Venerable Demon Chef

Chapter 557: Chapter 554: Eve of the Grand Opening

In any case, this was the first request Mo Qi had ever made, so Xiao Zhengheng would satisfy it no matter what.

"Oh, right, there’s one more thing I need to ask of you, Brother Xiao."

Mo Qi pointed at Song Yan and the others. "I’ve heard the Demon Sect has a trial called Demon Heart Forging. I’d like to ask Brother Xiao to make the arrangements for them to go through it once."

Xiao Zhengheng was taken aback. "Young brother Mo Qi, Demon Heart Forging is no joke. Failing the trial means death."

The Demon Heart Forging trial was a mandatory rite of passage for selecting the Demon Sect’s core disciples, with a death rate as high as ninety percent!

Correspondingly, the benefits of passing the trial were also immense.

Setting aside the profound insights one could gain into the Demon Dao Realm, the rewards offered by the Demon Sect alone were enough to make most people green with envy.

Therefore, despite the extremely high failure rate, it still couldn’t stop the members of the Demon Sect from aspiring to undergo Demon Heart Forging.

"Tell me, are you willing to go?" Mo Qi asked, looking at Song Yan and the others.

As he had said before, he didn’t lack subordinates or servants; he lacked true talent.

And talent wasn’t something that could be proven with mere words; it required real action.

"I’m willing!" Song Yan said without the slightest hesitation.

Song Run was still hesitating, but when he saw how decisively his sister agreed, he quickly chimed in, "I’m willing too!"

He Shan and He Hai exchanged a look and nodded in unison.

Zhang Chao and Li Si remained silent for a long moment before finally nodding in agreement as well.

"Very good." A satisfied smile appeared on Mo Qi’s face. "I’ll give you one day to settle your affairs. I will wait here for your triumphant return."

...

Xiao Zhengheng was extremely efficient. After sending out a few urgent orders, he had safely extracted the people Mo Qi wanted from Yunfeng City that very same night.

To achieve this, more than half of the Demon Sect’s spies— painstakingly planted in Yunfeng City over a thousand years—were exposed, resulting in devastating losses.

But Xiao Zhengheng didn’t feel the sting of this loss.

Compared to Mo Qi’s friendship, losing a few spies was nothing.

’If worst comes to worst, we can just train a new batch.’

That night, Song Yan and the others saw that their families were safe and sound. In the joyous atmosphere of reunion, they wept with happiness.

The last shred of doubt they held toward Mo Qi vanished without a trace.

From that moment on, their hearts and their lives would belong completely to Mo Qi!

The next day, Xiao Zhengheng and Di Zhong bid farewell to Mo Qi, taking Song Yan and the others with them back to the Demon Sect.

The Demon Heart Forging trial, which was supposed to be an annual event, was held for a second time that year, all for the sake of Song Yan and her companions.

Mo Qi’s name also spread throughout the Demon Sect.

Everyone in the Demon Dao came to know one thing: to see Mo Qi was to see the Sect Leader.

Not only that, but an even more explosive piece of news spread like wildfire, setting the entire territory of the Demon Sect ablaze.

"In two days, ’Uncle Niu’s Kitchen God’ restaurant will open in the Desperate Mountain Range, and they’ll be selling cures for all sorts of intractable ailments, like cultivation deviation, damaged Dantians, severed Meridians, and so on."

For the people of the Demon Sect, this was undoubtedly fantastic news.

Although they didn’t know why a restaurant would be selling such things, with Xiao Zhengheng’s endorsement, it couldn’t possibly be fake.

Many people lost sleep that night.

They were worried, excited, thrilled, and full of hope for a brighter future!

...

While the Demon Sect was collectively losing sleep, a large group of people in the North District Hall of Envoys also couldn’t shut their eyes.

In terms of cultivation environment, the North District Hall of Envoys wasn’t as brutal as the Demon Sect, but as long as one was a part of it, as long as one had stepped onto the Martial Dao, who didn’t have a few minor issues?

