He heard that there were only two Mao Mountain cultivators who were in the State of Foundation Establishment, and they were at least one or two centuries old.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Tang Hao slowly opened his eyes and kept the spirit stone away. He went to the door and was surprised when he looked out of the peephole. The visitor was Zhao Qingxue.
“Why is she here?” Tang Hao mumbled to himself.
He could smell the strong stench of alcohol when he opened the door.
Zhao Qingxue stood there. Her impeccable face was red from intoxication and her gaze was vacant.
“Officer Zhao, you… you drank again?”
Tang Hao furrowed his brows.
“I’m not drunk, I only drank a little… Tang Hao, don’t you know that you’re a bastard!” Zhao Qingxue spoke. She bit her lip and seemed angry.
Tang Hao did not know what she was talking about. He could not understand why Zhao Qingxue called him that suddenly.
Back then, Zhao Qingxue misunderstood that he was a pervert and used to call him a bastard. However, her opinion of him should have changed.
“How am I a bastard?” Tang Hao said, clueless.
“You are a bastard!” Zhao Qingxue yelled.
“You must be drunk, Officer Zhao!” Tang Hao said helplessly.
“I’m not drunk. You are a filthy bastard, Tang kid!” Zhao Qingxue yelled again. Her eyes were turning red and she looked emotional.
Then, she leaned forward and hugged Tang Hao.
Tang Hao was utterly confused.
She hugged him very tightly, as though she had used all her strength.
“Don’t you know, Tang Hao, the only thing that was in my mind back then was you!
“After I was rescued and I woke up, I could only think of you!
“And you tell me that you’re not a bastard?”
As she spoke, she began to sob.
Tang Hao stood there, dumbfounded.
He was surprised by her confession, but he did not know what to do.
Zhao Qingxue sobbed harder and she hugged him even tighter. “I’ve tried to not think about you, but I can’t do it! Why… Why does it have to be you?”
Tang Hao opened his mouth but did not know what to say.
She abruptly lifted her head and looked at Tang Hao with her big, beautiful eyes.
Her gaze was burning with passion.
…
Tang Hao woke up very early the next morning. As he stared blankly at the ceiling, he was still confused about what happened the night before.
The memories of the night before came back. He felt a headache and extreme guilt.
He turned to his side and saw the beautiful sleeping face.
To be frank, Zhao Qingxue was very pretty. Her almond-shaped face and impeccable features made her the girl of dreams for many young men.
Before he became a cultivator, he would be incredibly happy if a girl like Zhao Qingxue showed interest in him.
Now that he already had Sis Xiangyi, he felt guilty that such a thing happened.
However, what was done was done, and there was no point feeling guilty about it. Rather, he would think of how to solve the problem.
Tang Hao could not think of anything.
“Whatever. I’ll go make breakfast to calm myself down!”
Tang Hao got out of bed, dressed up, and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
He frequently zoned out as he cooked. He nearly burned two eggs while frying them.
It took him great difficulty to complete the two sets of breakfast.
He heard something in the living room. Someone was putting on their clothes.
Tang Hao waited for a while before stepping out. He saw that Zhao Qingxue was already fully dressed. She stood there with tightly locked brows.
She stared daggers at Tang Hao when she saw him. Then, she sat down awkwardly on the couch.
“You bastard!” She was still angry.
The corner of Tang Hao’s mouth twitched when he heard that. He felt a little embarrassed.
“Let’s have breakfast!” Tang Hao brought the food to her.
Zhao Qingxue glared at him before taking the plate from him. She picked up the fried egg with her chopsticks and bit on it hard.
“Don’t worry, I won’t pester you!” She said abruptly after taking a few bites. “I know that you have a girlfriend. I’ve seen that Boss Qin several times before.
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done that last night.
“Just treat it as though nothing happened!”
She wolfed down the breakfast and stood up, but her legs were still weak.
“I’ll send you back!”
Tang Hao quickly stood up and helped her walk.
She gave him a side-eye but did not reject him. They walked down the stairs together.
After they sat in the car, Tang Hao gave her a blood jade bead. “This is for you!”
Zhao Qingxue was shocked. She took the bead without saying a word and held it tightly in her palm.
Tang Hao sent her back to her house in Clearwater Gardens.
Zhao Qingxue opened the door and was about to enter.
Suddenly, she turned around and hugged Tang Hao tightly.
She hugged him without saying anything for a long time. Finally, she reluctantly let go of him, went into the house, and closed the door.
Chapter 322 - The Han Family Causes A Scene
After Tang Hao went down the stairs, he received a call from Master Chef Ding.
He went to Imperial Kitchen right away and continued to develop the menu with Master Chef Ding and the other chefs. At noon, Master Chef Ding brought him to the new restaurant which was still under renovation.
The restaurant was located in the busiest section of the city center. There were many restaurants in the area. One of them was called Spring Brook and was owned by Yu Lin Group.
That was Tang Hao’s target.
