Little Cooking Saint – 0145 – Dry Hotpot (d)

Chapter 145 Dry Hotpot (d)

Translated by Gumihou

Edited by Gumihou

 

As expected.

It’s Wen Heng!

Shiyu’s brain nearly exploded at the thought. Her mind had turned into static. [1] Error! Error! Shiyu.exe has crashed!

Wen Heng, ah!

Before this, she already had some vague thoughts of hugging this [1] super shiny, platinum level thigh through Wen Xian but, but to think that she had actually been rescued by this platinum level thigh even before she had developed any connection with him! This- this really… [1] asdfghjk!asd!

Back when she was still a reader of this novel, she used to yell out ‘Great Lord Wen!’ whenever Wen Heng’s name appeared in the novel. Now that the man himself has appeared before her eyes, she wanted to hug his leg with all her might. Hug him and hug him until she turns into a leg barnacle, ah!!!

Fat Cat must have noticed her abnormal condition. He patted her face none too gently with a paw, “If you don’t wake up now, you’ll have to go to the [4] Qi Estate on your own.”

Shiyu nearly choked herself sucking in a huge breath of air, fumbled her money pouch for silver, slammed the money down and rushed after Wen Heng.

Once they left, the teashop-keeper came to clear away their cups. He picked up the one used cup, a teapot and paused over a silver ingot.

The teashop-keeper looked around. The customers had already left and there was no one else around. Then, he looked upwards.

Did one of those Cultivator guys drop this while rushing hither tither all over the place?

[2] Shaking his head, the teashop-keeper pocketed the silver ingot and went about his day. Since money has carelessly fallen out of the sky onto his table, might as well keep it.

 

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Shiyu was a little speechless.

That Wen Heng had [3] gripped her elbow and took one step forward. There was a faint whooshing sound and they were suddenly in the middle of Wushan City’s city square. A thousand miles away from the border city of Linjiang.

The City of Wushan still looked fairly prosperous and busy. There were plenty of people and carriages bustling up about up and down the streets. However, though everything looked normal on the surface, Shiyu could sense that security had increased a lot.

Looks like the Qi Clan really had been shaken by the last incident. They had offended someone they could not afford to offend, thus the increased security level.

However, what’s the use of increasing the security?

Shiyu sneered at their futile actions. So what if they increase their vigilance? Patriarch Qi is already dead, killed with her own hands. However, she still has a promise to keep with Mister Qi. His bones had been taken away by his descendants. She must take them back and personally bury them at the Qi Clan’s burial grounds.

As soon as Shiyu and Wen Heng appeared in the sky above the city square, they were immediately spotted. However, no one dared to attack them. Instead, a number of people began to hurry away. Probably to report their findings to the Qi Clan.

“Let’s go to the Qi Estate.”

[4] It was a small matter for Shiyu to follow the messengers via Chasing Clouds & Moon. As for Wen Heng, after following the messenger with a bored look on his face, he suddenly veered off at the gates of the Qi Estate to do his own thing. Shiyu crossed her fingers as she entered the estate after the panicking messengers, hopefully, he’s gone off to deal with the Spiritual Leopard Beast problem.

 

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News of Patriarch Qi’s death had been carefully suppressed.

Everyone who had gone to Linjiang City had died, except for Qi Chuyun.

It has only been a few days, but the lines between her fine brows looked permanently etched. After witnessing how their prized Divine Transformation Master died from a mere look by the man in dark clothes, she understood immediately that their Qi Clan had provoked someone that should never be provoked at all.

After returning to the city, Qi Chuyun assumed authority as the daughter of the main family line and sent all the children away on a ‘training trip’ outside of Xuan Chu. That way, if the Qi Clan is destroyed, their Qi bloodline will remain in this world.

After she had dealt with this, Qi Chuyun sat in the main family hall to wait. Just a few minutes ago, news of two strangers suddenly appearing over the city square was reported to the main house.

So, they have finally arrived.

Qi Chuyun studied the jade box beside her. Within the box was ashes. What little she could collect before the wind scattered the rest away.

