Sanghai City, Little Sage Villa.
The sun is high, and the sound of snoring and recitation in the study flies together.
“The benevolent love others, the righteous……”
“Hoo……zzZZZ……”
Fu Nian's ruler “cracked” on the lectern.
In the last row, Tianming suddenly looked up, his mouth still hanging with shiny drool.
“Heaven, dawn!” Zi Mu stifled a laugh and reminded softly, “Sir is looking at you!”
Dawn rubbed his eyes, the shiny roasted mountain chicken in his dream had not flown far away.
“Jing Tianming.” Fu Nian's voice was like ice, “Where were we just now?”
“We were talking about……” Tianming's eyes darted around, catching sight of a fat sparrow perched on the branch outside the window, he blurted out, “Talking about birds! When a bird is about to die, its song is…… fragrant?”
The room fell into a deathly silence for three seconds.
"Pfft, hahaha—"
Zi Mu was the first to lose his composure, slamming his fist on the table and pounding the cutting board.
Then the whole study burst into laughter, even the most mature Zi Cong was shaking on his shoulders.
Fu Nian's usually stern face was now as colorful as a palette.
"Get out." He closed his eyes and inhaled. "Stand outside until noon."
"oh……"
Tianming, head drooping, shuffled out of the study and had just stopped standing on the veranda—
"Pfft."
A strange sensation came from my feet.
Head down.
A pure white Shiba Inu is sharpening its claws on the surface of his shoe.
"Hey you dog—" Tianming had just opened his mouth.
The Shiba Inu looked up and grinned: "Kid, your truancy skills need improvement."
“！！！”
Tianming jumped backward, and the back of his head hit the pillar with a "thud".
"You, you, you—"
"Shh." # Kurumi raised a paw. "I'm on a clandestine visit, don't make a sound."
It circled Tianming twice, its nose twitching: "You... have the resentment of the roasted pheasant on you. Did you dream about it last night?"
Tianming's eyes widened: "How did you know?!"
"I specialize in dream interpretation and also freeload meals." Kurumi pulled something out of his brown backpack—an oil paper package. He opened it and found the roasted pheasant that had flown away in his dream ($BNB ), golden and glistening with oil. "Here, a little gift."
The aroma wafted into my nose.
Tianming's stomach honestly rumbled.
He took the chicken leg, took a big bite, and his eyes lit up instantly: "Delicious! Even better than Master Chef Ding's—wait, where did you get this?!"
"Caught and roasted fresh from the back mountain." Kurumi tore off a wing himself. "The ecology of your Confucian back mountain is quite good, the pheasants are so fat they're practically dripping with oil. It's just that they're too unprepared. If I ring a bell, they'll line up and come over."
Tianming, munching on a chicken leg, finally realized: "You...you're not an ordinary dog, are you?"
"I am the Inspector of Gourmet Food from All Realms, and I have come here to inspect the standards of the Little Sage Manor's canteen." Kurumi said with a straight face, "I've heard that your braised pork knuckle is exceptional? Lead the way, I want to try your food in disguise."
"It's not lunchtime yet, so they won't let us into the kitchen..."
"That's why I need you to lead the way." Kurumi patted his shoulder with her greasy paws. "Aren't you the leader of the Mohist school? Isn't sneaking in and picking locks... oh no, I mean, conducting legitimate visits basic skills?"
"How do you even know this?!"
"I also know you wet the bed last night—just kidding." Kurumi dodged Tianming's punch and grinned. "Are you coming or not? If you dawdle any longer, the chicken will be eaten."
Tianming looked at the nearly empty roast chicken and gritted his teeth: "Let's go!"
A man and a dog sneaked off into the kitchen.
……
The kitchen at Xiaoshengxianzhuang is so big you could run a horse there.
Thirty stoves spewed flames, and fifty cooks toiled in the heat, the sound of chopping vegetables echoing like a clapper.
"Master Wang! What delicious food are you making today?" Tianming peeked out.
Chef Wang, without turning his head, twirled his spatula: "Tianming? Here to steal food again! I haven't settled the score for the half-braised duck you stole from me last time!"
"This time I'm leading the leaders on an inspection tour!" Tianming stepped aside, revealing Kurumi behind him. "This is... uh, the food envoy!"
