Chapter 2122 – High Priest Greets His Master
Hua Caili stepped forward and asked expectantly, “How does it taste? Did it win you over? You are the High Priest of the highest honor. You mustn’t speak falsehood, no matter how much you want to!”
High Priest Liu Xiao did not say anything. His wizened eyes were slowly losing focus, and his sparse hair was standing up at a visible rate. Soon, they were all standing like he had been electrocuted by lightning.
“Huh?” Hua Caili was so astonished that her mouth parted slightly. Yun Che gently tugged her sleeve and motioned for her to keep quiet, but she responded by brushing a dainty finger against his palm. She dared to convey physical affection right under the nose of a High Priest.
High Priest Liu Xiao slowly closed his eyes and let out a long, shuddering moan. It sounded strange to say the least. When he finally opened his eyes, his gaze was still affixed to the ice bowl in his hand. His old eyes seemed to be shrouded by a layer of thin, icy mist, and he did not move for a very, very long time.
High Priest Liu Xiao seemed reluctant or unwilling to take a second sip. It was because his culinary knowledge told him that the soup was a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, the kind that could never be replicated. If he drank it all, then he might never be able to experience something like it again.
So, he gently pushed with his hand, sealing the ice bowl in a layer of profound qi. When he turned around, he stared at Yun Che with eyes so bright they were scorching.
“Who on earth is your culinary master, boy? I have lived for millions of years, and yet I never knew that an old monster like him existed!”
Yun Che responded swiftly, “Senior Liu Xiao, my master comes from the outside. He had never set foot in the mortal coil because he was unwilling, and he specifically warned me not to tell anyone about him prior to his passing, so…”
“Fine, fine. If you don’t want to tell me, so be it.”
High Priest Liu Xiao waved him off. He did not try to pressure Yun Che in the slightest. On the contrary, the light in his eyes only grew stronger as he said, “The old monster may be gone, but this young monster is right in front of me!”
High Priest Liu Xiao proceeded to appear before Yun Che so fast that he literally left behind an afterimage. As if afraid that Yun Che would escape him, the thin, frail-looking man grabbed Yun Che’s arm with a speed that completely exceeded his ability to react and stared at him with blazing eyes, saying, “Boy, how on earth did you make this Liu Xiao Look Askance At Vicissitudes, Rainbow Cloud Soup, and Cloud Flaky Biscuit? Please teach me!”
“Ah!”
Hua Caili let out a cry of astonishment and hurriedly shifted forward. She grabbed High Priest Liu Xiao’s sleeve and said with poorly concealed urgency, “You… You’re acting too aggressively, Uncle Liu Xiao! What if you accidentally hurt Big Brother Yun! Also… Culinary arts are the same as profound arts in that they follow the custom of inheritance. You can’t possibly expect him to teach you for free.”
High Priest Liu Xiao’s eyes bugged out for a moment before he withdrew his hand like lightning. Then, he gave himself a huge slap in the face.
“Right right right right right!”
High Priest Liu Xiao stomped his feet in frustration after he was done slapping himself. “Look at me! I nearly broke a taboo because I was too excited! This shouldn’t be, this shouldn’t be!”
After circling the area once, he suddenly thought of something and stared at Yun Che once more. The excitement in his eyes completely transformed into passion as he declared, “Oh, right! I can become your disciple! That way, you can teach me to your heart’s content!”
Before Yun Che or Hua Caili could react, he appeared before the young man once more. This time, he grabbed both of Yun Che’s hands tightly and begged him with an expression overflowing with desire and excitement, “Boy—oh, screw me, I mean little monster… No! I mean, little master! I humbly ask you to accept me as your disciple! Please don’t reject my request… Oh, right, how could I forget? A gift! A gift for my master!”
As he spoke, the old man swiftly bent down. It was clear he was planning to kneel before Yun Che. This unexpected development caught Hua Caili completely off guard as a matter of course. When she actually realized what High Priest Liu Xiao was planning to do, she paled and hurriedly tried to stop him.
It was at this moment that a windy howl and a beyond-horror-scream cut through the air, “Master! You mustn’t!”
Wreathed in a storm, Divine Attendant Yuan Ying pounced onto the space in front of High Priest Liu Xiao in exceedingly inelegant fashion and blocked his knees from bending. It was only then that he managed to stop the man from kneeling.
“You are a High Priest of the Pure Land, master! No one besides the supreme Abyssal Monarch possesses the right to command your head and knee! How can you possibly perform such a big salutation to a junior from a Kingdom of God?! You mustn’t! You absolutely mustn’t!”
Right now, Divine Attendant Yuan Ying was holding up High Priest Liu Xiao’s upper body with all he had while screaming without an ounce of grace whatsoever. Sweat was pouring down his head like crazy, and his face was full of shock and panic.
In response, High Priest Liu Xiao rolled his eyes at him and sent him flying with one kick.
Yuan Ying was one of the Four Divine Attendants of the Pure Land and a proud Divine Limit Realm profound practitioner. However, High Priest Liu Xiao had literally kicked him away like a ball. In the air, the attendant let out a hoarse scream, “Yun… Che…”
High Priest Liu Xiao never even glanced at his poor attendant as he remarked, “This brat never fails to annoy me with his don’t-do-this-and-thats.”
