Chapter 370: Zhenyuanzi Shocked

"I'm not doubting you, just advising you to be more open-minded about things, don't overcomplicate them. Such a trivial matter isn't worth you evading for so long; it shows you're a coward. Rest assured, everyone will forget this matter before long, don't go looking for trouble."

The Food God was rendered speechless by Zhenyuanzi's words. "No, I didn't... sigh, I can't explain it clearly. Anyway, it's not that I don't want to go, I'm unwilling to go."

"Those two things don't seem to have any difference."

Zhenyuanzi patted the Food God's shoulder. "Rest assured, it's fine if you're unwilling to go. I'll go in your place."

The God Officials were originally just looking for someone to go check the Imperial Kitchen; as for who went, they didn't care. So they all offered words of praise to Zhenyuanzi.

The Food God got angry. "So all that talk you just gave was just to pave the way for yourself?"

Inside the Imperial Kitchen, Sun Wukong was pointing at people to take the small cups down from the fire one by one. This Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was considered done.

Zhenyuanzi swaggered in from outside the door, not minding the stuffiness of the Imperial Kitchen at all. He just took a deep breath and then shouted, "Mm, truly fragrant."

Sun Wukong glanced at the doorway, then continued lowering his head to do his own work.

Actually, several God Officials had already come earlier. They all said they came smelling the aroma. Sun Wukong found them annoying and chased them all out. He didn't expect that now that the dishes were done, another one came.

"Scram, scram! This is the Imperial Kitchen, not some sideshow. Don't disturb my cooking."

Sun Wukong didn't even look at the person at the door, just waved his hand directly to make him leave.

"Great Chef Sun Wukong, don't be so fierce. It's just that your cooking smells too good. I came following the scent. And seeing it's you, Great Chef Sun Wukong, doing the cooking, my heart is at ease. Your cooking — even if you stir-fried shoe soles they'd be fragrant. If it were anyone else, even if they made mountain delicacies and sea treasures, I wouldn't deign to look."

Zhenyuanzi was a God Official who knew how to handle affairs — he spoke human words to humans, ghost words to ghosts. Sun Wukong himself also had soft ears; hearing Zhenyuanzi praise him so much, he felt too embarrassed to scold him further.

"Alright, take a seat. The dish will be ready soon. You go back for a bit and it'll be served up."

"That fast?"

Zhenyuanzi looked at the small cups Sun Wukong was handling. "Just this tiny bit?"

Sun Wukong, who had been beaming from the praise, now got angry again. "What? What do you mean? All that food in front got stuffed into dog bellies. It's not like you're only allowed to eat this one dish. What are you picking on?"

Zhenyuanzi knew his words just now were wrong. He hurriedly twisted the conversation another way. "Heh, you mustn't let Xiao Tian hear that. He hates it most when people joke using dogs. If he hears, he'll probably come running from miles away to bite you. And Great Chef Sun Wukong, how can you only listen to half my words? I hadn't finished speaking, and you cut me off."

"Lao Sun could still be afraid of him? With my Master around, forget Xiao Tian — even his master, upon seeing my Master, would have to address him respectfully as Master Chen."

Sun Wukong let out a cold snort. "Even if you finished speaking, I don't think you'd say anything good."

"How would you know if you don't listen?"

Zhenyuanzi accompanied it with a smile. "What I meant just now was: small is good. Small makes them remember the dish's excellence. After eating one meal, they haven't eaten enough and still think of the second. If the bowls were as big as sea bowls, they'd eat their fill once and not want it next time."

Sun Wukong was pleased by these words again, but didn't want to show it too obviously, so he snorted again. "So you mean if this dish of mine lets them eat their fill, they won't want to eat it in the future, right?"

"That's not what I mean at all. Great Chef Sun Wukong, why do you always twist others' meanings?"

Zhenyuanzi could tell Sun Wukong was jokingly scolding. He knew he had no other intent, just wanted to save face, so he changed the subject. "What dish is this, Great Chef? The aroma could be smelled all the way in the Great Hall. If one truly eats it, wouldn't the fragrance make you chew your own tongue off?"

"This dish is just this fragrant."

Sun Wukong wasn't stingy with praise for this dish either. His first time eating it was the same feeling. "This is something my Master just researched recently. I've only eaten it once. It's not even on the takeout machine yet."

"That impressive?"

Zhenyuanzi walked in surprise to the row of small cups.

"Then us God Officials are truly in for a feast."

"Wait a bit. It'll be ready to serve soon. You scram quick. Don't keep loitering here."

Zhenyuanzi looked at these small cups, feeling each one seemed like a bomb hiding aroma.

Once the lids are lifted, the aroma that was only drifting in the Great Hall will rush straight at the face. At that time, those with weak wills might drool before even eating.

"Truly worthy of Great Chef Sun Wukong's cooking. I haven't even eaten it and I'm already drooling."

Zhenyuanzi spoke while reaching out to lift a lid.

Sun Wukong slapped his hand away with a slap. "Why so rushed? They say 'monkey rushed, monkey rushed.' I see your composure isn't even as good as mine. It's not like you won't get to eat. What are you looking at now?"

"I was just too curious. Really couldn't hold back. You're the Great Chef. You're used to eating such delicacies, so naturally you wouldn't think it's anything special."

Zhenyuanzi rubbed his hands. "What's this dish called? Great Chef, tell me first, okay? Then I can go back and show off."

"This dish's name holds great mystery."

Sun Wukong thought of that group of Buddhist disciples outside, and chuckled twice. "Better not tell you. Wait till you go back to the Great Hall and listen along with them. Guaranteed to give you a huge shock."

Sun Wukong not saying it was fine, but once he said it, it made Zhenyuanzi's already curious head even more curious. He hadn't come this trip intending to come for nothing, and he started sweet-talking Sun Wukong again.

"Great Chef Sun Wukong, just tell me. I'm an ignorant one. The dishes you made at the dining table before — I've never even seen them, let alone eaten them. If it weren't for you becoming Great Chef in the Heavenly Court, forget now — even by the time I attain nirvana, I might not get to eat them."

Hearing someone praise him, Sun Wukong answered with a face full of pride. "That's natural. It still relies on my Master being formidable. If my Master didn't teach me, I wouldn't have learned so many skills, let alone you diners."

"Yes yes yes, Great Chef Sun Wukong, you're right."

Zhenyuanzi hurriedly followed along Sun Wukong's words. "It's still Proprietor Chen who's formidable. I've lived this long and never seen anyone more formidable than him. Great Chef Sun Wukong, you following him to do things — you truly picked the right person."

Sun Wukong's sense of pride welled up from the praise. "That's natural. My Master is the most formidable."

Seeing him so happy, Zhenyuanzi knew he'd praised the right way. "How did Proprietor Chen research this dish? This dish's name and cooking method must have quite the story, right?"

"Oh, you mean this Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? Now there's a story. Let me tell you in detail."

Sun Wukong, in his joy, forgot his business and just blurted out the name.

Zhenyuanzi was greatly startled. "This dish's name is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"