The Masked Strength of the Sect's Trash chapter 49

Chapter 49: Master's Craftsmanship is Unparalleled

Shao cheng had been busy for over two hours before finally bringing out the dishes he had prepared. The small table was filled with seven or eight different dishes.

"Come on, everyone, give them a try," Shaocheng said with confidence, his face beaming. "I've spent a long time perfecting these recipes."

Xiao Yi, one of his disciples, was taken aback by the sight and the enticing aroma. "Master, I had no idea you were so skilled at cooking!"

However, Lu Shaoqing and Ji Yan, the other two disciples, eyed the dishes warily, their faces filled with deep apprehension.

Lü Shaoqing pointed to one of the dishes and asked, "What's this one called?"

Shaocheng replied proudly, "This is called 'Immortal Chases the Moon,' made primarily from Spirit Mushrooms and other special ingredients."

"A new recipe?" Lu Shaoqing’s suspicion deepened, and he couldn’t help but look a bit disdainful.

"Of course!" Shaocheng said smugly. "It took me quite some time to develop this."

Ji Yan, however, was less than impressed. "No wonder your cultivation has been stagnant; you've been wasting your time on such pointless pursuits."

Shaocheng laughed awkwardly. "I only worked on this during my free time. I haven't neglected my cultivation."

Xiao Yi tried to smooth things over. "Senior Brother, don’t be too harsh. It's good for Master to have a hobby."

Shaocheng quickly added, "Enough talking, let's eat! I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised."

It was clear Shaocheng had a lot of faith in his cooking, but neither Lu Shaoqing nor Ji Yan moved, their wariness still evident.

Lu Shaoqing glanced at Ji Yan. "Senior Brother, after you."

Ji Yan, unwilling to go first, countered, "You're the junior; you go ahead."

Neither wanted to be the first to try the food, so they both hesitated.

Seeing this, Xiao Yi said, "What are you two afraid of? Master has worked hard to prepare this meal. As his disciples, we shouldn’t waste his efforts. It smells delicious—what could possibly be wrong?"

Lu Shaoqing and Ji Yan looked at her and said in unison, "You go ahead."

Frustrated, Shaocheng turned to Xiao Yi. "Xiao Yi, don’t mind those two idiots. Go ahead and try it."

Without further hesitation, Xiao Yi picked up her chopsticks. "I’ll start with Master’s new dish, 'Immortal Chases the Moon,' hehe… It smells so good!"

But as soon as she put a mushroom in her mouth, her expression changed. The bitter taste hit her immediately, as if she had just bitten into a hundred bitter galls. The mushroom, which should have been tender and flavorful, felt like it had been dried out in the sun for ten thousand years—dry and tough with no hint of its original flavor.

Xiao Yi's face twisted in disgust. What was this? Was it even edible? Could Master have mistaken an ancient piece of wood for a Spirit Mushroom?

Instinctively, she wanted to spit it out, but Shaocheng quickly stopped her. "Don’t! Chew a bit more, there’s a surprise waiting for you!"

Despite her better judgment, Xiao Yi chewed again. This time, a liquid oozed out from the mushroom. Could it be that things were about to improve? Xiao Yi’s hopes rose, but in the next moment, an overwhelmingly nauseating taste assaulted her senses, so foul it seemed to strike directly at her soul. It was as if she had just eaten a dead rat.

Xiao Yi began to tremble, her eyes rolling back as she could no longer endure it. She ran to the side and vomited.

“Blegh…” Xiao Yi retched violently. After nearly a month in the Sword Cave, living only on fasting pills, there wasn’t much in her stomach to expel. Still, the feeling of nausea was so intense that she felt like she was about to throw up her own bile.

When she finally stopped, her face was pale, her legs weak, and she was utterly exhausted. Worst of all, the nausea hadn’t gone away—it clung to her like a shadow, as if it had seeped into her very soul.

Xiao Yi began to cry as she continued to retch. It was unbearable. How could she have been so foolish? Master’s cooking was indeed unparalleled—no one could match it in its awfulness.

Lu Shaoqing and Ji Yan looked at her with pity.

“Maybe next time you’ll learn your lesson?” Lu Shaoqing remarked.

“If you don’t, you’d be a fool,” Ji Yan added.

Lü Shaoqing then asked, “You’re not going to eat any more, are you?”

Ji Yan responded, “Are you?”

The two exchanged glances and simultaneously smiled. “No need to eat any more.”

With Xiao Yi as the test subject, it was clear that the food was inedible. There was no way Shaocheng could force them to eat now.

Shaocheng, meanwhile, was staring in disbelief at Xiao Yi. Was his cooking really that bad? He picked up some food with trembling hands and took a bite himself. Though he didn’t vomit, he immediately fell into a deep state of self-doubt.

Lu Shaoqing approached Xiao Yi and asked, "Would you like to try some of the other dishes?"

Xiao Yi, still crying and retching, whimpered, "Second Senior Brother, please stop teasing me…"

Xiao Yi was filled with regret. Why hadn’t she listened to her Senior Brothers? Their reactions had clearly indicated that something was wrong, but she had been too naive.

“I’m not teasing you,” Lü Shaoqing said seriously. “Why don’t you try the other dishes? They smell so good—how could there be any problem?”

“Waaah!” Xiao Yi cried even harder, tears streaming down her face.

“You see the consequences of not believing your Senior Brother now, don’t you?” Lu Shaoqing continued with a smile.

Xiao Yi nodded repeatedly, “Y-yes… Ugh…”

“Since you understand, why not eat the rest of the dishes?”

“Waaah!”

Xiao Yi’s tears flowed like a river.

At that moment, Ji Yan shoved Lu Shaoqing aside and consoled Xiao Yi. “Alright, stop crying. You’re not feeling like vomiting anymore, right?”

Xiao Yi paused, realizing that although the nausea lingered, the urge to vomit had indeed subsided. She glanced at Lu Shaoqing, who was still smiling. Was it possible that Lu Shaoqing had made her cry to help her feel better?

Xiao Yi had mixed feelings about her Second Senior Brother. He was someone she both loved and hated.

Ji Yan added, "Master's cooking will leave some side effects for a day or two. You’ll have to endure it."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi felt like crying again. This awful feeling would last for another day or two? Why had she been so foolish?

Xiao Yi wanted to slap her past self for not realizing the obvious.

Just then, a voice called out from outside, “Xia Yu from Shuangyue Valley requests an audience!”