Chapter 23 - Coach, I Want to Learn Cooking

"Pao Ding Knife Technique Imperfect: 1 point (good-for-nothing), Level 2 Grade C"

This piece of information appeared before Su Mu's eyes right after he witnessed an alchemical cuisine master wield a knife to slaughter a chicken.

The master's stroke, seemingly casual, was in fact far from simple.

Even an imperfect version rated at only 1 point had attained a Level 2 Grade C evaluation. What level would it reach if it were perfected to 10 points (Flawless)? At the very least, it would qualify as Level 2 Grade A, right?

Even though this knife technique was used by alchemical cuisine cultivators to butcher spiritual birds and spiritual beasts and belonged to the culinary realm, it should not be underestimated.

The birds and beasts slaughtered by these cultivators are often spiritual ones, like the Shangfu Chicken that was just killed.

Even if not wild, and merely bred by beast tamers, the inherent ferocity and strength in their blood and bones are formidable, not inferior to a Level 1 cultivator.

The only pity was that the master's knife stroke was executed too quickly.

So swift that Su Mu couldn't catch the details, and naturally, he couldn't know the specifics of the force application and other key points. Otherwise, with the help of the pay-to-win cheat he had acquired, he wouldn't have ended up with an incomplete knife technique, nor would it have been rated as low as 1 point (good-for-nothing).

It wasn't that the master's knife technique was poor, but that he failed to grasp its essence.

However, this also highlighted the power of the pay-to-win cheat.

Even without knowing the specifics of force application or the methods of utilizing spiritual power, simply by observing someone use it once, he could steal the entire Cultivation Method or spell. It didn't matter if the rating was low or the content poor; with money, one could improve and strengthen it.

This capability, this style, was very much reminiscent of his past life when he used to 'borrow' and 'pay homage' in mobile games.

Pretty awesome!

With a thought, Su Mu transformed the floating information into specks of light that entered his glabella.

The knowledge of the Pao Ding Knife Technique was instantly within his grasp.

A page of the knife manual also appeared in his mind.

Since it was the incomplete version, he had learned only one stroke.

It was the very stroke the alchemical cuisine master had used to slice the neck of the Shangfu Chicken.

After reviewing the relevant knowledge, Su Mu couldn't help but click his tongue in silent admiration.

True to a Level 2 knife technique, even an imperfect 1 point version was extremely sophisticated. Sadly, the technique required the use of spiritual power, and with Su Mu's current state, he couldn't even execute this single stroke!

Of course, this was also related to the low score.

If he could spend money to raise the score, the use of spiritual power would undoubtedly become more refined and more economical, and perhaps then he could unleash that one stroke.

Although he was eager, Su Mu didn't rush to spend money to upgrade the Pao Ding Knife Technique.

As always, the immediate priority was the examination for cultivation.

Although he still had savings of over a million, aside from buying tonics for his sister's health, the money had to be saved for the specialized subject examination to score well with a little monetary help.

Moreover, his sister's illness, although controlled after one marrow washing and blood exchange, would require two more treatments for a full recovery, amounting to four million!

He simply couldn't afford to spend money on the Pao Ding Knife Technique just yet.

That would have to wait for another time.

Su Mu sighed inwardly, but his spirits quickly lifted again.

That's because he saw the alchemical cuisine master, with very skilled and swift movements, drain the Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken of blood, pluck it clean, and begin to prepare the spiritual cuisine.

His eyes widened as he watched the master intently, not even blinking.

If he could learn the Pao Ding Knife Technique just by watching the master kill the chicken, might he also be able to learn how to make spiritual cuisine?

To be honest, Su Mu was more interested in learning how to make spiritual cuisine than the Pao Ding Knife Technique.

The former would surely be less difficult to master, and once improved with the pay-to-win cheat, he could make it for his sister every now and then to nourish her body, and also sell it for money.

A single serving of Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken spiritual cuisine could sell for sixty or seventy thousand, which was much more profitable than the special effect qi refining pills, even at regular times.

Unfortunately, despite his eyes growing tired from watching, Su Mu followed the alchemical cuisine master's entire process of making several dishes from the Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken but couldn't trigger the pay-to-win cheat again.

He didn't know what went wrong.

It was only when a server came over to inform them that their dishes were ready that Su Mu reluctantly gave up. Rubbing his dry eyes, he and his sister Su Ye, along with Liu Peng, returned to their own table.

Three dishes and a soup were laid out on the table.

In the center was the priciest dish, the Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken.

Despite its steep price, the portion was small. In a very elegant porcelain bowl, there was a bowl full of red oil, with only a few pieces of Shangfu Chicken meat floating in it. In addition to that, there were a few slices of chicken blood and gizzards, also in small quantity, barely enough to count on one hand.

"Just this little? What a rip-off."

Liu Peng couldn't help but complain after asking the server and confirming that they hadn't received the wrong dish.

"I saw in the ads, they showed a big bowl brimming with meat. But the actual dish is so little; you really can't trust advertisements."

Su Mu was more philosophical, consoling him, "Of course, you can't take ads at face value. Look at instant noodle commercials, which one doesn't show big fish, big shrimp, and big chunks of beef? But what about reality? The meat in the seasoning packet is so small it makes you question your life. What's more, these past couple of days are Examination days, who wouldn't want to make an extra buck? They can't just raise the prices directly, so they reduce the portion size to raise the price in a roundabout way. Don't be downhearted, as long as the effects of the dish haven't decreased, it's not a loss. Let's eat."

He picked up a piece of Shangfu Chicken meat and placed it in his sister's bowl, saying fondly, "Try it and see how it feels. If it really can replenish your righteous qi, I'll bring you here more often."

"Thank you, brother. You eat too," Su Ye said with a sweet smile, her eyes curving into crescents, as she also picked up a piece of Shangfu Chicken meat and placed it in Su Mu's bowl.

Liu Peng looked on enviously at the siblings' interaction, then glanced down at his own empty bowl and suddenly felt like crying.

Damn it, why don't I have a cute sister like that?

Even a sworn sister would do!

He shook his head in frustration and reached out with his chopsticks to grab a piece of Shangfu Chicken meat, deciding to turn his sorrow into appetite.

Su Mu picked up the piece of Shangfu Chicken that his sister had given him and tasted it.

The texture of the meat was delicate and silky, with a unique bouncy quality to it.

The flavor was a complex mix of numbing spiciness with a hint of fragrance, and after a few chews, a sweet aftertaste emerged, alleviating the spiciness and leaving a delightful lingering sensation.

This taste was unlike anything chicken could normally offer, infinitely more delicious than average Bangbang Chicken!

Liu Peng exclaimed how delicious it was, and although Su Ye didn't shout out, her eyes squinted in joy, which was incredibly cute.

Su Mu couldn't help but praise how tasty it was as well.

In the next instant, a cascade of data appeared before his eyes and eventually transformed into a line of information: 【Bang Bang Shangfu Chicken: 5 points (Average), Level 1 Grade B】