Cooking in the Cauldron, Ghosts and Gods Can Be Eaten

The head bounced across the floor, making a strange muffled sound.

Chen Xu's Vital Blood boiled throughout his body. A strange essence rose from his dantian and coursed through him, leaving his mind utterly clear.

At that moment, the lightning beyond the window dimmed, and the world seemed to sink back into darkness.

Yet Chen Xu, standing in that darkness, had never been so sharp-eared, clear-eyed, and keenly aware of all five senses as he was now.

The rain outside, which had briefly vanished, returned—crackling and pattering, dense as rolling beads.

Chen Xu could smell the damp, fishy stench in the air. He could hear the blood rushing through his body, and he could feel every last scrap of strength stored within him exactly as it was.

Scorching, abundant, nimble.

After experiencing battle, it was as though he had suddenly gained enlightenment.

[Wood Chopping Level One (89/100)]

One battle had sent his Wood Chopping Saber Technique experience soaring by ten points!

As for the head still trembling faintly on the ground, Chen Xu focused his gaze and actually saw an entry above it.

[Blood Agar, inferior spiritual item, brewed from Five Yun Sea Red Algae with a trace amount of Spirit Cat Blood. Fishy in scent and bitter in taste. Can be used to refine an inferior incarnation. Edible when placed in a cooking stove, with a slight effect of replenishing Vital Blood.]

Immediately afterward, a notification emerged from the Cauldron Scripture.

[You have obtained spiritual material for the first time. Reward: 500 Firework Value. Relevant God of Cookery Recipes may now be unlocked.]

[Embers Kitchen storage function unlocked (ingredients only).]

The surprise had come out of nowhere. Chen Xu hurried forward, bent down, and touched the black-rubber-like head, attempting to store it in Embers Kitchen.

With a thought, every scene within Embers Kitchen appeared clearly in his mind.

The black-rubber-like head had been placed on a shelf against the wall, held inside a bamboo basket.

Yet the black-rubber head, originally the size of an ordinary human head, had now shrunk to the size of an egg.

The head rested crookedly. Its features were identical to those of Lin Qi True Person, except its eyes and nose were slightly warped, making it look deeply eerie.

Chen Xu's heart lurched, and he quickly shut off the image of Embers Kitchen.

In that instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind. Although Lin Qi had been "beheaded" by him, it was obvious that the severed head had merely been an incarnation.

Lin Qi himself was certainly still alive. And after this incident, Lin Qi had become a mortal enemy Chen Xu had to eliminate!

Of course, Lin Qi himself would surely regard Chen Xu in precisely the same way.

He could not simply sit around waiting to be attacked. He had to continue growing stronger quickly and efficiently, striving to seize the initiative and strike first.

Chen Xu looked again at the "Lin Qi body" sprawled on the other side. An entry appeared over that pitch-black, mud-like torso as well: [Millet Paste Mud Embryo, material for an inferior incarnation. Inedible by humans; after cooking in the cauldron, edible by ghosts and gods.]

How interesting. Inedible by humans, but edible by ghosts and gods?

Chen Xu immediately stepped forward and swept out a hand, storing the headless torso in Embers Kitchen as well.

What remained was the short blade dropped by "Lin Qi," along with what seemed to be an entirely stiff, pale-white silkworm lying by the bed.

[Soul-Cutting Silkworm Corpse, a strange silkworm possessing the power to stitch together bodies and souls. It has died stiff. Can nourish the spirit and nurture the soul after being cooked and eaten.]

Chen Xu put away the Soul-Cutting Silkworm Corpse first, then finally turned to deal with the short blade.

He did not know that, just as he stored away the Blood Agar and the rest, Lin Qi suddenly let out a scream in a grand residence far to the east of the city.

Amid the wind and rain at midnight, Lin Qi clasped his own neck with crossed hands and sat bolt upright in bed.

"Young Master!"

A servant rushed into the room and stared in terror at Lin Qi's face, mottled blue and red.

Lin Qi's bulging eyes were wide open as he struggled to force out the words, "Kill... kill Chen..."

Before he could finish, he made two rasping sounds in his throat, suddenly spat out a mouthful of dark-red bloody foam, and fell back onto the bed with a thud. He was clearly taking more breaths out than in.

The servant immediately shouted, "Someone, come quickly! Young Master is in trouble! Help!"

The desolate cry ripped through the curtain of rain. In the residence that had seemed silent, lamps immediately began to light up one after another.

Hastening footsteps came from every direction. Firelight clawed and writhed in the rain, followed by a clamor of voices.

"What happened to Second Young Master?"

"Xian'er! Xian'er... Second Son, don't frighten your mother!"

Another figure strode over, viciously kicked the servant, and roared, "You worthless bastard! Is this how you look after your young master? Speak! What happened to him?"

The servant cried out in pain and fell to the ground, tears and blood spurting forth together. He wailed, "Mercy, Eldest Young Master, mercy! This lowly one, this lowly one... Right! Before Young Master collapsed, he said two words. He said... he said Sand Dust!"

"Sand Dust?"

In the night, several gates of the Lin Family swung open.

Figures rushed out from them. Some raced toward the locations of the city's most renowned physicians, some went to the wealthy households friendly with Lin Residence, while several others walked beneath umbrellas straight toward the north of the city.

There was a remarkable man, a famed scholar, who had recently arrived in Jichuan County!

At that same moment, Chen Xu held the short blade in his hand, considering how to dispose of this exquisitely ornate weapon.

The short blade was barely a foot long. Its edge gleamed like snow, while its hilt was inlaid with gold and set with several gemstones. At first glance, it seemed more decorative than practical.

If Lin Qi was dead... No, even if Lin Qi truly was dead, Chen Xu could not casually take this blade out and use it.

After all, Lin Qi was no lone wolf.

Unless...

After pondering for a moment, Chen Xu let out a faint sigh.

With the blade in hand, he spun it in a flourish, then circled his small room several times.

At last, he found a loose brick in the corner beneath his desk.

Chen Xu carefully pried open the brick, then followed the hollow behind it in both directions, beginning to dig a hole with the blade.

At this moment, he could not help thinking: no wonder people said killing was easy, but hiding a corpse was hard. He was not even hiding a corpse—he was only disposing of a blade, yet it was already this troublesome.

What a pity Embers Kitchen could only store ingredients. Otherwise, he could have tossed this blade into the storage space, then used it to slaughter Lin Qi later!

As Chen Xu dug, he suddenly heard faint rustling again. Then came a little mouse's squeaky voice. "Eh, Ninth Master, look at this person. Why does he love digging holes like us rats?"

The Rat Demons had arrived!

Chen Xu's heart skipped a beat. He had fought Lin Qi's incarnation to the death just now—had the Rat Demons seen it?

Judging by the little mouse's tone, it seemed utterly unaware of what had happened earlier.

Had the two Rat Demons happened to go elsewhere at the time? Or had they watched, but the little mouse lacked the intelligence to understand it?

From a distant crack, an aged voice followed. "A Shi, see no evil. The master of the house wishes to hide something; you and I must not spy on him."

"Oh." The little mouse sounded disappointed, then immediately grew excited. "Ninth Master, the food this person left behind smells so good! Quick, let's eat! Squeak squeak squeak..."

[Rat Demon liked this +1]

Chen Xu paused, then could not help smiling softly as he looked at the like notification that had appeared in the Cauldron Scripture.