The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

Lu Wenjun was also a little nervous: "The dishes are all prepared, why don't you two try them first?"

They entered the kitchen and saw rows of exquisite dishes arranged in baskets made of grapevines. These were magical artifacts left behind by Huther before he left, capable of preserving food at its freshest, most delicious moment. Beside the baskets was a clean white porcelain plate that could replicate the dishes exactly—a standard magical artifact at heroes' banquets, as no hero wanted to see the food enjoyed by those at the table slightly worse or better than their own.

The wicker basket held grilled pigeon meat, its crisp, tender skin the color of bread crust; thin, leaf-like slices of fried eggplant piled high, drizzled with a sweet sauce made from ground tree fruit; plump river fish stuffed with salt and spices, baked in the Greeks' favorite way; a signature broth made with beef brisket, red peppers, and carrots; a glistening salad of various fruits and vegetables mixed with ice shavings, the leafy greens stewed in broth melting in your mouth; various breads, vegetable purees, and raw fish served with different dipping sauces, as well as a mille-feuille-like dessert with pickled fruit.

They all took a bite, and their eyes lit up.

“My God,” Faris said.

Vilsa agreed: "Anyone who is dissatisfied with the food is simply being unreasonable."

“I’ve studied Greek cuisine for over two months, after all.” Lu Wenjun breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s settled then! Get ready to wipe the tables and stuff. We’ll entertain anyone who comes, since Mr. Cabone will be paying for everything anyway.”

“Sure, Chef.” Faris shrugged. “Anyway, if something really happens, the three of us will suffer together.”

Even so, everyone remained extremely cautious, not only out of fear of angering the ancient Greeks, but also because they didn't want to slight those renowned figures.

Who hasn't heard of the hero who rode the celestial steed? He beheaded the basilisk with a scythe.

And who hasn't heard of the captain who set sail and led his equally great crew to seize the Golden Fleece?

We also know the story of the resourceful old king, who endured countless hardships to reunite with his family after conquering Troy. And the brave and wise King of Athens, who defeated the Minotaur in the labyrinth with his bare hands. And the gentle, melancholic harpist, whose music could move even the hardest stones to tears; and the honest and benevolent Son of Light, who healed the dead with miraculous medicine.

Not to mention that hero among heroes, the legend among legends, whose countless deeds are like a rope of cause and effect, making it difficult to find a beginning to tell.

The legends are as numerous and dazzling as the stars in the sky. Now, we may be fortunate enough to witness the glory of one of these stars. Even if there is danger, how can we not be filled with excitement and anticipation?

"Does it look alright to me?" Velsa adjusted her bow tie.

“Okay, man. I don’t recommend you go shirtless and act all muscular, they might think you’re trying to wrestle.” Faris swallowed hard. “Damn, I only know how to make a few basic cocktails, I’m so nervous.”

"At least try to look professional!" the head chef wailed desperately in the kitchen. "If all else fails, just give them the bottles!"

“They’re here!” Virsa exclaimed, her eyes wide.

It was not yet six o'clock, and the visitor's figure had already appeared on the forest path. He was a strong and handsome man with long, golden hair as bright as the sun. He wore a leather boot on one foot and a sandal on the other. He was dressed in light linen trousers and a whole leopard skin draped over his upper body.

"Holy crap, he's so handsome!" Faris exclaimed.

“Shut up!” Virsa whispered.

They suddenly understood why ancient epic poems always described heroes as "god-like." Their aura and appearance were unparalleled, transcendent, like gods descended to earth. As the man approached, Faris nervously bowed, "Hello, hello! Please come in!"

Velsa slapped her face, and the blond man laughed.

"This way of welcoming you is quite novel, like a lucky cat from an ancient kingdom. What were you talking about earlier?"

Vilsa quickly opened his mouth: "He was so amazed by your appearance that he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration."

The blond man stroked his chin, looking somewhat smug.

