I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

Chapter 65: The City's Entire "Starving Ghosts" and the "Screaming Salad" T

Jianghai City, noon.

What should have been a pleasant lunch break has been shrouded in an eerie atmosphere in Jianghai City these past few days.

The citizens found that they seemed to be never full.

I just finished eating two big bowls of rice, and my stomach started growling again in less than half an hour; long queues formed at the roadside food stalls, and the vendors couldn't keep up with the demand even when they were wielding their shovels until they were smoking; even the urban beauties who usually only eat grass to lose weight were all drooling and munching on family buckets on the street.

This hunger is not physiological, but rather stems from an emptiness deep within the soul.

It was as if some kind of virus called "binge eating" was floating in the air.

This phenomenon is particularly pronounced at the entrance of Deep Blue Seafood Restaurant.

"I'm so hungry..."

The diners in line had their eyes gleaming with greed, staring intently at the restaurant's entrance, drool dripping from their mouths. If it weren't for the S-rank dragon-man security guard (Ao Bing) standing at the door, radiating terrifying dragon might, this group of people probably would have already rushed in and grabbed their food.

"What's going on? All the customers today are like starving ghosts reincarnated?"

Wang Ergou stood at the door, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

He could sense an extremely powerful and evil aura approaching, an aura like a giant black hole, endlessly devouring all life around it.

"They're here."

Ao Bing suddenly raised his head, his golden vertical pupils fixed on the end of the street.

A white, extended Lincoln limousine slowly drove up.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, a rich aroma of red wine mixed with the scent of top-quality spices wafted out.

The car door opened.

A foot wearing a white leather shoe stepped onto the red carpet (it was laid by his own servant).

Immediately afterward, the middle-aged man named Tao Tie (pseudonym), who was actually the president of the World Gourmet Association, an S+ level expert, and a high-level follower of the King of Gluttony, gracefully walked down.

He was tall and slender, not as obese as one might imagine; in fact, he appeared rather thin. But in his deep-set eyes burned two insatiable flames of hunger.

"This is the legendary... Deep Blue Seafood Restaurant?"

Tao Tie pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and glanced at the two rows of trembling Deep Ones welcoming guests at the entrance.

"Using ingredients to welcome guests? What a waste!"

He shook his head, his tone full of arrogance and disdain.

"Although the flesh of the Deep Diver is sour and astringent, it has a unique flavor when used as sashimi with the gills of this lowly creature, paired with hellish horseradish. How can we let them stand here in the wind? The flesh will become tough."

The other Deepsea Divers nearby: "..."

They felt as if they had been stripped naked and placed on a chopping board for scrutiny, and they trembled with fear.

"Excuse me... sir, do you have an appointment?"

Ao Bing stepped forward and stood in front of Tao Tie. Although the other party's aura was terrifying, as the security captain of Deep Blue Aquatic Products, it was his duty not to back down (mainly because he was afraid of having his wages docked).

"reserve?"

Tao Tie laughed.

He extended a finger and gently touched Ao Bing's indestructible dragon scale armor.

"I'm here to 'taste' it; no appointment is needed."

"And... little loach, your meat is quite good, very chewy. If you're steaming it, you need to control the heat carefully."

"Buzz—"

A terrifying devouring power erupted from his fingertips.

Ao Bing felt the dragon scale on his chest that had been struck instantly lose all its essence, turning into something like a piece of dry tree bark, and then it shattered with a crack!

"What?!"

Ao Bing was shocked and took three steps back.

With just a single finger, it drained the essence of his S-grade dragon scales?!

This man... is a monster!

"Get out of my way, don't force me to eat snacks before my main meal."

Tao Tie elegantly straightened his tie, ignored the security team who looked like they were facing a formidable enemy, and walked straight into the hall.

……

Inside the lobby.

Tao Tie found the most conspicuous spot to sit down.

Instead of ordering, he took out a clean white handkerchief and carefully wiped the dust-free tabletop.

"Waiter, call your boss out here."

Tao Tie's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the noisy restaurant, even drowning out the Mad Hatter's "Two Tigers."

All the diners fell silent, instinctively sensing that something was amiss.

"Sir, the boss is busy in the kitchen. You can tell me what you need."

Wang Ergou forced himself to walk over.

"Tell you?"

Tao Tie glanced at him. "You're just a charlatan with a sinister aura. What do you know about fine food?"

"I'm only giving your boss ten minutes. If he doesn't come out, I'll..."

He glanced around at the diners and the rare decorations (Abyss materials).

"Eat it all."

As soon as he finished speaking, a huge, fanged abyssal maw faintly appeared in the void behind him.

That mouth was big enough to swallow the entire building!

"ah--!!!"

The diners screamed in fright and tried to run away.

But the door was blocked by an invisible force and could not be opened at all.

"Who's so arrogant? Aren't they afraid of biting off more than they can chew?"

Just then, a lazy voice came from the second-floor stairwell.

