LRAB Chapter 78 Seeing Chengcheng Again
Chapter 78 Seeing Chengcheng Again
Chapter 78 Seeing Chengcheng Again
Chen Yi left the Blood-Clad Tower, reasoning that his low profile meant he shouldn't encounter too much trouble.
This was quickly proven true.
After arriving at Miaoyin Pavilion in the market, Lin Xiaoyu did not keep to herself like Qin Chengcheng.
Instead, she quickly became friends with the surrounding merchants, market managers, and passing cultivators, and she interacted with them politely regardless of whether they were at the Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining stage.
She is a newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator and the beloved daughter of the Sect Master of the Myriad Sounds Pavilion. Her wealth, talent, and network of connections are all top-tier.
Seeing how "approachable" she was, people were naturally happy to associate with her.
Over the past month, Chen Yi had occasionally appeared in the market disguised as "Cook Chen."
He believed that if someone were to truly investigate him, they would surely find his way back to him.
However, nobody cared.
Until three months later,
On the street, Chen Yi was browsing the market stalls when he heard a melodious girl's voice coming from ahead:
"Oh? You're my senior's cook, right? Your surname is Chen?"
Chen Yi looked up and saw Lin Xiaoyu with a maid, also browsing the stalls among the Qi Refining rogue cultivators.
This woman already possesses a Heavenly Spiritual Root; she lacks no resources whatsoever and has no need for these small stall items.
She must have been born to enjoy browsing stalls.
She opened her nose and ears, believing she could spot treasures on the stalls that others couldn't, and thus "find bargains".
Chen Yi guessed the other party's intention.
At the same time, he bowed and greeted Lin, saying, "Chen Yi, a rogue cultivator, greets Senior Lin."
"Hey, why are you calling me senior? You're twenty years older than me, you make me sound old."
"Greetings, Miss Lin." Chen Yi bowed again.
"Yes. I heard about what happened to you. My senior sister injured you. How are you? How is your recovery going? Do you need to go back to Miaoyin Pavilion for further treatment?"
"Reporting to Miss Lin, my injuries have almost fully recovered. I suppose Fairy Qin was angry at the time, but she didn't use her full strength. My old bones can still move."
"That's good. Now that I'm in charge of Miaoyin Pavilion, would you like to come back and continue being the spirit chef?"
Chen Yi shook his head: "Miss Lin is joking. With your prestige and connections, how could you lack a spirit chef?"
Mr. Chen plans to open his own private kitchen and will not be returning to Miaoyin Pavilion for the time being.
"Alright. Let me know when you open your business, and I'll bring the sisters from Miaoyin Pavilion to support you. We've worked together for several years, and we'd be happy to see you go solo."
"Thank you, Miss."
Lin Xiaoyu nodded and walked away from Chen Yi.
This person is probably not that old monster who was a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.
She secretly held the Soul Tracing Jade given to her by her father in her sleeve, erasing Chen Yi's last suspicion.
Afterwards, Zhao Tieshan returned to the market. Since being utterly defeated by Qin Chengcheng at Miaoyin Market, he had become much more low-key and composed in his actions.
They didn't do anything in a big way.
He quietly stayed by Xu Tianyue's side, making preparations around the large formation at the bottom of the lake.
Currently, they have gathered several second-tier high-grade formation masters.
In three or four months, they plan to join forces with Master Lin Fan to attempt to break the third-order array at the bottom of the lake.
As for Qin Chengcheng and Miaoyinfang's affairs, Zhao Tieshan and the others no longer cared.
Ultimately, it was a matter within the Miaoyin Pavilion. Ever since Qin Chengcheng refused to marry him, it had little to do with his Jade Dragon Sect.
In the following month, Chen Yi appeared more frequently in the market as "Cook Chen."
After realizing that no one really paid attention to him, this "small fry," he was finally able to relax completely.
then,
Chen Yi spent two hundred spirit stones a year on rent to open a private kitchen club, right next to Old Hu's herbal medicine shop.
When the club opened, only a few close friends, including Lao Hu and Hao Youren, offered their congratulations in a low-key manner.
