Apocalypse Forecast

”Tai Lao? That’s too exaggerated, and it takes too much effort. You have to prepare four or five days in advance and take a bath and fast. As an old man, I can’t handle that.”

Guo ShouQue shrugged and knocked on the bamboo basket beside him, half-smiling: ”Today, I’ll wash my hands and cook a ’Small Sacrifice’ for everyone.”

Ha ha.

Huai Shi’s expression became increasingly numb.

It was like watching someone with a howitzer bullying refugees with only two AKs... Old Turtle, where’s your face?

Not far away, a few Chef Demons unfamiliar with Dongxia looked over, having no clue what they were talking about.

They were waiting for Huai Shi to further explain, but Huai Shi had no interest in playing commentator and just rolled his eyes: ”Just assume this old man is showing off.”

Anyway, if he’s not lying, the outcome of the competition is already a foregone conclusion.

This is a sacrificial feast for the Lords... That guy is really steaming a nuclear warhead.

He closed his eyes and sighed silently.

In the silence, only the old man holding the steamer basket was humming softly, nodding his head, singing some tune that had been outdated for who knows how many years.

Songs that are no longer known to people.

Until the crisp sound of the Service Bell suddenly rang.

Fifteen minutes and eight seconds.

Chaichuang has finished!

”I’m done.”

In front of the cooking table, the middle-aged Chef Demon lifted his head and solemnly declared.

”It’s such a short time, don’t be in a hurry, you can take it easy.” Guo ShouQue advised: ”There’s no rush...”

”I’m done!” Chaichuang raised his voice and announced it again.

Guo ShouQue was stunned for a moment, then smiled knowingly: ”Seems like you’re impatient? Very well, very well, I’m also curious about what kind of work a fully committed opponent, even one exceeding their usual level, can produce... Can we begin?”

He smiled broadly, sitting next to the dining table with anticipation.

”Kaiseki Set Meal · Snow, Moon, Flower, please enjoy.”

Chaichuang took off his headscarf and personally played the role of a waiter, serving the first appetizer ’Sakizuke’ to the dining table, also presenting a pair of pristine chopsticks.

The material turned out to be ivory!

The ceramic bowl holding the appetizer looked ordinary, rough and simple, but upon closer inspection, one could feel the elegant curves and the vibrant colors hidden beneath the simple gray.

Decorated with luxurious dark gold beneath the dish, a heavy sense of grandeur hit the senses.

There’s no doubt this is a masterpiece.

The exquisite appetizer on the plate was terrifyingly refined, with deep-fried tamagoyaki adorned with cherry blossoms, wrapped around fine fish roe, accompanied by fresh fish paste, a fragrant aroma wafting forth.

The restrained yet majestic aura of luxury spread, as just a small dish put some of the poorer audience members’ breathing to halt.

Especially Zhenxi.

The mixed-blood teenage girl’s mouth was almost watering, and if this were a cartoon, her eyes would have turned into dollar signs.

Originally, Huai Shi should have fallen prey to this special attack range too... but Uncle Fang’s cooking was too good, and he couldn’t take a liking to anyone else’s dishes.

Only felt they were flashy and over-the-top.

”It really is exquisite, one hardly wants to eat it.” Guo ShouQue picked up the chopsticks, clicking his tongue in admiration: ”Compared to your teacher, your skills have improved, Mr. Chaichuang. The Great Chant will be glorified by you.”

”There’s no need for unnecessary chatter, please enjoy, sir,” Chaichuang said loftily.

”Is this all?”

Guo ShouQue held the chopsticks and looked down at the appetizer on the plate, frowning: ”Can’t you just bring everything up at once?”

Chaichuang remained expressionless: ”Sir, this is dining etiquette. Even if you’re arrogant, don’t overdo it!”

”Stingy and ridiculous.”

Guo ShouQue shook his head, mocking and disdainful, ”The Zen Sect can’t find liberation due to too many fools like this!”

The ivory chopsticks picked up the sumptuous fish cake, and the old man opened his mouth, effortlessly swallowing this exquisite appetizer, feeling the fragrance spread between his lips and teeth, like a rich and noble Incense, leading him to a magnificent hall.

But when the taste gradually faded from his lips and teeth, all the splendid and solemn illusions instantly collapsed and disappeared.

The tall buildings crumbled into nothingness, with the court officials and beauties becoming merely a handful of yellow earth.

Time renders all things to disappear completely.

Only leaving a sense of loss and emptiness.

”The bell of Gion Monastery tolls, telling of the transient nature of all things, the chaos of the Red Dust, awakening us... That should be the intention, right?” Guo ShouQue nodded in satisfaction: ”As expected of Kaiseki cuisine originating from the Zen Sect, much like contemplating skeletons, it makes one realize emptiness and seek liberation and enlightenment. Truly a stroke of genius.”

He picked up the chopsticks again, lifting the subsequent ’Hassun’, composed of beautifully arranged dishes like sashimi, shiro, sea urchin, tofu, and other exquisite appetizers.

Still so exquisite, so lavish, with the aroma of fortune entwined between each bite.

As if a beauty sat on his lap, caressing his cheeks and whispering in ecstasy.

”How wonderful, how wonderful.”

Guo ShouQue laughed heartily, devouring eagerly, relishing the endless wealth, the unending tenderness, and the limitless fulfillment and splendor.

Only shaking his head with pity, ”Too bad, the scope is too small...”

