Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 188 Everyone is Equal Before Gourmet Food
Having taken a lesson from past experiences, Ao Ling no longer possessed that previous impatience, and her mindset had improved a great deal.
For a supreme being like her master, such events would likely become common in the future.
With these thoughts in mind, Ao Ling once again began to wield her kitchen knife.
If she were to panic or act rashly, she might even embarrass her master.
Seeing this, Chen Nuo nodded in approval, not bad, she had improved quite a bit compared to before and learned to handle matters with equanimity (and a bit of showing off).
After finishing cooking the meal, Chen Nuo used his mana to guide the dishes out of the kitchen and in front of Haotian and Taibai.
"Please enjoy your meal," said Chen Nuo as he placed the dishes on the table and called out to them.
Haotian nodded, strode over, and sat down with a thud, while Taibai’s face showed hesitation, dawdling on the spot and reluctant to move forward.
Seeing this, Haotian frowned and commanded, "Aren’t you coming over to eat?"
"Today, there are no distinctions between sovereign and subject," said Haotian.
"Yes," replied Taibai.
Upon hearing this, Gold Star Taibai felt somewhat reassured and carefully moved to sit at the side opposite to Haotian, careful not to sit directly across from His Majesty.
Sitting down gingerly, he looked as if he were on pins and needles, ready to spring up at the slightest disturbance.
Chen Nuo took out a spice packet and began the final step of roasting a leg of lamb, pinching a bit of chili powder with a snake-like hand movement, raising his forearm high with the hand attached to it, head of the "snake" pointing downwards, he twisted his hand back and forth, sprinkling the chili powder on the fragrant leg of lamb.
The vibrant color of the spices was enough to make one’s mouth water just looking at it.
"This is really good!" Swallowing saliva, Haotian’s face showed a mix of curiosity and longing, the roasted lamb leg in front of him was surely delectable.
Being adept at reading faces, Gold Star Taibai immediately beamed and said, "Jade Master, why don’t I give you my portion of the roasted lamb leg as well?"
Although he had spent a good sum of money on it, facing such circumstances left him no choice but to part with it begrudgingly — such is the sorrow of being a subject.
Haotian gave a nearly imperceptible nod of approval, excellent, Taibai was indeed considerate, and his many years of cultivation hadn’t gone in vain.
Haotian was just about to pull the lamb leg towards himself when he suddenly caught Chen Nuo’s amused gaze and felt a bit embarrassed.
It seemed unbecoming, the Jade Emperor himself appearing to covet his subject’s food!
Who knew what Shopkeeper Chen might be thinking of him!
Immediately, Haotian pushed the plate with the roasted lamb leg back towards Gold Star Taibai.
"Eat your own, do you really think I would need you to let me have it?" said Haotian with a cold huff, restraining his disappointment and lowering his head to focus on the braised pork he had ordered.
This dish was something he had tasted at the Flat Peach Banquet, made by Sun Wukong, and he loved it very much, which was a big reason why he ordered it again at Chaos Residence.
Today, he would see how Shopkeeper Chen’s cooking compared, but after just one glance, he couldn’t look away!
The pork was thick and lustrous, glowing with a shiny sheen, undeniably alluring.
Haotian admitted he was captivated, this damn temptation!
He eagerly picked up his chopsticks and reached into the plate, joyfully putting a piece into his mouth.
The next moment brought pleasure to his mind and spirit, with the sauce being slightly sweet and the fat meat tender and sticky, it seeped into his heart and clung to his tongue.
The bright sheen of oil was merely a sensory embellishment; despite the fat, it wasn’t greasy in the least. Such delicacy truly was the ultimate indulgence.
By comparison, the braised pork made by Sun Wukong fell short in mastery — not to say it wasn’t tasty, but one was excellent while the other was the utmost perfection.
With his mind and spirit swaying, what was the point of being the Jade Emperor?
Day after day of endless affairs, although there was some authority involved, the truly powerful among the Immortal Clans only showed symbolic respect, and there was the constant struggle against Buddhism’s schemes — it was exhausting.
