Chapter 372: Racking One's Brains, Zhenyuanzi

Facing the curious gazes of the divine officials, the serving side remained motionless for a long time. Left with no choice, Zhenyuanzi could only cover with a cough: "Cough, cough, wait a moment, I just said too much, my mouth is too dry, I need to take a sip of water."

The sharp-eyed ones hurriedly handed Zhenyuanzi a wine cup: "Here, here, here, the wine has come, quickly take a sip to moisten your throat."

Zhenyuanzi received the cup and drank slowly, his heart burning with anxiety, even beginning to pray: "Come quickly, come quickly, if this Great Chef Sun Wukong does not arrive soon, then my words here will truly be impossible to conclude."

At this critical moment, several fairies carrying trays slowly walked from the direction of the Imperial Kitchen.

Zhenyuanzi had never felt those fairies to be so beautiful; he pointed toward the direction they were coming from: "Look, the dishes have arrived, quickly take your seats, otherwise you won't get any."

Although this dish was originally served in full portions, everyone still hurried forward and took their seats.

Hearing is not as good as seeing; others may describe it well, but nothing beats seeing it with your own eyes and tasting it with your own mouth.

Yang Jian was not as easily fooled as other divine officials; he glanced lightly at the sweat-wiping Zhenyuanzi, then asked: "You speak the truth—did you not even manage to ask for the name of this dish?"

Zhenyuanzi had actually asked for it, but the name was simply too difficult to utter.

Fortunately, the surrounding divine officials had already taken their seats; at this moment, their gazes were all fixed on the tray in the fairy's hand, paying no attention to anything else. Only then did Zhenyuanzi dare to speak the truth: "No, I actually did ask for it."

"Then why didn't you say it just now?"

Yang Jian looked somewhat doubtful: "You usually have a secret you're dying to tell the whole world—why aren't you speaking today?"

"It's not that I don't want to say it; it's just that I truly cannot utter this name."

Zhenyuanzi replied.

Yang Jian had originally not been very curious, but after Zhenyuanzi said that, he became somewhat curious instead: "You say—what is the name?"

Zhenyuanzi glanced left and right, confirming no third divine official could overhear their conversation, then whispered to Yang Jian: "Don't say it's just you and me—this name, even if the Jade Emperor himself came, would still startle him."

Yang Jian became even more curious: "Hurry up and say it—stop beating around the bush."

Zhenyuanzi glanced left and right again, then spoke in an extremely low voice to Yang Jian: "The name of this dish is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

Yang Jian's eyes widened from surprise; he originally wanted to repeat Zhenyuanzi's words to express his shock, but he truly could not utter those words from his mouth, so he swallowed them and then asked: "Is this dish really called that?"

"Really, when have I ever lied?"

Yang Jian looked him up and down: "Your lies are not few."

Zhenyuanzi, knowing he was in the wrong, could only say: "Such a trivial matter—don't bring it up again. What I want to say now is something truly important: this name was not given by Great Chef Sun Wukong."

"Was it given by his master?"

Yang Jian found it not strange at all that Chen Nuo would come up with such a name; if it were Sun Wukong who gave it, that would be even stranger to him.

Zhenyuanzi's understanding of Chen Nuo was not extensive, not as much as Yang Jian's, but he continued to gossip: "I even told Great Chef Sun Wukong that this name was not well-chosen, and asked him to come up with another—who knew he would drive me out?"

Yang Jian took a sip of wine: "Not strange at all—if you were not now at the Buddhist Dharma Feast but in my mansion, I would also drive you out."

"Alas, General Yang Jian, now is not the time to joke."

Zhenyuanzi sighed and continued: "You say, saying this name privately is fine, but if this Buddhist Dharma Feast lets those bald donkeys hear this name, there will surely be an uproar."

Yang Jian glanced at Zhenyuanzi again: "You say bald donkeys don't sound pleasant either—if it were up to me, I'd first beat those called bald donkeys, then settle the matter of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

"That bald donkey isn't just called by me alone."

Zhenyuanzi complained: "Moreover, having been called that for so many years, I just don't believe those bald donkeys don't know the nicknames others gave them, and besides, this is said in private—no one would dare call them bald donkeys openly."

"Indeed."

Yang Jian did not deny it: "But since this dish name came about this way, naturally they have their reasons, and it doesn't concern you much—even if the Buddhist Sect causes a ruckus over this, it won't reach your head."

"

"It's indeed not closely related to me."

Zhenyuanzi said worriedly: "But this Sun Wukong is the great chef invited by the Jade Emperor—if it really causes an uproar, won't it still be blamed on the Jade Emperor's head?"

"Then it has even less to do with you."

Yang Jian gave a cold snort: "You're not a general—when trouble comes, you won't be needed."

"General Yang Jian, you really lack any sense of the bigger picture."

Zhenyuanzi looked at Yang Jian with an expression of hating iron for not becoming steel.

"The Immortal Sect and the Buddhist Sect, however you put it, have always supported each other, living in peace and harmony for several million years—if we fall out over a dish name, how will others view us?"

"You're overthinking it."

Yang Jian was not at all worried about this: "Just eat your dish in peace—if it really comes to a ruckus later, the Jade Emperor's protection is still there—relax."

Zhenyuanzi glared at Yang Jian: "Your heart is too relaxed—I see that when the trouble really starts, it will be you generals who have to clean up the mess first."

"Hmm."

Yang Jian no longer wished to continue the conversation, and began slowly drinking his wine.

"Ah, it really is."

Zhenyuanzi sighed again and began drinking his wine as well.

"I just don't know whether this dish is meat or vegetarian—if it's meat, it's fine, but if it's vegetarian, the Buddhist side will surely think it's deliberately aimed at them, and then it will be even harder to resolve."

Yang Jian looked at each fairy carrying a tray and said: "What if this dish is available on both sides?"

"What do you mean?"

Zhenyuanzi looked toward Yang Jian, then followed his gaze to the fairy carrying the tray.

Each fairy serving the dish held a tray with only a small cup inside; the Divine Palace Interior Space had no more than twenty or so divine officials and Buddhist Sect members attending this Dharma feast.

If it were only for one side, it should have been served long ago—this fairy holding a tray, after more than ten people had come, there were still more behind—truly, this dish is available on both sides.

Yang Jian glanced sideways at Zhenyuanzi: "When you went to the Imperial Kitchen, what did you see? After waiting so long, you only learned one dish name, and still couldn't tell whether it's meat or vegetarian."

"It's not that Great Chef Sun Wukong's mouth is too tight—I still had to grind for a long time to get even that one dish name."

Zhenyuanzi gave a hehe smile, still doubtful in his heart.

He had actually seen those meat scraps in the Imperial Kitchen—what exactly was going on? Could it be that although the dish name is the same...

... but in fact, what is given to the Immortal Sect and the Buddhist Sect is not the same? Or is it that the taste is similar, but the ingredients used during preparation differ? "What's wrong?"

Yang Jian noticed Zhenyuanzi's expression: "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, I wasn't thinking of anything."

Zhenyuanzi casually found some words to brush it off; if he told Yang Jian, he'd inevitably face another round of mockery, so it was better not to speak of it.