Ming Bufan shook his head. "One's all about fighting and killing, another goes clink-clank, and now we've got a little weirdo who can cook. Sect Leader Peak is certainly lively."
Muttering to himself, he returned to the main hall. As he looked at the Jade Slip memorials on the table, his eyes began to burn with fervor.
With a flash, he sat down at the desk and began reviewing them.
If Lin Chen had seen him like this, he would surely have called him a workaholic.
Meanwhile, Outer Elite Disciple He Yiliang had just returned to Clearwind City.
His uncle, Lord Qin, was dead.
They hadn't even found his body.
At that very moment, He Yiliang stood before Lord Qin's gravestone.
Lord Qin's wife and children knelt on the ground, burning joss paper.
"Yiliang, you have to avenge your uncle!"
His aunt sobbed as she let out a piercing wail.
"Our Treasure Vault was robbed, and it nearly got burned down, too. Your uncle took people to chase the culprit, and never came back. Our family's been ruined—we've lost everything!"
He Yiliang furrowed his brows. His parents had died when he was young, and his uncle and aunt had raised him.
But they hadn't treated him well.
Only later had he learned that his uncle had caused his parents' deaths.
He'd kept that secret buried in his heart until he joined Green Mountain Sect.
After that, he'd cut off all contact with Lord Qin.
Who would've thought Lord Qin would use his name to swagger around and swindle people?
He'd even bribed Green Mountain Sect, hoping to get his own children admitted so they could become a cultivation clan and rise to the heavens in one leap.
He knew about Lord Qin's plot to harm the Lin Family, too.
He'd even warned Lord Qin long ago to know when to stop.
The waters surrounding the Lin Family ran too deep.
But Lord Qin had refused to listen.
And now this had happened.
He hadn't wanted to get involved. He'd only come back to sever these ties once and for all.
"Ji Xianglian, what happened to your family is entirely your own fault."
He looked calmly at the Qin Family. "I came here today to tell you that I, He Yiliang, have nothing more to do with any of you.
"If you dare use my name to swindle people again, don't blame me for turning against you."
At his merciless words, the Qin Family stared at him in shock, forgetting even to cry.
Ji Xianglian rose to her feet, glared furiously at He Yiliang, pointed at him, and roared.
"He Yiliang, are you even human? The man who died was your uncle, the benefactor who raised you! How can you be so ungrateful?"
"Raised me? What a joke!" He Yiliang wore a self-mocking smile, unable to hide the deep hatred in his eyes.
"Ji Xianglian, did you really think I didn't know how you killed my parents and seized my family's property?"
At those words, Ji Xianglian's face changed dramatically. She stumbled backward several steps and plopped down on the ground.
"The fact that I haven't killed you is already the greatest restraint I can show. From now on, we're even!"
After saying that, He Yiliang turned and left.
He was afraid that if he stayed another moment, he'd slaughter them all.
"Lin Chen, I'll come find you!" He Yiliang turned into a streak of light and vanished into the sky.
Achoo!
Lin Chen, who was washing vegetables, suddenly sneezed.
He rubbed his nose. "One sneeze means someone's thinking of me, two means they're cursing me, and three means they're gossiping about me. Is someone missing me?"
Lin Chen didn't take it to heart.
In this world, there really wasn't anyone who missed him.
By noon, he'd already made four dishes and a soup, with a good balance of meat and vegetables. They looked, smelled, and tasted delicious.
"The ingredients in this world are so tasty. A little simple preparation is all it takes to make them look this good. Would I make money if I opened a restaurant?"
Lin Chen was practically drooling at the thought when Ming Bufan and the other two arrived.
"Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister, Third Senior Brother."
Lin Chen hurried forward to greet them. "Please, take your seats. I'll bring the rice."
After saying that, he went back into the Kitchen and carried out a basin of rice.
The cooked Spirit Rice grains were each as long as a finger joint, translucent and plump, giving off an alluring fragrance.
Just smelling it made Lin Chen swallow again and again.
But he didn't give in to his appetite. He carried the rice to the table, served his three senior siblings, then stood to one side.
"Senior brothers and sister, please help yourselves."
The three of them had been holding back for ages. They grabbed their chopsticks and dug in.
Seeing him still standing, Ming Bufan immediately said, "Sit down and eat with us!"
