The King of Urban Mercenaries

In the evening, Lin Fei didn’t lie on the bed but sat cross-legged on the floor. He didn’t want the innkeeper to gossip about him. Little did he know, he had already won over the innkeeper. Even though he looked like a beggar, the innkeeper no longer thought of Lin Fei as one.

The next day, just as Lin Fei was about to take a walk around the city to gather information, there was a knock on the door. Lin Fei opened it, and it turned out to be the innkeeper, but who was the young woman behind him?

"Is there something you need?" Lin Fei asked.

"Are you from the Lower Realm?" the woman asked first, having seen the mark on Lin Fei’s forehead.

Lin Fei nodded, "Yes, is there something you need?"

"No wonder. I heard you cook very well, so I’m here to invite you to the City Lord Mansion to make a few dishes for the City Lord. You wouldn’t refuse, right?" The woman, noticing Lin Fei’s situation, was more convinced that he wouldn’t refuse. How could a beggar turn down such a great opportunity, especially someone from the Lower Realm?

"Sorry, I refuse," Lin Fei replied bluntly.

"What? Do you know that if you go, and you do well, the City Lord may reward you? Are you really going to pass up such a good opportunity?" the woman asked.

"To me, it’s not a good thing. If there’s nothing else, please don’t disturb me," Lin Fei said, preparing to close the door.

But the woman blocked it.

"Is there anything else?" Lin Fei asked, starting to find this woman incredibly annoying.

"Of course! I now order you, on behalf of the City Lord Mansion, to go immediately to the City Lord Mansion. If not, you will be arrested for defying the City Lord Mansion’s order!" the woman stated.

Lin Fei looked at the woman, and she stared back at him. Both held firm stances. Lin Fei could see she was determined to take him away, and it seemed there was no way out.

"Alright, I’ll go." Lin Fei nodded, agreeing to the woman’s demand. She smiled smugly and led Lin Fei out of the inn.

Lin Fei thought for a moment. Since the City Lord wants him to cook, he might as well go. Perhaps he could ask the City Lord for a favor in return, making good use of the opportunity.

What Lin Fei didn’t expect was that the City Lord Mansion was just a small courtyard. Lin Fei looked at the tall building in the distance, puzzled. What was that building for? Shouldn’t the City Lord live in the tall building?

Upon entering the City Lord Mansion, although the courtyard was small, it had pavilions, bridges, and flowing water—all in place. At this moment, Lin Fei was taken to the kitchen, without any chance to meet the City Lord.

"What do you mean by this? Didn’t you say the City Lord wanted to see me?" Lin Fei asked, full of confusion.

"Yes, that’s right, the City Lord is looking for you. But before you meet the City Lord, you need to cook a few dishes to prove your skill. Otherwise, if it’s not delicious, how could you possibly meet the City Lord?"

Lin Fei was speechless. Since that was the rule, he had no choice but to comply, hoping to eventually meet the City Lord. So he agreed, looking at the fully stocked kitchen, picked up a knife.

One had to say, the City Lord Mansion was indeed extraordinary; the knives were very sharp. Lin Fei also noticed some leftovers that the City Lord had tasted, which weren’t too bad. Some stir-fries seemed carelessly done, incomparable to his skills.

He picked up the knife and quickly diced some raw meat, and sliced some into strips, preparing the ingredients. Surprisingly, in the Upper Realm, there was sweet potato discarded to the side?

Lin Fei chuckled, his knife a blur of motion, transforming the sweet potato into thin slices, then into fine shreds. He placed them in a small amount of water, gently filtering, soon obtaining some starch.

With the starch for thickening, the dish would be elevated. Finally, Lin Fei began cooking.

He used the motion of one foot to create a breeze, fanning the flames as if working a bellows. The fire burned fiercely, causing the woman and soldiers watching to think Lin Fei was about to start a fire!

However, Lin Fei lifted a large pot onto the flames. Once it was hot enough, he added oil and then other ingredients, quickly finishing a dish with color, aroma, and taste.

"Who wants to taste it and see if it’s poisoned?" the woman asked the soldiers behind her.

It was a bitter task; if poisoned, they risked dying. But if not, they would enjoy a treat. The soldiers were accustomed to the previous cook’s meals, but none wanted to test for poison. Yet today, they fought eagerly, making the woman feel helpless.

"You there, come and try it, see if it’s poisoned," the woman said. A soldier proudly picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and took a bite.

"Ah!"

A loud shout, the soldier seemed to go mad, rushing towards the plate.

"Seize him! It seems there’s poison!" the woman said coldly, drawing her sword and glaring at Lin Fei.

Lin Fei was equally surprised. He hadn’t poisoned the food! He didn’t even carry poison. Why was this guy suddenly acting rabid, like he had been injected with a stimulant?

At this moment, the soldier, half crying, pleaded to Lin Fei’s dish, "It’s so delicious, please let me have another bite, just one more bite, and I can die happy!"

Upon hearing the soldier’s words, everyone understood instantly. It wasn’t poison, but Lin Fei’s cooking was so exceptionally tasty that the soldier desperately wanted another bite.

The soldier’s words made the others salivate as they eyed the dish, wanting a taste.

At this moment, the woman snorted, "Since there’s no poison, I’ll first present the dish to the City Lord. You stay here and wait."

With that, she carried the dish towards the courtyard, without anyone following her. The soldiers remained, watching Lin Fei to prevent his escape.

However, as she passed the garden, she couldn’t resist sneaking a taste.

Immediately, she felt as if she had tasted the best food in the world, overwhelmed with bliss.

Though she wanted more, she remembered the City Lord and restrained herself, arriving at the City Lord’s residence, announcing, "Grandfather, I’m here."

"Come in, Xiaoqian," an aged voice responded. The woman entered, seeing the old City Lord, she smiled and said, "Grandfather, you must try this, I brought something delicious, really delicious!"

The old City Lord laughed, wrinkling his face, "Where did you go again? Did you threaten someone’s cook to come here?"

"No, not at all." She smiled back.