Chapter 1883: Young City Lord Examination

Upon learning that Ye Zhangqing had actually been nominated by Bai Yuan as Young City Lord, the Chief Disciple's heart jolted, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment.

At the same time, a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart.

You must know, the youth standing before him is none other than one of the three famed Young City Lords of Cooking King Immortal City.

Now, suddenly another Young City Lord—Ye Zhangqing—is about to appear; what attitude will this youth hold toward this sudden rival?

Feeling extremely nervous and cautious, the Chief Disciple slowly opened his mouth, trying to say something to probe the youth's reaction.

However, before he could speak, the youth's light smile cut him off.

Seeing the youth's mouth corners slightly rise, revealing a faint smile, he spoke in an extremely calm tone.

"It's fine; whether one can smoothly pass the Young City Lord examination remains unknown."

His demeanor was relaxed and composed, as if he paid no heed to Ye Zhangqing's appearance.

Whether in facial expression or tone of voice, he appeared unusually calm, showing not a trace of irritation or displeasure.

Faced with such a composed youth, the Chief Disciple naturally dared not raise any objection, hurriedly nodding in agreement.

After the Chief Disciple's words fell, the youth's smile remained undiminished.

He casually waved his hand, signaling the Chief Disciple to leave first.

After the Chief Disciple turned and left, the room was left with only the youth.

At this moment, the youth's smiling face gradually faded, replaced by a pensive expression as he murmured to himself.

"A fourth Young City Lord popping up out of nowhere… that's rather interesting."

Though his voice was soft, it conveyed a complex feeling hard to put into words.

The matter of Ye Zhangqing being nominated as Young City Lord appears calm on the surface, but underneath currents surge.

On the surface, the matter still seems highly confidential, after all he has not yet successfully passed the Young City Lord examination.

However, in the city's shadows, the news had already spread like wildfire. Whether it be the venerable elders of high prestige or the vigorous young disciples, the hottest topic of recent after-dinner chats is none other than Ye Zhangqing.

It is well known that the position of Young City Lord is not easily obtained, involving numerous formalities and strict requirements.

First, a candidate must receive a solemn nomination from at least one Deputy City Lord, then gain unanimous approval from all other Deputy City Lords and the City Lord, only then qualifying for the subsequent examination stage.

If even a recommender cannot be found, participating in the examination becomes a mere luxury.

Precisely for this reason, although Ye Zhangqing has not yet smoothly passed the Young City Lord examination, receiving Bai Yuan's strong recommendation as Deputy City Lord is already enough to make everyone stare in astonishment.

Just think—how long has he been in Cooking King Immortal City? To receive a nomination in such a short time is likely unparalleled in the city's long history.

In contrast, the remaining three Young City Lords each have undergone years of accumulation, having painstakingly labored in the city for a long time before gradually stepping onto the path to the Young City Lord throne.

Compared to them, Ye Zhangqing is undoubtedly a dark horse that sprang from nowhere, his rise speed astonishing.

Without a doubt, Ye Zhangqing at this moment has undeniably become the focus of countless people's covert attention.

However, as the core figure of all these events, Ye Zhangqing has behaved extremely low-key during this period, living a reclusive life.

He has not become arrogant or reckless merely because he successfully slew Zhang Wuyue and three others.

Moreover, he has not used this feat as an opportunity to expand his personal influence in Cooking King Immortal City.

What's more surprising is that, facing the daily stream of visitors, Ye Zhangqing mercilessly refused them all, keeping his gates shut and giving no one a chance to meet him.

In fact, Ye Zhangqing clearly understands the motives of those who actively come calling.

Their enthusiasm stems simply from eyeing the great benefits and potential opportunities that the Young City Lord position brings.

After all, if Ye Zhangqing can smoothly pass the subsequent series of rigorous examinations and ultimately ascend to the throne of the Fourth Young City Lord of Cooking King Immortal City, then these people can naturally flock to his side.

Furthermore, the earlier one chooses to follow him while his foundation is still shallow, the greater the future benefits will naturally be.

It's a pity that Ye Zhangqing himself has no interest in this whatsoever, so even meeting these people in person feels superfluous; he simply turns them all away at the door.

Every day, Ye Zhangqing keeps his doors shut, staying alone in his room, leading a leisurely and carefree life.

However, on this seemingly ordinary day, a sudden sound transmission shattered the tranquility.

It turned out that Bai Yuan sent him a message informing him that the Young City Lord examination would commence tomorrow.

This notice came so abruptly that Ye Zhangqing knew nothing about this examination beforehand.

Full of doubt, he hurriedly asked Bai Yuan for details about the Young City Lord examination, but the answer left him somewhat disappointed.

It turns out that each Young City Lord examination has never had clear, specific rules, and the content varies greatly each time, with no pattern to follow.

More importantly, as Ye Zhangqing's nominator, Bai Yuan cannot participate in drafting the examination content.

Such an arrangement is merely to avoid unnecessary suspicion and criticism from others.

As for the specific examination content, it is entirely entrusted to the several Deputy City Lords and the City Lord to oversee; during this period, Bai Yuan has absolutely no chance to interfere.

Nevertheless, Bai Yuan still comforted Ye Zhangqing, telling him not to worry excessively and to maintain a calm mind.

After all, based on his understanding of Ye Zhangqing's abilities, as long as he performs normally, passing this Young City Lord examination should be no problem.

Ye Zhangqing gave no response to Bai Yuan's encouraging words.

Since he must participate in this crucial examination tomorrow, that night he went to bed early to rest, hoping to gather strength and make ample preparations for the next day's examination.

One night passed in silence; the next morning, after Ye Zhangqing had finished washing up and changed into a clean white robe, upon leaving his room he saw Ma Qiankun already seated on the stone bench in the courtyard, waiting early.

Seeing Ma Qiankun, Ye Zhangqing offered a salute.

"Elder."

"You brat, I've been waiting for you almost a Shíchén; don't be late for the Young City Lord examination."