The Mysterious Cook

"Anything has a weak point. If you position your blade correctly and use the right technique, even paper can kill someone instantly!"

"The Art of Slaughter is about finding the weak point of your ingredients and breaking them down with the least amount of effort!"

As Chu Feng spoke, he found the connection of the spine. With a few flicks of his wrist, the half-pig carcass that had given Chen Shi Tou so much trouble was broken down into several pieces.

His movements were light and fluid, like flowing water, leaving Chen Shi Tou in awe and admiration.

"Wow! Master, you're amazing!"

Chen Shi Tou clapped his hands in delight. He had been busy for most of the day, and his cleaver had gone dull, yet he had only managed to break down a few pieces.

It was nothing like Chu Feng, who finished the job in a single breath.

Chu Feng smiled and said, "Remember the trick and learn well, and you'll pick it up quickly."

After the lesson, Chu Feng asked, "Shi Tou, where are there any vacant rooms around here?"

The dormitory at the inn was too harsh. With his current strength and finances, there was no need for him to endure such hardship.

"I'm not too sure about this area, but we can find a middleman. They'll definitely know where we can rent a place."

Hearing that Chu Feng wanted to find a place to rent, Chen Shi Tou was also very happy. His home was near the Hongyun Restaurant.

He had stayed in the dormitory last night purely to build a good relationship with Chu Feng, and he had expected it to take a long time.

But in just one night, Chu Feng had truly become his master.

"A small place is fine, as long as I can sleep peacefully. We'll go take a look after work," Chu Feng said, not asking for much, just a quiet place to be alone.

"Okay, Master..."

Li Zhenshan was busy working fervently. Seeing Chu Feng and Chen Shi Tou chatting and laughing, he felt uncomfortable.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Chen Shi Tou, pick a river fish and bring it to me."

Hearing Li Zhenshan's words, Chen Shi Tou looked up at Chu Feng, as if asking for permission.

He was a smart person. Between the head chef in charge and his newly accepted master, his master was naturally more important.

"Go ahead. While you're there, watch how Master Li cooks. A butcher is ultimately less impressive than a chef..."

Chu Feng didn't have any strong feelings about it. His goal was the peak of Martial Arts, and he didn't have time to deal with the petty squabbles in the kitchen.

"You got it..." Seeing that his master didn't mind, Chen Shi Tou happily went to help.

Before, he had really wanted to become Master Li's disciple, but the man had simply looked down on him.

He never expected that after becoming Chu Feng's disciple, Li Zhenshan would actually ask him for help. Chen Shi Tou felt a sense of pride.

Li Zhenshan naturally noticed Chen Shi Tou's subtle expression. He snorted coldly but said nothing.

Before, Chen Shi Tou used to pester him, and he hadn't cared at all.

But seeing the person who used to fawn over him now constantly around someone else made him feel very uncomfortable.

When Chen Shi Tou pulled a plump river fish out of the pond, Chu Feng suddenly spoke up.

"Chef Li, shall I help you?"

Li Zhenshan was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Chu Feng to proactively try to please him.

Yes.

In his eyes, Chu Feng's action was nothing but an attempt to curry favor.

Although he felt a bit smug, he still nodded with a cold expression, showing no hint of emotion.

Chu Feng ignored the other man's thoughts. His eyes were only on Lifespan, which was the foundation of his Martial Arts.

He took the river fish, and with a swift movement, he bled it, removed its gills, and scaled it. His actions were fluid and pleasing to the eye.

He then made decorative cuts on the fish, creating an elegant shape.

[Killed river fish, gained 20 days of Lifespan.]

Chu Feng smiled slightly. Even a mosquito's leg is still meat.

At this moment, he felt a bit troubled. Even a bustling restaurant consumed a very limited amount of meat.

How could he obtain more livestock? If only he could slaughter all the meat consumed by the people of the entire city.

Unfortunately, this goal was destined to be impossible to achieve.

Chu Feng's knife skills made Chen Shi Tou exclaim in admiration. He had never seen such beautiful and smooth knife work.

Even Li Zhenshan's fish-cleaning skills were far inferior.

