Five Flavors Chopsticks

Riding his little electric scooter toward the address Huang Qingyi had sent him, Li Ye silently calculated in his heart.

Using the most ordinary bowl of beef noodles as a benchmark, he only needed ten thousand bowls to complete Qi Circulation and step through the Dragon Gate.

That would cost just a hundred thousand yuan.

But his own Training Method would strengthen this aspect as well. The better he ate, the faster he trained; it could improve things by one-fifth to one-third.

If he ate even better, it could probably reach one-half.

Then the expense would be even lower. Perhaps sixty or seventy thousand would be enough.

Far cheaper than martial arts school tuition.

He could forget about the Ironclad Boar from lunch. It was a school-exclusive supply, not particularly precious as an ingredient, and tasted awful besides, so it never entered the market.

But he could buy similar things and test exactly how much they improved him, then make targeted preparations.

He still needed more experiments to identify the food with the best value for money.

Half an hour later, Li Ye reached the location on his navigation.

It was an old building in the western district. Its exterior walls had peeling paint, and above the entrance hung the three words: Sanitation Bureau.

Li Ye tugged at the corner of his mouth and sent Huang Qingyi a message. Barely three minutes later, Huang Qingyi, wrapped in bandages, appeared at the entrance.

"I thought you were a police officer," Li Ye said.

"There's a position there too."

Huang Qingyi led Li Ye inside. "We answer directly to the Security Department, are affiliated with the Police Department, our organization is under the military, and our location is in sanitation. I'm a member of Pest Control Brigade One under the Pest Control Bureau, which is a parallel unit to the Sanitation Bureau."

Li Ye froze. "Do you collect one salary or four?"

"Five. The Pest Control Bureau itself pays one too."

Huang Qingyi grinned, pointing at the bandages around his body. "High-risk work. It's normal for the pay to be higher. Come on, our bureau chief wants to meet you."

They took the elevator to the third floor, and Huang Qingyi led Li Ye into its corridor.

Unlike the building's old exterior, the corridor was clean. The floor tiles seemed to be made from some kind of stone, all in light shades. The lights remained on even during the day, and there was not a single dim corner.

The entire third floor was spacious and mostly empty, with only a few offices bearing signs for Bureau Chief and Deputy Bureau Chief.

The two stopped before the office marked Bureau Chief's Office and pushed open the door.

"Chief, he's here!"

As Huang Qingyi spoke, Li Ye entered the office and first swept his gaze around.

This was neither the plain office he associated with government agencies nor one with any refined taste. Instead, it gave off a strange feeling.

The first thing that caught his eye was a desk as large as a conference table. Its material resembled flowing magma, its veins glimmering red.

Behind the desk stood display cabinets. They held no books, only strange objects.

Fist-sized unknown crystals, savage beast claws, peculiar porcelain—Li Ye even saw an irregular gold brick.

To one side was a sofa seemingly made of white fur. At its end was a bear-like head with a blue face and vicious fangs.

Above the sofa hung a picture frame taking up half a wall. The photo showed a burly man with half his clothes torn away, revealing knotted muscles. He held a massive two-handed demon-head blade and stood with one foot atop a magnificent beast, its fur identical to the sofa's.

The style of a nouveau riche.

A violent nouveau riche, at that.

"I want accurate information, not analysis—and then you make me analyze it!"

A coarse voice rang out ahead. The burly man identical to the one in the photo sat there, one foot propped on the desk, reclining halfway in his chair as he cursed into his phone.

"What the hell are you people paid for? The Data Clerks can't determine it, so they come looking for me? Don't you know I've never passed General Knowledge? Hang up. Give me a conclusion within three days!"

The burly man hung up, glanced across the room, and piled on a smile as he pointed to the chairs opposite him. "You're here. Sit!"

Huang Qingyi was about to sit as instructed when the burly man immediately barked, "You stand! You, there."

"Li Ye," Li Ye said.

"Li Ye, you sit."

After Li Ye sat down, the burly man said with a smile, "My name is Pan Zhengyang, bureau chief of the Pest Control Bureau."

