As soon as Tian Goubi finished speaking, everyone present smelled a peculiar fragrance.
"This must be the aroma of dishes wafting from the kitchen!" Zui Zi said, smacking his lips.
Tai Shan Du rubbed his belly and looked at Cheng Xiaofan, asking, "Kid, is this your chef cooking?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled faintly and replied, "Indeed. I'm naturally lazy, and we often have guests, so I had to hire a chef to cook at home!"
Tian Goubi sniffed again and said, "What kind of chef did you hire? The aroma from these dishes seems to be able to stir one's soul!"
Before Cheng Xiaofan could respond, Zui Zi glared at Tian Goubi with displeasure. "Tian Goubi, how can you say such a spineless thing?"
"We, the three Great Gluttons, have traversed the culinary world. Apart from stools with four legs, humans with two legs, things that fly in the sky, burrow in the ground, and swim in the water – what haven't we tasted!"
"We mustn't be fooled by the superficial aroma of the dishes. Only after truly tasting them can we judge their quality!"
Tai Shan Du immediately agreed. "Zui Zi is right. You, Tian Goubi, are too weak in this regard."
"To restore a clear sky for the Chinese culinary world, we must not be misled by superficial phenomena!"
Han Cheng sat to the side, listening to the three Great Gluttons chatter incessantly, a look of exasperation on his face.
He thought to himself, *I'm the protagonist here. I have a lot to say to Sect Leader Cheng, yet these three old fellows are stealing the show without regard for protocol.*
*They're all old enough to know better. Why are they acting so childish?*
Facing the three elders, Han Cheng was filled with frustration. He wanted to speak up several times but dared not.
After all, these three Great Gluttons held significant positions in the culinary world. He had just won a championship, and Cheng Xiaofan was considering appointing him as the acting head of the culinary world. He really couldn't afford to offend them.
What if they got angry and stirred up trouble in the culinary world? He would be in for a rough time.
"Han Cheng, what is your primary purpose for coming here?" At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan, unable to ignore the three old men any longer, directly asked Han Cheng.
Earlier, Cheng Xiaofan had sent Tang Guoxing a text message, informing him about the presence of the three Great Gluttons and asking him to enhance the aroma of the dishes to tease them.
The ingredients cultivated by Cheng Xiaofan were infused with immense spiritual energy. Once their aroma was fully released, it could make people so ravenous that they would feel worms wriggling in their stomachs.
Just as Cheng Xiaofan was questioning Han Cheng, waves of aroma, like a flood breaking through a dike, surged from the kitchen.
The three old men, already advanced in age and known for their gluttony, were instantly overwhelmed by this sudden olfactory assault.
They even felt a sense of suffocation.
Han Cheng was about to answer Cheng Xiaofan's question when the voices of the three old men drowned him out.
"Heavens, what kind of dish is this? I, Tian Goubi, can't even identify it!"
"Something's wrong, why do I suddenly feel like I need to cry for help!"
"Yes, I feel something is wrong too!"
The three old men couldn't articulate what was wrong.
Han Cheng and his friends were also deeply captivated by the aroma emanating from the kitchen.
"Gulp!"
"Hiss—"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
A chorus of swallowing sounds and stomach rumbles filled the room.
The three Great Gluttons, in particular, felt an urge to rush into the kitchen to investigate. However, constrained by their status, they had to suppress their impulses and remained seated, not daring to move.
They had never imagined that the temptation of culinary aromas could make one feel worse than death.
This was their first experience of such a sensation.
"Thump!"
At this moment, Tian Goubi's eyes rolled back, and he slid off his stool onto the floor.
"Ah, Tian Goubi, what's wrong?" Tai Shan Du asked, startled.
Tian Goubi murmured weakly, "My body is giving out. I can't hold on anymore. I have to lie down!"
Zui Zi also slid to the floor, his face exceptionally pale, and said weakly, "Tian Goubi, I feel the same way as you!"
Fortunately, Tai Shan Du could still manage to stay upright.
He glared at Cheng Xiaofan with wide eyes and asked angrily, "Kid, what in the world are you doing? Why did two of us, the three Great Gluttons, collapse after smelling the aroma of the dishes?"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled. "It's because they were too greedy. Are you blaming me for this?"
"Tai Shan Du, look at your shirt. It's soaked with saliva. Aren't you also feeling extremely uncomfortable from your greed?"
"I think you're about to collapse too!"
"Thump!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tai Shan Du also slid to the floor.
"Ah, Sect Leader Cheng, are they going to be alright?" Han Cheng, seeing the three old men collapse, quickly asked Cheng Xiaofan.
What if these three Great Gluttons died here? That would be a disaster.
If news of this spread, people might suspect Sect Leader Cheng of deliberately harming them.
Then, wouldn't the entire Chinese culinary world be thrown into chaos!
Cheng Xiaofan smiled upon hearing this. "It's fine. My ingredients are not only exceptionally delicious but also have the effect of healing and saving lives. They never harm people."
"They collapsed because they were weakened by their greed!"
"Han Cheng—"
He couldn't help but smile slightly. "You and your friends are young and strong. If you were their age, you would have collapsed too."
Han Cheng boldly declared without any reservations, "I've only ever heard of people collapsing from hunger. I never thought I'd witness someone collapse from greed today, and these three are the Great Gluttons of the culinary world!"
"If this gets out, the lifelong reputation of these three Great Gluttons will be ruined!"
"You..." The three old men, slumped on the ground, heard Han Cheng's words and their eyes rolled back in anger. They wanted to retort but lacked the strength.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled faintly. "This is quite normal. No matter how great a glutton is, if they claim to have tasted all the delicacies in the world, they must humble themselves here."
As they were talking, the sound of women's laughter drifted in from the courtyard.
"Haha, my goddess and her colleagues are back!" Cheng Xiaofan said immediately.
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Yiling, Shen Ruobing, and Tang Xiuwan walked into the room.
Bai Yiling's eyes fell on Cheng Xiaofan and Han Cheng, and she smiled radiantly. "Ah, Xiaofan, you're back. Are these your friends?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled. "Yes, this is Han Cheng. I mentioned him to you. He's a friend I met during the culinary competition in Chinatown!"
"Ah, what happened to them?" At this moment, Bai Yiling's gaze landed on the three old men who were huddled under the table.
Cheng Xiaofan burst into laughter. "You mean these three old rascals? They are the three Great Gluttons from the culinary world. They've collapsed from greed. Perhaps they're trying to be down-to-earth and eat dirt!"