C8 Simple Eggfried Rice

The Godhu Steakhouse was enveloped in an eerie silence.

What had transpired?

A warrior at the Late Meditation Stage had just knelt before this youngster?

And called him 'Senior'?

At first glance, the young man seemed to have only recently advanced to the Supernatural Power Stage!

Had the world turned upside down?

The crowd was completely stunned.

"Was it Van Tong who taught you this Boiled Cabbage dish?" Shen Jun remained seated, calmly accepting the gesture of respect. "Is he your mentor?"

"I wouldn't presume to call myself the big boss's disciple," the chef demurred, shaking his head. "I was merely fortunate to receive a few pointers from him, which led to my appointment as the head chef here."

"The boiled cabbage wasn't directly passed down by the big boss. After sampling his culinary skills, I gradually figured out how to make it on my own."

It all made sense now.

Shen Jun had an epiphany. If this man were truly Van Tong's disciple, he would have been sorely disappointed.

However, if the chef had figured it out himself, his talent was certainly noteworthy.

"This place is too crowded. Let's find somewhere more private to talk."

Shen Jun gave the chef an encouraging pat on the shoulder, signaling him to rise. Having a connection to Van Tong made him practically family.

"Please, follow me." The chef quickly got to his feet and took the lead.

The patrons' gazes were fixed on the two men the entire time, and only after they exited the main hall did the restaurant erupt into a buzz of speculation.

"Whoa, who is this young man? To make the head chef kneel and address him as a junior?!"

"Could he be the personal disciple of the Godhu Beef's big boss?"

"A disciple? More like he's getting the treatment of a son!"

"That's a solid point."

The crowd nodded in agreement, the strange circumstances leaving them with no other plausible explanation.

If Shen Jun knew he had been mistakenly identified as Van Tong's disciple, he'd probably want to slice off a couple of pounds of Van Tong's fat just to cool off.

The head chef escorted Shen Jun to the back kitchen. Given it was just a restaurant, one couldn't expect to find any truly secluded spots.

Shen Jun wasn't bothered in the least.

"Wang Wu, is there any way you could get in touch with Van Tong?"

As they traveled, they made small talk and exchanged names.

"Senior Shen, I'm at a loss myself," Wang Wu said with a look of helplessness. "For over a hundred years, the boss has been wandering the globe, as elusive as a dragon."

"I last saw the boss eight years ago."

"Eight years?" Shen Jun was perplexed. "Then what happens to the earnings from all those restaurants?"

"The boss has someone collect the profits every six months. They were just here last month."

Shen Jun was visibly frustrated.

Finding a disciple shouldn't be this difficult.

"What stage was your boss at the last time you saw him?"

Unable to track down his disciple, he resorted to asking about related matters.

"Late in the God Stage!"

Pride and admiration shone on Wang Wu's face.

Shen Jun, however, was not particularly astonished.

The stages of cultivation—Qi Condensation, Xiantian, King Kong, Divine Ability, Tian Xuan, Meditation, Half-Saint, Great Saint—followed by the God Stage.

Eight hundred years ago, when Shen Jun passed away, Van Tong had already attained the Half-Saint level. It was only natural that after eight hundred years, he would have advanced to the late stages of the God Stage.

After reflecting for a moment, Shen Jun inquired, "Do you know where the Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion in Yunlan City is?"

"The Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion?" Wang Wu was clearly baffled. "I've lived in Yunlan City for over a hundred years and have never heard of such a place. Is it a restaurant?"

Shen Jun shook his head, sinking into contemplation.

It appeared that Old Zhang's words on his deathbed were not false; the Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion truly was shrouded in secrecy. Even Wang Wu, with his high level of cultivation, was unaware of the organization's existence.

But one thing was certain.

In a bustling metropolis like Yunlan City, with a population of over a million, there had to be a branch of the Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion!

His task was to find it.

"It's an intelligence organization, quite important to me," Shen Jun stated calmly. "Also, I'll be entrusting you with my meals for the next few days. Please prepare them with care."

"Keep an eye on the Heavenly Mystories Pavilion for me, will you?"

Shen Jun's request might have seemed a bit audacious.

They had only just met by chance, and here he was, asking for intelligence and a meal, with quite a brusque demeanor to boot.

Yet, Wang Wu couldn't have been happier to hear it.

Having the opportunity to have such a culinary connoisseur taste his cooking was a dream come true for any practitioner of the culinary arts!

