My Years in the Folklore World

Chapter 718 True Martial Arts
"You have successfully passed the first test. Although your knife skills still have some flaws, they are already very good among amateur chefs."

"Then, you came to the second test location. This test is about the chef's control over the heat. To make a dish that is both delicious and fragrant, the control of the heat is extremely important. One point more and it will be overcooked; one point less and it will be undercooked. The timing of serving the dish only takes a split second."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the description in the text, took out the fire-making secret book from the magic bag, and clicked to use it.

"Learning, please wait..."

"You have successfully mastered the secret of fire."

"You passed the second test successfully. The third test is about seasoning. For you who have inherited the legacy of the Zhenxiu Immortal, you passed this test easily."

"After you pass the three basic skills tests, an official from the Guanglu Temple will come and take you to the actual test site."

"Several food gods from Guanglu Temple are sitting on a high platform, waiting to taste the dishes prepared by the contestants."

"You now have access to some of the most exquisite delicacies passed down by the Immortal Zhenxiu."

"Please note that although you have mastered the methods of making the delicacies copied from the recipes of the delicacies immortals, your cooking skills are too low to perfectly reproduce such complex dishes with high difficulty."

"Your success rate in making these dishes is relatively low. If you want to improve your success rate, you can only do so through hard work and practice. You still have a long way to go."

"So, what dishes are you going to choose to show these food gods? Will you choose the delicacies copied from the recipes of the immortal delicacies? Or will you choose to make other delicacies on the spot?"

"Sometimes, finding a new way can often have unexpected effects and save a lot of unnecessary trouble compared to following the routine."

Jiang Xinghuo thought about it. Since the game text said so, if he chose the dishes of Zhenxiu Xianren again, there would probably be no good results. It would most likely end in failure, and it might even affect subsequent tasks.

"You chose to improvise, using your cooking skills and the flavors of delicacies from another world to make a dish of boiled cabbage, and gave it to a few food gods to taste."

"The food god of Guanglu Temple tasted your boiled cabbage. Although your cooking skills are a little poor, this dish is indeed good and can be eaten. It is more than enough for a fifth-class banquet."

"Moreover, a food god felt that you added the unique seasoning developed by the Zhenxiu Immortal when you cooked this dish. He knew that you must have obtained part of the Zhenxiu Immortal's inheritance by chance."

"But you are definitely not the true successor of the Zhenxiu Immortal, because your cooking skills are far from the standard to become an apprentice. If you were really a disciple of the Zhenxiu Immortal, he would never let you out so early."

"You should know that the disciples of Zhenxiu Immortal are at least the head chefs of second-class banquets. Your beginner's cooking skills will only bring shame to Zhenxiu Immortal."

"However, it is not easy for you to grow from an amateur to where you are now. As seniors in the field of cooking, they are very pleased. So they gave you an invitation to the second-class banquet at the Grand Food Banquet."

"You can come to Guanglu Temple on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival and attend the grand feast held there. The disciples of Zhenxiu Immortal will also appear at that time. You can gain some experience from them. If you are lucky, you may even become a disciple of Zhenxiu Sect."

"You have obtained an invitation to the second-class banquet of the Grand Food Banquet."

"The Grand Food Banquet is held every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival. It entertains guests from all over the world. The level of banquet that guests can attend varies according to their status. The banquet is divided into five levels. The first level is the highest, and only the great gods in the secular world are qualified to attend. The second level is the second, and all of them are famous masters in the secular world."

"You are not qualified to attend the second-class banquet, but these food gods have all received guidance from the immortal Zhenxiu, so they will do you a favor and allow you to attend the second-class banquet."

"Please note that except for the first-class seats, the other seats at the Guanglu Temple's banquet are based on invitations, not people. As long as someone comes with an invitation, regardless of whether they are the original recipient, they will be allowed into the Guanglu Temple to sit down."

"You noticed that when you took the invitation from the God of Food, many eyes fell on you, or more precisely, on the invitation in your hand."

