Chapter 186: No Need to Worry Once You Learn It

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: No Need to Worry Once You Learn It

In the morning, Liu Chen had just finished his cultivation when his Spiritual Sense detected someone outside the residence.

’Did they time this perfectly?’

Liu Chen couldn’t help but grumble to himself and retracted his Spiritual Sense. The visitors had arrived in a carriage that looked almost identical to the one he had ridden in before—it was a model exclusive to the Great Xia Royal Family.

Through his Spiritual Sense, Liu Chen could tell this carriage seemed even more luxurious than the one he had used previously.

"Your Highness, we’ve arrived."

The carriage slowly came to a stop. A Black-clothed Guard at the Meridian Passage Late Stage lifted the curtain, and a young man in a Python Robe slowly stepped out, coming to a halt before the residence.

’To have a Second Grade Spirit Chef from Purple Cloud Valley living in a place like this... the Ye Family really has declined.’

Ji Feng sized up the residence before him and shook his head in resignation. If the man were willing, the Royal Family would have gladly gifted him their finest estate. Unfortunately, his older brother’s daughter refused to help him contact the Second Grade Spirit Chef.

Even the reclusive elders of the Royal Family had chosen to yield, as this Spirit Chef was about to be taken as a disciple by a powerful master. After all, the Great Xia Royal Family was no match for Purple Cloud Valley.

"Ji Feng of the Great Xia Royal Family requests an audience with Master Liu."

In the rear garden, Liu Chen heard the voice but chose to ignore it. He began practicing the Eye-blocking Technique. If all went well, today was the day this Magic would evolve into something uniquely his.

"Your Highness, is he really in there?"

The guard at his side eyed the main hall warily. He found the situation absurd. His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty, a man second only to the king, had come to call in person, yet he received not even a single reply. Even the patriarchs of the great families wouldn’t dare show such disrespect.

"He probably isn’t awake yet. Let’s wait for a bit."

Ji Feng said resignedly. On his shoulder, a white fox curiously sized up the residence before them.

They waited for a long time. Ji Feng returned to his carriage, and the guard standing nearby would call out every time an incense stick had burned down. But Liu Chen had no intention of acknowledging them, continuing to cultivate in silence.

As noon approached, Ye Linglong and Ji Suyao slowly made their way over.

"So, my uncle really came," Ji Suyao muttered as she looked at the carriage in front of the residence. Ye Linglong, without a second thought, simply pushed open the main gate and led Ji Suyao inside.

Ji Feng’s guard stared at the open gate, fighting the urge to rush straight in. Ji Feng lifted the carriage curtain, his curiosity piqued. ’If I thought he was just sleeping before,’ he mused, ’now I’m almost certain he simply doesn’t want to see me.’

"Keep calling."

Ji Feng was resigned; he had no better option. His father had warned him only yesterday: his older brother’s daughter had already cut ties with the Royal Family. If the Royal Family wanted to have any dealings with the Second Grade Spirit Chef, they were not to involve her.

Under these circumstances, all he could do was wait. ’Perhaps,’ he thought, ’if I annoy him enough, he’ll finally agree to see me.’

"Ji Feng of the Great Xia Royal Family requests an audience with Master Liu."

The guard called out again, a hint of anger in his voice. As a Meridian Passage Late Stage cultivator and the personal guard to His Highness the Crown Prince, he was used to going wherever he pleased within the Great Xia Imperial City. Normally, when visiting a residence like this, they would be personally welcomed. Now, however, he couldn’t even get past the gate.

"He’s certainly got a loud voice."

In the rear garden, Liu Chen stood and glanced at his two junior sisters as they arrived. He had already told them to just come straight in from now on. In any case, he had no intention of personally answering the door.

"Senior Brother, are you really not going to see His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Ye Linglong couldn’t help but ask. An Inner Sect Disciple of Purple Cloud Valley was a prestigious position, but it certainly couldn’t compare to the Crown Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty. Even a True Disciple would fall a little short. But her Senior Brother was a Spirit Chef. Even if he had only revealed himself to be a Second Grade Spirit Chef, he was still a one-of-a-kind existence in the entire dynasty.

"I can’t be expected to answer the door for him myself."

Liu Chen shrugged. ’I’m on my own, so I don’t really care about such things. While Master is here, I don’t need to pay any mind to this Crown Prince. After Master leaves, I’ll be leaving Purple Cloud Valley myself. At that point, I’ll have even less reason to care about some so-called Crown Prince.’

’If I ran into him after becoming a Loose Cultivator, I’d probably just refine him into a Spirit Ghost. While we’re both at the Meridian Passage Peak in terms of cultivation, I just took a quick scan of him. This so-called Crown Prince’s talent is nothing special.’

"That makes perfect sense."

Ji Suyao nodded. ’Considering how highly the Royal Family regards Senior Brother, it would be inappropriate for him to answer the door for my uncle. And since Senior Brother is the only one living in this residence...’

"But won’t Senior Brother be constantly disturbed then?"

Ye Linglong couldn’t help but ask. She didn’t find anything wrong with her Senior Brother’s logic; back on Purple Bamboo Peak, very few people ever managed to see him. There was no reason that should change just because he was now in the Great Xia Imperial City. Still, having someone constantly requesting an audience seemed like it would be awfully annoying.

"I’m looking into a Silence Technique. Once I master it, it won’t be a problem."

Liu Chen shrugged. He wasn’t lying. It was a Basic Magic Technique recorded in the secret manual his master’s wife had given him. Its effect was to nullify all sound within a certain area, making it an excellent technique for stealth. It was the very technique Liu Chen planned to cultivate next.

"It’s getting late, let’s prepare lunch."

Liu Chen said no more. ’Eating is more important than some so-called Crown Prince’s visit,’ he thought. ’If the guy loses his patience and sends someone to sneak into the residence tonight, that’ll give me the perfect excuse to kill the annoying bastard.’

’In any case, Junior Sister Suyao doesn’t seem to hold any affection for him, so killing him secretly shouldn’t cause any problems. My identity as the Hundred Ghosts Elder is still useful for some things. The Great Xia Royal Family was acting as Black Market merchants back in Fire Dragon Valley, so it’s not impossible that the Hundred Ghosts Elder could have used that situation to escape. It would make for a plausible story.’

"Then let me demonstrate. Please watch carefully, Senior Brother."

Ye Linglong nodded and took two gutted Spirit Fish from her Storage Ring. The Spiritual Power they contained was faint, but they just barely met the minimum requirement for preparing Spiritual Cuisine.

After Ye Linglong finished her demonstration, Liu Chen watched as the Spiritual Cuisine began to form within the Mystic Cauldron Technique. He then took out a thousand Spirit Stones, crushed them instantly, and let the resulting Spiritual Qi flow directly into the cauldron, replacing the ambient energy the dish would normally absorb upon completion.

’Normally, it wouldn’t matter, as the resulting fluctuation of Spiritual Power wouldn’t be too obvious. But with that so-called Crown Prince right outside, drawing in the surrounding Spiritual Qi would definitely be detected. It’s better to be careful.’

"Normally, if the ingredients lack sufficient Spiritual Qi when the Spiritual Cuisine is forming, it will draw in the ambient Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi," Liu Chen explained to Junior Sister Linglong as he worked. "But with people outside, that kind of fluctuation would be detected. That’s why I’m substituting it with the energy from Spirit Stones. As I understand it, the technique of a Spirit Chef is to use the Spiritual Qi within the ingredients as a catalyst to attract and gather the Spiritual Qi from Heaven and Earth."

As for Junior Sister Suyao, she had already moved to the side, greedily sniffing the fragrant aroma that wafted from the cauldron.