Chapter 288: 288 Way of Cooking
Lin Bai’s way of lightening the mood was certainly unconventional, and everyone, both inside and outside the city, was at their wits’ end.
If today’s events got out, the Justice League would surely rise to prominence, and the Path of Law would undoubtedly prevail. Was there any point in fussing over that blasted cooking competition at this juncture? Shouldn’t they be focusing on post-war matters, settling the prisoners, stabilizing the Justice League’s morale, reclaiming the lost Beggar Gang headquarters, and discussing cooperation with the Taiyi Country? There were so many important tasks at hand; why was Lin Bai acting so irresponsibly? No matter how good the food was, could it be better than the Way of Love?
However, at this point, no one dared to voice an opposing opinion. Instead, they all put on obsequious smiles and expressions of anticipation.
Lin Bai had defeated cultivators from all ten sects of the Great cheng Realm on his own; he had earned the right to be capricious.
Lin Bai drew out a meticulously polished kitchen knife. The task from the God of Craftsmen System was to tailor-make a weapon for a renowned individual and have it acknowledged by the world, with the reward being Intermediate Magic Treasure Theory.
This task had remained incomplete for some time.
Now, Lin Bai felt his reputation was substantial enough, and it was time for the weapon he had personally forged for himself to be unveiled.
The Immortal Binding Rope he had refined using his elementary Magic Treasure theory snapped with a single pull, falling far short of Lin Bai’s expectations. Thus, the task from the God of Craftsmen System had to be continued.
"This knife is nine and three-tenths inches long, forged from thousand-year-old Mysterious Iron. It is impervious to water and fire, self-sharpening, and severs anything in its path. I personally refined it for the Way of Cooking, upgrading it eighty-seven times. A natural flaw runs along its spine, hence the name ’Sky Remnant.’ Today, this knife reveals its edge for the first time. In the future, this knife shall flourish alongside the Way of Cooking."
Lin Bai held up the kitchen knife, passionately introducing its qualities and origin, then turned towards the Demon Beasts of the Beast Taming Sect, searching for his ingredients.
As Lin Bai’s gaze swept over them, all the Demon Beasts took a step back.
Undoubtedly, the pressure from a Great cheng Realm cultivator was too intimidating, especially since Lin Bai also possessed Qiu Liang’s beast-taming skills. One glance from him, and all the Demon Beasts trembled in fear.
"Under the Heavenly Dao, all beings are equal. Are you willing to leave the Beast Taming Sect, join the Demon Country, pledge allegiance to Monster King Xiaobai, and strive for the glory of the Demon Country for the rest of your lives?" Lin Bai asked.
"We are willing," the Demon Beasts replied, though not quite in unison.
When under another’s roof, one must bow one’s head. From the very beginning, the Beast Taming Sect had always trained them to be devoid of self-will. Now that their own masters had surrendered to the Justice League, what else could they do?
Moreover, Lin Bai had just mentioned completing the cooking competition and had immediately turned his gaze upon them. It was obvious his intentions weren’t benevolent.
Throughout history, Demon Beasts, aside from being tamed, were also high-end ingredients for cultivators. The weaker Demon Beasts of the Beast Taming Sect, those deemed unfit or eliminated, often ended up as ingredients.
A commotion rippled through the cultivators of the Beast Taming Sect.
One disciple mustered his courage and stepped forward. "Alliance Hierarch, our bond with our Demon Beasts is deep and complementary. Forcibly separating us will diminish the strength of both parties..."
"The Demon Country has already made arrangements. They will become citizens of the Demon Country, and you can go to Xiaobai to sign an equality contract, allowing you to fight alongside them. Of course, this must be by mutual consent," Lin Bai glanced back at him. "In the Justice League, humans and beasts are equal. Now that you’ve joined the Justice League, you must discard your old, flawed ways of thinking and act according to the policies set by the Alliance."
"Thank you, Alliance Hierarch." The Beast Taming Sect disciple glanced at his contracted beast and ultimately retreated. As defeated soldiers and captives, they had spoken up once; they couldn’t keep raising objections.
"Where are Qiu Liang’s Demon Beasts?" Lin Bai looked at the orderly Demon Beasts, unable to find a pretext to use his knife. With such a grand setup, casually picking an ingredient would diminish his own status. He hesitated for a moment, then asked again.
