In a daze, Guo ShouQue seemed to glimpse fleeting illusions rising from the steam of the pot.

Within the illusion, a yellow and white dog was sitting alone on the road, turning to look back, with glistening tears in its eyes.

Don't kill me, I beg you, don't kill me!

What did I ever do wrong to be tormented by you like this? Why are you treating me this way?

Such an innocent yet resentful voice echoed in my ears, making me empathize with the sadness—it suddenly made the soft rice in my mouth and the loving fish in the pot lose their flavor.

All happiness belongs to others, while I have nothing.

Guo ShouQue paused his chewing for a moment, the ivory chopsticks trembled slightly, and at this moment, he felt an unprecedented... loneliness!

Just at this instant, for some reason, everyone in the audience experienced a strange illusion.

—He seems like a dog.

"So humble.

In this process of transforming from intense to bitter taste, Guo ShouQue raised his head, savoring this novel flavor: "Humble to the point of insignificance... Miss Huaizhi, your malice is truly delicious!"

With his head up, he tossed a large spoonful of fish and soft rice into the bottomless pit-like throat, grinning widely and laughing freely: "Even if it's dog food, it's as sweet as honey!"

Behind him, his grey long hair floated without wind, and the viscous darkness slowly rose, transforming into violent flames, rising wantonly.

A dreadful aura spread from his body.

Turning the entire arena, quite literally, into... Hell.

Just one individual's soul radiation was enough to break the blockade of the Current Circumstances, creating such terrifying pollution.

This horrifying disaster and depth truly exceeded expectations.

Huai Shi, stunned.

Never seen such a terrifying bachelor.

It's just eating dog food, isn't it a bit much?

Why be so sour to this extent? Luckily, he hadn't brought out the purse earned from Witch's Night, otherwise, would this old man have exploded on the spot?

Plus the cost of the Stone Marrow Pavilion and the hard-earned balance currently in my card...

And my own ruined reputation.

It truly is terrifying.

Now, under the stimulus of this sense of humility and anger, Guo ShouQue opened his mouth, unexpectedly bursting with endless appetite and power.

Triggered by malice, even greater malice arose.

Sweeping everything on the table clean.

Still not enough, he picked up the plate and pot, extending his unusually long tongue, sipping the last drop of soup.

Joyfully, grinning from ear to ear.

"How's the taste?"

Huai Shi watched his frenzied stance and asked.

"Remarkable! Alas, still not enough!"

Guo ShouQue raised his hand, wiping off his mouth, licking the bloody taste that lingered in his mouth, savoring his own blood.

Amid the lingering aftertaste, he suddenly said: "Miss Huaizhi, do you know what the essence of the Abyss Kitchen Devil truly is?

What makes the Chef Demon stand out in the Abyss, enabling us to form such a vast organization, and stand together with the Disastrous Musician, Doomsday Painter, and Shadow Hairdresser at the top of the 'Homeless Cemetery'?"

Huai Shi was stunned, not expecting him to ask this, and realized... she'd never thought about it.

"Are you suggesting an insatiable hunger, the endless desires of humans led to all this?"

"That's just the source, merely the catalyst. From there, what kind of path does it lead to? What kind of outcome does it garner? And what kind of essence does it acquire?"

Guo ShouQue's frenzy gradually calmed, a mysterious smile appeared on his middle-aged face, posing a question and answering himself: "Whether it's the Muse Club, Hell Music Association, Chef Demon Committee or Hairdressers Association, what they represent and master are among the grandest essences of countless Hell and disaster.

The Muse Club's Doomsday Painter, they pursue the eternal and unchanging beauty of hell, hence extending the art of preserving fleeting disasters and spectacles into scrolls, maintaining eternal moments.

Whereas Disastrous Musicians focus on the contrasting essence of 'change' and 'motion', thus specializing in the art of weaving and catalysis, using musical scores to unify countless disasters into a whole, causing miraculous metamorphosis.

The hairdressers are different from musicians; they, like gardeners tending to nurseries, trim disaster and miracle, not focusing on integration and unity, but emphasizing the independence and harmony of each disaster miracle, correcting flaws, making them closest to their original pure form.

Finally, it's the Hell Kitchen Demon—"

Guo ShouQue interlocked his fingers, smiling pleasantly: "All Chef Demon skills similar to Alchemy this isn't without reason. Because what we pursue is to fully refine malice and curse, to achieve metamorphosis from the furnace and cauldron and complete a purer explosion!"

Instant silence.

As if a lightning bolt crossed Huai Shi's mind, the fleeting electric light illuminated the original chaos, causing everything to dawn.

Constancy, change, harmony, and explosion.

This is the essence of the Doomsday Painter, Disastrous Musician, Hairdresser, and Chef Demon.

Previously, Huai Shi was merely subconsciously utilizing them.

Never thought of such profoundness.

Not just Guo ShouQue, even the Chef Demons in the audience had never heard such elevated summaries and answers, showing expressions of disbelief and enlightenment.

