Gourmet of Another World

“It’s time for her to… go home,” said the stranger. The voice was muffled, so it was hard to judge whether the stranger was a man or a woman, but the insistence in those words was clear.

Bu Fang’s pupils constricted slightly. ‘This person is here to… bring Nethery home? But… Does she have a home?’

His expression became serious. He carefully studied the stranger. The material of the black robe was exquisite, and it seemed to shimmer faintly. Clearly, this was a treasure, and no ordinary treasure. Bu Fang could not sense the stranger’s aura, but he could feel a sense of fright inside him.

“Is the Cursed Goddess in there?” the stranger asked again. He or she had sensed Nethery’s aura. Then, ignoring Bu Fang, the stranger stepped away and continued toward the door.

Bu Fang got up from the recliner and tried to stop the stranger.

Just as the stranger crossed the sill and stepped into the restaurant, a sudden gust of wind blew off the hood of the black robe and revealed a face.

The stranger turned out to be a middle-aged woman of grace and elegance. She had a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but her beautiful appearance was something that no one could ignore. In that instant, she seemed to become the focus of the world.

The woman frowned. As soon as she stepped into the restaurant, she felt a familiar aura coming toward her. She turned around abruptly and rested her eyes on Bu Fang’s face.

A great force suddenly descended, pressing down on Bu Fang’s body like a towering mountain.

“You…” The woman looked at Bu Fang. Her eyes were very deep and seemed to contain a vast universe full of stars.

She seemed to have questions she wanted to ask, but she did not ask them. Instead, she just looked straight at Bu Fang. After a long time, she sighed, shook her head, and continued walking into the restaurant. Her aura became calmer.

Bu Fang’s heart was pounding. ‘Who is this lady? Why does she give me a sense of fright?!’

Who in the world could make him feel that way? Even Saints of the Great Path could not frighten him. Could it be that the lady in front of him was a… Chaotic Saint?

After thinking for a brief moment, Bu Fang said, “Excuse me…”

The lady frowned at him and gestured for him to continue.

“What did you ask just now? Is the Cursed Goddess here?”

The lady nodded. She looked indifferently at Bu Fang, her expression calm.

“Well… She’s not here. She went out to play,” Bu Fang said seriously.

The corner of the lady’s mouth twitched in disdain. ‘Where did this idiot come from? Does he take me for a fool?’ The expression was somewhat similar to Nethery’s when she was sneering.

“Don’t be naughty,” she said, shaking her head, then turned and stepped into the restaurant.

Bu Fang took a deep breath.

Suddenly, Sun Wukong hung upside down from the roof, blinked, then jumped down to follow Bu Fang. “Don’t worry, boy. I’ve got your back…” he said.

They stepped inside the restaurant together.

The lady sat down in a chair and crossed her legs. Her long, curvy legs looked fair and attractive against her black robe.

“Another restaurant?” The corner of her mouth twitched again as she saw Bu Fang walk in.

Bu Fang said nothing. With his hands behind his back, he stood to the side.

“I had once taken away a Cursed Goddess in a similar restaurant many years ago,” said the lady. She seemed to think of something funny and chuckled.

“I did not expect that after so many years, I would have to bring back a Cursed Goddess in a restaurant again… Is this fate?” she said. Then, she gave Bu Fang a deep look. “Unfortunately, it’s an ill-fated relationship.”

“Well… As I said, Nethery is not here. She went out to play. Why don’t you come back some other time?” Bu Fang said seriously.

The lady’s strength was unfathomable, and Bu Fang felt that he might be no match for her. So, if he could put off her and make her leave, that would be the best ending.

“It’s okay. I can wait for her. She has already agreed.” The lady waved her hand. Suddenly, she looked at the menu with great interest. “I’ll have the Egg-Fried Rice. If my memory serves me right, I also had the same dish last time.”

Egg-Fried Rice? Bu Fang paused. “The restaurant is closed today,” he said, shaking his head.

“You’re a lot naughtier than the previous chef…” The lady chuckled. She was not in a hurry, and she did not urge. She just waited quietly in the restaurant.

Bu Fang frowned and found a chair to sit down.

Sun Wukong thought the lady was here to look for trouble, but the atmosphere turned out to be so quiet. It made him a little uncomfortable. It was like being forced to sit still and listen to Gautama chanting the scriptures. So, he sneaked out of the restaurant and went to disturb the Kun Bird.

Time passed, and it was getting late. When the sun was completely behind the mountain, the lady spoke again. She looked toward the stairs and said, “It’s time to go.”

Bu Fang, startled by her voice, suddenly looked over.

The sound of footsteps came from the top of the stairs as Nethery came down in a black dress, her face expressionless.

Bu Fang sat on one side and the lady on the other. When she came down and saw that, she stopped in place.

Just when Bu Fang thought she would come to him, Nethery went to the lady.

The lady was satisfied. She rose to her feet and gently smoothed Nethery’s hair. “The Queen has been waiting for you for a long time. Let’s go back now,” she said with a smile. She was very beautiful when she smiled.

