Chapter 395 - 15 in 1

"Prime Minister! Prime Minister…" 

When they saw Yamaguchi Takaki, the bodyguards bowed fearfully.

Chen Xiaobei was hesitant. Should he bow as well? What if he gave the game away?

But to his surprise, Yamaguchi Takaki bowed first and greeted him politely, "Director Nikkawa! You're here! That's just great!"

"Oh…" Chen Xiaobei was baffled. It seemed as if Nikkawa Daichi's position was higher than the prime minister of Japan?

But when you think about it, it was not that surprising. Nikkawa Daichi was a pinnacle ninja from Tenshou Divison and had blood connections with the Emperor. Naturally, he would have a higher status! Also, the prime minister's authority was limited compared to Nikkawa Uchu who had a bigger authority over a lot of the country's matters.

"It looks like this prime minister is just the idiot who does all the legwork. I guess I'll be saving myself a Heavenly Dog Biscuit! I will only have to give it to Nikkawa Uchu and the use him as my puppet to take control of this country!" Chen Xiaobei devised in his head before asking, "Prime Minister, is there anything I can do for you?"

"It's like this." Yamaguchi Takaki explained, "With the wounds that he had sustained, the royal chef won't be able to cook for the crown prince's wedding which is in nine days. We should try inviting Master Akaihi again tomorrow…"

"Who is this guy that the prime minister needs to extend his invitation in person?"

Chen Xiaobei cocked his head quizzically.

"Of course, we have to do that! We are talking about Master Uzuishi Akaihi! He's our country's number one chef! Don't you know that?" Yamaguchi Takaki was taken aback by Chen Xiaobei's question.

"Uzuishi? Akaihi?" (Pun for I'm a foodie)

Chen Xiaobei was startled but he put on an act and said, "Oh, do you meant THE Uzuishi Akaihi? Of course, I've heard of him. But I'm not quite familiar with him. Why don't you tell me a bit more about him?"

"Alright. Master Akaihi is Japan's legendary chef! His cooking skill is truly beyond godlike!" Yamaguchi Takaki said, "All those who had tasted his food call him the Kitchen God! In the early years, many high officials and noblemen had given up their family's wealth, begged and cried, just to eat his cooking!"

"Wow! That's insane!"

Chen Xiaobei's eyes lit up.

If he employs this chef to prepare sashimi for Queen Mother, then the chance of him acquiring the 9,000-year-old Saturn Peach would be increased greatly!

"That's not an exaggeration!" Yamaguchi Takaki continued, "Anyway, Master Akaihi is uninterested in fame and wealth. No matter how much money you pay him or what political status you give him, even if you go on your knees and cry, you may never get to taste his cooking!"

Chen Xiaobei thought about it and then asked, "That's pretty normal. Most elites are pretty eccentric. But what is the use of going to him if there's no way to get him to cook?"

"There is!" Yamaguchi Takaki said, "Master Akaihi is extremely persistent in his pursuit of culinary arts. As long as we are able to serve him a dish that moves him, he will be willing to cook for us once, for one table as an expression of gratitude!"

What a glutton! 

He did not want money nor power; he only wanted good food!

Chen Xiaobei cocked his brow, wondering how he would be able to satisfy this chowhound of a master chef!

"Director Nikkawa!" Yamaguchi Takaki said, "Basically, I will represent the officials and you will represent the palace. And we'll go to the Shallow Grass Temple to pay Master Akaihi a visit!"

"Alright, let's go."

Chen Xiaobei smiled. Using Nikkawa Daichi who's the next of kin of the emperor as his disguise was so handy!

...

They went off with a line trailing behind them.

Other than Chen Xiaobei and Yamaguchi Takaki, there were ten other master chefs.

Obviously, they were at their wits end and were willing to do anything. The more chefs they bring, the more dishes they can present to Uzuishi Akaihi, the higher the chances of them winning his heart.

Who knows what might happen?

At Shallow Grass Temple. 

Just like its name suggested, the mountain was covered in soft, green short-grass—very soothing and picturesque.

The long line of cars stopped at the foot of the hill. Car were not allowed to go up—they would have to go up the hill by foot.

The walk was dull so Yamaguchi Takaki took the initiative to introduce the ten master chefs to Chen Xiaobei.

There were chefs from Japan and a few other countries.

They were all 3 Michelin star chefs who had won several international Culinary Competitions and were recognized globally as first-class master chefs! Chen Xiaobei was nonplussed, "Why do we need Master Uzuishi Akaihi if we could just employ all these chefs?"

Yamaguchi Takaki explained, "Master Akaihi's dishes are phenomenal! These other chef's cooking could never compare to his! The Divine King will be attending the wedding so we really need to give our best. If we really can't get Master Akaihi to come and cook for us, only then we'll consider other options."

Chen Xiaobei was thrilled to hear this. He was certain that he would be able to acquire the 9000-year-old Saturn Peach!

An ancient temple came to view when they were halfway up the slope of the hill.

Cherry blossom trees were planted all over the inside and outside of the temple. When the wind blew, the delicate pink petals scattered all over the pasture. It was a breathtaking sight. Away from the bustle of the city, untainted by its dust. Pure and unadulterated. Living here and trained for long-term would cleanse one's body of the impurity. 

When they arrived at the door of the temple, they instinctively stopped talking and their breathing slowed. 

Yamaguchi Takaki knocked on the door.

Almost immediately, a beautiful young lady in kimono popped up from behind the door and asked in a gentle voice, "Are you the prime minister?"

"Yes, I made an appointment with Master Akaihi yesterday," Yamaguchi Takaki said.

"Please come in. Grandfather told me to bring you straight to the kitchen."

The young lady opened the door and showed the group in. She was so stunning that everyone who stepped over the doorsill could not help but do a doubletake.

Dark lustrous hair cascaded around the skin on her fair neck. The aqua blue kimono wrapped around her the curves of her body was strangely sultry and alluring. Her delicate feet, bare of socks or shoes, stepping on the limestone floor were adorable.

All who came were men and all of them liked what they saw.

But because she was Master Akaihi's granddaughter, they could only sneak glances at her as they walked past, not daring to stop walking in fear of appearing discourteous. But when Chen Xiaobei did something that stopped everyone in their tracks. He stood in front of the young lady and grinned. "Lady, do you still remember me?"

What the f*ck?!

Everyone was bewildered when they heard him call her lady. None of them dared let their gaze linger on the girl but here was Chen Xiaobei, taking liberties with her.

This was Master Akaihi's granddaughter we're talking about!

With Master Akaihi temper, he might just kick them out the door!

Yamaguchi Takaki started sweating profusely. "Ms. Uzuishi. This is a mistake. Please don't be mad…"

"It's not a mistake." The young lady shook her head, her dainty red lips spread into a smile. "I know this man. He saved my life!"

"What… What does that mean?" Everyone was scratching their heads, trying to understand the situation.

"Oh, it's like that…" She started to explain.

"Ms. Uzuishi!" Chen Xiaobei quickly broke her off and said, "That is a secret between us. You can't tell anyone!"

"Oh, alright. I won't!" she nodded obediently and then said shyly, "You can just call me Yasai. I'm not some rich lady."

"Okay, Yasai."

Chen Xiaobei smiled thinking about how cute this girl's name was.

That's right! She was the beautiful chef Uzhishi Yasai whom he saved in the hotel yesterday! 

She knew that Chen Xiaobei gave a Nutbuster Kick to Nikkawa Okazaka. If she told the others about it, he would be in big trouble.

Yamaguchi Takaki did not press the issue but was glad to change the topic, "Since Commander Nikkawa rescued Ms. Uzuishi, could you please ask Master Akaihi to just agree with our request?"

"I can't…" Uzuishi Yasai shook her head and said, "Grandfather had kept to this principle his whole life. There is no way he would be willing to bend it for anything!"

Yamaguchi Takaki was disappointed but he could not do anything about it. "Then, please, Miss Uzuishi, take us to the kitchen…"

In the kitchen.

The place was truly a legend's territory. 

Hidden within the ancient temple was a large, modern kitchen. It was so well-equipped that any kinds of dishes, be it Japanese, Chinese or European cuisine could be prepared here! The ten master chefs Yamaguchi Takaki had brought with him came ready with their own ingredients. They stepped into the kitchen and immediately got to work.

"I'll just stay out here. I won't be of any help and might even be in your way," said Chen Xiaobei, he already had a plan in mind. "Yasai-san, why don't you take me out for a walk? The splendid view should be properly admired."

"Alright!"

A smile reappeared on Uzuishi Yasai's little face as she walked Chen Xiaobei out.

Yamaguchi Takaki did not dare to stand in Chen Xiaobei's way so he stayed in the kitchen and kept watch.

Under the cherry blossom tree.

Chen Xiaobei kneeled on the grass and asked in a deliberately casual manner, "Yasai-san, what does your grandfather like to eat? Can no one satisfy him?"

"I don't know what grandfather likes." Uzuishi Yasai, who was sitting next to him like a gentlewoman, said, "Grandfather's culinary skill is one of the best. All these years, he has already tasted so many premium dishes! Even more than the rice we've eaten! The dish that could win grandfather's favor would have to be something he has never tasted before that exquisite and beyond delicious! These are nearly impossible to meet so grandfather had not been impressed by any dishes these few years!"

