Demon hunter's Cooking Manual

But I have no choice but to do this.

Previously, in order to open my martial arts school on Martial Arts Street, I used despicable means to defeat Peng, Zhang, Li, and Zhao, the four schoolmasters. Although I was elated at the time, I have since been tormented with guilt and unable to eat or sleep.

After much deliberation, I've decided to end it all.

Throw my corpse in the mass grave.

This is my self-inflicted retribution.

Mu Bai's final words.

Yuanfeng Year 2, November

...

Looking at the awkwardly written letter, Jason's lips curled into a smirk.

Calling it a will would be inaccurate; it's more like a confession note.

"Interesting."

Jason murmured to himself.

Though he couldn't be certain just yet, Jason was highly confident that Peng, Zhang, Li, and Zhao, the four schoolmasters mentioned in the letter, had a significant link to "his" death.

As for framing someone?

If "he" hadn't died, then perhaps. It could have been a ploy to provoke conflicts on both sides.

But since "he" was already dead, there was no need for that anymore.

Moreover, the mention of 'opening a school on Martial Arts Street' in the letter was enough to explain everything.

Such an opening must have been predicated on superiority in martial strength.

The one with the biggest fists calls the shots.

It was only after "he" defeated the so-called Peng, Zhang, Li, and Zhao that he earned the right to open a school on Martial Arts Street.

Naturally, Peng, Zhang, Li, and Zhao's reputations took a hit.

Could tarnished reputations lead to murder?

Of course!

Sometimes, reputation far outweighs life itself.

Especially when reputation is tied to honor and traditions.

What does a martial arts school rely on to survive?

The schoolmaster's strength?

The schoolmaster's management skills?

Both, but not entirely.

Because the foundation of everything lies in the school's reputation!

Only with a strong reputation will people come to learn martial arts!

And only then can the school sustain itself!

But if the reputation is damaged...

"Ruining someone's livelihood is akin to killing their parents."

Jason silently thought, instinctively glancing at [Main Mission: Accumulate 3000 Reputation (0)].

Clearly, reputation in this world was far more critical than he had anticipated.

Or rather, it is the 'theme'!

Every parallel world seems to have a unique 'theme' of its own.

It may not encompass the entire world, but it plays a pivotal role.

And the starting point offered by his black notebook was invariably linked to these 'themes.'

To be precise, it was tied to a particular aspect of the 'theme.'

It could be events.

It could be objects.

It could even be people.

But no matter what it was, attention was crucial.

Even if it was just for better survival in this parallel world.

After reading through the letter once more, Jason walked to the corner of the room and tossed the letter into the charcoal brazier.

The dormant embers in the brazier immediately ignited into flames, reducing the letter to ashes within moments.

"Mu Bai, Mu Bai."

Jason muttered under his breath.

Unlike the previous parallel worlds.

In this world, he not only had an assumed identity but also a brand-new name.

At the moment, he wasn't sure if this new name held any additional significance, but Jason was certain that the difficulty had been ramped up a notch.

At the very least, he now needed to commit this new name to memory.

Otherwise, unnecessary trouble might arise.

And one more thing.

The story behind this new name.

Aside from knowing that he was called Mu Bai, he knew nothing else.

If he ran into someone familiar...

"That could be troublesome."

Jason massaged his temples and picked up the meditation mat from the room—besides the charcoal brazier, it was the only visible item in the space. The room lacked a bed, wardrobe, or any other expected furniture.

The meditation mat was spacious, with a diameter of over a meter—large enough to function as a small bed.

When Jason flipped it over, he saw his mask and his short-handled Broad Blade Cleaver embedded inside the mat in an intricate manner.

"Not bad."

Jason assessed.

His two prized possessions were hidden under the large mat—unless someone deliberately flipped it over, they wouldn't be discovered.

And most of the time, no one would randomly decide to flip a mat like this.

He only did so because he knew his cherished items had to be nearby.

In others' cases, they wouldn't do this without reason.

If they actually did?

Then, of course, they'd be enemies!

