Those two utterly bland words fell on everyone's ears, yet sounded as if a god had rung the bell to begin the feast.
The entire restaurant sank into an even more uncanny silence.
Everyone's gaze, almost in unison, focused on the coldest, most inscrutable figure in the room.
Ghost Douluo.
In the eyes of every Titled Douluo, Ghost Douluo's wisdom was a beacon that cut through the fog.
Without a word, they had all come to regard Ghost Douluo as the invisible leader of this "sacred feast."
It was an acceptance that came from the depths of their souls. Silent, admiring gazes gathered on him from all sides.
Ghost Douluo naturally sensed them.
His face, hidden beneath his black robe, showed not the slightest ripple.
He merely turned his head a fraction and swept his bottomless gaze over Ghost Leopard Douluo, who sat ramrod straight beside him, looking tense.
Learn from this.
That look was silent, yet said more than a thousand words.
Then Ghost Douluo's gaze fell upon the plain menu lying quietly in the middle of the table.
But in his eyes, it was no ordinary object. It was a supreme holy scripture bearing the will of the gods.
Ghost Douluo slowly raised one cold, withered hand. His fingertips trembled as he carefully opened the menu.
His face was filled with the utmost reverence.
After a long while, he slowly closed the menu and respectfully set it back on the table. Then he bowed deeply toward the languid figure.
"Senior, this junior... has made his choice."
His voice was hoarse, yet carried a solemnity he had never felt before.
"One Bone-Eroding Qilin Steak."
"One Abyssal Thousand-Throat Liver."
However, Lin Feng didn't immediately agree, as he had the day before. He couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids, and let out a barely audible sound through his nose.
"Mm."
Only then did his indifferent voice drift out.
"Next."
Boom!
To Ghost Douluo, those two words were no different from a Divine Oracle!
Did Senior mean... that everyone had to take part in this sacred ritual before it could begin?!
He understood!
Ghost Douluo didn't dare waste a moment. He immediately took the sacred "scripture" in both hands and solemnly passed it to Chrysanthemum Douluo beside him.
The smooth, practiced sequence left Ling Yuan, Tuoba Xi, and the others behind him looking even more impressed. Their respect for Ghost Douluo rose to an entirely new level!
After a most solemn, ceremony-filled handoff, the menu bearing the hopes of countless people finally... landed in Ghost Leopard Douluo's hands.
The instant the menu touched his palms, Ghost Leopard Douluo trembled with excitement.
He felt that what he held was no thin booklet, but an impossibly towering, majestic sacred mountain!
The very mountain he had foolishly and arrogantly pushed away with his own hands yesterday!
Tears of regret nearly welled up in his eyes once more.
He fought down his excitement and trepidation, then turned the pages with trembling hands, opening the "holy scripture" that would decide his fate.
When he saw the menu's exorbitant prices, each dish costing thousands or even tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins,
not only was he not surprised, he even looked as though it was perfectly reasonable—and felt immeasurably fortunate!
So cheap!
Far too cheap!
Compared to the supreme miracle Senior had casually bestowed upon him, one that could defy fate and reshape his Martial Soul,
what were a mere few tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins?!
It was practically free!
At that moment, Ghost Leopard Douluo's gratitude toward Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo reached its peak!
If those two old brothers hadn't gone to such lengths to drag him here, he would have missed this heaven-sent Divine Grace, one that could change his entire life!
Following the example of the elders before him, he respectfully set the menu down. Then he sprang to his feet and bowed deeply toward Lin Feng, putting all his strength into it!
His voice even carried a barely suppressed sob and tremor!
"Se... Senior!"
"This junior... this junior would like one Flying Cloud Leopard Minced Meat Noodles, one Five-Treasure Braised Steak, and... and a pot of Beast Blood Other-Shore Wine!"
He practically shouted, terrified that if he spoke too softly, Senior wouldn't hear his repentance and reverence!
At last, the creaking rocking chair stopped its languid swaying.
Lin Feng stood up.
He didn't even look at the solemn-faced elders. He simply turned and walked toward the kitchen at an unhurried pace.
In everyone's eyes, his retreating figure seemed about to step into another dimension, where he would personally forge miracles capable of defying fate.
Just as he was about to lift the kitchen curtain, he paused.
He didn't turn around.
Yet his voice, so flat it held not the slightest trace of emotion, drifted clearly into the ears of Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, who was sporting a pig's head.
"Their 'dishes' will take a little time."
"Before I come back, you can decide what you'd like to order."
With that, Lin Feng continued on at an unhurried pace and disappeared behind the curtain.
The three of them remained frozen in place. Then, a fervent flame ignited in their eyes, kindled by Senior's words.
They had thought Senior's divine gaze would fall only upon those Titled Douluo.
But now,
Senior hadn't overlooked them!
He had even
spoken up of his own accord,
to enlighten little fry like them.
What godlike... compassion!
What boundless... generosity!
Once Lin Feng entered the kitchen,
it was as if someone had pulled the bones from his body. In an instant, his unruffled "divine" facade collapsed, and he turned into a puddle of limp flesh.
Keep acting!
Just keep acting!
He felt like he was bound to win an Oscar one of these days.
Dealing with these Titled Douluo was more exhausting than flipping a wok a thousand times in a row!
Especially exhausting on the inside!
"System, I seriously suspect there's something wrong with the way these leeks think."
As Lin Feng deftly took top-grade ingredients from his storage space, he ranted furiously in his mind.
"Did you see the looks on their faces just now? I could fart, and they'd immediately reach enlightenment and study the thirteen heavenly principles contained in it!"
[Tsk.]
The system's familiar electronic voice arrived right on cue, three parts disdain and seven parts disgust.
[Could it be that you, useless host, have become so worthless that even harvesting leeks feels like too much effort?]
"That's not what I meant!"
Lin Feng's mouth twitched as his hand flashed down, perfectly cutting apart a Qilin Rib that gave off a strange fragrance.
"I just feel like there's something missing from this shop."
[Like what?]
"Look, I don't mind being the chef myself."
"But why do I still have to serve the food and clean up?"
He complained.
"Couldn't I hire a few servers for this place?"
He had only mentioned it in passing.
He was just grumbling to the system.
After all, it didn't seem right for a "reclusive senior" to carry plates and wash dishes himself.
He hadn't expected the system to give him any practical response.
After all, apart from being sharp-tongued and assigning missions, the system had always been disdainful of such "trivial matters."
However,
to his surprise,
the system actually responded this time.
[The host has a point.]
For once, the system's cold, faintly haughty voice agreed with Lin Feng.
[After today's business hours end,]
[this system will give some thought to recruiting a few suitable "servers" for the host.]