Jiang Li carried a bowl of freshly mixed cold dishes in her hand, and was still wearing her apron stained with oil as she slowly walked down the steps.

Big Yellow followed behind him, watching the man in the white suit warily, letting out a low growl.

"Woof!" (Master, this guy is starving! He's trying to steal our food!)

"You're Jiang Li?"

Tao Tie looked at this young man who seemed to have no air of strength, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

"This is the legendary chef who can cook ancient gods? He looks... quite ordinary."

Whether it's ordinary or not, you'll only know after you eat it.

Jiang Li placed the basin in his hand in front of Tao Tie.

"I heard you're the president of the Food Association? Come on, try my newly developed product—the [Abyss Scream Salad]."

The basin was filled with colorful vegetables.

There are purple cabbages with ghost faces (a variant of the Ghost Face Cabbage), carrots that twist like fingers (Screaming Carrots), and diced, still wriggling Abyss Eggplants.

These vegetables were not cooked; they were raw.

They jostled around in the basin, making faint sounds like mice squeaking.

"This is... grown on your farm?"

Tao Tie glanced at it, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The vitality these vegetables possess is simply unbelievable! These aren't vegetables; they're clearly living things!

"What? You're afraid to eat it?"

Jiang Li retorted provocatively, "Afraid the vegetables will bite you?"

"Heh, a provocation?"

Tao Tie sneered, "In this world, there's nothing I, Tao Tie, wouldn't dare to eat!"

He picked up his fork, speared a piece of still-screaming purple cabbage, and elegantly put it into his mouth.

"ah--!!!"

The moment the purple cabbage entered the mouth, it let out a shrill scream, and the ghostly face on it suddenly opened its mouth and bit down hard on Tao Tie's tongue!

This vegetable can actually bite!

If it were an ordinary person, their tongue would probably be bitten off.

But Tao Tie was a believer in gluttony.

"Snap!"

His teeth instantly became as sharp as a shark's, and his upper and lower jaws snapped shut.

The piece of purple cabbage that tried to resist, along with its scream, was instantly crushed.

"Chew, chew, chew..."

Tao Tie savored it carefully.

"Hmm... crisp texture, juicy, with an earthy aroma and... a resentful spiciness."

He swallowed it, a look of enjoyment on his face.

"The sensation of that struggle in your mouth is truly a top-notch experience. A wonderful appetizer."

He picked up another carrot.

"However, having ingredients alone is not enough."

Tao Tie spoke slowly and deliberately as he ate the biting vegetables.

"The highest level of culinary skill is not preserving the original flavor of the ingredients, but... plundering them."

"Plunder?" Jiang Li pulled out a chair and sat down. "That's robbery, not cooking."

"No, it's about plundering the essence of heaven and earth, forcibly fusing it together, and creating a delicious flavor that transcends the rules!"

Tao Tie's eyes gleamed with fanaticism.

"Jiang Li, your ingredients are indeed excellent, but your cooking philosophy is too rudimentary. You're merely adapting to the ingredients, while I'm conquering them!"

"So?" Jiang Li picked at his ear. "You're here to give me a lesson?"

"No, I'm here to challenge you."

Tao Tie took out a golden invitation card from his pocket and slapped it on the table.

"Three days later, Jianghai City Central Square."

"We're going to hold a public 'Master Chef Competition'!"

"If I win, this shop, your farm, and you yourself will all belong to me!"

"You want me to be your person?"

Jiang Li looked disgusted. "I'm not gay, and I don't want to be your personal chef."

"And what if you win?"

Tao Tie ignored Jiang Li's complaints. He flipped his hand, and a small cauldron, about the size of a palm, pitch black, and covered with Taotie patterns, appeared in his hand.

【Gluttony Cauldron】(S+ Rank Artifact)

"This is a divine artifact bestowed by the King of Gluttony. Its interior connects to an endless subspace, capable of cooking all things in the world, even turning gods into soup!"

"If you win, this cauldron is yours."

"tripod?"

Jiang Li's eyes lit up instantly when he saw the small cauldron.

His current [Nine Nether Soul Refining Furnace] is useful, but it's for starting fires, not for cooking. Besides, that big iron pot is gradually becoming inadequate (it's too slow when cooking dragon meat).

This cauldron...it looks like a high-end item!

"Can this cauldron... grow bigger?" Jiang Li asked.

"Of course, the size is up to you."

How much food can it cook?

"It can hold an entire ocean."

"make a deal!"

Jiang Li slammed his hand on the table and snatched the golden invitation.

"See you in three days! I'm definitely getting this cauldron! My family just happens to need a clay pot for stewing soup!"

Tao Tie: "..."

casserole?

This is a divine artifact! It is the power of gluttony!

"Hmph, ignorant of their own limitations."

Tao Tie sneered and stood up.

"Enjoy your last moments, cook. In three days, you'll understand what true despair is."

After saying that, he led his group of bodyguards, who looked like starving ghosts, away.

With the lockdown lifted, diners finally breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into their chairs.

