Chapter 1809: Chapter 1836: I Did It Perfectly
"Do you need me to interfere?"
"I can steal his sugar and salt, or overturn his pot, making it impossible for this dish to be completed."
In front of the statue, the village chief, Shangguan Dong, looked at Monk Changsheng and asked.
"Amitabha, how could this humble monk let the village chief take such risks, you are my only companion here."
"I have already raised the difficulty of his dish to the highest level. Doing nothing is the safest approach for now. If you deliberately sabotage his dish, it’s highly possible it would be judged as your mistake. I won’t harm one of our own."
Monk Changsheng patted Shangguan Dong’s shoulder and said with a cheerful smile.
"Thank you, Master, for your kindness."
Shangguan Dong bowed, a strange gleam in his eye.
Monk Changsheng’s thoughts were entirely on Li Xiaobai, only waiting for the moment his opponent would make a mistake.
But unfortunately, as time passed, everything remained as usual.
Li Xiaobai’s initially clumsy movements quickly became precise and skilled, as if he had transformed into a different person.
Washing the intestines, removing the fishy smell, placing them in the pot, cooking—a series of actions flowed naturally without any visible flaws.
"What is going on? Half an hour ago, he clearly couldn’t even handle flour, and pondered over the intestines for a good long while. Why has he now become as proficient as a cooking master?"
"Moreover, he didn’t even glance while cleaning the intestines, as if just passing through his hands would ensure they were cleaned. Where does this confidence come from?"
"What exactly is happening with this guy?"
Monk Changsheng watched with increasing alarm, astounded. Even the most skilled cultivators would hesitate in completely unfamiliar fields, let alone with a proverbial sword hanging over them, forbidding mistakes. Under such immense pressure, how could Li Xiaobai proceed in such an orderly manner?
He had set two hurdles for him. Besides the basic rule of not making mistakes, he had to take first place to rescue his two companions. Could it be that this young man believed that his carefree cooking style could easily surpass everyone present?
"Go talk to him, give him some pressure."
Monk Changsheng said coldly, with an indisputable tone.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Dong saluted and went from the first villager, one by one, comforting them, inquiring about their dish’s situation, and asking if they needed any help, adhering to ethics and rules.
Seeing the village chief come to greet them, the villagers nodded and bowed, their smiles strained. They needed to concentrate on cooking, but not giving direct responses to the village chief would break the rules, and the consequences would be terrifying.
For a moment, the villagers in the courtyard were under immense pressure.
There had never been this phase before. This year, why did the old village chief suddenly decide to ask questions, disrupting their concentration and increasing the error rate!
"Bang!"
A square-faced man had just been questioned, and suddenly his pot exploded, a severe mistake caused by an adjustment issue.
"No no no!"
"It’s not like this, I didn’t make a mistake!"
"I can be error-free, but the village chief’s questions caused the explosion. Please give me another chance!"
The man’s face was panicked, as if foreseeing some great horror, helplessly looking at Shangguan Dong and then at Monk Changsheng, but both ignored him.
Behind him, space rippled, and several dark hands reached out, pulling him into the space leading to the back mountain.
The other villagers dared not look, lowering their heads even further, focusing on their frying pans.
Shangguan Dong looked at Monk Changsheng and noticed a hint of joy and expectation in his eyes. Following his gaze, he realized that some of the hot fragments from the previous man’s exploding oil pot were flying directly towards Li Xiaobai’s location.
This really seemed like the heavens were aiding Monk Changsheng. The explosion had nothing to do with him; it was purely the man’s mistake under pressure. And now these fragments flying towards Li Xiaobai couldn’t be judged by the Law of Order, as the instigator had already been taken to the back mountain!
Li Xiaobai also noticed this. He was now at a crucial cooking stage and couldn’t dodge. Stepping back to avoid the flying fragments would be an error in the cooking process, and if his body shifted, the iron fragments would undoubtedly fall into the pot, leading to a failed dish.
"This monk is quite fortunate, but it’s a pity he ran into me."
Li Xiaobai remained indifferent, continuing to chop onions as the fragments stabbed towards his body.
[Attribute Point+1...]
[Attribute Point+1...]
[Attribute Point+1...]
"A mere mortal’s exploding pot, how could it possibly harm my Mortal Flesh!"
Li Xiaobai curved his lips into a cold smile.
Monk Changsheng was stunned.
"How is this possible? This person’s flesh is impervious even to iron shards?"
"The pieces lodged in his arm didn’t leave a scratch, and I clearly saw one aimed at his eye being deflected by his eyeball. What kind of phenomenon is this?"
"Is there anyone who trains their flesh to their eyeballs?"
Shangguan Dong was also dumbfounded by the scene. This outsider cultivator was so powerful it defied his understanding. He initially thought that explosion had already sealed Li Xiaobai’s fate.
Catching Monk Changsheng’s small signals from the corner of his eye, indicating him to continue applying pressure. This master no longer cared about the villagers’ lives; he only wanted Li Xiaobai to make a mistake.
Shangguan Dong continued the visits, walking past each stove until he stopped in front of Li Xiaobai.
"How’s it going?"
Shangguan Dong asked.
Li Xiaobai glanced at him, "Perfect."
Shangguan Dong nodded, "You did well to remain calm amidst the chaos just now."
"Now you should understand the difference between cultivators and mere mortals. Think back on Monk Changsheng’s performance over these months—besides the so-called rules, does he have any other mystical qualities?"
Li Xiaobai appeared casual as he spoke.
He personally demonstrated what a true cultivator was, starkly contrasting with Monk Changsheng.
"I have my judgments, less than one incense stick’s time remains. Remember to take the dish out early; if it’s too hot, it can’t be eaten and will affect the evaluation."
Shangguan Dong circled around and left with those words, hands behind his back.
His seemingly casual words carried crucial information. A dish too hot to eat implies Monk Changsheng is just Mortal Flesh, unable to withstand even the temperature of ingredients, indirectly answering his earlier question.
This old village chief is quite something, far from simple.
He couldn’t just be Monk Changsheng’s lapdog.
A tea’s time passed.
The surrounding villagers took their dishes off the heat in unison, timing it perfectly, in tacit understanding.
Li Xiaobai took the pig intestines out, plated them, and served them on the table. He could see Monk Changsheng’s expression turning sour, as throughout the process he made no mistake.
"Serve the dishes in order, the monk and village chief will taste them."