Chapter 521: Famous Chef of the World

"Hmm?" Chen Xuanlu and Liu Yunzheng looked in the direction of the voice and saw Chu Liang smiling as he held out a jade box.

"Now that the Assembly of Immortal Sects is taking place, it's not easy to find precious medicine. Luckily, I set some aside, so you can have mine," Chu Liang explained. "Junior Brother Liu, with the competition happening tomorrow, we can't risk any delays."

The Mount Shu Sect and Profound Mind Sect were on friendly terms, which was why they addressed each other as senior and junior brothers.

The jade box emanated a powerful spiritual energy, suggesting that whatever was inside was far from ordinary.

"This..." Chen Xuanlu quickly rejected, "I can't accept this! It's not some ordinary thing; it's a precious medicine..."

Even though Liu Yunzheng wanted it badly, he clenched his jaw and refused to accept.

"Don't worry about it; I have more than enough set aside," Chu Liang said casually.

The nonchalant way he spoke left the members from the Profound Mind Sect in disbelief. Even if he had some saved up, it couldn't be much. Rare medicines weren't as plentiful as cabbages that could be stored away for winter.

They didn't know Chu Liang well enough. They only knew he was a top talent among the younger generation of the Mount Shu Sect, but they had no idea that he was the actual owner of the Red Cotton Peak.

Previously, Chu Liang had to pay extra for treasures of nature and rare medicines from different stores. However, the imperial shops had been set up and one of those shops managed by Chu Liang was a spirit medicine shop.

With his own supply chain in place for obtaining treasures of nature, he didn't need to buy spirit medicine from other places. He could source them directly from his shop at cost price, which made the process a lot easier.

As part of his many preparations for the Assembly of Immortal Sects, Chu Liang had made sure to gather plenty of spirit medicine.

Whatever they could think of, Chu Liang had certainly accumulated a far greater amount than the duo from the Profound Mind Sect could ever imagine.

Wang Xuanling remarked, "Our two sects have always supported each other, so it's only natural to help in times of need. There's really no reason to say no."

Hearing this, Chen Xuanlu finally took the jade box and said to his disciple, "Hurry up and thank your Senior Brother Chu."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chu!" Liu Yunzheng exclaimed, visibly touched. He took the jade box and added, "I'll treat this medicine as a loan, and I promise to pay you back in the future."

Chu Liang smiled and nodded, choosing not to say anything further.

It was clear that Liu Yunzheng had a proud and noble heart, refusing to accept any favor without planning to give back.

In that moment, Chu Liang's stature soared in the eyes of the Profound Mind Sect members. Liu Yunzheng and the two male disciples, as well as the female disciple, looked at him with their eyes sparkling with admiration.

There was perhaps nothing more charming and carefree than the act of giving freely.

"Alright, you'd better take him back to get the medicine," Wang Xuanling advised. "We don't want his injury to get worse."

"Very well, we'll take our leave," Chen Xuanlu responded as he stood up.

Once the Profound Mind Sect members had left, Wang Xuanling turned to Chu Liang and said quietly, "Since the Profound Mind Sect is close to us, being generous is fine. However, it's better to be more frugal when dealing with outsiders."

The old man's face showed a hint of pain for Chu Liang, even if he wasn't the one spending the money.

Chu Liang was aware that Wang Xuanling, the grand peak master with the highest number of disciples in the Mount Shu Sect, had long been used to being frugal. He was always thinking of ways to ask the sect for more money to distribute to his disciples. He was someone who knew how to plan his finances.

So Chu Liang just smiled and said with a nod, "I understand."

In all honesty, Chu Liang was well aware of this. He didn't need the reminder from Wang Xuanling. Even though he had an ample supply of spirit stones now, he wasn't the type to waste them. Doing so would make him look like a fool, throwing his money away.

However, since the Profound Mind Sect was one of Mount Shu's few close allies near the capital, it felt right to extend them a helping hand.

After bidding farewell to the members of the Profound Mind Sect, Chu Liang looked around and suggested, "Shouldn't we find something to eat? It's not every day we're in the capital of Yu, so we ought to treat ourselves."

As he stood, Wang Xuanling said, "You young ones go ahead and explore. I'm going to rest."

It was clear the old man knew the younger members would feel uneasy with him present, especially Xu Ziyang, who was always so stiff and serious in front of his master.

Once Wang Xuanling left, the group could finally feel relaxed.

"So, what should we eat?" Ling Ao asked.

Jiang Yuebai blinked, ready to answer, but her words caught in her throat as she saw Chu Liang's eyes fixed on her...

"How about checking out Famous Chef of the World? We could also go to Imperial City Restaurant... or perhaps Yueya Gathering?" Chu Liang casually suggested.

Upon hearing the names, a hint of surprise crossed Jiang Yuebai's face as she furrowed her brows. "How did you know..."

How did he know to name all the places I have been wanting to visit?

"Hehe," Chu Liang chuckled. "Earlier, on the carriage, I noticed you jotting something down in your notebook..."

It turned out that during their journey to the capital, Jiang Yuebai had been diligently writing the names of the restaurants she wanted to try. She had plans to sample all the renowned spots in the capital of Yu.

Very few people on Mount Shu were aware of Fairy Jiang's love for food. In fact, whenever she traveled for a mission, she always did her homework in advance, ensuring she visited the most famous eateries in the area.

Chu Liang knew this because during their first meeting, he had witnessed her heroic way of slurping noodles.

"Aiya," Jiang Yuebai said, a rare hint of shyness creeping into her voice. "I... I was just doing some research for the Red Moon Pavilion."

"I understand," Chu Liang replied, nodding seriously.

"You don't understand anything!" Jiang Yuebai shot back, playfully punching him.