"Even if these people are eligible to attend the Grand Food Banquet, they are only the last seat and are not eligible for the first or second seat. Moreover, the people who are eligible for the first or second seat are not people they can mess with. So now that they see you have received this invitation, they are all very active. After you leave the Guanglu Temple, someone will definitely come to cause trouble for you. You'd better be mentally prepared."

When Jiang Xinghuo read the content of the text, he thought that these were all gifts delivered to his doorstep, so you must come over and not be too half-hearted.

"What are your options next?"

"Will you continue to wander around in Guanglu Temple, or will you choose to leave Guanglu Temple, or will you go to the God of Food, Yunfo, and tell him that you have cleared the door for him?"

This time, the game gave three answers to choose from. Jiang Xinghuo looked at them carefully and chose to go find Yun Fo, the God of Food in Guanglu Temple.

"Yun Fo was not among the judges today, so when you proposed to pay a visit to Yun Fo, the several food gods on the stage all looked displeased, thinking that your request was too abrupt and a bit ignorant of the rules."

"But when these food gods knew that you had killed Wu Gu Jun and cleared out the rebellion in the sect for the food god Yun Fo, they immediately changed their minds and asked the Taiguan Jijiu who served around to take you to find the food god Yun Fo."

"On the way to Yun Fo's residence, you also learned about the feud between Yun Fo and Wu Gu Jun through your conversation with this Taiguan Jijiu."

"Many years ago, Wu Gu Jun was a disciple of Yun Fo Shi Shen. He was outstanding among many apprentices and was expected to inherit Yun Fo Shi Shen's mantle. But later, Yun Fo Shi Shen accepted another disciple. Whether it was talent or how he dealt with people, everything was better than Wu Gu Jun."

"The Lord of Five Grains felt that the disciple was a potential threat to him, so in order to ensure his own status and the inheritance of the title of God of Food, he poisoned the disciple and colluded with bandits to rob and kill the disciple when he was out, and finally he died tragically in the wilderness."

"When Yun Fo Shi Shen learned that his disciple had been killed, he was furious and personally found those bandits. Under the threat of life and death, he learned the whole story from them." "Wu Gu Jun knew that if the matter was leaked, Yun Fo would never let it go, so he took advantage of Yun Fo's absence to kill his fellow disciples, stole Yun Fo's Shi Lin secret book, and fled to the rivers and lakes without daring to show up."

"After searching in vain, Yun Fo gave up the search and left a message: anyone who can kill the Five Grains Lord and bring his head to him will receive all of his inheritance and become one of the successors to the next generation of the God of Food."

"There are nine food gods in Guanglu Temple, all of them are well-known and prominent figures in the secular world. Becoming a food god means that money and power are within easy reach. It can be said that one can ascend to heaven in one step."

"The tone of this Taiguan Jijiu is also full of envy. He knows that you are likely to be his immediate superior in the future. If the food gods hadn't already known that it was you who killed Wu Gu Jun, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to suppress his greed and would forcefully attack you to take the credit for himself."

"Soon, you were led by the Imperial Official to the Yunfo Hall deep inside the Guanglu Temple. This is where Yunfo lives. Ever since Wu Gujun escaped, Yunfo has been depressed and rarely shows up to meet outsiders. Most of his disciples have also dispersed, leaving only a few honest and calm disciples to manage all matters inside and outside the Yunfo Hall."

"The Imperial Official went in to report your situation. After a moment, it came out and took you in. The Cloud Buddha also got straight to the point and asked you where the head of the Five Grains Lord was."

"Do you want to submit Mr. Goku's body?"

"You have submitted, the body of Goku-kun."

"Yun Fo looked at the body of Wu Gu Jun that you handed over, and was silent for a long while. He then asked his disciples to take the body away and suppress it under the Qianjun stove in Yun Fo Hall, where it will never be freed from it for eternity."

"The Qianjun Stove is Yun Fo's treasure. It is not only a cooking tool, but also a magical tool for subduing demons. According to legend, as long as a corpse is suppressed under the Qianjun Stove, even the soul in the underworld will suffer from the burning pain day and night. Even if it is reincarnated, it cannot escape this torture. Until the day when the corpse completely decays and disappears, the soul will also disappear with it, completely erasing any trace of it in this world."

