The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799

by Watermelonian, 西瓜星人

  He blushed with embarrassment. He was there to attend the opening ceremony of Magical Kitchen, but he had praised Spring Brook’s cooking instead.

  Master Chef Du, Han Lei, and the other people from Spring Brook had smug grins on their faces when they heard that.

  They were sure that victory was theirs.

  They had gathered the finest ingredients and spent the past few days preparing the dish. Every step in producing the perfect Buddha Jumps Over the Wall had to be meticulously performed.

  Meanwhile, Magical Kitchen had only picked up the challenge. How would they be able to prepare anything better in only a few hours?

  “I think Spring Brook will be the winner this time!” Many people said.

  They could not imagine that anything could be more delicious than the soup.

  More and more people agreed to that sentiment. Some journalists were already drafting their articles and prepared to upload them.

  Suddenly, a fragrance wafted out from Magical Kitchen.

  Everyone who smelled it was stunned.

  The bustling storefront instantly descended into silence.

  It was as though time stood still.

  Crack!

  Some people dropped their bowls.

  They eventually came to their senses and turned around to look at the front door of Magical Kitchen.

  “Oh my god! What smell is this?”

  Everyone yelled and rushed to crowd around the front door. Their expressions were close to fanatical.

  Master Chef Du, Han Lei, and the other people from Spring Brook had incredulous looks on their faces. They could not believe what they were smelling.

  Master Chef Ding and the other chefs stepped out of Magical Kitchen, carrying several big pots on carts.

  The mesmerizing fragrance indeed came from those pots.

  Everyone’s eyes were transfixed on the pots. Many swallowed hard to stop themselves from drooling.

  The fragrance was almost magical.

  If the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall earlier was considered a rare delicacy, then the contents of the pot were considered the ultimate delicacy! The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall would not even compare to its dregs.

  “Faster, Master Chef Ding!”

  Everyone was impatiently hurrying the master chef.

  “Haha, there’s no rush. There will be enough for everyone!”

  Master Chef Ding laughed heartily. He lifted the lid of a pot.

  Steam wafted from the pot. In the pot was a silver-colored soup. They could see various ingredients and medicinal herbs floating within.

  “Wow!” Everyone exclaimed. They became more excited than ever.

  “What dish is this, Master Chef Ding?” Someone asked.

  Master Chef Ding smiled. “This is called the Splendid Eight Treasures Soup. It is a collection of the eight finest ingredients with the eight most precious medicinal herbs. Not only the taste is impeccable, but it also has amazing medicinal effects.

  “Just one bowl of soup can replenish vital energy and eliminate lethargy. It will make you feel more energetic and active, as though you’ve grown younger by a few years.”

  After that, Master Chef Ding started distributing the soup in the bowls.

  Chapter 324 - Talk of the Town

  “Could it be that amazing?” Many people were doubtful.

  The smell was indeed one of the best things they had experienced, but they were doubtful of the medicinal effects as claimed by the master chef.

  As far as they knew, medicinal cuisine was never as amazing as it claimed to be. One might see some effects if one partook medicinal cuisine over the years, but growing younger by a few years after eating only one bowl of soup was a little too exaggerated.

  However, they did not care if the master chef had exaggerated the effects anyway. The smell alone was enough for them to crave the soup.

  Many people crowded around to be the first to taste the amazing soup.

  Most of the people there were wealthy bosses and the elite of society. However, they were pushing and shoving each other to be the first to receive the soup.

  Some people were even close to throwing tantrums.

  The people who had gotten themselves a bowl of soup quickly put a spoonful into their mouths.

  Their eyes immediately enlarged. They could not believe what they had tasted.

  “Oh my god! This taste…” They exclaimed. Their gaze was almost fanatical.

  “Magical cuisine! This is indeed magical cuisine!”

  They did not care that the soup was boiling hot. They continued to shovel more soup into their mouths.

