Chapter 2237 - 2196: Wang Xiaoqiang's Integrity

With Wang Xiaoqiang's current cultivation at the First Decline of Heavenly Beings, plus his physical body's strength and Blood Qi Energy, he could completely break free from Master Lingzhi's Divine Sense pressure—but in this situation, he absolutely didn't dare resist.

After all, those two Spirit Chickens of Master Lingzhi were stolen by him.

Right now Master Lingzhi wasn't just searching for the chicken thief; he suspected that the person who killed his nephew Xue Xiaogui and the person who stole his Spirit Chickens should be in the same group, or even the same person.

This person was provoking him from the shadows.

He wanted to drag this person out, see what kind of person he really was, and what kind of power stood behind him.

Zhang Dakuan swept his harsh gaze over the six of them and issued an order to Zhang Dapang, saying, "Master Lingzhi's Spirit Chickens were stolen. The entire sect is being searched. You people from the Kitchen Room are on the inspection list as well. Now, Zhang Dapang, I order you to collect the Storage Rings of all six members of your Kitchen Room and hand them over to me…"

Zhang Dapang was so oppressed by Master Lingzhi's Divine Sense that he could barely speak. He forced out a single, "Yes." Then he took off his own Storage Ring first, turned his gaze to the others, and the five from the Kitchen Room all took off their own Storage Rings. Wang Xiaoqiang also unhurriedly took the Storage Ring off his finger and handed it to Zhang Dapang.

Of course, that Storage Ring wasn't the Sumeru Ring. The Sumeru Ring had already been swallowed into his belly. And the two Spirit Chickens were hidden inside the Sumeru Ring.

The six people's Storage Rings were handed to Zhang Dapang, and Zhang Dapang passed them to Zhang Dakuan, who finally handed them over to Master Lingzhi.

Master Lingzhi was at the Fourth Decline of Heavenly Beings Realm, his Divine Sense unimaginably powerful. With just a single sweep, he pierced through each Storage Ring and saw the inner space.

But in the end he still drew back his gaze in disappointment, because in the Storage Rings of the six, he did not find his Spirit Chickens.

His sharp gaze swept over the six again, his face full of cold contempt, as if he were looking at a bunch of ants. Then he casually tossed the six Storage Rings back in front of them, snorted coldly, mounted his Flying Beast, and flew off, not even bothering to exchange a single word with Zhang Dakuan.

Zhang Dakuan burned with shame and anger inside, but he didn't dare show it. Zhang Dapang and the others were also seething with humiliation, yet none of them dared let it show. One by one they bent down and picked their Storage Rings up off the ground.

Wang Xiaoqiang didn't pick his up. Everyone stared at him in curiosity. Just as Zhang Dapang was about to remind Wang Xiaoqiang to pick up his own Storage Ring, Wang Xiaoqiang raised his foot, stomped down, and crushed his Storage Ring to pieces, then spat a mouthful of spit in the direction Master Lingzhi had flown off.

This move of Wang Xiaoqiang's was plainly a provocation toward Master Lingzhi, especially at such a critical moment. If Master Lingzhi saw it, he would definitely kill him on the spot.

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang do this, Zhang Dapang was stunned, Wang Erpang was stunned, Xu Sanpang was stunned, the other two Fattys were stunned, and Sect Master Zhang Dakuan was also stunned.

This Wang Xiaoqiang—his guts were way too big!!

However, Wang Xiaoqiang's little stunt did help them vent quite a bit of anger. That Master Lingzhi was just too arrogant and rude, too blind to everyone around him—he didn't treat them like people at all.

Zhang Dakuan gave Wang Xiaoqiang a long, deep look, said nothing, and just told Zhang Dapang, "All right, get back to work."

With that, he mounted his Pet Beast and left.