“They always say I am an unparalleled beauty! When I walk down the street, people even speculate whether I am the incarnation of Apollo the Light. But I am just a mortal child—if you give me a drink first, I would be happy to tell you about those good times.”

Faris had no idea which bottles in the wine cabinet were better, so he simply took down all the ones that looked the most beautiful and let the distinguished guest choose. He selected the largest bottle and placed it in the center of the round table.

“Everyone drinks the same thing, that way we won’t argue,” he said with satisfaction. “Are you the only two people in this tavern?”

Faris's efforts to control his mouth failed once again: "To answer your question, our chefs are still busy in the back, afraid that the food will get cold and haven't come out to serve our guests yet."

Versa looked utterly dejected, while the blond man laughed heartily.

"How delightful is the way you speak. Very well then, let the chef do his job, I'll just have this one drink. Once everyone's here, bring out the food."

They nodded eagerly, listening to the blond man recount his story of swaggering through the streets. He was eloquent and approachable, making even such a trivial matter fascinating. Near the end of the story, music even accompanied him, the cheerful, light notes of a piano leaping with his words.

“Old friend, you’re always so considerate,” the blond man said.

The accompanist had unknowingly sat down at the table, placing his harp aside. His face was covered in stitches, yet his former beauty was still evident. If Lü Wenjun had been there, he would have recognized him; he had been to the tavern before, as the harpist who had accompanied them before the dance.

“Captain, you’re here early.” The harpist gave him a high five. “I thought it would be at least an hour later.”

The blond captain sighed: "If one of them arrives early, who knows what kind of joke will be made? Can you imagine some people being unhappy about the seating arrangement and starting a quarrel before the banquet even begins? Some people talking about being older and making the younger ones unhappy? Or perhaps someone gets too excited and accidentally hits a waiter to death?"

The waiter, Faris, tried his best to stay where he was and didn't run away.

“I can imagine, for I have witnessed it with my own eyes. Who else but you has the ability to get these people to sit together amicably?” the harpist smiled. “But Captain, despite your thoughtful consideration, I must say, never underestimate the whims of the gods.”

The captain pricked up his ears, and the harpist whispered something. Then they burst into laughter, slapping the old wooden table.

"That wicked swindler! What are we to do? Our hopes have been dashed, we're probably going to go crazy with anger!" The captain turned and called out, "Hey, lads. Keep an eye on the time, give it your all!"

Vilsa stood there stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized something and turned to rush into the kitchen. Almost at the same time, a scream of despair came from the kitchen.

·

Three minutes ago.

Lu Wenjun placed a strawberry on top of the small cake and put the last piece of dessert into the food basket.

He breathed a sigh of relief; the entire menu was ready, giving him time to improvise. If any distinguished guest wished to order something separately, he could prepare it on the spot.

He surveyed the fruits of his afternoon's labor, feeling a slight sense of satisfaction. This was absolutely a display of his full abilities; such a feast could easily be served to the gods.

"It smells delicious," the blond boy next to him said. "Would you mind if I tried a bite?"

“Ah, no,” Lü Wenjun said instinctively, “Please go ahead.”

He was a boy with a still-childish air, his lips still covered in light down. He was dressed in casual travel clothes, wearing a pair of golden winged sandals, and carrying a pretty walking stick. He twirled some cream from the cake with his fingertips, then jumped over and broke off a roasted chicken leg, enjoying it immensely.

"You did a great job," the older boy praised him. "This is truly a delicious meal!"

"Thank you?" Lü Wenjun said politely.

He stood there, dumbfounded, watching the young man pack up all the food, then fly out the window in his long-winged sandals. He remained there for several seconds before snapping out of his daze and staring at the empty kitchen.

"Aa ...

Then a horrifying scream was heard.

Versa pushed open the door and entered, immediately shocked: "Where's the food?!"

"It's gone!" Lü Wenjun cried out in despair, "The food's all gone!!"

