Chương 1565: 1563. The Cloud-Treading Phantom

He couldn't believe it. To think he had been fooled—he! Ling Yan, successor of the Cloud-Treading Phantom, had actually been tricked into stealing a worthless recipe book. What an utter embarrassment. He drowned his sorrow in another deep swig of strong wine.

"Those rumors were complete bullshit! You should find and beat up whoever started them!" he clumsily exclaimed, still feeling the harsh burn of the alcohol in his throat. It was exceptionally potent liquor, capable of affecting even a Foundation Establishment expert like himself. He glanced at the trio who had kicked down his door. These poor fools, falling for the exact same rumors... Still, he had to commend their tracking skills.

To be able to find him, even though he had been hiding out in this obscure place for days...

"Ugh!" he sobbed, taking another sip. Tears of pure frustration welled up again as he remembered the immense time and effort he had wasted trying to decipher ordinary recipes, desperately searching for a hidden Earth-grade blade technique. Hours upon hours spent racking his brain over the hidden meanings of ingredient lists and cooking steps.

"Actually, we didn't come here for a secret technique..." the blonde fairy mumbled, holding the accursed book in her hand.

"No need to pretend, fellow Daoist. I only warned you out of goodwill so you wouldn't waste the same effort and time I did. The book is completely useless," he answered with a wry smile, his tongue barely under his control. If they chose not to believe him, there was nothing he could do. They would just have to learn the hard truth themselves.

"Where did you first hear about this secret technique?" the man in the group asked. The Cloud-Treading Phantom observed him for a brief moment. The stranger was tall, with dark hair and a unique facial structure that differed from the chiseled features of the Province's local cultivators. He radiated an aura of intense heat and strength, making him feel closer to an artificer than a traditional fighter. Ling Yan also glanced at the formation barrier cutting the room off from the outside world.

A quick escape was impossible. Deciding there was no need to initiate a fight he would rather forget, he sobered up slightly and answered.

"I heard rumors that an Earth-grade blade technique called the 'Whistling Willow Blade' was hidden inside Lao Ban's recipe book. I even looked into it and confirmed that one of his ancestors had gained the favor of a Core Formation expert in the past." He sighed deeply.

"Looking back, it almost made too much sense. But why had nobody else investigated it until now? Why did the rumors only surface recently? Ugh, someone obviously engineered the whole thing... and I fell right into their trap!" he exclaimed, taking another massive gulp. The strong alcohol did its job, numbing his intense self-loathing.

"I see... Well, we will be taking the book back now. Bye," the artificer said, casually stepping backward toward the door. The two fairies followed his lead. The moment the trio stepped across the threshold, the entrapment formation around the room vanished instantly. Ling Yan stared at the open doorway in utter confusion. They just left, like that? No fight, no beating, no attempt to silence, extort, or punish me? What a bunch of weirdos...

"That actually went much better than expected," Mina exclaimed once they left the small hotel behind.

"Right, we got the book back, but you heard what he said. Someone deliberately spread those rumors to force someone to steal it," Fin interjected, her expression mirroring her worry for the restaurant.

"What if it happens again in the future?" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"It won't be our problem," Seth answered with a shrug.

"We will inform Lao Ban about what the thief told us, and it will be up to him to take precautions. We retrieved the book so we can try his dishes. We aren't here to solve all of his personal problems," the blacksmith reminded her, keeping their objective clear. They didn't even know the chef personally. Who was to say the man didn't deserve to be ruined? Just because someone was a great cook didn't inherently make them a good person deserving of their intervention.

Besides, Seth had absolutely no interest in getting tangled up in local drama during his honeymoon.

"I guess you're right," Fin said, though she still didn't sound completely convinced.

"Come on, you heard the phantom guy. Once he gets over his initial frustration, he will probably go and vent his anger on whoever spread the rumors in the first place," Mina said, trying to cheer her up. Mina had a point. Although the thief wasn't considered powerful by their standards, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator was still a force to be reckoned with in this region. The problem might very well solve itself.

They continued encouraging Fin, shifting her focus back to the spectacular food they would soon taste as they made their way back to Chef Lao Ban's estate. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon by the time they arrived at the front gates for the second time. Seth exercised restraint this time, managing to knock normally instead of kicking anything down.

"Esteemed guests, you have returned already? Did you require more information? Did the little creature fail you?" the chef asked anxiously the moment a servant escorted them into his private study. Although the bard felt slightly underestimated by the immediate assumption that they had failed, he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he wordlessly pulled the Book of All Flavors from his sleeve. Physically, it came from his inventory, but he executed the motion to make it look like a standard storage sleeve technique.

Fin had handed it off to him earlier so he could inspect it with his own appraisal skills. However, neither <Eyes of the Maestro> nor < Theia's Discerning Eyes>could identify the item as anything more than an ordinary recipe book. Since the System hadn't triggered a notification indicating it was a hidden skill manual, the phantom thief's assessment was entirely accurate.

"You already recovered it?!" Lao Ban exclaimed, his face contorting in pure shock. For a few seconds, astonishment dominated his expression; genuine relief and happiness only joined belatedly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! How could I ever hope to repay such a monumental favor!" he praised exuberantly.

"You already know exactly what we want. Just get the restaurant ready for tomorrow evening!" Fin commanded joyfully, her appetite returning at the thought of tasting the local cuisine. The street food had been excellent, but what had truly captured the little glutton's heart was their meal at The Fried Peacock. It was the same for Seth. He had to admit that he deeply yearned to explore more of these exotic, foreign flavors and textures.

However, the anticipation didn't blind him to the anomalies of the current situation. After dropping off the book and restating their demands, they warned the chef about the malicious rumors and prepared to head back to their inn. Night had fully fallen, after all.

"You guys go on ahead, there is something I need to clarify with the chef," the bard instructed, staying behind for a moment. While a servant led the girls toward the exit, Seth turned his full attention back to the chef.

"What could you possibly want to ask me in private, benefactor?" the chef asked, looking up at the tall stranger. He couldn't entirely conceal the slight nervousness creeping into his posture. After all, he knew exactly who had stolen the recipe book.

"You really chose the wrong time to try and close down your own shop," Seth said, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"I-I don't know what you mean, benefactor," the chef stammered, his anxiety now clear as day. Seth had paid extra attention when they informed the man about the rumors. Lao Ban had only feigned surprise; in reality, he knew far more than he let on. That was exactly what <Theia's Vision> had revealed to him.

"If you are going to lie to me, at least put some effort into it. Don't worry, I didn't stay behind to extort you. You still have to cook for us tomorrow, after all. There are just two things you should know. First, you should be extremely cautious; the Phantom guy is going to want revenge once he realizes exactly who fooled him," Seth offered as a genuine warning.

"The second thing is just for my own curiosity. Why did you sabotage yourself? Or rather, why did you intentionally manufacture an excuse to close your doors?" the blacksmith questioned. This world lacked insurance companies, otherwise he would have suspected insurance fraud from the very beginning. Why else would a business owner intentionally ruin their own livelihood? The middle-aged man hesitated for a long moment, glancing warily at the blacksmith and then toward the door where the two women had just exited.

"It's... because of the Konan Yi Family."