Gourmet of Another World

Everyone was astonished by the sudden change. It never occurred to them that such an unforeseen event would happen!

A great force had exploded out of the coffin and pulled Bu Fang into it. Was that the Queen’s will?

The expressions of Lord Dog, Er Ha, Mu Hongzi, and the others all changed drastically. They tried to approach the coffin, but a great force isolated it from them.

Whitey leaped into the air. Its golden mechanical eyes burst with blinding light as it smashed its huge palm down at the Queen of Curses’ palace. However, its strength, which could strip Soul God’s scaly armor, was blocked by the power of curses that was pouring down!

“What a pure power of the curses…”

The three dukes exclaimed with emotions as they sensed the power. It was so pure that they could not help but marvel at it. They had only ever felt this degree of power from the Queen of Curses.

“It’s the Queen of Curses!”

“Is the Queen of Curses really going to wake up?”

“This is great! Under the leadership of the Queen, Void City is going to rise to a greater height!”

The dukes, counts, and nobles were all surprised. However, their surprise did not last long. What just happened had left many people in contemplation.

Bu Fang was pulled into the coffin. It meant that what happened inside… was not too good. What really happened in the coffin? Many people’s faces were cloudy.

Rumble!

Whitey’s strength was extremely formidable. As someone who could fight head-to-head with Soul God, it was definitely one of the strongest existences in the universe. However, it was unable to break the blockade of this cursed power.

Bu Fang opened his mouth and spat out a chain of bubbles. He felt as if he had sunk to the bottom of the sea. The suffocating feeling of water pressure pressing against his chest made him frown.

Rumble!

Suddenly, he found that his body was falling rapidly toward the bottom of the sea. A loud boom then rang out, and a cloud of rolling smoke and dust surged between heaven and earth.

The surroundings changed again. Bu Fang landed on the ground. Around him was barren land, and the air was filled with strong resentment and hatred… This feeling made Bu Fang very uncomfortable.

There was a cabin in the distance. Bu Fang put his hands behind his back and walked toward it.

He was not afraid. After all, with his current cultivation base, he had nothing to fear except Ancestral-God-level existences. This was the confidence given by his formidable strength.

He walked toward the cabin. Soon, he approached it and pushed the door open.

This place might well be the world inside the coffin. Based on the aura that just exploded out, it was likely that the Queen of Curses had mutated…

Bu Fang glanced around and did not see Nethery. He continued to walk inside.

It was a very dilapidated wooden cabin with signs of ruin everywhere. But Bu Fang could tell that someone had lived here in the past.

He continued to look around. Soon, he noticed something strange.

Everything inside the cabin was drawn with a cold vertical line. It was as if everything was split in half. The table, chairs, broken porcelain bowls and plates, walls, windows, floor… Everything had a vertical line on it.

Bu Fang frowned. He reached out a hand and placed it on the table. The ancient table was covered with dust. As he ran his hand across it, a thick layer of dust immediately collected on his fingertips. It was very dirty.

His power surged. The dust on his fingertips disappeared, and his hand was clean once again. As a chef who was a little obsessed with cleanliness, Bu Fang had not abandoned this habit even after he had grown to this level.

He slowly walked in the cabin with his hands clasped behind him. Suddenly, he stopped as he noticed that someone seemed to be watching him stealthily.

He released his mental force, but it was filled and enveloped by the strong power of the curses. The sticky feeling and unpleasant sensation made Bu Fang withdraw his mental force.

Where was this place? What exactly did the Queen of Curses drag him here for?

Suddenly, there was a faint creaking sound from one of the upstairs doors. Bu Fang frowned and walked upstairs.

When he mounted the stairs, he was a little worried that the old, broken steps would collapse under his weight. However, his fear was clearly misplaced.

He came to the second floor. In the distance, a shadow seemed to vanish in a flash. Bu Fang followed. It was as if the shadow was luring him, but Bu Fang did not mind. He just followed in silence, slowly walking down the corridor.

For some reason he did not know, the corridor became extremely long. Its walls were covered with scrolls of painting, which were split in half by vertical lines as well.

Finally, Bu Fang found that he had come to the end of the corridor.

A woman was standing quietly there, as if she was only there waiting for him. Before Bu Fang could say anything, she turned, opened the door, and stepped inside…

The door was closed with a crash.

