A Top Scholar in Everything

Chapter 1271: Chapter 1257: Gourmet

Faced with that scene of something from nothing, items appearing out of thin air, Baiyu was very envious.

The dishes he took out were still hot.

Even the Study Master Space wasn’t as convenient as this guy’s Storage Bag.

Zhao Mingzhu took out quite a few foods unique to the Profound Origin Realm, extremely delicious, rare delicacies you simply couldn’t enjoy outside.

After eating and drinking their fill.

With a casual sweep of his hand, those things instantly vanished again, not even needing to be washed. You could say it was unbelievably convenient.

Zhao Mingzhu smiled and said to Baiyu, "Fellow Daoist, are you really not interested in joining me to turn this Profound Origin Realm upside down?"

"Not interested."

Baiyu didn’t even lift his head.

He only had seven days in the Profound Origin Realm, and in these seven days he not only had to evade the pursuit of Cultivators, but also avoid those competing for the Prison Warden position. Where would he find the time to mess around with Zhao Mingzhu?

"Alright then, what a pity. If Fellow Daoist were to step in, my chances would be much higher."

Zhao Mingzhu shook his head.

However.

Just as he was leaving dejectedly, Baiyu said, "I’m not the only one who entered the Profound Origin Realm this time. You can go look for the others; maybe they’ll be willing to help."

"Haha, it’s not like I haven’t tried. I’ve sought out people from the Outer World before, but almost all of them refused, and they weren’t as reasonable as you, Fellow Daoist."

Zhao Mingzhu laughed freely, then said in a deep voice, "Otherwise, how do you think we got the label ’Demons from Beyond the Heavens’?"

Baiyu said, "Then there’s nothing I can do. To tell you the truth, I’m only here for training. I’ll be gone in a few days. Even if I want to help you, I’m powerless to do so."

Zhao Mingzhu fell into brief contemplation.

Then he said, "So that’s how it is. I’ve suspected as much before. You outsiders always disappear suddenly, instead of lying low in the Profound Origin Realm."

However.

"Is our entire Profound Origin Realm just a training ground for you?"

"Yes."

Baiyu nodded.

Honestly, it couldn’t even really count as a proper training ground.

But saying that out loud would be too much of a blow to Zhao Mingzhu’s heart.

Sometimes.

It was better to keep things vague.

"I really want to go see the Outer World. The majestic Profound Origin Realm is nothing but a square well; we can only stay inside, watching the sky from the bottom... If I ever get the chance, I truly want to see how vast the sky outside really is."

Zhao Mingzhu’s face was full of yearning.

"Alright, Brother Zhao, hurry up and use this time to find the others. Maybe you can still find two ’Demons from Beyond the Heavens’ willing to help you."

Baiyu waved his hand.

Zhao Mingzhu gave a faint smile and left with easy grace.

It wasn’t until evening that Baiyu was just about to head into his room to turn in early, refusing to stay up late, so that the strange happenings in the Carefree Temple wouldn’t affect him, this innocent rice bucket.

But near dusk.

Just as the clouds were fading, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open. Zhao Mingzhu walked in carrying a mountain deer and said with a grin, "Fellow Daoist, I’m back again. I hope I’m not bothering you. I hunted a deer on the mountain—want to come over for a little feast?"

"Then I’ll gladly accept your kind offer."

Baiyu hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

...

He had to admit.

Zhao Mingzhu was an expert when it came to food.

Seeing him casually take out all sorts of seasonings and various cooking utensils, Baiyu instantly knew this guy was a real gourmand.

He’d studied eating very thoroughly.

With a sweep of his white sleeve, a large grill appeared out of thin air, complete with top-quality golden wood charcoal.

Then Zhao Mingzhu lit the charcoal.

With practiced ease he skinned the deer, removed the bones, cleared out the organs, then skewered the whole deer on a pole and set it over the fire to roast.

Roast venison is something that turns especially awful if your technique is even slightly off.

If the fire is too strong,

the meat turns dry and fibrous, tasting like wax.

If the fire is too weak, it can’t suppress the gamey smell, and it’s hard to cook the meat through properly.

And while roasting, you have to keep turning it and adding seasoning. Otherwise when it’s done, only the surface layer will have any flavor, and the meat inside will be bland.

Baiyu stood off to the side.

He’d originally planned to offer a few tips on roasting meat, but then he realized Zhao Mingzhu was a real master of this particular art.

He didn’t need any guidance at all.

In fact, his skills and techniques were even more polished than Baiyu’s.

"These are special seasonings from our Profound Origin Realm. You probably haven’t tried them. Some are quite spicy, but they go perfectly with roast meat."

Zhao Mingzhu flicked his sleeve.

Row after row of spices appeared on the small wooden table beside them.

He patiently kept turning the spit.

"Didn’t expect this, Brother Zhao—you really know your roast meat. Don’t you people of Immortal Cultivation usually eat light? You actually like this kind of mortal, smoky, firewood-and-grease food?"

Baiyu said with a smile.

Zhao Mingzhu tore off a piece of meat, chewed it in his mouth, and showed a face of bliss. "That’s where you don’t get it, Fellow Daoist.

Those old fossils eat dew every day. What’s so fun about that?

Immortal Cultivation, Immortal Cultivation—

if you cultivate until all your seven emotions and six desires are gone and you’re not even a person anymore, what’s the point?"

"I can pretty much understand now why you can’t stand how the Immortal Cultivation Realm is these days." Baiyu likewise tore off a chunk of roasted meat and tossed it into his mouth. The spiciness carried a rich aroma; it was incredibly tasty.

After one piece,

Baiyu’s stomach started growling, and he yanked off a whole deer leg.

At that moment,

Baiyu remembered something, went into the main hall, and pulled the old head Daoist out.

Very soon, the three of them were feasting away.

After a bout of wild gorging, the three sat in the courtyard, breathing in the mountain night air.

"Alright, I have to go. The yin energy in this Carefree Temple is way too heavy; it’s really not fit for living in. You may find it tolerable, Fellow Daoist, but I certainly don’t."

Zhao Mingzhu said with a smile.

Baiyu nodded.

The old Daoist, after finishing the deer, had already gone back to the main hall to continue his struggle against his Heart Demon.

Over the next few days,

almost every day during the daytime, Zhao Mingzhu would come to the Carefree Temple and chat about everything under the sun with Baiyu.

Of course.

He also brought mountain delicacies and wild game every day.

And the cooking methods were never the same, giving Baiyu a real taste of the culinary arts of the Profound Origin Realm. It proved once again that no matter which world you’re in, people will always have their own unique take on food.

Over those days,

Baiyu truly indulged his taste buds.

On the seventh night after arriving in the Profound Origin Realm, the two of them were in the courtyard roasting a mountain pheasant, the aroma wafting far and wide.

"Fellow Daoist, you should be leaving in a day or two, right?"

Zhao Mingzhu asked while turning the pheasant over the fire.

Baiyu nodded, not hiding a thing. "Yes, after midnight tonight, I’ll have to go."

Aside from the initial chaos,

everything had gone so smoothly these seven days that it felt almost unreal to Baiyu.

"Will you ever come back?"

Zhao Mingzhu asked.

"No idea, but probably not." Baiyu shook his head and smiled. "What, you planning to come out with me?"

"I’ll pass on that. But once I achieve Ascension, I’ll come find you!"

Zhao Mingzhu tore off a piece of chicken and chewed it up.