5 Chapter 2 Ghost Chef, Cha Ji (Part 1)_1

The night chapter is here, welcome everyone to collect and vote more.

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Cha Ji gave a bitter smile and said, "What can an old man with severed hand tendons do to you?"

Nian Bing looked at Cha Ji, the fear in his eyes slightly lessened, and tentatively asked, "Grandpa, why are your hands like this?"

Cha Ji pulled Nian Bing to sit down, sighed sorrowfully, and said, "Listen to grandpa tell you a story. A story that happened to me. After listening, you will understand why I was so excited when I saw magic appear on you." As he spoke, he looked at the dark night outside the door, the look in his eyes gradually becoming hazy.

"Our Yangguang Continent, after nearly three hundred years of war, entered a stable phase about seventy years ago. The Five Empires gradually formed, divided the whole continent among themselves. Apart from some special places, all land was drawn into their own maps. The people needed rest and recuperation after three hundred years of war. Over the past decades, various industries and agriculture have been developed. The Five Empires, though occasionally disputed, have generally been living in peace."

Nian Bing nodded, "The Five Empires you refer to are the Oulan Empire in the east, the Chilu Empire in the southeast, the Huarong Empire in the southwest, the Langmu Empire in the northwest and the Bing Yue Empire in the north, right?"

Cha Ji nodded, "Correct, these are the Five Empires. I was born in the southeastern Chilu Empire. When I was a child, we were very poor, we could not even afford to eat fine grains. I remember asking my mother when we would be able to have a full meal of corn buns, and she hugged me and cried, a memory that is still clear till this day. At that time, my biggest wish was to be able to eat delicious food every day, and to cook the best food for my mother. I have always been working towards this goal, but unfortunately, my parents died of an epidemic when I wasn't yet capable enough to support them. Perhaps heaven took pity on me. At the age of thirteen, I met my master. I was sent to a restaurant as an apprentice due to our poor family circumstances, which was what I most desired. My master was the head chef of that restaurant. In order to learn the culinary arts that I aspired to, I was very diligent, wanting to please everyone in the restaurant. Our restaurant, named Qi Xiang, was one of the most famous restaurants in the Chilu Empire. Seeing my diligence, the master began to teach me some simple culinary skills. I was not very smart, but I was very diligent. As they say, diligence can make up for stupidity. After relentless effort, I finally rose from menial tasks to food preparation after three years. One day, the master called me to a quiet place. He told me that to learn culinary skills, mere diligence is not enough, one has to have insight, to feel the food one makes at heart. Cooking is not a simple job, but a profound study. He taught me eight words to accomplish: Ten years of practicing cooking, ten years of understanding cooking. Up to now, I still remember these eight words. After continuous effort and understanding, at the age of twenty-three, my cooking skills finally embarked on the path of great success, but my master died of illness that year. I always remembered my master's eight words of advice, so I gave up the opportunity to take on my master's position in the Qi Xiang restaurant, quit all my duties, took my kitchen knife and modest savings, and began my journey. I wanted to travel all over the Yangguang Continent, learning the culinary arts of every country, every region."

At this point, Cha Ji's eyes were shining brightly, as if he had returned to his once magnificent past. He sighed, "Ten years, another ten years, the ten years that truly made me understand the essence of cooking. During these ten years, I practically visited all the famous restaurants, and with the head chefs of each restaurant, I learned and realized, finally creating my own special skills. Later, because my cooking skills had reached the realm of master craftsmanship, people gave me the nickname Ghost Chef. I achieved the outstanding record of five consecutive championships in the Kitchen God competition. The dishes I made became a symbol of that time, and the palaces of the Five Empires all extended an olive branch to me, hoping that I could serve as their royal chief chef. However, I always felt that my cooking skills were not exquisite enough, so I continued to explore, hoping to elevate my skills to a higher domain. The advancement in continuous exploration, that is a wonderful feeling, especially when I made an excellent dish every time, that sense of achievement is incomparable to anything else. I dedicated my entire life to the culinary arts, until I was 47 years old, still unmarried."