Only after Zhang Dakuan left did Zhang Dapang and the others finally react. They stared at Wang Xiaoqiang, fear still lingering in their eyes, and all said, "Little Qiang, y-you're way too bold. If Master Lingzhi finds out, you'll definitely die,"

"Yeah. Even though Master Lingzhi can't see it, you provoked him right in front of Zhang Dakuan. If Zhang Dakuan sells you out and tells Master Lingzhi, then you're finished,"

"Little Qiang, y-you're being way too rash. Actually, Zhang Dakuan is angry too, and we're angry as well, but sometimes we have to learn to endure. In front of the strong, if you don't endure, there's only one road left—death…"

Faced with everyone's warnings, Wang Xiaoqiang, however, didn't care in the slightest. He gave a calm smile and said, "I'm the kind of person who can't swallow even the tiniest bit of humiliation. I feel that rather than live in humiliation, it's better to die. That saying 'a good death is not as good as a shameless life' is actually just a kind of self-comfort the weak give themselves."

They were all stunned by his words, and stared blankly at Wang Xiaoqiang, feeling that this new little junior brother really was extraordinary—he had backbone, and was worth their admiration.

That day, after leaving the Kitchen Room, Wang Xiaoqiang directly left the Five Elements Sect. He headed west all the way until he arrived at a city. In this city, he rented a small courtyard. Although this place wasn't as luxurious as the Disciple courtyard he'd been assigned in the Five Elements Sect, and was much smaller, it was still small but complete in every way: the yard had a hall, rooms, and even a kitchen, with pots, bowls, chopsticks, and ladles—he could cook.

Wang Xiaoqiang went out and bought potatoes and green peppers, his favorite foods, and also bought oil, salt, sauces, vinegar and the like as seasonings. Then he opened his mouth and spat out the Sumeru Ring, and began cooking Spirit Chicken in the kitchen.

There were two ways to cook Spirit Chicken.

Both ways he had learned from Xu Sanpang. These two methods weren't actually difficult; you just needed a few ingredients similar to Chinese medicinal herbs, and you could make it right away.

One way is a cooking method similar to Earth's "big-plate chicken": sour, sweet, spicy, and fragrant, all about heavy flavor. The other way is to simmer chicken soup, just like the one Wang Xiaoqiang had last time, which focuses on a light taste.

After Wang Xiaoqiang took out the two Spirit Chickens, he cooked them using these two methods. Although it was his first time trying his hand at this, he was careful, so the result was pretty good—full marks in color, aroma, and taste.

Wang Xiaoqiang took a bite and then couldn't put his chopsticks down. He wolfed everything down, demolishing both chickens—one as a dish, one as soup. It was like a sweeping storm.

"So good, so good, really so good. So satisfying, so satisfying, really satisfying..." After eating and drinking his fill, Wang Xiaoqiang lay back on a lounge chair, rubbing his bulging belly, mumbling with a thoroughly content expression.

Last time he only ate two pieces of Spirit Chicken meat; this time it was two whole chickens, so of course the effect was different. Previously, eating the chicken left him wanting more; this time it was completely unrestrained, he could be said to have indulged to his heart's content, like an addict getting to smoke two big bags of primo weed—utterly enjoyable.

Lying there, savoring the taste of the Spirit Chicken, he released the Patterned Beast and had it clean up the gnawed chicken bones.

Once the Patterned Beast came out, it opened its huge mouth and instantly swept all the bones on the ground into it like a storm. Then it shut its big mouth and chewed away, also wearing an expression of pure enjoyment.

Seeing the Patterned Beast eating with such relish, so intoxicated, Wang Xiaoqiang became even more convinced of how good the Spirit Chicken tasted, because he'd never seen the Patterned Beast eat so happily before—and previously, when it ate meat, it would never touch the bones.

After resting for a while, Wang Xiaoqiang returned to the Five Elements Sect.

The taste of the Spirit Chicken had him hooked, giving him the urge to be a chicken thief once more. But the situation didn't allow for it right now, so he forcibly suppressed the impulse and focused on cooking in the Kitchen Room.

That day, a notice came down from above: the Sect Leader Immortal would be bringing his family to eat at the Kitchen Room, and everyone there was to make preparations in advance.

