Chapter 982

「The broth has a fishy taste, failure. The side dishes are haphazardly paired, failure. The turtle meat is too dry, even more of a failure among failures! 」

「No way? This is a dish specially prepared by the head chef of our Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion! 」

「Not even as good as when I was practicing. 」

The young woman furrowed her brows.

She immediately took the stewed turtle soup back; the master behind tasted it and said, 「There's nothing wrong, just like before. Today many private rooms ordered this dish, and they're all full of praise. 」

「I just remembered, the elder of the private rooms told me that the senior's servant came carrying a large black pot. 」

「I see, he wants to join our Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. 」

In the past, indeed many masters of the culinary way have come, aspiring to challenge the culinary way of Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

They welcome this approach.

But if these challengers can't show any real skill and still nitpick like this, then… don't blame them for being impolite.

「Keep serving. I want to see what tricks this person really has. 」

「Volcanic Snow. 」

This is ingredients placed atop a golden crow, creating a feeling of burning flames yet breathtaking beauty.

Lu Xuan took a bite, then commented, "Not tasty."

Tie Xiaoqing also shook their head, "Failure."

The young woman smiled without a word, taking the dish back.

Next, the Pearl in the Palm was served.

This is a collision of spirit chicken meat and spirit shrimp balls, still judged a failure by Lu Xuan.

Upon learning this, the master's knife trembled in his hand, wanting to rush into the private chamber, 「I'd like to see just how strong this white-robed man's culinary way is! 」

The final dishes, 「Dragon and Phoenix Presenting Auspiciousness」 and 「Yang Pass Three Refolds」, were all judged failures.

Many masters flew into a rage!

Past challengers have never been this excessive!

Several masters, furious, stormed Lu Xuan's private chamber, 「I know you're challengers! Today, if you can't make a dish that satisfies us, humph. 」

Tie Xiaoqing glanced at Lu Xuan, already eager to try.

Lu Xuan laughed helplessly, 「Go show them a trick. 」

He had already realized it wasn't that they were unskilled, but that the culinary way here was terribly backward.

Soon, Tie Xiaoqing arrived at the back kitchen.

A crowd gathered around her.

Tie Xiaoqing began making spicy spirit chicken.

Cooking smoke rose in curling wisps.

Her hands shifted spirit seals, like Dao Resonance flowing, causing many masters to startle.

「What technique is this? Never heard of, never seen! 」

「I've smelled a fragrance I can't resist! 」

「Could she really be a master? 」

Soon the dish came out of the oven.

Several masters began tasting, and they were dumbfounded.

「So delicious! So delicious they wouldn't even spare a slap! 」

「Heavens! This is a true master of the culinary way! 」

Tie Xiaoqing wore a slight proud pout, she had only made a small move.

These days, being with Lu Xuan, she has firmly decided to walk the great way of cooking.

Let her brother cultivate the sword way.

For a time, no one doubted Tie Xiaoqing.

Tie Xiaoqing made several more dishes, causing the many masters of Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion to be astonished as if seeing a heavenly being!

This is truly a master!

In the private chamber, Lu Xuan ate the dishes Tie Xiaoqing made, sighing, 「Still, it's Tie Xiaoqing. 」

Not long after, a gentleman in refined robes entered holding a floating fan, a faint aura of the Questioning Path realm swirling around him; he bowed to Lu Xuan, then pointed at Tie Xiaoqing, 「I am Wei Feng, master of Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, here to invite the master to join our Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. 」

Tie Xiaoqing looked at Lu Xuan.

She truly enjoys cooking, and also enjoys others praising her cooking as delicious.

Lu Xuan smiled faintly, 「For now we'll stay here; let Tie Xiaoqing take charge of the kitchen. However much she makes each day is entirely up to her. 」

Wei Feng smiled gracefully, 「Naturally. Master Tie Xiaoqing's dishes naturally need to be limited, as the saying goes, rarity makes value. 」

Saying this, he produced a jade slip, 「Friend, this jade slip contains some information we've gathered about the tomb of the Sword Venerable of the Gale Wind. You must have come for this as well. 」

Lu Xuan took the jade slip and nodded.

Over the next few days, as Tie Xiaoqing displayed her skill, Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion directly exploded in popularity, its fame surging again.

They had never eaten such delicious food!

One stone stirs up a thousand waves!

For a time, many Questioning Path cultivators from outside came flocking.

Adding Tie Xiaoqing's carefree cooking, a single dish became hard to come by!

A Questioning Path powerhouse complained discontentedly, 「This is hunger marketing! 」

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan's face twitched, 「How familiar this tactic is! 」

A few days later.

Sun Chen, wearing a set of brocade robes, descended again with the Sun family elders.

His face showed some weakness as he let out a mocking laugh, "These past few days I haven't seen you, I didn't expect a grand master to actually show up at Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. It's said to be even better than before. Third Uncle, since the other elders aren't coming, you really ought to try it."

The stern-faced middle-aged man beside him nodded, "Then I'll give it a try."

Another young man lowered his voice to say to Sun Chen, "Chen Ge, I heard that grand master is actually a lovely young woman, extremely beautiful, hehehe..."

Sun Chen's interest sparked instantly, he licked his lips, "First I'll eat her dishes, then I'll bring her back to the clan. Tsk tsk!"

Soon.

A lovely young attendant ushered Sun Chen and his companions into a private room.

Sun Chen directly pulled the lovely young woman into his embrace, began stroking her body, and asked, "What's the name of your culinary dao grand master?"

The lovely young woman blushed and replied in a coy voice, "It's Grand Master Tie Xiaoqing!"

Sun Chen shook his head, "The name Xiaoqing is fine, but the surname Tie is no good; later I'll grant him the surname Sun."

Sun Chen gave a chuckle, waved his hand, "Alright, bring out all of Sun Xiaoqing's signature dishes."

Before he knew it, he had already changed Tie Xiaoqing's surname.

He had already taken her as a servant of the Sun family.

To the side, the Sun family elders and the dissolute disciples showed no reaction to Sun Chen's behavior.

After all, Sun Chen is the most talented person in their branch line, and even placed in the main clan he would stand out.

What's wrong with a man being a little lustful?

At that moment, the stern-faced middle-aged man gave a dry cough and said, "Sun Chen, when you return to the main clan, you'd better restrain yourself. Otherwise, if Ancestor Sun Qinghou thinks you're going too far, he might punish you."

Sun Chen replied with a look of disdain, "Ancestor Sun Qinghou himself is lustful by nature, having taken over a hundred dao partners, and even more concubines."

Saying that, he lowered his voice, "I heard that back then our branch existed just to take the blame for Ancestor Sun Qinghou. That woman clearly was what he wanted, and the order to exterminate the clan was his doing, yet now the blame falls on our branch."

Hearing that, the stern-faced middle-aged man's face turned dark as iron, seeming somewhat angry, "Watch your words! Watch your words!"

……