Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Bu Fang was indeed surprised. He did not expect Lord Bird, the mysterious man he had once met a long time ago, to appear before him at this moment.
The officers and soldiers were eating and drinking happily, and the fragrance of food filled the air. Yet it was as if everything had suddenly disappeared, and the only people left were Bu Fang and Lord Bird.
Even though Lord Bird’s head was obscured by the fog, Bu Fang could still feel his gaze, and he nodded calmly at him. Lord Bird walked straight up toward him. The officers and soldiers did not seem to notice him. Soon, he was in front of Bu Fang.
“I can’t believe you’re hiding here,” Lord Bird said, chuckling.
Bu Fang remembered Lord Bird and him drinking and eating together in the relics of the ancient Heavengods. This man had his own unique view of food, which was very unusual. However, he could not guess who this mysterious person was. He could not figure it out when he still had his cultivation base, much less now.
“The hero who sealed the greatest evil in the universe is actually hiding in such a remote place… You’re really free and easy.” Lord Bird’s aura was ordinary, and he looked just like the villagers here. Except, of course, for the fog that enveloped his head.
Bu Fang gave Lord Bird a strange glance. He certainly did not think that this guy had lost his cultivation base as he did. The man was very mysterious from the very beginning.
Bu Fang had thought he was Mu Hongzi, but that fellow was now traveling through the universe with Summer and would not have the leisure to look for him.
So, Bu Fang still could not see through this Lord Bird.
“You don’t need to guess anymore. I’m the only one who knows you’re here,” Lord Bird said lightly. “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
Bu Fang paused for a moment, then ignored him. So what if Lord Bird found him? He could only seal Soul God for a thousand years at most. In his present mortal form, he would have rotted and turned to dust in a thousand years.
So even if Lord Bird came to him to ask him to fight Soul God again, he could not do it.
Bu Fang found the village chief and told him that he wanted to exchange some rice. However, he was rejected by the old man.
It was not really a refusal. The village chief just sighed and told him that there was no more rice. The officers and soldiers, who had been stationed in the village for several days, had almost eaten all the rice the village had in reserve.
He also told Bu Fang that there was a war in the world outside the mountains, and that many people had died. There was simply not enough food.
Bu Fang nodded. Since there was not enough rice, he would not insist on it. After glancing at the officers and soldiers, he smiled faintly, picked up the basket, and walked away.
He was humming a song, looking dashing and uninhibited. Bu Fang was a very different person now. It was as if he had been freed from chains. In the past, he was too tense, always trying hard to rush to a higher level and working constantly toward the goal of becoming a God of Cooking.
If he wasn’t practicing his cooking skills, he was thinking about how to improve his cultivation base or was constantly running around to complete the System’s tasks. And now, when he finally quieted down, he found that this feeling of being able to do everything by heart was really good.
Carrying the basket, Bu Fang started up the mountain again. Although the song he was humming was out of tune, he did not care. Lord Bird walked quietly behind him.
After a long time, Bu Fang returned to the hut on the mountain. Whitey was still sitting at the door, its mechanical eyes dim. As for Eighty, it was chasing an insect in the yard.
At the sound of his footsteps, the chicken raised its head and ran toward him. As it neared him, it kicked the ground, flapped its wings, and leaped at Bu Fang. However, when it got close to him, he grabbed it by the neck and held it in midair.
“Stop it, we have a guest today,” Bu Fang said faintly.
Eighty froze. ‘So what if we have a guest? Why did you have to tell me specifically? Are you going to kill me and cook me up for him?!’
The chicken’s feathers bristled, then it kept flapping its wings and flew off into the distance. Eighty would never forget what Bu Fang had done to its wings!
The corners of Bu Fang’s mouth twitched as he watched Eighty fly away. ‘This little fellow must be imagining things…’
“Make yourself at home in this humble abode,” Bu Fang said to Lord Bird behind him.
Lord Bird laughed. He put his hands behind his back, walked into the hut, and glanced around. After that, he came to the yard, looked at Bu Fang who was busy preparing a meal, and said, “You’re living in seclusion?”
Bu Fang took out the fat fish that had not been exchanged for rice, placed them on a chopping board, scaled them, and removed their guts.
“Are you going to stay here for the rest of your life? You know… Though you have lost your cultivation base, your foundation remains. You can’t reach the previous heights if you continue to cultivate, but at least you won’t lack the strength to truss up a chicken,” said Lord Bird.
“Lack the strength to truss up a chicken? That’s nonsense…” Bu Fang said. He raised his hand and waved at Eighty. The chicken leaped toward him. He took it by the neck, shook it in front of Lord Bird’s face a few times, then let it go on playing by itself.
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Although Lord Bird’s face was hiding behind the fog, the corners of his mouth twitched. He stopped talking and just quietly watched Bu Fang cook.