In that instant, Chaichuang frowned, ready to say something, only to see the old man lift his eyes, solemnly commanding: ”Continue, let’s see if your endless splendor can make this old man feel satisfied... see if I can transcend through your work?”

Countless grand buildings, a vast following, immense wealth, lovely wives, and beautiful maids, infinite worldly luxury appeared before his eyes, but then everything quickly went away.

All things become nothing, everything fades like dust.

In this continuous consumption, all phenomena revolve, but in the end, everything returns to emptiness.

Even someone as arrogant and ferocious as Guo ShouQue, his expression gradually calmed down, feeling that inner peace and Zen, achieving enlightenment, and finding liberation.

Immediately, a mocking smile crept up the corner of his mouth.

”Is this it?”

Chaichuang’s expression froze. Even though he had anticipated it, he never expected such a scene before him...

It wasn’t that his creation couldn’t lead to an understanding of the Zen Sect’s void and tranquility. Instead, this old man had long discarded those achievements as if they were worn-out shoes!

No, he had even surpassed his mastery by far.

This old bastard doesn’t even regard the fruit position of Arhat!

Truly, deeply a demon!

”I must say, isn’t this all too troublesome?”

Guo ShouQue held the congee in his hand, savoring the prosperity dancing on his tongue, and asked in bewilderment, ”If you want liberation, isn’t it quite simple? It’s much easier than this flashy set!”

Chaichuang was stunned, his expression stiff, just about to refute this heretic, when he saw the old ghost’s smile becoming more ferocious and violent.

”If you want the correct understanding, do not be swayed by others. Eat whatever you encounter, whether inside or outside: eat the Buddha when you encounter the Buddha, eat the patriarch when you encounter the patriarch, eat the Arhat when you encounter the Arhat, eat the parents when you encounter the parents, eat the relatives when you encounter the relatives!”

He raised his bowl, downed the soup of the congee in one go, and crushed the gilded lacquer bowl with one hand, laughing weirdly: ”You must start liberation, not be constrained by things, transcend and be free!”

”Do you understand, Little Brag, if you don’t completely consume this compulsion of persistent obsessions, so-called transcendence, so-called enlightenment will always be the moon in the mirror, the flower in the water!”

The old man raised his chopsticks, arrogantly commanding: ”Now, put all your little tricks on the table at once, all of them!”

”...”

Chaichuang had already forgotten what happened next.

He was numb, as if in a stupor, mechanically following the orders and presenting all the dishes until the end, watching him devour everything like a whale.

Without even letting out a belch.

A contemptuous slight smile.

Not even sparing a ’just this,’ he merely wiped his mouth casually and looked up to ask, ”Next, is it the old man’s turn?”

In the silence, Chaichuang felt a fear from the heart, incomprehensible, yet unavoidable.

With the last courage, he nodded.

Sitting before the cooking table.

Even though he knew he couldn’t win, he still launched another offensive against the enemy.

”Very good, I like people who persist without fear, only enemies unaffected by fear are worthy of going all out, Chaichuang, you are indeed a qualified Chef Demon, worthy of enjoying the old man’s ’Small Sacrifice!’”

Guo ShouQue raised his hand, discarded the steamer, placing the white-water steamed pig’s head in front of Chaichuang.

”Please enjoy, Chaichuang, if you really possess that kind of vision...”

What is this?

Chaichuang looked at the thing in front of him in astonishment.

It was indeed a pig’s head, steamed in plain water, without salt, pepper, or any seasoning. Besides the meat itself, there was no taste at all.

Even a faint blood scent lingered.

But even so, Chaichuang couldn’t help but want to eat. To be precise, he wanted more to possess, to obtain, to let this overly tempting aroma fall into his stomach.

An incredible hunger.

His eyes burned red.

The void from decades of Zen disappeared without a trace.

”It seems your skills are not quite there, are they? Breaking your golden body so easily?” Guo ShouQue chuckled strangely but did not urge, watching with folded arms. Quietly enjoying the next act of the play.

In others’ eyes, it seemed Chaichuang was possessed, motionless, with his chopsticks suspended in mid-air, the whole person dazed.

Then, a strange scream echoed, and he jumped up from his chair.

In disbelief.

”It... it’s biting me!”

Everyone was stunned, looking at him puzzled. Everyone could see clearly, how could a half-steamed pig’s head bite anyone? But Chaichuang wasn’t necessarily talking nonsense, it merely induced an illusion, and there were countless ways to achieve such a method.

After calming down, Chaichuang reached out with his chopsticks towards the food in front of him again.

Determined, even if the pig’s head opened its mouth to bite again, he would definitely not let go...

Thus, plunging into daze once more.

Even being bitten by the illusory pig’s head, he did not let go or retreat... wagering it all on a single chopstick to grasp this too glorious and tempting authority!

In the silence, an astonished gasp rang out.

The stupefied Chaichuang, suddenly his hand twitched, losing three fingers out of the blue.

And the tightly closed mouth of the pig’s head slightly gaped, where one could vaguely see the extra fingers inside...

A sudden chill consumed everyone.

The dish meant to be eaten at this moment was eating people!

”Power naturally devours people, right? Isn’t that normal, this is the enjoyment of the Lords.” Guo ShouQue laughed eerily, mockingly reminding: ”Be careful... a dignified Chef Demon, if eaten by a pig, wouldn’t that be too unsightly?”

Chaichuang could no longer hear.

He was climbing.

Intoxicated by the fragrance none could refuse, climbing towards the mythical throne in the void!

He finally saw...

The power to rule the world!