Chapter 393: Chapter 260: Food Is the God of the People

Ostralia sighed softly. According to the laws of the Sixth Epoch, Boka has committed grave sins, yet he is a good mentor. The legacy and grievances of gourmets are not for outsiders to know. “Elder Alain, Prince Oliver will sense the loss of his Culinary Master. We should leave Hedan immediately.”

Alain Ducasse nodded, “Elder Ostralia, I still have some matters to handle, and Oliver can’t find me.”

Ostralia knew that the other must have realized special powers, and the wish power of a single dish was unexpectedly strong. After enduring considerable pain and trials, the reborn Alain Ducasse now possessed a path in the history of the Gourmet Association that was unheard of, and was awe-inspiring.

Ostralia nodded, “I’ll go ahead. I’ll take Boka’s body and the Divine Relic back to the Holy Land. We’ll meet at the Gourmet Association. I’m looking forward to your arrival.”

Alain nodded slightly, “Thank you, Elder Ostralia. See you at the Holy Land.”

Ostralia, carrying Boka, vanished into the darkness. Witnessing a duel of culinary legacy was a rare experience, infused with precious secret knowledge. Alain Ducasse will inherit the power of Dark Cuisine and new cuisine. The gastronomic path must choose someone with a powerful main path as a guide. It’s just uncertain who he relies on; it must be someone capable of countering a powerful destined entity like Prince Oliver…

Under the cover of night, Alain Ducasse also left. When he returned to the inn, Ma Liu had already come back. He gained the ability to change bones and muscles. To be precise, when making food, his body would provide maximum convenience for processing ingredients in the best way possible.

Ma Liu had to go to the Holy Land, but before that, he wanted to say goodbye to his friends, especially Brother Li. Without him, Alain Ducasse wouldn’t be who he is now.

***

Li Xin was in the room, without lighting a lamp, just thinking. Once indecision faded away and he decided to do something, his mind was clearer. The Hex Bird Society might close, but the Night Patrol wouldn’t retreat easily.

Such a grand plan, consuming manpower and resources—the Moon God’s Court wouldn’t just withdraw like that. Ten to one, Christie and the president are planning an assassination. Reaching this step, eliminating Oliver is the only way to turn the tables. Once Oliver dies, Hokele’s throne will be secured, allowing the Hex Bird Society to continue developing in Moncalleta.

Hex Bird Society… Christie’s residence…

Li Xin had an idea. Just then, a knock sounded on the door. Li Xin lit the lamp, adjusted his emotions, opened the door, and saw Ma Liu.

“Brother Li, I’m back. I’m really sorry I couldn’t see old Moulton and young Moulton off,” Ma Liu apologized.

Li Xin nodded subconsciously, then looked at him, stunned, “Ma… Ma Liu?”

Ma Liu smiled, “Brother Li, my stutter is cured.”

Li Xin hugged Ma Liu, finally hearing some good news, “Come in and sit.”

“Brother Li, I’m here to admit my mistakes,” Ma Liu said, “Actually, I hid some things.”

Ma Liu is now the Fifth Elder and can fully handle his branch’s affairs. In the Gourmet Association, he holds significant authority. Elders are equal, collectively maintaining the Gourmet Association. Li Xin is the contract bearer he chose for his branch, just like how the mentor once chose Prince Oliver. Back then, Ma Liu sensed something different in Li Xin, though he couldn’t articulate it. Intuition told him it was his only choice.

Ma Liu explained the situation and the process of inheritance to Li Xin. Originally, he was supposed to walk the dark path as a disciple. The hidden path is cruel; a disciple’s role is to reduce the risk of inheritance, but with his abilities, he’d surely die. Eventually, the mentor chose the path of Dark Cuisine for him, urging him to find new methods. Yet, Ma Liu was utterly confused, not knowing how to overcome it, waiting until the mentor’s path failed. Meeting Li Xin showed him things he had never seen or felt before, and the perspectives on the world and food could never be the same. Like Li Xin’s casual remark, “Food is the heaven of the people,” which overturned his food perspective and future path. Developing ingredients, creating affordable and quality food for everyone to enjoy is what a gourmet should be.

