Chapter 375: Master Chef

At dusk, the exhausted You Tao smelled the aroma of food.

You Tao looked at Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng pulled two fruits from her pocket: "You're hungry? Eat these!"

What You Tao smelled wasn't the scent of fruit—she seemed to have caught the scent of a master chef's masterpiece; the irresistible aroma made saliva trickle unconsciously from the corner of her mouth.

"Xue Tao, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Feng reached to wipe You Tao's mouth, but her own mouth felt like a reservoir of water, her speech slurred.

It was an aroma impossible to resist.

Meng Yuanchun whispered from the shadows to Li Banfeng: "Culinary cultivation technique: Aroma."

Li Banfeng had initially thought cooks were merely food cultivators, but he hadn't expected an actual Culinary Dao sect to exist.

You Tao couldn't hear Meng Yuanchun's voice, but she saw a man dressed as a chef, carrying a food box, approaching the edge of the plot.

She knew this was a formidable rival, and her chances of victory were slim.

But this was land reclamation—she would never give up easily if she could hold out even a little longer.

The chef raised the food box higher and said to You Tao and Xiao Feng: "Don't be afraid, young ladies. I see how hard you're struggling, so I've come to bring you something to eat."

You Tao unconsciously licked her lips; the scent drifting from the box made her so hungry she could barely hold onto her knife.

The chef opened the box, revealing a roasted chicken, golden-red in color.

Both You Tao and Xiao Feng stared, as if the tender, crispy skin, glazed with sauce and fat, had already slipped into their mouths.

Meng Yuanchun continued: "Culinary cultivation technique: Color."

The chef stepped across the boundary into the plot.

You Tao swung her knife at him.

The chef sidestepped effortlessly, using You Tao's blade to slice off a chicken leg and pressed it to her lips.

You Tao hesitated for less than a second, then opened her mouth and bit down on the leg.

She knew she was in battle.

She knew that eating his food meant she would lose this fight—and possibly lose her life.

But she couldn't resist.

After swallowing a bite of chicken leg, You Tao dropped her knife, sat down on the ground, and began gnawing at the meat, her fighting spirit utterly gone.

"Culinary cultivation technique: Flavor," Meng Yuanchun pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the dew from her lips, then wiped Li Banfeng's too.

Li Banfeng's fatigue had lifted considerably from the aroma, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "This culinary cultivator is incredible."

Meng Yuanchun nodded: "I once heard him recount his past—he once infiltrated his enemy's household as a cook for a single day, prepared a full banquet, and wiped out the entire family. I didn't believe it then, but after tasting his dishes, I believed him."

"He said the enemy watched his family die one by one from poison during the meal, yet couldn't stop eating—until he choked himself to death. Though the enemy's cultivation base was low, it proved the power of culinary cultivation."

You Tao devoured the chicken leg without restraint; Xiao Feng stepped forward to block her: "Tao'er, don't eat it—this is definitely poisoned! We must leave, don't eat it, don't…"

As she spoke, the chef sliced off another chicken leg and offered it to Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng held out longer than You Tao; she pushed away the chef's leg, trying to resist.

Meng Yuanchun told Li Banfeng: "You were right—this girl's cultivation base is truly high. To resist this much, she must be at least at the third layer."

Li Banfeng said nothing, continuing to wipe his drool with a handkerchief.

The chef moved with great agility; the chicken leg seemed to vanish and reappear at Xiao Feng's lips like magic.

Xiao Feng pushed it away again, grabbed You Tao, and tried to flee.

You Tao refused to leave; she'd finished the leg in her mouth, and somehow another chicken wing had appeared in her hand.

The chef brought the leg again toward Xiao Feng's mouth; Xiao Feng sealed her nostrils and dodged swiftly.

"Zhai Xin Ren Hou technique!" Meng Yuanchun recognized the method. Normally, even holding one's breath couldn't block the roast chicken's aroma—Xiao Feng had forcibly isolated the scent from her body using Zhai Xin Ren Hou.

If she could use Zhai Xin Ren Hou, her cultivation base must be at least the sixth layer.

Li Banfeng nodded silently, thinking: Looks like I'm not the only one with advantages.

The chef was startled—he was a seventh-layer You Guai, and Xiao Feng was at least sixth-layer; if her base were any higher, victory or death would be uncertain.

He split open the chicken, revealing a roasted squab inside its belly.

The squab's aroma was even more intoxicating; Xiao Feng retreated rapidly, trying to put distance between herself and the chef.

The chef pursued relentlessly, but Xiao Feng had no countermeasure.

This was the weakness of Zhai cultivators: away from their dwellings, their combat power plummeted. Most techniques like Golden Chamber Concealing Beauty or Deep Courtyard Fortress couldn't be used. Against an equal-level opponent, resistance was nearly impossible.