Master Wang glanced at it and said, "Dogs can't go into the kitchen; they shed fur."
"I just bathed in floral water yesterday, there's not a single loose hair left." Kurumi raised its front paw. "Check it if you don't believe me."
Master Wang stared at the snow-white claws for three seconds.
"The dog talked?!"
"She can even flip the wok."
Kurumi leaped onto the stove, sniffed at Chef Wang's pot of braised pork, and said, "It's been overcooked for three breaths; it's time to reduce the sauce."
With a swift hook in mid-air, the salt shaker flew over with a "whoosh".
It wrapped its tail around the pot handle, sprinkled salt with its left front paw, and tossed the wok with its right front paw—"Splash!"
The whole pot of meat did a somersault in mid-air, getting evenly coated with sauce, before landing steadily back on the stove.
The aroma exploded with a "boom".
Master Wang took a bite, and his eyes widened: "This...this taste..."
"Not bad?" Kurumi jumped off the stove and started wandering around the kitchen, his nose twitching. "The freshness of the ingredients is eight points, the knife skills are seven points, the control of the heat is six points... The seasoning is as conservative as a seventy-year-old scholar."
It suddenly stopped in front of a spice rack, pointing its paw at the jar of salt: "Where is this salt from?"
"Qi State sea salt, top-quality goods," Master Wang said proudly.
"Sea salt?" Kurumi dipped a bit with his paw and put it in his mouth, smacking his lips. "Too many impurities, the bitterness can't be masked. Get some from Benku."
It took a glass bottle out of its schoolbag and poured out some crystal-clear salt grains.
"Imported from the celestial realm, sun-dried for 360 days, naturally sweet and fresh."
He then pulled out several bottles and jars: "This is volcanic chili from the Demon Realm, spicy but not dry; this is thyme from the Monster Realm, fragrant to the bone; this is mint from before the Buddha, cool and refreshing..."
Before the chefs could react, Kurumi had already rearranged all the spice jars.
Master Wang looked at his jar of salt, which began to shimmer with starlight, and his voice trembled: "This...this salt..."
"Want to try some?"
Master Wang dipped it in the sauce and put it on the tip of his tongue.
The next second, he let out a scream, tears streaming down his face: "It's the sea! The waves of a thousand miles exploded in my mouth!"
The whole kitchen was in an uproar.
The chefs rushed to try out the new seasonings, resulting in a chaotic scene of screams and howls.
"This vinegar! I taste a century of time!"
"This soy sauce! It tastes like sunshine!"
"These Sichuan peppercorns... they're so numbing!"
Kurumi nodded in satisfaction and waved his paw: "Alright, let's start preparing lunch now. I'll personally supervise—today we're adding a special dish: Auspicious Qilin Offering!"
The chefs were like they'd been injected with adrenaline, and they started working like crazy.
Kurumi slipped back to Tianming's side: "While they're still in a daze, let's go take a look around the library."
"The library?" Tianming asked, his mouth stuffed with a stolen meatball. "What are we going there for?"
"Lend me two cookbooks." Kurumi's eyes lit up. "I heard that the Confucian school has a copy of the Ancient Banquet Records, which records the recipes for the Eight Delicacies of the Zhou Dynasty."
"...Are you really here to freeload?"
"Food is the most important thing for people, and food is the most important thing for dogs." Kurumi said righteously, "Are you coming or not? If you don't come, I'll tell everyone that you wet the bed."
"I didn't wet the bed!"
"Then let's go."
……
The library, with its double eaves and overlapping tiles, is solemn and quiet.
Normally there are at least eight disciples on duty here, but today there is no one here.
"Strange." Tianming scratched his head. "Where's the senior brother guarding the gate?"
"Because we have a special guest today." Kurumi twitched her nose, "and the kind who comes uninvited."
It pushed open the heavy wooden door.
Squeak—
Inside the pavilion, three figures stood among the bookshelves.
Clad in black, sword in hand, his killing intent icy—Wei Zhuang.
Purple robes swayed, and a crimson snake flicked its tongue at her fingertips—the crimson snake.
A white-clad figure leans against the window, feathers tumbling in the palm of his hand—a white phoenix.
In the quicksand, three top masters have gathered.