The people’s gourmet!

After so long, Ma Liu finally expressed himself to Li Xin, and Li Xin learned about Ma Liu and Bocuse. Death for Bocuse was the end of sin. Now, only Ma Liu can wield Dark Cuisine among the gourmet.

Once you take a hidden path, fate is no longer self-determined, no matter how abnormal the path is.

“Brother Li, don’t worry, I’d never help Oliver,” Ma Liu said.

Li Xin thought of something, but it flashed by, unclear. Suddenly, he remembered the spoon, took it out, “This is a spoon given to me by Bocuse, his relic. I’m returning it to you.”

Seeing the spoon, Ma Liu’s eyes turned red, holding back tears. Upon eating a gourmet’s food, an enigmatic sense arises. The mentor had known for a long time, implying it through the spoon, silently helping him all along.

“Brother Li, this was a gift from my mentor to you. You are also my half-mentor and forever a guest of the Gourmet Association.”

Looking at the unattainable spoon, Li Xin said, “Ma Liu, do me a favor before you go.”

“Brother Li, I’m willing to do anything for you.”

Li Xin’s mouth curved with a lethal edge, “Once I arrange everything, we’ll help settle your mentor’s debts.”

Through the secretive words shared by Ma Liu, Li Xin suddenly grasped something important. Of course, this was just one aspect; he needed to clarify other matters.

The Prince Mansion at Hedan.

A clergy from the Earth Temple, wearing a silver robe with golden cuffs but distinct from the usual Earth Temple attire, was respectfully speaking to the Prince.

Most of the main points seemed covered, and then the clergy asked, “Your Highness, Perfumer Jia’er has completed the task but hasn’t returned to the church for a debrief. This person has great talent and performed such a significant task, important to the church. Do you know where he went?”

“That person was disrespectful to me and has been handled,” Prince Oliver said calmly.

The clergy paused, “Your Highness, he is a church member. You should hand him over to us…”

Before finishing the sentence, Oliver gave a cold glance, making the whole room’s temperature drop as if to freeze. The clergy quickly lowered his head, “Apologies, Your Highness. I didn’t express myself clearly. I mean, such trivial matters shouldn’t trouble you.”

Oliver snorted, suddenly his expression turned dark, “Boka has disappeared.”

His intuition couldn’t be wrong. As his vassal, he had an accurate sense of Boka, and this sense had been diminishing, now completely gone.

“Could he have run away?” the clergy asked.

“Hmm, just a mere gourmet, he doesn’t have the guts,” Oliver said coldly, pondering a moment and then musing, “Did he actually lose?”

Boka, who succeeded in Dark Cuisine, would have a sixty to seventy percent chance against other elders. How could he lose to a disciple? At the same time, knowing Boka’s character, the Gourmet Association’s heritage values tradition supremely. It would be easy to manipulate such stubbornness. That disciple must have indeed come up with something new. If Boka lost, then this person must have inherited a new power alongside Dark Cuisine, which could be tremendously beneficial.

“Seal all exits from Hedan immediately, find that new gourmet elder for me, Alain Ducasse. I underestimated you!” Prince Oliver’s handsome face showed a playful smile, even with a hint of expectation, unlike his usual sunny demeanor. Now, Prince Oliver exuded an eerie air that chilled people to the bone.

“Yes, Your Highness, I’ll proceed immediately!” The clergy exited silently, disappearing into the darkness.

With no lights on in the entire room, Oliver now hated light. Perhaps this was a side effect of Dark Cooking. Minor matters weren’t important. Despite his advancement, he still needed the dark culinary gourmet. That dark gourmet, like him, belonged to a rare retro path of this era. Reproducing it was almost impossible; it had to be found. This was merely the first step to success. He would keep moving forward, seeking greater power. No wonder countless people are obsessed with the hidden path. Once they feel this transcendent power, they’re rarely interested in anything else.

It was late, his stomach growling again. He enjoyed standing at the highest point of the city, watching the lively…

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