The chicken leg hovered near her lips, fat glistening on her lips—this seemingly playful scene was a killing technique the chef had honed for decades.

Helpless, Xiao Feng activated Gui Xin Si Jian.

She knew her dwelling wasn't here, and she couldn't run back to it—she simply hoped to boost her speed with the technique to escape the chef's pursuit.

After running for a moment, she succeeded.

The chef stopped chasing.

He returned to the spot and handed You Tao the chicken leg, along with the entire roasted chicken.

You Tao clutched the roast chicken and tore into it without restraint.

The chef chuckled: "Eat slowly—there's a squab inside. Watch out for bones."

Xiao Feng stood frozen, suddenly realizing something.

You Tao was still inside the plot, but Xiao Feng had already stepped beyond the boundary.

She rushed to re-enter the plot, but the chef warned her: "By the rules of land reclamation, you've left the plot. You cannot return until reclamation ends."

The chef spoke truthfully—this rule applied everywhere.

Xiao Feng shouted: "Tao'er, let's go! You're doing this reclamation for me, aren't you? I can't get back in—what's the point of you reclamation now?"

You Tao, chewing meat, looked up at Xiao Feng.

She wanted to leave with Xiao Feng, but her mouth wouldn't stop—she couldn't even walk while eating.

She just wanted to sit here and finish the chicken; she didn't even have the breath to speak a word to Xiao Feng.

The chef spoke for You Tao: "Miss Xiao Feng, you're wrong to say that."

"You Tao came here for you. Once she reclaims this land, she'll protect you here. You should support her, not force her to leave."

"Don't you want her to help you reclaim? Don't you want her to protect you?"

"Then again, you have such high cultivation—you don't need her protection. That's why I'm curious: why do you insist on dragging her away?"

"None of your business! I won't let Tao'er suffer!" Xiao Feng ignored the chef and tried to rush back into the plot.

At this point, Meng Yuanchun had no need for courtesy.

Xiao Feng was no longer a reclaimer—trying to enter the plot again clearly violated the rules.

Meng Yuanchun rushed forward, seized Xiao Feng, and flung her into the air, then slammed her hard onto the ground.

Throughout the entire process, Meng Yuanchun remained invisible; Xiao Feng struggled for a long time but couldn't rise.

You Tao's eyes turned red—she wanted to help Xiao Feng, but she couldn't control herself.

From midair came Meng Yuanchun's voice, a blend of deep and shrill tones, indistinguishable in pitch or gender:

"Why have you come to my territory? Who sent you?"

Xiao Feng remained silent.

The chef stepped forward and opened the lower compartment of the food box.

Inside lay a roasted duck.

Smelling the duck's aroma, You Tao nearly dropped the roast chicken.

It was too fragrant!

The chef warned You Tao: "She has left the boundary. By rights, your reclamation has failed. But the plot's boundary still glows—meaning the land pities you. Cherish this chance."

The land pities You Tao?

What did that mean? Li Banfeng didn't understand.

Meng Yuanchun explained: "Xiao Feng never helped You Tao at all—she only caused trouble. The land saw clearly and never recognized Xiao Feng as a reclaimer. Though it breaks the rules, it's the land's compassion."

"The land has compassion?" Li Banfeng grew more confused.

Meng Yuanchun said no more—it wasn't something Li Banfeng was meant to know.

The chef tore off a piece of duck meat and held it to Xiao Feng's lips; Xiao Feng struggled, but Meng Yuanchun stomped her down.

The chef forced the duck meat into Xiao Feng's mouth; she tried to spit it out, but couldn't.

The roasted duck was delicious.

From skin to meat to bone, it melted in her mouth, turning into non-greasy fat that slid slowly down her throat.

The chef tore off a duck leg and said: "Miss, I advise you to tell the truth—what are you really doing here?"

"If you don't tell the truth, I'll keep feeding you duck meat. Eat half, and you'll die."

He tore off another piece and shoved it into her mouth.

Xiao Feng felt searing pain in her abdomen, yet still couldn't stop swallowing.

"I'll tell! I'll tell!" Frightened, Xiao Feng confessed: "It was Asha who sent me! Asha!"

You Tao, still chewing the roast chicken, stared blankly at Xiao Feng.

Asha sent her?

Wasn't the whole point of coming here to escape Asha?

What was going on?

The chef tore off another piece of duck meat: "You'd better explain more clearly."

Xiao Feng shook her head frantically, signaling him not to bring the meat closer; she no longer resisted and told the full story:

"One day, Asha told me she'd divined a perfect location—its land deity had died, but the covenant still remained."