"Here."
A Flying Dragon, a bear, and an eagle obediently stepped forward. They transformed into humanoids and, facing Lin Bai, lowered their once-proud heads.
As the contracted beasts of Great cheng Realm cultivators, they held high status within the Beast Taming Sect.
But with Qiu Liang turned into a puppet, the arrogance of these Demon Beasts was instantly crushed. Faced with a terrifying figure like Lin Bai, they dared not act presumptuously.
"Your master has been turned into a puppet by me. Have you ever thought of avenging him?" Lin Bai asked.
"Our master becoming a puppet was of his own volition. Alliance Hierarch Lin is righteous and has established the Demon Country, providing sanctuary for many Demon Beasts. We are beyond grateful; how could we think of revenge?" The Flying Dragon darted a look at the dazed Qiu Liang, swallowed hard, and forced a fawning smile.
[Resentment from Diving Dragon, Fierce Bear, Lingkong; +1 +1 +1...]
Sensing the resentment from the three Demon Beasts, Lin Bai smiled. "That’s not really what you think, is it?"
"Alliance Hierarch, what we just said came straight from our hearts!" The three Demon Beasts knelt in mid-air, forcing terrified smiles.
"Just now, that cultivator from the Beast Taming Sect said that humans and their Demon Beasts could achieve maximum combat power when united. Now, Hu Qing and Qiu Liang have both become my puppets, and you are their Demon Beasts. Are you willing to serve me as they do?" Lin Bai pressed, step by step.
Sealed?
The three Demon Beasts’ mouths went dry, sweat pouring down like rain. They knew Lin Bai was deliberately finding fault, yet they couldn’t utter a word of rebuttal...
Hu Qing had been arbitrarily forced into a marriage by Lin Bai; their own master, Qiu Liang, was now a stupefied puppet who had lost his wits. Anyone could see that being Lin Bai’s puppet brought no benefits!
But to refuse? The next second, Lin Bai’s kitchen knife would probably land on their heads!
"Enough. I knew you weren’t sincere," Lin Bai didn’t give them time to consider, shaking his head and scoffing. "Xiaobai’s current cultivation is merely that of a Three-tailed demon fox. You are all mighty Demon Beasts of the Hollow Realm. Even I can’t fully intimidate you. Should you harbor rebellious thoughts one day and harm my good disciple, wouldn’t I regret it bitterly? Fine. Today, I shall make an example of you to establish my disciple’s authority as Monster King..."
Good heavens! the crowd thought. What an abrupt turn of events! Such methods, such a disposition—if this isn’t a Devil’s Head, what is? Why bother? Why go to such lengths for excuses? Why not just strike directly?
「Inside the Zhen City Defense Array.」
The Little White Fox looked up at Lin Bai, her tail wagging involuntarily behind her as she boasted proudly, "Master still dotes on me the most. Knowing I couldn’t intimidate them, he’s finding ways to help me establish my prestige."
Xu Longyun glanced sideways at the Little White Fox and shook her head with a smile.
No matter how others viewed Lin Bai, in her heart, whatever Lin Bai did was right.
The Justice League’s members were too varied; newcomers were either Hollow Realm or Great cheng Realm cultivators, and the older members simply couldn’t keep them in check. If even one of them harbored dissent, it would be a disaster. The more ruthless, formidable, and unreasonable Lin Bai appeared, the safer those close to him were...
Duke Zhenguo watched Lin Bai unreasonably stirring up trouble in the sky, remaining silent. His thoughts mirrored Xu Longyun’s.
It’s not a good thing for a ruler’s temperament to be completely figured out by those below. This current situation is quite good!
The Flying Dragon and the other two Demon Beasts, terrified, hastily begged for mercy, "Alliance Hierarch, we are willing to be sealed! We are willing to fight alongside you, Alliance Hierarch!"
"Are you willing to dedicate everything to the Alliance?" Lin Bai pressed.
"We are, we are!" The three Demon Beasts nodded eagerly.
"Good. I need to take some of your organs for cooking to promote the Way of Cooking. Revert to your original forms!" Lin Bai ordered nonchalantly.
