Chapter 39

The City God of Fengdu, with a prestigious status comparable to the Four Judges and the Ten Great Yin Generals, is one of the most powerful figures in the Netherworld, akin to a prince of a different surname!

The City God's residence in the Inner West District is truly a princely mansion!

The residence of a prince is as deep as the sea.

Liangtou pulled the luxurious carriage, speeding down the clean and spacious street lined with fragrant locust trees. The large ghosts' offspring who saw the seal of the City God of Fengdu on the carriage all made way, their expressions solemn.

The Netherworld law stipulates that officials below the fourth rank must yield to princes and dukes! Violators will be demoted one rank!

"Neigh~"

Zegui pulled Liangtou to a stop, the iron hooves gradually slowing down, and the luxurious carriage slowly stopped in front of a grand and imposing mansion.

The ghost servant, dazed, got off the carriage, looked back with reluctance, and then gazed around in confusion.

"Is this it?"

Sitting in the carriage pulled by Liangtou, he felt no bumps and experienced great speed. Despite the not-so-short distance, it only took a few minutes to complete the journey.

Moreover, the carriage, as large as a house, was exquisitely decorated and splendid, with gold and jade. Even if dozens of ghost servants were in the same carriage, it wouldn't feel crowded.

In short, it was a short but luxurious journey that the ghost servants would never forget, deeply etched in their hearts. They were determined to serve the City God's residence wholeheartedly, hoping to gain the favor of the powerful offspring or the favored concubines within.

"Dismiss."

Zegui lightly commanded, his palm spread out. Liangtou neighed, hooves raised high, and the nine pearls on the horse's head shone brightly. The luxurious carriage instantly transformed into a jet-black light, landing steadily in Zegui's palm. The black light converged, revealing a black jade ruyi.

"Line up, prepare to enter the residence!" Zegui gently pushed his palm, the black jade ruyi immediately shrinking into his sleeve, then he raised his head and said.

"Oh!"

The ghost servants rubbed their hands, ready to show their skills. They thought they were on a bright path, unaware that the road ahead would be as precarious as walking on thin ice.

Cui Qi, Shen Shi, and Song Zhong secretly sneered. The residence of a prince is as deep as the sea, not as simple as they imagined. If it weren't for having connections in the City God's residence, new ghosts would definitely be bullied by the old ghosts upon entering.

Su Xing, standing to the side, remained calm throughout. He had seen many intrigues and deceptions, which he considered the essence of human society. Su Xing was an expert in these matters.

However, since Su Xing had met the Yin General Niu Tou, he deeply realized that in the face of absolute power, everything else is trivial. He never forgot his original purpose for coming to the City God's residence and was not swayed by Zegui's allure.

"My purpose for coming to the City God's residence is twofold: to see Shifei Xue again and fulfill my wish, and to take advantage of the resources of the City God's residence to cultivate!" Su Xing constantly warned himself, ignoring the hostile gazes of Cui Qi and others.

"Kid, if you provoke me, you'll see what happens when you enter the City God's residence!" Cui Qi, holding a fan with a spring palace painting, his eyes flashing with venom, like a venomous snake, ready to strike.

"Don't be assigned to the East Garden, or I'll finish you off!" Shen Shi, with a grim face, his mind churning with evil plans, had many schemes brewing.

Song Zhong always wore a smile, but it was a smile with a hidden knife, skilled in using others to do his dirty work. He didn't take Su Xing seriously, thinking that Cui Qi and Shen Shi were enough to deal with him.

"Just some minor troublemakers. I'll focus on my kitchen and cultivation plans, and you can enjoy the Four Gardens and the maids. We won't interfere with each other. But if you provoke me, don't blame me!"

Su Xing's eyes turned cold, and he sneered inwardly. How could he not know the thoughts of the three ghosts? Their petty calculations and meticulous attention to detail would surely lead to their downfall!

At this moment, Zegui spoke loudly.

"Listen up, even though you haven't entered the City God's residence yet, you are already ghost servants of the City God's residence. Remember what I said earlier. Understand?"

"Understood!" The ghosts responded in unison.

"The City God's residence is a solemn and sacred place, vast and with tens of thousands of courtyards. The City God resides in the center. After you enter through the side gate, a leading ghost will take you to your assigned courtyards. When you get there, you must do three things!"

"Do not ask too many questions! Do not look around too much! Do not think too much!" Zegui's voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap, deafening the ghost servants and making them feel a chill, not daring to take it lightly.

"This is just the side gate. Imagine how grand the main gate must be!" "No questions, no looking around, not even thinking. This is too overbearing!"

The ghost servants were like a pot of boiling water, whispering to each other, but not daring to speak too loudly.

"Unsurprisingly, ghost servants have no right to enter the City God's residence through the main gate." Su Xing, looking at the tall walls and cold stone lions, smiled coldly.

"Trouble." A voice behind Su Xing, gentle like a spring breeze, the willows by the lake swaying gently.