Chen Xiaobei's jaw fell at this.

It had been a few years since Uzuishi Akaihi deemed a dish worthy of him?

That was preposterous!

But Chen Xiaobei had an idea to meet the criteria Uzuishi Yasai had just mentioned!

"There is something I need to do. I will have to leave the mountain but I'll be back in two hours." Chen Xiaobei got up abruptly.

"Let me come with you."

Uzuishi Yasai wanted to tag along.

"No, stay here. If they look for, just tell them what I told you."

Chen Xiaobei then walked away.

"Alright…"

Uzuishi Yasai nodded as a puzzled look flashed across her eyes.

...

After leaving the Shallow Grass Temple, Chen Xiaobei got onto the Somersault Cloud and headed for China. The Somersault Cloud traveled at supersonic speed; within ten minutes, Chen Xiaobei had already arrived in Green Vine City.

To be more specific, Chen Xiaobei had arrived at a secret base, the Hearty Island!

This little island was once an illegal animal fighting colosseum. Chen Xiaobei took over and planted peach trees all over the island. When the peach blossoms bloomed, you would see the island covered in a gorgeous pink from the shore of the south lake.

Soon after, the people in the city started calling it the Peach Blossom Island!

On the island, there was something that the citizens of China were familiar with and have good memories of – First Love Peach!

Since Chen Xiaobei left Green Vine City, both Peach Blossom Island and Bei Xuan Faction had been placed under Jing Fei's care.

Jing Fei was fed the Heavenly Dog Biscuit so he was loyal and dedicated to Chen Xiaobei and had gone all out to make sure everything was just as Chen Xiaobei had left it.

Today, when Chen Xiaobei came back, every single one of the peach blossom trees were standing tall and strong. 

This was the season when the blossoms were most bountiful. Not long after, the new batch of First Love Blossoms would be sold in the market.

But Chen XIaobei could not wait that long.

He chose the most flourishing tree and poured half a bag of Heavenly Fertilizer that he had taken from the Infinite Space Ring all over the roots of the tree. The Heavenly Fertilizer that he just used came from Hundred Herbs God some time ago.

Looking back, when Chen Xiaobei planted his first Peach Blossom Trees, he had also used this fertilizer. In one night, the three seedlings had grown into three towering Peach Blossom trees.

The tree before his eyes was about to bear fruit. 

Once the Heavenly Fertilizer made contact with the ground, the flowers on the branches started to metamorphose. Within three minutes, all the petals had withered and in its place were tiny little peaches. In three minutes, the little peaches grew bigger and then in another three, the three was full of ripe peaches! They were large and round, with a dusty red hue, as if it were beautiful jade carving. 

Needless to say, simply by looking at it, these were Grade A peaches!

"These water honey peaches are from Monkey King's Mount Huaguo. They are the tastiest peaches in the world and I'm more than certain that Uzuishi Akaihi has never had them before! That way, I will be able to meet both of his requirements!"

Chen Xiaobei chuckled to himself. He was confident of the peaches that had once astounded the entire country.

After that, Chen Xiaobei placed all of the First Love Peaches into the Infinite Space Ring.

He hopped onto the Somersault Cloud and went back to Shallow Grass Temple. 

Success was right before his eyes!

Not even an hour had passed when Chen Xiaobei returned to Shallow Grass Mountain. 

Chen Xiaobei told Uzuishi Yasai that he would be back in two hours so he still had another hour to spare! He put on the Chen Zhufeng mask and knocked on the door of the temple. Again, it was Uzuishi Yasai who answered the door. "May I know who you are? Why are you here?"

"I'm Chen Zhufeng from China." Chen Xiaobei spoke in his own voice. "I heard about Master Akaihi and I want to invite him to cook for me."

Uzuishi Yasai looked concerned.

"Do you know my grandfather's criteria?"

"Of course." Chen Xiaobei nodded.

Uzuishi Yasai replied, "Since you know that already, then you should be aware that my grandfather will not accept any run-of-the-mill dishes! I might add that my grandfather has not cooked for anyone for a few years already…"

"I understand. Master Akaihi is picky. I won't be surprised if he rejects me." Chen Xiaobei said earnestly, "But I've traveled all the way to Japan, if I don't give it a try, I will regret this my whole life!"

Uzuishi Yasai's frown deepened and said, "Let me give you one last heads-up: Grandfather is scolding someone right now… If you are not afraid of being reprimanded then you can follow me."

"No, I'm not! Let's go in!"

Chen Xiaobei grinned. What is there to be afraid of? He already had a card up his sleeve.

In the dining hall of the temple.

Chen Xiaobei was following behind Uzuishi Yasai when they heard a seething voice lambasting someone's cooking. 

"Rubbish! How could even think of serving this to me? Did you think that I don't know western food? Take this crap and get out of my sight!"

The door creaked open and a European chef carrying a plate of scrumptious looking seafood dish walked out, hanging his head in shame.

When they were hiking up the mountain, Yamaguchi Takaki had introduced this chef to Chen Xiaobei. He was the winning champion of the Seafood Category of the World Culinary competition. All the European officials and dignitaries must place a booking three months in advance if they want to eat at his restaurant.

But here in the tiny Shallow Grass Mountain, his dish was deemed rubbish and he did not have the impudence to challenge that statement! That was because the person criticizing his cooking was Uzuishi Akaihi!

Uzuishi Yasai glanced at Chen Xiaobei and said, "You can leave if you want…"

"No, I don't want to." Chen Xiaobei said, smiling, "We Chinese men can lose a battle but we will not run away from it!'

"Alright. That's all I can help you with…"

Uzuishi Yasai nodded, and then brought Chen Xiaobei in.

There was a line of ten dining tables stretched across the room. Minus the one that had just been removed, there were nine left. On each of the tables was a mouth-watering dish with its creator, looking somber and acquiescent, standing behind it.

Yamaguchi Takaki stood aside, swallowing every now and then—he was both drawn to the inviting dishes and afraid that none of these nine dishes were enough to please Uzuishi Akaihi.

"Huh? Who is he?"

Uzuishi Akaihi was pouring himself a cup of tea to gargle with when he caught sight of Chen Xiaobei.

"He is also here to invite you to cook for him. He did not make any appointment but he came all the way from China so I invited him in," Uzuishi Yasai answered.

Upon hearing this, the chefs became exasperated.

"This kid must think very highly of himself! Even we don't dare hope for Master Akaihi's approval! He's just a young nobody with no experience! What qualifies him to come here and show off?"

"Master Akaihi has way more cooking experience than that bastard! How dare he come and blow his own trumpet?!

"Yeah! What is so great about Chinese food? Even if the top Chinese chef came, he would only be reprimanded for his cooking!"

"Yeah! Chinese food is disgusting! Also, China and Japan are not on good terms. Who knows, maybe Master Akaihi will just give the kid a boot!"

...

The nine chefs whispered among themselves. In their eyes, Chen XIaobei was unworthy, China's dishes were unworthy—unworthy to even be standing next to them. But before Chen Xiaobei could even do anything about it, Uzuishi Akaihi gave them a slap in the face.

"You are a bunch of ignorant fools! What do you know?" Uzuishi Akaihi said unsmiling. "Chinese dishes are really complex! Any of the eight delicacies is enough to impress me! One of my biggest regrets is that I have yet tasted all of China's delicacies! This young man came just in time!"

"Huh…" the nine chefs were all rendered speechless and their faces burned with shame.

If someone else were to call them ignorant fools, they would have already given him a piece of their mind.

But since it was the titan of the culinary world who said it, they could only bow their heads meekly and swallow.

"That's just a misunderstanding, Master Akaihi. Please don't take it to heart…" Yamaguchi Takaki, who had been quiet, tried to smooth things over.

Uzuishi Akaihi could not care less for him. Instead, he looked enthusiastically at Chen Xiaobei and asked, "Young man, what do you want to prepare for me? Szechuan Cuisine, Shandong Cuisine, Cantonese Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine, Zhejiang Cuisine, Hunan Cuisine, Anhui Cuisine, and Huaiyang Cuisine, these are all the eight dishes that I'm really interested in!"

Uzuishi Akaihi picked up a cup and drank and gargled.

"I don't plan to cook these eight cuisines because I don't know how to!" Chen Xiaobei flashed a warm smile and said, "The dish I want to make is a fruit platter!"

"Pfft…"

When Uzuishi Akaihi heard this, the tea he had just drank sprayed from his mouth.

"What? The kid wants to make a fruit platter? Did we hear wrongly?"

Everyone in the room was dumbstruck.

"If we heard right, then that kid is a retard!"

"Yeah, what normal person would come all the way to Shallow Grass Mountain to make a fruit platter? Did a donkey kick him in the head?"

"Hey dumbass! You better get out of here! You want to make a fruit platter? That is an insult to Master Akaihi!"

...

The nine chefs took the chance to mock Chen Xiaobei. They had just been slapped in the face, so now they were venting their anger on Chen Xiaobei. Even Uzuishi Akaihi was pissed. He was prepared to give Chen Xiaobei a good roasting.

This kid with no cooking experience wants to win him over with a fruit platter?! This had never happened to him before! Uzuishi Akaihi felt immensely offended!

"Don't speak too soon or too much, otherwise you'll be slapped till your face rips open later!" 

