Chapter 2 (Part 3) – The Demon Chef, Zha Ji

Zha Ji bit through his own fingers and drew a circle in the air, “Have my blood guide the way. Seal, Endless Hatred.” A red light flashed, enveloping Nian Bing’s body. He faintly s.h.i.+vered, then returned to serenity.

Zha Ji continued, saying, “Nian Bing, I am named Zha Ji. I am your teacher. From now on, apart from your knowledge of understanding, the continent, and magic, you will forget all else. Whatever happened before now, let it become nothing. Currently, the only attachment in your mind is the cultivation of both magic and culinary arts, pursuing the pinnacle of culinary arts. That is your life’s greatest objective.”

Saying this, Zha Ji paused. Nian Bing then repeated, murmuring Zha Ji’s previous sentences. His lifeless gaze becoming more and more engrossed.

Zha Ji’s eyes displayed a trace of inner-turmoil and continued, “Unless your magic reaches a level powerful enough to annihilate your enemies, your memories will forever be sealed, unable to awaken. Sleep, Child. Sleep well.” While saying this, Zha Ji embraced Nian Bing into his chest. Nian Bing closed his eyes. His hurried breathes became normal.

Holding Nian Bing, Zha Ji sighed, “I hadn’t expected that I would exchange a meal for the first use of the hypnosis seal, and to go as far as to use it on a child. Nian Bing, forgive me. Grandpa had no alternative.  If you aren’t willing to follow me and learn my culinary arts, I fear that all I have learned will be lost. I hope you can understand Grandpa’s painstaking efforts. Grandpa will certainly teach you with his heart and soul and turn you into the greatest chef of all. Perhaps in the future there will be a day when your memories will awaken. At that time, even if you hate me, I am willing to bear it. You cannot be the previous me. You cannot become the Demon Chef, but rather a magic chef. As a chef that can use magic, you will surpa.s.s all those that have preceded you and reach the true pinnacle of the culinary arts. Perhaps I am too selfish, but if your father and mother were alive, they definitely would not have blamed me. Rather than let hate forever live inside you, is it not better if you happily pursued the culinary arts?”

As Zha Ji murmured, talking to himself, he did not discover that when he said those last words, a trace of red light from Nian Bing’s drooping right hand quietly died away.

Holding his body, Zha Ji carried Nian Bing to his room and tucked him in well. Zha Ji smiled, “At last, my wishes draws closer. There is no way I could possibly renounce the favor that the Heavens have granted me. Child, sleep well. From tomorrow on, you will learn the Demon Chef’s skills. Haha, Hahaha!” Zha Ji’s attachment to the kitchen arts caused him to forget all else. In these past ten years, nothing else had made him feel happier than he felt now.

Zha Ji closed the door and left. Perhaps he would not be able to sleep soundly today.

The wooden room became tranquil once more. Everything became entrenched in a concentrated darkness. Nian Bing who should have originally been fast asleep, suddenly sat up, his blue eyes revealed a faint light. It was not a dull expression. He appeared to be thinking deeply about something.

He held his hand to his bosom and took out two stones from within , one blue and one red. The red stone was carved in the shape of a flame. The blue stone shaped as a rhombus.  Each of the two stones emitted rays of light in their color. The red and blue blades of light although weak, were separated from each other as if they were mutually repelling one another.

“Mother, thank you. If the Ice and Snow G.o.ddess’s Stone hadn’t protected my spirit all along, perhaps I would’ve already lost my memories. Mother, can you tell me? What should Nian Bing do now? Do you want me to do as Zha Ji said and abandon all of my hate? No, it is impossible for me. Those people killed mother and father in such a  painful way. I…. I….”

In each hand, he gripped the red and blue stones tightly. From the palms of his hands, scorching hot fire elements and freezing cold ice elements intruded into his body. While the fire and ice gathered cultivated an extreme amount of energy, Nian Bing did not feel unwell at all. He was pondering, continuously pondering. On the Yang Guang Continent, no matter in which of the five great empires. Mage cla.s.ses are all the same. From low to high, elementary mage, intermediate mage, advanced mage, great mage, magic scholar, magister, and Divine Descendant. Currently he was but a mere elementary mage. The reason why the the Ice G.o.d PaG.o.da can protect the entire Ice Moon Empire, is because it possesses the strongest of mages, Divine Descendants. With Father’s ability as a magic scholar, when faced against a Divine Descendant, he was unable to withstand a single blow. Even if his hatred grew once more, would there even be any use?

