Chapter 14: Threat - Goddess Worship (Middle)_1

I'll post another chapter during the Highlights Session at 12.05 tonight. Everyone is welcome to join the Highlights Session and read new chapters. Perhaps many of you are interested in the Golden Fragrant Ring? Tomorrow, I will single out a related chapter for everyone to explain. Hehe, it is definitely something you can taste.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Nian Bing arrived at the entrance of the Second-Hand Ironware Shop with twists and turns. He held some vegetables and meats in his left hand, gently knocked a few times on the door, "Feng Nu, are you there?"

Footsteps sounded, the door opened, and Feng Nu peered out from inside. Seeing it's Nian Bing, she couldn't help but smile slightly, quickly opened the door and said, "Come in, Chef, remember me today?"

Nian Bing forced a smile and said, "I originally wanted to come here a few days ago, but I've been so busy, I just didn't have the time. I'm sorry; I will prepare a good meal for you today."

Feng Nu's beautiful eyes blinked, she smiled and said, "I'm just joking with you; it's fine if you're busy. I don't really mind. Anyway, I don't really want to eat your food. If I eat too much of it and become picky, what will I do when you leave?" Once she finished that last word, she realized her slip of tongue, her pretty face turned slightly red, and she quickly turned around and led Nian Bing inside. Looking at Feng Nu's perfect figure, Nian Bing nodded to himself. In terms of appearances and physique, both Xue Jing and Long Ling were somewhat inferior to Feng Nu. Especially Feng Nu's noble and elegant demeanor, it made people feel fondly. Along with her gentleness, such a perfect woman, if Nian Bing said that he wasn't moved, it would definitely be self-deception. However, he only regarded Feng Nu as a friend at the moment, putting all his thoughts on improving his cooking skills and magic. He didn't want to be distracted by other things before he was done with the Ice God Tower.

Arriving in the courtyard, Nian Bing looked up at the sky and smiled, "I'm going to the kitchen to cook, it will be done shortly."

Feng Nu looked back and smiled, "Don't hurry, rest for a while. Oh yes, don't make something as complicated as last time. I should be cooking for you since you're the guest. But I'm too foolish, I only know how to cook porridge, not anything else."

Nian Bing looked at Feng Nu's delightful smile and couldn't help but mumble, "Feng Nu, you're truly beautiful. Ah! I'm sorry, I'll go cook." With that, he hurried into the kitchen with his ingredients.

Watching Nian Bing enter the kitchen, Feng Nu's eyes revealed a strange glow. The gentleness was gone, replaced by a hint of chill. She seemed to be pondering on something and murmured to herself, "Maybe getting the Li Tian Sword is enough, why be greedy for his Fire God Stone? In light of him cooking for me, I'll let him off. The elders shouldn't blame me. This Nian Bing is strange, he actually has so many treasures on him. If my older sister found out, I'm afraid he would have nothing left. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Getting the Righteous Sun Knife done is like returning a favor to Elder Hua Tian." Once she reached this point, the cold light gradually faded from Feng Nu's eyes, her gaze shifted back to the kitchen, revealing a hint of bewilderment.

The cooking this time indeed went much faster. The decision to make complicated dish last time was due to a lack of ingredients. This time, with fresh vegetables and meats available, the operation naturally became much simpler. Within the span of two quarters of an hour, the entire Second-Hand Ironware Shop was filled with a delicious aroma. Four dishes and a soup of completely different colors were served. Simply judging by color and fragrance, they were already top-notch. Nian Bing placed the food on the table in the courtyard, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled as he called out to the room, "Feng Nu, dinner is ready. Come on."

"This smells great! Finally, I don't have to drink porridge." The delicate fragrance flooded over her, Feng Nu quickly arrived at the table, Nian Bing only felt a blur before her chopsticks were already in her hands.

Feng Nu pulled a stool from the side to sit next to Nian Bing, but her eyes never left the table, "Wow, are you cooking? Why does everything you make looks like a work of art? I can barely bring myself to eat it." Although she said so, her chopsticks had already reached out, aiming directly for a dish that gleamed red and yellow.