No one had noticed the plastic bag that Chen Xiaobei had been carrying in his hands.

Now, he opened the bag and took out a larger round water honey peach.

"Is that… a peach? It looks like a jade sculpture…"

Before you know it, every single person in the room were bowled over, leaving their mouth ajar and their eyelids in a permanent stretch. 

"How could a peach like that exist?" Uzuishi Akaihi was just as astounded as the rest. A Chinese poem came to mind: 

There is a rare beauty in the north;

Unequaled, there is none like her.

One look at her and a city falls;

A second look leaves a nation in ruins!

That's right! The peach in Chen Xiaobei's hands was the reflection of this poem!

Even if you turn Japan, or even the world, upside down, you would never be able to find another peach as beautiful as this one!

"Master Akaihi!" Chen Xiaobei asked, grinning, "Do you want to have a taste of my fruit platter?"

"Yes… I'd like to…"

Uzuishi Akaihi nodded eagerly, and swallowed unconsciously.

Having sat on the throne as a legendary cook for more than a decade, just like how a seasoned womanizer could tell at one glance what a woman's body measurements are, Uzuishi Akaihi could identify and distinguish any dishes placed before him.

The water honey peach in Chen Xiaobei's hands was, without a question, the zenith of flavor, and taste.

Uzuishi Akaihi claimed to have partaken of more world-class delicacies than a regular person would have rice. But never had he ever eaten a peach like this.

How could he possibly resist having a taste of it?

"Alright, since you have requested for it so fervently, I will prepare a place for you!"

Chen Xiaobei took hold of a platter and got to work. 

"He's starting… Let's see how he's going to plate it…"

Uzuishi Akaihi and Uzuishi Yasai looked on with grave anticipation and interest.

All nine of the chefs kept their mouth shut.

Everyone in the room held their breath as they waited to be dazzled by Chen Xiaobei's performance. 

Crack!

But they did not expect this: Chen Xiaobie did not use a knife but his bare hands to split the peach into halves with the skin on; he then tossed it onto the plate, with the pit removed, and brought it to Uzuishi Akaihi!

"What the f*ck! This is called a fruit platter? Could this idiot be more spontaneous?!"

"He didn't even peel it! Do you think that Master Akaihi was born yesterday?"

"You might as well not have removed the pit! Why don't you just give the peach whole to Master Akaihi? That would be even more convenient! Did you really think you can pass this off as a fruit platter?"

The nine chefs were enraged. In their whole career, this was the time they've seen this sort of preparation of a fruit platter.

He used his bare hands to pull the peach apart and then put it on a plate!

This 'plating technique' was an insult to them as chefs!

"Are you chefs or gossipmongers? What is the use of all this babbling?" Chen Xiaobei said, "At the end of the day food is for eating not for looking at! Didn't we just eliminated all the dishes that looked good but tasted horrible?"

The truth was, if it was not to prevent the Japanese from doing research and planting the First Love Peach, Chen Xiaobei would have just left the pit in the fruit.

"That's right!" Uzuishi Akaihi agreed. "When judging a dish, the taste is the most important criteria! It's the key to a good dish! The embellishments are just for aesthetics! They are just the icing on the cake!"

"A master really is a master. A hundred million times wiser than these fools!" Chen Xiaobei laughed.

The nine chefs were infuriated, they wanted to wrap their hands around Chen Xiaobei's neck and teach him a lesson! But Uzuishi Akaihi had spoken in agreement so they could only restrain themselves. 

Chen Xiaobei served up the dish and announced, "Master Akaihi, please enjoy!"

"Alright…" Master Akaihi picked up his cup again and gargled.

Then he picked up one half of the peach and took a whiff of the flesh. Without warning, the fragrance overtook his senses and he was so overcome with desire that he took a large bite!

"Grandfather…"

Uzuishi Yashi was was astonished.

She had seen her grandfather taste so many dishes before. Usually, he would decide their worthiness by the smell itself. They would normally be vetoed. However, if it passes the test, then the old legendary cook would take only a small portion with his chopsticks for tasting.

She had never seen her grandfather take such a large mouthful of tasting food before.

To a him, this was a completely out of character!

"Grandfather! Slow down! Be careful, you might choke…"

What was more puzzling to Uzuishi Yasai was the fact that instead of nibbling and tasting the food deliberately, her grandfather was gorging down on the peach halve like a hungry ghost.

He did not even pause before he reached for the other half and polished it off within seconds.

"Grandfather… Leave a piece for me to taste…"

Uzuishi Yasai stood motionless, a look of indignation hung on her face. 

She had never seen her grandfather lose control over a dish! Even a fool would know that this peach must taste amazing!

But her grandfather cleaned the plate off! How could he?!

"Master Akaihi, how does the peach taste?" The others who did not know Uzuishi Akaihi's character too well were dying to know.

"My goodness! This peach… This peach is just too delicious! It's the most amazing thing I've ever tasted! Nothing can ever compare to it!" Uzuishi Akaihi reveled as he lifted his head and exclaimed.

"How… How could it be…" Everyone tried to make sense of what had just happened.

A top master chef's dish was just dubbed 'trash' and this simple peach was praised so enthusiastically?

How inconceivable! How baffling! Some of them even started to question their lives!

But what happened next completely wrecked their perspective!

"Grandfather… Why are you crying…" Uzuishi Yasai asked in a panic.

"I'm not crying…" Uzuishi Akaihi trembled. His face was flushed and in the corners of his wrinkled eyes, were hot tears. He said, impassioned, "These are tears of joy!"

There was no way…

The reputable, skilled and experienced Master Akaihi shed tears for a peach?

This was as surreal as the sun rising from the North!

A minute ago, these master chefs had looked at Chen Xiaobei like he was retarded fool.

But at this very moment, they had to eat their own words!

The world is huge! There are so many unusual things in the world. It was only that these fools were so ignorant!

"Grandfather, what does it taste like?"

Uzuishi Yasai's curiosity was roused.

"It's the taste of first love!" There were still traces of tears on Uzuishi Akaihi's face and there was a faraway look in his eyes. "Young man, was that what I tasted?"

"You truly are a master!" Chen Xiaobei nodded and said, "You're right! Seeing the way you gobbled it up, you must have had a fiery first love!"

"You sniffed me out…" Uzuishi Akaihi face turned a beet red—Chen Xiaobei had guessed correctly.

"How could it be? How could there be such an amazing peach? Let me have a taste!" The most wily of the group, the prime minster, had ran over and taken hold of the plate when no one was paying attention, and licked the juice that was left.

Bam!

He had only just started licking when he got down on his knees.

"Prime minister! Why are you on your knees?" The rest of the crowd could not understand what was happening.

Yamagushi Takaki said nothing.

He just knelt there, dazed.

Chen Xiaobei smiled smugly and said, "The answer is simple—he must have had a bad first love! Hehe…"

"Young man, forgive me for being presumptuous, but do you happen to have more of that peach? I would like to buy them from you. I'm willing to pay whatever price you offer!" Uzuishi Akaihi asked sincerely.

"I…I want to buy it too…" Yamaguchi Takaki held the empty plate with both his hands like a beggar and said, "If you don't want money, I can make you a Japanese official! All you to do is give me some of those peaches!"

Everyone else was speechless.

Exchanging money and power for delicacies was exactly how people try to get Uzuishi Akaihi to cook for them!

But now, it was Uzuishi Akaihi and the Japanese prime minister who was begging Chen Xiaobei!

A small little peach turned the table and brought Chen Xiaobei fame and wealth!

The nine chefs resigned to keeping quiet, the looked at Chen Xiaobei, their gaze filled with admiration.

Uzuishi Yasai had her hand over her mouth as if yearning to taste the peach but there was something else. She was starting to act even more unnatural with time. Of course, right now, no one noticed this quiet young lady, they all had their eyes on Chen Xiaobei. 

"I know you are all sincere, but my hands are tied!" Chen Xiaobei shrugged and put on a straight face as he made up stories, "This particular species of peach is very precious! I've exhausted a lot of resources and mobilized many men to get my hands on this one! There's no more!"

"Oh, that's why… That's such a shame… This peach can be comparable to the delicacy in heaven! It's so rare in the human realm!"

Uzuishi Akaihi and Yamaguchi Takaki sighed, they looked absolutely devastated at this news as if they had just missed a very valuable item.

What they do not know was that Chen Xiaobei had stored up to 100 ripe water honey peaches in the Infinite Space Ring and he had a whole forest of them in Green Vine City. 

Chen Xiaobei only said that to make the First Love Peach seemed like a rare commodity, just like he did with the spicy sticks to fool Yanwang.

The rarer the item, the higher the value. 

Only when they believe that the item was rare and valuable, they would be more willing to do things for Chen Xiaobei!

"Master Akaihi, my fruit platter has passed, right?" Chen Xiaobei smiled. "I want to eat a good feast in three days' time. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"No problem! No problem at all! I will do my best!" Uzuishi Akaihi patted his chest as pledge and said, "If you ever get your hands on this peach next time, please get me some… If it's too much problem, even one is good enough!"

Alas, Chen Xiaobei's trick had worked.

Uzuishi Akaihi wanted to eat the First Love Peach again so, naturally, he was willing to use his specialty skills to prepare a dish of sashimi for Chen Xiaobei!

