Chapter 20: Chapter 18: The Suspected Spirit Beast Piglet

Mo Qi was awoken by a flurry of sharp, stinging slaps.

He opened his eyes, completely bewildered. ’Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?’

Everything before him was a hazy gray. After his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he was finally able to see his surroundings and recall everything that had happened.

"Fang Min, Wang Hao, just you wait. I, Mo Qi, will come for you very soon."

After spitting out the threat, Mo Qi grimaced. A dull ache throbbed on the side of his face, as if he’d been slapped more than a dozen times.

He checked his body and found that his injuries had completely healed.

"My injuries... they’ve healed? Just how long was I unconscious?"

"Not too long. About half a month or so."

"Oh, that’s not so bad. Thanks for letting me know... Wait! Who? Who’s talking?" Mo Qi shot to his feet, scanning his surroundings warily.

But aside from a large expanse of plants he had never seen before, there was no one around.

But what shocked Mo Qi was the information about these plants that suddenly flooded his mind.

"Cyan Cloud Mushroom: Matures once every three thousand years. Possesses natural detoxifying properties and can be used for Purification of Marrow and Veins. When combined with Black Man Snake Tongue Grass, Water Cloud Fruit, and Celestial Essence Flower, it can induce a Breaking Realm effect."

"Ghost Infant Grass: Matures once every five thousand years. Can cause one to be completely reborn and remold their foundation. When combined with... it has the effect of creating an External Incarnation."

"Yellow Dragon Fruit: Matures once every two thousand years. Contains Dragon Energy and can help expand one’s Dantian. When combined with... there is a chance of obtaining some of the Dragon Race’s Divine Techniques." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

...

Mo Qi swallowed hard. If not for the persistent ache on his face, he would have thought he was dreaming.

’So many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures... is this an Immortal Garden? Wasn’t I supposed to be in the Wailing Abyss?’

"Hey, hey, hey, don’t tell me this Emperor knocked you silly?" the voice piped up again.

Mo Qi lowered his head, following the voice to its source.

It was a pink, tender-looking piglet, only about the size of his palm. Though miniature, it was so fat it was nearly spherical. Its hairless skin was stretched taut, making it look translucent and glistening. At a glance, you might mistake it for a ball of meat.

The piglet was standing on its two hind legs. It was trying to cross its forelimbs, but its body was so fat they couldn’t meet, leaving them hanging comically in front of its chest.

Its ears, shaped like maple leaves, flapped back and forth as its beady eyes, narrowed to a slit, sized Mo Qi up.

At the piglet’s feet lay a stick that looked like a piece of sugarcane, which was particularly conspicuous.

Evidently, that stick was the source of the pain on Mo Qi’s face.

Mo Qi didn’t realize this yet; he was still reeling from the shock of a talking pig.

"You’re... a Demon Beast?" Mo Qi asked, backing away slowly.

’Are you kidding me? A Demon Beast that can speak human language has to be a very high tier. Even at the Void Sect, its existence would cause a massive shock. How could I possibly fight something like that?’

The piglet shook its plump head and said disdainfully, "Don’t lump this Emperor in with those brutes. This Emperor is not some low-class creature."

Its tone was full of pride and smugness.

The corner of Mo Qi’s mouth twitched. ’My luck can’t be this bad, can it? Don’t tell me it’s a High Tier Spirit Beast capable of Transformation?’

When a Demon Beast’s Cultivation reaches a certain level, it can shed its beastly form and undergo Transformation into a human.

Without exception, such Demon Beasts were mighty beings with world-shaking power. Not even the Mountain and Sea Empire could afford to offend such a formidable existence.

A Demon Beast that can take on human form is no longer called a Demon Beast, but a Spirit Beast. This is because they have succeeded in Spirit Cultivation and look down upon Demon Beasts that have not yet achieved Transformation.

Mo Qi despaired. He stopped retreating; it was pointless.

