Liu Hui gave Chen Liang a deep look but didn’t press him to order any other dishes.

With Mo Qi’s skill, the fear wasn’t a lack of repeat customers, but that no one would be willing to try it in the first place.

Once you’ve had it, you’re guaranteed to want it a second time. That flavor was unforgettable.

A single serving of Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice would be enough to conquer Chen Liang’s stomach and heart. Despite the pained look on his face now, Liu Hui was certain that in the future, Chen Liang wouldn’t leave even if you tried to chase him away.

While waiting for his food, Chen Liang’s face was a mask of bitterness.

That was one hundred contribution points! It was several months’ worth of his Cultivation expenses.

Every time he thought about it, he wanted to slap himself. He was sick with regret.

Just then, a voice called out from outside the restaurant.

"Mo Qi, come out and fight!"

Instead of getting angry, Liu Hui was delighted and walked outside. ’Another customer has arrived.’

Chen Liang’s expression turned strange. He knew that voice all too well. It was his sworn enemy, Huang Hao.

His Cultivation was two levels higher than Chen Liang’s, at the Refining God Sixth Heaven, and he always used that to bully him.

After a brief commotion, Liu Hui walked back in, expressionless. He was followed by a short-haired youth who was bruised, battered, and utterly disheveled.

Chen Liang was amused. He knew Huang Hao’s temper all too well—short-fused and self-important.

Liu Hui clearly hadn’t indulged him, having given Huang Hao a thorough thrashing until he submitted.

Seeing Huang Hao’s miserable state, Chen Liang’s gloomy mood brightened considerably.

"Chen Liang?! What are you doing here? Oh... I get it." Huang Hao was startled to see Chen Liang, but then understanding dawned on his face.

’We’re both in the same boat!’

’But... why aren’t you injured at all?’

Chen Liang gave a mysterious smile and pointed to the wall with the menu. "Stop letting your imagination run wild. Go on, order."

’Order?’ Huang Hao was completely baffled. He followed Chen Liang’s finger, and his expression froze on his face, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit two eggs.

"This is a restaurant. Of course you have to order when you come in." Chen Liang, seemingly forgetting he was a victim himself, was very satisfied with Huang Hao’s reaction and even began explaining the situation on Liu Hui’s behalf.

"What kind of bullshit Medicinal Cuisine costs this much? Are you trying to scam me?" Huang Hao’s foul temper flared, and he jumped up, cursing.

A powerful hand landed heavily on Huang Hao’s shoulder, a blow that nearly made his body fall apart. He grimaced in pain.

"I’ll give you one chance to rephrase that," Liu Hui said coldly, his face dark.

Huang Hao felt his shoulder go numb, and his legs began to tremble. If not for the last vestiges of his willpower, he would have collapsed to the floor.

When you’re under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head.

Knowing full well how terrifying Liu Hui was, Huang Hao immediately said with a straight face, "I think selling a Medicinal Cuisine dish for one hundred contribution points is far too cheap! It’s a steal! This is truly a blessing for us Cultivators."

Chen Liang was so shocked his eyeballs nearly fell out. He had known Huang Hao for years, but this was the first time he realized the guy had absolutely no integrity. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Oh? Is that so?" Liu Hui said lightly. "In that case, we’ll sell it to you for two hundred contribution points."

"Huh?" Huang Hao stood dumbfounded, then slapped himself across the face. ’That’s what you get for running your mouth!’

"What, still think it’s too cheap?" Liu Hui asked.

"No, no, no! It’s just right, just right!" Huang Hao waved his hands frantically, forcing a smile while his heart was bleeding.

"Then order," Liu Hui said.

"Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice," Huang Hao blurted out without a second thought.

Just like Chen Liang, he felt that out of the three dishes and one soup, this was the only one that looked somewhat normal.

"Another Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice!" Liu Hui called out again.

Mo Qi emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate. On it was a foot-long, purple bamboo stalk, about as thick as an adult’s wrist.

"Your Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice." Mo Qi placed the plate in front of Chen Liang.

Chen Liang and Huang Hao were full of questions. ’We see the purple bamboo, but where’s the rice?’

Mo Qi rolled his eyes. ’Don’t tell me these two have never even had rice cooked in bamboo?’

CLANG!

The Obsidian cleaver flashed like a black shadow, splitting the purple bamboo in two.

CRACK!

As the two halves fell open, a rich fragrance washed over Chen Liang, filling his nostrils.

The golden grains of rice were distinct and plump like jade. Just looking at it was a visual feast.

GULP!

Chen Liang swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his eyes glued to the Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice, unable to look away.

He never imagined that he would one day be so captivated by a simple meal of rice.

"You can eat the bamboo, too. It’s best eaten with the rice," Mo Qi said before turning to leave.

Chen Liang greedily inhaled the aroma in the air. Forgetting chopsticks, he grabbed half of the bamboo and began to gnaw on it.

With just one bite, Chen Liang froze on the spot, his eyes wide as saucers.

’How can something this delicious exist in the world?!’

The purple bamboo wasn’t old and tough as he’d imagined. On the contrary, it was crisp and refreshing, with a sweetness like plum, perfectly complementing the fragrant golden rice.

The unprecedented flavor and texture captivated Chen Liang completely, leaving him unable to pull himself away.

He only came to his senses after swallowing.

"Delicious!"

Casting all decorum aside, Chen Liang held a piece of bamboo in each hand and attacked his food from both sides, devouring it ferociously. He couldn’t stop.

The tempting aroma, combined with Chen Liang’s eager eating and look of pure satisfaction, made Huang Hao’s mouth water. He was bewildered. ’Is it really that good?’

