Early the next morning, when Jacob saw the appearance of Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green, his expression was one of utter shock. “Why are you dressed like that?”
The trio had changed their outfits. Ye Chui and Green had swapped their usual mage robes for ordinary civilian clothes Green had bought the previous day. Debbie had ditched her long skirt for a male robe, styling her hair in a masculine fashion.
Ye Chui and Debbie had also stuck on peculiar handlebar mustaches. Originally, as sixteen-year-olds, they looked youthful, but with the mustaches, they didn’t quite exude maturity. Instead, they appeared somewhat comical.
Debbie, with her petite frame and mustache, looked particularly absurd, though it effectively concealed her femininity. Truth be told, her flat-chested figure meant she could pass as a boy in male attire without the mustache.
“It’s to hide our age. Older chefs seem more reliable, don’t they?” Ye Chui explained. “Jacob, let’s go.”
“Alright,” Jacob said, eyeing their fake mustaches, thinking their shoddy disguises made them look even less dependable. But seeing Ye Chui and Debbie’s self-satisfied expressions, he held his tongue and led them through the slums’ narrow, tangled alleys.
As they traveled, Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green’s tense nerves gradually eased. They drew some attention, but no major commotion arose. A few guards passed by, chuckling at Ye Chui and Debbie’s odd attire, but showed no interest in questioning them.
Soon, they reached the lord’s kitchen.
Entry didn’t require passing through the mansion’s main gate; a side door led directly to the kitchen for operational convenience, with lax security. When the guard learned they were chefs, he let them in without fuss.
Under Jacob’s guidance, Ye Chui soon met the portly head chef.
“You’re that mysterious chef from some Eastern capital? Stephen something?” the head chef asked, frowning.
“Stephen Chow,” Ye Chui replied, puffing out his chest with a lofty air.
“Hmph!” The head chef snorted, eyeing the trio skeptically.
As head chef, he had already finalized the candidates for the head chef position, even picking a winner. That was the perk of power. Then, out of nowhere, this so-called Eastern chef appeared.
He had intended to discard the meatballs, but somehow, Miss Windsor, who hadn’t eaten in days due to her upcoming marriage, devoured the entire jar. What a coincidence. It reeked of a conspiracy, in the name of the Demon Emperor.
Miss Windsor’s sudden appetite had alarmed the lord, who fast-tracked Stephen Chow’s candidacy for the wedding’s head chef. But the head chef wasn’t about to yield easily.
“Your meatballs were good, and Miss Windsor liked them, but that doesn’t mean you’re qualified to compete for head chef. I need to test you. Cook something on the spot,” the head chef said coldly.
“Of course, I’d be delighted to showcase Eastern culinary techniques,” Ye Chui said confidently, scanning the bustling kitchen.
The kitchen hands and servants watched Ye Chui curiously. Among them, Ye Chui noticed a lean man in his forties or fifties, dressed in an ornate robe, glaring at him with hostility, flanked by two young attendants.
“Mr. Stephen, that’s Mr. Lloyd, a renowned chef from the capital. Even His Majesty enjoys his cooking. He’s a top contender for the wedding’s head chef,” Jacob whispered to Ye Chui.
Jacob, a kitchen hand, knew Lloyd was essentially the predetermined winner, having seen him in close conversation with the head chef multiple times.
“I see,” Ye Chui said, nodding with a smile. Lloyd’s presence here was clearly to size up this mysterious Eastern chef.
As they spoke, Lloyd approached Ye Chui, offering a noble’s greeting. “I know most famous chefs on the continent, but I’ve never heard of Stephen Chow. You’re from the East? The Haichao Empire or the Chenfeng Empire? I’ve traveled both and know their cuisines somewhat.”
“My country was a small one, long extinct. My people have wandered ever since, so you likely haven’t heard of it,” Ye Chui fabricated. The Castro Continent, post-Twilight of the Gods, had seen five thousand years of dynastic shifts, with many minor nations lost to history. His story held up.
“I see. Then I’m even more eager to see Mr. Stephen’s skills,” Lloyd said, eyes narrowing with a cold smile.
The head chef stepped forward, his tone icy. “The lord is hosting guests at noon, Stephen Chow. Show us your skills quickly. We’re pressed for time.”
“Alright,” Ye Chui said, nodding and heading toward the counter. But the head chef’s next words stopped him in his tracks.
“We’re short on time, so I’ll give you fifteen minutes to cook something that impresses me,” the head chef said with a malicious grin.
“Fifteen minutes?” Jacob exclaimed. “That’s not even enough to bake bread. Head chef, that’s…”
“A skilled chef doesn’t need much time,” the head chef interrupted, looking at Ye Chui. “Right, Stephen Chow?”
