Chapter 1818: What Are You Talking About?
“God?”
Bu Fang paused slightly. If there was anyone who could call himself a God in front of him, it would be the legendary God of Cooking, the creator of the System, the existence that set him on the path of becoming a Cooking God, and the almighty being that was so aloof that he seemed to control everything.
The God of Cooking Sets, the God of Cooking’s Menu, the System…
From the very beginning, everything about Bu Fang was related to this God of Cooking. In the beginning, he was striving to become a Cooking God as well, but somewhere along the journey, he began to go his own way.
The path to becoming a Cooking God in his mind was no longer the one that led to the God of Cooking that had been hanging over his head. He now had his own path he wanted to follow, even if it was full of thorns and bumps.
“Yes… I am the God who has come to help you take the final step.”
The vague figure seemed to be laughing, and his voice made Bu Fang uncomfortable. He did not know why he was here. Where was this place? The Transmigration? It should not be. After all, Bu Fang had already jumped out of the bondage of heaven and earth, so he would never be sent into the Transmigration.
The figure’s white robe was fluttering. Although his features were obscured, Bu Fang was calm and at ease. Perhaps the experience of being a mortal for five hundred years had made it difficult for his mood to fluctuate again.
“You don’t seem surprised?” said the blurred figure in a puzzled tone.
“Why should I be surprised? I knew you would come sooner or later,” Bu Fang said. He was face to face with the blurred figure, his dark hair flowing as if he were submerged in a bottomless pond.
“Of the five hundred Hosts[1][1], you are the only one who has made it this far. Don’t you feel proud of yourself?” said the figure. “You are about to reach, with my help, the true realm of the Cooking God and become a supreme being.” His voice was soft and pleasant to the ear.
Bu Fang did not say anything but just calmly looked at the figure.
“In fact, several Hosts before you could have made it this far, but they refused,” the figure said sadly. He raised his hand as if to touch Bu Fang’s face, but when it touched his skin, it turned into white dots of light and drifted away in all directions. He did not seem to be bothered.
“Now… Are you ready?”
Bu Fang shook his head. “Actually, I don’t want to come this far if I could.”
That gave the blurred figure pause. “Why?”
The corners of Bu Fang’s mouth lifted slightly as if he was sneering. He raised his hand and gestured to the dark space around them. “What do you think?”
The blurred figure broke into laughter. “Don’t worry. After accepting everything I will give you, you will not only be able to return to where you came from, but also stand at the highest point in heaven and earth, looking down on all life. You will reign over the world,” he said with an overbearing air as he raised his arms.
“I’m just a chef, and I’m not interested in reigning over the world…” Bu Fang said faintly, shaking his head.
The figure fell silent for a moment. Bu Fang’s attitude made it difficult for him to continue the conversation.
Bu Fang ignored him. Putting his hands behind his back, he looked around and asked, “Where’s Whitey? Can it come back?”
“Whitey? You mean the kitchen puppet? It’s just a dead thing. It has done its job by guarding you to this level, so it can disappear without worry. All things in this world, every person and every object, have reasons and meanings for their existence. Nothing should exist without a purpose,” said the figure.
There was a hint of indifference in the figure’s words that made Bu Fang pause for a moment. Staring at him, Bu Fang said, “What are you talking about?! Whitey is my friend! Who are you to make it disappear?” His tone was tinged with strong emotion.
“Your mood swings are too intense. You shouldn’t be like this. You will soon be a supreme being looking down on all things, and you will look at them with a sense of detachment. You shouldn’t carry any emotions, and you don’t need to be bothered by anything,” said the blurred figure.
“Now, enough about all these useless topics. Are you ready to receive the real inheritance? As long as you accept it, you will be the supreme existence in heaven and earth.”
Bu Fang frowned at the figure. ‘Is this fellow really the God of Cooking?’ he thought to himself. “No, I will not accept it.” He shook his head and rejected the fellow’s temptation. Or rather, with his current state of mind, he was completely unmoved by the temptation. He would not be touched unless his heart accepted it.
“You won’t accept it? Why don’t you accept it? Ever since you were just a little chef, what you’ve been seeking is to become a Cooking God. Now that this opportunity is in front of you, why don’t you grab it?” said the figure. His tone seemed to grow colder and colder.
“This is not the path I chose,” Bu Fang said.
“You are now only one step away from where you want to be. What are you hesitating about? What made you waver? That kitchen puppet? Or those insignificant people?” the figure demanded. His white robe fluttered more and more violently.
“You should have chosen me! I’m the one who supported you all the way to this point! I’m your future!” He almost growled.
That voice caused Bu Fang’s pupils to narrow slightly. After a long time, the dark space finally quieted down again. Looking at the blurred figure, Bu Fang said, “Are you done? What the f*ck are you talking about?” He shook his head, seemingly a little disappointed.
“You’re not the God of Cooking. How could a real God of Cooking say something like that?”
