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Chapter 343 The Skilled Chef (Part 3)

"Kisuki?"

"It can run around anywhere..." Xu Yuan muttered to himself, this was very different from the "Albizia wood" that Miao Yu mentioned in his intelligence.

"Who made a mistake?"

"Or are they all wrong?"

Bai Laoyan suddenly waved his hand at Gao Guanzi: "Stop being so mysterious, show us all your skills and let the master see them."

Xu Yuan was immediately curious: Did Gao Guanzi have other ways to help him?

Gao Guanzi smiled arrogantly and said, "Does Your Excellency want to know where that group of people went?"

He subconsciously raised his chin again, as if looking down at everything in front of him with disdain.

Old Bai coughed repeatedly.

Gao Guanzi realized what was happening and quickly lowered his head again, chuckled dryly, and stopped being mysterious: "I planted 'ear-in-the-ear hairs' on them, so I can hear everything they do as long as they are in this Ghost Witch Mountain."

He turned his head and showed one of his ears to Lord Xu.

Xu Yuan observed carefully and saw that many silvery-white, translucent hairs were growing out of his ear canals.

Each one trembled gently, as if it had its own will.

Xu Yuan praised, "Incredible! It's impossible to guard against!"

Gao Guanzi smeared the ground with his foot, clearing a flat area, and then drew a rough map on the ground with his finger.

“This is Guanghuo Street.” Gao Guanzi drew a curve with his finger.

“This is Pig-Squeak Rock.” He picked up a stone from the side and placed it on the rock.

Then he plucked five grass seeds from the nearby bushes and dropped them in one spot: "They're here."

"Indeed, we are heading towards Pig Call Rock."

Old Bai stared at the location of the five people, stroked his chin, and suddenly said, "Is this the cook's territory?"

Gao Guanzi chuckled and said, "Exactly! They came yesterday, acting furtively and suspiciously, looking down the mountain around our village. While doing business, they subtly inquired about the location of Pig Cry Rock from our villagers."

They did manage to figure out the route to Pig's Cry Rock. However… whether that route is safe or not, hehehe, that's hard to say.”

Old Bai grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "These people from outside the mountains are always wary of us."

"But you don't know that we mountain people are the most honest and kind. If you just state the price clearly and pay the full amount, we guarantee to take you safely to your destination. Isn't that good?"

Xu Yuan then asked, "Is this cook dangerous?"

"Of course it's dangerous. The old cook almost went to the streets back then, but even though she was kicked out, she was never satisfied, so she found the nearest place to live."

Xu Yuan said, "Let's follow them and take a look."

Gao Guanzi trembled: "My lord... are you really going?"

He glanced at Bai Laoyan and hinted: You should try to persuade her. That cook is not someone to be trifled with. Even if the two of us team up, we might not be able to defeat her.

Old Bai paused for a moment, then said truthfully, "Yesterday, sir, you rescued Mr. Piaodang from Lady Spider's clutches."

Gao Guanzi's ears twitched, and he immediately looked at Xu Yuan with new respect: "Lady Spider Lady had a terrible accident yesterday, and you actually... Then there's no problem, let's set off now."

The three immediately set off, with Gao Guanzi keeping his ears perked up, ready to receive any sounds from the "ear-in-ear device".

After walking for a while, Gao Guanzi said gloatingly, "They haven't moved for quite a while. I guess they've been caught by the cook."

"Let's hurry," Xu Yuan said.

The three quickened their pace, but not far along, Gao Guanzi suddenly reached out and grabbed the two of them: "Wait a moment."

Gao Guanzi stepped forward, listened carefully, and then gestured to the two men to follow behind him.

Gao Guanzi quietly climbed up the hillside beside him.

Having climbed to the ridge, the three hid behind a large tree, peeking down below:
On the other side of the hillside, a small river flows quietly.

In the river, a long, dark shadow twisted and turned as it drifted downstream.

The shadowy figure moved unhurriedly, but a chilling aura lingered wherever it went.

The stones and vegetation on the ground were all affected, and sophistry turned them into evil spirits!