Vilsa stared blankly at the empty kitchen, then turned to look at the ecstatic guests at the table, and fell into the same daze. Faris arrived shortly after, uttering a sincere and heartfelt question.

"There's no food left, what will the guests eat?"

Versa was stunned: "Yeah, what do we eat?"

Chapter 86 We must not neglect our distinguished guests (Double Update)

"What the hell! We were both so worried about something going wrong, and you messed up the kitchen first!" Faris grabbed his hair.

“You’ve already caused several problems,” Virsa reminded her.

"How the hell would I know! This is just... Ugh!" Lu Wenjun covered his mouth tightly.

How can you say that? How can you even say that? That infamous, despicable god of commerce and theft casually stole everyone's vegetables? Let's not even mention that there are two old Greek gentlemen sitting in front of us. Do you really want to speak ill of one of them on this night of family gathering on Mount Olympus?!

He clutched his head and cried out, "In short, there's no more food, nothing left to eat, that's it!"

"How long will it take to make a fresh one?" Virsa asked.

"We can manage to cook everyday meals on the spot, but the problem is we're out of ingredients!" Lu Wenjun was scratching his head in frustration. "The best meats have all been used in dishes, and we used up a lot of good ingredients during the tasting. And then Hui Se and the others took the ingredient storage with them. Now all we have in the ice cellar are scraps!"

When Cabone left, he took with him Cape Plenty and the cupboard that connected to a certain ranch, because another feast required even more food. The disappearance of food triggered a chain reaction; now there wasn't even rice left, and even the most capable cook was helpless.

Faris remembered his earlier instructions: "The brocade pouch! Didn't they leave you a brocade pouch? Quickly open it and see!"

Lu Wenjun frantically rummaged through his brocade pouch, first untying the crimson cloth bag. He pulled out a slip of paper and read it aloud in clear, resonant voice:

"The sun shines on the bountiful fields,"

The air in the woods was filled with the fragrance of ripe fruit.

Even if you are entangled by fate,

Don't overlook the beautiful scenery before you.

Immersed in the beautiful, clear breeze.

“What a beautiful poem! What a beautiful poem!” Faris clapped. “And then?”

Lü Wenjun flipped the note over and over and looked at it twice: "And that's it."

"..." "..." "..."

Lu Wenjun stuffed the note back into the brocade pouch and slammed the pouch onto the table: "What's the use of this?!"

“That liberating feeling of seeing through everything is like a death row inmate gazing at an autumn forest before his execution,” Vilsa said.

"I don't want to die! At least give me some advice on how to struggle! I haven't even finished my first year of college, and I don't want to die over something so trivial!!" Lu Wenjun frantically started opening the second brocade pouch. "Ms. Huise, please don't be as unreliable as the men in your family!!"

The brocade pouch, once opened, suddenly expanded, revealing a strange magical artifact consisting of a horsehair brush, a basin, and a faucet. A handwritten note was attached to the basin:

"Small items bought from the store, just in case."

"Oh, oh, oh, this is it! It's supposedly a high-end food processing tool that can turn a dead cow into beef sashimi in just three seconds!" Lu Wenjun exclaimed excitedly. "With this..."

He banged his head against the wall repeatedly, yelling, "But you still can't conjure up flesh!!"

Faris scratched his head: "If all else fails, we'll just use the scraps to cook a stew..."

"How could we feed such a thing to a great hero!" Lü Wenjun rallied his spirits. "Let's use what we have. Virsa, it's up to you!"

"Yeah, buddy, I'm an old hunter."

Vilsa had been hunting since childhood and was a seasoned hunter. He readily agreed: "What do you want to hunt?"

"Large animals! The recent disturbances at Jiujiu Tree have made the forest more fertile than in previous years, making cattle, wild boars, and deer excellent prey, as are birds and fish. How long do you expect it to last?"

Versa pondered for a moment: "Including the time spent tracking and traveling, it will take at least an hour."