Su Xing turned in surprise and saw Yang Qing Shui standing behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Su Xing asked.

"Colleague." Yang Qing Shui said simply.

"Colleague?" Su Xing then remembered that the graceful and elegant woman in front of him was his colleague, strong and capable, like him, entering the main kitchen.

"I think she's not just simple, but also taciturn and devious." Su Xing thought to himself, his expression unchanged.

After a brief commotion, Zegui led the ghost servants through the side gate. Inside, a dozen neatly dressed ghost servants, the leading ghosts Zegui mentioned, appeared.

"Thank you, Lord Zegui. We'll take it from here." The leading ghost, who was once chosen by Zegui, respectfully said, feeling grateful for the opportunity.

"Alright, I need to return the black jade ruyi. The rest is up to you." Zegui nodded, hands behind his back, and turned to leave.

Next, the leading ghost selected the ghost servants, and Su Xing and Yang Qing Shui were led away by a fat ghost servant, the only one among the leading ghosts wearing a luxurious robe.

As for the other three ghosts, they were likely assigned to the branch kitchens.

"You two are lucky to be recommended by Lord Zegui to enter the main kitchen." The fat ghost servant, wearing a luxurious robe, suddenly said as he led Su Xing and Yang Qing Shui.

"Thanks to Lord Zegui's favor, we were fortunate to enter the main kitchen." Su Xing respectfully replied.

"Indeed." Yang Qing Shui nodded in agreement.

"You two are quite sweet-talking." The fat ghost servant smiled, his face kind, but then his tone turned cold, "But in the main kitchen, just being sweet-talking is not enough to make a name for yourself!"

"The competition in the main kitchen is fierce. Even the assistants are promoted from the branch kitchens, with real skills!"

"Entering the main kitchen directly, many old ghosts may disagree and test you with various challenges. If you can't handle them, you'll be kicked to the branch kitchens! Even Lord Zegui's recommendation won't help then!"

The fat ghost servant's words were sharp, like a cold winter wind, bone-chilling, but true, stating a harsh reality.

"Thank you for the warning!" Su Xing replied without fear, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Just call me Wen Houqing!" The fat ghost servant said, "We are colleagues, recommended by Zegui, and I've worked in the main kitchen for over a decade. If you have any difficulties, come to me, and I'll help if I can."

"Wen Houqing..." Su Xing found the fat ghost servant better than expected, a typical tough-talking, soft-hearted person.

While Su Xing and Wen Houqing were talking, in the main kitchen of the City God's residence, more than half of the ten head chefs had gathered.

In the darkness, around the large round table where the head chefs usually discuss the City God's meals and innovative dishes, four head chefs were seated.

"Have you seen the 'apple' sent by Zegui?" One of the head chefs suddenly spoke, his voice extremely unpleasant, like two hard stones rubbing together.

"Seen it, impressive knife skills!" Another head chef said, his voice indistinct, but from the silhouette, it was a graceful woman.

"Hmph, Meiling, you flatter too much! Such knife skills are not up to par! Which of the head chefs here has worse knife skills than him?" A rough voice sounded, and in the darkness, a stout figure could be seen.

"Li Dazui, if I remember correctly, you were a butcher, right?" The head chef named Meiling slowly asked.

"Hmph, so what if I was!" Li Dazui coldly replied.

Meiling nodded and continued, "I heard the new ghost used a butcher's knife to cut that apple!"

"Could you do that?" Meiling asked, with a hint of mockery, and a subtle disdain for butchers.

"Butcher's knife!" Li Dazui suddenly exclaimed, then fell silent.

In an instant, a powerful aura erupted, clearly belonging to the ghost official realm!

"Hmph, just a butcher's knife! Using a butcher's knife to cook is improper! I ask, Meiling, do you use a butcher's knife in your cooking?" Li Dazui sneered, retorting.

"Li Dazui, you!" Meiling, enraged, slapped the round table, her ghost official realm aura erupting, not inferior to Li Dazui's.

"Enough! Don't forget the purpose of our gathering!" A voice suddenly stopped them, and the last head chef spoke, his silhouette tall and thin.

"Old Gao!" Meiling and Li Dazui's faces changed, then they glared at each other, temporarily calming down.

Old Gao, the second-ranked head chef among the ten head chefs in the main kitchen!

"Even if the new ghosts are recommended by Zegui, we cannot tolerate them if they don't meet the standards! Culinary skills are vast, and good knife skills don't mean everything! Li Dazui, you're responsible for their assessment! Dismissed!" Old Gao said in a low voice, his tall, thin figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.

"Old ghost!" Meiling and Li Dazui cursed inwardly. Old Gao clearly wanted to say that although the main kitchen has many benefits, more ghosts mean less to share. If the new ghosts can be kicked out, they should be kicked out, and find reasons to do so!

"I'll have to play the bad guy." Li Dazui coldly snorted, turned, and left, his stout figure surprisingly agile, leaving a shadow in the darkness.

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