The three waited and waited. The dark figure went far away, and most of the strange things along the way returned to normal. However, about 10% of them completely turned into evil spirits and disappeared into the grass and trees.

Gao Guanzi said, "That's a Yu."

Xu Yuan nodded.

Old Bai explained, "The spirits in Ghost Witch Mountain were originally river gods of various water systems."

The rivers they once inhabited were taken over by the Grand Canal, and the dragons themselves were killed by the Grand Canal Dragon King. Some of their remnants and spirits drifted into the mountains and became the water monsters.

These things are the most difficult to deal with; they are erratic and extremely powerful, especially in the water, where they are particularly terrifying.

Xu Yuan nodded to himself.

This type of evil spirit is extremely common in various "uncivilized places".

For example, the most representative character in Ghost Mountain is "Master Ruan Tian".

However, there is no record of such things in any of the records of the Three Offices of Strange Tales.

If Xu Yuan had started as a junior inspector and had a mentor to guide him, his mentor might have explained these things to him one by one during the course of handling cases over three to five years.

After the worm passed, the three of them came down from the hillside, crossed the stream, and continued towards the territory of "Human Chef Granny".

Two mountain runners followed them, and they bypassed the territories of all the great evil spirits along the way.

The three of them arrived at a scenic spot with clear waters and lush mountains in just half an hour.

The clear river water, like a jade ribbon, winds around a riverside oasis.

The sound of the water gurgling was like a group of children singing joyfully.

Both banks of the river are covered with all kinds of wildflowers, colorful, bright and cheerful.

A little further away is a lush green bamboo forest, rustling in the mountain breeze.

On the east bank, about half a mile from the river, a row of stone houses stands nestled against the mountain and beside the water.

The stone walls and roof were covered with sedge and moss, clearly indicating that they had been there for many years.

On the side facing the river, the door was opened, and several bamboo poles were extended outwards from the stone wall, with white cloths propped up on them to block the somewhat glaring midday sun.

A five-zhang-tall pole stood in front of the gate, with a cloth banner hanging on it bearing three large characters:

Cooking produces a fragrant aroma.

This place is a restaurant.

Sitting inside, you can enjoy delicious food while admiring the scenery outside.

However, what's peculiar is that the restaurant only has one room for entertaining guests.

The cooks' cooking area, however, occupied three separate rooms.

Deng Linyue and his four companions sat around a table, trembling with fear, cold sweat trickling down their temples.

Besides them, there were three other tables in the room, each with only one guest seated at it.

One was a filthy monster dripping with corpse oil.

It was more than half a meter tall when it sat there, and its body was constantly churning, with pieces of human bones and corpses occasionally protruding from it.

One was a multi-armed, multi-legged insect-man with a thin, emaciated body, holding a bloody eyeball the size of a human head in each hand.

Those eyes were still fixed on Deng Linyue and the other four!
The last one is a scoundrel wolf demon.

Its body was covered with dozens of pustules, and large patches of its wolf fur had fallen out, leaving only a few strands.

It scratched its skin with its claws, and every now and then it could pull out a louse from its sparse wolf fur, put it in its mouth and bite it. With a snap, the louse would burst open and release a ball of emerald green ghost fire, inside which were one or two ghosts, which it would then eat directly.

In the kitchen next door, there was a woman with a masculine appearance, a head taller than Deng Linyue, with a robust and stout body, but her eyebrows and eyes appeared small.

She was the only one in the kitchen, yet she was busy but not chaotic, her hands and feet moving nimbly. She quickly stir-fried the vegetables in the wok until cooked, then divided them into four portions and served them, all the while loudly announcing:
"Today's feast begins! The first dish is 'Liver-Stirring Sauce'!"

A plate of delicious-looking and fragrant dishes was placed in front of Deng Linyue and his group of five.

The five of them secretly groaned.

I just passed by and saw a row of stone houses in the distance.

Who would live in these mountains?

The Gaojia Village they left this morning was the last village they visited.

So the five of them kept their heads down and hurried along, not daring to look, only thinking about getting around as quickly as possible.

