"Mr. Caelus, I wonder if you have a moment?"
Just as Caelus was drinking tea and listening to storytelling as usual, a boy's voice came from beside him. He turned his head and saw Yanqing.
"Has the General made a decision?"
"Yanqing doesn't know the specifics. I am only acting under the General's orders to invite Mr. Caelus to the Seat of Divine Foresight for a chat."
Yanqing was completely businesslike. Perhaps because of what Caelus had said before, Yanqing did not really want to get close to this guy who made wild statements, even if the food he made was indeed delicious.
"Alright, I understand. Then I will trouble you to lead the way, Lieutenant Yanqing."
"You're welcome. Please."
Along the way, Yanqing always walked in front, showing no intention of communicating with Caelus behind him.
Caelus understood what the boy was thinking. After all, he had said to his face that his mentor did not have long to live. With the passion of youth, it was only natural for him to have dissatisfaction and anger in his heart.
The two walked in silence and finally entered the Seat of Divine Foresight. Caelus saw General Jing Yuan busy in front of the desk.
Yanqing stepped forward and said, "General, I have brought him here."
"Yanqing, you still need to be careful with your words. We are inviting a guest, not a prisoner."
Jing Yuan looked at his disciple with some helplessness. He knew why the child was like this, but regardless, the person was a guest now, and he still had to pay attention to etiquette.
"Sorry, if there is nothing else, Yanqing will go out on patrol."
After Yanqing finished speaking, he hurried away.
Jing Yuan put down his official work, stood up, walked down from his seat, and came to Caelus's side. With an apologetic look on his face, he said, "I'm really sorry, this child has lost some etiquette. I have been busy with official duties recently and have lacked some discipline."
"It's fine. What I said at the time was too blunt. He is young and a swordsman, it is normal for him to express dissatisfaction."
"Even so, I must apologize here first."
"Why does the General have to do this? As the General of the Xianzhou Luofu and a Lord Ravager of the Hunt, there is no need for this."
"It is precisely because I am the General of the Luofu and a Lord Ravager of the Hunt of the Reignbow Arbiter that I should lead by example and be more reasonable. Otherwise, how can I be worthy of this position and shoulder this responsibility?"
"I have learned much. Let's get to the point. General, what is the matter for which you have summoned me?"
Jing Yuan maintained a kind smile and said in a friendly tone, "Naturally, it is about what Fu Xuan, Minister Fu, mentioned before. I would like to ask, if Mr. Caelus provides my three meals a day, how much longer can I hold on?"
"I can't be sure of the specific time. Besides, I won't stay on the Xianzhou Luofu for long. Perhaps after a while, I will set off again to travel to other places. After all, as a traveler, I won't stay in one place for long."
"That sounds like a Trailblazer."
"It could also be a Galaxy Ranger, or even a Knight of Beauty. There are many reasons and purposes for setting off, but the process is all about witnessing different people and things in the endless starry sky."
"I once wanted to become a Galaxy Ranger, roaming the sea of stars, punishing evil, and hunting down abominations... Let's not talk about that. Before Mr. Caelus leaves, how much time can the meals you provide extend?
I might as well be frank. After tasting Mr. Caelus's meals, I specifically investigated this area. I know that in the dreams of Penacony, there are delicacies made from emotions. I even spent a considerable amount of money to purchase some to taste. Although they were somewhat useful, they cannot compare in terms of efficacy at all.
So, I am curious, how does Mr. Caelus manage to make this so-called emotional cuisine?
After all, while it is a bit unusual for a follower of the Path of Remembrance to use their Path power to cook, when it comes to making money, I trust the influence of the Interastral Peace Corporation and the Family. If they knew of such a method, it is impossible that there would be no news of it.
So Mr. Caelus must have some unique, proprietary method that is difficult for others to replicate, right?" Jing Yuan said with a smile.
Caelus could feel the person opposite him observing his expression and reaction. He didn't think much of it. After all, a chef responsible for the three daily meals of an important figure had to undergo thorough investigation and vetting. In this situation, if he had not used System Currency to purchase his identity, but instead used a fake memory implant like he had previously done in Herta Space Station, he would likely have been exposed very easily.
"I do have some methods that are personal to me and that others do not possess. Could it be that General Jing Yuan is interested in the method I have?"
"No, no, no. I am not trying to take the recipe from you. I am just wondering if we could obtain some methods from you through an exchange of benefits. After all, many of my colleagues are also plagued by being mara-struck. If a way to alleviate this could be found, it would be a huge help to the entire Xianzhou, and you would also gain the friendship of the entire Xianzhou Alliance."
"That is a method you cannot learn."
"Oh? What exactly is so special about this method? Although the Xianzhou Alliance cannot be called the number one power in this galaxy, we still have some reputation. No matter how rare it is, it shouldn't be that we have no clue at all, right?"
Caelus looked at Jing Yuan, who was smiling and watching him. After they stared at each other for a few seconds, Caelus finally shook his head. He could show the other party exactly how he did it, but there was no need. It involved the Third Method, which he himself had not yet fully understood.
Integrating so-called emotions into dishes required three conditions.
One condition was the Path of Remembrance. With the power of this Path, one could turn memories into real, existing things.
The second condition was to possess the power of The End. Moreover, it had to be the alienated power of The End that Caelus possessed, which belonged to the Cthulhu-esque theory of the Oneness of All Things. This ensured that all things actually originated from a single point, whether they were memories, matter, emotions, or souls, all were split from a single omnipotent source. This allowed for a perfect fusion between those so-called emotions and real, existing objects.
The final condition came from the Third Method, Materialization of the Soul, which Caelus still had not fully grasped. This ensured that after the emotions were perfectly integrated into the dish, it possessed a portion of soul-like vitality. Only in this way, after being eaten, would the external emotions not cause a conflict with the internal spiritual power.
The emotional food of Penacony ultimately came from stimulating emotions provided from the outside, which could bring temporary joy but could not provide people with deeper feelings.
But the food Caelus made was a type of food that could perfectly integrate into the soul and even the mind of the consumer, nourishing the user's soul and mind in a way that, while weak, was lasting.
Theoretically, once Caelus fully understood that incomplete Third Method and seriously prepared a perfect dish, he could cure a long-lived species trapped in being mara-struck with just one dish.
Although it could not be cured at the root, it could be considered a disguised way to increase lifespan.
But he did not need to say this, and Jing Yuan in front of him was particularly guarded against him. Since that was the case, he would let it go.
Since he was unwilling to offer trust, Caelus had no intention of reciprocating any trust either.
"Since that is the case, Jing Yuan will not force it. The matter that Fu Xuan, Minister Fu, mentioned will also be put aside for now. My apologies for the intrusion."
"No need to apologize. It is quite normal for the General to have such concerns. After all, trust is a very difficult thing to entrust to others. Farewell."
After saying this, Caelus turned and left, without any concern or lingering attachment.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)