’That’s a Spirit Beast! A supreme being that could annihilate the Void Sect with a single slap!’

’My four-piece kitchen set! I haven’t even used it once, and now I’m going to meet my end here?’ Mo Qi lamented internally, thinking of the cleaver, pot, Fire Stick, and long ladle forged for him by the Chaos Scripture.

"Hey, did you make the things in here?"

The piglet, who he suspected was a Spirit Beast, asked, pointing to a black pouch on the ground.

Mo Qi followed its gesture. ’Isn’t that my bag of rations?’

As a chef, and a mortal one at that, he would never be without his rations.

It was just a bit surprising that after a bloody battle and falling into the Wailing Abyss, the ration bag was still perfectly intact.

"I made them."

The suspected Spirit Beast piglet’s face immediately lit up with delight, or so it seemed to Mo Qi.

"You must be one of those human chefs, right? Quick, make some more food!" the piglet urged, licking its lips eagerly.

Having lived in the Wailing Abyss for countless years, this was the first time it had ever tasted food so intoxicating.

Mo Qi froze for a moment, but he quickly understood. He had seen that same look, that same expression, countless times before.

It was the look people got when they were conquered by his cooking.

’Maybe things aren’t as bad as I thought.’

Countless thoughts flashed through Mo Qi’s mind in an instant. For instance, he could use his food as a bargaining chip to get this suspected Spirit Beast to let him leave.

Or he could bribe the piglet with delicacies, have it use its Divine Techniques, and—WHOOSH—send him right back up.

"Hey, is there a problem?" the piglet asked threateningly, picking up the long, sugarcane-like stick.

Mo Qi snapped back to reality and held out his hands. "I can cook, but I don’t have any ingredients."

The piglet thought for a moment, then pointed to the countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures surrounding them. "You can use any of these. Is that alright?"

Mo Qi’s jaw dropped in astonishment. ’Holy crap, isn’t this a bit too extravagant?’

’Compared to this little piglet, all those so-called rich elites from the Void Sect are nothing but country bumpkins.’

"I... I can really use whatever I want?" The sudden happiness was so overwhelming that Mo Qi couldn’t believe it.

He didn’t dare hope he’d get to eat any of the food he made, but with so many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures at his disposal, he could make huge strides in his creation of Medicinal Cuisine.

"As long as the food you make isn’t any worse than what was in that pouch, you can use anything here you want," the piglet said magnanimously.

"Deal!" Mo Qi was overjoyed. The pouch only contained dry rations. Forget Medicinal Cuisine; even the regular food he cooked was ten times more delicious than that.

He took out the four-piece kitchen set forged by the Chaos Scripture, but then a problem arose: how was he supposed to cook without a fire?

Mo Qi presented this problem to the piglet. The little pig looked at Mo Qi, then at the empty ration pouch, took a deep whiff of the lingering scent within, and finally steeled itself.

"You can use this for now, but remember to give it back when you’re done!"

It was a purple flame, otherworldly and mesmerizing. A single glance was enough to pull one’s gaze in, making it impossible to look away.

A message came from the Chaos Scripture: Netherworld Flame, one of the Thirty-six Celestial-level Fire Seeds. It is born in the Land of the Nine Netherworld and Extreme Yin. Due to the principle that extremes beget their opposite, its nature is ferocious. It is the only fire seed among all Celestial Fires to possess both Yin Fire and Yang Fire. The Yin Fire can disorder the mind and absorb one’s Divine Soul, while the Yang Fire is the natural nemesis of all yin and demonic entities, capable of incinerating the heavens and annihilating the earth.

The very moment this information was transmitted, the Chaos Scripture suddenly released a surge of power, pulling the Netherworld Flame directly into Mo Qi’s body. A mysterious and profound sensation washed over him.

It felt as if something new existed within him, linked to his very consciousness.

In contrast, the piglet’s expression changed dramatically; it looked as if it had seen a ghost.