In contrast, it was more enjoyable to be a carefree immortal, idling every day, able to dine at Chaos Residence whenever desired.
That was the life an immortal was meant to have!
Gold Star Taibai hadn’t started eating, not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t know how to properly eat the dish — grabbing the leg and gnawing directly on it would be too uncouth.
He, being a registered Immortal of the Heavenly Court, was certainly very reasonable and would never do such a barbaric thing. Such behavior, it is estimated that even His Majesty might find it offensive.
Chen Nuo, however, immediately recognized the difficulty faced by Gold Star Taibai.
To his surprise, this Gold Star Taibai was quite particular. With a wave of his hand, two plastic gloves appeared in Taibai’s hands.
"Here, eat with these on," Chen Nuo said.
The Bull Demon King and his companions never had such requirements when eating, so over time, he had forgotten about providing dining gloves.
Gold Star Taibai nodded, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Chen."
Gold Star Taibai was not the little old man who was always bullied as he appears in the original story; he was quite shrewd.
Even though he had never encountered them before, he recognized the use of these transparent gloves at a glance.
Shopkeeper Chen, what talent!
Gold Star Taibai couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
While still not looking very elegant, at least this solved the tedious cleaning after eating and made it less embarrassing.
After putting on the dining gloves, Gold Star Taibai gripped the lamb leg and brought it closer, its aroma even richer.
The chili powder, under the enhancement of the hot lamb, added an extra layer of spiciness to the aroma.
As he brought it to his mouth and took a bite, then tore off a piece, the fresh and juicy meat instantly coated Gold Star Taibai’s mouth in grease.
And the flavor set his whole being alight with excitement.
The lamb leg meat was tender and succulent, of excellent quality, without the slightest hint of being tough or woody.
The outer crust was crispy and fragrant. With a light bite, it made a satisfying crunch, releasing its flavor instantly in the mouth, followed by a mild spiciness.
The slight tingling on the tip of the tongue did not detract from the taste, but rather added to the sensation, making Gold Star Taibai unable to stop and heaving sighs of satisfaction.
The roasted lamb leg was rich but not greasy, overflowing with the fragrance of meat and fruitwood.
This common food, in the hands of Chen Nuo, displayed the pinnacle of taste, perfection!
Gold Star Taibai felt as if he was floating on air, longing for everything to stop at this moment!
A bite of meat, a bite of rice.
Haotian and Taibai ate with a gusto that left their mouths dripping with oil. They showed no resemblance to the dignified Jade Emperor and Immortal Officials of the Heavenly Court, but rather looked like starving ghosts reincarnated.
Watching Haotian’s chopsticks nearly leaving afterimages, Chen Nuo’s mouth twitched. This speed of eating was comparable even to the lightning-fast feasting of Bixiao!
Before long, Haotian was the first to finish!
Haotian tilted his head back, leaning against the comfortable chair back, and rubbed his belly, then couldn’t help but exclaim, "What a delight, a true delight!"
Too satisfying!
The number one delicacy of the Three Realms, Jade Pool spoke truly!
As the Jade Emperor, he held a lofty status and had tasted many delicacies, but up to now, none had matched the taste of the food prepared by Shopkeeper Chen.
And the closest in comparison was only the dishes prepared by Chen’s disciple, Sun Wukong.
If only he could eat at Chaos Residence every day!
Haotian longed for this, but he knew it was just wishful thinking; the endless official duties were daunting, like a bottomless pit.
Each day brought so many troubles!
After sitting for a while, Haotian suddenly remembered something and felt that something was not quite right. Didn’t Jade Pool mention that eating this could lead to the Awakening of Divine Skills? Why hasn’t he felt any effects after finishing his meal? For a moment, Haotian became uneasy, but he dared not ask.
That would seem too mercenary, and offending Shopkeeper Chen would be a disaster!
But at that moment, Gold Star Taibai suddenly shivered all over and closed his eyes.