Who could guarantee they hadn’t accumulated some hidden injuries from their Cultivation?

This was especially true since the North District Hall of Envoys was affiliated with the Immortal Realm Divine Master Valley, and was composed mostly of Alchemy Masters and Artifact Refiners.

Compared to the other four major districts, they weren’t proficient in cultivation and combat, their path heavily reliant on Elixirs.

This meant that the vast majority of them were inevitably plagued by the same problem: Erysipelas.

Every medicine has its poison.

Even the finest Elixir couldn’t be one hundred percent beneficial to the body, nor could it be one hundred percent absorbed.

There was always a small amount of residue or harmful toxins that couldn’t be digested or expelled from the body. This substance was known as Erysipelas.

A small amount of Erysipelas wouldn’t affect a Cultivator at first.

But as their Cultivation deepened and they consumed more and more Elixirs, the Erysipelas would slowly accumulate in their bodies over time.

Once it reached a certain level, Erysipelas became a major problem that could not be ignored.

In mild cases, it caused sluggish energy circulation and stagnant Cultivation. In severe cases, the Erysipelas would erupt, causing one’s Cultivation to regress, Meridians to flow in reverse, and a life worse than death.

Moreover, the most crucial issue was that Erysipelas was not easy to treat.

Conventional methods could only slow its progress, not offer a complete cure.

To find a true cure required a price that no ordinary person could afford.

Even at the headquarters of the Immortal Realm Holy Land Divine Master Valley, Erysipelas remained a very thorny issue.

Therefore, if Mo Qi’s restaurant could solve this problem, it would be a life-changing opportunity for the people of the North District Hall of Envoys.

What’s more, besides Erysipelas, there were all sorts of other intractable ailments he claimed to cure.

And so, within the North District Hall of Envoys, many acquaintances began to discuss the matter.

"I don’t believe a word that kid says. How old is he? It’s too far-fetched!"

"Yeah, he dared to extort us before. Who’s to say he isn’t just trying to make fools of us this time?"

While some didn’t believe Mo Qi, others naturally saw him in a more positive light.

"I don’t think so. Don’t forget, he was able to spot many people’s chronic ailments with a single glance. Besides, his relationship with the Master of the Doomed Mountain Range is ambiguous. In my opinion, it’s very likely the Master of the Doomed Mountain Range is backing him!"

"I remember he cured that kid from the Gu Family’s Dantian and Meridians right in front of us. He even transplanted the Feng Family’s Dragon Elephant Bloodline into him. His methods are quite impressive."

"The opening is in two days. We might as well go take a look and play it by ear. If that Mo Qi can really solve our problems, then what’s the harm in writing off the previous extortion?"

"Indeed, I agree. Until we know for sure, there’s no need to become hostile toward him."

"Alright, it’s settled then!"

...

’A success?!’

The moment Qin Xueyun died, Qin Hai received the news.

He looked at the shattered Soul Jade Slip in his hand, the corner of his mouth curling into a slight smirk.

Having fused with the Evil Seed, and with the Evil Seed’s power, the might Qin Xueyun could unleash in a desperate struggle would far exceed that of an ordinary Peak of Void Realm, bringing her infinitely close to the Void Realm.

If nothing went wrong, Mo Qi’s death was certain.

However, what he didn’t know was that Qin Xueyun never even got the chance to fight for her life.

The Evil Seed had been stripped away by Mo Qi before it could even be detonated.

"Hahaha, Mo Qi, oh Mo Qi! For offending me, Qin Hai, death is your only way out!"

Qin Hai’s gloating didn’t last long before he received news from the He, Gu, and Feng families.

Mo Qi wasn’t dead. Among the assassins sent to kill him, all but Qin Xueyun had defected.

Not only that, but under the influence of a Mysterious Power, the entire Song Family had vanished.

The He Family’s mines were attacked by a group of powerful experts, and the clansmen of He Shan and He Hai were rescued.

Zhang Chao’s mother and Li Si’s beloved, Xiaonan, had disappeared without a trace.