Tianming gasped and instinctively took a half-step back.
Wei Zhuang raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife, finally settling on Kurumi: "Dog?"
"A dog that can talk, cook, and even borrow books," Kurumi corrected. "You three, looking for a book?"
Chi Lian covered her mouth and chuckled: "Little puppy, you're so clever. I'm looking for a... special book."
"(The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic) fragments, right?" Kurumi pointed with her paw to the top of the bookshelf. "The third shelf on the left, that book (the correct way to read the Analects) is a fake; the real one is inside."
Wei Zhuang did not move, but the Shark Tooth Sword was drawn half an inch from its sheath with a clang.
A sword aura swept through the air—
The book tore open, and a piece of silk as thin as a cicada's wing drifted out.
It was a fragment of a scroll.
Bai Feng caught the silk handkerchief, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Little dog, how did you know?"
"My nose is sharp; I can smell the medicine." Kurumi jumped onto the desk, sweeping away the dust with its tail. "Now that the book has been found, can we take it away? I still need to borrow (The Record of Ancient Feasts)."
Wei Zhuang slowly turned around, his Shark Tooth Sword fully drawn: "You know too much."
The murderous aura permeated the air as if it were a tangible presence, causing the pages of the book to move without any wind.
Tianming cried out urgently, "Second Uncle! It's my friend!"
"Get out of the way," Wei Zhuang said coldly.
"No way!"
"Then let's stay together."
Before he finished speaking, Wei Zhuang made a move.
No fancy moves, just a straight thrust—so fast that only a blur remains!
But Kurumi is faster.
It didn't even get up; it just flicked its tail and lashed the sword with a "smack."
"clang--!"
The clang of metal rang out, and sparks flew!
Wei Zhuang's pupils contracted slightly. He had used seven-tenths of his strength in that sword strike, yet it was deflected by a dog's tail?!
Chi Lian and Bai Feng moved at the same time.
The Crimson Serpent Sword, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, pierced Kurumi's lower abdomen from a tricky angle.
The white phoenix soared through the air, its seven white feathers shooting towards the dawn!
"Watch out!" Tianming exclaimed.
Kurumi slammed his paw on the desk: "I already said—I'm here to borrow books!"
What he pulled out of his bag wasn't a weapon, but a book... (The Analects)?
The pages of the book unfolded with a "whoosh," perfectly blocking the Crimson Serpent Sword.
Confucius said: "Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?"
Kurumi uttered a sentence and then twitched his paw.
A golden light suddenly appeared on the page, actually "attracting" the Crimson Serpent Sword!
Chi Lian tried to pull back forcefully, but the sword remained completely still.
The white phoenix's feathers had reached Tianming's face—
Kurumi didn't even turn its head, its tail lashing out like a whip, making seven consecutive "snap snap snap snap!" sounds, knocking away all its feathers.
"Is this how civilized you Confucianists fight?" Chi Lian gritted her teeth.
"This is how I win people over with virtue." Kurumi flipped his paw, closed the pages of the Analects, and "spit" the Crimson Serpent Sword back. The force was so great that the Crimson Serpent Sword had to take three steps back.
A fighting spirit ignited in Wei Zhuang's eyes.
"interesting."
He stepped forward, unleashing three sword shadows with his Shark Tooth Sword, sealing off all escape routes!
This is the starting stance for "Straight Across the Four Directions"!
Kurumi finally jumped off the desk, landing on all fours: "That's more like it."
Instead of dodging or flinching, it charged straight at the sword shadow!
The claws tapped in the air—
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
Three crisp sounds rang out as each claw precisely struck the weakest point of the sword shadow!
Wei Zhuang felt his sword momentum falter, as if it had been abruptly interrupted!
"What?!" He was shocked. This dog wasn't using any moves at all, but... prediction?
Kurumi landed and grinned: "Not bad swordsmanship, but too much adherence to rules. In a fight, you have to be adaptable."
It suddenly lunged forward, not at Wei Zhuang, but at the bookshelf!
It rummaged through the air with its paws, plucked a stack of bamboo slips, and tossed them aside with a flick of its wrist.
"Splash!"
Bamboo slips rained down on the three people from the quicksand!
Bai Feng waved his sleeve to block it, but found that the bamboo slip was tied with a line as thin as a hair... fishing line?