"That scared me to death... Who was that person? They had such a powerful presence!"

"I heard he's the president of the World Gastronomy Association! That's a real big shot!"

"Did Boss Jiang overestimate himself this time?"

……

back kitchen.

Wang Ergou and Lei Meng surrounded Jiang Li, their faces full of worry.

"Boss, that's Tao Tie! The so-called 'World Devourer'! It's said that he once ate all the specialties of an entire small country just to cook one dish!"

Lei Meng was still shaken. "And that cauldron of his... it's incredibly eerie. I've heard that anything cooked in that cauldron will have its soul imprisoned inside forever!"

"What's there to be afraid of? We'll deal with whatever comes our way, whether it's soldiers or water."

Jiang Li played with the gold ingot in his hand, looking relaxed.

"He has a magical weapon, but we don't? My butcher knife isn't just for show either."

"but……"

Jiang Li stroked his chin. "Since it's a competition, there must be a topic. He didn't say what the competition would be about, which means it's free play."

"To defeat him, the ingredients we have now (dragon meat, sea cucumber, penguin) are probably not impressive enough."

"We need to get something... more exciting."

"Even more exciting?"

Wang Ergou swallowed hard. "Boss, we've even eaten ancient gods, what could be more exciting? Are you going to eat outer gods?"

"Outer Gods...we'll talk about that later."

Jiang Li shook his head. "I just suddenly remembered something."

"The other day, did that ghoul cleaning crew on our farm dig something up underground?"

"Huh? Oh! Right!"

Wang Ergou remembered, "That ghoul elder reported to me that while they were cleaning up the garbage deep underground, they dug up a huge... bone."

"bone?"

"Yes, a huge leg bone. And that bone... it was golden, and it was covered with writing that we couldn't understand."

"Golden leg bones?"

Jiang Li's eyes suddenly lit up with an alarming brightness.

"That's no ordinary bone! That's absolutely—a divine bone!"

"If this were used to make soup... it would be a true 'divine soup'!"

"Quick! Tell Old Wang! Prepare the boat! We're going to the farm again!"

"This time, I'm going to dig that bone out!"

……

Deep Blue No. 1 Ecological Farm (Forest Black Island).

The ghoul elder was surrounded by a group of his underlings, looking worried.

At the bottom of the pit, a section of golden bone was exposed, only the tip of the iceberg, but the oppressive aura it exuded made even these monsters that fed on corpses tremble.

"Squeak... This bone... is too hard... I can't bite it..."

The elder tried to take a bite and almost broke his teeth.

Just then.

"Buzz—"

The portal (dog hole) lights up.

Jiang Li, carrying his iconic pig-slaughtering knife, charged out with Da Huang.

"Get out of the way! Let the professionals handle this!"

Jiang Li jumped into the pit, looked at the golden bone, and reached out to touch it.

It is warm and smooth, like jade, and contains abundant yang energy.

"This is amazing! It must have been left behind by a powerful being from ancient times!"

(In reality, this is an ancient incarnation of the King in Yellow, a piece of divine bone left behind after he fell here tens of thousands of years ago, called the Immortal Shinbone.)

"Big Yellow! Help! Dig up the soil!"

"Woof!"

A man and his dog began digging frantically.

Half an hour later.

A massive leg bone, ten meters long, golden in color, and exuding a sacred aura, was presented in its entirety to the crowd.

"Perfect!"

Jiang Li patted the bone as if it were his most beloved treasure.

"This is the 'main course' of our competition!"

"I've already thought of a name—[Supreme Golden Immortal Soup]!"

"Ergou! Call someone! Carry him back!"

"Oh, and while you're at it, pick those biggest human-faced pumpkins from the field too. This soup needs some vegetables to really shine!"

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The central square of Jianghai City was packed with people.

The huge arena has been set up.

On one side was Tao Tie, dressed in a gorgeous chef's uniform, wearing a top gold hat, and followed by a group of beautiful female assistants. In front of him was the pitch-black [Gluttony Cauldron], inside which green venom (a kind of high-level magic potion broth) was bubbling.

On the other side was Jiang Li, wearing shorts, flip-flops, and an apron. In front of him was a large earthen stove hastily built with bricks, on which sat the large iron pot that had been brought from the kitchen.

"The Culinary Master Competition! Officially Begins!"

With the host's command.

Tao Tie was the first to move.

He formed a mudra with his hands and chanted incantations.

"Come out, my ingredients!"

The space behind him cracked open, and he pulled a huge, winged lion (a subspecies of the Sphinx, an A-level magical beast) out of the void.

"Wow! It's Warcraft!" the audience exclaimed.

Tao Tie grinned maliciously and threw the lion directly into the cauldron.

"Refine!"

The lid of the cauldron closed, and a piercing scream came from inside.

"Hmph, let's see how you compare to me!" Tao Tie looked at Jiang Li smugly.

Jiang Li, however, calmly pulled out that ten-meter-long... golden bone.