"What’s happening? Why has the connection between this Emperor and the Netherworld Flame vanished!"

Its pea-sized eyes went wide, a look of bewilderment and panic on its face.

Mo Qi realized what had happened. He held out his hands, and with a mere thought...

FWOOSH!

A flower of purple flame materialized in his palm, its flickering dance dazzlingly bright.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Mo Qi’s forehead. ’Oh no. I’ve really gone and done it this time. I stole a Spirit Beast’s fire seed... It’s not going to smack me dead, is it?’

"You... you, you, you! What did you do to this Emperor?" the piglet roared, its face a mask of fury.

"If I told you that I don’t know what happened, that this purple flame ran into my body on its own, would you believe me?" Mo Qi asked with a wry smile.

’The Chaos Scripture is really making a mess of things!’

"What do you think?" the piglet sneered, grinding its teeth. But it didn’t attack.

Resigned to his fate, Mo Qi shrugged. "If you have a way to take it back, I’ll cooperate completely."

The piglet wheezed and panted for a full fifteen minutes, its tiny, angry, and resentful eyes making Mo Qi’s skin crawl.

Finally, the piglet waved a trotter. "Remember this: you owe this Emperor a Celestial Fire! Hmph! Now go make this Emperor something delicious! Now! Immediately! At once!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Mo Qi put down his four-piece kitchen set. Following the information from the Chaos Scripture and cross-referencing it with the Medicinal Cuisine Record, he began to gather the necessary Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to prepare a Medicinal Cuisine for the piglet.

Not far away, the piglet stared at Mo Qi with a complicated expression. ’Is this Emperor’s future really going to ride on some cook? Oh, heavens, you can’t be messing with me like this!’

...

"You can’t come in!" Liu Hui shouted, blocking the doorway to Mo Qi’s residence.

Across from him stood two groups of people: one led by a veiled Fang Min, the other by Qi Yun.

Mo Qi had been gone for nearly half a month. Having decided to follow Mo Qi to repay a debt of gratitude, Liu Hui had been standing guard here ever since.

Qi Yun had come by a few times seeking revenge, but Liu Hui had driven him off each time. He never expected Fang Min to show up as well.

"Liu Hui, this is Mo Qi’s place. What right do you have to go in when we can’t?" Qi Yun demanded.

He hadn’t come here of his own volition. Rather, he had been invited by Fang Min—or more accurately, he was here to back her up as a favor to Wang Hao.

Liu Hui said, "I am Mo Qi’s subordinate. He is my lord. Of course I can go in."

Qi Yun laughed at Liu Hui’s words.

"I never thought you, Liu Hui, had a taste for being a lackey. How about you come work for me? Whatever that Mo Qi is paying you, I’ll double it."

Liu Hui shot Qi Yun a cool glance, not deigning to reply.

Qi Yun flew into a rage. "It seems I have to teach you a lesson! Do you really think you’re invincible?"

He was about to fly off the handle but was stopped by Fang Min.

Fang Min had been in a terrible mood recently. The Void Sect’s chief Alchemy Master, Yu Liang, was in seclusion performing Alchemy, so her face still hadn’t been treated. So much time had passed that her disfigurement was now all but certain.

"Liu Hui, this is between me and Mo Qi. It has nothing to do with you!" Fang Min said, suppressing her irritation. If she weren’t afraid of the secret Mo Qi possessed being exposed, she wouldn’t be acting so reserved.

Liu Hui sneered. "I know who you are, Fang Min. You’re a rotten bitch who repays kindness with hatred. But I suppose you did the right thing, because you were never worthy of my lord in the first place."

"You’re talking about that good-for-nothing Mo Qi? *I’m* not worthy of *him*?" Fang Min was so furious she laughed. She cursed inwardly, ’You probably don’t even know that your piece-of-shit lord is already dead, do you? Since you’re so loyal, why don’t you just go join him.’