"Sure! If I will help you if I get the chance!" Chen Xiaobei promised.

The First Love Peach was actually nothing valuable.

If he could get the 9,000 years-old Saturn Peach, he would be so happy he might even gift a few kilograms of peaches to Uzuishi Akaihi!

"Do you have any special request? Tell me now so that I can get the ingredients!" Uzuishi Akaihi said.

"Yes!" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "I want to present this sashimi to an elderly lady. She is of high status and position. I hope to present it to her during a party. I hope you could create a very meaningful sashimi dish!"

This was, of course, not a problem for a legendary cook like Uzuishi Akaihi. He agreed straightaway.

"Don't worry. All you need to do is come back and get it in three days."

"Alright, then I'll take my leave." Chen Xiaobei trusted Uzuishi Akaihi's reputation so he simply turned and left.

"Master Akaihi!" Yamaguchi Takaki smiled jovially and said, "Is it our turn again? You still haven't tasted nine other dishes!"

Uzuishi Akaihi glared at Yamaguchi Takaki and snapped, "You have tasted the peach yourself! Do you think that after eating that amazing fruit, I will still think that the other dishes taste good?"

"That…" Yamaguchi Takaki was taken aback.

Even though he was here with a task, he could not not admit that after tasting the juice of the peach, everything else he eats after that would taste bland in comparison.

"Save it! Unless you have a masochistic tendency, and like being scolded, please leave!" Uzuishi Akaihi ordered his guests to depart.

"If that's the case, then we'll get out of your hair… We'll show ourselves out…"

Yamaguchi Takaki understood the old legendary cook's temper so he left with his nine master chefs.

Just as they stepped out of the door, Chen Xiaobei, who had already put on the Nikkawa Dachi mask, was already waiting.

"It looks like you weren't able to convince Master Akaihi, right, prime minister?" Chen Xiaobei asked in a playful tone.

"Sigh, I don't want to talk about it." Yamaguchi Takaki was troubled. "We'll have to settle with second-grade chef for the crown prince's wedding."

Everyone else was just as demoralized. They all said nothing.

When they finally reached the foot of the hill where they parked their cars, they found a hundred over men waiting!

Four men dressed in kimonos stood at the front and behind them were ten middle-aged men dressed in refined ninjutsu uniform.

And behind them were over a hundred younger looking ninjas.

"Oh no… They don't look friendly!"

Chen Xiaobei was suddenly panic-stricken.

"Aiya… Four Enigmatic Ninjas! And ten pinnacle ninjas, what brought you here?"

Yamaguchi Takaki suddenly lit up and ran ingratiatingly towards the group of ninjas, bowing and scraping to them.

It's pretty clear now that this Prime Minister Yamaguchi Takaki really did not have much power at all. He did not even dare ruffle the hairs on Nikkawa Daichi. What more these four Enigmatic Ninjas and the pinnacle ninjas that were as powerful as Nikkawa Daichi.

What was more, these ninjas were pretty special—they were specially sent by Tenshou to assist the emperor and the officials!

Yamaguchi Takaki was in no position to wrong anyone so he could only bootlick.

"It's a classified operation. Order the chefs to leave." Green Dragon Enigmatic Ninja instructed.

"Yes!" Yamaguchi Takaki waved the master chefs to get on the cars and leave.

Chen Xiaobei did not know what was happening but he refrained from asking any questions in case he accidentally gave himself away.

Little did he know that his cover had been blown the night he killed Nikkawa Okazaka!

"Chen Xiaobei! Why don't you just remove your mask!" Green Dragon Enigmatic Ninja peered at Chen Xiaobei and said.

The hundreds of Ninjas stood in formation and surrounded Chen Xiaobei.

"What the hell is going on? How did you know my real identity?"

Even Jiang Ziya and Six Ears Macaque did not know that Chen Xiaobei had just made Nikkawa Dachi mask. There was no way that others would know about it. Feeling puzzled by it, Chen Xiaobei could not figure out how in the world did he made a mistake that caused his identity exposed by his enemies. Seemingly, Tenshou was prepared this time since they had sent most of their allies to deal with Chen Xiaobei. It was almost impossible for him to escape from this place!

"You must be wondering how did we know your true identity, right?" said the Green Dragon Enigmatic Ninja while narrowing his eyes.

"Yes. My plan should be perfect! How the hell did you guys know that I'm not Nikkawa Daichi?"

Knowing that he could not hide from them anymore, Chen Xiaobei took off his mask and showed them who he really was.

"Oh my god… You… You are our military's and Tenshou's most wanted criminal! Chen… Chen Xiaobei…"

Taken aback, Yamaguchi Takaki did not expect that he had been spending so much time with the most dangerous criminal in Japan. After the Poseidon Operation fell apart, Japanese and military had attempted a couple of times to take Chen Xiaobei in. All the people that were sent to capture Chen Xiaobei were no ordinary individuals.

Unfortunately, every single one of them had ended in the same fate. No one in Japan could reach out to them after they were sent to capture Chen Xiaobei. Even the pinnacle ninja, Tanaka Tsuyoshi had disappeared as well. Rumor had it that Chen Xiaobei was actually an elite with Celestial cultivation. Upon thinking that he had just walked side by side with Chen Xiaobei, Yamaguchi Takaki could not help but feel like he just escaped from hell!

"All I can tell you is my boss is the one that exposed your true identity! As for the details, I'm afraid I can't tell you more! Save your breath! Don't ask us any question! No matter what, we will capture you back to our base alive! I don't think you will be able to run away from us even if you are an elite with Celestial cultivation!" said the Green Dragon Enigmatic Ninja.

"Is that right?"

Immediately, Chen Xiaobei activated his Netherspirit Battlescouter and scanned on the people around him. There were some really young ninjas around him. However Chen Xiaobei did not even bother to check out their combat power. As for the second row of ninjas, all of them were pinnacle ninjas with 50,000 health and combat power.

Technically speaking, Chen Xiaobei was definitely powerful enough to take down the ten of them. However, it would require him to spend some Spiritual Qi and take out his trump card from his Infinite Space Ring!

Considering that he still needed to spend a lot of Spiritual Qi for his ultimate plan in Japan. It was definitely not a good idea for him to overspend his Spiritual Qi right now. The thing that made him frustrate the most was there was no guarantee that he would win in this battle after he invested a huge amount of Spiritual Qi in it. That was because the four old men that stood in front of him were extremely powerful!

Ding!

[Cultivation: Early phase of Celestial cultivation. Health: 75,000. Combat power: 75,000!]

That was the true strength of the chubby old man! He was the Black Tortoise Enigmatic Ninja! At most, Chen Xiaobei could only draw with him after using the first and second transformation of Witch Dragon Transformation to fight with him. The odd was 50:50!

Ding!

[Early phase of Celestial cultivation. Health: 90,000. Combat power: 80,000!]

That was the defender's true strength! And he was the White Tiger Enigmatic Ninja! Considering that he focused mainly on increasing his health, he was actually more powerful than the Black Tortoise Enigmatic Ninja. With that being said, Chen Xiaobei would need to activate his third transformation to defeat him.

In the end, all those Spiritual Stones that Chen Xiaobei saved up would be completely used up. There were two more powerful elites glaring at him.

Ding!

[Early phase of Celestial cultivation. Health: 85,000. Combat power: 85,000!]

This was the true strength of the silver-haired old man! He was the Phoenix Enigmatic Ninja! In order to defeat him, Chen Xiaobei would need to activate his fourth transformation. Unfortunately, Chen Xiaobei did not have enough Spiritual Stone to activate the fourth transformation.

Ding!

[Middle phase of Celestial cultivation. Health: 90,000. Combat power: 90,000!]

Lastly, this person was the leader of all those hundreds of ninjas. He was the Green Dragon Enigmatic Ninja! With 90,000 combat power, he was as powerful as the emperor of Japan, Nikkawa Uchu! The only item that Chen Xiaobei had and could be used to constrict him was the Deity Constricting Rope!

However, it would require Chen Xiaobei to spend a whopping 1,000 Spiritual Stones to use the item. As for the rest of the people, he would need to use up all the power that he stored at Chaos Blood Sword to defeat all of them. With that being said, the chance of him winning in this combat would be increased by 20% to 30% if he was willing to risk his life and used up everything that he possessed so far.

Still, he needed to think about what he should do after he defeated all of them.

Was he going to give up on saving Demonic Fox?

Was he going to give up on searching the Orochi Scale?

Was he going to give up on looking for the reincarnated Daji?

Was he going to give up on helping Demonic Fox to avenge her family?

Lastly, the final matter that concerned him the most was the powerful individual that overpowered every single enemy that stood in front of him right now. The final resort that Chen Xiaobei had if the mysterious individual attacked him all of a sudden was to toss a nuclear bomb at him. That would mean Chen Xiaobei would be killed in the battle too.

Combat power!

It was still the thing that Chen Xiaobei needed the most right now. Everything fight would require Chen Xiaobei to come out with a certain amount of Spiritual Qi. With enough Spiritual Qi, he could actually claim the victory every single time. Unfortunately, the circumstance that Chen Xiaobei was facing right now was completely out of his league. The only for him to defeat everyone in front of him was to boost his combat power to 90,000!