Kurumi tugged at the fishing line, causing the three of them to trip!
Chi Lian exclaimed in surprise. Wei Zhuang had regained his footing, but Bai Feng was forced to flip over in mid-air.
At that very moment—
Kurumi took a bell out of her bag and shook it.
"Ring ring~"
The crisp sound of bells echoed inside the pavilion.
The three members of Liu Sha froze simultaneously, and the scene before them began to distort.
"Sonic illusion?" Wei Zhuang closed his eyes and concentrated.
“No, it’s ‘the voice of reason’.” Kurumi paced back and forth, ringing a bell. “Benku is trying to reason with you—violence cannot solve problems, especially civilized activities like stealing books.”
Bai Feng tried to escape using his light-footed skills, but found himself stuck in a quagmire.
Chi Lian gritted her teeth: "Little dog, what kind of sorcery is this?!"
“This is called an enhanced version of ‘persuasion through reason’,” Kurumi grinned. “Now, can we sit down and talk? For example… you’re looking for (the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic) to save Duanmu Rong, right?”
The three of them changed their expressions simultaneously.
"You even know this?!" Chi Lian exclaimed in disbelief.
"This library also knows that the fragments alone are not enough; we need to combine them with 'Shennong's Essence of Herbs' and 'Bian Que's Golden Needle Technique.'" Kurumi put away the bell, and the illusion disappeared. "Coincidentally, this library has both of these."
He pulled a small jade bottle and a set of gold needles from his schoolbag: "A guaranteed cure, no deception for the young or old."
Wei Zhuang stared at the two items, and slowly sheathed his Shark Tooth Sword.
"condition?"
"Take Benku to the Mo Family's Mechanical City and borrow (The Record of Ancient Feasts)." Kurumi's eyes lit up. "I heard that book contains the secret recipe for Chi You's roasted whole cow. Benku has been craving it for a long time."
Bai Feng: "..."
Chi Lian: "...You did this for?"
"Food is the most important thing for people," Kurumi said matter-of-factly. "Besides, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, so it's not unreasonable to ask for a free meal along the way, is it?"
Wei Zhuang remained silent for a long time.
"……make a deal."
"Great!" Kurumi tossed over the jade bottle and gold needles. "Take the medicine orally, and apply acupuncture to the Baihui, Tanzhong, and Yongquan acupoints once a day. It will be effective in three days."
It jumped back to Tianming's side: "Kid, wanna come along? I'll show you something."
"Go! Of course I'll go!" Tianming had been itching to go for a long time.
……
Half an hour later.
Thirty miles outside the city of government offices lies the Cliff of Broken Souls.
Below, the Qin army's camps stretched endlessly, the crimson banners of the Golden Fire Cavalry glaringly bright. Ten earth-breaking warriors were frantically chiseling through the mountainside, the roar deafening.
Gongshu Chou stood on the command platform, his voice booming through the mechanical loudspeaker: "Remnants of the Mohist School! Today is the day the Mechanical City is destroyed!"
At the top of the cliff, five people and a dog stood in a row.
"How do we get in?" Wei Zhuang asked in a cold voice.
“Go inside,” Kurumi said matter-of-factly.
"There are three thousand Qin soldiers and one hundred crossbows below."
"Then let them not want to stop us."
What Kurumi pulled out of his bag wasn't a weapon, but rather... a dog-head flag?
The flagpole was planted in the ground. It cleared its throat and took a deep breath, facing the military camp below:
"Listen up, Qin soldiers below—"
The sound, amplified by some kind of magic, roared like thunder and spread throughout the entire camp.
"General Meng Tian has ordered! An extra meal today! Braised pork is plentiful! First come, first served!"
The military camp fell silent for a moment.
Then it exploded.
"An extra meal?!" "Braised pork?!" "Where is it?!"
The camp, where smoke was rising from the cooking fires, suddenly became even more chaotic, with soldiers abandoning their weapons and rushing towards the cooking camp.
From the high platform, Meng Tian's furious roar echoed: "What nonsense! When has this general ever—?!"
Before he could finish speaking, Kurumi swung his claw.
Suddenly, it started raining...meat buns?
Steaming hot, plump buns were slammed into the camp.