Lloyd chimed in, “I could make a dish in fifteen minutes. Surely Mr. Stephen can too?”
Debbie and Green looked indignant.
Ye Chui caught Lloyd and the head chef exchanging a smug glance, clearly a planned attempt to sabotage him.
He smiled faintly. “A skilled chef isn’t hindered by time. I agree. So, I don’t need fifteen minutes. Three minutes will do.”
His words stunned not only Lloyd and the head chef but also Debbie, Green, and Jacob.
“You sure?” Debbie whispered.
Ye Chui nodded, heading to the counter and summoning his iPad spellbook.
In *God of Cookery*, Stephen Chow was linked to three dishes: Pissing Beef Balls (his creation, though not made by him), Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and Ecstasy Rice. Ye Chui had planned to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to impress these medieval fantasy-world locals, saving Ecstasy Rice for the final competition. But now, he changed his mind.
In the movie, Stephen made Ecstasy Rice in just two or three minutes. Though exaggerated, relying on internal energy, Ye Chui couldn’t use that but could substitute magic for a magical version of Ecstasy Rice.
He glanced at Green, who produced a music box. As it played, Ye Chui activated the *God of Cookery* BGM. Only a few knew his spellbook played music, so the music box was a cover to make it seem like the source.
“Music? What’s this about?” Lloyd asked, frowning.
“Cooking to music is our custom. Got a problem?” Debbie challenged.
“Hmph, fine,” Lloyd said with a cold smirk, glancing at the head chef.
Three minutes. Let’s see what they could do.
An apprentice behind Lloyd whispered, “Teacher, I think I’ve seen these three before.”
“You have?” Lloyd asked, looking at his student.
“A few days ago, I saw them on the street, chased by guards. This morning, I heard guards asking about them,” the apprentice said. “Their mustaches are obviously fake. I just recognized them. Could they be wanted criminals?”
Lloyd’s eyes lit up. “What are you waiting for? Go get the guards to arrest them.”
“Yes, teacher,” the apprentice said, slipping out of the kitchen.
Lloyd’s gaze on Ye Chui’s group turned colder.
…
In a small tavern in Windrock City’s west district, known for its delicious absinthe despite its modest appearance, two men sat near the entrance. One, cloaked with a hood obscuring half his face, carried a large sword on his back. This was Cass, who had parted ways with Ye Chui, Debbie, and Green.
Opposite him sat a man in guard armor, in his mid-thirties, with a thick beard and a scar on his face, joyfully downing drinks.
“Reni, it’s been three years, and you’re now captain of Windrock City’s fifth guard squad,” Cass said, reminiscing. After parting with Ye Chui’s group, he sought out old contacts, and Reni was a recent reconnection.
“After you left, I formed a new mercenary group, but it disbanded after a few months. I saw Windrock City recruiting guards, so I joined. It’s been decent, and I became a captain,” Reni said, smiling. He looked at Cass under the hood. “Commander, how’ve you been? I heard about Miss Resha’s upcoming wedding. You’re here for her, right? If you need help, just say.”
“I want to infiltrate the wedding,” Cass said after a pause.
Reni wasn’t surprised but looked thoughtful, as it was no small task. Then he asked, “Commander, are you alone?”
“I have companions,” Cass said, smiling at the thought of Ye Chui’s group.
“Are they reliable? Where are they now?” Reni asked, concerned.
“They’re reliable, and I trust them. I don’t know where they are now, but though they’re young, they’re clever and resourceful. Being with them makes me feel my past years were wasted. With their help, I’m sure I can take Resha away without issue. I’ve placed all my hopes on them. I bet they’re lying low, planning to enter the lord’s mansion.”
Cass spoke with genuine trust.
Reni nodded, about to respond, when a guard rushed into the tavern, scanned the room, and approached them. “Captain, Captain Godo sent me to find you.”
“Godo? What does that fatso want?” Reni asked, annoyed, as Cass subtly lowered his hood.
“Captain Godo’s been hunting a group of thugs. He got a tip they’re posing as chefs in the lord’s kitchen. They’re skilled, so he needs your help,” the guard said urgently.
“So that’s it. Who are these people? Godo’s a mid-level swordsman. Can’t he handle it?” Reni asked casually.
Cass sipped his drink.
Then the guard said, “It’s a foreign magic guild, totally lawless. They wrecked the Coldstone Magic Guild, destroyed the lord’s daughter’s wedding invitation, and fled when Godo tried to arrest them, causing chaos in the streets. They don’t respect our guards. Oh, they’re called something like the Random Magic Guild.”
Pfft!
Cass sprayed his drink across the table.
Give me back my trust!