Rumble…

The moment the door was closed, the entire cabin began to decay and tremble. Bu Fang found that the floor beneath him began to crack, while white bugs were flying out of it.

His pupils narrowed, and he looked up at the door at the end of the corridor. Without hesitation, he ran toward it.

He was very fast. In almost just a flash, he came before the door, reached out his hand, and grabbed the handle.

Creak…

The door opened abruptly, and everything in front of him disappeared.

The grass was swaying, and birds were flying.

Bu Fang found that the scenery behind the door was completely different.

A lush field of grass spread as far as his eyes could see, and some of the young leaves still had droplets of water clinging to them.

In the distance was a luxuriant forest, and some lazy spirit beasts could be seen crawling on the trees. The atmosphere was peaceful, and the color was warm, gentle to the heart.

The distant mountains were turquoise, and the sky was azure blue. They looked just like gemstones.

A small river slowly flowed past the front door. The water was so clear that Bu Fang seemed to see fishes swimming inside.

The cabin sat quietly in the distance. Its appearance looked exactly the same as the one just now, but… its style was completely different.

The cabin just now looked like a haunted house, but this one… was extremely gentle and filled with peace.

‘So this is the correct way of opening it…’ The corners of Bu Fang’s mouth lifted slightly. ‘Perhaps… The secrets are inside this cabin.’

Bu Fang walked toward it. The cabin’s door opened by itself as if it was welcoming him. He hesitated for a while before stepping inside.

He was greeted by a rich aroma of dishes. A look of doubt came into his eyes.

The interior of the cabin was decorated in a cozy way, with plants and hanging baskets. There seemed to be a figure busy working in the kitchen.

Bu Fang frowned and walked toward the kitchen.

“You’re back? Sit down and have dinner,” a female voice rang out of the kitchen.

Bu Fang was taken aback. He turned and looked over.

‘Hmm? Nethery?’

The person in the kitchen was none other than Nethery.

‘Nethery is cooking? Are you kidding me?’

The corners of Bu Fang’s mouth twitched.

“Go wash your hands. Dinner is about to be ready.” Nethery’s voice rang out of the kitchen again.

Bu Fang was stunned as he found his body moving uncontrollably toward the bathroom. After washing his hands, he sat quietly at the table, waiting for the dishes.

An aroma pervaded the air. It was very rich and intoxicating.

Bu Fang’s brows furrowed. The aroma seemed to be suffused with a feeling that made his soul shudder.

The next moment, Nethery walked out of the kitchen. She was dressed like a housewife.

Bu Fang froze. Looking at Nethery, he found that this woman looked like Nethery, but at the same time, she did not look like her… Their temperaments were completely different. Besides… How could Nethery possibly cook?

A few dishes were set on the table: a red-braised fish, a bowl of soup, and a plate of vegetables. The dishes were simple, but they looked like a home-cooked meal.

Bu Fang did not speak and just ate quietly. The dishes were delicious. Even with his discerning eyes, he could not find any fault in them.

And they contained rich emotions, which… Bu Fang could not learn.

Nethery put down her bowl and chopsticks and looked at Bu Fang with a smile.

‘Is that a smile? Nethery is smiling at me?’ The corner of Bu Fang’s mouth twitched.

“Isn’t this a wonderful way to spend your days? Why don’t we live like this for the rest of our lives?” Nethery said.

Bu Fang looked as if he had just seen a ghost. Was that something Nethery would say? Things were not quite right.

And what appalled Bu Fang even more was that he actually spoke, but… the voice was not his.

“Seeking the true Cooking Path has always been my goal. I’m only one step away from it. You should be supporting me.”

A somewhat ancient voice came out of Bu Fang’s mouth. He was sure that it was not his voice. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he seemed to think of something.

Could it be that… At this moment, Bu Fang was watching what had happened from the God of Cooking’s point of view?

“Then what is your Cooking Path? Is it the ruthless one or the emotional one? To reach the pinnacle, you have to be ruthless… Can you do that?” Nethery put down her chopsticks and demanded in a hurried voice.

“I believe I can step on the pinnacle with the Emotional Path…” said the God of Cooking. There was a note of confidence in his voice.

Their conversation continued. Eventually, Nethery seemed to be convinced.

The days went by.

Bu Fang’s consciousness seemed to be gradually extracted and was watching everything from the perspective of a bystander. And he finally managed to see the God of Cooking’s appearance.