As he spoke, he pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then instinctively offered one to Li Ye. "Smoke?"

Li Ye did not stand on ceremony and accepted it. Pan Zhengyang immediately lit it for him, and Li Ye shielded the flame with his hand as the cigarette caught.

The practiced exchange left Huang Qingyi staring in a daze.

Wasn't he a student?

Li Ye exhaled smoke, one brow lifting. "Good stuff."

His Qi and blood had actually risen. Though the increase was minuscule, Li Ye noticed it.

At a normal rate, one cigarette would probably increase his Qi and blood by 0.001.

Comparable to finishing half a bowl of beef noodles.

"The moment I saw you, I knew you smoked! Fine, I'll give you a carton!"

Pan Zhengyang burst into laughter, opened a drawer, and tossed Li Ye a carton of cigarettes with no markings, its packaging painted gold.

Li Ye had smoked and drunk in his previous life, and this life was no exception. Sometimes he drank a little at class gatherings, and when he was irritated, he lit one up.

But he was certain that cigarettes only harmed the human body. There was no such thing as cigarettes that could increase Qi and blood. It was merely that a martial artist's physical constitution did not care much about this minor harm.

Still, through his Authority, he had tasted the composition of this thing.

The Authority of the Qi Devourer had also given him the power to analyze the ingredients of food that entered his mouth.

Whatever the ingredient, whether it was fresh, which seasonings had been used—so long as he wished it, he could taste it all.

Even if it was something he did not recognize, once it entered his mouth, he would know what it was.

Golden Spine Bloodline Tobacco Leaf, a special variety grown by irrigating it with demon blood. Morning draws strengthened the bones, while nighttime puffs fortified essence.

It truly was good stuff, but the one he was smoking now seemed to be an inferior product.

Before Li Ye could think further, Pan Zhengyang said:

"First, regarding yesterday's matter, I want to thank you. Our Data Clerks made an error in their analysis and mistook the Five Plagues Ghost for a Filth Worm. If you hadn't recognized it at the time, things would have become very bad."

"How did you determine it?" Li Ye was quite curious about the process.

"That mainly relies on our Data Clerks. They specialize in handling abnormal situations and confirming whether demons are involved. Take Zhao Dashui, who had been parasitized. A Data Clerk discovered unusual mold spots in garbage collected by sanitation workers, investigated them, and traced them to him. Then we deployed."

Pan Zhengyang shot Huang Qingyi a glare. "For this incident, those who need a demerit will receive one, and those who need punishment will be punished. I called you here first because I wanted to meet someone like you, who could promptly identify a demon and take the appropriate measures."

"Second, we're giving ordinary citizens some rewards. But it's best not to do this again. No matter how much knowledge you have, it means nothing without the corresponding strength. You felt that contamination, didn't you? We do not advocate for ordinary people to face demons. The first thing you should do upon encountering one is call the police."

As he spoke, he looked at Li Ye. "Preparatory Student?"

Li Ye nodded.

Pan Zhengyang opened a drawer and first took out a card, sliding it across the desk. "After discussion, the bureau is awarding you three thousand. I'll add another three thousand personally, and Huang Qingyi will make up four thousand. That makes ten thousand for you. The password is six sixes."

"And this."

He took out another box and placed it on the table. "Normally, something like this has to be turned in for redistribution. But you saved Huang Qingyi's life and prevented a disaster. I'll make the call. This belongs to you."

Inside the box lay a pair of chopsticks. They were entirely green, as though carved from jade.

Li Ye took the box and held the chopsticks in his hand. They were icy cool, yet they did not feel like jade. Instead, they felt somewhat like wood.

Why was he giving him a pair of chopsticks out of nowhere?

Seemingly noticing Li Ye's confusion, Pan Zhengyang smiled. "When some demons die, there's a tiny chance they leave behind certain essences. In ancient times, they were called Magic Treasures, and that's still what they're called now."