After bringing down that restaurant, he would then proceed to ruin each of Yu Lin Group’s businesses. He wanted to take away everything owned by Han Chenglin to take revenge for Assistant Han.
Master Chef Ding smirked when he noticed that Tang Hao was looking at Spring Brook. “Restaurants like that one are nothing but trash. We’ll snatch all their business when our restaurant opens,” he said disdainfully.
Master Chef Ding slapped his chest confidently.
After all, he was the top chef in Province Z. Imperial Kitchen, his previous restaurant, was on a different level than those restaurants.
Little Brother Tang had imparted to him many skills regarding medicinal cuisine, which had greatly improved his culinary skills.
It was all too easy to become the top restaurant in the area.
Tang Hao smiled when he heard that.
He did not doubt Master Chef Ding’s words at all.
The restaurant would definitely attract many customers from all over, not only because of the amazing effects of its medicinal cuisine but also because of Master Chef Ding’s fame.
“This will be our first restaurant. I will personally be in charge of the kitchen, and we will only make the best cuisine. We’ll recruit more apprentices and train them so that we can spread our medicinal cuisine to the entire province, and even the entire Huaxia.
“The effects of our medicinal cuisine are amazing. I hope that more people can benefit from it,” Master Chef Ding said with a spirited smile on his face.
Another five days passed in the blink of an eye. The renovations were complete and the restaurant was set to open.
That day, the first Magical Kitchen restaurant was opened.
Old Master Luo came, and even Vice Governor He came too. Tang Hao did not have many guests, but they all attended the opening. As for Tai An Group, they were nonetheless a major business in Provincial City, and they invited many people.
The opening ceremony was extremely extravagant.
After the ceremony ended, everyone prepared to ste
p into the restaurant. Master Chef Ding was about to serve the restaurant’s first course.
Suddenly, a bunch of people with unfriendly faces arrived.
Everyone stopped walking. As they looked toward the bunch of people, they whispered among each other.
“What’s going on?”
“Looking at their clothes, they must be from Spring Brook! Don’t tell me that they’re here to cause a scene?”
“I think so. Magical Kitchen has Master Chef Ding as the head chef. Spring Brook must be feeling threatened. That’s why they’re here to bring Magical Kitchen down a notch.”
“Hah! Are they a match for Master Chef Ding?”
Everyone talked among themselves while looking at the bunch of people disdainfully.
The group of people soon arrived at the entrance of Magical Kitchen.
Master Chef Ding looked at the group of people and was taken aback. His gaze was transfixed on the middle-aged man in a white chef’s suit standing in front.
Tang Hao furrowed his brows when he noticed Master Chef Ding’s changed expression.
Not many people could have made Master Chef Ding uneasy. That person must be a master chef as well.
Someone recognized that person. He exclaimed in surprise, “That’s Master Chef Du! Oh my god, Spring Brook hired Master Chef Du!”
“Who’s Master Chef Du?” Many people were clueless.
“Hah! Don’t you know who Master Chef Du is? He’s a master chef on par with Master Chef Ding. Some say that he’s even better.”
Everyone exclaimed in surprise when they heard that.
Spring Brook was indeed there to cause a scene!
Ling Wei was flustered for a short while but immediately composed herself.
Tang Hao’s expression darkened. He could see Han Lei standing among the bunch of people, behind Master Chef Du.
He smirked coldly. This must all be that guy’s doing.
‘Whatever! I was going to bring down Spring Brook anyway. It’s better that they hasten their own demise!’
“Hey, Brother Ding, long time no see!” Master Chef Du said with a hearty smile as he walked over.
“Why are you in Province Z?” Master Chef Ding was impassive.
“I’ve heard that you’ve opened a restaurant here, and I’m here to check it out. It so happens that Young Master Han invited me to be the head chef in his restaurant. We’ll be neighbors from now on.”
Master Chef Du might be smiling, but his expression was merciless.
The enmity between the two people was palpable.
Master Chef Du lifted his head and looked at the signboard. “Magical Kitchen? How conceited!” He chuckled.
“Oh, Ding Wanshan, you’re throwing your career away! Wasn’t Imperial Kitchen doing just fine? You’re dealing with the devil when you dabble in medicinal cuisine!
“Medicinal cuisine? That’s utter nonsense. It doesn’t have any medicinal effects, and it tastes bad because of the medicinal herbs. It tries to achieve everything but is good at nothing. There’s no other way to describe it other than trash!”
Everyone exclaimed in surprise after Master Chef Du spoke.
Evidently, Master Chef Ding was not there to make friends.
Master Chef Ding’s expression was sullen. Meanwhile, the chefs behind him could not hold back their anger.
“F*ck your mother, Du guy! You’re the one spouting nonsense!”
“You’re nothing but trash, Du guy!”
Master Chef Du laughed. “Ha! Prove yourself then! How about a competition to show who’s the better chef and who’s trash?”
“Well…” Master Chef Ding and the other chefs hesitated.
“Let’s do it!”
Tang Hao stood up and said loudly.
“Right! Let’s do it!” The chefs shouted eagerly.
