Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 309

And he brought the still-steaming, milky broth to his lips.

The Ginseng Sweet Meat Soup is a dish made by stuffing glutinous rice and various spiritual herbs inside the meat of a Hundred-Year Horned Serpent, then boiling it with Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and various other elixirs.

This allows the fragrance and flavor of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng to permeate the meat, while the glutinous rice absorbs the oil.

If cooked in any other way, there would be losses during the process.

However, the plate was filled with the energy of numerous elixirs, spiritual herbs, and mystical creatures.

This was possible because it used a method devised in a region where meat was scarce, to replenish vitality.

The milky broth was still steaming.

He gulped it down in one breath.

“……?!”

Instantly, Cainchel’s movements froze. The taste of the Ginseng Sweet Meat Soup was that shocking.

Snake meat has a unique fishy taste, but when it met the ginseng, it transformed into an incredibly fragrant aroma.

It was understandable that the masters belonging to the Half-Sky Alliance were ready to jump over the walls right now.

No, if it weren’t for Daedalus’s Labyrinth, they would have drawn their swords and charged.

Cainchel savored the lingering scent of ginseng on his tongue and used a spoon to cut the meat in half.

It was so tender that he didn’t need to exert much force.

“Ooh……!”

Then, the glossy glutinous rice hidden inside revealed itself.

It shimmered like pure white pearls, having fully absorbed the oil from the snake meat.

The fruit of the Nine-Leaf Deathless Herb, which had been boiled together, was swollen, having absorbed all the poison from the Hundred-Year Horned Serpent.

Unfortunately, it seemed he couldn’t eat that. But the fragrance of the fruit would have permeated the pure white glutinous rice.

‘I was originally planning to eat the meat first…….’

But now that it was in sight, he couldn’t stop. Cainchel scooped up the chewy glutinous rice and brought it to his mouth.

“Mmm……. This is seriously amazing?”

It was just added to prevent the oil from the meat from escaping.

But the glutinous rice, moderately soaked in the broth, was soft yet had a strange chewiness.

A unique texture that he wouldn’t have the chance to experience in Britannia. Yet, it was so delicious.

Dogocheon, who was watching from the side, had eyes that turned bright red. His face looked as if he had been possessed by a demon.

“Ugh, damn it. I shouldn’t have watched……. How on earth can boiling a soup result in such delicious-looking glutinous rice inside the meat?”

But in reality, he was just forcibly suppressing his desire to eat.

Cainchel now reached for the snake meat, which could be considered the main ingredient of the dish.

Boiled in the soup, it looked almost no different from chicken.

‘It’s like its entire body is made of chicken wings. But what will it taste like?’

Cainchel stuffed his mouth full of snake meat and chewed. And he was astonished.

“……?!”

The taste of the tender flesh, with its oil removed, and the chewy skin could be felt simultaneously.

With each chew, the rich broth and the taste of ginseng that had permeated the meat flowed out.

Because it had been simmered for so long, he could eat even the soft cartilage that he hadn’t managed to remove.

“Ugh, I can’t stop this. Alright, let’s start eating in earnest now.”

Cainchel rolled up his sleeves and tore the snake meat with his bare hands.

First, he mixed the glutinous rice into the broth, then crushed the ginseng that had become soft from being thoroughly boiled. He placed the snake meat on top and brought it to his mouth.

As he swallowed it in one gulp, a strange power began to fill his entire body.

The dish containing the energy of elixirs, spiritual herbs, and mystical creatures had begun to be digested.

But even aside from the purpose of absorbing spiritual energy, it was simply too delicious.

He couldn’t stop eating for even a moment.

Perhaps because he was eating hot soup, sweat poured down Cainchel’s entire body like rain.

Dogocheon, who was watching the scene right next to him, had wide eyes.

“B, black sweat……? Don’t tell me he hasn’t even opened his Governing and Conception Vessels yet!?”

It was very natural for Dogocheon to be surprised. The bodies of supreme masters mostly have their Governing and Conception Vessels open.

These are types of pathways through which internal energy flows, and they gradually become blocked when eating foods containing fire energy.

Therefore, to become a supreme master, one must widen the Governing and Conception Vessels using methods such as circulating energy and breathing exercises.

Furthermore, to become a master of the Realm of Life and Death, one must risk their life to perform a ritual to open the Gate of Life and Death.

This transforms the entire body into an optimal state for learning martial arts, which is called Rebirth.

That was a realm that even Dogocheon had not reached.

“Unbelievable…….”

If the blocked meridians could be opened by eating elixirs, wouldn’t everyone who failed to become a supreme master have done so?