In the absence of his cultivation base and divine power, all Bu Fang could cook were ordinary ingredients without any spiritual energy. These fat fish were grown in the pond on the mountain, not some heavenly treasure.
The water in the wok began to boil. The God of Cooking Sets had gone to suppress Soul God with Bu Fang’s divine sense. He could be said to be all alone now. The cooking utensils he was using now were the most common ones, and so were the ingredients. He did not look like a top chef who was once only one step away from becoming a God of Cooking.
The color of the boiling water turned a little cloudy after some ingredients were added. Then, Bu Fang put the fish into the wok, covered it with a lid, and waited quietly.
He caught three fish, so he made three dishes: stewed fish soup, braised fish, and grilled fish. Each of the three dishes had its own unique characteristics.
When Bu Fang set the dishes out on the bamboo table, Lord Bird made himself comfortable and sat down. Since there was only one chair, he waved his hand and conjured one more with his divine power.
“It smells good,” Lord Bird said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten such mortal dishes.”
Bu Fang glanced at Lord Bird, then filled a bowl of rice and handed it to him. It was steamed from what little rice he had left. “Please enjoy yourself. This is all I have in my humble abode, so please forgive me for the poor hospitality,” he said.
Lord Bird chuckled.
They did not say anything again. Lord Bird held the chopsticks in one hand and the rice in the other. Looking at the three dishes on the table, he could not help but sigh.
Bu Fang scooped up a bowl of fish soup. The clear soup emitted a faint sweet aroma, and a few goji berries could be seen floating in it, giving it a simple but elegant appearance. As he took a sip of the soup, a warm stream swam through his body, warming him up. His hunger was tickled. He ate some rice, took another sip of soup, and ate a piece of fish.
The braised fish was soft and tender, and the sauce completely penetrated the meat, making it taste even better. The grilled fish, on the other hand, was cooked perfectly. Its fragrance and texture impressed Lord Bird. As he ate, he sighed with mixed emotions.
Had Bu Fang’s cooking skills taken a step back? To be honest, they did. They were not even close to his peak. However, that was because of the ingredients and equipment. In fact, Lord Bird felt that Bu Fang had made a small breakthrough in his cooking skills. It was a breakthrough in mentality.
“Those who experience a major fall such as this usually can’t accept the fact so calmly like you… You are somewhat amazing,” Lord Bird chuckled.
Ignoring that, Bu Fang looked up at Lord Bird and said, “Are you going to eat or not?”
That gave Lord Bird pause. The corners of his mouth twitched as he watched Bu Fang begin to sweep the dishes on the table. “Save some for me…”
After a hearty meal, all that was left on the table was a mess of fish bones. Bu Fang leaned back in the bamboo chair, which creaked, while Lord Bird rubbed his stomach and exhaled contentedly. Although these were all ordinary dishes, they whetted his appetite, and he enjoyed them.
“How did you find this place?” Bu Fang asked.
“Intuition,” Lord Bird said languidly.
Bu Fang sneered. “The universe is a vast place. Do you expect me to believe that you found a planet with lives by intuition, and I happen to be on it?”
Lord Bird smiled and shook his head, but he did not answer Bu Fang.
Since Lord Bird would not answer, Bu Fang did not know what to say anymore. He was not good at conversing with others.
“Do you want to cultivate? I can teach you a cultivation method… Practicing it for a thousand years should be enough to recover some of your cultivation base.”
“What’s the point? In a thousand years, when Soul God breaks the seal, I still can’t defeat him.” Bu Fang shook his head.
Without the God of Cooking’s will, Bu Fang alone could not defeat Soul God. So, what was the difference between him regaining his cultivation base and not regaining it? It might give him a few more days to live, but Bu Fang did not want that. He wanted to live a carefree life. He had lived happily in the mountains for many years.
Lord Bird fell silent for a moment. “If you don’t cultivate… Two hundred years at the most, you’ll be dead. Are you not afraid?”
“What’s the point of living longer if you’re not happy?” Bu Fang said indifferently. It was getting late. He stood up, looked at the sky, and shook his head. “It’s already very late. I need to sleep.”
He was hinting at Lord Bird to leave.
Lord Bird stood up and said nothing more. He seemed to have some understanding of the path Bu Fang was pursuing. With a faint smile on his face, he said, “Interesting. Owner Bu, the world is big, so you should go out and experience it. I will wait for the day of your return. When the time comes, you and I will drink together again. Hahaha…”
Laughing, Lord Bird turned and disappeared into the mountain. His voice startled the birds in the woods.
Bu Fang was silent as he watched Lord Bird disappear. “It’s a big world, so go out and experience it…” The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Maybe… I really should go out and have a look at the world. A limited life should always find something to do.”