Chapter 26

26

Upon seeing this, Xu ZiYan smiled. He knew that his appearance here probably made the cooks a bit frightened, but this head chef was quite interesting. He clearly made his words seem as if he was letting out some anger, but in reality, he was just protecting his cooks.

Xu ZiYan waved his hand, gesturing for them to relax. “Don’t worry, it’s just that I am a bit hungry, so I wanted to make something to eat.”

Hearing that, the beefy head chef felt happy. It was good as long as he didn’t come looking for trouble. Also, if the Young Master liked the things they made, perhaps they could even get a reward.

“Do not hesitate to command us, Young Master. Whatever you want to eat, just open your mouth to tell us, and I guarantee that we will immediately make it.” The beefy man patted his chest so loudly it sounded like thunder. It even made the top of Xu ZiYan’s head tingle.

Good god, this guy’s voice was really not ordinary. Xu ZiYan was already a cultivator at the sixth layer of Qi Condensation Stage. Although he didn’t prepare any defenses against the other, the fact how just the person’s speaking voice alone made his eyesight go blurry was enough to prove this beefy man’s abilities.

Xu ZiYan quickly ran a lap in his brain, but he, unfortunately, didn’t find this person’s figure in that group of future powerful cultivators. However, if this person’s distinct voice were paired with that type of roaring martial arts, the lethality would for sure be amazing.

When he thought of that, Xu ZiYan couldn’t help but rub his chin as he started pondering.

Back then, after Xu ZiYan entered the Liu Guang Sect, he hadn’t even finished learning everything when Xu ZiRong washed the whole Xu family with blood. Other than those treasures that were long hidden, not even a single strand of hair was left for him.

Afterwards, Xu ZiYan struggled alone and cut off from any others in his path of cultivation, with many cases of life and death situations dotting his journey. Indeed, just the memories Xu ZiYan had looked through would make one’s head feel numb from fright. It could be said that Xu ZiYan becoming one of Xuan Yu region’s Four Honored persons in the future was an event that is inseparable from his own efforts.

However, this also gave the current Xu ZiYan some ideas.

If they were to judge their individual combat abilities, it was true that out of the Four Honored people, Xu ZiYan possessed the strongest combat power. But when considering their backing, whether it was Lin XiaoTian’s Tianyu Sect or Mo ZiYuan’s Moyu Long Court, they were both the most powerful groups in Xuan Yu region. The Xu family that had completely declined couldn’t even be compared.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Back then, it was due to Bai Hua’s insistence that allowed Lin XianTian and Mo ZiYuan to reluctantly recognize Xu ZiYan’s position. However, the Xu ZiYan now don’t plan on becoming part of their group. Thus, he naturally wanted to prepare for his own future.

Even if Xu family won’t be wiped out, it was still a long cry from Tianyu Sect or Moyu Long Court. So, it was impossible for Xu family to protect Xu ZiYan and Xu ZiRong if they were to be pressured by these two great forces.

In exaggerated terms, if that situation really happened, Xu ZiYan couldn’t guarantee whether or not Xu Xiao would surrender the two of them for the family’s benefit. After all, in Xu Xiao’s perspective, the family’s interests were much more important than his sons.

In truth, Xu ZiYan put a lot of significance on the contents of that novel. Although he looked down on that man called Bai Hua, he had to admit that Bai Hua’s luck was truly quite extraordinary. Not only could he safely escape from various dangerous threats, but practically all the people who opposed him had died.

One of the most unfortunate in that group of people was Xu ZiRong. Not only did Bai Hua manage to snatch countless treasures that should have fallen into his hands, but Xu ZiRong was even slandered by him. In the end, he got blamed as a world-destroying demon before his soul was shattered as he died.

Xu ZiYan would never allow such a fate to befall Xu ZiRong ever again. In that case, he must build up his own group, one that would be able to contend with forces like Tianyu Sect and Moyu Long Court.

He didn’t seek to be able to defeat them, but at the very least they needed to be powerful enough to make those groups want to avoid them. Something like easily dumping a black pot on Xu ZiRong’s head absolutely cannot happen! As Xu ZiYan’s little brother, even if he did something wrong, could only be disciplined by his big brother. Opinions of any outsiders were worth less than a piece of hair!

That’s right! Xu ZiYan had this exact habit of shielding his precious people’s shortcomings!!! He didn’t care about what outsiders might say. As long as Xu ZiRong didn’t do anything that would surpass the bottom limit of his three views, he would always protect his own little brother.

“Big brother?” Xu ZiRong pulled on Xu ZiYan’s sleeve to remind the other that the head chef’s smile had practically turned frozen solid by now.

Xu ZiYan was brought out of his thoughts and smiled in embarrassment. He finally answered: “Don’t worry, you guys can go busy yourself. I can do everything myself.”

“What!!!” The beefy man was alarmed. He didn’t hear it wrong, right? Young Master wasn’t satisfied and wanted to make something himself? Could it be, Young Master wasn’t satisfied with their cooking??!!

“Don’t be nervous,” Xu ZiYan saw through the head chef’s fears before he smiled reassuringly at him. “I only want to make a bowl of noodles for ZiRong, so I don’t plan to make anything big or special.”

“Oh……” The beefy man let out a breath of relief before wiping the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. “Young Master, wouldn’t it be best if……”

Xu ZiYan waved his hand. “It’s fine, you guys can go busy yourselves, I can handle it.”

The beefy man backed away. With the Young Master saying that they didn’t need to care about him, the amount of courage they had made it impossible for them to say anything more to refute him. As a result, although the many cooks began accomplishing their own work under the scolding of the head chef, everyone’s gaze kept drifting back to the little Young Master who wanted to ‘single-handedly show off his own craftsmanship’……

Among the many puzzled, helpless, and suspicious gazes of the cooks, Xu ZiYan skillfully dragged out an apron and shook it before attaching it to his waist. Then, he began to add some water and noodles to a bowl.