He was a very ordinary middle-aged man, without a handsome appearance nor any memorable features. He was a man who would blend with others once he was thrown into a large crowd of people. However, a man like this wanted to rush to the pinnacle.

The two lived a life that was truly like a divine couple.

Gradually, the God of Cooking’s aura reached a limit. It was like a bucket that was finally full after a drop of water was dropped into it every day for a very long time.

On that day, the God of Cooking finally made his choice.

Nethery, or rather, the Queen of Curses, leaned against the cabin’s door as she watched the God of Cooking slowly step into the sky. She wanted to witness the latter take the last step.

The God of Cooking said that he would use the Emotional Path to step to the pinnacle, and the Queen of Curses was looking forward to it.

She had given up everything she had to become an Ancestral God. She believed that the God of Cooking could step to the pinnacle with the Emotional Path, and then… they would be able to continue their life as a divine couple.

To her, the improvement of the cultivation base was merely a spice for life.

The Queen of Curses could not step to the pinnacle with the Emotional Path. However, she knew how to be satisfied. With her current cultivation base and life, she was content.

Bu Fang looked at the God of Cooking in the sky and felt something was not right. In the past, he had thought that there might be an old-fashioned love story between the Queen of Curses, the God of Cooking, and Soul God.

Now, it seemed that Soul God had nothing to do with their relationship. After all, the couple had been living a happy life, and Soul God had never shown up.

Bu Fang frowned. He did not think it was that simple…

In the sky, the God of Cooking began to break through the Ancestral God realm.

‘Did he succeed?’

If Bu Fang remembered it correctly, the God of Cooking did succeed. However, he chose the neutral approach between the Emotional Path and the Ruthless Path. It was a… very bad solution.

Suddenly, Bu Fang’s expression changed.

On the ground, the Queen of Curses, leaning against the door and watching expectantly, was taken aback as well. She stood up anxiously, her beautiful face full of incredulity.

“Didn’t you say that you will step to the pinnacle with the Emotional Path?!” the Queen demanded.

In the sky, the God of Cooking did not seem to hear her. He continued to make the breakthrough, extracting his emotions wisp by wisp. It was as if his emotions and desires were chopped off by an invisible knife.

Bu Fang focused his eyes. ‘Here it comes…’

The Queen of Curses was fuming—she felt as if she had been cheated. With her realm, she knew very well that if the God of Cooking stepped on the Ruthless Path, their life as a divine couple would be gone completely.

Therefore, she wanted to stop him.

The gentle Queen of Curses transformed. The terrifying power of the curses erupted out of her, sweeping in all directions and exploding.

RUMBLE!

Her aura rushed into the sky, fell like waterfalls, and surrounded her. The dreadful power of the curses spread, engulfing the beautiful farmland in an instant. The river dried up, the trees withered…

Soon, the warm, gentle scenery was gone. The place looked exactly like the first time when Bu Fang had set foot here.

Bu Fang frowned. Sure enough, this woman was not Nethery… Although she had Nethery’s face, she was the real Queen of Curses!

A suit of black armor wrapped up her body. Her hair kept waving and rolling upward, while a black cloak slowly streamed down her back…

She was exuding a heroic bearing that awed the universe. This was the real Queen of Curses!

In the sky, the God of Cooking had chopped off his seven emotions and six desires. He had become cold, indifferent. Darkness began to devour him.

However, he did not chop off everything. There was a wisp of emotion left. He wanted to use this wisp of emotion to break through to the ultimate realm.

But… an accident happened.

The seven emotions he had chopped off converged in the void, turned into a terrible demon, and began to devour him, tearing and biting at his body.

The God of Cooking screamed. The Ruthless Path and the Emotional Path began to shake his will like crazy. He needed to choose between the two.

The Queen of Curses was growling. She felt the cold of being betrayed… However, she still harbored a wisp of anticipation. But, very quickly, her wisp of anticipation disappeared…

In the sky, the God of Cooking was gradually covered and wrapped in darkness. The seven severed emotions turned into seven sinful forces that entangled his body.

The seed of emotions was burning strong, but it was devoured in just a flash.

Bu Fang looked at the sky with a complicated expression. He had thought of the opening, but he failed to guess the ending.

Eventually, Soul God had shown up, but… He did not expect him to appear in such a way.

