Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 153: Millions of Fools Gather Here

Golden Spirit tilted her head up slightly, savoring the fragrance in the air that emanated from the heated hot pot. A look of intoxication appeared on her face; it was the same aroma as before.

Golden Spirit Mother felt joy in her heart.

Even though only two days had passed since the Flat Peach Banquet, the taste of those dishes had already become an obsession—today, she would finally satisfy her craving!

Realizing his earlier impertinence, Zhao Gongming breathed a sigh of relief and no longer fixated on the shape of the pot’s partition.

"Can you drink this directly?" Zhao Gongming asked, pointing to the red base soup that had already been boiled and dissolved completely.

The enticing color seemed promising, Zhao Gongming thought.

Although someone had told him about how delicious hot pot was, nobody had instructed him on how to eat it.

"It’s used for cooking the ingredients," Yunxiao kindly reminded.

As for whether it’s drinkable or not? Just ask Maitreya to find out.

In the back kitchen, Ao Ling stood to one side, watching Chen Nuo prepare the dishes with a fluid grace that seemed otherworldly, as if from a painting.

Despite engaging in the mundane act of cooking, his elegance was undiminished; Ao Ling was even mesmerized to a degree.

"Don’t just stand there watching the excitement; you need to learn more so that you can do it like this in the future," Chen Nuo urged, busy with the task at hand, speaking in an unhurried manner.

He had taken Ao Ling as an apprentice, and the system’s requirement was the same as with Sun Wukong—to train a great chef. Considering Wukong’s current skill level, he wasn’t far from completing his apprenticeship.

But this new disciple was giving him a headache as she had no interest in cooking at all; she cared more about improving her strength.

When not busy, Wukong would meticulously explore various cooking methods and sword skills, whereas Ao Ling would either be cultivating her mana or on her way to do so.

Chen Nuo sighed softly in his mind; it really was putting the cart before the horse.

Hearing Chen Nuo’s words, Ao Ling snapped back to reality and quickly stood at attention.

"Yes!"

Her attitude was proper, but whether she truly understood or not, that was another question.

The dishes were quickly prepared.

Chen Nuo manipulated his mana to carry the dishes out, and the entire hall was instantly filled with delightful aromas.

The six saints of Jie School couldn’t help taking a deep breath, their faces revealing expressions of sheer bliss.

Golden Spirit had ordered Crispy Fried Chicken, Wudang Peach Blossom Porridge, Yunxiao Sweet and Sour Pork, Qiong Xiao Mapo Tofu, Bixiao Braised Pork, and also the ingredients for Zhao Gongming’s hot pot.

Everything was arranged neatly. Different from before, Chen Nuo had modified the pattern somewhat, offering each person a bowl of plain white rice to accompany the dishes—eating just the dishes alone would be too monotonous.

Luckily they all were immortals.

Six people at one table, the dishes laid out abundantly—it was a feast for the eyes.

This was also the first time since his restaurant’s opening that Chen Nuo served such a large group at one table; the old, small tables simply wouldn’t suffice.

"Enjoy," Chen Nuo said with a nod, then found a spot to sit down casually.

Ao Ling, however, had already scampered over to the counter, playing with her beloved crystal ball.

Among the six saints of Jie School, Golden Spirit Mother was the most senior, and everyone waited for her to pick up her chopsticks first.

"Let’s all eat!" Golden Spirit Mother was decisive, not caring for such conventional formalities.

She grabbed a piece of her fried chicken and stuffed it into her mouth before she even finished speaking.

With a gentle bite, the rich juices immediately burst forth in her mouth, and the delicious taste captured Golden Spirit Mother’s mind and spirit in an instant.

Wudang looked down at her Peach Blossom Porridge, as flawless as a white wall, the pink peach blossom petals further enhancing its beauty.

Wudang gently blew on the porridge to chase away the steam.

With the spoon, she carefully scooped from the edge and slowly brought it to her lips.

The mild heat, the softness of the white rice, and the fragrance of the blossom petals intertwined, creating a beautiful tapestry of flavors.