After washing his hands, Xu ZiRong stood quietly to the side. He believed that since Xu ZiYan had brought this up, it wouldn’t be him just saying some empty words. However, Xu ZiRong was still a bit shocked because Xu ZiYan’s actions were too well-practiced. Whether it was kneading the dough, rolling it into strips or slicing them into noodles, even Xu ZiYan’s last action of cracking an egg into the pan was smooth and swift.

If you were to say Xu ZiRong was surprised, then those cooks were simply shocked to death!

The fact that the little Young Master could cook already surprised them, but what was even more frightening was the fact that he could cook so well!!!

Just the scent of the air let everyone know that this egg with noodles dish was done exceptionally successfully. In fact, a few cooks couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

“Try out big brother’s cooking?” A bowl of noodles decorated with salted vegetables and containing an egg was placed in front of Xu ZiRong.

Xu ZiYan’s smile covered his whole face as he gave himself a point in his heart. Although he transmigrated, his cooking skills didn’t regress. In the future, he could also count on it to help him pursue his wife. Although he wasn’t sure exactly where his wife was right now, practicing early was always a good thing.

Xu ZiRong looked at that bowl of noodles in front of him, his mood both sour and complex. Golden noodles with green vegetables and hints of spice floating on the top, it was clearly an extremely normal bowl of noodles. However, it made him suddenly comprehend something.

Xu ZiRong picked up his chopsticks in a stupefied daze and began to gulp down the noodles in giant mouthfuls. It scared Xu ZiYan into repeatedly trying to persuade him to eat slower, but, as if he didn’t hear him, Xu ZiRong finished this giant bowl of noodles in this manner.

After finishing, he rubbed his mouth with a warm and comfortable stomach. Xu ZiRong raised his head and revealed a bright and pure smile. “Big brother, the noodles are very delicious.”

Xu ZiYan frowned and rubbed his head with some force. “If it’s delicious then it’s delicious. What’s the use of eating it so fast? You’re not even afraid of choking! If you think it’s delicious, next time big brother can make it for you again.”

Xu ZiRong’s eyes brightened. “Okay ah, then next time big brother will make it for me again. In the future, can big brother only make it for me?”

“Alright ah.” Xu ZiYan casually answered. He didn’t think that his cooking skills were something earth-shattering, and they merely had the most common home-cooked flavor. Other than Xu ZiRong, he was afraid that nobody else would get a chance to taste his creations. Also, it was rare for Xu ZiRong to ask for a request so there was no way he would refuse.

As for his future wife, when he married, it was estimated that Xu ZiRong would have long grown up. It wasn’t like he would still care about a silly joke of a promise they made when they were children. (He would……)

The moment Xu ZiYan’s agreement left his mouth, Xu ZiRong smiled as his eyes narrowed.

Big brother……if you do not keep the promises you made to me, there would be severe consequences……

After they finished the noodles, the two siblings left the kitchen. Before leaving, Xu ZiYan called over the beefy man and quietly told him a few words. The head chef’s shocked expression turned into one of extreme gratitude. When he sent Xu ZiYan out, he was practically excited to the point he couldn’t breathe.

“Big brother, why do you want to rope him in?” Xu ZiRong asked, a bit puzzled. To him, that man was a waste. He could understand Xu ZiYan’s behavior of attracting people to him for his own benefit but Xu ZiRong can’t understand why he would want a person who didn’t even have the most basic level of cultivation.

Xu ZiYan responded with a smile: “Is ZiRong confused as to why I didn’t want to attract those branch family Xu children?”

Xu ZiRong nodded. In his memories, many of those Xu family branch children used to surround Xu ZiYan, although unfortunately they were later slaughtered by him.

“ZiRong, you must remember, for those Xu family branch children…All the resources for their cultivating come from Xu family, and the one they are most loyal to is obviously Xu family. I do not plan to rebel against Xu family, but the people I need are the ones that are completely loyal to me. Especially when, if there is a conflict between Xu family and me, they must remain unconditionally loyal to only me. Understand?”

A flash of light flitted across Xu ZiRong’s eyes. He slowly nodded his head, and in his heart, he actually felt a whole new level of respect for Xu ZiYan.

Loyalty to Xu family and loyalty to Xu ZiYan were two entirely different concepts. Because Xu ZiYan was only a part of Xu family, if one day in the future people wanted to sacrifice Xu ZiYan for the benefit of Xu family, those Xu branch family children wouldn’t support him.

Only those people who have been personally cultivated by Xu ZiYan would have enough loyalty to him. This was very much in line with Xu ZiRong’s own thinking.

In reality, Xu ZiYan didn’t do much. He only gave that head chef named Luo some hope. He promised to provide Mister Luo a chance to test to see if he had any spiritual veins.

Being a slave from Xu family, Xu ZiYan gave him a chance to change his destiny. Thus, as long as he was clever enough, he wouldn’t give up this opportunity.

After the two brothers returned to Liu Shang Court, they headed toward the martial arts field to practice and cultivate. Although there wasn’t class that day, regardless if it were Xu ZiYan or Xu ZiRong, neither of them would relax.

Xu ZiRong’s desire for power already reached the point of a madman’s, and Xu ZiYan, to change the coming future, put in even more pain and effort.

On one side there were purple lightning bolts, and on the other, there were blotches of crisp green. The small martial arts field was split into two by the different types of spiritual energy, but from afar it still looked abnormally harmonious.

On the next day, the both of them returned to the martial arts training hall to learn. Xu Mo still had the same vicious face, but the other Xu family children’s attitude toward Xu ZiYan began to change, producing some subtle differences.