“Grandfather, you just sit there and watch. Witness how our Qi Clan is decimated,” her voice was flat. As flat as the stagnant water in the courtyard. Any servants and family members that could be sent away had also been sent off on different errands.

There was no anger inside her. She was too tired and resigned for that.

Grandfather had died, but she could not muster up any resentment for his killer.

Who has the greater claim on hate?

Didn’t grandfather brought it on himself?

Who was she to cast blame or hatred?

 

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When Shiyu entered the Qi Estate, she found that although the guards were wary, they did not act.

[4] She had stopped using Chasing Clouds & Moon after reaching this large courtyard. The atmosphere within the place felt very gloomy and uneasy. Shiyu ignored the guards and walked into the mansion. The great doors were not barred as she entered the large receiving hall.

Qi Chuyun was waiting with a calm expression on her face.

At least, she was calm until she realised it was Shiyu. “You?” She started, but then calmed down again. “Yes, if you’re with that person, how could you possibly die?”

A person powerful enough to kill with a glance would have little trouble saving anyone they put their mind to.

Shiyu already had a good impression of Qi Chuyun. After seeing the young woman sitting on a chair and awaited her fate with a stoic face, she liked her even more. This Qi Chuyun must be desperate and frightened, but she still faces her doom with dignity and grace. How rare is that?

“Yes, yes, it’s me. Anyway, I’ll just keep it short. Give me Mister Qi’s bones. I promised him that I’d make sure that he’s properly buried at the Qi Clan’s burial grounds. Once he’s buried, I’ll leave,” said Shiyu.

The person that should be killed had been killed. She has no real grievances against Qi Clan’s descendants. She’s not going to live here and clash against them anymore, so there’s no reason to kill off a whole bunch of people over one dead stupid headed old man.

A spark of light entered Qi Chuyun’s eyes, “Truly?”

“Of course,” Shiyu said. “Well, I have no grievances against you, but I’m only speaking for myself-”

She was cut off by a sudden earthquake and a powerful roar. Both women looked instinctively towards the mountain. Shiyu leapt to the roof and saw a huge black leopard howling and struggling against Wen Heng’s hold. [5] Well, Wen Heng wasn’t physically holding the black leopard but the sizzling black energy that was holding the leopard aloft in the air looked really ominous and painful…

[5] Suddenly, the black leopard was launched into the sky like a rocket. Shiyu had to squint her eyes to see the tiny speck it became. Eventually, the speck grew larger and larger and Shiyu noted from its trajectory that it was about to hit the back of the mountain, so she rushed forward to have a look…

[5] The leopard struck the mountainside with an almighty crash. Shiyu managed to land just before it did and the resulting crash landing nearly sent her to the ground. However, she was able to maintain her footing, even if she had to flail her arms a bit.

Next to her, Qi Chuyun had also appeared. Staring at the huge black beast, she stammered, “Wh-why is there such a huge monster in our backyard?”

The beast was as large as half a courtyard.

“Ordinary monsters don’t grow to such size,” Shiyu commented. She leapt lightly towards the beast, Supreme Indifferent in hand. To her, spiritual beast meat are good things, especially this Nascent Formation Stage creature. A nice meaty pie had fallen out of the sky and into her lap.

Shiyu wanted to cut a piece of the leopard off. However, when she took a closer look at the leopard hide, she hesitated. Finally, she withdrew a space ring, tossed out most of the less important items inside the ring and stuffed the entire leopard in.

Qi Chuyun merely stood aside, not making a move to stop Shiyu at all. Instead, she ran for the back of the mountain, towards the cave where Venerable Ancestor was supposed to be in close Cultivation most of the time.

When she reached the cave entrance, Qi Chuyun hesitated. A sharp, powerful stench of blood hit her nose. Her heart sank. To think their respected Venerable Ancestor actually live in such a dark and bloody place. She gritted her teeth, picked up a sturdy branch, wrapped the tip with cloth and lit it on fire. Then, she moved deeper into the cave with her makeshift torch.

