Magic Chef of Ice and Fire

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Notification: This week's Sunday at 12:05 PM highlighted meeting will be held here. You are welcome to join at the book review section of Fire and Ice Chef Magician.

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Cha Ji frowned and said, "I don't understand magic, but progress is always a good thing. Go wash up quickly, we're going back to Peach Blossom Forest. Just discard these clothes, they're too dirty to clean."

Nian Bing agreed and turned to wash up in the bathroom of his room. Watching his chubby figure, Cha Ji revealed a thoughtful expression and sighed, "Let everything take its course."

Pushing the wooden cart, Nian Bing followed beside Cha Ji, and the two slowly walked towards the outskirts of the city. The weather was exceptionally clear today, with a cloudless sky and a cool morning breeze blowing continuously, making it particularly refreshing.

When they reached the North City Gate, the sound of horseshoes suddenly came from outside the gate. The soldiers of Bing Yue Empire, who were guarding the city, lined up neatly on both sides, with some of them herding pedestrians who were about to enter and exit the city to one side.

Three carriages sped into the city, all painted in white and embroidered with a large hexagram in silver thread on both sides, with a delicate ice flower in the center. Upon seeing this insignia, the common people of Bing Xue City couldn't help but show their respect, with some even saluting the carriages. Of course, this did not include Cha Ji and Nian Bing.

The symbol of the ice flower was all too familiar to Nian Bing, who had already clenched his fists, eyes alight with intense hatred. It was they who had robbed him of his happiness!

The carriages passed quickly. Cha Ji coughed nudgingly, "Let's go." Nian Bing's expression relaxed, reminding himself silently that he was still far from being skilled enough, and needed to exercise patience.

The journey from Bing Xue City to Peach Blossom Forest wasn't far, but since they were on foot, they only made it back to the cabin by noon. After arranging the items they purchased, Cha Ji sent Nian Bing to rest in his room, instructing him to continue learning his culinary skills the next day. Having just reached the realm of Fire and Ice of the same origin, Nian Bing wanted to reinforce his magic power through meditation. After enjoying a delicious lunch prepared by Cha Ji, he went straight to his room to rest.

As time went on, Nian Bing gradually grew under Cha Ji's guidance. From the second day they returned from Bing Xue City, he understood why Cha Ji initially told him that to learn good cooking, one must go through a process of gaining weight, then losing it. Gaining weight entailed tasting Cha Ji's cooking every day and discerning its flavors, naturally turning him into a little chubby boy under the substantial nourishment. In contrast, the process of losing weight was much more painful. Cha Ji's method was simple; he let Nian Bing take on the responsibility of cooking every day. Consuming his own creations, Cha Ji merely gave theoretical pointers, leaving the remainder for Nian Bing to figure out. After a year of this, Nian Bing lost weight, returning to the handsome boy he once was. How food prepared by a beginner would taste, anyone could imagine. After tasting delicacies, the food he made was rarely palatable, making it impossible not to lose weight.

Two years' time had laid a solid foundation for Nian Bing, and, from the third year onwards, he started formally learning cooking. Cha Ji held high requirements for Nian Bing; daily practice always left him exhausted. Evening meditation was his best moment of rest. This not only allowed his body to recover from tiredness, but also, in the process of learning cooking and meditating, his spiritual power improved at the same rate as his magic power. The longer Nian Bing studied, the more he realized the wonder of cooking. The various cooking methods harbored in Cha Ji's mind were like a bottomless ocean. Nian Bing seemeed to have forgotten his hatred, immersing his whole heart in the learning of cooking. Under Cha Ji's guidance, his understanding gradually emerged, often leading to novel insights which they discussed together. By the fifth year, Nian Bing had stopped being a student learning from Cha Ji, and instead began discussing how to integrate magic with cooking, which not only enhanced his cooking skills, but also served as the best way to practice magic control power. The various dishes emerged from Nian Bing's hands, one after another, with the skills of Ghost Chef gradually manifesting in the legacy.

