Turbid World: Martial Arts Master of the Republic of China Era, I Cultivate Immortality!

The next day, the third day of the eighth lunar month, at 5 a.m.

The main hall of Zuowang Temple

"What do you mean by 'just worship and that's it'?"

After finishing his morning class, Zhao Zheng sat on a futon and looked curiously at the divination symbol formed by the three silver dollars on his left palm.

He didn't continue the divination. Since the divination had already said so, he might as well give it a try. Zhao Zheng put away the silver dollars and looked with satisfaction at the three-legged toad that had already crawled back under the offering table.

Getting up from the prayer mat and dusting himself off, Zhao Zheng picked up the foreign paddle he had used to perform the Beast Taming Technique and left the main hall.

After washing and hanging up the foreign racket, Zhao Zheng, under the bewildered gaze of Xiang Yu standing at the door of the room, took out a bundle of incense, an incense burner, and a painting from the main hall and walked into the kitchen.

"Junior brother, what are you doing?"

Today is the third day of the eighth lunar month!

"Oh, it's the Kitchen God's birthday!"

Xiang Yu understood. As a disciple of Maoshan, he naturally knew that today was the birthday of the Kitchen God of the Nine Heavens, who was also known as the Stove God.

Xiang Yu told Zhao Zheng not to forget what they had discussed yesterday, then went to wash up. Zhao Zheng responded and went to the kitchen to put the things away.

Take out some glutinous rice flour, mix it well, take down last year's Kitchen God image, and then paste up this year's Kitchen God image.

After setting up the incense burner, Zhao Zheng picked up a large handful of incense, untied the sealing rope, shook it, and lit the incense instantly.

After filling the incense burner, Zhao Zheng lifted the pot lid and looked inside at the rooster that had almost starved to death but finally died yesterday afternoon while drawing talismans—a gift left behind by the rooster.

That is to say, it consists of two plates of stir-fried potatoes and chicken.

Zhao Zheng picked up a plate, smelled it, and after confirming that it hadn't spoiled under the freezing power of his Yin attribute magic, he activated his Yang attribute magic.

A few moments later, after heating up the plate of stir-fried potatoes and chicken, I placed it on the small offering table below the image of the Kitchen God.

"I think you're probably tired of the offerings we give you, Kitchen God, so you can eat whatever I eat, right...?"

Zhao Zheng, who had forgotten to buy offerings, discussed it, then added, "This is a two-and-a-half-year-old free-range rooster; it's very hard to buy. It's just that the owner has a good relationship with my master..."

After Zhao Zheng finished speaking, he sincerely bowed in prayer. When he raised his head, what he saw was a sudden, bright flame on the incense burner.

"!!!"

I saw a ghost... no, I saw a god!

The Kitchen God really did appear!

Zhao Zheng's pupils dilated slightly, and he saw the golden flame on the incense stick leap up and rush straight at his face. He subconsciously used his hand to block it.

Unfortunately, it was completely ineffective in blocking it. He could only watch helplessly as the golden flame passed through his palm as if it were passing through the air, without causing him any harm, and then split in two and disappeared into his eyes.

I think I should buy some offerings next time!

This was Zhao Zheng's first thought when two flames shot into his eyes, but soon his second thought replaced the first, making him think with a look of surprise.

"The Kitchen God is... Suirenshi..."

Zhao Zheng looked with surprise at the new status bar that had been added to the panel depicting the myriad aspects of life that he had inexplicably summoned.

A Portrait of Life

[Photo by: Zhao Zheng]

Age: 18

[Sect: Maoshan Seventy-Two Temples - Zuowang Temple]

[Record: The True Text Record of the Primordial Chaos Ancestral Qi]

[Rank/Class Status: Pending Trigger]

[Constitution: Innate Yin-Yang Dao Body (10%)]

[Talents: discerning eyes, selflessness, and a love for the cruel]

Status: Passing on the torch

Realm: Refining Essence into Qi (Early Stage)

[Essence: Shangqing Great Cave True Scripture (Introduction)...]

[Dharma: Golden Light Mantra (Beginner)...]

Skill Points: 1

……

Status: Passing on the torch

[Introduction: There was once a country called Suiming, where people did not know the four seasons or day and night. In this country lived a fire tree called Suimu, which stretched for thousands of acres. Later, a sage traveled beyond the sun and moon and arrived in this country, resting beneath this tree. A bird resembling an owl pecked at the tree, and brilliant fire appeared. The sage was moved by this and used a small branch to drill for fire, thus becoming known as Suiren (the Man of Fire)...]

【Characteristic 1: Healing】

[Description: Any flame you come into contact with, before it is completely extinguished, can impart a very slight healing effect to the food being cooked...]

[Note: In the beginning of time, who passed on the teachings...?]

"Like a pillow delivered when you're sleepy..."

Could I really be that reincarnation...?