With his teeth gritted, Chen Xiaobei had decided secretly that he would focus on growing his combat power after this incident. He did not want to rely solely on Spiritual Qi to win every single battle.

"Kid. Why are you standing there? Did we scare the shit out of you? Black Tortoise, go and test his strength! White Tiger, I want you to prepare yourself to fight him as well! Two of you should be more than enough to capture that kid!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Black Tortoise and White Tiger strode toward Chen Xiaobei—preparing themselves to attack him.

"Kid, I would suggest you not to put up a fight. Just come with us! I think you do not wish to bring harm upon yourself too, right?" said the Black Tortoise.

He might look harmless. His True Qi was getting stronger whenever he took a step forward. After taking three steps, a layer of water attribute True Kang was formed around him. At the same time, the water element from soil and plant was drawn to him as well—further empower his True Kang. Soon after that, a ten meters tall Black Tortoise image was formed right behind him after he took another three steps. It looked like a small hill that was about to squash and destroy everything in its sight.

75,000 combat power!

Water Celestial Event!

There was no way that Chen Xiaobei was powerful enough to defeat an opponent like that. He had to make use of his trump card to gain an upper advantage in this battle.

"Xiaobei! Follow me!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice could be heard from beneath Chen Xiaobei's feet.

The sound came exactly from beneath his feet.

"Two ears?"

The voice was extremely familiar to Chen Xiaobei. The moment he looked down, he saw Six Ears Macaque. He still looked exactly like Zhao Ritian. Chen Xiaobei was taken aback when he saw a head pop out from the ground.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you hiding underground?"

"No time to explain now! Just come with me first!"

To Chen Xiaobei's surprise, Six Ears Macaque was actually here to rescue him. Immediately, he went and grabbed Chen Xiaobei's feet.

"What is going on?"

Just when Black Tortoise prepared to attack Chen Xiaobei, he felt really shocked as well when he saw a head pop out from the ground.

"That's the Earth Escape Skill! Attack them now! Don't let them get away! If not, we will be in big trouble!" said the Green Dragon Enigmatic Ninja.

Catching Chen Xiaobei off-guard was Tenshou's best opportunity to capture him alive. Chen Xiaobei would definitely go into hiding and prepare himself to face the next assault! By that time, it would be extremely difficult for Tenshou to locate Chen Xiaobei. Even if they managed to locate him, there was no guarantee that they would claim the victory like today! Clearly, they could not afford to miss a golden opportunity like this.

"Black Tortoise Earthquake!"

Knowing the severity of this matter, Black Tortoise knew that he could not afford to screw this up. Immediately, he channeled all his strength to launch a powerful attack.

Boom!

After hearing the loud noise, a ten-meter-tall Black Tortoise jumped up and prepare to land on Chen Xiaobei. With such terrifying strength, it was enough to squash and turn Chen Xiaobei into a patty even though he had 39,000 health.

Bam!

The ground shook when the Black Tortoise finally landed on the ground. Immediately, cracks started to appear on the ground and spread out thirty-meters wide. The entire place was a complete mess! Hundreds of ninjas were taken aback when they saw such a terrifying attack.

Unfortunately!

The Black Tortoise Engimatic Ninja was left frustrated after knowing that Chen Xiaobei had somehow managed to escape before his attack hit him. He could feel that someone had just landed a tight slap on his face. Seconds ago, he thought that he could complete the mission with ease. Now, the reality was telling him that he had just failed miserably.

"We are in big trouble this time!" said the White Tiger Enigmatic Ninja.

He was the one that was supposed to assist the Black Tortoise Enigmatic Ninja. However, his target was not disappeared into the underground before he could do anything about it.

"What should we do now?"

The Phoenix Enigmatic Ninja could feel a bad vibe from this failure as well. Not only they missed the golden opportunity and failed the mission, but also gave a good warning to Chen Xiaobei. Next time, it would not be that easy to capture him anymore.

"There's nothing we can do now! Let's just go back and wait for our boss to scold us!"

As the team leader, Green Dragon Enigmatic Ninja was felt extremely frustrated by it. This failure would definitely cause him to get a good scolding from his boss. Since Chen Xiaobei was nowhere to be seen, everyone from Tenshou had to go back to where they came from in a disappointed manner. No doubt, this journey was a waste of time for them.

.....

Inside the forest, a few kilometers away from the warzone.

Chen Xiaobei and Six Ears Macaque came out from the ground. Though they had been traveling underground, not a single speck of dust could be seen on their clothes and bodies!

"What is going on?"

There were a lot of questions whirring through Chen Xiaobei's head right now.

"I just used the Earth Escape Talisman given by Tu Xingsun! This is way better than the Earth Escape Skill! Now, this place is pretty far away from the warzone just now! I think we should be safe for now!" explained Six Ears Macaque.

"Earth Escape Talisman? How did you acquire something like this?"

"I asked from Shen Gongpao! I have just promised him that I will continue to cause harm to you! The only thing that I asked from him in return was a couple of Red Envelopes! Other than the Earth Escape Talisman, I also received the God Eyes Talisman! That was how I located you just now!"

"Since you have promised him that you will continue to cause harm to me, why did you come and save me? No one will go and take the reincarnated Daji from you guys if I'm dead!" said Chen Xiaobei while frowning.

"Try to think in a different direction! I did promise Shen Gongpao that I will continue to cause harm to you! But that doesn't mean I will do it! And there's no way that he will come down from heaven to teach me a lesson!"

"That doesn't sound ethical at all… You took his Red Envelopes but you refuse to work for him…"

"This is my nature! I don't like Chanism! That's why I refuse to do what they ask me to do!"

"This is why like you so much!"

It was true that Chanism had done many despicable things. A lot of deities in the heavenly realm were disgusted by them. Throughout the three realms, there were not many individuals had the guts to stand up against them! Six Ears Macaque was one of the rare ones.

Growwwwl!

Suddenly, a weird sound could be heard from Six Ears Macaque's stomach. Immediately, he put on an embarrassed look.

"What happened? Hungry?" asked Chen Xiaobei with a smile on his face.

"You are right! After leaving you, I realize that I don't have a single cent on me! And I can't converse in Japanese as well. The hunger that I experienced has taken a toll on me! That's why I use my God Eye Talisman to locate you! Then I saw that you are in danger. So, I decided to save you out of convenience!"

"I guess you choose the right time to feel hungry!"

"Stop thanking me! Do you have something for me to eat now?! Take some out! I'm living inside a mortal being's body! I'll be dead if I don't eat something right now!"

"Good timing! I do have something for you to eat right now! And I'm pretty sure that it's your favorite too!"

A dozen of First Love Peaches appeared on the ground after Chen Xiaobei swung his hands.

"Dang! Peaches!"

Six Ears Macaque was a monkey after all. The moment he saw the peaches on the ground, he was elated.

Crunch!

Crunch!

Immediately, he started to fill both of his hands with peaches and munched on them till peach juices squirted out from his mouth.

"Good brother! You save my life today! We can be considered good brothers after I fill my stomach with all these peaches!" said Six Ears Macaque.

"Eat slowly! I have more with me!" said Chen Xiaobei with a smile on his face.

The First Love Peach definitely brought him some really good stuff today!

"Nikkawa Daichi's identity is exposed! I don't think I can head back to where I come from tonight…"

Chen Xiaobei then sat on the ground and started to munch on the First Love Peach with Six Ears Macaque. He even took out two small bottles of Dragon Dick Hundred Fruits Moonshine to make things more enjoyable.

"This whole thing sounds really fishy to me! Not even Jiang Ziya knows about it! Who else would betray you?!" asked Six Ears Macaque who was flabbergasted.

"I'm not too sure as well! I have an odd feeling about it as well!"

Initially, he thought that the plan of infiltrating the palace should be smooth sailing. The ambush that he experienced just now had completely caught him off guard.

"Do you think if it's possible that there's a person possesses the ability to see through your mask? And the person is currently siding with the enemy!" asked Six Ears Macaque.

"X-ray Eyes? It's totally possible! Bro Yu mentioned to me that the S.H.I.E.L.D Department in the U.S has a huge collection of data about all the Mutants in this world! Some of their abilities came from brain wave mutation while others acquire their abilities through genetic mutation! As for others, they can't even figure out the way they acquire their abilities."

"X-ray Eyes is the ability of a Mutant! Among three billion people on this earth, one of them possesses this kind of ability! Like Spiderman, Hulk, and X-Men. Everyone thought that we can only see them in movies! The truth is this kind of people does exist on this very earth that we live in! The U.S government even formed an army that is completely made up of Mutants! They are so powerful that they can be compared with our Thunder Kirin Special Force!"

Chen Xiaobei heard all this news while drinking with Xiangyu some time ago. At first, he did not really put too much thought into it. However, after Six Ears Macaque mentioned this matter, Chen Xiaobei had decided that he would pay more attention to it. Considering that Japan and U.S were allies, it was totally possible for them to share resources.

All of Chen Xiaobei's masks would be rendered useless if the U.S government did send a Mutant with X-Ray Eyes ability to help them out.

"This is a serious threat to us! We have to look for a way to eliminate it as soon as possible! If not, there's no way for you to come out to light in Japan anymore!" said Six Ears Macaque in a serious manner.