Bang!
The next moment, Divine Attendant Yuan Ying punched through the wall and crashed god-knows-how-far-away.
Hua Caili was frightened, and Divine Attendant Yuan Ying was horrified. Yun Che was the only one who, inexplicably, remained as calm as a lake. Facing High Priest Liu Xiao’s passionate, near uncontrollable gaze head on, he said slowly, “There is a saying that goes something like this: There is no Way that comes before or after, or is better or worse than the other. If someone is accomplished, then he is the master. You are a worldly-wise and insightful man, senior Liu Xiao. If you willingly choose to become my disciple, then it must mean that this junior’s culinary attainments are above yours. Hence, I am qualified to teach you.”
Hua Caili’s eyes bugged out, but she believed in Yun Che too much to interrupt him.
High Priest Liu Xiao’s eyes blazed even more, and his facial features arranged into a grin so bright it was like a withered flower that was given a new lease in life. “Hahahaha! Well said! Perfectly said, my boy! You are truly… ah pui! This stupid old mouth! What I meant to say is, I’m liking you more and more, little master. So, does this mean you accept me as your disciple?”
Yun Che shook his head. “No.”
“Huh?” High Priest Liu Xiao’s voice and expression stiffened at the same time.
Yun Che paid him a respectful salute before saying slowly, “I am most impressed by your unfettered soul and obsession toward culinary arts, senior Liu Xiao, but you are a High Priest of the Pure Land. Although this identity is infinitely noble, it is also shackling in some ways. This is one such occasion. If you, a High Priest, came under me, a junior of a Kingdom of God, as a disciple, then the supreme dignity of the Pure Land would surely be damaged. This may be an unparalleled honor to this junior and the Dreamweaver of God, but what awaits behind that honor is an even bigger disaster.”
“Therefore,” Yun Che bowed slightly, “As honored as this junior feels, I humbly request you withdraw your request.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Hua Caili moved forward and stood next to Yun Che. She then supported his statement like an obedient wife, saying, “If you really became Big Brother Yun’s disciple, Uncle Abyssal Monarch would probably get angry no matter how mild-tempered he is, and Uncle Meng would not be able to catch any shut-eye for the rest of his life. So, let’s forget about this, okay? All you need to do is admit defeat.”
“Besides, Big Brother Yun would be much higher than me in terms of seniority if he became your master. I don’t wanna!”
Hua Caili was currently standing very close to Yun Che, so much so that their clothes were almost touching. She also showed no restraint whatsoever when displaying her affection for Yun Che.
High Priest Liu Xiao twisted his lips for a moment. Finally, he swung his arm in frustration and grumbled somewhat incoherently under his breath, “Oh, forget it. High Priest, my fart, can’t even become someone’s disciple… grumble grumble… mumble mumble… Ptooey!”
Meanwhile, Divine Attendant Yuan Ying was just climbing out of the pit he made. He let out a huge sigh of relief and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead when he heard this.
As High Priest Liu Xiao’s divine attendant, he knew the old man’s temperament better than anyone else. He knew that the old man scoffed at his identity and prestige and disdained all respect and etiquette. He acted and spoke according to his own wishes only and did not carry himself with the dignity befitting a High Priest at all. It was not unusual for him to do something earth-shattering out of nowhere.
Despite all that he had endured, today’s incident still nearly broke his psyche. Even now, his scalp was still numb with fright.
Even Hua Caili was letting out a mental sigh of relief as she said, “Anyway… when are you going to admit defeat, Uncle Liu Xiao?”
“I was just getting to it. I admit defeat. This is your complete and utter victory, little master,” High Priest Liu Xiao declared without any hesitation whatsoever. He did go so far as to beg Yun Che to take him in as his disciple after all. Of course, he had no qualms admitting that he was Yun Che’s inferior in terms of culinary arts.
The high priest then glanced sideways at Hua Caili and said, “You naughty lass. The reason you put on this whole act is to convince me to support you in your cancellation of your engagement with Dian Jiuzhi, isn’t it?”
Hua Caili’s eyes and face glowed with admiration as she exclaimed, “Wow!! As expected of Uncle Liu Xiao. You figured out everything without needing me to say a word.”
“Come now!”
High Priest Liu Xiao clicked his tongue audibly. “You may not have said a word, but you’ve been hinting at me with your gaze and little gestures all day long! You only wish that you could slap your intentions on my face!”
“N… No, I didn’t.”
The beautiful goddess replied with an expression of pure innocence and obedience, “I’m just a young and inexperienced girl. I cannot possibly hide my intentions from you, Uncle Liu Xiao.”
“Young and inexperienced girl? Hmm…”
High Priest Liu Xiao cast her a sideways glance before grinning. “You were a young and inexperienced girl, sure, but judging from how you’re looking at him like you wish that there was a thread that permanently connected your eyes, I bet the two of you have already fucked, haven’t you? Yes, you’re a full-grown adult now!”