  Once the soup entered their mouths, ultimate deliciousness exploded on the tip of their tongues and slid into their stomachs. A warm current flowed from their stomachs and spread throughout their bodies, which brought them incredible comfort.

  Some of them almost moaned out loud.

  They craved for more soup after they had downed the bowl, but they were too embarrassed to ask. They stood there with their eyes closed, reminiscing the ultimate deliciousness they had just tasted.

  As the medicinal effects spread throughout their body, they felt more energetic, as though they had grown younger by a few years.

  They were dumbstruck when they realized that.

  Master Chef Du, Han Lei, and the other chefs from Spring Brook were shocked when they saw that.

  In their eyes, those people looked as if they had lost their minds.

  Some of the people had refrained from taking a bowl because they wanted to remain polite, but they could not hold back the urge anymore. They rushed forward to claim their soup before everyone else went back for seconds.

  Ling Wei was surprised that Master Chef Ding’s skills had improved tremendously.

  “Why haven’t I heard of the Splendid Eight Treasures Soup before? It’s not on the menu!” She looked at Tang Hao.

  “We’ve just developed it. We wanted to introduce it into the menu later,” Tang Hao said with a smile.

  Ling Wei felt incredibly excited. Her face was full of color.

  That dish alone was enough to bring Spring Brook down and launch Magical Kitchen’s fame.

  “This is amazing! We’ll have to plan for expansion next. We’ll open five, no, ten restaurants soon. I want to open Magical Kitchens all over Provincial City, then all over Huaxia,” she said excitedly as she rubbed her fists.

  Old Master Luo and the others finally received their soup. They were amazed after taking one bite.

  “F*ck me, this… this…” Old Master Luo’s eyes were sparkling. He was at a loss for words.

  He had thought that the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall earlier was the ultimate delicacy, but the Splendid Eight Treasures Soup was even better. No mortal hands could have made this soup.

  He was thoroughly dumbfounded, but after thinking about it more carefully, he remembered that the restaurant belonged to Grandmaster Tang and understood what must have happened.

  The amazing medicinal prescription must have been prepared by Grandmaster Tang.

  Vice Governor He’s eyes sparkled when he tasted the soup. He could not stop showering praises.

  “I feel like I’m younger… my back doesn’t hurt anymore! This is amazing stuff! It needs to be more popular!”

  The journalists and writers were excitedly writing articles and uploaded them onto the Internet.

  Ling Wei checked her phone. She laughed happily and passed it to Tang Hao.

  “Look at these reviews! ‘It’s so delicious that I could cry’, ‘The taste is unbelievable’, ‘Magical, just like its name’…”

  Tang Hao smiled when he saw that.

  With the massive amount of rave reviews, Magical Kitchen would soon be the talk of the town.

  Master Chef Du and the others were trembling with anger when they saw that.

  “Impossible! This is impossible! Medicinal cuisine is nonsense! I don’t believe your claims at all!” Master Chef Du spoke out of anger and embarrassment.
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br />   He walked over angrily and yelled at Master Chef Ding. “Give me a bowl of that, Ding!”

  Master Chef Ding smirked coldly, then handed Master Chef Du a bowl of soup.

  Master Chef Du grunted when he took the bowl. He put a spoonful of the soup into his mouth.

  His body stiffened and he was dumbstruck.

  “How could this be… this taste… impossible! You’ve added so many medicinal herbs. Why doesn’t it taste like medicine at all?

  “And the medicinal effects… this is impossible!”

  Master Chef Du looked as though he was possessed.

  “Hmph! What do you mean, it’s impossible? You’ve tasted it yourself!” Master Chef Ding said coldly.

  “Well…” Master Chef Du was dejected.

  Master Chef Ding glanced at him coldly, then ushered the guests into the restaurant.

  Everyone rushed into the restaurant to pick the best seats, while the chefs from Spring Brook stood there, dumbstruck.