The Sect Leader Immortal comes to eat at the Kitchen Room only once or twice a year. Every time he comes, the few people in the Kitchen Room are all on tenterhooks and prepare thoroughly. They not only have to serve the classic dishes, but also put up some new seasonal creations so that old and new flavors are all on the table, doing their best to satisfy the Sect Leader's appetite.

This time, because the Sect Leader Immortal was bringing his family to eat—plainly said, bringing his wife and son or daughter—things had to be taken even more seriously.

After all, whether the food they cook suits the tastes of the Sect Leader Immortal's whole family directly affects their prospects, even their fate—and even their lives.

Zhang Dapang and the others were raring to go, starting preparations. At this moment, Xu Sanpang came over to Wang Xiaoqiang and quietly reminded him, "Little Qiang, you should make those couple of signature dishes of yours too, let the Sect Leader's whole family have a taste. Maybe they'll like them so much they'll promote you to be their personal chef. Then you'll be set."

Wang Xiaoqiang understood what Xu Sanpang meant. If you compared the Five Elements Sect to a city, then the Sect Leader Immortal would be like the City Lord. A City Lord's Family always has professional chefs, and not just one—there's a head chef, the chef in charge. If Wang Xiaoqiang's cooking suited the Sect Leader Immortal's taste, then he could become that head chef.

Being head chef in the Sect Leader Immortal's household is far better than being just a Miscellaneous Servant Disciple in the Kitchen Room. That would make him someone at the Sect Leader Immortal's side—no one in the Five Elements Sect would dare offend him.

Who could have expected that Wang Xiaoqiang would just scoff and say, "Senior Sister Xu, I think we should forget it. I'm not the type to muddle along just eating and waiting for death. I'm really not that interested in the job of a chef..."

"I know you're not interested in being a chef, and I know there's no future in being a chef. To be honest, I don't plan on being a chef my whole life either. But this is an opportunity to climb upward..."

"Oh right, I heard the Sect Leader Immortal's daughter is coming too. She likes sweets—you could make a few of those breads and cakes you did last time..."

Wang Xiaoqiang had indeed experimented with making desserts. To be honest, desserts like bread and such were absolutely rare commodities in the Ancient Era, and they fit the taste of girls who love sweet food perfectly.

But Wang Xiaoqiang really didn't have any intention of currying favor and climbing up by fawning on someone. He shook his head and said unhappily, "Tch, Senior Sister Xu, you're underestimating me. If the Sect Leader Immortal's daughter begged me to cook, maybe I'd agree..."

He hadn't finished when Xu Sanpang already cried out, "What, what? You want the Sect Leader's precious daughter to beg you? You want that Jiangh Churan, who outshines all beauties in the Five Elements Sect, to beg you? You're really daydreaming..."

"What's wrong with that, just because she's the Sect Leader's daughter... Honestly, I just can't stand those high-and-mighty rich ladies who think they can boss everyone around," Wang Xiaoqiang said with disdain.

"She's not just the Sect Leader's daughter, she's also the number one beauty in the Five Elements Sect. You think, just with a few desserts of yours, you can make such a great beauty come begging you? You've really got an imagination..."

"Tch, Senior Sister Xu, there you go looking down on me again. I, Wang Xiaoqiang, am not some lustful guy. If she doesn't beg me, I absolutely won't go out of my way to please her," Wang Xiaoqiang said. "I'd rather make a serving for you..."

Hearing that, Xu Sanpang's face turned sweet; she cupped her cheeks in both hands like a blissful maiden and threw Wang Xiaoqiang a devastatingly cheesy flirtatious look. "So that means, in your heart, I'm even prettier than that number one beauty Jiangh Churan..."

Wang Xiaoqiang hurriedly lowered his head, suppressing the urge to vomit that was surging up his throat, and nodded. "Mm, but I mean your inner beauty."

"Hmph." Xu Sanpang's smile dimmed, her face clouded over. She pouted her thick lips. "Why is it that all you men have the same standards of beauty? What's wrong with being a bit chubby, what's wrong with being a bit dark? Dark is the color of health, and being chubby means having strength, able to manage the household. That's way better than those Fox Demons whose only skill is seducing men, isn't it..."