To absorb the energy contained in elixirs, one must refine it into internal energy suitable for oneself through mental cultivation techniques.

But all those processes were omitted, and he made it his own simply by eating.

“……What on earth is happening before my eyes? In the long history of the martial arts world spanning thousands of years, such a case…….”

Cainchel was equally astonished.

So many status windows appeared and disappeared that he felt dizzy. The speed was so fast that it was impossible to read them all.

[You have tasted the ? Star-Rank Dish ‘Ginseng Sweet Meat Soup Filled with Elixirs’.]

[Due to the influence of the Gourmet Level, the spiritual energy of the ‘Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng’ spreads throughout your body.]

[Due to the influence of the Gourmet Level, the spiritual energy of the ‘Thousand-Year Polygonum Multiflorum’ spreads throughout your body.]

…….

….

….

[The blocked ‘Governing and Conception Vessels’ are opened, and spiritual energy fills your entire body.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

…….

….

….

He had gained an enormous amount of experience points, the likes of which he had never experienced before, with just one meal.

His level instantly rose to 130, and his stats, which had been blocked by a wall, exploded.

Cainchel was speechless, staring at his body.

His skin had become smooth, as if he had just been born. And he was overflowing with power.

‘What the heck? When did I activate a booster? ……Wait a minute!’

Cainchel took a step using True Enlightenment. Then, a storm of aura raged, and his body shot forward at an incredible speed.

Without needing to consciously control it, aura was being supplied to the muscles throughout his body in just the right amount.

It was literally a permanent booster state.

Cainchel felt goosebumps.

‘Ooh! If I do this right, I might even be able to use a triple booster?’

The surprises didn’t end there.

[Due to the opening of the Governing and Conception Vessels, Severance Resistance (46.7%) is sublimated into a new skill.]

[‘Novice Diamond Body’ has been created.]

Diamond Body was a special state that could be achieved by eating Cockatrice Seasoned Chicken.

The skin of the entire body becomes so hard that it can deflect a certain amount of impact.

However, it was a pity that he only obtained a novice skill, perhaps because his Severance Resistance was low.

‘Besides…….’

It wasn’t just Severance Resistance that had been upgraded to a new skill.

Poisons Resistance became Advanced Immunity to All Poisons. Flame Resistance transformed into Advanced Extreme Flame Hell.

The first to sense Cainchel’s changes was Bishop, who shared his body.

― What on earth is going on, Partner! To expel the turbidity from your entire body with just the spiritual energy contained in food! This is truly an unprecedented event!

‘……Is it that big of a deal? I just cooked with elixirs and ate it.’

― Of course, it is! With this, Partner, you have surpassed the limits of humanity and can enter the realm of transcendents!

‘……Transcendents?’

― That refers to those who have escaped the lifespan of humans. In simple terms, Partner, you can say that you have entered the beginning stages of a Grand Sword Master.

‘……?!’

― Of course, it’s a bit lacking to say that you’ve completely entered the Realm of Life and Death, but with this, you’ll be able to maintain your youth for another hundred years. Moreover, the efficiency of the aura you can wield has improved. Now, you won’t feel tired even if you use simple skills all day long.

‘Oh……. Then, does that mean I can use Onion Swordsmanship to prepare ingredients for thousands of people at once, instead of just hundreds?’

― …….

Upon checking, the total amount of aura he could handle at once had also increased by nearly 30%.

Just eating one bowl of Ginseng Elixir Soup had caused such amazing changes.

In fact, Dogocheon was treating them like garlic roots, but each spiritual herb contained within was a treasure that could buy an entire city.

Moreover, due to the influence of the Gourmet skill, he had made all the energy contained in the dish his own.

That was something that even Dogocheon, who had mastered the Dark Demon Divine Art to the 10th level, could not do.

Cainchel looked at the now empty pot and muttered with a satisfied expression.

“Ugh, did I overeat a little?”

It seemed it would take at least a day to fully digest it.

* * *

Mount Kunlun Sect Leader Taeul Seonsa, Dark Demonic Emperor Dogocheon, and Wudang’s Finest Swordsman Cheongun.

These key figures of the Half-Sky Alliance were gathered around a table.

Three days had passed since the Half-Sky Alliance raid.

What made Princess Dalgie so frightening was that she never directly stepped forward.

She simply seduced men, turning them into slaves who obeyed only her commands, and used them as she pleased.

The only exception was when she appeared to charm the masters belonging to the Half-Sky Alliance.

If they did nothing, all that remained was destruction. They had to retake the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.