As long as we find this place and get the land deity's covenant, Xia Xia can become the land deity, and then this entire territory will be our home—my cultivation base will surge dramatically!

You Tao ate roasted chicken, staring in shock at Xiao Feng, her mouth full and muffled as if muttering something.

The cook knew what You Tao was trying to say—most people who ate his food spoke unclearly.

The cook asked Xiao Feng: "This young lady You Tao wants to know why you deceived her."

Xiao Feng said to You Tao: "I didn't mean to deceive you—I was afraid you'd be frightened. If Xia Xia becomes the land deity, it benefits both of us. How could I possibly let you suffer?"

The cook fell silent for a moment, then smiled: "Miss Xiao Feng, you speak as if it's truly sincere. A gullible person might actually believe you."

"But I'm not that easy to fool—perhaps because I've lived too long. If I'm not mistaken, this whole act between you and Xia Xia isn't meant to deceive this young lady You Tao, but to deceive your own home?"

Xiao Feng looked flustered: "W-why would I deceive my home?"

The cook chuckled: "Because dwelling cultivators are special—only when the dwelling, the dwelling spirit, and the dwelling cultivator come together does a complete Daoist sect form."

"If a dwelling cultivator colludes with the dwelling spirit to leave, they abandon the dwelling—and the dwelling will inevitably fight to the death."

"But if a dwelling cultivator breaks ties with the dwelling spirit—even stages a fake suffering scheme—the dwelling may choose to part amicably."

"Your fake suffering scheme with the dwelling spirit was convincing. I heard the dwelling even injured itself to protect you."

"Under these circumstances, the dwelling would surely urge you to flee. If it's a gentle dwelling, it won't forcibly keep the dwelling spirit—isn't that right?"

Xiao Feng said nothing. Meng Yuchun said to Li Banfeng: "The cook is right. If a dwelling cultivator has broken ties with the dwelling spirit—even turned against it—a gentle dwelling will choose to part amicably."

Li Banfeng nodded.

So it wasn't that the bamboo pavilion was too weak—it was just gentle.

You Tao ate roasted chicken, her eyes reddening, still mumbling incoherently.

The cook translated: "Miss You Tao asks you: now that you've left the dwelling, why are you still deceiving her?"

Xiao Feng said to You Tao: "Because I can't bear to let you go—I can't live without you!"

The cook shook his head and sighed: "Miss Xiao Feng, you look so honest, but your words are anything but."

Xiao Feng cried out: "I'm telling the truth!"

"The words are true enough, but the meaning is wrong. You truly can't bear to lose her, and you can't live without her—but don't phrase it as if it's so tender."

"Your cultivation base is indeed high, but as a dwelling cultivator, your experience is shallow. Traveling far requires someone to look after you—otherwise, even a human trafficker could snatch you away. So you can't live without this worldly-savvy young lady You Tao."

"You're clueless around strangers, but you're a master at deceiving those close to you."

Xiao Feng shook her head frantically: "I didn't deceive you, Tao'er—don't believe him!"

"Still denying it?" the cook smiled. "Let me lay it all out for you."

"You and Xia Xia deceived the dwelling and ran all the way here, just to find this territory without a land deity."

"You forced You Tao to reclaim this wasteland—not to help her, but to test whether a land deity still exists here."

You Tao recalled the scene in the tent last night—Xiao Feng had kept muttering: "It's here, it really is…"

When You Tao woke up, she claimed there was a snake.

Was she really talking about a snake?

No!

She was talking to Xia Xia!

She was telling Xia Xia that a land deity truly existed here!

Xia Xia has been following you both all this time!

You Tao ate roasted chicken, staring fixedly at Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng dared not meet You Tao's gaze—every detail the cook deduced was perfectly accurate.

The cook continued: "Once you confirmed a land deity existed here, you sabotaged You Tao's efforts to reclaim the land."

"Because you didn't want her to clear the wasteland—you didn't want her to stay here. You still want her to follow you, to shield you from wind and rain and trouble, to keep you company at night—isn't that right?"

Xiao Feng remained silent.

You Tao's tears fell.

Then the cook asked: "How did you find out the land deity here was in trouble?"

Xiao Feng said: "Xia Xia calculated it."

The cook tore off a piece of duck meat: "If you don't tell the truth now, you won't live to see tomorrow."

Li Banfeng listened intently beside him—he had repeatedly instructed the cook to ask this question clearly.

This matter was of great importance; they had to trace Xia Xia's source of information.

PS: This cook is incredibly useful—not just heart, but also stomach.

Give Li Banfeng a like, give the jukebox a like, carry them both to 20, 00—thank you all, truly grateful.

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(End of Chapter)