Chapter 54: Let Me Show You a Magic Trick

Once Chen Yun activated his investigation skill, no ailment could hide from him. Upon seeing the diagnostic information, he furrowed his brow—it turned out to be poisoning. Though he had no idea what Heart-Devouring Poison was, just from the name, it sounded like something not easily cured. This was troublesome; after all, his secondary profession was chef, not doctor, so he couldn't help at all.

While Chen Yun was lost in his anxious thoughts, the conversation over there soared sky-high.

“Old Wang, where did you hear that Serpent Tongue Grass can cure your Rapid Aging Disease? I've studied medicine for years, but never heard of it being used for such a thing,” Jiang Shan said, taking out three shriveled, grass-like plants from his bag. “This stuff is really hard to find. I had people search everywhere before I managed to get these few pieces.”

“I read about it in an ancient text. I don't know if it will work, but at this point it's a matter of desperation. I won't live much longer anyway, so if it hastens things, so be it. Still, thank you. You're the only one I can trust now. As for those animals in my family, I can't control them anymore.” The old man spoke with difficulty.

“Old Wang, this stuff is highly toxic. You should really think it over.”

“I have no other choice. I feel like I can't hold on much longer, so I'm trying whatever I can.”

Hearing their conversation, Chen Yun's eyes suddenly lit up.

Serpent Tongue Grass.

Serpent.

Millennium Serpent Pellet!

He remembered now—the level 3 wild treasure chest had given him a Millennium Serpent Pellet. He had looked at it carefully; the thing could cure all poisons!

Millennium Serpent Pellet: Purple consumable. Cures all poisons. Poison resistance +50%.

The old man could be saved!

But then Chen Yun started worrying again. The Millennium Serpent Pellet in his inventory was as big as an adult's fist—how was he supposed to have the old man eat it? If he gave it to him just like that, wouldn't it choke him to death?

---

And what if they asked where he got it? He couldn't exactly say he found it in a treasure chest, could he?

What a headache!

“Cough, cough, Old Jiang, the Serpent Soup here is truly exceptional. Let me treat you to a taste. Wang Jiong, make the arrangements, please.”

“Of course, Grandpa.” The young man, just over twenty, who had pushed the old man in, pulled out a gold card and said to the passing waiter, “Book the top private room, and bring us four servings of your exclusive Serpent Soup that isn’t available to the public.”

“Certainly, please proceed to the Spring Garden private room. I will arrange everything right away.” The waiter took the gold card and, seeing it was a VIP card of Azure Blue Hotel—of which fewer than a hundred existed nationwide—felt a surge of surprise and quickly responded with respect.

Serpent Soup? Chen Yun’s eyes turned and a plan formed.

“Director Jiang, you go ahead to the room. I’ll follow the waiter to the kitchen,” Chen Yun said. “Miss, is it possible to visit your kitchen?”

“Yes, we have a special tour corridor. I’ll take you,” the pretty waitress replied with a smile.

Arriving at the kitchen, Chen Yun noticed the style was much like Night Blossom's kitchen—transparent glass walls and a long corridor for visitors.

“Could I go inside for a closer look?” Chen Yun asked as the waitress finished her arrangements.

“I’m sorry, our kitchen is thoroughly sanitized, and outsiders aren’t allowed in,” she replied apologetically.

“Oh, then perhaps you could bring out the head chef? I need to discuss something with him.” Chen Yun tried to compromise.

“That... I'm afraid that's not possible either. Chef Li is very busy and doesn’t usually meet outsiders,” she said, clearly annoyed. Who did this guy think he was? In this hotel, the head chef was second in status only to the general manager, and now this guy wanted a private audience—ridiculous.

“Whether he sees me is his decision. Just pass on my message: I have top-grade ingredients for Serpent Soup, far superior to what he uses. See if he’s interested.” Chen Yun said.

The waitress gave Chen Yun a doubtful look, but finally, his confidence won her over. “Alright, I’ll tell him, but I can’t promise he’ll come out.”

“That’s fine. I appreciate your help either way.”

---

The waitress changed into special kitchen attire, entered, and conferred with the head chef for quite a while, glancing frequently at Chen Yun, who responded with a polite smile. Perhaps it was the allure of top-tier ingredients, or maybe Chen Yun's demeanor, but eventually, the head chef emerged.

“I hear you have top-grade ingredients. Where are they?” The chef got straight to the point—he was busy and had no time for nonsense.

“I do, as I said. But I’d like you to help prepare four special bowls of Serpent Soup, using my ingredients,” Chen Yun replied with a smile. “The same four bowls just ordered.”

The chef’s expression grew serious. He asked, “What’s your relation to those customers?”

He had to be cautious. Years ago, a similar incident had occurred where the previous chef accepted guest-supplied ingredients without proper checks, resulting in the death of all those customers. Ever since, a strict unwritten rule prevailed: no guest-supplied ingredients without rigorous screening.

“I know what you’re thinking—I won’t harm them. But don’t ask too many questions. I have my reasons. I’ll give you the ingredients and you can inspect them as you wish. I guarantee there’s nothing wrong with them. The ingredient is quite large, so please fetch a cart or something similar,” Chen Yun said.

Half-convinced, the chef called into the kitchen, “Xiao Liu, bring a food cart over.”

“I’ll show you a magic trick—don’t be shocked!” Chen Yun was grateful for the invention of magic—it provided the perfect cover for his inventory.

“Look—my hands are empty, right?” Chen Yun waved his hands before the chef and his apprentice.

“Right, nothing there,” replied Xiao Liu, the apprentice, playing along.

“Hurry up, I’m busy and have no time for your magic... Holy—!” The chef’s jaw nearly dropped as, in an instant, a huge slab of meat appeared on the empty cart, so large that it pushed Chen Yun and the others back several meters, burying the sturdy cart beneath it.

Chen Yun was startled too—his inventory only listed “Millennium Serpent Meat, one piece,” but gave no size or weight. He assumed it might weigh a few dozen pounds, never expecting it to be this massive—it must have included all the meat from the serpent’s entire body as a single piece.

“Uh... Haha, how’s that for a magic trick?” Chen Yun said awkwardly, though the others didn’t even hear him, their eyes fixed on the enormous slab of meat.

After a long moment, the chef stammered, “How... how did you conjure that?” He simply couldn’t believe his eyes—a multi-ton chunk of meat had appeared out of nowhere, and this was supposed to be magic?