Chapter 4

“Sigh...”

Though he had already asked Xiao Hu for help, Li Chun still felt uneasy. He watched Xiao Hu tiptoe away and felt that he wasn’t very reliable. But with no other options, he could only sigh and head to the kitchen of the Qingling Pavilion.

He had no interest in class and was in a bad mood, so he decided to find something to eat instead.

As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, he caught a strong aroma of meat.

Li Chun sniffed deeply, savoring the scent, and nodded his head from side to side. "Dog meat! And it's yellow dog meat! Stewed with star anise, fennel, cinnamon, and rock sugar, just one whiff is enough. Truly, dog meat simmered three times makes even the immortals stagger!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Behind the stove, a disheveled but ruddy-faced old man with white hair poked his head out. "Little Li, your mouth is indeed the luckiest. I spent the whole morning stewing this pot of dog meat, and you come and take half of it away."

"Tch!"

Li Chun walked to the pot without any hesitation, scooped out a piece of meat, and devoured it ravenously, not even caring about the heat. After finishing, he still licked his fingers, nodding slightly.

"Not bad, your skills have improved. At this rate, Old Waster, your cooking will surpass mine!"

"Hehe!"

The old man chuckled, quickly scooped out two pieces of meat, and ate them, patting his belly. "My cooking skills have always been better than yours. It's just that you have some new ideas."

He called himself "Waster," the "waste" in "waste," not the "fee" in "cost." When Li Chun first heard it, he found it strange.

But perhaps this was a common surname in the Mitian world, and he got used to it over time.

The two of them were food buddies.

They met because of food. Initially, Li Chun ran to the kitchen to steal food when he was hungry during class at the Qingling Pavilion, and that's how he met this old man.

Old Waster was the head chef at the Qingling Pavilion. The food he prepared for lunch every day was terrible, but the food he cooked for himself was quite delicious. After Li Chun showed him a few cooking tricks, the two became kindred spirits and often hid in the kitchen to eat together.

It had been more than two years.

Li Chun ate two more pieces of meat and noticed that Old Waster wasn't competing with him today. He just smiled and watched him, which made Li Chun a bit surprised.

"Old man, what's wrong with you today? Did you already eat your fill before I came?"

Li Chun thought this was very likely and immediately grabbed another piece of meat to avoid being at a disadvantage.

Old Waster glared at him, suddenly sighed, and a look of sadness flashed in his eyes before disappearing. He shook his head.

"Little brother, I don't have many days left. This pot of dog meat is a farewell for you. In the future, you'll have to take care of the Qingling Pavilion..."

"Leave?"

Li Chun was stunned. "Old Waster, where are you going? Is it because your time is up?"

He circled around Old Waster, but the old man's ruddy face didn't look like someone with a terminal illness.

"Rubbish!"

Old Waster glared at him. "I'm doing just fine! Don't talk nonsense!"

He squatted down, turned his back, and gently poked the fire in the stove, sighing deeply. "After staying in one place for too long, it's time to leave. In the Qingling Pavilion, the only one I'm worried about, besides Man Niang, is you..."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of Man Niang!"

Li Chun straightened up, puffed out his chest, and made a loud promise.

Clang!

Old Waster suddenly grabbed a spatula and hit Li Chun's head with a precise move.

"Be serious!"

"That was quite a hit... Old Waster, besides a few Daoist techniques, you seem to have some martial arts skills. Could you really be a legendary hermit?" Li Chun rubbed his head, muttering.

Hearing this, Old Waster couldn't help but laugh.

When they first met, Li Chun always suspected that this old man hiding in the kitchen was a hermit, and he pestered him to learn martial arts. He was chased away several times with a broom and a spatula before giving up.

"Brat, stop talking nonsense!"

Old Waster waved his hand. "Have you memorized the secret Daoist book I gave you?"

"Long ago!" Li Chun shook his head. "What secret Daoist book? It's useless... what's the point..."

Although Old Waster didn't admit to being a hermit, under Li Chun's persistent nagging, he still took out a tattered Daoist book, claiming it was not found anywhere else, and made Li Chun memorize it. At first, Li Chun was quite interested, but after memorizing it, he found it useless.

"Then how about I teach you that Flame Secret Technique and you practice it for me?"

Old Waster rolled his eyes, ignoring Li Chun's words, and moved aside.

Li Chun sighed, made a hand sign, and pointed at the stove. With a loud boom, the weak flame suddenly leaped up, forming a surging fireball.

"Old man, if you want to stoke the fire, just say so. No need to make it so dramatic..."

What a ridiculous Flame Secret Technique. The name sounds impressive, but it's only slightly better than the Fire Spirit Technique taught at the Qingling Pavilion—just a little bit better.

The Fire Spirit Technique can create a small flame with a finger snap; Old Waster's Flame Secret Technique merely turns that small flame into a small fireball. It's good for a magic trick, but useless in a fight.

Old Waster, however, watched the flame in the stove carefully and sighed deeply after a long time.

"Given your talent, you would be better suited to Daoism than swordsmanship. Why do you insist on learning the sword for the sake of elegance?"

"What do you know? I am destined to become a Sword Saint!"

Li Chun raised his thumb, pointing proudly at himself. "Riding a sword through the wind, invincible in the world, that's my true wish. Studying ancient texts and smelling like mold, unable to find a girlfriend, what's the point?"

Old Waster laughed and shook his head. "Every time I ask, you say the same thing, never serious. Now that I'm leaving, if you still don't want to learn Daoism, that's fine."

This was the umpteenth time he mentioned leaving today, and Li Chun finally felt something was off.

This didn't seem like a joke.

"Old man, are you really leaving? Why... why exactly?"

Although this old man was useless, he could at least enjoy a hearty meal with him. The thought of him leaving made Li Chun a bit reluctant.

"Those who come will come, those who go will go. Life in the world is like a sudden journey."

"The Great Dao is like this. Why worry about the reason?"

Old Waster smiled bitterly, suddenly sounding like a philosopher.

"Since we met, I'll give you this. It might be useful in times of need..."

He patted his hand, and a golden arc flew out. Li Chun caught it nimbly, and it turned out to be a golden bead, spinning in his palm.

"Damn, old man, you were hiding this piece of gold as your private stash! The kitchen is indeed a lucrative job!"

Li Chun exclaimed in surprise.

Clang!

He got another hit on the head.

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