Glancing at the progress of the formation of the Innate Yin-Yang Dao Body, which had increased again, Zhao Zheng pondered with a strange feeling.

He then searched his mind for evidence that Suirenshi was the Kitchen God. The first was the record in the Huainanzi that "Emperor Yan died of fire and became the Kitchen God," and the second was the record in the Shiwu Huiyuan that "Emperor Huangdi was the Kitchen God."

From this perspective, only Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang are clearly known to have been the Kitchen Gods. However, considering the inscription on the stove written by Li You of the Han Dynasty, which states, "Suiren created the stove to bring about the harmony of the five elements and the succession of yin and yang," it seems that Suiren was also a Kitchen God.

After all, there is indeed a saying in some regions that Suirenshi is the god of the stove. In addition to this, there are three other reasons why Zhao Zheng believes that Suirenshi is the god of the stove.

The first point is well known: Taoist immortals and gods are most famous for having many aliases. Who knows if Suirenshi (the legendary god of fire) used an alias to become the Kitchen God?

Secondly, and this is also common knowledge, well, well, most people probably don't know that the Kitchen God is also called the Fire God.

Suirenshi is the ancestor of fire. If Suirenshi is not the god of the stove, then Zhao Zheng feels that... he should buy offerings.

Seeing the fleeting glint of divine light on the image of the Kitchen God, Zhao Zheng stopped thinking and quickly bowed even more respectfully.

At the same time, he also mentioned his third reason: "I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of the Nine Heavens, the Eastern Kitchen Master of Fate, the Supreme Emperor of Destiny, who establishes blessings and reports good deeds."

Yes, the Celestial Venerable, the Kitchen God is also a Celestial Venerable-level deity, which is the main reason why Zhao Zheng believes that the Kitchen God is Suirenshi.

After the ceremony, Zhao Zheng reheated the food he had prepared the night before but hadn't had time to eat, and then told Xiang Yu to eat by himself before running out of the Taoist temple.

In no time, he returned carrying a pile of offerings, and also bought a jar of maltose. As everyone knows, the Kitchen God is the god of destiny.

As for Si Ming... his main job is to record all the bad things, big and small, that happen in his residence, and then take the time to go up and complain. Zhao Zheng bought malt sugar purely to avoid being complained about.

As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to him, and he who takes another's money is bound to him

As for whether it's shameful or not, there's no one else in the Taoist temple besides that stupid... senior brother Xiang Yu.

Why do I feel like you're insulting me?

Xiang Yu, who had already finished eating, looked at Zhao Zhengdao, who was walking out of the kitchen, with a puzzled expression. Zhao Zhengdao asked in surprise, "Why would I, Zhao Zheng, scold you for no reason?"

"……Too!"

"Let's go, didn't you say you'd help?"

Zhao Zheng spoke up, then added, "Go and close all the doors." He then quickly went into the bedroom, changed out of his Taoist robe, put on another set of the same black Zhongshan suit, returned to the courtyard, and said to Xiang Yu, who had closed the door, "Let's go."

The two left the Taoist temple, closed and locked the gate, and just as Xiang Yu was about to ask how far they were going, he saw Zhao Zheng take out a whistle.

At the sound of a whistle, a carriage even more luxurious than the Ren family's Western-style carriage sped over. The young servant driving the carriage quickly got off and brought out a stool made of Phoebe zhennan wood.

"Young master, please get in the car!"

"..."

Xiang Yu stared wide-eyed at the carriage before him, which was even more luxurious than the one belonging to the Ren family, and looked in surprise at Zhao Zhengdao getting into the carriage.

"Your family is that rich?"

"Generally, there were only two... Oh, they've been renamed now, and there are only two banks now."

"..."

There are only... two... banks...

Xiang Yu, not quite understanding how these words were put together, boarded the carriage with a blank expression. After a while, he glanced at the rapidly receding street scene outside the carriage window and asked Zhao Zheng.

"Junior brother, where are we going? Won't we be late for the Ren family's trip? Old Master Ren is leaving for the back mountain at nine o'clock this morning..."

"In the south of the city, my family runs a soup kitchen. There's still time. It's not even six o'clock yet..." Zhao Zheng said, glancing at the stars that hadn't completely disappeared.

The soup kitchen he mentioned was the reason he said it was like a pillow being delivered to someone who was sleepy, when he saw the passing down of knowledge and skills.

Xiang Yu nodded, understanding the meaning of Zhao Zheng's words from yesterday about helping the refugees.

Thinking about it, he asked with some curiosity, "Junior brother, do you run the soup kitchen in the south of the city, or is it run by your family?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, I just am..."

"Just kidding, I'm the one who drives it!"

"Huh? You really opened it, junior brother? Why did you decide to open a soup kitchen?" Xiang Yu asked, as if he had become a curious child.

"People always have to do something..."