If this enigmatic "Senior" could offer even the slightest guidance, it would save him countless twists and turns on his culinary journey!

This wasn't an imposition; it was an incredible stroke of luck!

"Consider it done! I'll dispatch someone to look into it immediately!"

Wang Wu, brimming with enthusiasm, summoned his two deputies and gave them the investigation details with utmost seriousness. He repeated "Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion" several times to ensure they got it right before sending them off with confidence.

Once the important matters were settled, Wang Wu turned back, his face full of eagerness, and said, "Senior, you haven't had your meal yet. Shall I prepare something for you?"

At the mention of food, Shen Jun's stomach protested once more.

Indeed, he had ordered a whole table of dishes earlier, only to end up with a mere spoonful of soup.

"In that case, how about some Egg Fried Rice?"

That dish had been Shen Jun's favorite in his past life.

"Egg Fried Rice?" Wang Wu's face flushed with a touch of embarrassment. "Senior... I must admit, I've never heard of such a dish."

Shen Jun sighed, realizing his oversight.

After all, this was a fantasy world with a completely different culinary system. Van Tong might relish Egg Fried Rice, but that didn't mean Wang Wu knew how to prepare it.

"Very well, I'll cook it myself, and you can observe."

With that, Shen Jun rolled up his sleeves and began searching for ingredients.

Wang Wu was ecstatic!

Was this a joke? Senior Shen was going to personally demonstrate his cooking skills? This was the kind of fortune one could only accumulate over several lifetimes!

Watching Wang Wu's anticipation and admiration, the rest of the kitchen staff were utterly bewildered.

Wasn't their usually formidable head chef now humbly deferring to a young man?

What kind of background does this young man have, anyway?

Under Wang Wu's guidance, they quickly gathered the necessary ingredients.

A bowl of rice, several eggs from green-crowned birds, and a handful of scallions.

This time, it wasn't just the other cooks who were taken aback—Wang Wu himself was stunned.

All these ingredients together cost merely two copper coins.

They were more generous with the ingredients when they gave alms to beggars!

What kind of delicious dish could possibly come from this?

Shen Jun, unfazed by the odd looks from those around him, explained to Wang Wu as he worked.

"Normally, I'd use leftover rice, but given our constraints, steaming out about sixty percent of the water will suffice."

As he spoke, Shen Jun subtly exerted his effort, precisely evaporating sixty percent of the moisture from the rice.

Wang Wu marveled at such accurate control of Spiritual Force.

"What's so surprising? Cooking is all about precision. If you can't manage this much, how can you call yourself a chef?" Shen Jun scolded without reservation. His many years of mentoring disciples had ingrained in him the traits of a stern teacher.

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, Senior Shen," Wang Wu quickly responded with an apologetic grin. "I will certainly practice more diligently."

"Next, crack two green-crowned bird eggs, whisk them, and set them aside. Then chop the scallions for later." Shen Jun's hands moved swiftly, and in moments, the chopping board was spotless.

Years of cooking for his disciples had honed his speed.

"Turn up the heat, warm the pan with cold oil," Shen Jun instructed, gripping the pan with one hand, his demeanor serious.

"Then, pour in the eggs and stir vigorously!"

"As soon as the eggs set, add the rice to bring down the pan's temperature!"

"Remember, keep the pan moving constantly; the heat must be distributed evenly. If you can't manage it, use your Spiritual Force!"

The flames roared beneath the stove as Shen Jun skillfully tossed the heavy iron pan, the rice surging like waves, yet not a single grain spilled.

"Finally!" Shen Jun turned off the heat and declared with a smile, "Garnish with the scallions to enhance the aroma."

As the golden, glistening Egg Fried Rice was plated, the entire kitchen staff had gathered around in anticipation.

The aroma was intoxicating!

Truly, it was unbelievably fragrant!

Having been a chef for half his life, this was the first time he had encountered such a magical dish.

Who would have thought, without seeing it for themselves, that such a delicious meal could cost less than two copper coins?

"Sometimes, the art of cooking doesn't need to be overly complex or ornate," Shen Jun said with a slight smile. "Employing a simple method to draw out the true flavors of the ingredients is where true skill lies."

Everyone exchanged glances.

They all had their critiques, yet no one dared to voice them.

No one could deny his brilliance, that much was certain.

But still...

Brother, how can you call that elaborate performance 'simple'?

Senior Shen, could it be that you're a bit confused about the meaning of 'simple'?