"You killed Wu Gu Jun and cleared the door for Yun Fo. Yun Fo asked if you are willing to stay in Guanglu Temple. If you are willing to stay here, you will inherit its position as the God of Food in the future. It will pass on its lifelong learning to you, even if you are an exile despised and cursed by the secular world."

"However, from now on, your life, death, honor and disgrace will be tied to the Guanglu Temple. As long as the Guanglu Temple still exists in the secular world, you will never die, and even if you die, you can be resurrected."

"But if one day, Guanglu Temple completely disappears from the secular world, then you will disappear along with it. Born here, raised here, and died here, this is the fate of the Guanglu Temple Food God."

Seeing this description in the game text, Jiang Xinghuo suddenly thought of the Taoist landmark. Yun Fo’s description of Guanglu Temple was very similar to the Taoist landmark. Could it be that Guanglu Temple was a Taoist landmark set up by a powerful person?
If we follow this line of reasoning, then the three major gourmet organizations in the secular world might be in the same situation.

Then he must not fall into this trap. Once he agrees to stay in the Guanglu Temple, he is afraid that his life and death will no longer be in his control.

"You politely rejected Yun Fo's kindness, saying that you really have no talent in cooking. If you become the successor of Yun Fo's God of Cookery, you will only be laughed at and embarrassed, and you will not achieve much in this life."

"Yun Fo did not force it, only saying that everyone has their own destiny. But since you have cleared the door for it, you cannot return empty-handed. Yun Fo ordered his disciples to take out a large wooden box, saying that it was something for you. Since you don't want to stay in Guanglu Temple, the things in this box will be your reward, and it can also be regarded as fulfilling a commission from an old friend."

A request from an old friend? Jiang Xinghuo was curious, who was involved again?
"Do you want to open this box?"

Jiang Xinghuo chose yes.

"You opened the gift given by Cloud Buddha and found something inside. You gained something."

"You have obtained: an invitation to the first-class banquet of the Grand Food Banquet (common item), a divine turtle pendant (excellent item), a spirit snake ring (excellent item), a replica of the Zhenwu sword (rare item), a map of the secret cave left by Master Zhenwu (special item), and a Yin-Yang Tai Chi diagram (common item)."

Something left behind by Master Zhenwu?!
Jiang Xinghuo was stunned at first, and then he felt surprised and happy.

Lord Zhenwu is a powerful man among the human beings in the secular world.

He still had a pawn ticket left by Master Zhenwu in his hand. The item being pawned was Master Zhenwu's personal sword. However, due to the large number of donations required to redeem it, and his current level of cultivation preventing him from using the item, he had never redeemed it and it was still in the Datong Pawnshop.

So, the old friend that Yun Fo mentioned is Lord Zhenwu?

"Invitation to the first-class banquet of the Great Food Banquet (common props), invitation to the first-class banquet of the Great Food Banquet. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can come to the Guanglu Temple and hold this invitation, and you can enter the first-class banquet of the Great Food Banquet."

This is the highest-level invitation from the Guanglu Temple.

Jiang Xinghuo thought that if this news got out, more people would come to cause trouble for him. The invitation to the second-class banquet had already attracted so many people's covetousness, so the first-class banquet would only attract more attention.

It’s better for me to know this news only.

Jiang Xinghuo put the invitation into the magic bag and looked at the remaining things.

"Divine Turtle Pendant (Excellent Item). Legend has it that Master Zhenwu has two divine generals, the turtle and the snake. The turtle general has unparalleled defense and can withstand all kinds of attacks. This pendant is made from a drop of the turtle general's blood. It does not require mana to activate it. It can automatically sense danger and protect the wearer."

"Spirit Snake Pendant (Excellent Item), created from the hard work of the Snake General, one of the two generals under Master Zhenwu. It can transform into a giant python to attack the enemy. It can also be used as a formation to temporarily trap the enemy."

Jiang Xinghuo took these two things into reality. They looked like ordinary ornaments without any remarkable features. However, if you looked closely, it was not difficult to notice their extraordinaryness.

(End of this chapter)