[TL Note: (神降師) Divine Descendant, means a descended G.o.d, not the offspring of a G.o.d. ]

Nian Bing’s mind was somewhat cold. With regards to what magic cultivators have said, Divine Descendants were an un.o.btainable summit. You cannot reach such a realm through pure cultivation. It requires comprehension and destiny’s favor. You must also be supported by the experience of an innumerable amount of expert battles, go through many years of diligent training, and become one with heaven and earth. Only then would it become possible to become a descended G.o.d. In the entire continent there is only one Divine Descendant that does not belong to the Ice G.o.d PaG.o.da. It is said that there are two more, but it is only speculation for no one has confirmed their existence. The Ice Moon Empire in their area of the Yang Guang Continent possessed a tremendous position. Relying on oneself’s meager power, how could one possible contend against a Divine Descendant? It would undoubtedly be courting death. Grandpa Zha Ji was right. Unless my magic reaches a level such that I can annihilate my foes, wouldn’t my hatred have no meaning? Perhaps I should have my own hatred sealed. When we had faced the Ice G.o.d’s PaG.o.da, my father had said before, do not blind your reason with hate, only then would it be possible to rescue your mother. I will also do as such. Temporarily let go of your hatred, and perhaps it is in the future you will best be able to seize your revenge.

Thinking of it here, Nian Bing heart suddenly became clear. His eyes displayed a faint happiness and said to himself, “Grandpa Zha Ji, although you haven’t sealed my innermost hatred, Nian Bing will seal it himself. I will wait until the day I am able to contend with a Divine Descendant. Then I will bear the name father bestowed upon me. Father, Mother, Are you happy that Nian Bing is letting go of his hatred? Be at ease. One day… One day I will inevitably seize justice on your behalf.”

He tightly grasped his fists. The Ice and Snow G.o.ddess’s Stone and the Flame G.o.d’s Stone deeply dug into his skin, immersing itself with Nian Bing’s resolve until they could no longer be seen. Just then, the surrounding ice and fire elements conducted a wonderful interaction with his body.  He then lied flat down on the bed and began his essential daily meditation. Father had once said to me, there are no shortcuts in the cultivation of magic. Only through the means of continuous meditation, continuous interaction with magic elements can you gradually increase the strength of your magic power. In order to use magic power your own attributes must resonate with the identical magic elements. Through the use of an incantation, you could discharge even stronger magic.

Before, Nian Bing had only cultivated fire magic. But at the start of events at that mountain peak, his mother staked it all and used all her strength to give him something, that is the Ice and Snow G.o.ddess’s stone in his hand. After he possessed this stone, he was surprised to discover that a portion of the fire magic power within his body had unexpectedly changed into ice magic power. Observing the status of his body, the magic power within had divided into two completely separate sides. At the center of his body, a gap separated either side, appearing extremely strange. That was why at such a critical moment, he was able cast elementary magic .

Today was the first time he had used both stones to cultivate. Eyes closed, Nian Bing called out to the magic elements in the air. Inside his body, a blue half and a red half emerged. The magic fire element absorbed into his body naturally melted into the right half of his body, and the absorbed magic ice elements floated toward the left half of his body. Aside from his head, a line of red and blue color divided through the center of Nian Bing’s body, each side existing harmoniously without conflict.

At this moment, Nian Bing was able to still his mind and reflect upon the situation of his current magic. He could not help but become baffled at the state of his interior body. When he was taught magic in the past by his father, Rong Tian, he was told that as a mage it was best to cultivate only one type of magic. If you do this, it was possible to reach the pinnacle of magic. If you were to scatter your cultivation with many types of magic, it would undoubtedly cause your spiritual power to scatter as well, causing it to become extremely difficult to improve. In addition, of the seven known magic types, there are two opposing types. They are ice and fire, light and dark. Ice and water are considered one type of magic. Ice and water magic are variations of each other. Ice and Fire are complete opposites. No one has been able to simultaneously possess these two extreme magics. If one cultivates them simultaneously, it is possible to cause harm to one’s self as they would struggle to overturn each other. When Nian Bing had began to learn magic, Rong Tian had him choose which type of magic to study. Because Nian Bing’s body could already receive fire and ice elements, Nian Bing chose the one easier to begin, fire magic. Following Rong Tian, he continuously cultivated. However, his body’s ice compatibility hadn’t disappeared. Rong Tian believed that after Nian Bing’s fire magic reaches a certain level his ice compatible physique could be ignored. That is why it had not been given much attention. However, he hadn’t been aware that every time that Nian Bing meditated, Nian Bing’s ice compatible physique had secretly influenced him.