Lu Wenjun glanced at his watch quickly; it was already 6:15. Their luck had been truly terrible today. The weather was awful tonight, with faint rumbles of thunder echoing in the moonless night, like the low growl of a gigantic monster.

A heavy downpour is coming soon, and the animals will hide in advance, making hunting even more difficult in such weather.

"No matter what we hunt, we'll be back in an hour. We'll hold on in the meantime." Lü Wenjun sounded a little nervous. "Be careful."

"Alright!" Without another word, Velsa ran out of the tavern, and Lü Wenjun then gave instructions. "I'll quickly make some snacks to go with the drinks, and Faris, you'll have to take on the role of entertaining guests."

Faris was also getting anxious: "What if someone is rushing us to serve the food?"

"Just tell them that the head chef is preparing the restaurant's most delicious food, and the feast will begin as soon as the heroes gather!"

Lu Wenjun then took out the jade pendant and dialed the number of a campus staff member.

"Hello? The school bus driver is on holiday today..." Old Fa's casual voice.

"Master Fa, I'm in dire need of help!!" Lu Wenjun cried out, "Are you free right now? I beg you, please have some free time!!"

What's wrong with you—?

"Something's gone wrong. Get me some ingredients to the tavern!" Lu Wenjun lowered his voice. "Within an hour, bring the best ingredients you can get your hands on, anything you can, as many as you can make, as many trips as you can. Don't worry about the cost, put it all on Caboni's tab!"

Old Fa's voice sounded particularly strange: "No, today? The tavern? I already told you I'm not going out today..."

"Damn it, I'm a regular customer, please help me out! If all they have is offal soup, I'm afraid I'll turn into offal soup tonight!"

"That poor kid!" Old Fa sighed heavily. "Fine! But you have to take the goods through the window. I'll drop them off and run, so you mustn't let the guests see me."

"Thank you so much!"

Lu Wenjun finally finished practicing, chopped up a still-fresh tomato, sprinkled some sugar on it, and quickly served a cold dish to the two guests who had arrived first. The captain and the harpist had the same look in their eyes, both filled with empathetic sympathy and a smug sense of "it's your turn."

"The whims of the gods are always so difficult to manage," the captain encouraged. "Can you still hold on?"

Lu Wenjun smiled and said, "I apologize for the slight noise caused by our improper arrangement in the kitchen. Mr. Cabone entrusted this tavern to me, and I promise that the guests will be able to enjoy delicious food on time."

“He’s a very nice young man,” the harpist said gently. “Don’t be nervous, Wenjun. The captain and I will talk to them for a while longer; it’s still some time before everyone arrives.”

Lu Wenjun thanked him repeatedly and made a "hold on for me" gesture to Faris, who responded with strong sign language that it meant "fuck you." It was already 6:20, and by the most conservative estimate, dinner should start at 7. Old Faris's goods hadn't arrived yet, but new guests had already arrived.

The young man wore a bronze helmet and winged sandals. A sharp scythe hung at his waist, and a tightly sealed cloth bag slung over his other side. He rode a snow-white winged steed, which gracefully circled halfway before landing in front of the dumbfounded Faris.

"Welcome." Faris's hands trembled wildly. "Do I need to lead your horse?"

"I don't think so, it will walk on its own. Give it some good beans and sweet water."

Faris hurried off to his work, while the rider entered the tavern and greeted his friend: "Prince of Thessaly! Child of the god of art!"

"Son of the great gods, slayer of the wicked banshee. I extend my sincerest greetings to you." The captain stood up to greet him. "You are much older than most of us, yet your humility always makes you arrive so early."

"Before the great gods who have existed since the beginning of time, aren't we all just young children?" the rider said with a faint smile. "In my opinion, it's better to be born later. People in my time always traveled alone, but you could adventure and fight together. How much happier that would be than a solitary journey."

The captain poured him a drink: "What a coincidence, I'm planning a new voyage. If you really want to join me on this adventure..."