  Some people went over to taste their Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. They took a bite and spat it out. “F*ck, what is this trash?” They cursed.

  Then, they ran into Magical Kitchen.

  “Hey, save a spot for me!”

  “F*ck, who the hell are you? Why are you snatching my seat?”

  Magical Kitchen was bursting at its seams with people.

  Nobody cared about the chefs from Spring Brook standing outside.

  Han Lei’s expression was sinister as he stood there. After a long time, he grunted coldly and left the scene.

  Magical Kitchen remained crowded for the rest of the day. Many people arrived by cars, eager to taste the ultimate deliciousness that everyone was talking about.

  The restaurant had three floors, but even that could not accommodate everyone. A long queue soon formed.

  The first batch of customers finished their meals and wrote their reviews online. Everyone was talking about the restaurant.

  Tang Hao was happy when he saw that.

  His efforts had paid off.

  He went to attend classes in the afternoon. In the evening, he received a call from Taoist Master Qian Ji.

  “Hey, Lil Bro Tang!” Taoist Master Qian Ji said eagerly once the call was answered.

  Tang Hao rolled his eyes. ‘This Taoist Master Qian Ji is being too friendly. He’s gone from ‘Fellow Cultivator’ to ‘Lil Bro’.’

  “Is there anything?” Tang Hao asked.

  “Ha! Yes, there is! Don’t you know? Mao Mountain has been dispatching its disciples all over the country to search for that Wang villain. We want to capture him and seal him up again.”

  Tang Hao nodded. Shabby Taoist Master had mentioned that to him.

  “Our efforts have finally paid off. A few junior brothers found that Wang villain today,” Taoist Master Qian Ji said.

  “Where is he?” Tang Hao asked.

  Taoist Master Qian Ji chuckled. “You couldn’t have guessed it. That villain is at South Beach.”

  Chapter 325 - Dragon?

  “South Beach?”

  Tang Hao was surprised.

  South Beach was the southernmost point of Huaxia. Why was Wang Changsheng there?

  “What’s he there for?” Tang Hao asked.

  “Well, I’m not too sure about that either. We only got the news in the morning, and we don’t have many concrete details yet. My junior brothers are there to find out more information at the moment.

  “All we know is that this is the perfect chance. I’m leading a squad of Mao Mountain Taoist masters to South Beach to capture that old villain. Are you interested to come along, Lil Bro Tang?

  “Don’t worry, there will be many Taoist masters joining this expedition. With me around, no harm will come to you.”

  Taoist Master Qian Ji slapped his chest.

  “Well…” Tang Hao hesitated for a while but eventually agreed to it.

  After absorbing all the spirit stones, his cultivation base had grown greatly. He was not afraid of Wang Changsheng anymore. Furthermore, Magical Kitchen’s opening had been a success and he was not needed there. He could leave Provincial City without any problems.

  “Alright, see you at the airport tonight!”

  Taoist Master Qian Ji said with a smile and told Tang Hao the flight number.

  Tang Hao went online and booked a ticket. The flight would be at eight o’clock that night and was a direct flight to South Beach.

  He left the house early to go to the airport.

  Taoist Master Qian Ji and the others arrived about twenty minutes later.

  While waiting at the entrance to the terminal, Tang Hao saw a convoy of eight cars arriving and stopping at the entrance. The car doors opened and a group of people in black suits and shades came out of the cars.

  Tang Hao was stunned when he saw that.

  ‘What the hell? Who are these people?’

  The people were wearing business suits with their long hair tied up neatly. The shades made them look very stylish.

  Everyone turned to look at the group of people. They were stunned by what they saw.

  “Fellow Cultivator Tang!”

  One of the men waved at Tang Hao and shouted eagerly.

  Tang Hao’s eyes widened when he heard that. He looked incredulously at that person.

  The voice obviously belonged to Shabby Taoist Master, but the person in front of him was clean and was dressed in a trim business suit. He was not shabby at all.