Simultaneously, growing more suspicious...

Not knowing why Guo ShouQue suddenly mentioned this topic, nor understanding what trick he had up his sleeve.

"Miss Huaizhi, I must say, you are truly a rare talent—this mere instinctual application has already achieved such exaggerated results, truly impressive!"

Guo ShouQue propped up his body with both hands, slowly stood up, and with a cracked face, raised, with a smile that was both comforting and terrifying: "I, sincerely, feel... joy!"

Huai Shi remained silent, once again feeling that prickle of danger like a thorn in his back.

Yet he still didn't know where he had slipped up.

"It's a pity, your delaying tactics won't work anymore."

Guo ShouQue sneered, reaching out to twist open the gas under the bamboo basket, while flames rose, illuminating his shadowy face: "I've already found..."

"—Your fatal weakness!"

Huai Shi froze in place.

For a moment, it felt as if his secret of not receiving social welfare while purchasing a house had been exposed!

Yet immediately, this strange illusion vanished, and what rose in his heart was an overwhelming vigilance—this opponent, with no moral boundaries, could use any kind of trick.

He must focus entirely.

Remain calm.

"What weakness?" Miss Huaizhi raised her hand, casually brushing her long hair behind her shoulder, smiling lightly: "Do I still have weaknesses?"

In truth, she was panicking inside.

Dammit, this old bastard might have learned from Amber about her cross-dressing...

Just the thought of facing the consequence of social death made Huai Shi's face, hidden beneath his guise, turn ashen like dirt, filled with apprehension.

Meanwhile, Guo ShouQue merely raised his hand, pulling out a stack of yellow papers filled with writing from his pocket, and casually threw them into the flames below the stove.

The sacred and murderous writings burned away instantly with the yellow paper, leaving no trace of ash behind.

As if in that instant, they followed the flames straight up to the sky, reaching the heavens.

Huai Shi furrowed his brow, unsure of what it was.

"Petition to Suppress Rebels, have you heard of it, Miss Huaizhi?"

Guo ShouQue said with a smile, "I took a genuine copy from the Dongxia Museum before I left, a necessary element for the next piece—as if officially reporting to the heavens, taking you as an enemy, denying your character, actions, even your history, and finding every weakness and opportunity, magnifying and distorting them... But in the end, it's just assigning charges without reason, finding just cause for what's to come—your demise."

Guo ShouQue spoke calmly, "Here we're just following the protocol, to show formality."

In that instant, a rich fragrance rose from the bamboo basket, as if countless bronze cauldrons were burning hundreds of pounds of spices, spreading an extravagant and solemn atmosphere.

Alongside, came an indescribable loftiness and deep temptation—in the deepest darkness of the bamboo basket, something was slowly brewing, reaching final completion.

Finally, as the bamboo basket was opened, a dazzling golden light burst forth.

It was... a pig's head!

Indeed—

Huai Shi's pupils contracted, his heart sinking into despair. Such a formal ritual had already surpassed the realm of Small Sacrifice, this was likely what he had always dreaded.

—Tai Lao!

At that moment, Guo ShouQue clasped his hands together, creating a crisp sound, shattering the dead silence on the field.

"Please, Miss Huaizhi." He said, "This is today's first dish—Special Pig!"

"Is it really Tai Lao?" Huai Shi asked solemnly.

"Of course, cattle first, sheep second, pig third... For today, to defeat you, we only have these three dishes!" Guo ShouQue's voice rose with laughter: "In other words, if you eat them and remain unharmed, then consider me defeated!"

Like once provoking countless Chef Demons, he sets definitive rules that are disadvantageous to himself without any scruples.

In other words... he is absolutely confident.

Within these three dishes, he intends to completely defeat Huai Shi! 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Isn't this more than just Special Pig?"

Huai Shi closed his eyes, taking a careful sniff of the scent in the air, discerning a strand of different aroma amidst the solemn and thick fragrance.

It was the scent of alcohol...

Wine scent?

"Correct, I used wine." Guo ShouQue worked continuously, mixing the upcoming dipping sauces and condiments for Huai Shi: "Given it's an ancient dish, back in the Zhou dynasty they didn't even have oil, MSG, or chili peppers, the taste couldn't be too good, so it has to evolve to suit modern times."

"I fear there's more to it than that!"

Huai Shi sneered.

That thread of wine scent was the most critical element, the most threatening; from it, Huai Shi identified a faint hint of plant aroma.

When he picked up his chopsticks, the wine scent became clearer, lingering around his nose and soul, spreading swiftly.

What kind of wine is this?

Huai Shi couldn't discern.

"Baomao."

Guo ShouQue smiled happily, observing Huai Shi's movement with the chopsticks, softly murmuring: "This is a peerless wine purified by Baomao..."

In that moment, Huai Shi saw it.

It wasn't steep cliffs, nor precipices, nor any form of beasts and snakes.

What appeared before him was dazzling golden light.

No obstacles whatsoever.

What he saw was a road leading to the heavens.

A broad and open path!