"Meat buns!" "They're real!" "Grab them—!"
The three thousand Qin soldiers were completely thrown into chaos.
Gongshu Chou was so angry he jumped up and down: "Come back! All of you come back! It was an illusion—oh dear!"
A steamed bun landed squarely on his forehead, splashing juice everywhere.
On the cliff, the three members of the Quicksand Trio had twitching lips.
"You..." Bai Feng was speechless for once.
“This is called ‘supplies first’.” Kurumi put the flag back. “Let’s go, while they’re eating, let’s stroll in like we’re going shopping.”
It really did carry a small schoolbag and walked towards the Qin army camp with a pigeon-toed gait.
The guard at the camp gate was squatting on the ground eating a steamed bun when he saw the newcomers and looked up: "You... mmm (chewing)... what are you doing?"
"Deliveryman." Kurumi pointed behind him with his paw. "This is a special roasted whole lamb for General Meng. It has to be delivered while it's hot."
The guard glanced at the "thing" Wei Zhuang was carrying—it was a "sheep" that Kurumi had disguised with illusion magic, but it was actually just a stone.
"Go in, go in." The guard waved his hand and continued eating his bun.
Five people and a dog swaggered through the military camp.
Wherever they went, the Qin soldiers were busy grabbing steamed buns and fighting over meat soup, and no one paid them a second glance.
Chi Lian suppressed a laugh: "Little dog, your methods... are too ruthless."
"As long as it works." Kurumi grinned. "And the buns are really delicious, they're specially made by Benku, you'll want to eat more after you've had them."
They arrived at the entrance to the city without any obstacles.
The massive bronze door was tightly shut.
Two figures stood like javelins in front of the door.
Gai Nie, with the Yuanhong Sword in hand.
Gao Jianli's Water Cold Sword gleamed with frost.
"Tianming!" Gai Nie breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Tianming unharmed, but his gaze immediately fell on Wei Zhuang. "You..."
"Second Uncle is here to help!" Tianming quickly explained, "And Brother Ku! He's really powerful!"
"Brother Ku?" Gai Nie looked at the white dog.
Kurumi waved his claw: "Sword Saint, I've heard so much about you. I heard you're single? I know a few celestial maidens from the Immortal Realm, how about...?"
“No need,” Gai Nie interrupted expressionlessly.
Gao Jianli pointed his sword at Wei Zhuang: "Leader of the Quicksand, the Mechanized City does not welcome you."
"I did not come here to attack the city," Wei Zhuang said coldly. "Where is Duanmu Rong?"
The atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.
Abyss Rainbow and Water Cold hummed simultaneously.
Kurumi sighed and jumped between the two sides: "What era are we living in? Why are we still fighting and killing each other?"
It pulled two... aprons out of its backpack?
They threw it to Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang.
"So, you two settle this in a man's way—by having a cooking contest."
Gai Nie: "?"
Wei Zhuang: "...You dog demon, are you looking for death?"
"It's fine if we don't have to compete." Kurumi flipped her paw and conjured two sets of women's clothing. "Then I'll change into this one and dance to entertain everyone. It's one of the two."
The air froze.
Chi Lian burst out laughing.
Bai Feng turned her face away, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Tianming's eyes were wide open, like copper bells.
Gai Nie looked at the apron embroidered with "Peerless Chef" in his hand, and then at the pink silk skirt.
Slowly, she tied on her apron.
Wei Zhuang's forehead veins throbbed, and he finally gritted his teeth and tied on his shirt, which was embroidered with "Cold-Faced Chef God".
Kurumi slapped his paw, and two luxurious stoves appeared on the ground, piled high with ingredients.
"The rules are simple: one incense stick's worth of food is used to cook one dish. Benku and Tianming will taste it to determine the winner. The winner will decide Duanmu Rong's treatment plan."
The incense is lit.
Two legendary sword masters of their time began the most bizarre "duel" of their lives.
Gai Nie chose a piece of tofu.
A flash of light—no, a flash of light from a kitchen knife.
“唰唰唰!”
The tofu was sliced into hair-thin strands in mid-air, and when it fell into clear water, it bloomed into a lotus flower!
"Wensi Tofu!" a disciple of the Mohist school exclaimed.
