Chapter 40: The Fortieth Day of Slacking Off part 1
In Xu Mofeng’s mind, the current scene was vastly different from reality.
He imagined a mysterious figure standing before him, masked and clad in night-clothes.
This figure in black was, in Xu Mofeng’s mind, his true master.
His master was always taciturn, occasionally emitting strange sounds, but commands were always transmitted through secret techniques in written form. Without commands, he only needed to report.
Just now, after he confessed his mistake, his master made two strange sounds but didn’t issue any punitive commands, indicating forgiveness for his recklessness.
Was there a possibility, Wen Ying mused (just a possibility, mind you), that those two strange sounds were actually donkey brays?
Wen Ying vaguely remembered that before joining the Xunxian Sect, this Sect Master Xu was the son of a wealthy family. She initially doubted it, but now she was convinced.
Someone so inept, unable even to distinguish a donkey’s bray, was indeed a pampered young master from a wealthy family.
After Xu Mofeng triggered the mechanism, it appeared a large hole opened in the wall, revealing the outside scene, but the donkey wasn’t actually there.
The hole wasn’t a physical breach in the wall but a spatial connection created by magic.
Wen Ying confirmed that the space connected to the hole was a very ordinary farmer’s house outside the Xunxian Sect. The little donkey was the one they used to grind grain. It wasn’t a magical creature, just a rather handsome donkey, nothing special.
It was evident that Xu Mofeng’s frequent self-talk and harassment had somewhat depressed the little donkey, its handsome face now looking rather haggard.
No illusions were cast on the farmer or the donkey.
The only one with a problem was Xu Mofeng himself.
However, no signs of soul-seizing techniques or mind-control spells were detected on Xu Mofeng.
In previous cycles, Wen Ying only knew that Xu Mofeng was problematic, that his seemingly friendly, kind, and benevolent exterior was a false mask. The “master” aspect, however, was a new plot point unlocked this time.
The innocent little donkey was certainly not Xu Mofeng’s master. Even now, Wen Ying wasn’t sure if this “master” even existed. Regardless, Xu Mofeng’s insistence on keeping her was undeniably strange.
Unusual behavior… meaning that everything Xu Mofeng did within the Xunxian Sect was pre-planned?
“Master, the Trial of Immortals is proceeding as planned. There will be no further mistakes on my part,” Xu Mofeng reported before triggering the mechanism again, closing the wall.
He looked around, ensuring no one noticed, then cast an invisibility spell and hurried away.
After Xu Mofeng left, Wen Ying jumped down from the tree and went to the wall.
After checking, she confirmed that the mechanism was just a common spatial connection spell.
Well, nothing can be achieved overnight. Otherwise, she would have already escaped this cycle.
But the Trial of Immortals mentioned by Xu Mofeng…
Yes, considering the plot’s timeline, it was time for this plot point.
It should be in the next three or four days.
…
Xu Mofeng’s conspiracy with the donkey didn’t last long.
After leaving the corner, Wen Ying naturally went to the dining hall to continue guiding Wang Gou’dan in preparing lunch.
When Wen Ying arrived in the kitchen, Wang Gou’dan looked eagerly expectantly.
“Master, you’re here!” Compared to the morning, Wang Gou’dan seemed even more excited, almost wanting to throw himself at Wen Ying, but managed to restrain himself.
“Mm,” Wen Ying replied calmly, “Are the ingredients ready?”
“Ready, ready!” Wang Gou’dan hurriedly produced the ingredients, “This pork belly, I watched them slaughter it myself, and these quail eggs, I watched the quail lay them myself! They’re so fresh!”
It didn’t need to be…that fresh…
Wen Ying looked at the ingredients. Indeed, they were superior to those provided by the system.
Speaking of the system…
Its silence was unsettling. Could it really be dead?
Shouldn’t she be celebrating with fireworks?
Could her reincarnation end?
But Wen Ying felt it couldn’t be that simple.