Step by step, Qi Chuyun explored the cave. It was clearly a very dirty cave and the deeper she went, the stronger the smell of blood. [6] Finally, just when she was about to lose her nerve and run away, her foot stepped onto something that made a crunching sound. It was a piece of bone fragment.

When she raised her torch higher, illumination fell upon more broken bones and bits of crushed internal organs. Her body began to tremble. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had been expecting something terrible, but this- this-

[6] Her foot kicked something.

She had been backing away unconsciously and had accidentally kicked something that rolled away. It was a head. Half of its face had been torn away, but enough was left for her to recognise the little boy she had praised as being the most promising of the lot.

[6] “I’m looking forward to that child’s future.”

She had said that. [6] But now look.

Look at the fate of their so-called promising disciples. The yearly discipleship selection is basically Qi Clan selecting the best food for their beastly master!

Grandfather… does grandfather know about this?

Desperate to leave this stinking cave filled with resentful energy, Qi Chuyun nearly ran for the entrance. When she finally reached the blessed sunlight, she saw Shiyu talking to a cat.

“Why did the leopard not struggle just now? To play around with an actual Nascent Formation Beast like it’s nothing… when do you think I could reach such level?”

That huge monster is a… Nascent Formation Stage Spiritual Beast? No wonder… wonder grandfather had decided to rely on its power to drag the Qi Clan up. No wonder grandfather was willing to kill anyone who knows this secret.

However, things had developed to this stage… what should she say? What could she do? How does one placate the feelings of parents and guardians whose children had become food for a Spiritual Beast?

When Shiyu noticed her, she said nothing. Shiyu could more or less guess from Qi Chuyun’s white face what she must have seen in the cave.

“Well, let’s go and bury Mister Qi first.”

 

[Gumihou: Those poor kids…]

 

Gumihou is keeping track so that you don’t have to ~

 

 

Condensation Stage Stage 1
Core Transformation Stage 2
Core Condensation Stage 3
Divine Transformation Stage 4
Nascent Formation Stage 5*

 

*Previous ‘missing stage’. Now it re-appeared as Stage 5. Eh, whatev…

 

[1] Additional Details for Dramatic Purpose: It’s the excitement of meeting THE Wen Heng, I thought I should max it out.

[2] Union in Support of Minor Character (USMiC): I like this nice teashop-keeper and gave him a bit more screen time. Especially since he seems like a nice ‘Welcome to this city NCP’. Gumihou has a soft spot for those.

[3] Additional Details for Logistic Purpose: Err, how do these amazing people hold their companions when they speed travel? Hug them? Hold their hands? Stand within 1 foot from them? Some clarity would be helpful!

Also, took some creative liberties.

[4] Additional Details for Logistic Purpose: Like… how do you know where to find Qi Chuyun? You track her down by qi? Follow her followers? Via Wen Heng? Did you smell her out? Pick any one of these solutions but don’t just ‘appear’ in front of Qi Chuyun without explanation, please.

If Qi Clan really is the premier, number 1 clan in the whole of Xuan Chu, their estate will be very large. Consider the fact that they have 3 elders, most likely Divine Transformation Masters, their personal courtyard would be no smaller than Patriarch Qi’s. Also, Qi Chuyun has ‘three uncles’. Therefore, even if their powers may not be strong, they are still the direct bloodline of the Venerable Ancestors and therefore would have a large courtyard each, if only for their own family to use.

In short, the Qi Estate would like a miniature city build around careful consideration of strength, seniority and bloodline. It’s not like most estate where you’re guaranteed to find the biggest boss in the biggest and grandest house.

[5] Union in Support of Minor Characters (USMiC): The great and almighty leopard ‘wailed and was thrown by Wen Heng’ and then died. The end.

At least give some description of his absolute helplessness under Wen Heng’s powers!!

[6] Additional Details for Dramatic Purpose: She’s walking into a leopard’s den, has to be scary and traumatic, right?

 

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This Post Has One Comment

  1. Mona

    I hope she makes a very tasty dish from that leopard spirit beast

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