"Me?" Lin Chen pointed at his nose. "Senior Brother, I'm just a menial disciple. You..."
"What nonsense!"
Before Ming Bufan could say anything, Third Senior Brother Qi Ruming slammed down his chopsticks.
"Once you're at Sect Leader Peak, we're all senior brothers and juniors. Enough with this menial disciple business. It's annoying. From now on, you're our Little Junior Brother."
"You heard him. Sit down and eat." Senior Brother Ming Bufan smiled as he beckoned him over.
Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart.
He'd worried before that he'd be worked like an ox and a horse.
But the past two days had made him realize they treated him like family.
So he stopped hesitating and sat down at the table without holding back.
"This food is incredible!"
Third Senior Brother Qi Ruming stuffed his cheeks and chewed like a man possessed.
Second Senior Sister Jian Rushuang said nothing, but her chopsticks flew faster and faster.
Only Ming Bufan ate slowly, with the refined air of a gentleman.
Over the course of the meal, Lin Chen had already gotten a feel for the three of them.
Senior Brother Ming Bufan was graceful and poised, with a scholarly air in every gesture.
He had the bearing of someone who commanded respect without needing to raise his voice.
Second Senior Sister was quiet and reserved, and seemed a little timid, too.
But the moment she grabbed the sword on her back, she radiated a chilling killing intent, fierce and domineering.
As for Third Senior Brother, he was an irascible artifact-forging fanatic.
He was almost fanatical in his devotion to artifact forging.
"Lin Chen, here's a blank Jade Slip, along with a set of Concealment Art and a set of Sword Control Art. Practice them when you have time. And here are the things you asked for."
Before leaving, Senior Brother Ming Bufan gave him a pile of things.
Third Senior Brother gave him a High-grade Artifact Sword he'd forged himself, enough to serve Lin Chen for a while.
Second Senior Sister gave him a Little Rabbit Doll.
After seeing the three of them off and tidying up, Lin Chen began checking the things he'd bought.
"That's a lot of vegetable seeds!" Lin Chen set down the assorted seeds. When he saw a hundred or so poultry eggs in a straw basket, he grinned.
"Am I supposed to hatch these myself?"
Once he'd put everything in order, Lin Chen grabbed a hoe and went to plant vegetables in the open ground outside.
He dug holes, buried seeds, and watered them...
Just as he was getting into the work, a Message Crane flew right up to him.
"Brother Chen, I'm at the foot of Sect Leader Peak. Come get me!"
The crane glowed, and Jin Yuanbao's voice came from inside.
Lin Chen put down his hoe and hurried down the mountain.
"Brother Chen!"
From a distance, he spotted the round, chubby fellow, decked out in glittering finery.
Honestly, Lin Chen couldn't understand why Jin Yuanbao dressed like that.
He looked like a nouveau riche.
"Brother Chen, I found out what you wanted to know."
As soon as Lin Chen came over, Jin Yuanbao sneakily pulled out a little booklet.
"This is the storybook the Sect Master loves to read."
Lin Chen took it and slowly opened it. He immediately saw the pictures and words inside.
It reminded him of the picture books from his previous life. They were practically identical.
He flipped through it quickly from beginning to end, then snapped it shut.
He gave Jin Yuanbao a skeptical look. "The Sect Master calls this kind of picture book a storybook?"
"Yep!"
Jin Yuanbao was brimming with excitement, golden light flashing in his eyes. "Brother Chen, I've already looked into it.
"These storybooks are in high demand at Green Mountain Sect. Every time a new one comes out, people buy it at a high price."
"Is that really true?"
Lin Chen stroked his chin and studied the picture book again.
"Of course!" Jin Yuanbao was practically drooling with envy. "Brother Chen, I paid three Spirit Stones for this one. I only got it because I knew someone."
Three Spirit Stones?
Lin Chen was stunned.
Given the material of this picture book, and the crude drawings and writing inside, it'd be worth only a few Copper Coins in the mundane world.
One gold coin could be exchanged for ten thousand Copper Coins, and one Spirit Stone could fetch anywhere from ten thousand to twenty thousand gold coins on the Black Market.
What a staggering profit!
"Is the cultivation world really so starved for entertainment that people are scrambling to read these picture books?"
A plan took shape in Lin Chen's mind. "Jin Yuanbao, I've got that money-making plan I promised you."
Before you continue