In less than ten breaths, the entire Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice was in Chen Liang’s stomach. Then, under Huang Hao’s strange gaze, he began furiously licking the juices that had dripped onto the plate.

’Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?!’

Chen Liang only stopped when the plate was licked cleaner than if it had been washed.

The moment he stopped, however, a realization hit him that was utterly shocking.

At some point, a massive amount of Spiritual Energy had accumulated in his Dantian—equivalent to nearly half a year of Cultivation.

Logically, his Dantian shouldn’t have been able to handle so much Spiritual Energy; it should have burst. And yet, this energy was sitting calmly inside him without the slightest sign of rampaging.

Without a second thought, Chen Liang immediately sat cross-legged on the floor and began to absorb the Spiritual Energy.

Huang Hao wanted to ask what was happening, but Chen Liang ignored him.

At that moment, Mo Qi came out again with a plate of Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice and placed it in front of Huang Hao.

Huang Hao, who was already dying of curiosity, didn’t even wait to split the bamboo open. He shoved the entire stalk into his mouth and began to chew.

His reaction was identical to Chen Liang’s. After devouring it like a whirlwind, he licked the plate clean and then sucked viciously on his fingers until they turned pale. Only then did he stop.

Finally, his expression changed, and he too sat on the floor, entering a state of Cultivation.

"My lord, since they’re cultivating on our turf, should we charge them for that too?" Liu Hui suggested.

Mo Qi’s eyes lit up, but he quickly shook his head.

"This is their first time eating Medicinal Cuisine, so this reaction is normal. Once they get used to it, it won’t be like this."

Mo Qi paused, his expression shifting.

"Liu Hui, we’ve got a big catch on our doorstep. Don’t let a single one get away!"

"You got it! Don’t worry, my lord, leave it to me!" Liu Hui strode out of the restaurant. His Divine Sense had detected at least twenty people landing on the mountaintop.

A quarter of an hour later, Mo Qi’s restaurant had twenty-three new customers, all with Refining God Cultivation. Almost every one of them was injured, and not lightly.

Their gazes were fixed on the menu, their expressions resentful and angry.

Liu Hui, however, was beaming. Even with his Dragon Energy and transformation, facing twenty-three Elite Disciples with Refining God Cultivation had been a vicious battle before he finally subdued them.

The battle had activated the medicinal effects of the Earth Dragon Demon Beast Core inside him, and his Cultivation broke through to the Refining God Second Heaven.

How Liu Hui wished for a few more batches of these "Iron Head Boys" and blockheads to use as practice dummies.

「Half a day later」

The restaurant was completely full.

Some people stared at the prices of the Medicinal Cuisine with resentful, pained expressions. Others were like starved ghosts reborn, frantically devouring their Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice. The rest sat with their eyes closed, immersed in deep Cultivation.

...

When Yu Liang and Yang Ming arrived together at Mo Qi’s residence and pushed open the restaurant door, they were stunned by the scene before them.

If they hadn’t seen Liu Hui "welcoming" the customers, they would have thought they had come to the wrong place.

"What are you all... doing?" Yang Ming and Yu Liang were unaware of Mo Qi’s plan. They had come to scrounge a free meal.

Ever since they had tasted Mo Qi’s Medicinal Cuisine, scrounging a meal had become a daily ritual for Yang Ming and Yu Liang.

The disciples who had yet to eat saw them as saviors. With long faces, they scrambled over to complain.

"Disciple greets Master Yu and Inspector Elder! Please, Masters, you must seek justice for us!"

"This person is vicious and brutal! Not only did he beat us for no reason, but he also forced us to buy his goods, compelling us to order food!"

"Yes! If it were just an ordinary meal, we wouldn’t say anything, but... but the price is as high as one hundred contribution points per dish! It’s utterly unconscionable!"

"We beg you, Master, seek justice for us!"

Yang Ming and Yu Liang saw the menu and its prices and looked at each other, wondering what kind of trick Mo Qi was playing.

"Disciple greets Master and Uncle Yu." At this moment, Liu Hui stepped forward to pay his respects.

"What? Master?!"

Everyone was dumbstruck. Liu Hui was Yang Ming’s disciple?!

How awkward. Running to complain about a disciple in front of his own master... weren’t they acting like complete idiots?

Many were already green with envy that Mo Qi had become Yu Liang’s disciple. On what grounds could a mere servant like Liu Hui also become the disciple of Inspector Elder Yang Ming?

’Is he even giving others a chance to live?’

Yu Liang cleared his throat. "Everyone, please calm down. The Medicinal Cuisine was meticulously developed by my disciple, Mo Qi. I can guarantee that it is absolutely worth more than one hundred contribution points."

Heh heh!

Those were the only two words on everyone’s minds.

’Mo Qi is your disciple; of course you’d speak up for him.’

Although they were extremely unhappy, not a single person dared to show it.

On the contrary, they had to pretend to be happy. Who would dare offend Yu Liang, the Chief Alchemy Master of the Void Sect?

Just then, Mo Qi walked out of the kitchen carrying two servings of Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice.

"Disciple greets Master and Master-Uncle." Mo Qi placed the Purple Bamboo Golden Fragrant Rice in front of two Elite Disciples and stepped forward to pay his respects.

"No need for formalities. Just as long as you don’t mind us two old-timers coming to scrounge for food every day," Yu Liang laughed.

"How could I? Please, you two, have a seat. Will it be the usual dishes?" Mo Qi asked with a smile.

Yu Liang shook his head and pointed to the menu on the wall. "No need. Let’s try some of this Medicinal Cuisine today."

"Alright. Please wait a moment, I’ll go prepare it now." Mo Qi smiled and walked into the kitchen.