The tongue resting against the roof of the mouth easily crushed the grains; the aroma intensified in an instant.

In that moment, Wudang felt as though she was drifting in the sky with the breeze, completely at ease!

"How do you eat this?" Zhao Gongming, unable to wait any longer, looked at the raw ingredients unsure of how to proceed.

"Just swish the slices in there and eat them with the sauce!" Bixiao said offhandedly, then picked up some of the braised pork she had ordered and began to chew thoughtfully.

The meat was marbled with fat and lean, melting in one’s mouth the moment it touched the tongue; the sauce was pleasantly aromatic, and the sweetness made even Bixiao want to shout out loud.

"You can eat it just by swishing it around? Zhao Gongming was somewhat perplexed.

Shouldn’t fine food be delicious only after meticulous cooking? Can such a simple method taste good?

Doubtfully, Zhao Gongming gave it a try and placed the slices of meat into the hotpot. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Seeing that the meat slices were cooked, Zhao Gongming immediately picked them up with chopsticks and dipped them into the sauce before taking a bite.

The next moment, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Hiss!

Zhao Gongming sharply inhaled, overwhelmed by the sensation—this was just too spicy!

Zhao Gongming’s brows furrowed tightly as he bowed his head and devoured the rice furiously. By the time he set down his bowl, only half of the rice remained.

Leaning against the chair, head tilted back, he couldn’t help but exclaim with gusto, "Exhilarating!"

The fusion of spiciness and savory flavors was simply divine, and it even made the rice more enjoyable!

He reached up to wipe the sweat, brought on by the spiciness, from his forehead; no wonder hotpot was so famous in the Heavenly Court—it was indeed delicious!

Yunxiao and Qiong Xiao also started eating in earnest.

The sour and sweet pork loin rippled Yunxiao’s calm mind and spirit with excitement and jubilation.

Qiong Xiao looked at the bright red Mapo Tofu in front of her, pursing her lips with a mixture of determination and a slight fear in her eyes.

She had already been defeated by the spicy dish twice before; this time, she had to succeed!

With a small spoon, Qiong Xiao cautiously brought the tofu to her mouth, and if one looked closely, they could see her hands trembling slightly.

It was clear that she had developed somewhat of a phobia from her previous experiences.

Upon tasting it.

Hm???!

Qiong Xiao blinked in astonishment.

How could this be... it’s not that spicy!!!

Her teeth instinctively chewed the soft tofu and the crumbly ’minced meat’ in her mouth.

More than spiciness, the flavor was fragrant and delicious!!!

This must count as her conquering the spiciness!

Qiong Xiao nodded to herself, affirming that it was a victory!

For a time, everyone was indulged in their dishes, each of them only tasting the food they had ordered.

"Shopkeeper Chen! Another bowl of rice!" Zhao Gongming, wiping rice grains off his face, bellowed.

It was so good that he felt he could eat a whole pot!!!

"Extra rice comes with an additional charge, ten percent of the standard fee," Chen Nuo said breezily.

Zhao Gongming’s standard was ten thousand pieces of gold, and even ten percent meant a thousand pieces of gold.

Rice that cost a thousand pieces of gold was surely unprecedented.

Chen Nuo said it, but he did not really expect Zhao Gongming to buy it as such expensive rice surely would not attract many fools to purchase.

However...

"Shopkeeper, give me eight bowls!" Zhao Gongming declared grandiosely, rising to pay the bill.

Clearly, he had been overcome by the food and was throwing caution to the wind; eight bowls was nearly the same as the cost of a meal.

But Chen Nuo, the great philanthropist that he was, did not plan on reminding him.

Another pile of gold ingots was directly absorbed by the crystal ball, the sound of the transaction echoing in his mind.

Chen Nuo cleared his throat and said, "Ao Ling, go, prepare eight bowls of rice."

Ao Ling, reluctantly setting down the crystal ball, headed to the kitchen with some reluctance.

"By the way, Shopkeeper Chen, do you have any drinks here?" Zhao Gongming asked, smiling broadly with an air that somewhat resembled Tian Peng’s demeanor when facing Chen Nuo.