However, charging in without any countermeasures would only lead to fighting the masters who had been charmed by Dalgie.

It was a situation that could be described as hopeless.

It was then that the fact that the food made by Cainchel could return those charmed by the Gumiho [a mythical nine-tailed fox known for seduction] to their original state became known.

The first to speak was Wudang’s Finest Swordsman Cheongun. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Cainchel, who was sitting across from him.

Although he had not reached Rebirth, the turbidity that had filled his entire body had disappeared, and he was full of vitality.

“Hehe……. They say snake is good for stamina, and your complexion has changed, Great Hero.”

“Ah, thanks to you, I enjoyed the meal. It was really delicious.”

Then, a strange light appeared in Cheongun’s eyes. This confirmed that the man before him had eaten all those elixirs and spiritual herbs.

Clearly, he had become so strong that no one in this place could easily guarantee victory.

“……Then, let’s get to the main point. Cough, cough. You probably know that Nohu was under Dalgie’s control until recently. She has already made the Embroidered Uniform Guard, as well as numerous masters, her subordinates. Their power is so great that even the Half-Sky Alliance cannot fight them head-on.”

Saying that, Cheongun scratched the back of his head, as if embarrassed.

It seemed he was ashamed of betraying the Wudang Sect after falling for Dalgie’s beauty.

Then, Dogocheon, who had also been Dalgie’s slave, crossed his arms and replied.

“Hmph, as long as one is born a man, one cannot resist the Princess’s seduction. I guarantee that. Therefore, the food made by Great Hero Cainchel is the most important thing in the upcoming operation.”

“But no matter how skilled Great Hero is at cooking, can you resist the Princess who makes her opponents loyal subordinates just by looking at them? I don’t think we can keep up with the speed.”

Cheongun’s point was very accurate.

Dalgie could charm dozens, no, hundreds of people at the same time.

In comparison, the amount of food that Cainchel could make was limited.

“Of course, I’m not planning to leisurely cook in the Imperial Capital, where enemies are everywhere.”

“Then how will you supply the food?”

“Well, I’ll just make a lot of preserved food from now on and take it with me.”

“Preserved food……? You clearly said that they need to eat delicious food to regain their senses, right? Dried food and Byeoggokdan [a type of medicinal food ball] are hardly delicious…….”

Then, Cainchel smiled and took out a small metal container and held it out.

“I knew you’d say that, so I prepared a solution in advance.”

“……Don’t tell me there are hidden weapons inside? But assassinating the Princess through the strict security is impossible even for the legendary Assassin.”

“Ah, you’ve never seen canned food before. You put food inside this.”

“C, canned food?!”

Cainchel smiled and snapped his fingers with his left hand. Then, a small flame landed on the canned food that Cheongun was holding.

And the contents began to cook instantly.

After obtaining the Extreme Flame Hell skill, Cainchel had become even more skilled at handling fire energy.

Now, he could easily heat anything that was within sight, even if it wasn’t touching his hand.

Tta-ak!

When the can was opened, a spicy aroma wafted out. Cheongun’s eyes narrowed strangely. That was because what was inside was a mapo tofu that looked so delicious.

The preserved food that Cheongun knew was only tasteless dried food or Byeoggokdan.

But to be able to put such a wonderful dish inside a small can.

“Moreover, canned food can be easily heated with Samadhi Fire [a mystical fire]. We’ll make a lot of these and feed them to the people charmed by the Princess.”

It was truly something that could only be admired.

“Hehe……. I think I know why Taeul Seonsa calls you a benefactor. It seems the gods sent you to save the Central Plains. But if what’s in that metal can is mapo tofu, there’s one problem. More than half of Dalgie’s subordinates are monks. They avoid meat.”

Being charmed by the Gumiho is different from being cursed by anger and becoming a berserker.

They still have reason, but they blindly follow Dalgie.

That means they won’t eat food that they originally disliked or didn’t eat.

“I’ve already heard about that from Dark Demonic Emperor Dogocheon. That’s why I prepared *vegetarian* mapo tofu.”

Mapo tofu is a Sichuan dish made by stir-frying minced meat, chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and doubanjiang with tofu.

Meat is added to supplement the taste and texture of the soft tofu, and it can be said to be the most important ingredient.

“Don’t tell me this mapo tofu was made without meat? What’s the point of eating it then…….”

Cainchel smiled and held out the opened can of mapo tofu.

“Please taste it first. Then you’ll understand what I mean.”

“……Hehe.”

Cheongun picked up a wooden chopstick with a nervous expression.

On the outside, it just looked like ordinary mapo tofu. But what secret could be hidden inside?