Peng, Zhang, Li, and Zhao were undoubtedly enemies. There was no question about that.

But Jason was sure that these four weren't his only adversaries.

Take a look at the room. Despite its emptiness, there were no signs of a struggle. Jason was convinced that "he" couldn't have been strung up and hung from a beam without resistance.

Moreover, during the Martial Arts Street school opening conflict, "he" had already defeated Peng, Zhang, Li, and Zhao.

Although it was unclear whether it was a gauntlet match or a 1v4, "his" skills must have been formidable.

To lift "him" silently onto a beam was nearly impossible.

Unless...

There was an inside accomplice or a sudden ambush.

Or perhaps poison!

If that were the case, someone should show up now to "recover the body."

Tap, tap, tap.

Jason was contemplating when he suddenly heard footsteps.

Light and full of energy.

Neither heavy nor rushed.

The next moment, there was a knock at the door—

Knock, knock, knock!

"Master, Master, it's time to eat."

A crisp voice carried an inexplicable cheerfulness.

It wasn't schadenfreude, but a natural sense of joy.

This kind of voice wasn't something a "corpse collector" would have.

"They've timed the routine, using unrelated individuals to make an approach?"

Jason instantly deduced Peng, Zhang, Li, and Zhao's tactics.

"Master, hurry up!"

"Or the buns and soy milk I made will get cold."

"They're pork buns..."

The girl outside continued chattering, and the door was suddenly pulled open. A tall and muscular figure appeared in the doorway.

The oppressive shadow cast was intimidating, enough to startle normal people. But the girl in front of him showed no sign of fear. Instead, she clasped her hands together and leapt with excitement, exclaiming, "I knew it, Master, you're always most enthusiastic about food!"

Then, the girl winked at Jason gleefully.

Her bright smile was full of youthful vitality.

There was also a sense of warmth and approachability, like the girl next door.

Especially with her plain outfit of coarse cloth and trousers, she seemed even more relatable.

At this moment, the girl continued to grin, her crescent-like eyes fixed on Jason.

Clearly, she was waiting for a response from him.

Jason wasn't sure about "his" dynamic with the girl, so he merely nodded ambiguously.

"Mm."

Jason's reply didn't seem to arouse the girl's suspicion.

In fact, as soon as Jason nodded, the girl had already turned and skipped away, cheerfully muttering—

"If you're not enthusiastic about eating, there's something wrong with your thinking."

"Devotion to food! Soul of foodies! Real foodies use bowls!"

Her crisp voice carried a certain melody, almost like she was singing.

Though it wasn't melodious, it was bursting with liveliness.

Following the girl, Jason stepped out of the room and headed in one direction, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

Besides the room he exited, there were side rooms to his left and right. Ahead lay a main hall, which had a Moon Gate on one side. Through the Moon Gate, Jason could clearly see a stone-paved courtyard, weapon racks, and wooden training dummies.

"The front is the martial arts school, and the back is the living quarters. The kitchen should be... here."

Without needing further searching, Jason followed the aroma and pinpointed the kitchen.

It was next to the left side room, separated by a single wall.

A small square table stood inside the kitchen.

On the table were one large bowl, one small bowl, and a plate. The milk-white soy milk emitted a strong aroma, while ten palm-sized pork buns were neatly arranged on the porcelain plate.

Two fist-sized dishes held shredded radishes and kelp strips, respectively.

The radish was marinated with chili.

The kelp strips were seasoned with garlic paste.

Though simple, the spread was highly appetizing.

"Master, come, let's eat."

The girl pulled out a small bench for Jason and then sat across from him. As soon as Jason sat, she placed her fingers on the edge of her small bowl, eagerly waiting. When Jason picked up his chopsticks, she pressed her hands against the bowl, and when Jason placed a kelp strip into his mouth, she gulped down her entire bowl of soy milk in one go.

Clearly, the girl was also a food enthusiast.

Just as the girl was about to get up for another bowl of soy milk—

Bang, bang, bang.

The front door of the martial arts school was slammed forcefully.