Wei Zhuang snorted coldly and chose the hardest cow bone.
The Shark Tooth Sword is drawn—this time it's not for chopping people, it's for chopping bones.
"Chop, chop, chop!"
Sword energy swept across the land, breaking the ox bone into uniform small pieces, each with a perfect cross-section.
He heated the oil in the wok with wild movements, like someone practicing swordsmanship, but his control over the heat was terrifyingly precise.
The incense stick burned out.
In front of Gai Nie was a bowl of crystal-clear tofu and lotus soup.
In front of Wei Zhuang was a pot of bubbling red oil containing the bones of a powerful ox.
Kurumi and Tianming each took a bite.
"Hmm..." Kurumi closed her eyes and savored the soup. "Gai Nie's soup is so clear and pure, it shows real skill, but it lacks a bit of the warmth of everyday life."
"Weizhuang's beef bone is domineering and intense, and very flavorful, but it's a bit... unreasonable in its spiciness."
It opened its eyes: "Therefore, I declare—a draw! Duanmu Rong will be treated by me. Does anyone have any objections?"
Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang exchanged a glance.
At the same time, sheath the sword (kitchen knife).
"Can."
"lead the way."
The sealed room, the ice coffin, exuded a chilling aura.
Duanmu Rong's face was as pale as paper.
Kurumi took his pulse for three breaths, then opened his eyes: "The poisoning is deep, the meridians are blocked, and the heart meridian is damaged—but it's not a big problem."
It took out a jade bottle, poured out three pills, and then took out a golden needle.
"Miss Snow Woman, please help her sit up."
The snow woman quickly did as she was told.
Kurumi's claws moved with the speed of a phantom, piercing thirteen major acupoints with golden needles.
With each needle insertion, Duanmu Rong's complexion became rosier.
The last needle was inserted, and the medicine was taken.
Duanmu Rong's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
"How long...did I sleep?"
Overjoyed, Xue Nu cried, "Sister Rong! It's been three years! You've been asleep for three years!"
The entire room was filled with astonishment.
Even Wei Zhuang clenched his fist.
Kurumi clapped his paws: "Alright, rest for seven days, take one pill a day, and I guarantee you'll be able to get out of bed and beat people up again."
It looked at Wei Zhuang: "Now, (The Record of Ancient Banquets)?"
Wei Zhuang remained silent for a moment, then pointed to the depths of the secret chamber: "The lowest level of the forbidden area."
……
Deep within the forbidden area, numerous traps and mechanisms were laid out.
But Kurumi didn't follow the usual path at all.
Arrow formation? It pulled out a frying pan and deflected them all with a clanging sound.
A trap? It leaped over it on spring-loaded stilts.
Poisonous fog? It took out a gas mask, put it on, and even hummed a little tune: "The mountain road here has eighteen bends~"
The last stone gate is inscribed with "Only a Grand Master Can Enter".
Tianming scratched his head: "I am the Grand Master, but I haven't learned the incantation to open the door yet..."
"What kind of incantation do you need?" Kurumi pulled a... hammer from her backpack.
He slammed the door lock shut with a loud bang.
The lock is open.
Everyone: "..."
On the stone platform behind the door, an ancient bamboo scroll lies quietly.
(Ancient Banquet Records)
Kurumi was overjoyed, turning to the first page with his eyes lighting up: "Found it! Chi You's secret recipe for roasted whole cow: Take a thousand-pound demon cow, roast it for seven days with the fire of the earth's core, and add Nine Nether Pepper and Heavenly River Salt..."
He stuffed the bamboo slips into his schoolbag, completely satisfied.
Turning around, I found everyone was looking at me.
"What's wrong?"
"You did this for nothing?" Gao Jianli couldn't help but ask.
"Otherwise what?" Kurumi said matter-of-factly. "This is a lost secret recipe! A cultural treasure! Don't you understand the importance of preserving and passing it down?"
"……Understand."
I just can't quite keep up with this dog's thought process.
Kurumi patted his backpack with satisfaction and took out a handful of Dao Crystals.
Distribute them one by one.
Tianming, Gai Nie, Wei Zhuang, Gao Jianli, Xue Nu, Chi Lian, Bai Feng... each one.
