With Xie Yue's help, Yan got up from the ground and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were filled with fear and resentment.
He had never suffered such humiliation in his life, but faced with such an overwhelming gap in strength, he could only grit his teeth and swallow it.
"We... we'll have three bowls of Clear Broth Noodles."
After helping Yan back to his seat, Xie Yue stammered out their order.
The price was outrageous, but there was nothing they could do but accept it. Money didn't matter when their lives were on the line.
"Please wait a moment."
Lin Feng finally rose from his lounge chair. Still moving at his leisure, he tied on an apron, put on a chef's hat, and walked into the kitchen.
Though Lin Feng's face showed no emotion, inside he was so excited he was about to scream!
Hahaha, the Golden Generation is finally here! These are customers who can bring me into contact with Titled Douluo-level experts!
It was worth deliberately spreading that aroma to lure them in. This is a sure thing!
Lin Feng was a transmigrator from Blue Star who had crossed over to Douluo Continent. He had brought along a cheat called the "Heavens Gourmet System," as well as a restaurant named "Maple Dye Pavilion."
Within the restaurant, Lin Feng was the absolute ruler. Even if a Deity descended, they would have to follow his rules.
More importantly, the income from selling food could be exchanged for Gourmet Points at a ratio of ten to one. Those points could be used to buy all sorts of rewards from across the myriad worlds.
From Douluo specialties like Immortal Herbs and Soul Bones to rare treasures from other worlds, like Heavenly Flames and the Sharingan—even an Ultraman transformation device was available!
As a professional chef in his previous life, Lin Feng was naturally more than capable of cooking.
He had thought he could use this to reach the pinnacle of life: holding Qian Renxue in one arm and Bibi Dong in the other, while stepping on God King Tang beneath his feet.
But reality had slapped him hard across the face.
It was all because of those damn prices!
A bowl of Clear Broth Noodles cost 100 Gold Soul Coins. Even wealthy Soul Masters thought it was daylight robbery when they saw the menu.
So for an entire week, not a single customer had entered Lin Feng's restaurant.
Every day, he just lay in his rocking chair and stared into space. Once in a while, he would release a little aroma to lure customers in. They would follow the scent, see the prices, and turn right around.
Watching the tempting rewards in the System Mall, Lin Feng could only gaze across the water at them, unable to reach them.
No customers meant no Gourmet Points, and no Gourmet Points meant he couldn't exchange for anything. This was practically going to kill a transmigrator like him!
Fortunately, today he had finally managed to catch Hu Liena and the others.
The Spirit Hall Golden Generation had a powerful background, great strength, and, most importantly, should have plenty of money!
He was sure that starting today, word of his restaurant would spread throughout Spirit Hall.
At the thought, Lin Feng couldn't help a smile from tugging at the corner of his mouth.
When Bibi Dong and the other Titled Douluo came in person, now those would be real big spenders!
Just thinking about it filled Lin Feng with motivation!
He went into the modern kitchen and skillfully lit the stove to cook the noodles.
At the same time, he chopped scallions and cilantro and put them into three bowls, then added salt, chicken bouillon, light soy sauce, dried shrimp, and, the final key ingredient, a suitable amount of lard!
That was the secret to making Clear Broth Noodles taste so good!
Finally, he divided the cooked noodles among the three bowls. Three bowls of Clear Broth Noodles, done!
In just a few minutes, Lin Feng came out carrying three bowls of noodles.
They looked like ordinary Clear Broth Noodles. The noodles were glistening and translucent, the broth clear enough to see through, with golden droplets of oil floating on top and a sprinkling of cilantro and dried shrimp.
But that aroma...
All three of them swallowed at almost the same time.
The aroma was overpowering. It conquered their sense of smell outright, making them want to taste the noodles immediately. Even the fear they had felt moments ago seemed to retreat before it.
"Enjoy," Lin Feng said calmly, then returned to his rocking chair.
Hu Liena cautiously picked up a few noodles with her chopsticks and slurped them into her mouth.
