Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!

Yang Chan was of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and even she could not discern the Shopkeeper's level, which indicated his cultivation was only higher than hers!

Although reason told her to leave quickly, curiosity drove her to do the opposite.

After all, her brother was the famed eldest apprentice of the Chan School, of impeccable lineage with the title of Saint. Yang Chan wasn't afraid of anyone daring to trouble her.

Furthermore, mana, when depleted, would recover after some time; she didn't engage in magical battles, so her mana was always idling away.

Today, she was determined to discover the truth, or else she would call over the six brothers from Plum Mountain to smash this place!

With this thought, Yang Chan began to infuse mana into the Crystal Ball.

"Ding, ten percent of mana successfully transferred, would you like to convert it into corresponding Merit Points?"

"Convert," Chen Nuo silently uttered. "It seems this girl is no ordinary person either!"

But he did not give it too much thought. Who cared? As long as he was in Chaos Residence, he was invincible.

He then nodded and said, "Miss, please find a seat. The beef noodles will be ready shortly."

After speaking, he turned and went into the kitchen, leaving the girl and the monkey staring at each other.

Yang Chan looked around and chose a seat by the window to sit down.

"Hey, little monkey, why did you guys decide to open the store deep in the mountains?" Unable to contain her curiosity, Yang Chan voiced her confusion.

"My master's Divine Skills are vast and profound; how could I possibly fathom his thoughts?" Sun Wukong replied with an air of pride.

Yang Chan rolled her eyes. So, you don't know either, and yet you took the opportunity to suck up?

No wonder they say 'monkey spirit'!

After answering, Sun Wukong grinned and said, "I have a name, I'm called Sun Wukong!"

"That name does have a nice ring to it," Yang Chan nodded, speaking earnestly.

Sun Wukong's mood improved even further, as he boasted with clapping hands, "Of course, it's a name given by my master!"

"No wonder," the girl nodded.

This monkey's way of speaking was quite presumptuous, and he didn't seem the type to create such a name; but the Shopkeeper was handsome and mysterious, with unfathomable cultivation, offering peculiar items.

He didn't seem like someone with unsound mind, so why open a shop here?

Meanwhile, Chen Nuo made his way to the kitchen to start preparing the ingredients needed for the beef noodles.

Beef noodles, also a very common staple in his past life, might not be the go-to for daily home meals but were a top choice for office workers.

Tasty, quick, cheap, the dish had it all—flavor, aroma, and appeal.

The cut of beef usually used was shank, shoulder blade, or ribs.

Chen Nuo chose the beef shank from his prize draw, but beef noodles with only beef shank would lack soul, so adding beef tendon was essential for the perfect touch.

The cleaver danced in his hand, all the beef ingredients prepared, with beef bone and tendon already simmering on high heat well in advance.

The aim was to make the beef tendon softer and the broth richer in flavor.

When the tendon was almost ready to match the shank, he added the shank to the broth, creating a perfect soup without soy sauce or MSG.

Tomatoes, onions, scallions, ginger, spices—these were the natural seasonings.

While the broth simmered, Chen Nuo began to work on the noodles.

For beauty, nothing beat machine-made noodles; for texture and bite, hand-pulled noodles were supreme. With Chen Nuo's perfect competency, he blended the best of both worlds.

His wrists flicked and flipped, and after repeated kneading, the noodles soon took shape.

Chen Nuo even made extra to prepare for later— surely he couldn't make them from scratch every time?

Leaving the kitchen, Chen Nuo placed the finished product in front of Chen Nuo.

"Miss, your beef noodles are ready."

Yang Chan's gaze was immediately captivated by the bowl of noodles, steaming hot as if enveloped in Immortal Qi.

The brown beef shank and the tenderized yellow beef tendons complemented each other, shining so gloriously that they seemed even more dazzling than the Palace of the Polestar in her memory.

The fragrance, though not overpowering, penetrated deep into the soul, creating an overwhelming desire to eat.

Salivating, Yang Chan couldn't wait to start eating.

She scooped a spoonful of soup, blew on it gently, and took a sip, finding it somewhat hot but just right.

Yang Chan's eyes lit up instantly, as the delicate soup wafted a complex fragrance with notes of bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and sourness.

A rich warm flow hit the center of her heart.

Picking up her chopsticks, Yang Chan grabbed a piece of beef shank.

Fragrant, tender, and rich, the firm beef shank was perfectly seasoned—delicious!

With a bite of the beef shank, she enjoyed the fresh, tender, and smooth texture that didn't stick to her teeth, mixed with a sweet broth—absolutely flawless.

As the noodles entered her mouth, they appeared modest, but after chewing a few times, she found them to be firm and impregnated with the beefy broth—simply perfect.

My God, how could noodles be this delicious?

Yang Chan was shocked. With her status, she could have anything to eat, but all that she had ever tasted paled in comparison to this bowl of noodles, right down to the marrow.

They were so delicious that Yang Chan kept eating without stopping for a moment.

On the side, Sun Wukong watched eagerly, craning his neck and drooling at the prospect of tasting the noodles.

These noodles, which were full-flavored yet not greasy, had a complex and sophisticated spiciness, each bite so soothing to the soul.

But as the warm soup traveled down her throat, a faint sadness emerged, and Yang Chan couldn't help but think of her mother.

Her mother used to cook noodles for them often, and though they were not as delicious as these, they represented the most beautiful and happiest memories she had.

Regrettably, she could never go back.

"Burp!" Yang Chan tilted her head back to finish the last of the broth, a glistening tear rolling down her cheek.

After a while, she composed herself, opened her eyes, and asked Chen Nuo excitedly, "Shopkeeper, how did you make these noodles, can you teach me?"

Spending just ten percent of her Mana was such a bargain to taste such noodles—it was indeed one of the great fortunes of her immortal life.

"Sorry, the recipes for any dish in our shop are secrets and cannot be shared," Chen Nuo replied with a smile, though he felt a twinge of disappointment inside.

Without gaining any understanding, it seemed not everyone could have the great fortune like that monkey.

"Exactly, exactly, Master only has me as a disciple, and I don't even know how to make them, so you, ah, don't stand a chance!" Sun Wukong now jumped out and said with a playful grin.

"Hmph! What's there to be proud of, monkey? It's not like you know how to make it!" Yang Chan said, pouting.

The Monkey Spirit didn't retort angrily but seriously said, "Although I don't know anything now, one day I will learn all of Master's culinary skills and become a renowned chef!"

Yang Chan stared, bewildered. For some reason, she suddenly felt that the monkey's words might actually be true.

"Then, Shopkeeper, may I have another serving? I'll pay!" Yang Chan asked, blinking her eyes with a hint of playful charm.

Since she couldn't learn, she decided she would just eat more, and come every day!

But Chen Nuo was a man of principles.

"Sorry, each person can only have one serving of the same dish per day!"

He knew well that scarcity adds value; if one could eat as much as they wanted every day, even the tastiest food would become tedious.

Only by contrasting with the outside world could one truly yearn for the dishes here.