This Goose Is Sour! Don't Buy It!

The moment the roast goose walked out, every student who witnessed the scene froze in place.

Even Chen Nuoyi, the girl working the counter, stared in shock, her beautiful eyes wide.

This... this couldn't be explained by mere reflexes anymore, could it?

It felt like a fairy tale had come to life.

Seeing that his trick had stunned the students, Su Yuan smiled faintly and spoke up.

"Everyone, this is the cafeteria's new dish: Dragon Scale Roasted Goose. It's a novel delicacy that can move on its own, slice itself into pieces, and arrange those pieces on a plate."

"Not only is it made with carefully selected ingredients and a perfect balance of color, aroma, and flavor, it's also a feast for the eyes. Please, everyone, give it a try."

Of course, Su Yuan had made all that up to fool them.

The reason the roast goose could move was simply that Su Yuan had used the corpse-controlling technique from the Ancient Corpse Refining Method and the Soul Summoning Bell to make it walk.

After all, even roasted, the goose was still a Walking Corpse that could be moved as usual.

Did Walking Corpses care whether they were cooked or not?

This was the method Su Yuan had mentioned earlier for attracting customers: market the roast goose as a dish that could slice and serve itself, satisfying diners' curiosity.

And it was clear that these bright-eyed, foolish high school students couldn't resist the temptation.

Would this blatant use of corpse-controlling techniques attract the attention of the authorities?

Su Yuan had looked into it. He'd discovered that... this world didn't seem to have developed a zombie culture. The nails he'd used for the Soul Suppressing Nail and the Soul Summoning Bell in his hand had both been makeshift purchases from a funeral supply shop.

This was a proper cultivation world. For one thing, it lacked all the fantastical literature about ghosts and spirits. For another, the demonic corpse-refining methods passed down from ancient times hadn't yet been unearthed in this era.

So even if he brought the Ancient Corpse Refining Method into the open, as long as he kept quiet, who would know?

Of course, it was also possible that corpse-refining methods had already been discovered in some ancient inheritance, but were banned because they defied the natural order.

But even if that were the case, Su Yuan wasn't worried.

He was just a guy who made roast goose. His goose happened to move on its own. Who would ever connect those loathsome zombies with delicious, tempting roast goose?

No matter how you looked at it, Su Yuan was in the clear.

"I'll have a serving of that Dragon Scale Roasted Goose."

Soon, a curious student stepped up to the serving window and swiped his meal card with a beep.

Su Yuan smiled. "Which part of the goose would you like?"

"The breast."

Before he'd even finished speaking, the students saw the young man at the counter give the bell in his hand a gentle shake. The roast goose flapped its wings, picked up a carving knife, and began expertly slicing into its own breast. In a few quick strokes, it had cut off more than a pound of breast meat.

It diced the meat, arranged it on a plate, and served it, all in one smooth motion. The whole thing was so dazzling that it left everyone staring.

Everyone present found the scene unbelievable.

In this era of Universal Cultivation, making objects move wasn't difficult. But making a roast goose move like a living creature was beyond the reach of ordinary Qi Cultivators.

Clearly, this was a secret art worthy of being passed down through generations! A culinary performance that left people marveling in awe!

The first student to buy the Dragon Scale Roasted Goose had already made up his mind: as long as the meat wasn't too awful, he'd come back every few days just to see the performance.

With that thought, he eagerly picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of goose meat into his mouth.

"How is it? Does the goose taste good?"

A classmate he knew well asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

The student chewed the goose meat over and over, swallowed, and fell into a deep silence. Only after the students around him grew anxious did he suddenly declare, with absolute conviction:

"This goose is sour! Don't buy it!"

His words sent the students into an uproar.

Could this tantalizing roast goose be all show and no substance?

But the very next second, they saw the student whip out his meal card faster than the eye could follow. Before anyone could react, he shouted:

"Ten servings! Give me ten! One of every cut!"

The students: "..."

What a sneaky bastard!

At that moment, all the students' doubts vanished. They scrambled for their meal cards, eager to try it for themselves!

With Su Yuan at the helm, the new Dragon Scale Roasted Goose became an instant hit across campus.

In less than half an hour, all one hundred servings had sold out. The roast goose, which had been plump and round, had been cut down to nothing but a skeleton.

With its body gone, the soul sealed inside it ascended to heaven at last—or, more accurately, its soul had been scattered to the winds. Modern cultivation research had shown that reincarnation and rebirth simply didn't exist.

"Su Yuan, Su Yuan, we just sold a hundred servings of Dragon Scale Roasted Goose. Does that mean we made twelve hundred yuan in one go?!"

Chen Nuoyi asked excitedly.

Su Yuan nodded solemnly. Even he thought the students had been a little too enthusiastic. He'd been counting on selling more that evening, but they'd sold out before lunch was even half over. Quite a few students had even asked him to take reservations.

Come on, you're all just buying dishes that cost dozens, even hundreds, of yuan without a second thought?

So I'm the only broke one here?

Oh, right. There's the person next to me, too.

Only then did Su Yuan suddenly realize he'd overlooked something when calculating his share of the profits: his roast geese might be in such high demand that he'd need to increase production.

If they could sell two or even three geese a day, then earning twenty or thirty thousand yuan a month each for him and Chen Nuoyi wouldn't be a dream!

"Su Yuan, thank you."

Chen Nuoyi spoke with heartfelt sincerity.

"If you hadn't brought me in to make money, I wouldn't even have been able to afford food."

Su Yuan turned and met the girl's bright, earnest eyes. He lost himself for a moment.

He gave a light cough and smiled. "Then you'd better pay close attention and learn the art of roasting and curing from me. Especially this trick of using a bell to control the roast goose. It's not so easy to learn!"

The girl hurriedly replied, "Mm! I'll watch closely and learn everything I can. I'll do my best to become someone who can truly help you."

As the two chatted, a deep, steady voice suddenly sounded from the serving window.

"Su Yuan?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Su Yuan stiffened. He turned and saw his homeroom teacher, Yue Lin, standing there with a serious expression.

"Te... Teacher Yue?"

For some reason, Su Yuan felt a little uneasy. Even though he'd already told his homeroom teacher he was working in the cafeteria, it still felt like a young couple had been caught dating by their parents.

Maybe it was because he'd sullied the sacred status of the class's top student?

Just as Su Yuan was wondering how to respond, Yue Lin's tone softened.

"You two certainly know what you're doing. The moment you started, you stole all the attention from the other serving windows."

"But make sure your jobs don't interfere with your studies. The college entrance exam is coming up, so schoolwork still comes first."

"Yes, Teacher Yue!"

Su Yuan and Chen Nuoyi answered in unison.

Then Yue Lin changed the subject.

"I got here late today and missed out on your Dragon Scale Roasted Goose. Remember to save a few servings for me tomorrow."