, a dense, dark mass everywhere.

Seeing so many people coming to seek the Dao, Jiang Shang thought to himself that at this rate, he didn't know when he would be chosen by the Primordial Celestial Venerable. He remained frowning with worry.

Shen Gongbao was a clever man. Seeing this, he said to Jiang Shang, "The time to open the mountain gates has not yet come. Why don't we go first and seize the opportunity?"

Jiang Shang nodded in agreement, and the two secretly set off into the Kunlun Mountains on a moonlit night.

Inside the Jade Void Palace of Kunlun Mountain, the Jade Purity Saint of the Chan Sect, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, calculated the time. The matter of bestowing gods, discussed by the saints, was about to arrive, and the one to bestow gods on behalf of Heaven would soon be born. This person was attracted by the innate spiritual treasures, the Investiture of the Gods List and the God-Slaying Whip. He would come to Kunlun Mountain to seek apprenticeship, but he also wanted to make his own moves. Thus, the announcement was made to the primordial world, and the mountain gates were opened wide.

That night, the Primordial Celestial Venerable was in seclusion, meditating. Suddenly, the innate spiritual treasures beside him, the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip, flashed with golden light. The Primordial Celestial Venerable had a thought, but with a smile on his face, he summoned the White Crane Boy beside him and spoke to him briefly.

The White Crane Boy descended the mountain. He saw two figures walking in the moonlight. He thought to himself, "My master sent me to fetch the one who will bestow divine titles on behalf of Heaven, but now two have come. What should I do?" The White Crane Boy secretly thought it best to bring both of them up the mountain so that my master could personally distinguish them. So, he revealed himself and prepared to take the two up the mountain.

Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao had come here by chance, but they never expected to actually alarm the Sage. They were immediately thrilled and followed the White Crane Boy up the mountain.

When Yuanshi saw that the White Crane Boy had brought two of them, he was quite surprised. He quickly calculated with his fingers and figured out what was going on. So he said to Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao, who were kneeling on the ground, "You two are destined to be disciples of my Jade Void Palace's Chan Sect. You shall both become my disciples. Jiang Shang is the eldest, so he shall be my senior brother!"

The two were flattered and hurriedly knelt and kowtowed three times and nine times to perform the grand ceremony of becoming disciples.

After Yuanshi took the two as his disciples, he instructed his eldest disciple, the Antarctic Immortal, to pass on his skills on his behalf.

The Antarctic Immortal was a kind-hearted man, and naturally devoted himself to teaching the two. Strangely, Jiang Ziya's comprehension of the Jade Purity Immortal Technique was remarkably low, but he possessed considerable insight into military strategy, tactics, and political maneuvering; while Shen Gongbao was the exact opposite, rapidly ascending to the early stage of Earth Immortal. The Antarctic Immortal reported this to Yuanshi Tianzun, who, of course, understood the reason. He then told the Antarctic Immortal to let Jiang Ziya choose for himself, to cease teaching Shen Gongbao the Jade Purity Immortal Technique, and to send him on a journey through the primordial world!

……

In Chaoge, the new emperor of the Shang Dynasty ascended the throne. His name was Shou Xin, and he was known as King Zhou. King Zhou was exceptionally powerful and skilled in both literature and martial arts. After ascending the throne, he appointed Wen Zhong as Grand Tutor and Huang Feihu as King Zhenguo Wucheng, who commanded all civil and military officials. He also had a prime minister, Shang Rong, a junior official, Bi Gan, a senior minister, Mei Bai, Zhao Qi, and other outstanding figures. With such capable leaders, the Shang Dynasty enjoyed favorable weather, peace, and prosperity. The surrounding tribes submitted to the Shang, and there were four major vassal states: Jiang Huanchu (Eastern Lord), E Chongyu (Southern Lord), Ji Chang (Western Lord), and Chonghouhu (Northern Lord). Each vassal state led two hundred subordinate vassal states, totaling eight hundred vassal states under the Shang's rule.

As the saying goes, when people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lust. After a period of diligent governance, King Zhou became arrogant and self-willed, and stopped listening to the opinions of his ministers. He thought that now that the world was at peace, it was time to enjoy himself. After taking three concubines—Empress Jiang in the Central Palace, Consort Huang in the Western Palace, and Consort Yang in the Xinqing Palace—he was still not satisfied and sent people everywhere to search for beautiful women.

The ministers thought that King Zhou's actions were not too excessive, so they turned a blind eye to what he was doing.

