“Dali, we’ve come all the way abroad, why don’t we take a stroll outside?” Chen Shu glanced at Zhang Dali beside him and said.
Zhang Dali didn’t lift his head. “You go ahead. I need to understand the competition rules, and I still need to practice my cooking later.”
“That serious?” Chen Shu shrugged and said, “Do you want me to bring you something to eat tonight?”
“No, I’ll eat at the hotel.”
“Alright.” Chen Shu nodded and said, “If anyone causes trouble, just give them my name!”
“???” Zhang Dali looked up, his expression peculiar. “Are you serious?”
“Nan Qing, Nan Jiang, it’s all the same… I can handle it!” Chen Shu grinned and turned to leave the hotel.
It was afternoon, and the sunlight was bright but not scorching, instead giving off a warm feeling.
“What nice weather…” Chen Shu looked up at the clear sky and headed straight for the Beast Taming Commercial Street in Nan Qing City.
Along the way, people kept looking at him with awe. Although they were discussing him, they didn’t dare to meet Chen Shu’s gaze.
For a moment, the entire city was abuzz: The fierce bandit has arrived!
“No, why does it feel like I’m a criminal…” Seeing their expressions, Chen Shu realized there was not only admiration but also fear in their eyes. Clearly, this was different from his fans back home. People in his own country knew that although this guy was outrageous, he wouldn’t attack ordinary people without reason. Most people were more in awe, and the rare fear stemmed from his urine bags… But at home, most people’s impression was: This guy likes to throw nuclear bombs everywhere… and it seemed without any reason, just mindlessly tossing them around. Who wouldn’t be scared of that?
“Is this Beast Taming Street?” Chen Shu ignored the stares and looked at the bustling street ahead. On both sides of the street were various exquisite shops – herb stores, mineral shops, finished potion stores… The goods sold were all related to beast taming. As the premier street in the capital, and with the God of Cookery Cup ongoing, it was naturally very prosperous, with crowds coming and going. Chen Shu was initially interested, but after two hours, his expression turned a little disappointed. After browsing around, he realized that the items inside were of no use to him… Although he was Silver-ranked, he no longer needed Silver-tier resources.
“Sigh…” Chen Shu shook his head, putting away his disappointment. If he wanted to procure the resources he needed now, he would probably have to go to an auction house.
“Forget it, I’d rather try some local delicacies…” Chen Shu stepped away from Beast Taming Street and hailed a taxi, heading for the Food Street. With the God of Cookery Cup about to begin, the popularity of food was extremely high. Even many spiritual chefs from various regions had set up small stalls, wanting to showcase their skills. At the same time, they hoped to catch the eye of a Gold-ranked or even King-ranked spiritual chef and be taken on as a disciple.
…
Nan Qing Food Street,
“My god, even luosifen is made this deliciously…” Chen Shu was engrossed in slurping noodles from a roadside stall, his eyes full of satisfaction.
“Not bad, right? I’ve been learning for eight years!” The stall owner, wearing an apron, said with a smile. He didn’t recognize Chen Shu and said with pride, “I specifically sought out a Grandmaster Gold-ranked Spiritual Chef for this secret ingredient.”
“It’s quite good.” Chen Shu nodded, but the word ‘Grandmaster’ felt strange. Dali was also a Gold-ranked Spiritual Chef; could he also be called a Grandmaster? He remembered his own barbecue stall on Holy Beast Island. With the barbecue seasoning Dali had given him, it had indeed conquered countless taste buds.
“It would be great if I could be taken on as a student by a King-ranked Spiritual Chef…” The stall owner sighed. He was a self-taught outsider, and finding a renowned master to guide him wasn’t easy.
Just then, a commotion erupted ahead. A large group of stall owners surged forward, surrounding a middle-aged mixed-race man as if he were the sun.
“Master Mu Tu, please try my snacks.”
“Master, my Silver Snow Porridge is a Silver-tier dish, and it even enhances Golden Contract Beasts. Please have a taste.”
“Master, I’m a veteran spiritual chef from this place. Take a look at my dishes!” More and more stall owners crowded around, wanting the middle-aged man to sample their offerings.
The street manager stepped forward and shouted, “Everyone, please don’t rush. The Master will taste them one by one! Everyone return to your positions!” Due to the man’s arrival, the entire street had become somewhat chaotic. However, people still didn’t disperse, tightly surrounding the man. The manager’s expression turned cold, and he shouted, “If you continue to pester him, your qualification will be revoked!” At this, people obediently returned to their stalls.
“Who is this guy?” Chen Shu took a satisfying sip of soup, feeling a faint sense of familiarity. Could it be someone he knew?
“A King-ranked Spiritual Chef, a contestant in the God of Cookery Cup, and also a popular contender with a shot at winning!” The luosifen stall owner’s eyes were filled with admiration, and his mood became quite excited.
“Isn’t he just a contestant?” Chen Shu’s eyes held confusion. “There are a hundred people participating this time. Why all this fuss?”
“He’s here to recruit disciples,” the owner said. “Master Mu Tu had already advertised yesterday that he would be coming today to taste the dishes on Food Street. If he finds someone suitable, he will take them as a student.”
“I see…” Chen Shu nodded. It was indeed rare for contestants to visit a place like Food Street. Contestants were at least Gold-ranked Spiritual Chefs; they couldn’t compare to these amateur Black-iron and Silver-tier chefs.
As they were talking, Master Mu Tu had already sampled seven or eight stalls’ snacks. Throughout the process, he kept shaking his head, clearly dissatisfied. As Master Mu Tu gradually approached, his gaze happened to fall upon Chen Shu, who was slurping noodles.
“Hmm?” The man was slightly taken aback, then his expression returned to normal. He then inadvertently avoided the luosifen stall, as if he were a little hesitant to get close.
“Master, you haven’t tried mine yet…” The stall owner next to Chen Shu anxiously took a bowl of luosifen and ran forward.
“Hmm? Afraid of me?” Chen Shu raised an eyebrow, not paying too much attention to this. What occupied his mind more was that he felt a sense of familiarity with the man…
“Never mind, perhaps I’ve seen him on television,” he shook his head, no longer dwelling on it. Besides, the other party posed no threat to him. Chen Shu left a Nan Qing currency and turned to leave, planning to try other stalls. The entire afternoon passed in a flash…