The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

"Junior Brother Bai, you’re finally here."

The moment Bai Yuan stepped through the back door of the Five Flavors Pavilion that led to the kitchen, Liu Qingshan rushed over, his face etched with anxiety.

He had clearly been waiting for a long time.

"What happened?"

"Did the Flying Eagle Castle, the Iron Saber Gang, or the Liu Family come looking for trouble?"

Bai Yuan couldn’t help but ask, puzzled.

He was an Inner Courtyard Disciple of the Huwei Arts Hall, and Chu Yuan had backed him during the Five Flavors Pavilion’s grand opening. It made no sense for anyone besides those three major powers to cause trouble here.

Liu Qingshan sighed softly.

"A strange customer came to the restaurant this morning. No matter what Master Chen cooked, he wasn’t satisfied."

"At first, I thought he was here to make trouble, so I was going to send a couple of men to drive him away. But that old man was terrifyingly strong. Before I could even see how he moved, three burly men were knocked to the ground."

Bai Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Although Liu Qingshan had already left the Martial Arts Hall, he had been a genuine Outer Disciple. For even him to be so shocked meant the old man’s strength was definitely not to be underestimated.

"Take me to him."

After a moment of thought, Bai Yuan followed Liu Qingshan into the restaurant.

It was still between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., so the restaurant wasn’t crowded; only a sparse six or seven tables were occupied.

A gray-robed old man sitting alone at a table was particularly conspicuous. Though he looked advanced in age, he gave off a strangely youthful feeling, and his gaze was sharper than a hawk’s.

Watching him from a distance, Bai Yuan felt a chill run down his spine, the hairs on his arms standing on end.

’This man is strong!’

His tracking skill had reached the master level, making his perception of danger extremely acute. The sense of peril this old man gave off surpassed even that of Old Xue.

’That means the old man sitting alone in the corner is, at the very least, a Martial Artist at the Strong Organ Pass!’

Bai Yuan’s brows furrowed deeply. He couldn’t recall another expert of this caliber in Qinghe County.

While he had never met the three Strong Organ Pass experts from the Iron Saber Gang, Flying Eagle Castle, and the Liu Family, he had seen their portraits, and this was not one of them.

’He must be a powerhouse from another county,’ Bai Yuan mused.

’A fight is out of the question. I’m no match for him, and even my master, Old Xue, wouldn’t stand a chance.’

’But since he hasn’t made a move yet, there must be room for discussion. For an expert at the Strong Organ Pass, this old man has a remarkably ’good temper’.’

"Sir, I am the shopkeeper of this restaurant."

Bai Yuan walked forward and politely cupped his hands in greeting.

"You’re the shopkeeper?"

The old man glanced up at Bai Yuan and asked nonchalantly.

The closer he got to the old man, the more alarmed Bai Yuan became. The man’s strength might be even greater than he had imagined. He dared not be disrespectful.

"I am."

"They say the shopkeeper of the Five Flavors Pavilion has the best skills in all of Qinghe. I came today specifically to have a taste."

Bai Yuan’s heart relaxed.

’As long as he isn’t really here to cause trouble, it’s fine.’

’He was confident in his culinary skills, even more so than his martial arts.’

"Sir, do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"None at all."

...

As soon as Bai Yuan returned to the kitchen, Master Chen, the most experienced chef at the Five Flavors Pavilion, came up to him.

"Shopkeeper Bai, that man is clearly here to make trouble for the restaurant."

Master Chen complained to Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan waved his hand. "Master Chen, what dishes did you serve him today?"

’Although Master Chen of the Five Flavors Pavilion wasn’t as skilled as him, he was still a veteran chef with over a decade of experience and possessed about half of his own ability.’

’For the old man to be unsatisfied even with Master Chen’s cooking, he must be a picky gourmand.’

"Osmanthus Fish, Lotus Leaf Chicken, and Stir-fried Bamboo Shoots."

Bai Yuan frowned. ’These are all common dishes that don’t require overly advanced techniques. Master Chen’s skill should have been more than enough.’

"And what did the customer say?"

"Inedible."

"..."

Bai Yuan shook his head helplessly. Customers with such high standards were the most difficult to serve.

"Alright, be my assistant."

"The Second Shopkeeper is going to cook personally?"

Master Chen looked stunned. Ever since the first few days after the grand opening, the Second Shopkeeper of the Five Flavors Pavilion had rarely cooked for outside customers. Today was an exception.

"Don’t just stand there. It’ll be the same three dishes, plus these medicinal herbs I’ve written down for you. Go prepare them."

The moment he stepped into the kitchen, it was as if Bai Yuan had entered his own absolute domain, his confidence soaring.

Before long, waves of fragrant aromas began to drift from the kitchen.

Many of the patrons sitting in the main hall looked up in surprise.

’The Second Shopkeeper of the Five Flavors Pavilion is cooking again?’

Bai Yuan personally carried the three exquisite dishes and placed them on the wooden table before the old man.

"Sir, please, have a taste and offer your critique."

The old man sniffed the aroma, and the sharpness in his eyes softened considerably.

He raised his chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish, and placed it in his mouth, chewing it carefully. His eyebrows arched slightly without him realizing it. Then, he picked up a piece of chicken, and after that, some bamboo shoots. A smile finally broke across his face, smoothing out the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

’Seeing the old man’s reaction, Bai Yuan knew that today’s crisis had been resolved.’

"Infusing dishes with medicinal herbs... you’ve got some real skill, kid."

The old man rarely praised anyone. If his disciples had seen this, their jaws would have hit the floor.

As a Martial Artist himself, the old man naturally understood the significance of this meal. This wasn’t just eating; this was consuming medicine. The benefits for a Martial Artist were self-evident.

The old man’s chopsticks moved faster and faster until, in just a few moments, the three small dishes on the table were completely cleared.

"Very good."

He closed his eyes in contentment, then slowly rose to his feet, posturing as if to leave without any intention of paying.

Faced with a menace who was at least at the Strong Organ Pass, neither Bai Yuan nor Liu Qingshan had any thought of asking for money.

Just as the two were about to step forward to see him off—

The old man turned to Bai Yuan with a faint smile.

"To think a kid like you practices the Blood Tiger Saber... how interesting. I never like to be indebted to anyone. Take a piece of advice as payment for the meal."

"The Blood Tiger Saber is a decent technique. You would do well to linger in the Bone Tempering stage for a while longer. Tempering your bones with Evil Qi will surely be of great benefit."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man turned and left.

Bai Yuan’s expression turned grave.

’He hadn’t even made a move, yet the old man saw his martial origins at a single glance. Such insight was nothing short of terrifying.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

’Since he’d seen through the Blood Tiger Saber, what about the Tiger Form Crane Style?’

Bai Yuan didn’t dare to dwell on it. He just hoped the old man would leave Qinghe County as soon as possible. At least for now, the man held no enmity toward him.

’Bone Tempering...’

He recalled the old man’s words.

’This man is incredibly powerful; his words must hold a deeper meaning. It’s worth a try. It might just produce some unexpected results.’

Liu Qingshan only let out a long sigh of relief after the old man’s figure had completely disappeared.

"Junior Brother Bai, should we tell Master Xue about this?"

"Let’s just pretend nothing happened."

Bai Yuan shook his head. Old Xue was definitely no match for the old man from today. If Old Xue sent people to investigate, it might just stir up unnecessary trouble.

’A Martial Artist who was very likely above the Strong Organ realm had come to Qinghe County. Regardless of his intentions, his presence was bound to cause a huge stir in this small city.’