On this day, King Zhou held an early morning court session. Since Grand Tutor Wen Zhong was away on a campaign and had not yet returned, all matters were handled by Prime Minister Shang Rong. Shang Rong reported, "Your Majesty, I, Shang Rong, have a report to make. Tomorrow is the fifteenth of the third month, the birthday of the Holy Mother of Humanity, Nuwa. I request Your Majesty to come to Nuwa Palace to offer incense."

"Goddess Nuwa?" King Zhou seemed to be thinking. He had often heard of Nuwa's name, and having been confined to the palace for a long time, he wanted to go out for a stroll, so he agreed.

Nuwa Palace is located within Chaoge City and was built by Tang, the first king of the Shang Dynasty.

The following day, King Zhou led his civil and military officials in a grand procession to the Nuwa Palace to offer incense.

King Zhou arrived at Nuwa's Palace and was immediately struck by its magnificent splendor. Dragons and phoenixes danced within, and golden censers glowed with auspicious light, while silver candles emitted fragrant incense. King Zhou was secretly amazed, thinking to himself that even his own palace in Chaoge lacked such splendor, and he would surely try to imitate it upon returning home. At that moment, Prime Minister Shang Rong presented incense, which King Zhou then offered.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept in, lifting the curtain and revealing the statue of Nuwa. King Zhou glanced up and saw her; Nuwa's appearance was exquisite, a beauty of unparalleled grace. King Zhou, being a mortal, had never seen such beauty before. He was instantly captivated, speechless, thinking to himself: "This Goddess Nuwa is indeed exceptionally beautiful. Even though I am the Son of Heaven, possessing the four seas and the four realms, and have six palaces and three halls, none possess such beauty." Lost in thought, he was suddenly overcome with lust and ordered his attendants to bring him writing materials.

The ministers, thinking King Zhou intended to write an essay praising Nuwa's virtues, exclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise!" But then King Zhou waved his hand and wrote a poem on the pink wall of Nuwa's palace. Upon reading the poem, the ministers were stunned, drenched in cold sweat. The poem read: "The phoenix-adorned tent is a magnificent sight, adorned with exquisite gold leaf. Distant mountains rise in verdant hues, Fluttering sleeves reflect the rosy clouds. Pear blossoms, glistening with rain, vie in beauty, Peonies, shrouded in mist, display their alluring charm. If only such enchanting beauty could move, She would be brought back to serve Your Majesty in Chang'an Palace."

The first few lines of the poem were tolerable, but the last two lines were extremely flirtatious. How could the ministers not be shocked? Shang Rong bowed and said, "Goddess Nuwa is the Holy Mother of our human race, who has protected our Shang Dynasty for more than seven hundred years. Your Majesty's poem is disrespectful to the Holy Mother and is not the proper etiquette for a Son of Heaven's inspection tour. I beg Your Majesty to wash away this poem and burn incense again to invite the Goddess to drink."

King Zhou, still captivated by Nuwa's beauty, paid no heed to the words. He simply laughed and said, "I am the supreme ruler, and I have heard that during the reign of the Yellow Emperor, a celestial maiden descended to earth to study the path to immortality with him. Perhaps Nuwa, upon seeing this poem, might offer me some guidance. Besides, this poem merely praises Nuwa's unparalleled beauty; what other meaning could it hold?" He paused, then added, "After I leave, none of you are permitted to erase this poem! Otherwise, I will not let you off lightly!"

The ministers secretly groaned. With Grand Tutor Wen Zhong absent, none of them possessed profound Taoist cultivation, and they were unaware of just how powerful the legendary sage truly was. Unable to dissuade King Zhou, they decided they should wait for Grand Tutor Wen Zhong to return to the palace before persuading him to apologize to the Goddess Nuwa.

After King Zhou and his officials left, a figure appeared in Nuwa's Palace; it was none other than Zhunti, the second leader of the Western sect.

The previous whirlwind was his doing, and he also used magic to bewitch King Zhou, causing him to leave behind this poem that flirted with Nuwa. His aim was to get Nuwa to orchestrate the Investiture of the Gods. Because Nuwa was a sage outside the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao couldn't control her actions. By having Nuwa orchestrate the Investiture of the Gods, the Heavenly Dao wouldn't be able to detect his underhanded tactics. This allowed him to safely plan the contingency arrangements for the calamity and maximize his benefits for the prosperity of the West.

Zhunti thought he had done something flawless, but little did he know that Ling Chi had seen everything he did.

The world of culinary gods.

Ling Chi wiped the cream from Ling Zhuzi's lips, his eyes flashing, and he couldn't help but smile slightly: This Zhunti is really bold enough.

Because he had anticipated this, Ling Chi did not expose his little tricks. After all, this was Heaven's compensation to the West, and even if Zhunti had not made these little tricks, it would not have changed the general trend.