Chen Yi sent a message to Miaoyin Pavilion, but Lin Xiaoyu did not bring any of the sisters from Miaoyin Pavilion to offer her congratulations.
They only sent a maid to deliver a first-grade high-quality demonic beast on behalf of Miaoyin Pavilion, which was considered to show Miaoyin Pavilion's attitude.
Chen Yi roughly understood what Lin Xiaoyu meant. "I was just being polite with Chen Yi that day, I didn't expect Chen Yi to actually send an invitation."
However, Chen Yi just smiled at this.
These minor incidents, in the long journey of Chen Yi's cultivation, did not cause the slightest ripple.
Chen Yi's private kitchen club does not operate as a restaurant; it only caters to high-level cultivators.
Guests must bring their own spiritual food ingredients, with the main ingredient being no lower than level two. Chen Yi will process the spiritual ingredients, and guests must consume them on the spot.
As the head chef, Chen Yi's processing costs account for 3% to 5% of the material costs.
Such harsh and unfriendly rules were naturally unpopular among the independent cultivators, who were mainly Qi Refining cultivators.
When the business first opened, Chen Yi had almost no business.
One day, more than a month after Chen Yi opened his business,
An ordinary female cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, dressed in plain white robes and with an unremarkable appearance, came to visit.
"The club manager is here; please come out and meet me."
Although her voice was somewhat masked, it still revealed a deep, clear, and melodious quality that was like a clear spring flowing through one's ears, instantly uplifting the spirit.
Inside Chen Yi's private kitchen, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.
Qin Chengcheng sat gracefully on the rosewood chair, and with a wave of her hand, her face transformed back into that stunningly beautiful woman.
Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, stared directly at Chen Yi, as if trying to see through his disguise.
Chen Yi feigned surprise: "Sect Leader Qin? What brings you here?"
Actually, this woman hadn't escaped Chen Yi's [Heavenly Eye Vision] the moment she entered; Chen Yi just thought he could pretend not to know her and get rid of her.
Unexpectedly, after entering the secret room, Qin Chengcheng immediately reverted to her true self and stopped pretending.
"Chen Yi, I'm asking you, are you really just my spirit chef, and there's nothing else between us?" Her voice was cold, carrying a subtle but palpable sense of authority.
Chen Yi lowered his head and replied respectfully, "Of course it's just a spirit chef, nothing more, Fairy."
Qin Chengcheng snorted and took out a contract from his storage bag. The contract was filled with spiritual light and was clearly a transfer document for a high-quality Foundation Establishment Pill.
"Then what do you mean? Why would I, a mere spirit chef, spend thousands of spirit stones and exhaust countless favors to secure this for you?"
Moreover, Qin Chengcheng continued to mutter to himself, "And the person with whom my soul barrier, Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens, is connected is you?"
She looked at Chen Yi, her eyes filled with even more suspicion.
Chen Yi remained calm: "The fairy is very generous and likes to give her subordinates very generous rewards. This is the reward the fairy promised me after I worked hard and risked my life for her to prepare the spiritual banquet for several years. Of course, if the fairy goes back on her word, there's nothing this junior can do."
Qin Chengcheng thought to himself: How could I be so generous? Having earned a high-quality Foundation Establishment Pill after only a few years as a cook? This isn't just being generous, it's outrageous. This cook is definitely suspicious.
She remained outwardly calm, took out a mid-grade second-tier Azure Wood Mystic Water Turtle from her storage bag, and tossed it onto the table: "I want to see what level of spiritual chef you are. Can you earn a Foundation Establishment Pill in a few years just by relying on your skills? Take this and make it. I'll have a taste."
Chen Yi looked troubled: "Fairy, I can't create such a high-level demonic beast."
"If you don't even have this much skill, what right do you have to take my Foundation Establishment Pill?" Qin Chengcheng interrupted him. "According to the rules of your guild, if you handle it properly, you can keep 30% of the materials from this demon beast."
"Such a high-level demonic beast is too risky, we need to go for 50%." Chen Yi bargained.
"Okay, go quickly." Qin Chengcheng replied decisively.
As soon as Chen Yi carried the demonic beast into the kitchen, Qin Chengcheng immediately stood up and spread her late-stage Foundation Establishment divine sense like a tide, carefully exploring every corner of this private kitchen.
