Becoming The Food God In This Cultivation World

“Goodbye, boss!” Facing the farewells of the three girls, Qi Han nodded and watched them leave. 

He closed the door of the Small Shop, rushed upstairs, opened the door to his own room, and threw himself onto the bed in a graceful parabolic arc. 

Resting his head on the pillow, he quickly fell asleep.

It had been a long time since he had been so tired. He had forgotten how exhausting it could be to work continuously.

The number of customers in the Small Shop was roughly the same each time it opened for business, as there were no more seats available. 

Expanding the seating area would require construction, which was not feasible in the short term. Therefore, Qi Han didn’t need to consider this.

However, as a new service, takeout had been underestimated by the customers. This resulted in an unexpectedly high number of takeout orders for the first time that evening.

But it would get better tomorrow. 

According to feedback from Yin Shuang, the number of takeout orders for tomorrow’s lunch would be reduced by almost half.

After that, the number of orders should remain stable, and Qi Han wouldn’t have to work as hard as he did tonight.

Soon, the bed was filled with Qi Han’s faint snores.

<+>

Shrek Academy, Sea God’s Pavilion.

Cao Rang stood quietly in front of the door of a meditation room.

This was the largest meditation room in the Sea God’s Pavilion, and its owner was named Qi Poxiao. He was the master of the Sea God’s Pavilion and unquestionably the number one figure on the continent.

Qi Poxiao had eaten the Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb that night, and by now, he should be finishing his deep meditation. 

Cao Rang had a lot to report to Qi Poxiao, so he had been waiting at the door early.

A slight fluctuation of Spirit power emanated from the meditation room, and Cao Rang’s expression brightened. 

Those at the level of a Limit Douluo had astonishing control over their own Spirit power, and only at the moment they finished meditating would there be a slight release of Spirit power.

‘Teacher is coming out.’

The door to the meditation room was pushed open, and Qi Poxiao’s aged face, with a pair of bright pupils that resembled a starry sea, looked at Cao Rang. 

His gaze seemed like it could engulf anyone who met it.

Seeing his disciple standing at the door, Qi Poxiao’s face showed no surprise. In fact, during his deep meditation, he had already sensed Cao Rang’s arrival.

“Come in,” Qi Poxiao said calmly.

Cao Rang bowed respectfully and took a seat in the room. 

In front of his teacher, he showed great respect and didn’t display his usual cheerful demeanor.

“You also went into deep meditation yesterday and came out today,” Qi Poxiao said knowingly. “You’ve tasted the Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb, haven’t you?”

In a normal deep meditation, it was impossible to come out of it so quickly.

“Yes,” Cao Rang nodded and explained the whole situation to Qi Poxiao, including his attempt to recruit Qi Han as an elder of the Sea God’s Pavilion and Qi Han’s polite refusal.

Qi Poxiao leaned back in the recliner inside the meditation room, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow. 

Patiently, he listened to Cao Rang’s account until it was finished. He then revealed a glimmer of interest in his eyes.

“A young man in his twenties? That’s interesting.”

Even he hadn’t expected that such a miraculous cuisine would be prepared by a young man in his twenties.

“You had a close encounter with that young kid. What do you think of his character?” Qi Poxiao’s question carried a deep meaning, as Cao Rang’s martial Spirit was related to the human spirit and could reveal the darkness hidden in someone’s heart.

Cao Rang shook his head. “Teacher, I think the young man’s character is relatively calm. He just seems a bit leisurely and doesn’t appear eager to get involved in trouble.”

“As long as his character is calm,” Qi Poxiao waved his hand, “there’s no need for him to join my Sea God’s Pavilion. If a young man like him were to join, it might arouse the suspicions of two major empires, causing unnecessary trouble. Anyway, his restaurant is located within Shrek City. Let him be.”

“Teacher, are we just going to leave it at that?” Cao Rang was somewhat surprised. 

Qi Poxiao’s reaction was quite different from what he had expected.

“Not entirely,” Qi Poxiao said with a smile that wasn’t a smile. He looked at Cao Rang.

“The Sea God’s Pavilion has an old man who’s on the verge of death. I heard that there are many rare delicacies in that restaurant. It’s reasonable for me to go there tomorrow for lunch before he passes away, right?”

Cao Rang suddenly lowered his head, holding back the smile that was about to break out. “Yes, it’s very reasonable.”

“Furthermore,” Qi Poxiao’s tone shifted, “we might even run into an old friend we haven’t seen in decades.”

Cao Rang couldn’t help but speak up. “Teacher, you mean Senior Tang.”

“No worries,” Qi Poxiao said casually. “That guy is just too face-saving. Back then, I beat him quite badly. To save face for him, I said it was a close match, but he felt embarrassed to see me. He intentionally avoided me when he came to Shrek City several times.”

Hmm? Cao Rang couldn’t help but widen his eyes. 

His teacher had never mentioned this to him before. 

He had always thought that Senior Tang and his teacher’s match had indeed been a close one, just as the rumors outside claimed. 

So, it turned out to be like this?

No wonder Senior Tang has been coming to Shrek City every time after Teacher leaves.

No, thinking about the past of the older generation is too frightening. Better not dwell on it.

Cao Rang silently lowered his head.

<+>

Back in the dormitory, after closing the door, Yin Shuang approached Fu Ya. “Fu Ya, Fu Ya, our boss was amazing today. He actually refused the position of an elder in the Sea God’s Pavilion and the deputy hallmaster position in the Tang Sect!”

These positions were something Yin Shuang and Fu Ya had always considered to be beyond their reach, but Qi Han had casually turned them down.

Yin Shuang had been holding back her excitement during business hours, but now that she was back in the dormitory, she couldn’t contain it any longer.

Fu Ya was equally shocked by the news.

Qi Han had previously turned down an invitation from Yu Hua, but at that time, Fu Ya hadn’t joined the Small Shop yet, so she was unaware of it. 

In her opinion, the best way for Qi Han to resolve the current crisis was to join either the Tang Sect or Shrek Academy. 

With the protection of one of these powerful organizations, he would be much safer.

However, she didn’t expect that both the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy not only extended their invitations but also offered conditions that were unbelievable to Fu Ya.

Despite that, Qi Han had calmly refused.

What was even more astonishing was that even after being rejected by Qi Han, neither side’s Title Douluo seemed to be too displeased. 

Fu Ya’s head was spinning with confusion. 

Even during business hours, she had been unable to focus and had drifted into daydreams.

At this moment, the image of their boss had grown even more impressive in her mind.

Fu Ya held back her excited friend, who was talking incoherently. She whispered, “Alright, we know about this now, so let’s keep it to ourselves. Even though the boss may not mind, if too many people find out about this, it might cause trouble for him.”

Yin Shuang vigorously nodded her head. “Okay, we won’t tell anyone!”

Little did they know that in the Tang Sect disciple dormitory, Ji Yunruo, who had been tossing and turning, also made the same decision after thinking about the events that had transpired earlier that afternoon.

“We’ll protect the boss’s secret!”