Chapter 26: The Legendary Culinary Tools: The Power of Immortality

“How coincidental that it’s really like this.”

Ye Xuan looked at Lin Miao before him and couldn’t help but twitch his lips slightly.

“So you’re the one Su Jie just bonded with? Great—I was worried I’d be too unfamiliar with you to communicate properly.”

Lin Miao hadn’t expected that the person Su Mengyao had assigned to accompany her to the Hangcheng Nature Reserve was Ye Xuan.

Although their meeting was a bit awkward, it was still better than being paired with a stranger.

“If you had such concerns, why not refuse at the beginning?”

Ye Xuan asked, puzzled.

Logically, he didn’t understand why Su Mengyao had assigned a woman to accompany him to the Hangcheng Nature Reserve, nor why Lin Miao had agreed despite knowing nothing about him.

“Because we’re both collaborators of the Tian Shu Bureau—we’ll be fighting side by side in the future.”

“At first we might be unfamiliar, but over time we’ll grow to know each other, and learn to trust each other with our backs.”

Lin Miao said as if it were self-evident.

If this were a normal daily encounter with a complete stranger, she certainly wouldn’t go meet them—but as collaborators of the Tian Shu Bureau, we’re all future partners fighting mutated creatures, so we must get to know each other, become familiar, and eventually become partners who can safely entrust our backs to one another.

How could she possibly refuse?

But Ye Xuan didn’t seem to think that way?

Maybe it was just her imagination.

“.”

“You’re right.”

Ye Xuan didn’t contradict Lin Miao, nor did he say her thoughts were naive.

In fact, Lin Miao’s thinking was the normal one.

He, however, had past-life experiences that made him wary of human nature, so he found it hard to trust others easily.

“Let’s go.”

After saying this, Ye Xuan and Lin Miao boarded the special vehicle and headed toward the Hangcheng Nature Reserve.

Inside the car, Lin Miao watched the scenery outside while enthusiastically asking Ye Xuan:

“Ye Xuan, what do you think the meat of mutated creatures tastes like?”

Before Ye Xuan could answer, she muttered to herself.

“It should be pretty good.”

“I wonder if we’ll encounter tigers, leopards, or wolves—I’ve never eaten any of them. I wonder how they taste.”

“By the way, after mutation, wouldn’t their flavor differ from before?”

“But we can’t kill the non-mutated ones.”

“What a pity.”

A hint of regret appeared on Lin Miao’s face.

Ye Xuan’s name had already reached Lin Miao through Su Mengyao, but she hadn’t expected he was the very man she’d glimpsed out of curiosity last time.

Although their initial meeting had been awkward, she had a big heart in such matters and had forgotten it entirely after returning; now she treated Ye Xuan no differently than an old acquaintance.

“I don’t know how mutated creatures taste, but you won’t get the chance to eat mutated tiger.”

Ye Xuan glanced at her, his tone calm.

“Why not?”

Lin Miao looked at Ye Xuan, confused by his statement.

It couldn’t be that Ye Xuan couldn’t defeat a mutated tiger, could it?

But the swordlight she’d seen just two days ago—piercing heaven and earth—unless the mutated tiger they encountered was a Tiger King, it wouldn’t survive; it would be split clean in two.

So why wouldn’t they get to eat mutated tiger?

“Because there are no wild tigers in the Hangcheng Nature Reserve.”

Ye Xuan said calmly.

The Hangcheng Nature Reserve primarily protects forest ecosystems and rare, endangered flora and fauna; there are no wild tigers. If she wants to eat them, she should go to the nature reserves in northeastern or southwestern Daxia.

“Ah~”

Lin Miao’s face twisted in disappointment, but she quickly returned to her energetic self.

“No tigers is fine—there should be sika deer, wild boars, and such. Eating those would be enough.”

Ye Xuan glanced at her, speechless.

No wonder Su Mengyao said Lin Miao’s ability and the Celestial Treasures she obtained were related to cooking.

Her words showed no fear of mutated creatures—only a chef’s hunger for uncooked ingredients.

“You’ve shed your old mindset surprisingly fast. Your adaptability is impressive.”

Ye Xuan said sincerely.

In the past, these animals were mostly protected by Daxia; farmed ones were fine, but wild ones were strictly off-limits.

For Lin Miao to so quickly abandon her old thinking and immediately consider how to prepare them and how they’d taste after cooking—was quite remarkable.

“Hehe, nothing special.”

“All chefs are like this.”

Hearing Ye Xuan’s praise, Lin Miao blushed slightly.

“By the way, did Su Jie tell you about my ability and the Celestial Treasures I obtained?”

“My ability is similar to the Divine Tongue from Food Wars and the Super Taste from Little Chef—I can taste a dish and instantly find its flaws.”

“The Celestial Treasure is the Garuda Knife—one of the legendary Eight Culinary Tools.”

“Hehe, I’m a chef recognized by the Garuda Knife, and when I hold it, auspicious phoenix patterns appear—so you can fully trust my cooking.”

“I’ll make the most delicious dishes possible from all those mutated creatures!”

As she spoke, Lin Miao unconsciously wore a proud expression.

Clearly, she had immense confidence in her cooking.

The truth was, she deserved it.

With an ability akin to the Divine Tongue and Super Taste, and the Garuda Knife’s recognition, she would undoubtedly become Daxia’s strongest chef—without exception.

Unless someone obtained the exact templates of Little Chef and his companions.

“Garuda Knife?”

A flicker of surprise passed through Ye Xuan’s eyes.

In the world of Little Chef, the ancient master chef Xiu Li forged eight miraculous culinary tools from a celestial meteorite. Because their power was too great, they were sealed in eight locations across Daxia.

The Garuda Knife was one of them, specifically used to process birds and beasts, purifying ingredients completely during cutting.

But that detail wasn’t significant.

What mattered was this: if a chef could master all eight culinary tools and use them together to prepare a dish, the eater would gain immortality.

No wonder Lin Miao’s ability had no combat power yet still collaborated with the Tian Shu Bureau.

He’d been confused before, but now he understood.

Immortality.

Although only one such tool has appeared so far, who could guarantee Daxia wouldn’t uncover the others in the future?

This was permanent, cost-free, eternal life.

And not just for one person!

No wonder Lin Miao had no qualms revealing her ability and the Celestial Treasure she possessed.

This innate culinary talent couldn’t be stolen by anyone.

Lin Miao’s importance within the Tian Shu Bureau was likely no less than Zhong Lao’s.

(End of Chapter)