In an instant!
An unprecedented burst of deliciousness exploded across her palate!
It was more than a treat for her taste buds; it was an elevation of her very soul!
The noodles were springy and chewy, the broth incomparably savory, and every mouthful left her feeling utterly satisfied, as if her soul itself had been elevated.
Yan and Xie Yue wore the same expression. All three bent over their bowls and devoured the noodles, too busy even to speak.
Fear, pressure—everything was swept away by the deliciousness.
"So... so good..."
In just a few minutes, all three bowls of noodles were gone.
Yan even licked the bottom of his bowl. He didn't want to waste a drop of broth.
"It was so delicious!" Hu Liena leaned back in her chair, her face glowing with happiness. "I never imagined a bowl of Clear Broth Noodles could taste this good!"
Yan and Xie Yue nodded in agreement. All three had satisfied expressions on their faces.
"That'll be three hundred Gold Soul Coins. Thank you for your patronage."
Lin Feng's voice came from behind the counter.
The satisfaction on their faces froze, replaced by expressions of heartache.
The noodles had been delicious, but they were truly expensive!
They might be members of the Golden Generation and not short on money, but that didn't mean they could spend it like this.
Three hundred Gold Soul Coins! That would have covered several days of feasts at a grand restaurant!
"Should've known better than to come in," Yan muttered under his breath, though there was a hint of reluctance in his voice.
He said he regretted it, but if he could choose again, he would probably still come in.
Xie Yue walked helplessly to the counter and took three small cloth pouches out of his Soul Tool, setting them down in front of Lin Feng.
Then he turned around, ready to flee with the other two from this place they both loved and hated.
"Don't go."
At those two words, all three froze in their tracks. Yan's hand was already on the doorknob, and he stood there as if pinned in place by a binding spell.
Hu Liena turned around, forcing a smile more painful than tears. "Senior, is there anything else you need?"
But in her heart, she was grumbling furiously: Don't tell me he thinks we didn't spend enough? Three hundred Gold Soul Coins isn't enough? How greedy can he be?!
However, Lin Feng's next words put them at ease again.
Lin Feng lazily raised a hand, his voice carrying an indescribable air of languor. "I'll give you a lucky draw."
"A lucky draw?" The three of them turned around in unison, curiosity and anticipation flickering in their eyes.
Could it be that this black-hearted owner had a conscience after all and was going to compensate them a little?
Lin Feng's lips curved slightly into a mysterious smile.
He slowly sat up from his rocking chair and looked at the system panel.
[Consumption: 100 (average spending).] [System Evaluation: Three stingy, scrawny leeks. Just toss them some trash as a reward and send them on their way!] [Random Reward: Slight Soul Power Increase *3] [Host Reward: 30 Gourmet Points]
Lin Feng's expression stiffened for a moment when he saw the system's evaluation and rewards.
Why did he feel like this system was even more snobbish than he was? A mosquito might be small, but it was still meat!
Seeing Hu Liena and the others still staring at him eagerly, Lin Feng cleared his throat and said calmly, "You weren't very lucky. A consolation prize: a slight increase in Soul Power."
As soon as he finished speaking, three golden points of light flew from Lin Feng's fingertips and sank into the three of them.
Hu Liena felt a warm current rise from her dantian, gently nourishing her meridians like rain falling after a spring breeze.
Her eyes widened as she struggled to believe how rapidly the Soul Power within her was growing.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, she went from level thirty-nine to level forty.
"I... I broke through?" Hu Liena's voice trembled. She looked down at her hands, felt the surging Soul Power within her, and grew a little dizzy.
Xie Yue and Yan were just as shocked.
Although neither of them broke through like Hu Liena, both felt a marked increase in their Soul Power.
The Soul Power that would normally have taken months of hard cultivation to accumulate had arrived in an instant.
At last, Hu Liena came to her senses. She swallowed and asked in a trembling voice, "May I ask who you are, Senior...?"