"Owh..." Chu Liang exclaimed dramatically as he fell to the ground.

Xu Ziyang and Ling Ao exchanged glances, then quietly slipped out of the hall and into the courtyard. Together, they looked up at the sky.

At that moment, the red sun was setting, still large on the horizon, while the moon had already risen on the other side.

In the vast sky, two radiant celestial bodies hung in perfect balance.

...

Famous Chef of the World was a renowned restaurant located in the southern part of the capital of Yu, officially known as Xue Yipin. The restaurant was owned and run by a master chef named Xue Yipin.

More than a decade ago, the emperor dined at Yipin Restaurant and was so impressed by the culinary skills that he bestowed a plaque, inscribed with his own handwriting. The words he wrote were "Famous Chef of the World."

Xue Yipin then placed this plaque alongside his own name, transforming the restaurant's title to "Famous Chef of the World Xue Yipin."

Not only was Xue Yipin a renowned chef, but he also possessed impressive cultivation skills. His cleaver, known as The Famous Yipin Knife, came with its own fascinating backstory.

Baili Tong, a renowned swordsmith from the imperial city, was a close friend of Xue Yipin. One day, feeling that his cleaver was no longer sharp, Xue Yipin turned to Baili Tong and requested a new one to be forged.

Baili Tong had recently obtained a piece of high-quality Profound Aetherflame Essence Iron, intending to use it to create a sword that could rank within the top hundred of the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures. However, despite his best efforts, he only succeeded in forging a sword that ranked 142nd, which he named the Profound Aetherflame Iron Sword.

After forging the sword, Baili Tong had a small leftover piece of Profound Aetherflame Essence Iron, which he decided to use to craft a cleaver for Xue Yipin.

To everyone's surprise, this cleaver turned out to be of extraordinary quality, unbreakable and sharper than the Profound Aetherflame Iron Sword. It ultimately ranked 102nd in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures, earning the name "The Famous Yipin Knife."

The best work of a master swordsmith ended up being a casually crafted cleaver. It was truly a case of planting flowers with care but seeing none bloom, while an unintentional willow flourishes. This story was indeed a remarkable anecdote.

With the precious knife in hand, Xue Yipin's culinary skills soared to new heights. He gained fame for his Gourmet Banquet Platter, which featured rare and exotic ingredients. Even Eminent Ones and members of the imperial family marveled at the extraordinary flavors, declaring it the finest food they had ever tasted.

The restaurant Famous Chef of the World had thrived for many years, with reservations from nobles and officials extending far into the future. While most of the day-to-day operations were handled by Xue Yipin's disciples, he still reserved a few tables each day for ordinary citizens, randomly cooking for a few lucky diners. This practice made him beloved not only by the elite but also by the common folk of the capital of Yu.

Among the restaurants Jiang Yuebai most looked forward to, Famous Chef of the World was at the top of the list.

Thus, the four of them arrived at the restaurant just in time for dinner.

After navigating through the bustling streets, they finally stood before the grand establishment adorned with a golden plaque, only to find the doors firmly shut.

"What's going on?" Chu Liang asked, frowning. "Why would they close during dinner time?"

"Ah..." Jiang Yuebai sighed softly, her disappointment evident. "I guess we'll have to come another time."

Seeing her expression, Chu Liang quickly added, "Let me ask."

With that, he stepped forward and knocked on the restaurant door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Before long, a waiter appeared, his demeanor apologetic. "I'm sorry, young master, but we're closed for today."

"But we've traveled a long way just to taste Master Chef Xue's renowned cooking. What happened today?" Chu Liang asked softly.

"Our master chef is currently dealing with something urgent and is unavailable. I'm truly sorry, young master; please come back another day," the waiter replied, preparing to close the door.

Just then, a voice called out from behind them, "Young Hero Chu?"

Chu Liang turned to see a group of officials from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, and the one leading them was someone he recognized.

"Seal-Holding Official Chen," he called out.

This man was none other than the seal-holding official that Chu Liang had paid generously to help him acquire a rare treasure of nature.

When Seal-Holding Official Chen spotted Chu Liang, his face lit up with a warm smile.

"Thank goodness the officials from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau have arrived!" the waiter exclaimed as he quickly greeted them.

"Hmm?" Chu Liang turned to Seal-Holding Official Chen, asking, "Is something wrong here?"

Given the involvement of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something peculiar had occurred. He hoped nothing unfortunate had happened to Master Chef Xue.

Seal-Holding Official Chen glanced around before replying, "Since you're not really an outsider, why don't you come inside with us?"

Guided by the waiter, the group stepped into the restaurant and headed up to the second floor.

As they made their way through the bustling restaurant, Chen revealed that while Master Chef Xue was safe, his treasured knife had gone missing.

The Famous Yipin Knife, which held the 102nd spot in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures, had been stolen from the restaurant the night before.

Upon reaching the second floor, Chu Liang finally laid eyes on the famous chef.

Xue Yipin was a big, sturdy man who looked very kind. However, the weight of worry hung heavily on his face at this moment.

Behind him stood seven or eight men, some middle-aged and others younger, who appeared to be his disciples.

On the table in front of them lay an open box.

"Seal-Holding Official Chen! You're finally here!" Xue Yipin exclaimed as he stood up to greet the members of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau.

"Master Xue, what happened?" Seal-Holding Official Chen asked urgently.

With a sigh, Xue Yipin explained, "My knife is too sharp to be stored in an enchanted tool. Every night, I keep it in this box, and my disciples take turns guarding it.

"But last night, somehow, the knife vanished without a trace!"

Seal-Holding Official Chen glanced at the knife box, and Chu Liang moved in closer as well. "Hmm?"

Chu Liang's nose twitched as he caught a faint but familiar scent.