"Master, what would you like to eat this afternoon? Your health hasn't been the best lately. I'll catch some fish for you and make a soup. The Bright Flame Fish Soup I've been working on these past few days would surely whet your appetite." After finishing his daily chore of chopping wood, Nian Bing went to Master Cha Ji's door and asked him.

Cha Ji was seated in a reclining chair in his room, his face etched with more wrinkles than a few years ago. "Nian Bing, come in and sit, I have something to tell you."

Surprised, Nian Bing strode into the room and pulled up a chair next to Cha Ji. "Master, what's the matter today? I've mastered the 'Splitting Materiel with a Wood Knife' technique, don't you want to see? It's time to cook. If you don't eat on time, your stomach problems would flare up again."

Cha Ji looked at Nian Bing's concerned eyes and smiled, "Eight years. You've been here for eight years. In that time, you've grown from a child to a young man. I haven't had too much to teach you. Your current skills have fully reached the realm of 'the student has surpassed the tutor'. Silly boy, actually, I've been deceiving you. 'Splitting Materiel with a Wood Knife', once one can perfectly split the wood, it's already considered mastery. There's no need to control the length of the split without breaking it. Your knife work has far exceeded my best days. Unexpectedly, the theory I came up with was indeed realized by you - a superb accomplishment. There's nothing else for me to teach you. So, it's time for you to leave." His eighteen-year-old apprentice was strikingly handsome. Although dressed in linen attire, it failed to conceal his brilliance – tall stature, broad shoulders, blonde hair. He was nearly perfect.

Nian Bing gawked at Cha Ji, "Master, are you saying I can graduate?" When he first started learning to cook under Cha Ji, he was eager to master Cha Ji's skills and leave. But over the years, they'd built a strong bond. Hearing Cha Ji say it's time for him to leave, he was filled with an inexplicable sense of loss. Looking at his aging master, he said, "Master, if I leave, who will take care of you?"

Cha Ji smiled faintly, "Foolish child, wasn't I alone before you arrived? Rest assured, surely the grand Ghost Chef like myself won't starve to death. Your cooking skills, like mine in the past, have reached a bottleneck here. Staying won't help you further improve. By broadening your horizons, you might gain deeper insights, making my efforts in teaching you worthwhile."

Nian Bing's eyes sparkled, "Master, I'm reluctant to leave you!"

Cha Ji took Nian Bing's long hand and sighed softly, "Silly boy, do you want to stay here with me forever? Even if you're with me, I will eventually die one day. Initially, when I took you as an apprentice, it was purely for selfish motives—to pass on my techniques. Not only did you not blame me, but you also devoted yourself to learning my cooking techniques. Over the years, you've handled it well."

Nian Bing was stunned, "Master, you've known all along?"

Cha Ji smiled and said, "When you brought out that Ice Stone, when you showed intense hatred upon seeing the Ice God Tower Carriage, I understood that my initial attempt to hypnotize you didn't work. Did you know? I was a bit scared at that time. You were just a ten-year-old child then but had such deep cunning that I absolutely didn't expect. I don't know whether I should be happy or afraid of having an intelligent yet cunning apprentice. But none of this matters anymore. I believe you're a good child. There must be a story hidden in your heart, a story about your parents."

"Master, I...I'll tell you all about it." Nian Bing's voice trembled as he looked at Cha Ji's kind face, a sudden sense of foreboding creeping over him.

Cha Ji shook his head, "No, keep it in your heart. I think your parents must have something to do with the Ice God Tower. That's the only reason you would show such deep hatred when seeing that carriage. Kid, hatred is not wrong, but like I said when I attempted to hypnotize you, you must keep this hatred buried deep in your heart until you have the power to act on it. Revenge can be postponed until the time is right."

Nian Bing nodded firmly, "Master, I promise you. Until I have the power, I won't try to take revenge on the Ice God Tower."

Cha Ji gave a faint smile, "That's good. Nian Bing, my master once told me, 'Ten years to practice cooking, ten years to understand cooking'. Those eight words, I have kept them in my heart all my life. When I came to the Peach Blossom Forest, I added eight more characters, 'A solitary life, failure leading to demise.'"