There was no secret room, no underground cave, and even the defensive formation was only of the first-grade superior level.
She even used secret methods to explore three zhang underground, but still found nothing.
"Are you sure there are no problems?" Qin Chengcheng frowned.
In the kitchen, Chen Yi sensed the hidden divine sense probing him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
The best way to appear low-key is to actually be low-key.
The part of his body with the strongest defense right now is actually his physical body.
In the rented courtyard of this market, Chen Yi wouldn't lose too many small items. Unless the array was upgraded to a high-grade second tier, it wouldn't be as strong as his physical defense.
This includes the monthly spiritual attacks from the bottom of the lake; these all provide nourishment for Chen Yi's spiritual growth.
Therefore, he didn't need to prepare anything extra.
On the contrary, this mid-grade second-tier Azure Wood Mystic Water Turtle in front of them is quite interesting.
It's rare for aquatic turtles to also possess wood-attribute spiritual power, but this one is an example.
In the past, this would have been a difficult task for Chen Yi.
However, with his current spiritual power, the distribution of spiritual energy in every part of this wooden water turtle was clearly visible to him.
With a few easy slashes, he separated the water element and the flesh of the demonic energy.
Then, with a gentle scan, the system absorbed most of the demonic power and malevolent energy within.
He didn't follow Qin Chengcheng's instructions to reduce the malevolent energy in the spiritual food he prepared for her to the lowest possible level. Instead, he only removed 85% of the malevolent energy, according to the standard for ordinary nobles.
Then, he kept half of the monster meat and cooked the other half with some spiritual water and herbs.
Humming a little tune, he thought that if he ate half of this second-tier mid-grade old tortoise, his body refinement would make good progress, and his Qi cultivation and magic power would also be significantly improved.
Inside the spirit pet pouch, the Crimson Flame Sparrow smelled the scent and emitted a wave of longing.
Chen Yi then realized that it had been quite a while since he had fed it.
He released the Crimson Flame Bird and threw it some useless internal organs.
The Crimson Flame Finch, feeling both satisfied and pitiful, hid in a corner to eat.
Not long after, Chen Yi brought a pot of turtle soup into the room. The moment he pushed open the door,
In a flash of inspiration, Qin Chengcheng was already sitting upright at the table again, dressed in white as snow, her expression as aloof as ever, as if she had never left.
Chen Yi lowered his eyelids slightly, not pointing it out, but gently pushed a freshly served bowl of Green Wood Black Water Turtle Soup in front of her.
The soup is clear and blue, with a subtle, ethereal quality, and wisps of woody energy can be seen circulating within the bowl.
Qin Chengcheng picked up the jade spoon, took a small sip, and the fresh and mellow taste blossomed on her tongue. The rich spiritual energy flowed through her meridians, nourishing her whole body.
Her eyes flickered, and she was about to offer praise when she suddenly sensed something amiss—
"Is this demonic aura... a bit too strong?"
"Fairy, you can inquire around. There should be no more than three people in the entire market who can raise second-tier demonic beasts to this level. My place is the most economical and affordable."
Qin Chengcheng still felt that something was wrong. She wanted to eat more, but found that she couldn't eat anything at all.
"Something's not right. This is actually quite well made, so why don't I want to eat it?"
Qin Chengcheng held her chopsticks, unable to take a second bite. She muttered to herself, completely baffled.
Chen Yi remained expressionless, but he already knew the answer in his heart. Over the years, the demonic beast meat he had prepared had had 98% of its malevolent energy removed; naturally, he couldn't bring himself to eat the remaining 85%.
If you eat too much refined bran, you can't eat whole grains anymore.
Sure enough, when Qin Chengcheng put down her chopsticks and pushed the bowl in front of Chen Yi, Chen Yi knew that the other half of the bowl of old turtle meat was also his.
"Your cooking skills are just average. I really don't know what's wrong with me these past few years, to have planned this Foundation Establishment Pill for you."
Here, take it. It'll put my mind at ease.
Qin Chengcheng left the contract for the premium Foundation Establishment Pill on the table, turned and walked towards the door, her black hair swaying gently in the wind.
