From a country cook to a master chef

Wu Yanzi looked dejected. He had just returned to his cave, intending to go into seclusion to break through his cultivation bottleneck, but his master, Jin Guang Shangren, dragged him into the city, saying there was important business to attend to.

Looking at the long queue of ordinary people waiting to enter the city below, and seeing his master's tense expression, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Suddenly, he sensed something and looked behind him, feeling as if a pair of eyes were spying on him.

It is unclear why, and difficult to pinpoint its location.

"Hurry up, the situation is urgent, there's no time to lose."

With a worried expression, Venerable Jin Guang flicked his whisk, and his powerful magic propelled his two disciples across the city walls, heading together towards the towering pagoda within the city.

Lin Jue and Zhang Kuang huddled together and talked, and soon they had lined up near the city gate.

Looking through the two-zhang-high city gate, one sees a completely different scene from the outside world.

"Anyone holding a valid identification pass, please register on the left and enter the city through the Donghua Gate."

"Those who do not have it, please register on the right and enter the city through Nanping Gate."

Lin Jue was taken aback, completely unaware that refugees entering the city also needed to register.

He was not originally from this world, and besides, with the heavy snow causing disaster, he hadn't seen any government officials during the months he stayed at the Zhao family's house, so he really didn't expect this to happen.

Zhang Kuang, holding the identification card, bid a brief farewell to Lin Jue and went to register on the left.

Name: Lin Jue

Age: 20

Occupation: Cook.

"Origin: Dawu Xiaoyao Mansion, Yulin Town, No. 258 Linjiu Street".

The hairy-faced official noted down the basic information, stamped it with his red seal, and said in an icy voice, "Remember to re-register your household after entering the city. You can pay the fees over there!"

"Pay the fees?"

Lin Jue was slightly taken aback. Urged on by the refugees behind him, he quickly took the temporary identity document and turned to walk towards the location indicated by the clerk.

Two notices were posted on the right side of the city wall of Nanping Gate, attracting a large number of refugees to watch.

Lin Jue curiously leaned forward.

This world also uses hieroglyphics, and it is almost identical to that of China. In his spare time after transmigrating, he had already become accustomed to writing in this world.

Right in front of the crowd, a kind schoolteacher patiently explained the contents of the notice.

"Natural disasters are merciless, but the Emperor's grace is boundless."

"His Majesty the Emperor Wu is compassionate towards the suffering of the people. All citizens of the Great Wu Dynasty who pay two taels of silver upon entering the city can enjoy free food and lodging in Yu City for one year. The minimum payment is two hundred copper coins, which can be used for one month of food and lodging."

"What if you don't have money?" *N

One of the refugees asked in bewilderment, explaining that they had fled here and had already spent all their money; they couldn't possibly have even one copper coin, let alone two hundred.

The schoolteacher patiently explained, "Don't worry, everyone. If you don't have any money, that's alright. During this special period, you only need to pay a city gate tax of seventy copper coins. As for food and lodging, you'll have to find your own ways to manage that."

"If you really don't have it, you can put it on credit and get an IOU, and then pay the city gate tax within a month."

After the schoolteacher finished speaking, he handed over two taels of silver and went into town.

"What kind of bullshit logic is this? This is the first time I've ever heard of having to pay taxes to enter the city."

"I came to Yucheng before the heavy snow, and I didn't ask for any city gate tax."

"We're all going to die anyway, let's all rush into the city together."

Filled with righteous indignation, the crowd surged toward Nanping Gate, but upon seeing the fully armed, spear-wielding, and furious soldiers, they all stopped in their tracks, not daring to take another step forward.

They were forced to accept the tax receipt before they could enter Yucheng.

Silently handing over two taels of silver and receiving his food and lodging voucher, Lin Jue followed the crowd through the city gate without wasting any time, intending to first renew his household registration.

Even entering the city requires paying taxes. Today's Yucheng is not the paradise that refugees imagine. They still need to get their household registration sorted out as soon as possible.

Lin Jue thought the process of obtaining the identity certificate would go smoothly, but reality taught him a harsh lesson.