They could not tolerate being humiliated on their first day of business!
Ling Wei looked at Han Lei. “Boss Han, since your Spring Brook is here to cause trouble, it would be rude for us to decline the challenge!”
Her voice was cold and brimmed with anger.
It was supposed to be an auspicious day for Magical Kitchen, but the festive mood was ruined by the intruders. Anyone else would have been angry too.
“Since you’ve agreed to it, President Ling, let’s start the competition then! I’ll leave it to you, Master Chef Du!”
“Haha! Don’t worry!” Master Chef Du laughed heartily. He was extremely confident.
He yelled at Master Chef Ding, “Let’s make it simple. We’ll prepare one dish. You’ll bring out the signature dish of Magical Kitchen, and I’ll bring out mine. That will decide the winner!”
“Alright, one dish decides the winner!” Master Chef Ding said, undaunted.
“Just you wait, Ding. You’ve never beaten me before. You won’t beat me this time either!” Master Chef Du smirked, then led his chefs back into his restaurant.
The crowd in front of Magical Kitchen talked among themselves. They were excited to see the outcome of the competition.
The two master chefs were renowned for their skills. A culinary between them was a momentous occasion.
Chapter 323 - Splendid Eight Treasures Soup
“Dammit, that Du guy is too arrogant!”
“Isn’t that so! Who the hell does he think he is? Let’s wreck them, Brother Ding!” The chefs shouted agitatedly.
Master Chef Ding’s expression was indignant.
Indeed, Master Chef Du used to be the better chef, but Master Chef Ding did not think so now.
“Now that they’re here to challenge us, Master Chef Ding, we should show them our best side. Let’s make our best dish and show them what Magical Kitchen can do,” Tang Hao said.
Master Chef Ding was surprised. “You mean… we should prepare that dish?”
“That’s right!” Tang Hao said confidently.
Master Chef Ding immediately looked excited. “Alright, we’ll make that dish then! Let’s show that Du guy what’s the true meaning of deliciousness!”
“Let’s go!” Master Chef Ding was trembling with excitement, and his face was glowing red. He waved his hand and led the group of chefs back into the kitchen.
“There shouldn’t be a problem, right, Tang Hao?” Ling Wei came over. She seemed worried.
If Tang Hao had cooked the dish, she was confident that they could beat Spring Brook hands down. However, Master Chef Ding made her worry about their chances.
After all, the two master chefs were almost at an equal level.
“Don’t worry!” Tang Hao smiled casually and sat down.
Ling Wei was surprised, but eventually calmed down anyway.
If Tang Hao was that confident, then there should not be any problem.
The guests gradually sat down on their seats. More and more people arrived at the scene to witness the battle between the two master chefs.
Some of the people in the crowd were journalists from newspapers and news websites, as well as writers from culinary magazines.
Very soon, the storefronts of both restaurants were flooded with people.
Everyone was hotly discussing who would be the eventual winner.
Would it be the newly opened Magical Kitchen, or the established Spring Brook?
Magical Kitchen could not afford to lose in this culinary showdown. The restaurant would be finished even before they were even open for business. The opening ceremony would only be beneficial for Spring Brook.
One and a half hours soon passed.
A group of people led by Master Chef Du emerged from Spring Brook. The people behind were each pushing a restaurant cart.
Each restaurant cart held a big wine jar.
The people could smell a pleasant fragrance from afar.
“This is…?”
Everyone stood up eagerly. They looked at the incoming restaurant carts with anticipation.
The fragrance was unbelievable.
Many people were beginning to drool. Some of them
looked impatient.
“That’s Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!” Someone shouted. (TN: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a soup made with many rare ingredients and herbs and traditionally boiled in a rice wine jar. It is named so because legend has it that it even caused vegetarian monks to abandon their meditation to have a taste of the soup.)
Many people recognized the characteristic jar and the fragrance.
Everyone looked more eager than ever.
“That’s Master Chef Du, the top chef of Fujian cuisine! Not many flavors in this world could compare to his Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”
Many people exclaimed as they smelled the fragrance.
When the chefs neared, many people crowded around them.
Master Chef Du laughed heartily when he saw the scene. “There’s no need to worry, everyone! I’ve prepared enough for all. This Buddha Jumps Over the Wall shall be the signature dish of Spring Brook from now on.
“If you’d like a taste of it, please visit us at Spring Brook!”
The chefs opened the jars and the fragrance became stronger. The crowd of people seemed to be intoxicated by the smell.
The people were astounded by the taste of the soup.
“Amazing! This is amazing! The taste of umami fills my mouth, but it’s not too oily or thick. I’ve only taken one sip and I’m craving for more!”
Everyone exclaimed in surprise and admiration.
Even Old Master Luo and Vice Governor He could not restrain themselves. They stepped forward and requested a small bowl. Their praises gushed forth after taking one small bite.
“The taste is flawless! Absolutely perfect!” Old Master Luo exclaimed.
He had tasted many delicacies in his life but the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was one of the best.
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 145