Chapter 14: Situ Deng’s Impending Exit from the Culinary World

Translator: Krukist

“Situ Deng… I don’t recall this name from my memories. He shouldn’t be someone my past self offended, yet he’s so hostile toward me. I don’t understand why. Also, from what they’re saying, it seems no one has ever made fried chicken like this before…”

Lin Yu couldn’t help but smile. The deliciousness of fried chicken was unmatched. If this world had never seen such a cooking method, didn’t that make him the father of fried chicken in this world? Hehe, just the thought of it was exciting.

If things didn’t work out in the future, he could always fall back on this title and sell fried chicken. At the very least, he’d be on par with McDonald’s… As Lin Yu’s thoughts wandered, the oil reached the perfect temperature. He picked up the chicken legs and gently lowered them into the wok.

Situ Deng, watching this scene, felt his eyes nearly pop out of his head.

“You… you’re insulting the ingredients! The Red Jade Chicken is already oily, and now you’re frying it in even more oil? The result will be nothing but grease! It’s fine if we eat it, but Ziyan hasn’t eaten properly in years. If you serve her something so greasy…”

Situ Deng grew more agitated as he spoke, pointing at Lin Yu’s nose and shouting, “I get it now! You’re just trying to show off, to grab our attention! If you dare serve Ziyan these chicken legs, you’re not helping her—you’re trying to harm her!”

Whoosh!

Before Lin Yu could respond, Nalan Zhan abruptly stood up. His eyes glinted with cold fury, and an overwhelming pressure radiated from his body. Lin Yu felt as if a mountain had been placed on his shoulders, making it hard to breathe.

Nalan Zhan’s voice was low and menacing. “Lin Yu, is this true?”

Lin Yu was also angry now. Situ Deng was spouting nonsense without understanding anything. While the Red Jade Chicken was indeed fatty, Lin Yu had already trimmed much of the fat from the legs. Moreover, fried chicken, while greasy, wasn’t as unhealthy as Situ Deng made it out to be.

More importantly, this dish wasn’t even meant for Nalan Ziyan—it was for the marquis and his wife. Situ Deng was just making baseless accusations!

Lin Yu straightened his back and said coldly, “The dish hasn’t even been served yet. Why is Situ Deng so confident that I can’t make something delicious? From what I’ve gathered, the young lady you mentioned, Nalan Ziyan, must be the girl who visited my courtyard earlier today.”

“Now I understand. Situ Deng, you’re jealous. Jealous that Nalan Ziyan ate my food but refused yours!”

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From Situ Deng’s earlier words, Lin Yu deduced that Nalan Ziyan suffered from anorexia and hadn’t eaten properly in years. It was only by chance that she stumbled into Lin’s courtyard and had her first meal in ages.

And this Situ Deng… was he a chef?

A chef, daring to act so arrogantly in front of me? Lin Yu felt a surge of confidence and declared, “This dish isn’t for Nalan Ziyan. It’s to prove to the marquis and his wife that I have the skills. If you’re unhappy, feel free to take it up with me!”

Qin Caiyun tugged at Nalan Zhan’s sleeve, realizing her husband was overreacting. She said gently, “Marquis, since Master Lin was able to make Ziyan eat, he must have some unique talent. Let’s wait and see.”

Then, with a hint of anger, she turned to Situ Deng. Even she was starting to think that Situ Deng was being too arrogant. If his behavior jeopardized Nalan Ziyan’s health, could he bear the wrath of the marquis’s household?

Suppressing her anger, Qin Caiyun snapped, “Situ Deng, if you have complaints, sit down and wait until the dish is served. Judge it then!”

Situ Deng, fueled by his anger, retorted, “Him? What good dish could he possibly make? If he actually creates something that satisfies you, Marquis, I’ll never touch cooking again!”

The moment these words left his mouth, the servants gathered outside the courtyard erupted in murmurs.

“Young Master Situ is too confident!”

“Never touch cooking again? Everyone knows he’s been neglecting his cultivation for years, focusing solely on creating dishes to make our young lady eat.”

“True, but Situ Deng’s talent is undeniable. In just a few years, he became the youngest Culinary King in Heavenly Cloud City, with so many master chefs as his mentors.”

“Forcing Situ Deng to give up cooking would be worse than killing him!”

…

“Quiet, no more talking,” Qin Caiyun snapped, then turned to Nalan Zhan and whispered soothingly, “Marquis, don’t be too angry. Master Lin is just an ordinary man with a sister to care for…”

“He wouldn’t risk his life—or his sister’s—on a joke.”

Her words were meant to comfort Nalan Zhan but also served as a warning to Lin Yu. If anything went wrong, not only would Lin Yu pay the price, but his sister, Ling’er, would also face the marquis’s wrath.

Nalan Zhan thought for a moment and sat back down, his face slightly flushed. He realized he had overreacted, but it was all because of Situ Deng’s reckless accusations. He glared at Situ Deng and said, “Situ Deng, if you keep spouting nonsense, you’ll regret it.”

Then, turning to Lin Yu, he said calmly, “Master Lin, please continue.”

Lin Yu nodded, though he felt a bit helpless. While Nalan Zhan’s earlier attitude had been harsh, Lin Yu couldn’t afford to show any resentment. As Qin Caiyun had said, he couldn’t gamble with his and Ling’er’s lives.

Sizzle, sizzle!

The chicken legs sizzled in the hot oil, releasing an enticing aroma. Lin Yu had only prepared two, initially planning to fry the purple-red shellfish as well. However, he decided against it, as the shellfish required precise heat control, and he couldn’t afford to mess up now.

When Nalan Zhan had unleashed his aura earlier, Lin Yu had felt his entire body tremble. This wasn’t a world governed by the rule of law. If he angered Nalan Zhan, he could literally lose his head!

Lin Yu carefully lifted the golden-brown chicken legs from the oil. Though this world lacked breadcrumbs, Lin Yu’s battering technique was decent. Even he, a native of Earth, found his mouth watering at the sight. The rich aroma filled the air, making Ling’er exclaim, “It smells amazing!”

Lin Yu sliced the chicken legs into pieces, arranged them on a plate, and then prepared a simple tomato-like dipping sauce using a local fruit. He served the dish and said, “If it’s too greasy, you can dip it in this sauce.”

Then, with a smile, he turned to Situ Deng. “Young Master Situ, care to try?”

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