"..." The three Demon Beasts stood frozen on the spot. They wanted to erupt in fury, but seeing the several Great cheng Realm cultivators glaring at them from Lin Bai’s side, they suppressed their anger.
If they recklessly charged forward, they’d likely be killed instantly, ultimately still unable to escape the fate of becoming ingredients.
Evil Spirit! Lin Bai is a genuine Evil Spirit!
"It is your honor to contribute to the Way of Cooking. Don’t be afraid; I am not a wicked person. When sealed by a Card, no matter how severe your injuries, you will be instantly healed," Lin Bai said with a slight smile. "Fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin; great talents have always been forged through adversity. It may seem like you’re being wronged, but to personally experience the Way of Cooking and to be able to constantly follow by my side, listening to the teachings of the Laws—do you know how many would envy you! In the future, when I achieve the Heavenly Dao, I will designate you as the Four Symbols Divine Beasts, revered for all eternity. The more aggrieved you feel today, the more glorious you will be then!"
[Resentment from Diving Dragon, Fierce Bear, Lingkong; +1 +1 +1...]
The three Demon Beasts looked utterly sorrowful and desolate. They exchanged glances, nodded to each other, and then revealed their true forms, their massive bodies obscuring the sky. The three Demon Beasts spread out, suspended in the air, and closed their eyes. "Please, Alliance Hierarch, begin."
Just bear with it; it’ll be over soon. Lin Bai’s mind didn’t waver much. Although these individuals had surrendered to the Justice League, the emotional feedback Lin Bai received through his System consisted mostly of resentment and hatred; not one of them was sincere. If he couldn’t earn their respect, he would instill fear. No more members of the Justice League could be allowed to die.
Flash.
Lin Bai abruptly appeared beside the Flying Dragon. With a swing of his knife, he simultaneously activated the Slaughtering Technique and the See Residual Passage ability. In an instant, the internal structures of the three Demon Beasts—muscles, meridians, everything—became as clear as if transparent to Lin Bai’s eyes.
Lin Bai seemed to have entered a profound and mystical state.
The Flying Dragon shrieked as one of its claws was effortlessly severed.
Flash again.
With another slash, a bear paw was lopped off.
Flash once more.
Yet another chop, and the eagle Demon Beast’s wing was severed.
Clean and decisive.
Blood rained down from the sky.
Ye Song, Xiao Yu, Cen Qing, and the other Great cheng Realm cultivators all widened their eyes. Laymen watch for excitement; experts see the skill.
They could all easily sever the limbs of a few Demon Beasts.
After all, having reached the Great cheng Realm, they had experienced most worldly matters.
But to dissect Demon Beasts so expertly with just a small kitchen knife, as Lin Bai did, was beyond them...
Of course, this was considered a minor skill; perhaps with enough practice, they too could achieve it.
It was Lin Bai’s Flash ability that truly caught their attention.
Practitioners at the Divinity Transformation Realm possessed short-range burst movement techniques, and countless similar, more advanced abilities existed at the Great cheng Realm. They were commonly used in battle and were usually nothing extraordinary.
Lin Bai’s Flash, however, showed no trace of Spiritual Power fluctuations.
Without Spiritual Power fluctuations, it was impossible to anticipate or defend against. If Lin Bai used Flash to suddenly appear beside them and launch such an attack, they feared they wouldn’t be able to defend against it...
Could this also be a Path of Law? Just how much was Lin Bai hiding?
"Diving Dragon, Fierce Bear, Lingkong! Return to your places! What are you waiting for?" Having taken the ingredients, Lin Bai looked at the three Demon Beasts. He raised his voice, using a skill that doubled its decibels, and suddenly roared. The rolling thunder of his voice struck the eardrums of the three Demon Beasts, making them dizzy.
The next second, three silver Cards flew above them. A silver light flashed, and all three Demon Beasts were sucked into the Cards.
Lin Bai flicked his hand, releasing them again. Though they were still dazed, their severed limbs were already perfectly restored. The healing effect of the Cards was truly astonishing.
The crowd of Demon Beasts, already stunned by Lin Bai’s knife skills and Flash ability, were dumbfounded when they saw the restored Flying Dragon and the others. Their gazes towards Lin Bai grew complex. He had indeed kept his word and restored them!