"Let me think about it… I have not met with a lot of people after I put on the Nikkawa Daichi Mask! Nikkawa Okazaka was unconscious after I gave him a good hit! I don't think he knows my true identity as well! After that, I went to the hospital. If anyone knew of my true identity, they would have informed Nikkawa Ushu right away to capture me! In other words, the suspect that I'm looking for was not at the hospital!"

"After that, I went to the Umekawa Family as Chen Zhufeng. That means I can rule out the Umekawa Family as well! Finally, the rest of the people that saw me presented myself as Nikkawa Daichi were the famous chef, Uzuishi Akaihi, and Uzuishi Yasai!"

After taking some time out to recall all the things that happened in these two days, Chen Xiaobei had managed to keep the circle of suspects really small.

"When I managed to locate and found you with the God Eyes Talisman. I saw all the chefs were in shock. Clearly, they did not know anything about it as well!"

"So, Uzuishi Akaihi and Uzuishi Yasai are my final suspects? How is that even possible… I don't think they are with Tenshou!"

"I'm not too sure about it as well… You better watch out for them!"

"Three days later, I will make a trip to Shallow Grass Temple as Chen Zhufeng! By that time, I will know the truth!"

"Why must you go there again? What if the enemies ambush you again?!"

"I have to go there no matter what! The Saturn Peach Feast will be held three days later! Uzuishi Akaihi's gourmet is the key for me to acquire the 9000-year-old-Saturn Peach!"

"I understand now. I will prepare my Earth Escape Talisman to rescue you in case you are surrounded by those enemies again!"

"How many Earth Escape Talisman and God Eyes Talisman you have with you? Do you have other good items?

"I'm left with two pieces of Earth Escape Talisman and God Eyes Talisman each! Other than that, I have a Bodhidharma Staff with me as well!"

"This is not a good time to break the rule. That's why Shen Gongpao did not dare to send me items that are too powerful. This is it. I have to beg really hard for all these items!"

"Erm… Better not use it whenever we want. It's not easy for us to ask for more items from the heavenly realm nowadays! We really have to come up with a good plan to achieve our goal! We need to think of a solution that does not require us to use too many items to save ourselves if anything bad happens three days later!"

"That depends on what you have with you! The resources that I have with me are really limited! With that being said, there's only so much I can help you right now!"

"I don't have too many good items with me as well… I really hope that the Saturn Peach Feast will bring up a Red Envelope Grabbing Session! By that time, I must try my best to snatch as many Red Envelopes as possible!"

"Actually, I'm really jealous of you that you can join the Red Envelope Group! Demons like me don't even have the right to join the group!"

"You will get your chance in future."

"In future? The calamity is just around the corner. You have no idea what will happen after the calamity! There might be a possibility that the Red Envelope Group will cease to exist after the calamity!"

"No way! Cease to exist?!"

It was a fact that Chen Xiaobei had spent so much time in the Red Envelope Group that it had become part of his life.

"Don't worry first! Considering that the calamity is just around the corner, it's only logical for Chanism, Jieism, Western Teaching, Demonic Tribe, and others to leave the group and go back to their safe zone to discuss the strategy to deal with the calamity! With the intranet here, they can reform the group whenever they want. By that time, all of us can send whatever we want to send! The Primordial Lord of Heaven can do nothing about it anymore!"

"So… With that being said, the big Red Envelope Group will turn into a small Red Envelope Group with only our allies inside it?! And there's no more rules and regulations for sending Red Envelope?! This is going to be awesome!"

"Of course, that's the bright side of the future! The Primordial Lord of Heaven will continue to rule the heavenly realm until the calamity is here! That means we are still being restricted by his stupid rules!"

"You are right! It's useless to think about it right now! Let's sleep… We will make a trip back to Dragon City tomorrow…"

"Back to Dragon City for…?"

"To gather more resources! We better pray that nothing bad will happen three days later! We have to be prepared if the worst thing comes to us!"

After that, Chen Xiaobei slowly closed his eyes and took a good nap before the arrival of the huge storm!Luna: Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D much? xD

The next morning, Chen Xiaobei hopped on his Somersault Cloud and traveled back to Dragon City. After the last big war, the Zhuangs and Yaps had completely fallen from grace. These two families had ceased to exist in Dragon City. As for the Liu Family, they would never dare to disobey Chen Xiaobei. Lastly, the Cao Family was on good terms with Chen Xiaobei. In other words, Dragon City had turned into Chen Xiaobei's territory. No one would dare to go against him anymore.

At Bei Xuan Faction.

Everything had returned to how it was before. All the disciples in the faction were having a good time. As the grand leader of Blood Descendants Gordon and the grand elder of Mount Hua Faction Zhuang Bihuang were guarding the faction together, no Jianghu elites would dare to infiltrate or cause harm to Bei Xuan Faction if they were in their right minds.

Besides, the Jianghu in Dragon City had been really peaceful recently.

Firstly, the faction leader of Mount Hua Faction, Yue Changkong had become Chen Xiaobei's loyal hound. All the unsolved conflicts that he had with him were now gone with the wind.

Secondly, the grand elder of Green Town Faction, Su Dongruo had turned into Chen Xiaobei's loyal hound as well. Upon returning to Green Town Faction, Su Dongruo was given some form of punishment. However, he claimed no responsibility for the deaths of the disciples of Green Town Faction. Other than that, he also told his faction leader that he had nothing to do with Chen Xiaobei. That was why Green Town Faction still did not realize the existence of Bei Xuan Faction in Jianghu.

Thirdly, it was about Situ Hengfeng, which was rather weird. A while ago, he ran from Mount Shu Faction. Four of Chen Xiaobei's loyal hounds were trying to hunt him down but their attempts were in vain. If he managed to return to Mount Shu Faction, the truth about the war in Dragon City would be revealed to everyone. Considering the fact that three out of seven heroes of Green Town Faction and hundreds of disciples were killed during the war by Bei Xuan Faction, the faction leader would definitely avenge them if he knew what really happened.

As for Mount Shu Faction, the grandson of the grand leader of Mount Shu Faction, Xu Changqing's Water Shattering Dagger had been robbed off him during the war. Just like Green Town Faction, hundreds of their disciples were killed by Bei Xuan Faction as well.

As compared to Green Town Faction, Mount Shu Faction was definitely more powerful since they had a demigod protecting them. Facing such huge loss, it was definitely a great embarrassment to Mount Shu Faction. It would be terrifying if they came looking for Chen Xiaobei to pay for what he did to them.

Surprisingly, Mount Shu Faction did not do anything about it.

Could it be Situ Hengfeng was not back in Mount Shu Faction Yet?

Or, could it be he was back in Mount Shu Faction but the higher authority had decided that they wanted to suppress this matter first. In the meantime, they could be trying to work out some kind of evil plan to deal with Chen Xiaobei.

Regarding this matter, Chen Xiaobei had no idea what was going on with Mount Shu Faction. All he could do right now was to wait for them to make a move.

Back in Bei Xuan Faction, everyone was really happy to see Chen Xiaobei come back to them. Zhang Chui'er, Murong Xiaoyao, and Qiao'er had woken up really early to prepare a feast to welcome Chen Xiaobei. The four most powerful disciples of Bei Xuan Faction and the other elders like Murong Tian went and gathered around Chen Xiaobei once they saw him step into the faction. Seemingly, they really looked forward to have a good talk with Chen Xiaobei.

After dinner, Chen Xiaobei went ahead to contact all those that did not manage to meet him today. Song Qincheng brought Wenyuan, Nezha, Hong Hai'er, and Lin Nan to attend a function that was held for the people that worked in the entertainment industry. That was why they were not at Dragon City today. Clearly, they were doing quite well recently.

As for Luo Puti, she applied for a long leave to travel to Mount Hua Faction to look for clues about her missing parents.

After that, Chen Xiaobei went and contacted Lin Xiang. However, he could not reach her. Rendered with no other option, he contacted Professor Lim to ask about her. In the end, he got to know that Lin Xiang was going through some kind of extreme training that could boost her cultivation and combat power greatly once she completed the training.

Lan Mengcheng was still residing in Dragon City. After all, the Lan Family was the most powerful family in Green Vine City. They would definitely need quite a long time to pack everything and move to Dragon City.

Lastly, Chen Xiaobei contacted Liu Xuanxin but he did not manage to get to her as well. After making a call to Liu Xiyuan, Chen Xiaobei was told that she went and travel around to look for the right opportunity to achieve Celestial cultivation breakthrough. Undeniably, Liu Xuanxin was one of the rarest prodigies in Jianghu. It would be easy for her to achieve the breakthrough since her current cultivation was pinnacle phase of True Nirvana cultivation.

"I can give her a small piece of my Skybreaking Cultivation Pill if I have one with me right now… Unfortunately, I still need two more ingredients to concoct it… She wouldn't have to travel so far if I work faster toward this goal!"

Chen Xiaobei was worried about her after hanging up the call. For a long time, Liu Xuanxin had been tortured by her illness—causing her not being able to step out from the house. It was only natural that Chen Xiaobei acted in such a way. Fortunately, she was not a timid and weak girl. It was not easy for others to take advantage of her since she possessed really powerful cultivation.

