Chapter 26

Tianpeng's breath caught, his eyes fixed intently on the largest Pantao Tree nearby.

He had only ever eaten a three-thousand-year peach once in all these years—this truly is the Immortal Scroll's doing!

Tianpeng lifted his foot and, unable to resist, walked inside.

"Hadn't you seen enough?" A calm voice suddenly rang out behind Tianpeng; though he hadn't heard it often, the tone was deeply etched in his mind.

His sturdy frame involuntarily trembled as he stiffly turned around, chuckling: "Manager Chen, you're here?"

Chen Nuo hooked a finger, and the backyard door slammed shut as he walked toward the dining hall.

"This is my shop—where else could I go?"

"Exactly what Manager Chen said!" Tianpeng pattered after him eagerly.

He had wanted to ask about the Pantao Tree, after all, only one person in the world owned such a tree—the Queen Mother.

But upon seeing Chen Nuo's bland expression, Tianpeng's doubts vanished instantly.

Big shots having this sort of thing isn't exactly abnormal, is it?

"Coming this early—what are you up to?"

Tianpeng blinked, saying obsequiously: "Naturally, I'm here to eat!"

Just as he finished speaking, Tianpeng slapped his waist, his tone still bold: "I've got money!"

Seeing Tianpeng so unlike his miserly self from yesterday, Chen Nuo nodded thoughtfully—it seems Bajie prepared thoroughly this time.

With money, affairs go smoothly; Chen Nuo didn't mince words: "What'll you have?"

"Braised pork!" Tianpeng blurted without hesitation.

Chen Nuo didn't move, instead hurling a menu at Tianpeng and saying: "I advise you to change it."

"One can only awaken to a dish once; if not for savoring fleeting enjoyment, I'd still urge you to switch."

Tianpeng startled at the words: "You know I've awakened my divine ability?"

"Mm." Chen Nuo nodded, speaking flatly: "I know how many times you fart a day."

Though it sounded far-fetched, Tianpeng believed it—Manager Chen truly is a divine person!

Tianpeng murmured to himself, obediently opening the menu.

Egg fried rice, beef noodles, braised pork... mapo tofu and so on.

After reading it once, just reciting the names made Tianpeng hungry; he had wanted to order another meat dish, but then recalled the peach blossoms he'd seen in the backyard, his heart trembling—could it not be...

"Manager Chen, give me a bowl of this peach blossom porridge!" Tianpeng pointed at the menu, speaking excitedly, then promptly placed a magical artifact into the crystal ball, well-versed in the process.

Hearing the system's payment success prompt, Chen Nuo felt a faint surprise—unexpected, this Tianpeng still knows his goods.

"Wait a moment." Chen Nuo went straight to the back kitchen to begin simmering.

Porridge differs from other dishes—it needs slow simmering, and now Chaos Residence is too obscure, with hardly anyone around, so Chen Nuo hadn't prepared in advance.

He placed the ingredients in, timed it precisely, then stepped back out.

After a while, Tianpeng felt himself growing slightly familiar with Chen Nuo, discovering that this big shot, as long as you pay, won't stand on ceremony.

Thus he also let go of much of his reserve.

"Manager Chen, thanks to your plate of braised pork yesterday, I grandly displayed my divine might, ruthlessly slaying a Taiyi Golden Immortal carp spirit—clean and swift, without so much as a breath's effort!"

"Directly resolving Nanhai's urgent crisis."

Recalling yesterday's divine display, Tianpeng grew more animated, deleting the part where he was beaten and fled with his head in his arms, and when he got excited, he even waved his arms and leapt his feet.

Chen Nuo's lips curled upward—Bajie stands here now, so the result must be correct.

But how could Bajie's description be so hard to believe?

Are those epithets—divine martiality, majestic presence, calm composure—truly things Bajie could achieve?

"Since you've gained divine ability, don't let it go to waste."

"Chen Nuo instructed.

"That goes without saying." Tianpeng confidently slapped his chest: "With the opportunity Manager Chen gave me, I, Bajie, will surely create glory in the Three Realms!"

Previously, mentioning Tianpeng meant either not knowing him, or those who did would think he's a good-eating, lazy-doer.

Though he doesn't say it, his heart knows it like a clear mirror.

Before, he lacked the strength to prove himself, but now it's different—Tianpeng wants to turn his fortunes around!

Chen Nuo nodded: "Mm, not bad."

After a pause, he continued: "Besides that, have any major events occurred recently in the Three Realms?"

Chen Nuo truly had no interest in listening to Tianpeng boast further.

"Speaking of major events, there really is!" Tianpeng said solemnly: "Yesterday, the two monkeys predetermined by the Buddhist Sect appeared, and they're fighting on Flower Fruit Mountain!"

Tianpeng's heart stirred—Buddhist Sect's predetermined monkey, should be Sun Wukong?

"Those two monkeys look identical, just dressed differently; one was being beaten with a kitchen knife by the other, and later, Manager Chen, you guess how it went?" Tianpeng said, still selling the suspense.

"How did it go?" Chen Nuo raised his eyebrows.

"The beaten monkey actually transformed dramatically, growing six ears, though I don't know why, later it was released again."

Imagining the Jade Emperor's apparition above the Great Hall, Tianpeng couldn't help but shrink his neck—this monkey is too fierce!

The monkey wielding a kitchen knife, the monkey with six ears?

Chen Nuo faintly startled—could that not be Sun Wukong and the Six-Eared Macaque?

Besides the Wukong he learned arts with, which other monkey in the world uses a kitchen knife?

Still, Chen Nuo furrowed his brows, doubtful—how did the Six-Eared Macaque appear at this time?

Chen Nuo, exceptionally alert, suddenly recalled a major conspiracy theory from his past life's Journey to the West.

The true and false Monkey King—was it the real Sun Wukong who died? Could it be that, due to Wukong's disappearance, the Buddhist Sect had no choice but to let the Six-Eared Macaque take his place?

Immediately, he curled the corner of his mouth into an arc—using the original's methods, how could this Six-Eared Macaque be a match for today's Sun Wukong?

After saying so much, Tianpeng felt his mouth dry and tongue parched, and asked: "Shopkeeper Chen, do you have any water here?"

"Have, give money and have."

Tianpeng stared wide-eyed and tongue-tied: "Drinking water also needs money?"

"It's just slightly inferior to food and dishes; you can use a True Immortal-level magic treasure." Chen Nuo said lightly.

Tianpeng nearly spat out a mouthful of angry blood—drinking water also requires a magic treasure? This is just extortion!

Originally I thought to go out and find a river to solve it, but after reconsidering, it seems Shopkeeper Chen's goods are expensive for a reason.

"Then give me a cup."

It's just a True Immortal magic treasure—basically nothing at all.

Seeing Tianpeng again honestly and sincerely hand over money, Chen Nuo went to the Back Kitchen and fetched two cups of Peach Juice.

Ten years of lucky draws have made his kitchen fully stocked; even juicing equipment is not lacking.

Tianpeng took the cup Chen Nuo handed over, stared at the Peach Juice, and hesitated, wondering: How is this calculated as poison? But he himself fundamentally had nothing worth Shopkeeper Chen's attention.

His only killing move was still obtained by eating Shopkeeper Chen's dishes.

Bottoms up!

Tianpeng steeled his heart, tilted his neck back, and took a big gulp; his eyes instantly brightened. The moment it entered his mouth, it was icy cold, and the temperature instantly relieved his dry mouth and parched tongue.

The touch on his tongue brought a spiciness, but this spiciness awakened his dazed soul; the spicy sensation began to dissipate upon contact, leaving his tongue with an endless aftertaste.