"Severity and mercy alike are the ruler’s grace. Keeping one’s word like the Nine Tripods—that is the mark of a true king." Duke Zhenguo approached Xu Longyun, shook his head, and softly said, "Xiao Yun, you didn’t choose the wrong husband."
Having fulfilled his promise, Lin Bai no longer paid attention to the three Demon Beasts. His kitchen knife danced, and he focused intently on preparing the ingredients.
Chef skills rewarded by the System, such as Slaughtering, Property Analysis, and Knife Work, were all masterfully integrated at this moment. Lin Bai levitated the ingredients with his Spiritual Power, his kitchen knife a blur in his hands. Treating the sky as his chopping board, he put on a dazzling display of preliminary ingredient preparation for everyone...
Lean meat, fatty meat, tendons, and bones were meticulously separated and suspended in the air.
Afterward, he ignited the trees in the forest below with his Spiritual Power, skewered the prepared meat chunks with branches, and began roasting them over the fire.
The series of actions left the onlookers dazzled and mesmerized.
As the aroma of roasting meat wafted through the air.
A short while later.
A skewer of golden-brown roasted meat was ready.
The instant it was perfectly cooked.
A golden light illuminated the heavens.
Gasps of astonishment arose from within and without Zhen City. Everyone knew from "Justice Weekly" that Lin Bai’s culinary skills could illuminate half the sky; seeing it in person was still incomparably shocking.
Looking at the golden, glowing meat skewer, Ye Song sniffed, his brow slightly furrowed. "Lin Bai’s culinary skills are indeed exquisite, his technique perfected. But to claim it as its own unique Way is somewhat of a stretch; it’s far inferior to Cupid’s Path."
"Indeed. This glowing food offers no combat advantage," Xiao Yu chimed in. "It’s not as good as that teleportation skill from earlier."
Although the others remained silent, they shared Ye Song’s sentiment.
After all, the Way of Love was too stunning; no matter how dazzling the light emitted by the food, it couldn’t harm or subdue enemies.
The disparity was too great; the promotion of the Way of Cooking was likely to falter.
Lin Bai, however, wasn’t bothered by any of this; he only cared about completing the System task.
Raising the luminous skewer, he looked towards Xu Longyun and City Lord Feng Jing on the city wall and asked loudly, "City Lord, Xiao Yun, esteemed judges! Is my culinary skill worthy of being the champion of this cooking competition?"
"Naturally, you deserve it," Xu Longyun said with a smile.
"You deserve it," Feng Jing said, his face stern. He completely failed to understand what Lin Bai hoped to achieve by showcasing this inexplicable culinary skill after the battle.
[System Notification: Host an officially recognized inter-city level cooking competition and win the championship (Completed). Reward: Food prepared by you will emit an ultimate fragrance (Issued)]
[New Task: Host a national-level cooking competition and win the title of champion. Reward: Dazzling Cooking (When you cook, you will capture everyone’s attention)]
As soon as the judges finished speaking.
The Cooking God System’s task was instantly completed, and a new one was posted. Lin Bai glanced at the reward for the new task and paused, finding the reward somewhat baffling.
In truth, it wasn’t just Ye Song; even he himself didn’t understand the purpose of these rewards from the Cooking God System. If, in the end, it was all merely about making delicious food, then the rewards wouldn’t justify the effort.
Having already won the championship, and with plenty of ingredients remaining, Lin Bai simply continued roasting. At the very least, he had to figure out what this "ultimate fragrance" was.
A short while later.
Several more skewers of meat were roasted.
Unlike before, as the golden light illuminated the sky, an aroma far more intense and exquisite than before suddenly burst forth.
Lin Bai, being closest to the skewers, instantly found his mouth watering profusely. He stared, mesmerized, at the skewers in his hand, licked his lips, practically drooling. At that moment, his eyes were fixed solely on those few skewers, oblivious to everything else, desperately wanting to pounce and take a bite.
GLUG!
The sound of swallowing echoed around. His strong mental fortitude allowed Lin Bai to snap back to his senses. He looked around and was startled to find that almost everyone, humans and Demon Beasts alike, were all staring intently at the skewers in his hands, as if possessed, constantly gulping down saliva.
HISS!
Lin Bai drew a sharp breath; it seemed he finally understood the mystery of the Cooking God System. Good heavens, what an irresistible temptation!