“Master!” Wang Gou’dan suddenly called out excitedly, “I just heard that the Xunxian Sect is going to kick you out?”
“Mm?” Wen Ying looked up, “Ah, yes, there is that.”
It turned out that her reputation as the second female lead was quite formidable; the news reached the dining hall within half a day.
“That’s outrageous!” Wang Gou’dan slammed his fist on the table, “Luckily they didn’t kick you out in the end. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be those old men begging me to stay; I’d definitely make a meal to shove down those old men’s throats!”
Yikes.
So vicious, so incredibly vicious.
The most terrifying thing in the world isn’t life-or-death combat, but eating Wang Gou’dan’s cooking, which he himself described as “Is this poop?”.
People can endure hunger, they can endure pain, but they absolutely cannot endure eating poop while conscious.
Only now did Wen Ying realize how terrifying Wang Gou’dan was.
This negative culinary skill was a tremendously destructive weapon. It was called, “Dark Cuisine.”
“What if one day I want to leave myself?” Wen Ying asked.
“If Master wants to leave, then I won’t bother those old men!” Wang Gou’dan answered with a wide smile, “I’ll follow Master! Wherever Master goes, I’ll go!”
Wen Ying: “…”
She regretted it. She shouldn’t have sought fresh vegetables and thus gained such a huge tail…
But now, she wouldn’t have to worry about fresh vegetables and fruits in the future.
After the idle chatter, it was back to cooking.
Quail eggs, pork belly – clearly the ingredients for braised pork.
Correct, Wen Ying had Wang Gou’dan prepare these ingredients to teach him…
…how to stir-fry greens.
Given Wang Gou’dan’s ability to burn even porridge, he would undoubtedly turn the braised pork into jerky.
If it got worse, he might even make green braised pork.
Learning a skill requires a steady approach, so it was better to start with stir-frying greens.
As for the pork belly, Wen Ying planned to make it for herself at lunch.
Since Wang Gou’dan used large pots, making extra portions wasn’t a problem, so Wen Ying simply cooked enough for all the disciples.
After overcoming ninety-nine eighty-one trials—Wang Gou’dan mistaking flour for salt, water for oil, attempting to put unwashed vegetables directly into the pot, the pan getting so hot that the greens turned into crisps the moment they touched it—Wen Ying finally managed to guide Wang Gou’dan in making a pot of greens that at least wouldn’t make one vomit.
Although bland, it wasn’t sickeningly sweet, and although a little overcooked, it wasn’t brown…
Wang Gou’dan looked at the pot of green, fragrant vegetables he had made and was moved to tears.
“Thank you, Master!” Wang Gou’dan wiped his tears with his greasy hands, “I finally made a dish I can eat myself!”
“…Congratulations?” Wen Ying didn’t know what to say.
“Thank you!” Wang Gou’dan was even more moved, his voice choked with emotion, “I lost my parents at a young age, and I couldn’t cook, everything I made was awful, I was always hungry, so I reluctantly took the path of culinary cultivation…before, I used the soul-seizing technique on myself, just to force myself to eat…but later, I found that deceiving others with the soul-seizing technique could improve cultivation, so I was misled, thankfully Master woke me up and gave me a chance to repent…now, I can even make real food…thank you! Thank you so much, Master! You’re my adoptive parents!”
“Stop,” Wen Ying quickly interrupted, “Adoptive parents, let’s not go there.”
The last time she was called grandma by an old man, Wen Ying had suffered an embarrassing aftereffect; she didn’t want to be called mother by a middle-aged man…
“Okay, okay, you’re my Master! My Master for life!” Wang Gou’dan nodded vigorously.
But from Wang Gou’dan’s words, Wen Ying became curious about one thing.
“Little Wang, from what you said, you must be from an ordinary family,” Wen Ying asked, “Then how did you start culinary cultivation? And where did you get the soul-seizing technique?”