  Shabby Taoist Master chuckled when he saw Tang Hao’s expression. “What do you think about my new look, Fellow Cultivator Tang?”

  Tang Hao was speechless. He rolled his eyes.

  Taoist Master Qian Ji came over too. He was also in a business suit. His beard was neatly braided. He was perhaps the coolest in the group.

  Tang Hao was also speechless when looking at him.

  ‘Are they Taoist masters? They’re more like an idol group!’

  The remaining group of Taoist masters came over after Taoist Master Qian Ji. They took off their shades and greeted Tang Hao.

  There were a total of thirty people, and Tang Hao was the thirty-first in the team. Other than Taoist Master Qian Ji, there were a few more powerful Taoist masters. Fighting against Wang Changsheng should not be a problem.

  “Let’s go! We’ll meet with the junior brothers there.”

  Taoist Master Qian Ji took the lead.

  The group of people in their fifties and sixties caused a commotion once they entered the terminal. Everyone turned to look at the trendily-dressed group of people.

  Many people took out their phones to snap photos.

  Taoist Master Qian Ji eagerly waved at them, as though he was an idol.

  “Look at that, Lil Bro Tang, we elderly men can still be popular among the youngsters!” He leaned over to Tang Hao and whispered smugly.

  Tang Hao could only roll his eyes one more time.

  They boarded on the plane and it soon took off from Provincial City toward the southernmost end of Huaxia.

  It was already late at night when they arrived at South Beach.

  Once out of the terminal, they noticed a tour bus parked outside. The driver was also a man in a black business suit.

  Tang Hao thought that he looked familiar and eventually discerned that he was a Taoist master.

  “What’s going on? Did you all change your line of work?” Tang Hao asked, confused.

  “Ha! It’s all thanks to that old villain Wang. Our Taoist robes are too conspicuous. He’ll be alerted if we came here in Taoist robes!” Taoist Master Qian Ji explained.

  The tour bus transported everyone to a hotel near the seaside.

  After checking in, everyone gathered in Taoist Master Qian Ji’s room.

  “According to our latest reports, that old villain Wang seems to have discovered something in the sea. He arrived here a few days ago and brought a bunch of descendants with him.

  “They’ve rented a few fishing boats and have frequently gone out to sea in the past few d
ays,” one of the Taoist masters spoke while unfurling a map. He drew a circle on the map. “Their activity is concentrated in this area.”

  “Do you know what he’s looking for?” Taoist Master Qian Ji asked.

  “Well… We’re not sure yet!” The Taoist master said, “We’ve found out something interesting though. There’s a legend among the local folk.”

  “Oh? What’s the legend about?” Taoist Master Qian Ji was piqued.

  The Taoist master pointed at the area in the map and said solemnly, “There’s a… dragon here!”

  Everyone was shocked when they heard that.

  Taoist Master Qian Ji slapped his thigh and stood up. His expression was grim.

  “A dragon! That should explain why the old villain is here. Last time, he wanted to swallow a serpent monster to restore his cultivation base, but we arrived just in time to stop him.

  “He’s set his eyes on a dragon this time!”

  Tang Hao’s expression changed as well.

  As far as he knew, dragons indeed existed in the ancient past. The dragon was also the symbol of Huaxia.

  However, he did not know whether dragons survived until modern times.

  Taoist Master Qian Ji continued, “Of course, dragons should have gone extinct in modern times. However, lesser species might still exist. The ‘dragon’ in the legend should be a sea dragon.

  “Even the weakest sea dragon is more powerful than a serpent monster. If there’s actually a sea dragon there and the old villain swallows it, the consequences will be dire!”

  The earlier Taoist master added, “It should be very possible that there’s a dragon in the area. According to the local folk, a storm appears in the area every few days. It’s a very treacherous patch of sea.”

  Taoist Master Qian Ji’s expression changed. “We won’t let the old villain get what he wants,” he said seriously.

  Then, his eyes sparkled.