But as they walked, they suddenly smelled an enticing aroma of meat!

Then he became dizzy and lost his mind, and walked into the house and sat down in a daze.

The female cook then happily called out, "Our distinguished guest has arrived! Prepare for the feast!"

The five people were suddenly awakened, and when they looked again, they found that the three tables next to them were filled with evil spirits!

Deng Linyue was already a sixth-rate alchemist, yet he couldn't withstand this strange technique. He smelled the fragrance and followed it in.

Deng Linyue's expression changed, and he was about to ignite the fire in his abdomen and release the sword pellet—but he found that the fragrance was still lingering around his nose.

All his abilities seemed to be asleep, without any response.

Looking at his four companions, each of them wore a pale face, clearly indicating that they were all in the same boat.

When the dish "Slippery Liver" was served, the three evil spirits picked up their chopsticks and began to feast.

Deng Linyue and his four companions remained completely still.

The female cook said irritably, "Why aren't our distinguished guests eating? Do they think my cooking is bad?"

She stood in the kitchen, glaring at the five people, holding a cleaver in her hand!

Deng Linyue steeled himself, picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of food, closed his eyes, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it without chewing.

"How does it taste?" the female chef asked with a forced smile.

Deng Linyue could only reply, "Very good..."

"Eat more if you like it!" The female chef seemed very happy.

After Deng Linyue said "very good", he inexplicably felt that it was really delicious!

So, as if against my will, I quickly picked up another piece with my chopsticks and stuffed it into my mouth. This time, I really ate it!
Then came the second piece, the third piece...

The other four were suspicious, and then they noticed that the female cook had not put down the cleaver and was still staring at them coldly!

They followed Deng Linyue's example and forced themselves to swallow a piece.

"how is the taste?"

"Very good……"

"Eat more if you like it!"

The five of them finished off a plate of "stir-fried liver" in no time!

"Hahaha!" The female cook laughed heartily, "You're a great guest! Now that you've eaten my food, please settle the bill."

Deng Linyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. So it was just money. No problem, no problem.

"How much does this dish cost?"

"It's not expensive, it's not expensive at all, I just want to save a life!"

The five men's expressions changed.

The female cook suddenly changed her expression: "What, are you trying to renege on your bill?"

Dro!
The cleaver slicing deep into the cutting board.

Deng Linyue desperately tried to activate the fire in his abdomen, but even though the flame was clearly in his lower dantian, there was no response at all!
Deng Linyue had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I won't renege on my debt, please wait a moment, shopkeeper..." The female cook coldly replied, "Why don't you distinguished guests discuss whose life will pay the bill!"

The five people's expressions changed immediately.

In that instant, Deng Linyue and the other three people all looked at the fifth person!

A few days ago, Deng Linyue received news of the "Ghost Beard Wood" and invited three of his friends, promising them generous rewards to assist him.

One of them happened to have a friend visiting, and that person was the fifth.

So they invited them along as well.

After all, Deng Linyue gave a lot.

Sixth-rate alchemists make a lot of money.

The fifth person angrily cursed, "You guys are so stupid..."

But it was too late. The female cook gave a strange smile: "It's him? Good!"

So the female cook stretched out her arm, which stretched several feet long, grabbed the fifth man by the neck, and lifted him directly into the kitchen.

It's like a fishmonger accurately catching a live fish from the pond.

With her other hand, she pulled out the cleaver, flipped it over, and used the thick back of the blade to strike the fifth person hard on the back of the head.

Snapped!
The fifth person rolled his eyes and fainted.

The female cook pinned the man to the cutting board, grabbed a boning knife, and swiftly disemboweled him…

"Guests, please wait a moment." The female chef gave a strange smile. "The second dish of the day, stewed human heads, will be ready soon!"

thump--

She chopped the freshly severed head in half, threw it into a basin, and then marinated it with various seasonings.

Deng Linyue and the other three were sweating profusely.

And they all kept their heads down, not daring to look at their companions.

The person just called them stupid, and they certainly understand that.
This time, the fifth person has been pushed out. What's next? Who will be the fourth?!
But it's always good to live a little longer.

