Chapter 40

As wisteria vines hung down and carved balustrades adorned the scene, Li Dazui, a towering figure who was once a butcher and is now one of the ten head chefs of the City God’s Mansion, slowly walked along the corridor. The light filtered through layers of wisteria, casting a flickering glow on his face.

Along the way, chefs and assistants from the main kitchen would pass by, and upon seeing Li Dazui, they would all step aside and respectfully bow to greet him.

Li Dazui was long accustomed to this treatment. While enjoying it, he pondered how to "deal" with the two new arrivals, especially Su Xing, whose knife skills were so remarkable that he stood out. If left unchecked, Su Xing would surely rise to prominence.

Therefore, four of the ten head chefs of the main kitchen were present, planning to make an example of Su Xing to warn the others.

Although Li Dazui was the last in rank among the ten head chefs, his knife skills were equally impressive, not inferior to those of the top-ranked head chefs. This was one of the reasons why Gao Lao chose him to wield the knife to "deal" with Su Xing.

"Su Xing, Su Xing..." Li Dazui said in a deep voice, feeling that the name sounded familiar. He looked up at the purple wisteria leaves. "If I remember correctly, the ghost who guided Su Xing and the other new ghost is one of my subordinates, Wen Houqing."

"Right, Wen Houqing. I remember he gave me many gifts, hoping I would promote him, but I kept forgetting! Well, this time, I'll let him earn some merit and promote him." Li Dazui chuckled, his mouth almost reaching his ears, with a hint of ferocity and cunning in his smile.

Wen Houqing and Su Xing chatted as they walked, while Yang Qingshui walked beside them, silent and unspoken.

"Brother Su, some of the chefs and old ghosts might make things difficult for you later, but don't worry. I've been in the main kitchen for a few years, and I'll protect you!" Wen Houqing patted his chest and assured Su Xing.

"In that case, I'll have to rely on Brother Wen's care. If I ever make it big, I won't forget your kindness," Su Xing said with a smile.

The two ghosts, who had only just met, were already calling each other brothers, as if they had known each other for a long time.

Laughing and chatting, they arrived at the main kitchen of the cooking academy.

"Come, let me introduce you to the chefs inside," Wen Houqing said, patting his broad chest and smiling. As he turned, his chubby face suddenly froze, like a piece of frozen fat.

"Wow, what a grand welcome, are you here to greet me?" Su Xing said with a light smile, teasingly.

"Brother Su!" Wen Houqing's face darkened, and he elbowed Su Xing, saying in a low voice, "That's one of the ten head chefs of the main kitchen, Li Dazui. Don't be disrespectful!"

In front of the main kitchen's gate, two jade-inlaid taotie sat, their mouths wide open, revealing deep red rubies. The two pillars were as thick as towering trees, with the four golden characters "Food Fortune Thrives" inscribed on them.

Compared to the gate, the signboard was much simpler and ancient, made of an unknown wood, with the six characters "City God’s Mansion Main Kitchen" carved in seal script, bearing the marks of time.

At that moment, a burly man in a gold-threaded chef's robe was seated on a grand armchair in front of the main kitchen, surrounded by chefs with tall hats and jade inlays, standing straight behind the armchair, like stars surrounding the moon, all focusing on Li Dazui.

"Whoa~"

A chestnut horse snorted, its head tossing, and its mane, like a cloud of fire, fluttered in the wind.

"This is..." Wen Houqing was stunned by the grand welcome. Although Su Xing's knife skills were impressive, it was not enough to warrant a head chef and several other chefs coming out to greet him.

"Intimidation," the silent girl, Yang Qingshui, suddenly spoke, her voice calm.

"Hey!" Wen Houqing looked at Yang Qingshui in surprise, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.

"Exactly," Su Xing nodded, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Such a clumsy way of showing off, really..."

In the end, Su Xing was speechless. He said to Yang Qingshui, "Let's go and meet them."

"Let's go," Yang Qingshui said, her words as few as ever, lacking the "warmth" she had shown when they first met.

Su Xing took a step forward, walking confidently, but when he turned back, he saw Yang Qingshui standing still.

"Are you Wen Houqing?" Li Dazui suddenly spoke.

"Yes, I am," Wen Houqing immediately smiled, bowing deeply.

"I remember you, come over here," Li Dazui said, his thick, hairy hand beckoning.

"Yes, I'll come right over!" Wen Houqing, sensing the opportunity, ran over eagerly, looking up at Li Dazui with a fawning expression.

"Come behind me," Li Dazui said calmly.

"Yes!" Wen Houqing's heart was filled with joy, sensing that his rise to power was near, and he quickly squeezed behind Li Dazui.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort, like a bucket of cold water, doused Wen Houqing's enthusiasm, making him feel like a deflated eggplant. He stood behind the chefs, head down, not daring to look at the fierce chefs.

"Are you Yang Qingshui?" Li Dazui asked.