"Don't be shy about this gift. Hold it tight when you're hungry and imagine what you want to eat—it will tell you where to find the most authentic restaurants."
Everyone stared at the shimmering crystal in their palms, speechless.
Kurumi waved its paws and headed towards the exit.
"By the way, I have already 'pacified' those Qin soldiers outside."
"How did you appease them?" Tianming asked curiously.
"I treated them to hot pot and added some 'Dream-Boosting Powder' to the broth," Kurumi grinned. "Now the whole battalion is dreaming of getting promoted, making money, and getting married."
It stepped out of the forbidden area, its white shadow shimmering in the sunlight.
"This crystal can give birth to all things, just like the name of this storehouse, 'storehouse full of rice,' wishing you rice in your storehouse every day."
"See you in the next anime."
His figure flashed and disappeared without a trace.
Inside the city of the mechanical palace, everyone remained silent for a long time.
Wei Zhuang suddenly spoke up: "Gai Nie."
"Um?"
"That bowl of Wensi Tofu... was indeed quite good."
"...Your beef bones are also very flavorful."
Gao Jianli sighed, "Shouldn't we deal with those three thousand Qin soldiers dreaming outside first?"
From afar came Meng Tian's roar: "Who replaced my general's banner with a picture of a dog gnawing on a bone?!"
In the secret room, long-lost, relaxed laughter rang out.
……
Sanghai City outskirts, by the sea.
Kurumi flipped through the pages of the Ancient Feast Record, its tail wagging happily.
"Chi You's roasted whole cow...tsk tsk, just reading the description makes my mouth water."
It closed the bamboo slips and looked up at the sea.
With a wave of its claws, more than a dozen books of light appeared.
(Under One Person) (Fox Spirit Matchmaker) (Ling Cage) (Fog Hill of Five Elements)...
The claw stopped on (Under One Person).
"I've heard that in that world, some people know the 'Qi Body Source Flow,' and some know the 'Heavenly Register'..."
Kurumi's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
---------------------------
Kurumi's views on the meme market
Kurumi's white silhouette was about to fade away at the entrance of the secret chamber in the mechanical city when suddenly its ears twitched, as if it remembered something, and it pulled a greasy notebook out of its bag with its paws.
"By the way, when I scanned your world with the 'Eye of the God of Food' just now—"
It made small gestures in the air with its greasy paws, and the oil condensed into a strange pancake shape. "When it saw a bunch of things called 'MEME coins,' it was so happy that Benku almost forgot the recipe for Chiyou's roasted beef."
Tianming blinked: "MEME... what's that?"
“Like this ‘Overlord Beef Bone’ dish.” Kurumi pointed to the pot of hearty, bubbling red oil that Wei Zhuang had prepared. “It looks intimidatingly spicy, smells incredibly delicious, and a bunch of people are gathered around shouting ‘Wow, wow!’ But actually—”
It somehow produced a straw and sucked up the bone marrow from the bone.
"After gnawing for ages, there were hardly any meat pieces; we were only satiated by the heavy seasonings."
Kurumi tossed the clean bones back into the bowl. "Once they cool down and the seasonings cool, all that'll be left are bone scraps that nobody wants to clean up."
Gai Nie seemed to be deep in thought: "In your opinion?"
"A true feast—" Kurumi flipped her paw, revealing the scroll (Ancient Feast Records), "must be judged by the knife skills of 'Wensi Tofu,' the patience in 'controlling the heat,' and the confidence in 'the original flavor of the ingredients.' Those 'internet celebrity dishes' that rely on memes and jokes to gain popularity..."
It suddenly used its tail to curl up the plate of mountain demon remains on the table, which had been turned into building blocks, and shook it with a whoosh.
"It's no different from this pile of stuff. It's all very lively when you're putting it together, but when it falls apart, you can't even find a bone that can be used for soup."
The white figure had faded to almost transparent, but the voice still carried a final hint of mockery:
"If I really want to cook—"
"First, train yourself to become 'salt,' not the 'chili oil' floating on top."
"After all, once the chili oil has been poured on, your tongue can tell whether the dish is salty or bland."
The last murmur drifted into the wind:
"Of course, if you just love that kind of excitement..."
"Remember to eat it while it's hot, otherwise it will only be numbing."
"Woof."