I thought I was here for a banquet, but I never expected to be served at the table!

Suddenly, the cook, who was focused on cooking, looked up and then her face lit up with joy. She greeted them warmly, "Another distinguished guest has arrived!"

"Please take your seats, there's a seat available."

The cook led the newcomer in, insisting that he sit in the same seat the previous person had taken.

Even though there were seats available at the other three tables, they wouldn't let him sit there.

The person who came was also strange; he was walking in broad daylight, yet he was carrying a lantern.

As if captivated by the aroma of meat, she entered with her head down and without uttering a word, sitting wherever the cook arranged.

They also ignored the terrifying evil spirits on the other three tables.

But he didn't need the cook to tell him what to do; he simply stuck the lantern on the roof beam.

A strange look flashed in the cook's eyes.

However, there was no interference.

The meaty aroma wasn't very strong, so we needed to get him to sit down and eat the next dish quickly.

Otherwise, if the person struggles and breaks free from the control of the meaty aroma, it might be a case of more harm than good.

All of the cook's skills lie in the word "cook".

Just like a normal restaurant, even if the aroma travels for miles, it only attracts customers.

If guests arrive but cannot get the food, no matter how tempting the aroma, it will be useless, and the guests will leave in a huff.

Therefore, the "fragrance" must be followed by the "dishes".

Deng Linyue was unable to use his skills just now. If he had persisted for a little longer and hadn't been forced to eat that "stir-fried liver" dish, he would have already broken free from the control of the meaty aroma.

Unfortunately, Deng Linyue was unaware of this detail.

After Xu Yuan sat down, the cook hurriedly returned to the kitchen to continue making the dish "Stewed Heads".

Xu Yuan did not let the two mountain runners come along.

It was because the cook knew them both.

As soon as the two of them appear, the cook and the three strange creatures here will immediately take action.

The four people at this table are unlikely to survive.

But Xu Yuan still had some questions for them.

Xu Yuan brought out the lantern and wine pot from the South City patrol post.

After all, even with his greatly increased strength, Xu Yuan still felt that no matter how much preparation he made, it was not "thorough" enough to enter Ghost Witch Mountain.

Xu Yuan glanced at the cook, then looked down at Deng Linyue and asked, "What is your name?"

Deng Linyue had no interest in chatting with people at that moment.
I'm trying hard to find a way to awaken the "abilities" within me.

But for some reason, as soon as someone asked, he couldn't help but blurt out, "My name is Deng Linyue."

"Which discipline, and what level?"

"Alchemy practitioners, a sixth-rate group."

"What brings you to Ghost Witch Mountain?"

"Go to Pig Cry Rock and find a Ghost Beard Tree. The eye of that tree is a genuine seed that can help me advance to the fifth rank."

The more Deng Linyue talked, the more he felt something was wrong!
How could I possibly reveal something so important to a stranger in this setting?!
But why can't I control my mouth?

Xu Yuan nodded to himself.

Regardless of what kind of tree it is, it seems there is indeed a genuine seed.

"What's so special about this ghost beard wood?"

Deng Linyue didn't want to answer and tried his best to keep his mouth shut, but he still couldn't help but blurt out: "This tree has both yin and yang characteristics. Its roots are ghost roots, and its trunk is a yang body."

Its roots can be pulled directly from the soil and travel through the mountains as fast as a galloping horse.

The tree trunk has eyes, each representing ten years of cultivation, and a true seed will grow from the thirteenth eye.

But if another ten years pass and the fourteenth eye appears, the true seed will be too old to be used.

This tree didn't originally grow in Ghost Mountain; I heard it came from upstream, flowing down the canal.

This Ghost Beard Tree is extremely difficult to deal with. It is ever-changing and can easily blend into an ordinary forest, making it very difficult to find.

Moreover, each tree branch provides it with a chance to 'shed its skin,' meaning that even if it is caught, it will escape.

Xu Yuan then asked, "So what preparations did you make to catch this tree?"