"Yes," Yang Qingshui nodded, her voice calm.

"Come behind me," Li Dazui gestured.

Yang Qingshui nodded, passing by Su Xing, and stood behind Li Dazui.

Suddenly, Su Xing was isolated, with only the chestnut horse snorting restlessly.

What a grand welcome indeed!

"This is too sudden! We were chatting so warmly on the way, almost ready to drink blood wine and swear brotherhood, and now this!" Su Xing grumbled to himself, but he didn't blame Wen Houqing or Yang Qingshui. After all, they were just acquaintances, and in the face of such power, who wouldn't bow their head?

"Are you Li Dazui?" Su Xing asked, a slight smile on his lips.

"Bold! How dare you call the head chef by his name?" One of the chefs behind Li Dazui immediately scolded.

"Names are meant to be called. What's the point of having a name if you can't use it? There are ten head chefs; how would you know which one I'm calling if I don't use their names? Or do you have ambitions to be a head chef?" Su Xing retorted with a smirk.

"You!" The chef's face turned red with anger.

"Sharp tongue, but how about your skills?" Li Dazui coldly interrupted, "The main kitchen isn't a place for just anyone. I suspect your abilities, and before you enter the main kitchen, I will test you. Do you have any objections?"

Li Dazui spoke straightforwardly, his purpose clear and "just."

Su Xing's eyes narrowed, a glint of coldness flashing in them. He saw the butcher's knife partially exposed under Li Dazui's chef's robe.

"Trying to use me as a test subject and kick me out of the main kitchen? There must be other head chefs behind this. Well, let's see how the City God’s Mansion's imperial chefs fare."

Su Xing thought to himself and said loudly, "A test, you say? I have no objections, but do we need a witness?"

"I am the witness!" Li Dazui said calmly, leaving no room for argument, a formidable aura spreading around him.

Su Xing's gaze sharpened. He knew that the powerful aura, whether from Li Mu, the ghost, or Li Dazui, came from the spirit wheel. The strong aura of the powerful in the human world came from their superior spirit.

"No problem," Su Xing shrugged, indifferent.

"Good!" Li Dazui's grip on the armrest of the armchair cracked, surprised that Su Xing was unaffected by his aura. He sneered, "You claim to have excellent knife skills, so I'll have a chef compete with you in knife skills. One round to decide the winner!"

"No problem!" Su Xing said firmly, without hesitation, his confidence unshaken. Instantly, a powerful aura emerged from his damaged spirit wheel, countering Li Dazui's.

Su Xing had undergone unimaginable trials, making his spirit stronger than others. This aura, once triggered, was no less formidable than Li Dazui's.

At Su Xing's current level, only the direct descendants of the City God could possibly overpower him, and that was only if he hadn't yet reformed his spirit wheel.

Once Su Xing reformed his nine spirit wheels, even the true dragon aura of the royal descendants would be no match for him.

"Good, you have courage. If you win, I'll let you into the main kitchen," Li Dazui laughed, "Zhang Yu!"

"Yes!" A tall, thin chef stepped out from behind Li Dazui, his face long and narrow, almost matching the chestnut horse. His hands were long and slender, clearly skilled in knife work, ranking among the best in the kitchen.

"Let's go!" Zhang Yu stretched his hands, the joints cracking, and pulled out a roll of leather from his chef's robe, revealing a collection of well-maintained knives, their blades so sharp they could reflect images.

"Wait!" Su Xing suddenly called out.

"What's wrong? Afraid?" Zhang Yu asked.

"No," Su Xing shook his head and asked Li Dazui, "Can I decide the content of the knife skills competition?"

Li Dazui's eyes flashed, and he said, "Sure!"

"Good, let's carve grass, a whole lawn of it!" Su Xing said with a smile.

"Joke!" Zhang Yu scolded, "What's there to carve in grass? It's too basic. I suddenly feel that competing with you is a disgrace to me!"

Zhang Yu turned to Li Dazui, "Head Chef, I think we should kick Su Xing out. He doesn't deserve to enter the main kitchen. Testing him is a waste of time!"

Li Dazui's thick brows furrowed. He also wanted to kick Su Xing out, but since Su Xing was strongly recommended by the ghost, he couldn't do it without a reason.

"Do I need your approval to do my job?" Li Dazui asked coldly.

Zhang Yu's face changed, and he quickly said, "No, I overstepped."

Then, Zhang Yu glared at Su Xing, his eyes narrowing, "Since you want to carve grass, I'll carve grass with you!"

"That's the spirit! Don't underestimate a patch of grass," Su Xing said, satisfied. "Grass may seem simple, but it's not. The fine stems and subtle curves make it challenging to carve well, let alone a whole patch. It requires both skill and speed!"

"Um..." Li Dazui looked at Su Xing's smile, feeling a sudden unease, his brows furrowing as he nodded.

Zhang Yu's face stiffened, anger boiling inside him, "We'll see how long you can keep that smile!"

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