Clear and refreshed.

But the taste was exactly as expected.

Bland and flavorless!

It was clearly just a bowl of boiling water, how could it have any other taste?

However, after swallowing the second mouthful, a strange taste began to emerge from the blandness, a faint taste that was too elusive to identify.

Just a feeling, so familiar...

Is it the taste of the stone? The taste of boiling water? Or something else?

His actions paused for a moment, trying to discern it, but he couldn’t trace the origin of that taste amidst the slight bitterness from the stone and the blandness of the boiling water.

It was as if the taste was coming from within himself!

"It is said, many, many years ago."

Across the cooking station, Huai Shi picked up the stone for the broth from the table, examining its delicate patterns as he softly recounted, "An old monk, with three little monks, arrived at a small town."

"The old monk’s name was Kong, and the little monks were named Fu LuShou."

"After traversing mountains and rivers, they were famished upon arriving here, hungry and thirsty. But all the townspeople had shut their doors, aloof and cold, with no one willing to offer them food."

"Then, the old monk told the little monks—go tell these kind people we are newcomers, with nothing to offer but a pot of stone soup as a gift for everyone."

"Everyone was curious about how a stone could cook soup, so they gathered densely around the area, watching as the old monk lit the fire, dropped the stone into the water pot, and brought the water to a boil."

Huai Shi’s gaze lifted from the stone, landing on Guo ShouQue’s face: "At this point, the old monk said, if only we had some salt, the stone soup would be more delicious—then someone eager to help volunteered the salt from their home—"

No one spoke again.

The story’s development from here needed no further words.

If there was no salt, they added salt. If they lacked pepper, they added pepper. If it seemed better with meat, why not throw in some meat?

Everyone in the town contributed an insignificant part to this pot of stone soup.

Eventually, everyone tasted a flavor they had never experienced before.

"The stone holds no value, Guo ShouQue."

Huai Shi whispered, "The ingredients for this soup must be added by oneself."

Now, please put something strong enough to defeat you into this hollow stone soup!

With the purest stone and clear water as materials, after a long night of reflection, countless attempts and practices in the Book of Fate, Huai Shi finally completed this perfectly pure stone soup.

This is Huai Shi’s decisive masterpiece!

No matter if it’s bland and flavorless, everything must go through the process from nothing to something.

Through prolonged simmering, Huai Shi had pushed the stone to the mountain peak.

The moment anything is inadvertently added into it, breaking this fragile balance, the stone will tumble down the mountain, roaring uncontrollably, sweeping everything away.

Curiosity in a fleeting moment predestines what follows. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

No matter what is added, it will reach the ’destination’ Huai Shi meticulously set.

Ultimately, what Guo ShouQue gained from it was the world’s most distant, thinnest, yet cruelest miracle.

That is the illusion of happiness.

In that brief instant, the bland stone soup in his mouth tainted with the color of memory.

At the edge of Hell’s cliff, unprecedented weakness, Guo ShouQue lost the resistance against this guidance.

The stone soup in his mouth rapidly transformed, turning icy cold, eventually becoming unexpected poison, sliding down his throat.

The familiar prickling sensation and astonishment pulled him, swiftly flying back through time, plunging into the depths of memory.

Back to when he thought he was closest to perfection, strongest.

Back to the day he was utterly defeated by his own student!

His proudest creation, using all his skills, defeated without mercy, from cold dishes to platters, from the soup pot to grilling, from inside the bowl to outside the plate...

When his most trusted student sounded the rebellious horn, at his strongest, he met his downfall!

From when did that child grow into an adult?

He genuinely wondered: From when did that child’s playful methods surpass his own? Was it due to old age? Or his own laziness?

None of it.

Simply because that child was stronger than he imagined... stronger than himself!

Just that.

At this moment, Guo ShouQue’s fate as the Yiya Kitchen Devil reached its end.

Now, the kitchen demon unknowingly transformed from youth to manhood, thinking of the breathless Guo ShouQue, began to walk forward. Kneeling on the ground, bowing, to pay homage to him.

From the heart, a gesture of gratitude.

"Thank you for taking care of me all these years, Master, thank you for teaching me everything, and thank you for trusting me." He softly bid farewell: "However, I no longer wish to follow your path to become a kitchen demon."

As he raised his head, unprecedented brilliance emerged in his eyes, solemnly telling the old man before him: "Aside from culinary mastery, there are more important matters in this world."

Just looking at such naive expression, Guo ShouQue couldn’t help but feel genuine sorrow for him.

For his innocence, and for his own weakness.

Doesn’t he know that as long as he lives, he can never escape the fate of the Yiya Kitchen Demon?

"Foolish, so foolish, I will... avenge you, at any cost, you idiot!"

He widened his eyes, using all his strength to angrily scold: "Do you want people to know... you, you are a student taught by someone like Guo ShouQue, a heretic!"

"Why!"

He angrily questioned, "Why not kill me?"

In the long silence, only the sound of rain outside filled the space.

The man just knelt on the ground, quietly gazing at him, his smile gradually becoming tender.

"Doesn’t it need asking, Master?"

He bent down, unguarded, and embraced the old man before him, even if he hid the final blow of desperation, he had to provide the answer:

"Because compared to culinary skills, compared to everything in this world, I respect you even more."

What kind of foolish talk is that?

Only invites laughter!

Are you really a student I taught?

Are you really, Yiya Kitchen Demon?!

At that moment, countless gloomy and malicious words surged with fury in his mind, unable to verbally criticize his absurdity and ridiculousness, nor correct the student’s naivety and stupidity.

But now, at this very moment, even just recalling it, Guo ShouQue couldn’t help but want to... smile.

Happiness.

If there was a moment when he once felt happiness, it must have been then?

When embraced by that child, he felt even failure no longer mattered. When certain his admiration was sincere, what he felt was supreme joy and happiness.

Why even himself would become this foolish?

Guo ShouQue didn’t know, but just reminiscing made him feel fulfilled, allowing him to understand what happiness truly was, unable to let it go.

He indulged in this momentary yet indescribable sweetness, unwilling to wake up.

Wandering repeatedly.

Even if it dissipated so quickly, leaving so coldly.

Until the last warmth fell into his throat.

This fleeting dream completely vanished.

Guo ShouQue, dazed, lowered his head, staring at the empty bottom of the bowl, as if petrified.

In the dead silence, only murky droplets fell within.

Echoing softly.

On the stand, everyone stood rigid, eyes wide with disbelief at the scene before them, unable to believe...

Until the huddled old man finally lifted his face, revealing the messy wet marks on his cheeks.

Tears.