At this point, Cha Ji paused, looking at Nian Bing who was attentively listening to his own narrative. He smiled faintly, saying, "Unexpected, isn't it? That this old fool had a shining moment."

Nian Bing was taken aback. Although Cha Ji articulated in a matter-of-fact tone, Nian Bing with his sharp senses could detect a strong hint of melancholy in the old man's voice, "Grandfather, what happened next? How did things turn out?"

Cha Ji gave a bitter smile, "Honestly, I really don't want to recall everything that happened then. But, I can't help but remember it. When I was forty-seven, that year was a turning point in my life. It was also the year I fell from grace. Perhaps because I hadn't experienced the thing called love in my four decades of life, that year, I madly fell for a woman. She was so beautiful and lively. Every gesture, every smile of hers would make my heart flutter. At that time, she was only twenty-four years old, my age was double hers. Still, I fell in love with her, unhesitatingly. She too was a chef, a different kind though. She only prepared elaborate pastries and worked as a pastry chef in a local restaurant, where I lingered around most of the time. After much thought, I decided to express my feelings to her. Although I did not harbor hopes of her accepting them, I still wanted to voice out my inner desires."

Nian Bing asked, "Did she accept?"

Cha Ji shook his head. "She didn't accept nor did she refuse. After hearing my confession, she proposed a condition. She challenged me to a culinary competition and if I win, she would become my wife. But if I lose, I must leave the culinary world and all the honor I've earned would be hers."

Nian Bing frowned, an odd expression appearing on his handsome face, "Grandfather, I think you were used by her. She challenged the best chef knowing fully well your skills. Moreover, making such demands clearly indicates her intentions malicious. How could she truly wish to marry you?"

Cha ji laughed, "A smart kid indeed. Yes, I was used by her. But, at that time, I was so blinded by my feelings that I didn't think it through and agreed. After all, years of standing at the pinnacle of the culinary world had filled me with unshakeable arrogance. I had not had a culinary competition in a long time, as no one dared challenge me. Even in Kitchen God competition, I was just a judge. Since she wanted to challenge me in my strongest suit, there was no reason for me to refuse. Thus, began a competition I can't forget till this day."

Pausing a while, Cha Ji continued, "To prove my superiority, I decided to prepare my six best dishes. We invited eighteen of the most famous chefs in our industry to judge. My culinary skills had already reached the levels of masterful finesse. The complex set of dishes I prepared took me only an hour. My years of understanding and immersing in the culinary arts made me extremely proud of my dishes. But oddly, she just stood still in front of her ingredients. When I finished my six dishes and looked at her, she said to me: 'You have made so much, I will only prepare one. One masterpiece is more than enough'. As she said this, she acted. There were no fancy movements, no proficient knife work, she just simply picked up a piece of meat and swiftly tossed it into the air. With a strange rhythm, she chanted something and a tower of blue flame leaped into the sky, engulfing the piece of meat. A white flash of the knife sliced through the air. When the meat landed on the plate, it had been neatly cut into thirteen pieces, gleaming golden. It was only then I realized that she was a mage and a very powerful fire attribute mage at that. Despite this, I still thought I had won. After all, I made six dishes while she only made one which looked inferior in terms of color and fragrance. However, I realized my mistake soon. When I tasted the golden meat, an unprecedented sensation filled my taste buds. The meat hadn't undergone any prior marination or been flavored during its preparation. But, she had managed to bring out the meat's flavor perfectly. Of the thirteen pieces of meat, each piece was divided into thirteen parts, each part with a distinct taste. The blend of these thirteen flavors brought out a fragrance far more delicious than any dish prepared with seasonings. The moment I took a bite, I knew I had lost. And, oh how badly I had lost. Even though in terms of taste, my dishes were not inferior to her meat, my culinary skills had fallen short in her presence. It wasn't just because of her speed but more importantly, her innovation."