He pointed at the chopsticks. "This Magic Treasure is called Five Flavors Chopsticks. It was left behind after the Five Plagues Ghost died. Eat with it, and even the worst food will taste good. Most importantly, it can raise the quality of food. It's perfect for a Preparatory Student like you."

Good stuff!

Li Ye's eyes lit up. He played with the chopsticks again, then solemnly placed them back in the box and put it away.

They would work perfectly with his current Authority.

"Thank you. I needed this," Li Ye said.

"You earned it."

Pan Zhengyang chuckled. "All right, that's it. I won't keep you. Big Huang, see him out."

Li Ye did not waste words. He stood to leave, but suddenly thought of something and asked, "What are the requirements to join your organization?"

He needed to slay Gods to obtain Authorities, but demons were not easy to find, much less demons comparable to Gods.

If he could enter a place dedicated to dealing with demons, it would mean that Li Ye could come into contact with a great many demons.

This was where the odds were highest.

And the benefits seemed pretty good too. Positions within the system existed even at the end of the universe, and Li Ye was not opposed to them in the first place.

"You want to serve the country?"

Pan Zhengyang nodded approvingly. "Good attitude, but you can't enter here without stepping onto the martial path. Even our Data Clerks are at least at the First Dragon Gate. Demon contamination isn't something ordinary people can withstand. Even reading the files can infect you with contamination. Only those whose Qi and blood have undergone Qi Circulation can enter this place."

"And for people like us who specialize in dealing with demons, the starting point is the Six Dragon Gate. Study and train hard. Once you graduate university, if you still want to deal with demons, you can apply."

Li Ye nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Huang Qingyi walked Li Ye to the entrance. After thinking for a moment, Li Ye asked, "Are the Five Flavors Chopsticks very valuable?"

"Not cheap."

Huang Qingyi said, "You'd better not let people know about them. Magic Treasures with practical uses are all expensive. If you sold this, it wouldn't go for less than ten million. Forget about improving ingredient quality—even its ability to make food taste better alone would attract many immensely wealthy gourmands."

Li Ye was startled when he heard that.

He had not thought the item was cheap, but this price was still beyond his expectations.

Pan Zhengyang had simply given it to him so casually?

Seeing the surprise and question in Li Ye's eyes, Huang Qingyi smiled. "I definitely couldn't bear to part with it. It was my first time seeing a Magic Treasure too. If you hadn't saved my life, I definitely wouldn't have agreed."

"But you don't need to worry too much. If the chief says he's giving it to you, then it's yours. Few people recognize this thing anyway. Use it openly and without worry. If there really is a problem, you can find me. Our position still carries a little authority."

Hearing that, Li Ye nodded and bid Huang Qingyi farewell.

After seeing Li Ye off, Huang Qingyi returned to the bureau chief's office and asked, "Chief, Li Ye is only a student. Isn't it inappropriate to give him something so valuable?"

"You... should I call you clever? You don't know a damned thing. Should I call you stupid? You still know how to remind me indirectly."

Pan Zhengyang rolled his eyes. "Once we give it to him, it's his. Whether he sells it or uses it himself doesn't matter. Does anyone think our Pest Control Bureau is dead if they try to force him?"

Then he said irritably, "A student? One Five Plagues Ghost left you injured all over, while that student killed it by force with a method that countered it. He's far more capable than you!"

Huang Qingyi shrank his neck. "That was a mistake."

Pan Zhengyang pointed at him and cursed, "Mistake, mistake. One mistake gets you injured; the second mistake costs your life! Your death wouldn't matter, but if it lets a demon undergo Disaster Transformation and gets ordinary people killed, then you're a goddamned sinner!"

"Besides, I saw how strong his legs were. He walked like the wind, yet every step was rooted firmly to the ground. His Training Method has definitely entered the hall. With a Magic Treasure, he'll step onto the martial path sooner or later. If he stays true to his original aspirations, he might become our colleague someday."

Pan Zhengyang lit another cigarette, inhaled half of it in one drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

He watched the smoke drift about and slowly said, "If I'm not dead by then."