The God of Cooking, covered by the seven emotions, turned into Soul God. He ruthlessly tore the void and left… and became the most terrifying demon in the multiverse.

The Queen of Curses watched with a blank face.

Once again, heaven and earth were restored. Soul God was nowhere to be found in the void. But there was another figure, which was none other than the God of Cooking who insisted on walking the Emotional Path…

Hovering in midair, the God of Cooking gave the Queen of Curses an apologetic glance, then tore the void and left this world. He left her behind.

Bu Fang’s brows furrowed.

Time flew. In the blink of an eye, a century was gone.

Soul God had become the most terrifying demon of the multiverse. He slaughtered an entire universe, which was later called the Soul Demon Universe, and dominated the starry sky.

His next goal was to conquer the Chaotic Universe. He started a war with it, then Void City, and even the Primitive Universe.

His power was unmatched, and he held sway over the multiverse. He fought heaven, earth, and even air! The power of the sins filled every corner of the multiverse!

Just when Soul God’s power reached its peak, an old man appeared in the starry sky. He carried a dish and came in front of Soul God.

There was no flashy battle nor earth-shattering rumbles. The wanton Soul God only ate a mouthful of the dish. The power of the Emotional Path impacted him, and his power disappeared completely.

After that, the experts of various universes struck at the same time, ripped his body, and sealed his body parts in different places. The old man took Soul God’s heart.

The Queen of Curses stood over Void City and looked at the old man.

The once high-spirited and vigorous God of Cooking was now an aging man. He had become a mortal, and he knew that he could only live a hundred years…

He did not talk to the Queen of Curses but just cooked a bowl of fried rice for her. It contained all the memories from when they met in their youth.

Then, the aging God of Cooking, holding Soul God’s heart, disappeared into the starry sky.

And after that day… the Queen of Curses went crazy.

Bu Fang watched with a weird expression.

The image had disappeared, and he found himself back in the cabin.

Behind him, an icy aura spread and wrapped around his body like wisps of silk. It sent a shock of chill through him.

Bu Fang sighed and slowly turned around.

Behind him, a woman shrouded in the power of curses was staring at him. Her features were nearly identical to Nethery’s.

“All chefs are bad!” the Queen of Curses said coldly. The icy words spewing out of her mouth were filled with endless resentment and hatred.

Bu Fang did not refute her. After watching the Queen of Curses’ memories, he did not know what to say to this poor woman.

She used to be full of hopes for life, but unfortunately, life had dealt her a heavy blow. All she wanted was to live a simple life with her lover like a divine couple, but darkness had swallowed her life.

The God of Cooking split in two. Half of him was Soul God who walked the Ruthless Path, and the other was the God of Cooking who walked the Emotional Path.

Soul God’s life was endless, and the God of Cooking only lived a hundred years like a mortal. When the time came, his fleshly body decayed, and he perished together with his path.

With the death of the God of Cooking, the life that the Queen of Curses was looking forward to had burst like a bubble. The vows that were once made and the happy and carefree life had all been reduced to nothing.

No wonder the Queen of Curses held such a grudge against chefs. Hatred derived from love always filled one with helplessness.

The power of curses gradually surrounded Bu Fang’s body. Eventually, it turned into a huge black cocoon and completely wrapped him up.

In the distance, Nethery slowly emerged.

The Queen of Curses disappeared in a flash and came hovering at Nethery’s side. She seemed to be whispering to Nethery.

“Take this dagger and stab it into that stinking chef’s body… You will then be able to perfect your Ruthless Path and become the true master of Void City and become the supreme Ancestral God of Curses!

“Quick! Kill this chef! Kill him!”

A black dagger materialized in front of Nethery. The Queen of Curses’ whispering kept ringing in her ear. With a slight dazed look in her eyes, she grabbed the dagger and walked forward step by step.

Gradually, she closed in on the black cocoon, raised the black dagger, and aimed the tip at it…

The cocoon squirmed and turned into Bu Fang’s face.

The dagger floated up and hovered right in front of Bu Fang’s heart.

The Queen of Curses turned into a plume of black smoke and hugged Nethery from behind. Her hands, condensed from the power of curses, held Nethery’s hands and grabbed the dagger…

And pushed it forward bit by bit. Moving a little bit at a time, she pushed the tip of the dagger toward Bu Fang’s heart.