After contacting everyone that he wanted to contact, it was time for Chen Xiaobei to work on a very important matter. There might be a war happened three days later! Currently, the most powerful weapon that Chen Xiaobei deployed to protect Bei Xuan Faction was the Thunder Pool Tesseract and it was buried right in the middle of Bei Xuan Faction.

Chen Xiaobei went over there and pried open one of the green stone tiles. He then moved all the soil aside and a small jade box was presented in front of him. Though the jade box was small, one could see there were countless lightning bolts rumbling inside it. It was as if a completely different dimension was being placed inside it!

"So, this is the true power of Divine Item! Clearly, its Spiritual Attribute has become weaker due to the war that happened some time ago! Still, it's more powerful than a Spiritual Item!"

While observing it, Chen Xiaobei could feel the powerful presence emanated from this Divine Item. Thunder Pool Tesseract was actually one of the low-tier Divine Item crafted by Yun Zhongzi. However, its destructive power was far more terrifying than the other Spiritual Items that he owned.

"Considering that Dragon City is a safe place now and I have someone powerful to protect my Bei Xuan Faction, I think it's fine for me to take it with me for now…"

Retrieving the Thunder Pool Tesseract was why Chen Xiaobei traveled back to Dragon City.

"3,000 Spiritual Stones are needed to power up the Thunder Pool Tesseract. This is huge even for me! I will do it during the war! It's not necessary for me to do it right here right now!"

Chen Xiaobei knew that there were a lot of unknown factors in the upcoming war. Thunder Pool Tesseract was merely a choice of weapon for him. It was not a must for him to use it during the war. He was preparing to head back to Japan after settled everything that he wanted to do.

"Master! Hold on! I have something to ask you. It's been bothering for a very long time! I have to ask you right now because I have no idea when are you coming back next time!"

Suddenly, Chen Xiaobei saw Gordon running toward him.

"Ask away."

There were 24 hours left before the commencement of the Saturn Peach Feast. That was why Chen Xiaobei was not in a hurry.

"During our last conflict in Zhong State, did you really threw the Dark Neutron at me? I did a search for it for seven days and seven nights! Still, I couldn't locate it!"

"Oh… Regarding this matter. I did not throw it! I ate it!"

"What? Ate… Ate it? How's that even possible?"

Chen Xiaobei responded with a smile.

"You… You really ate it?"

Sweat started to drip down from Gordon's forehead. He would never believe a single word that he just heard if it was others that told him about it. However, he was left with no choice but to believe in it since Chen Xiaobei was the one that told him.

"Is your body okay?" asked Gordon.

"Nothing's wrong with my body. I consume the Dark Neutron with my Spiritual Beast's ability. Not only is my body fine, but my health did increase by 7,000 as well!"

"Oh my god! That sounds like a fairy tale to me! From ancient times till now, the Blood Descendants are the only species that can live alongside the Dark Neutron. An ordinary human being's life would be consumed by it if the person carries it for a long period of time!"

"Look at me! I'm totally fine! Don't worry!" said Chen Xiaobei while shrugging.

"Then, do you feel the Dark Power flowing within you? The Dark Neutron from the Gustav Family has some really powerful and incredible ability! Your cultivation will be improved greatly if you can master it!"

"I know all of that. Through sucking the blood of others, I will be able to absorb part of the victim's cultivation! Still, it can be considered as a really powerful ability! Unfortunately, I don't feel that I have learned this ability after consuming it! Is there any way for me to use this ability?"

"There is, actually! But you have to be able to feel the Dark Power flow within you first! Okay. Let me tell you the spell to activate the ability first. Chant the spell once you feel the Dark Power in your body! By doing that, you will be able to use the ability!"

"Okay. Better than nothing. It's good for me to know the spell. I might be able to feel the Dark Power within me any time from now!"

Immediately, Gordon taught Chen Xiaobei how to chant the spell. Spells were commonly known in the western world. When it came to places like China, a spell was actually similar to what one would learn in a martial arts manual. With Scholar Heart, Chen Xiaobei managed to master the spell almost instantly.

"There's one thing I need to tell you especially! Originally, Blood Descendants will never die of old age but the special ability of the Gustav Family is just way too powerful! Your lifespan will be reduced to 10,000 years old when you use it for the first time! After that, your lifespan will continue to burn away every time you use the skill! The more power you convert, the more your lifespan will be reduced! You will die when you use up all 10,000 years of life!" said Gordon in a serious manner.

"Damn… I can't believe that it will reduce my lifespan! All I have right now is one year of life! I will not be able to use the special ability even if I feel the Dark Power flow inside my body!"

"Uh… There's nothing in can do about it. If the Gustav Family could absorb the power of others without a price, they would have dominated the entire world!"

"Anyway. I'm not going to think about it anymore. I can't use it anyway! If there's no other thing you want to tell me, I'm going to leave this place!" said Chen Xiaobei while summoning the Somersault Cloud.

"Master. Take care! Just let us know if you need our help!" said Gordon while bowing down to send Chen Xiaobei off.

...

Japan, in the suburbs of Tokyo.

Chen Xiaobei managed to find Tanaka Tsuyoshi, Six Ears Macaque and the rest of them in a cave deep in the jungle. It was evening. All of them went and caught some wild chickens and rabbits to roast them for dinner. Combined with First Love Peach and Hundred Fruits Dragon Dick Moonshine, it was a perfect evening. While eating, they were talking among themselves happily. Though a war might come to them tomorrow, Chen Xiaobei had done everything that he could do. Instead of feeling nervous all the time, Chen Xiaobei chose to have to fun and relax with his friends.

Ring…

After some time, Chen Xiaobei's cell phone rang. When he looked at his cell phone, he saw the name Amasa. During these few days, Amasa Hiko had never stopped contacting Chen Xiaobei. The reason why he called Chen Xiaobei was to invite him over to heal Nikkawa Okazaka. Previously, Chen Xiaobei could not answer the call because it was impossible for Chen Zhufeng and Nikkawa Daichi to appear at the same time. Since all of Chen Xiaobei's enemies knew that Nikkawa Daichi was already dead, Chen Zhufeng could finally show his face without worry.

"Hello. Mr. Amasa."

Chen Xiaobei answered the call. Immediately, Amasa Hiko replied with an excited tone.

"Mr. Chen! Finally, you answer my call! Thank god!"

"Why are you looking for me?"

"I need your help with something urgent. Our very crown prince has just suffered a great number of injuries! And he needs to attend his own wedding seven days later! The doctors from the western world couldn't help him. Someone recommended you to the emperor! Within these few days, the people from the palace kept pestering me about it. You have to understand that I'm under a lot of pressure!"

"What kind of injuries did he suffer? It's hard to believe that the doctors of western countries couldn't do anything about it!"

Chen Xiaobei continued to act like he didn't know anything about it.

"Uh… The crown prince's anus was destroyed by someone… And his crotch is gone as well… The doctors mentioned that the injuries on these two parts of his body are critical… He will need at least one to two months to achieve full recovery," Amasa Hiko said uncomfortably.

"The injuries on these two parts of the body are not easy to heal… Though my healing skill is great, I will still need a lot of energy and time to figure this thing out!"

"I can understand that… Totally understand… As long as you can cure the crown prince before his wedding, I can guarantee that the emperor will definitely reward you abundantly!"

"How much are we talking about?"

It was at that moment, Chen Xiaobei knew that the enemies had just fallen into his trap.

"The emperor said that he will give you an empty cheque and you can fill it in yourself!"

"I can understand that the emperor doesn't know what I want. I think you should know better than anyone that money is just a string of numbers to me! I don't need them at all! If you guys are sincere enough, prepare 1,000 Spiritual Stones for me!"

"About that…"

1,000 Spiritual Stones was equivalent to 160 billion Yen! That was definitely a huge price to pay.

"You should know that I'm don't accept any form of bargaining!"

"Let me talk to the emperor first!"

"Go ahead and take your time… But I have to remind you that there are 6 more days left when the sun rises tomorrow! The less the time, the harder for me to cure him! And the healing fees will increase as well!"

"This… Okay. Let me go and talk to the emperor now. I will get back to you tonight!"

"Chen Xiaobei, didn't you say that you wouldn't remove the mask until we're out of danger?"

Six Ears Macaque asked, concerned. Cang Jingu had translated Chen Xiaobei's conversation on the phone to him.

Chen Xiaobei replied, "If I could get 1,000 Spiritual Stones, I could use the Deity Constricting Rope one more time! So that when the war starts, I could win bigger!"

"But you don't have to risk your life for the stones!" Six Ears Macaque exclaimed, "I still have 6,500 Spiritual Stones. Take what you need from me! You don't have to endanger your life!"

Li Xiang and the others stared at him. 

6,500 Spiritual Stones? They could not believe Six Ears Macaque's generosity.

This was actually one of the Demonic Tribe's strengths. Against their enemies, they could be very ruthless, and would even come up with evil ways to mess with them but when it came to their own people, they would treat them with absolute sincerity and total devotion, for better or for worse!

Coincidentally, Chen Xiaobei was also like that.

Even though Six Ear Macaque had offered the 6,500 Spiritual Stones, Chen Xiaobei could not accept them.

"You need the Spiritual Stones. I can't possibly trade my friends' interest for mine! That's just too selfish!" Chen Xiaobei shook his head, his tone firm.