The blurred figure hovered in the darkness, with white dots of light floating around him. “How could I not be the God of Cooking? I know everything about you, for I’ve watched everything you’ve done,” the figure said.
He raised his hand. Many divine power liquid drops appeared in his palm, gleaming goldenly. Bu Fang knew them very well. “See these? The divine power liquid drops you once possessed were given to you by me!” His tone became more and more urgent.
The look of amusement in Bu Fang’s eyes grew stronger and stronger. “I’ve told you, I refuse to accept it,” he said, his face expressionless and his tone firm.
The wind was blowing, and the figure soon recovered his composure. Finally, he began to drift away. The next moment, a burst of deafening laughter rang out, and the dark space began to shake.
Rumble…
There was a sound of something collapsing. At the same time, the black in the surroundings began to disappear while a mass of white light emerged in front of Bu Fang, becoming brighter and brighter until it finally completely blurred his eyes.
“Congratulations on resisting the temptation. There are no shortcuts in the world, even when you are only one step away from the top. From the moment you set foot on the path to becoming a Cooking God, you are destined to be extraordinary. This is my last test for you. Good luck.”
The blurred figure disappeared completely, leaving only the rumbling sound. It took a while before Bu Fang gradually got used to the white light in front of him.
The light was soft, and the wind was blowing gently, comfortable like the touch of a lover. Bu Fang put his hands behind his back and glanced around. Ahead of him stood a cabin in the woods. He slowly walked toward it and pushed open the door. He was greeted by a rich aroma. Inside, there was a table, and on top of it was a dish that glowed goldenly.
Bu Fang sat down at the table, looked at the dish, and took a deep breath. As the aroma reached his nose and mouth, he felt as if he had been baptized. It was a simple dish, but it exuded something extraordinary.
He knew, by the light that flowed over the dish, that the ingredients used to cook it were of exceptional quality. Each of them was the essence of heaven and earth, the top-of-the-line ingredients. A dish cooked with such ingredients was stripped of pomp and circumstance and filled with a frightening essence.
‘Is this the final test given to me by the God of Cooking?’
Bu Fang studied the interior of the cabin. There was only a dining table, a chair, and a stove. Such an arrangement made him think of something. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at the dish in front of him, then raised his hand, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and picked up some of the dish. Its aroma made Bu Fang feel as if his soul was elevated. Slowly, he put the dish into his mouth and chewed it. The next moment, his pupils narrowed. “This… This is so delicious…”
Bu Fang’s eyes sparkled. He found it a little hard to believe. Did such a delicacy really exist in the world? He felt as if he was flying in space now, shuttling between countless planets and bathing in the purest aura of heaven and earth. He even had a feeling that he was the strongest person in the entire universe!
A Cooking God’s dish!
Bu Fang was certain that the dish must have been cooked by the God of Cooking, for after eating it, his cultivation base began to soar, climbing from the realm of mortals to the realm of Saints of the Great Path in a flash. At that moment, he seemed to have thrown everything out of his mind.
He closed his eyes and felt the power surging in him. It was a long time before he let out a long breath and shook his head.
“This is the first time I’ve ever tasted a Cooking God’s dish… It’s really incredible.”
This was not a pseudo-Cooking God dish, but a real one. It was even more powerful than the Country Painting that Bu Fang used to suppress Soul God!
His eyes were filled with a complicated look. “But… I don’t feel any emotion in this dish. Is that the path you’ve chosen, God of Cooking?” He shook his head and sighed regretfully.
Suddenly, Bu Fang’s expression froze. “No…” He slowly opened his eyes, picked up some dish with his chopsticks again, and put it in his mouth. The cabin became very quiet, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves outside as the wind blew at them.
Bu Fang’s eyes were closed again. This time, he tasted something completely different…
A beautiful figure emerged in his mind. He did not know her, but he could feel her happiness from her smile. The dish did not only contain the Ruthless Path, it also included the Emotional Path. Only, this Emotional Path was bitter.
There was a trace of emotion in that ruthlessness. Was this the path the God of Cooking had chosen?
Bu Fang opened his eyes. A teardrop rolled down his cheek. He put down the chopsticks. At this moment, he seemed to hear a voice, as if someone was whispering a story to him, which made the sad look in his eyes grow deeper and deeper.
A long time later, Bu Fang sighed. There was a trace of emotion in the Ruthless Path. That was the God of Cooking’s path, and what he was trying to tell Bu Fang was obvious: this path did not work. It was through this path that the God of Cooking had met his demise.
The God of Cooking’s final test was for Bu Fang to cook a dish that suppressed his dish, otherwise Bu Fang would fail in the test. And the price of failure was to be completely wiped out. This was the punishment that both the System and the God of Cooking had set from the beginning.
Bu Fang did not flinch—he was not afraid. He stood up, walked step by step to the kitchen in the cabin, and grabbed a kitchen knife. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
[1] In the previous chapters, the author wrote one hundred. I’m not sure if this is a typo, but I’ll take it as five hundred from now on.