Yun Che: “…”
Hua Caili’s face instantly turned as red as the evening glow as she subconsciously backed half a step away from High Priest Liu Xiao. “Uncle Liu Xiao! You… that’s so vulgar.”
High Priest Liu Xiao snorted through his nose. “If you fucked, you fucked. What’s there to be ashamed about? Besides, sex is just two sacks of rotten flesh mixing with each other. It is vulgar. It does not possess even one whit of the elegance of delicious food.”
“You… are right, senior,” Yun Che forced himself to say.
High Priest Liu Xiao turned his gaze back to Yun Che. It was clear that a tinge of reluctance still lurked behind his eyes. The guy really, really wanted to become Yun Che’s disciple in the culinary arts. “Boy… your name is Yun Che, but you’re also the Meng Jianyuan of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God; the prince who came back to life, right?”
Hua Caili chose this timing to pay a compliment, “As expected of Uncle Liu Xiao, you figured out—”.
“Oh, save it. How many people have the surname Yun and are famous in the past two years? Who else is called Yun Che besides the one from the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God? Not only did he come back from the dead, but he even possesses perfect divine essence! Even a shitty old man who hasn’t taken a single step out of the Pure Land for the past eighty thousand years like me has heard about him more than eight times!”
“That said…”
High Priest Liu Xiao suddenly changed his tone, and his gaze gained an inkling of understanding. “Caili’s action is audacious to put it mildly, but I cannot deny that her eye for men is keen. This boy… he may not have grown into his power yet, but he is certainly superior to Dian Jiuzhi in countless ways. Mm… his culinary attainments especially can stomp Dian Jiuzhi’s dad eight million times over!”
These were undoubtedly the sweetest-sounding words Hua Caili had heard from High Priest Liu Xiao today. Half-overjoyed and half-anxious, she asked urgently, “Does that mean you will support our union, Uncle Liu Xiao?”
“Support your union?”
High Priest Liu Xiao half-turned toward her while carefully—very carefully—storing the Liu Xiao Look Askance At Vicissitudes that he had only taken a sip of, into his portable space, saying, “I lost the bet, so I will pay my dues. Naturally, I will lend you my aid when the time is right. However, I have a feeling that even you, the person at the center of this maelstrom, only understands about a-third of how big this matter is.”
“Still, you know enough that I am probably the only one you dare to speak about this openly, so I’ll be frank: I do not have the ability to guarantee your union.”
“That’s fine.”
Hua Caili’s smile was unusually joyous. “Caili is already infinitely grateful and delighted that you are willing to help.”
“This junior is infinitely grateful as well.” Yun Che bowed to the old man.
High Priest Liu Xiao opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately did not do so after a complicated glint flickered in his eyes. He simply waved his hand and turned his back on them, saying, “Alright, you’ve accomplished your objective. You may leave now.”
Right now, the man’s head was still full of Liu Xiao Look Askance At Vicissitudes. He desperately wanted to try to reproduce the dish using the food ingredients Yun Che selected and whatever methods he managed to glimpse during the process.
Her objective was fulfilled, and both Yun Che’s performance and High Priest Liu Xiao’s astonishment completely surpassed her expectations. Naturally, Hua Caili no longer had a reason to stay. So, she said in a hurry, “Okay. I shan’t disturb you any longer, Uncle Liu Xiao. Big Brother Yun and I will come see you after our meeting with Uncle Abyssal Monarch is over.”
Suddenly, Yun Che spoke up, “Can this junior stay here a little longer, senior Liu Xiao?”
“Hmm?” High Priest Liu Xiao cast him a sideways glance but did not turn him down. Having obtained his permission, Yun Che silently produced a jade strip right in front of the duo and summoned a dot of profound light at his fingertip. It looked like he was engraving something into the jade strip. For a moment, only the occasional sounds of engraving could be heard.
A long time later, Yun Che finished what he was doing and closed the jade strip. Then, he presented it to High Priest Liu Xiao respectfully, saying, “This is my first visit, and yet I have not prepared a gift. It makes me quite anxious, to say the least. I hope this will make up for my mistake, and I pray that you don’t find it unsavory.”
High Priest Liu Xiao’s old eyes flashed. He had a feeling he knew what it was, though he could not be certain until he checked out the jade strip’s contents. Without hesitation, he grabbed the jade strip and scanned it. The next instant, he shuddered from head to toe and actually jumped a meter into the air, exclaiming, “THIS! T-T-T-T-T-T-T-This is…”
Yun Che said unhurriedly, “Don’t worry, senior. These recipes… including the Four-colored Rainbow Cloud Soup and the Liu Xiao Look Askance At Vicissitudes are all my inventions. Naturally, it does not break any taboo or custom.”
“Now that that’s done, I shan’t disturb you any longer. This junior bids you goodbye.”
Over two hundred recipes were engraved on the jade strip. To a normal person, they probably weren’t even worth looking at. But to High Priest Liu Xiao, especially after he experienced Yun Che’s culinary skills, it was a priceless treasure among priceless treasures.
“Wait!”
This time, it was High Priest Liu Xiao who stopped him in his tracks. While clutching the jade strip with both hands and ten wizened fingers that were trembling slightly, he asked, “What do you want in exchange for this item?”