“I’ve crafted a spider web that can counter its ‘golden cicada shedding its shell’ trick, but I still don’t have a good way to distinguish its ‘ever-changing forms’.”

Deng Linyue slapped himself hard several times, his face swollen, but he still couldn't stop himself from answering all questions truthfully!

Xu Yuan smiled inwardly. If this guy hadn't been caught by the cook, he really wouldn't have had such a suitable interrogation environment.

The cook looked at Xu Yuan suspiciously.

Why is this guy whispering to that person so much after he arrived?
Why did that person slap himself?

The cook drew her cleaver and entered the shop, asking in an unfriendly tone, "What has our esteemed guest prepared?"

"You are my honored guest, but these guests are also my honored guests!"

Xu Yuan retorted, "What restaurant doesn't allow customers to chat? A chef should do his job and focus on cooking!"

"..." The cook had no rebuttal.

What this guy said makes a lot of sense.

She looked at Deng Linyue: "Distinguished guest, do you need my help?"

Deng Linyue hesitated for a moment. Although the person next to him was strange, he was still a living person.

"unnecessary."

The cook grumbled as she went back to continue cooking.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment and then asked, "If I rescue you, can you give me the spider web you've refined in return?"

Deng Linyue's eyes darted around.

He had already realized that there was something wrong with this person.

He must have been carrying some kind of artifact that allowed him to answer any question and prevented him from lying.

When Deng Linyue heard Xu Yuan's question, his subconscious reaction was: I'll agree to it first, and after we escape from this evil spirit, I'll tell him that only I can control the spider web, and I'll help him catch the Ghostwood, and then...

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he immediately stopped thinking about it.

Instead, she deceived herself, thinking: Okay, as long as I can escape, I don't want Onisuki anymore, I don't want the true seed...

But who can deceive themselves?

Those who keep talking about "self-deception" are actually well aware of the truth deep down.

The so-called "self-deception" is just an unwillingness to admit it.

But when he did that, and started answering under the influence of the lantern, things got chaotic.

All sorts of incoherent ramblings came out of his mouth.

On several occasions, he even bit his own tongue while speaking!
Xu Yuan smiled coldly, knowing that this guy was lying to him.

So he stopped asking and sat there, seemingly suddenly feeling sleepy, letting out a long yawn.

The cook, who was cooking, suddenly put down her knife, went to a wine vat, and brought everyone a pot of wine.

Then, with a forced smile, he poured a glass for all the guests—including the three evil spirits—saying, "This wine also costs money."

"I soaked it in the juice of thirty-two human penises; it's very nourishing."

The three evil spirits, of course, had no qualms and drank it down in one gulp.

Then, with drool dripping down his face, he continued to stare at the five people at Deng Linyue's table.

Deng Linyue didn't want to drink, but the cook was staring intently at them.

Xu Yuan was the first to pick up his glass and drink, and Deng Linyue and the other three had no choice but to follow suit.

I felt... it didn't seem to have any strange taste, it was just normal alcohol.

The cook placed the wine pot on their table and then went back to cooking.

"Dragon Spitting a Clam" was able to fool Deng Linyue and the three evil spirits in the shop—they were all sixth-rate creatures.

But the cook sensed something, abruptly raising her head and staring menacingly at Xu Yuan: "What have you done?!"

Xu Yuan said with a grin, "Let's drink. There's no sign in your shop saying you can't bring your own wine. Cook, hurry up and prepare the dishes, I can't wait any longer."

Your delicious food, paired with my fine wine, is a perfect match.

The cook was still somewhat suspicious, but she started cooking faster.

We must get this fellow to eat the first dish quickly!

However, the process of "disassembling human heads" is complicated, and the human chef is a wicked spirit with high standards for food.

Even though the speed has been increased, no necessary steps can be omitted.

Just as the dish was about to be served, a series of "thump" sounds rang out from inside the restaurant.

The three evil spirits and Deng Linyue's four companions all collapsed to the ground.

Only the last "distinguished guest" arrived, grinning at him as he breathed out a mouthful of raging fire!
(End of this chapter)