Six Ear Macaque frowned, he had the feeling that no matter what he said next, Chen Xiaobei would never accept his offer.

Ding ring ring!

It was Amasa Hiko. He mentioned that they would meet at the Imperial Household Agency hospital and Nikkawa Uchu would pay Chen Xiaobei 1,000 Spiritual Stones.

"Are you sure you're not walking into a trap?"

Six Ear Macaque was overwrought.

"Let's make a bet," Chen Xiaobei said. "Yesterday, I was surrounded in Shallow Grass Temple, and the Prime Minister Yamaguchi Takaki was completely clueless! That meant that Tenshou's branch did not liaise with the royal family or the officials. It was a secret operation! This shows that they don't share the same interest! Even if people see through Chen Zhufeng's mask, there is a high chance that they won't tell Nikkawa Uchu! It is very likely that I will be able to escape from them tomorrow!

Chen Xiaobei was usually right about these things. That was why he called Amasa Hiko and promised to cure Nikkawa Okazaka!

"When you put it that way, it makes sense." Six Ear Macaque nodded and said, "I will prepare the Earth Escape Talisman to save you. It shouldn't be a big problem."

"Does the Earth Escape Talisman have any limitations?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

Six Ear Macaque explained, "This is a type of Elemental Talisman. So, we could use it on land without any restriction. However, we won't be able to escape if we come across elites with Earth Type Celestial Cultivation!"

"Mm, understood. Go ahead and take a rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

...

The next morning.

Chen Xiaobei retrieved a new set of clothes from the Infinite Space Ring, put on the Chen Zhufeng mask, and left for the Imperial Household Agency hospital.

"Mr. Chen! You're finally here!"

Amasa Hiko, along with Amasa Yuki, had been waiting at the door of the hospital.

There were very few people in the entire island of Japan receive such welcome from this pair.

"Mr. Chen, have you had your breakfast? We've prepared something for you! I made it myself!"

Amasa Yuki smiled as she held up a lunchbox.

This young woman was very pretty and was very stylish. Her fair skin, full breasts, and long lean legs were a feast for the eyes, even more enticing than the lunchbox.

But Chen Xiaobei had no interest in this Japanese chick at all.

"Thank you but I've already eaten. Let's go in."

Neither Amasa Hiko nor Amasa Yuki said anything. They just followed behind Chen Xiaobei.

"Hey, you cocky bastard!" 

Just then, two young Japanese men looked down enviously and begrudgingly from the third-floor window at Chen Xiaobei.

"We are both nobles but when has Amasa Hiko and Amasa Yuki welcomed us like that?" The chubby one said.

"Oh, please!" The skinny one said through gritted teeth, "We Princes had spent so much time and effort pursuing Amasa Yuki! Even if we invite her to luxurious dinners, she would never give face to us! But she prepared breakfast for this Chinese boy! This is so f*cking upsetting!"

Chubby's eyes were enraged. "The worst part is that the Chinese boy rejected Amasa Yuki's homemade breakfast! This asshole is so conceited!"

The two idiots were indignant, gnashing their teeth. They wanted to lock horns with Chen Xiaobei and give him a good kick in the nuts.

What they did not know was that the Amasas were only doing this because they knew Chen Xiaoebei's temper and power!

He had two bodyguards with True Nirvana cultivation, all it took was one word and 20 Donchen Ittō-ryū top swordsmen were crippled!

Why would Amasa Hiko and Amasa Yuki wrong a man this powerful?

The two princes did not know anything about it and were plotting how to make life difficult for Chen Xiaobei.

Nikkawa Uchu and Yamaguchi Takaki were already waiting inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

"Your royal highness! Prime minister! Let me introduce Mr. Chen Zhufeng, the miracle doctor from China!"

"Mm."

Nikkawa Uchu merely nodded blankly at Chen Xiaobei before giving him a once over.

The poker face he put on made it difficult for others to guess what he was thinking.

"Aiya! How are you, Miracle Doctor Chen? I've heard so much about you! You truly are a hero!"

Yamaguchi Takaki smiled warmly at Chen Xiaobei and shook his hands.

But there was a glimmer of doubt in Yamaguchi Takaki's eyes. How good could a young doctor in his twenties be?

Unlike Nikkawa Uchu, his eyes gave away his thought.

"Where is the patient? Bring me to him!" Chen Xiaobei said, "If I could cure him, you must pay me the consultation fee. If not, I will go home empty handed."

"The crown prince is in the ward! He had regained consciousness yesterday but his body is still very weak!" Yamaguchi Takka said.

"Alright, let's go in!" Chen Xiaobei said breezily.

"Wait!"

Just then, the two princes who had observed Chen Xiaobei from the window strode across the room, eyeing Chen Xiaobei bitterly.

"Greeting, two Princes! Is there a problem?" Yamaguchi Takka asked.

"We suspect that this kid is a fraud!"

Both princes declared in unison, pointing their fingers at Chen Xiaobei!

"A fraud?" Chen Xiaobei snapped, "Mr. Amasa invited me. Who are you? Which dump did you come from? Do even have a place to speak here?"

"What the f*ck! I am Japan Minren Prince, Nikkawa Susumu! He is Akira Chon Prince, Nikkawa Kyohachi! Where the hell did you come from? You look like a stray dog! Where are your manners?!" the chubby one said.

The skinny stood aside, his eyes boring into Chen Xiaobei's!

"So what if you're a prince? I'm not Japanese. I don't care even if you're the emperor!" Chen Xiaobei wore a look of disdain and said, "Who do you think is the one who lacks manners? The both of you came in here and called me a fraud! That's personal degradation! Consider me polite for not having slapped you already!"

"You…" Nikkawa Susumu and Nikkawa Kyohachi were suddenly lost for words and their faces reddened like ripe tomatoes.

Yamaguchi Takka was in a state of shock. This Chinese kid had just said that the emperor was nothing to him?

Even the poker-faced Nikkawa Uchu exhibited shock at this Chinese kid's daring outburst.

The least one could so, if not to kneel down before, was to bow meekly before the emperor of Japan, the prime minister, and the princes! But this Chinse kid was calm and confident, and did as he pleased – never once considering himself inferior to others.

Was this what the Chinese miracle doctor prided himself with?

Only Amasa Hiko and Amasa Yuki understood that Chen Xiaobei was such a powerful individual.

If Chen Xiaobei was angered, he would make sure to give these two princes a good slap in the face.

"Mr. Chen, calm down! Princes, please calm down! This is all a misunderstanding. Please don't let this trifling matter affect our relations!"

Amasa Hiko tried to patch things up before it got worse. He was the one who invited Chen Xiaobei. So, if anything bad happened, he would get caught up in between!

"Misunderstanding my ass! We are doing our duty to the emperor! We will not allow this Chinese kid to rob and kill!" said Nikkawa Susumu and Nikkawa Kyohachi.

"This really is a misunderstanding!" Amasa Hiko quickly stepped in and said, "You must know about Amasa Yuki's sickness, right? I've employed doctors from all around the world but no one could cure her! But Mr. Chen was able to heal her! He really is a miracle doctor!"

"Miracle doctor? Ask him to show us his credentials then!"

Nikkawa Susumu and Nikkawa Kyohachi were relentless.

Nikkawa Uchu said nothing and allowed the two to continue to persecute Chen Xiaobei.

Chen Xiaobei was, after all, about to go in and cure Nikkawa Okazaka. Nikkawa Uchu would not be comfortable having him do that if he could not even pass this test.

"Mr. Chen, did you bring your documents?" Amasa Hiko asked.

"Heh, I don't have that toy with me." Chen Xiaobei shrugged nonchalantly, "There is no one in China who can match my skills so no one is qualified enough to give me one!"

"The heck! You really are so conceited!" Nikkawa Susumu had steam coming out of his ears. "Who do you think you are?! Your hairs have not even grown out completely and you dare claim that your skills are above and beyond everyone else's? Are you going to call yourself a god after two years?"

Nikkawa Kyohachi added gas to the fire and said, "You don't even have the documents! You're a typical Jianghu sham! How could someone like you cure the crown prince? Call the bodyguards! Get him out of here!"

"Heh, understand this: I was invited to come. If you don't need my help then I can just walk out of that door." Chen Xiaobei warned, "But if you ask me to come again, the consultation fee will double!"

"Get the f*ck out, you crook! Why would we ask you to come back if we already know that you are a fraud?!" Nikkawa Susumu raised his voice, wishing that Chen Xiaobei would just disappear.

"That's right!" Nikkawa Kyohachi added, "Here in the imperial hospital, we have the world's most advanced machines and the best surgeons! If they can't cure the crown prince, how is a fraud supposed to be able to do it?"

The two idiots were adamant. Nikkawa Uchu had sewed his mouth shut, leaving Yamaguchi Takka and Amasa Hiko confused as to whom to side.

"Alright! That's it then. I won't cure him!" Chen Xiaobei narrowed his eyes and declared, "But before I leave, I must prove myself! For my own sake and for the sake of Chinese medical science!"

'Really? And how do you plan to do that?" Nikkawa Susumu asked.

"Obviously, by showing you how stupid you both are!" Chen Xiaobei said. 

"Oh, dream on! We won't let you touch him! The crown prince is noble and will not be used as a lab rat for you to prove your medical skills!" Nikkawa Kyohachi barked.