Nethery did not smile. Her expression was completely unchanged.

“Hold on. If I may ask, where is Nethery’s home?” Bu Fang said suddenly. Nethery had been at his side since the Light Wind Empire. How could he let this lady take her away so easily?

“I know what you mean, young man. I’ve seen people like you all the time.” The lady chuckled. She took Nethery’s soft hand in her hand and walked slowly out of the restaurant.

Nethery struggled briefly, but then she followed.

Bu Fang frowned. He stood up, his figure flickering, and then he was in the doorway, stopping them from leaving.

“Have you ever heard of the Void City?” the lady looked at him indifferently and said.

Bu Fang shook his head to indicate that he had not heard of it. He was tempted to ask her if she had ever heard of Light Wind Empire.

“The Void City is a place of chaos, but it is also a place of hope. Shrouded in the Queen of Curses’ light, it is a pure land in the war-torn universe.

“No one dares to cause trouble in the Void City, for no one can withstand Her Majesty’s curses. Anyone who stirs up trouble in the Void City will be turned into bones,” said the lady, looking Bu Fang up and down.

“I’ve seen many chefs like you. You’d better give up what you have in mind. A chef is a chef, after all. Oh, let me give you a friendly warning: You’d better not set foot in the Void City. Her Majesty hates chefs more than anything else.”

After saying that, the lady pressed on, pulling Nethery with her.

The look in Nethery’s eyes was complicated. Ever since she agreed to the voice in her head and gained the power, she knew this day would come. However, she had not expected it to be so soon.

She wanted to eat a few more bowls of Dragon Blood Rice cooked by Bu Fang. Although she no longer needed the dish to replenish the energy in her, she could not forget the taste. Perhaps, eating a bowl of Dragon Blood Rice every day had become a habit for her.

The lady went to the door, but Bu Fang did not move aside and just looked at her indifferently.

According to what the lady described, Void City should be a very awesome place. But what did that have to do with him?

He had brought Nethery from the land of relics, and she had followed him since the Light Wind Empire. How could he let this lady take her away so easily?

“Why are you chefs always so persistent?” The lady smiled, but her face was cold. She could almost predict what was going to happen next.

Bu Fang shook his head. “You can’t take Nethery away if she doesn’t want to go…”

“What if she wants to go with me?” asked the lady.

That gave Bu Fang pause.

“Now, you can get out of the way…” The lady sneered. She had seen men like Bu Fang all the time. She lifted a hand and patted it lightly on his shoulder.

Bu Fang frowned, raised his Taotie Arm, and grabbed the lady’s hand.

“As I said… you can get out of the way now.”

Suddenly, the lady’s voice became so melodious and grand that it seemed to come from the depths of the universe. The sky and the earth changed color at this moment, and the whole Earth seemed to be in a panic.

Bu Fang’s pupils constricted. He only felt a tremendous force pressing down on him.

The next moment, the whole restaurant rumbled, and it seemed that a supreme aura was about to descend. The lady glanced fearfully at the restaurant. However, she appeared to be very experienced in this kind of situation. Her figure flashed, and then she stepped out of the restaurant with Bu Fang and Nethery.

Boom!

The whole Mount Kunlun began to shake violently at this moment. In the immortal temple at the top of the mountain, the Queen Mother of the West and her many Immortals were horrified. They felt a terrifying aura pressing down on them, making them unable to move.

“A Chaotic Saint?!”

The Queen Mother sprawled over the table, while the other Immortals stood stiffly in the temple. Why would there be a Chaotic Saint on the Ancestral Planet? What had happened?

Meanwhile, on the Immortal Island of Penglai, Tongtian opened his eyes, his aura fluctuating. The water around the island seemed to be suppressed by the aura and could not raise any waves.

“Fellow Daoist Bu…” The Sect Leader furrowed his brows.

In front of Bubu Little Kitchen, the ground beneath Bu Fang’s feet had collapsed into a deep pit, and all the gravel had turned into powder in the blink of an eye. The powerful aura caused the Vermilion Robe to be on the verge of tearing apart.

‘This lady is actually a… Chaotic Saint?!’ he cried out in his heart. ‘Is that Void City really so terrifying? It actually sent a Chaotic Saint to bring Nethery back?!’

Bu Fang’s palm was still holding onto the lady’s arm tightly. The Yin and Yang energy swirled around his Taotie Arm, while with a bestial roar, the shadow of a Taotie emerged over his hand, accompanied by an Eight Trigrams Array.

“Although I don’t know why there’s a chef by the side of the Cursed Goddess of every generation, by coincidence or providence, all Cursed Goddesses will eventually return to the Void City, and you chefs will never be able to step into the Void City!” said the lady.

Suddenly, a ghostly green cursed snake slowly crawled out of her arm and wrapped itself around Bu Fang’s arm. The next moment, it darted forward and bit him on the arm.