It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with a minor demon.

Lin Jue was constantly running around, and the clerk in charge of processing his identity documents always found ways to make things difficult for him.

In a fit of anger, Lin Jue spent a hefty sum of eight taels of silver to finally obtain the identity certificate from the scalper, thus ending his troubles.

Following the directions on his accommodation voucher, Lin Jue traversed the bustling city, walked along the long street into a hutong (alleyway), and after turning two corners, estimated that he was almost at the address marked on the voucher.

"No. 27, Jiming Lane, Xiayuanfang, Pingjie."

"This should be it."

Looking at the simple brick and tile house in front of him, Lin Jue repeatedly checked the food and lodging voucher to make sure the address was correct. He then took the key from the clerk who was setting up the tent and went inside on his own.

"Remember, the street stalls will provide meals at noon and 5 pm every day. They will not serve you after that time, and you will need to pay for your own meals."

After giving his instructions, the clerk lay down on a bamboo chair covered with dog skin, while the aroma of roasting potatoes wafted from the stove beside him.

Two wooden plank beds were located in the left and right corners of the tiled house, with an eight-immortal table next to each of the pillows.

In the center of the house, right by the entrance, there was a broken iron pot used for burning firewood for warmth, and two small stools.

Apart from that, the room was completely empty.

Before long, another young Taoist priest entered the room. Seeing that Lin Jue had chosen the bed in the corner on the right, he walked silently toward the bed on the left.

They had an air of keeping strangers at bay.

After spreading out the soft quilt, Lin Jue casually put away the savings bag on the table.

Upon seeing that Lin Jue, a mere commoner, possessed a storage bag that only Qi Refiners could have, the Taoist priest couldn't wait to stand up, clasp his hands in greeting, and bow.

"My surname is Han, and my given name is Wenqiao. I am from Bingzhou and am a junior practitioner of Qi cultivation. May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?"

Lin Jue was somewhat surprised, but still respectfully clasped his hands in a salute: "My name is Lin Jue, from Yulin Town, Yucheng. I am not a cultivator."

"I see. I am not very talented, but I have studied some feng shui and physiognomy. Looking at Brother Lin's appearance, you have a full forehead, a fair complexion, and dark eyebrows like swords. You are definitely not an ordinary person."

Han Wenqiao took a closer look and was immediately drawn to Lin Jue's appearance, praising him repeatedly.

"Since I began practicing Qi cultivation and Taoism, this is the first time I have seen such a face. I am also quite skilled in bone reading. Brother Lin, would you mind coming closer so that I can have a good feel for it?"

Lin Jue was unimpressed by what he heard. The more he listened, the more he felt the man in front of him resembled a charlatan. He gave a perfunctory reply.

"I'll definitely do it next time."

Upon hearing this, Han Wenqiao was slightly taken aback, then laughed heartily and said, "Brother Lin, if you don't believe me, just watch my methods."

With a flick of his wrist, Han Wenqiao sent a scroll flying out of his sleeve, depicting a chick pecking at rice.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, and the universe borrows their laws."

With a command, Han Wenqiao took out an enamel bowl with his left hand, and with two fingers of his right hand acting as a knife, he gestured twice towards the picture of a chick pecking at rice in mid-air. The drawing was then cut into several long strips that fell into the bowl, resembling noodles.

Han Wenqiao then pushed open the window, took some snow from the windowsill and put it into a bowl. He held the bottom of the bowl with three fingers, and a wisp of fire rose from his palm, continuously heating it.

Before long, a bowl of chicken noodle soup appeared out of nowhere.

Lin Jue stared intently, muttering to himself, "If I could learn this spell, wouldn't I be able to eat noodles every day?"

While eating his soup noodles, Han Wenqiao laughed and said, "Brother Lin, your words are truly astonishing. However, I still want to examine your bones. Perhaps you possess spiritual roots and can become one of us Qi Refining cultivators."

"Next time for sure, next time for sure."

Lin Jue declined again, but seeing that it was still early, he decided to try his luck at the Four Symbols Martial Arts School.