"The cause and effect have been settled. There's nothing more to do. We won't see each other again."
Chen Yi's face lit up with joy. He hadn't expected that this item would actually return to him after Qin Chengcheng lost her memory.
This girl is a good person!
There was also a turtle soup on the table that had hardly been touched.
Chen Yi planned to further reduce the malevolent energy within before consuming it himself. As for Qin Chengcheng having already taken a bite, Chen Yi didn't mind, since the two of them had been eating from the same pot for a long time.
As for her suggestion not to see each other again, Chen Yi was more than happy to never see her again, so that he and Qin Chengcheng would become strangers.
Chen Yi sat cross-legged in the quiet room, with a half-bowl of Green Wood Mystic Water Turtle Soup in front of him. The soup shimmered with a faint greenish-blue spiritual light, and wisps of wood-attribute spiritual energy flowed in the steam.
He scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth, immediately feeling a cool and warm spiritual energy slide down his throat and into his stomach.
The system is operating silently, [consuming 18%-22% of its capacity].
Lines of prompts flashed through my mind.
This second-tier, mid-grade Azure Wood Mystic Water Turtle's spiritual power attributes perfectly match his "Turtle Breath Water Wood Technique".
Chen Yi closed his eyes and looked inward, feeling the changes in the magical power within his body. After years of continuous improvement, his "Turtle Breath Water and Wood Technique" had been completely transformed. The water and wood magical power he cultivated was pure and refined, not inferior to that of ordinary sect disciples.
"But compared to geniuses like Qin Chengcheng and Lin Xiaoyu, they're still inferior."
Chen Yi frowned slightly, recalling Qin Chengcheng's disgusted expression when she tasted the turtle soup earlier. "The purity of their magic power seems to be a level higher."
He activated his Lesser Five Elements Divine Sense, carefully analyzing every detail of the cultivation technique's operation.
Within the meridians, the spiritual energy of water and wood flows like a stream, and after being tempered by the thirty-six main acupoints, it finally converges into the dantian.
He has optimized this operating route countless times, and there is almost no room for improvement.
"Could the problem lie in the very nature of the technique?" Chen Yi rubbed his chin. "The 'Turtle Breathing Water and Wood Technique' is ultimately a technique passed down among independent cultivators; no matter how much it's improved, there's a limit."
He suddenly regretted not having the nerve to ask Qin Chengcheng for advice.
Although her memory is incomplete now, as a direct descendant of the Miaoyin Pavilion, her understanding of advanced techniques is definitely far beyond that of ordinary people.
Chen Yi did not consume the remaining turtle meat for the time being; he needed to first consider how to solve the problems in the cultivation technique.
On the very night Qin Chengcheng left...
Chen Yi was sitting cross-legged and adjusting his breathing when he suddenly felt a slight ripple of spiritual energy outside the door. He looked up and saw Lin Xiaoyu, dressed in a moon-white gauze dress, standing in front of the shop. A jade hairpin in her black hair gleamed coldly in the twilight.
"It is an honor to have Lord Lin visit. My humble abode is simple and unassuming, and I hope you will forgive my shortcomings."
Chen Yi stood up to greet her, not understanding what she was up to. When his small shop opened, he had only sent someone to deliver a gift; she hadn't come in person. He wondered what she was here for today.
"Chen Yi, how's business lately? Are there a lot of customers?"
"Business is slow. We've had only Airbuses for the past few days, and today we only had one customer."
"Oh? Is it because your cooking skills are not up to par? What dishes did you make today? I, the master of this pavilion, will personally taste them and offer some suggestions. Since you come from my Miaoyin Pavilion, I should at least patronize your business."
"The second-tier mid-grade Azure Wood Mystic Water Turtle that the guest brought today has already been eaten up. If the fairy wants to try it, she will need to bring her own ingredients."
"This is really troublesome. Describe to me the customer's appearance, magical aura, and so on. I'll go find that customer myself, buy the same kind of demonic beast, and then come back to you."
Lin Xiaoyu said in a normal tone.
Chen Yi's heart skipped a beat. Was she after Qin Chengcheng?
(End of this chapter)