Chen Shi Tou felt even more fortunate about his correct decision to become Chu Feng's disciple.

"Master Li, do you think the way I handled this meets your requirements?" Chu Feng asked with a smile.

"So-so," Li Zhenshan said casually, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

He knew very well that for an ordinary butcher to possess such exquisite skill was likely one in ten thousand.

Someone with such knife skills was most likely a martial artist.

But he saw Chu Feng's small and thin frame and his relaxed posture, showing no signs of having any martial arts training.

Li Zhenshan suddenly said without warning, "Master Chu, to be honest, I've stayed in Qingyan City for a while, how come I've never heard of a place called Peach Blossom Town?"

Chu Feng was startled, "What were you doing there, you old rascal?"

His expression remained unchanged, and he said, "Peach Blossom Town is remote, with only a few dozen households. It's normal that Master Li hasn't heard of it."

"Oh, I see." Li Zhenshan made no comment but didn't press further.

He then took the fish Chu Feng handed him and began frying it in a hot pan.

Chu Feng was then shocked to discover that Li Zhenshan's hands were missing all five fingers. Each finger had only two segments, with the tip, including the nail, completely gone.

Only five round nubs remained, looking both comical and strange!

He hadn't noticed from a distance earlier, but now it seemed this cook was strange in every way.

Chu Feng carefully observed the Hongyun Restaurant's renowned chef, hired with a heavy sum.

He was stout and plump, no different from an ordinary cook.

His round, chubby face, which should have looked kind, always carried a hint of feigned indifference, as if he were constantly pushing people away.

Chu Feng immediately concluded that the man was far from being a simple cook.

However, he didn't ask any more questions. Just as the other man had inquired without pressing for details, he also didn't intend to probe into the other's background.

And so, they busied themselves until after the meal rush and the customers had left.

After finishing their day's work, Chen Shi Tou brought Chu Feng to a middleman in Yong'an City.

It was an old man around fifty, with graying hair, but he was energetic and walked with a sprightly gait.

"Rent a courtyard?"

"Yes, old sir."

"Long-term or short-term rental?"

"Long-term."

After understanding their needs, the middleman led them through winding alleys in the southern part of the city to an old courtyard.

It was an old house.

There was only one main room and a courtyard wall made of mud, barely five feet high. One could see the withered peach tree in the yard by just standing on tiptoe.

It looked like no one had lived there for years.

The old courtyard gate hung crookedly, looking as if it would fall with a strong gust of wind.

The dilapidation was so bad that even Chen Shi Tou couldn't stand it. "Master, this house is too run-down. Why don't we look for another one?"

"No need, this one will do." Chu Feng didn't want to waste time searching for a house.

Besides, given his current identity, living in such a place was just right. If it were too good, it would easily arouse suspicion.

After all, Chu Feng was still wanted for the deaths of dozens of people from the Fang Family!

Seeing Chu Feng agree, the middleman was delighted. "Thirty copper coins a month. If you want to live here, you'll have to pay the rent for a year upfront."

Chu Feng paid the money, and the middleman handed him the key before leaving happily.

Afterward, the master and disciple began cleaning the house.

The key the middleman gave them was rusted and unusable. Chu Feng had no choice but to kick open the already precarious courtyard gate and begin the cleanup.

He repaired the dilapidated wooden door, making it barely functional.

They cleared the weeds in the yard and tidied up the room, and by then, the sky had turned as dark as ink.

While they were cleaning, they were surprised to see Li Zhenshan walking towards them, holding a roasted chicken in his left hand and a jar of hua diao wine in his right.

He was clearly also surprised when he discovered Chu Feng and Chen Shi Tou.

He said coldly, "Who exactly are you?"

"I am who I am? Who else could I be?" Chu Feng replied, puzzled.

"If this wasn't premeditated, how could you have rented a place right near my home?" Li Zhenshan's gaze shifted to Chen Shi Tou, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Master Li, I really didn't know you lived here!"

Chen Shi Tou was also bewildered. He genuinely didn't know where Li Zhenshan lived.

Ever since he was rejected by Master Li, he had given up on the idea. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been working as a waiter.