Nian Bing gave a faint smile and said, "If a chef makes food that no one eats, then he's a failure. I don't want that; I'd rather you eat it all. I know you eat a lot, so I cooked more today. These four dishes should have some left over, enough for tonight. Just heat it a little, the taste should not change much."

Feng Nu picked up a chopstick-full of a golden unidentified object and put it in her mouth. While chewing, she clearly felt how soft and juicy the meat was. The aroma from the meat filled her lips and teeth with just a few chews. The perfect amount of saltiness conjured up her appetite. Nian Bing offered a bowl of rice to her and smiled, saying, "This dish is a tad salty. It's perfect to eat with rice."

Feng Nu looked at Nian Bing, and praised, "Incredible. I knew you won't disappoint with your magic cooking touch. It's becoming a reality. Why aren't you eating? What did I just eat? The meat is so tender. Is it fish? But it doesn't have a fishy smell."

Nian Bing smiled, "I ate before coming here. Our place opens for lunch, so my breakfast was a bit late. I'm not hungry. I can go back and eat dinner on time. I won't eat here. What you just ate is not fish, but a very common dish called Golden Red Frog. The red part is small round chili peppers. What you ate is frog meat. Frog meat is very tender, tasty and sweet in the mouth. It is one of the best meats. As long as the fishy smell is removed, anyone would find it delicious. Eat more, don't be shy."

Without Nian Bing telling her, Feng Nu already knew not to hold back. As she continually chewed and chatted with Nian Bing, he couldn't help but admire her multitasking ability.

"Nian Bing, when you said 'our place,' does that mean you know people in Bing Xue City?" Feng Nu asked while eating.

Nian Bing shook his head and said, "No, I just found a job there. You would know the place, it's Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant, not far from here."

"Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant? It's so expensive! I've never eaten there, but I've heard the food is top-notch. With your culinary skills, I'm sure you're the best chef there. Even though I've never eaten there, I can certainly tell you that their food would be nowhere as delicious as yours."

Nian Bing smiled slightly and said, "You guessed wrong, I'm not a cook there. Besides my master, you are the first one to taste my food. At Qingfeng, I simply assist in chopping firewood."

With a pop, Feng Nu sprayed out a mouthful of rice and started coughing loudly, startling Nian Bing. Nian Bing hurriedly served her a bowl of soup, tapping her bouncy back while making sure she was drinking the soup placed at her red lips. In his urgency, he didn't notice how intimate they looked.

After drinking a bowl of hot soup, Feng Nu finally relaxed. Panting breathlessly, she chastised, "Are you trying to choke me? That is not how you joke."

Nian Bing rubbed her back while laughing nervously, "Who jokes with you? I really am a woodcutter at Qingfeng restaurant. You really cannot handle surprises, take it easy."

Feng Nu looked at Nian Bing in surprise, "You seriously chop wood there? Are you sure you don't have a fever?" As she spoke, she stretched out her slender and delicate hand to touch Nian Bing's forehead. The warm touch coupled with the faint fragrance from her soft skin made Nian Bing's heart waver. He held her hand, saying, "I'm fine. I chose to chop wood there because I didn't want to expose my culinary talent. The head chef of Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant, Wonderful Chef Wang Mingyuan, is very talented. I went there just to observe his unique skills and I didn't want to reveal my own. If they knew about my real cooking ability, it would probably be hard for me to leave."

Feng Nu's voice suddenly lowered a lot as she looked down and said, "Could you let go of me? We are quite close."

Feng Nu's words startled Nian Bing, who realized that because his right hand was holding hers, his left hand had stopped patting her back. It was at that moment holding her waist, and Feng Nu's whole bouncy body was embraced entirely in his arms. The intimate sight made him freeze for a while. Hastily, he let go of her and helped her sit up. Even for someone as clever as he was, he was at a loss for words in this awkward situation. After a long moment, he put the chopsticks back in Feng Nu's hand. He then coughed twice and turned his gaze towards the tall tree outside the courtyard.