TDU Chapter 239
TL Note: There were a few lines that were later deleted by the author in this chapter. From the content, I think it’s mainly due to censorship—it doesn’t affect the plot, but for those who are okay with Chu Tianqiu being a human connoisseur, I translated the lines and put them into a dropdown.
Edited by Molly Z and SpeedDemon
Chapter 239 An Exquisite Dinner
Chu Tianqiu, draped in a coat, was about to head toward the graveyard under the cover of night when he was stopped by an adolescent blocking his path.
Kim Wonhun stood before him, looking extremely troubled. He stared at Chu Tianqiu for a long while but didn’t speak a word.
“What’s wrong?” Chu Tianqiu asked with a smile. “Need something?”
“Ge…” Kim Wonhun lowered his head, organizing his words before speaking, “Are you going to kill me to keep your secret?”
“Kill you?” Chu Tianqiu grinned, showing his pearly white teeth. “And what would be the reason for that?”
“Because I saw that nàyàng…” Kim Wonhun swallowed nervously. “Ge, what exactly are you doing down there?”
"Naturally, I’m working on a plan to leave this wretched place." Chu Tianqiu stated solemnly. "I’m merely conducting experiments… just various experiments, nothing more."
“Those masks… and that ge’s corpse… were all part of the experiments?” Kim Wonhun asked with doubt in his voice.
"That’s right." Chu Tianqiu nodded slightly. "I told you before—I have a doctorate in biology."
Kim Wonhun couldn’t bring himself to look into Chu Tianqiu’s eyes. Turning his head away, he asked again, his face filled with despondency, “Ge, have you ever killed anyone?”
“This question…” Chu Tianqiu smiled cheerfully. “How could I kill anyone? "For as long as I can remember, my hands have never been stained with a drop of fresh blood.”
“Really…?”
“Why, don’t you believe me?” Chu Tianqiu walked up and patted Kim Wonhun’s shoulder. “In your memory, am I a murderous fiend who kills without a second thought?”
Kim Wonhun sighed, “Ge, I don’t remember anything from the past.”
“Oh, I forgot,” Chu Tianqiu sighed as well. “Kim Wonhun, rest assured. If one day I manage to leave this place, you’ll all benefit from it.”
“Benefit from it?”
“Mhm.” Chu Tianqiu smiled happily, “You’re not great with Chinese, so you might not know… there’s an old saying that goes, {When a man achieves Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven}.”
“Achieves Dao… rise to Heaven?” Kim Wonhun blinked, tilting his head. “What does that mean?”
“It means that if one person becomes a god, the people around him will also ascend,” Chu Tianqiu said with a gentle smile. “Do you understand now?”
“Ge… I believe you…” Kim Wonhun nodded silently. “I have no other choice but to believe you…”
“Good boy, go get some sleep.”
Kim Wonhun turned with a complicated expression, walking away into the pitch-black night. He felt like he was quite similar to the man named Qiao Jiajin, yet at the same time, he wasn't—they had the same personality, but were guided by different {brains}.
Whose path is really the right one?
After bidding farewell to Kim Wonhun, Chu Tianqiu arrived at the cemetery, finding the third tombstone from the left, then descended into the hidden passage.
This was a small warehouse he had stumbled upon by chance. After some simple renovations, it had become his hideout.
But now, his hideout was exposed, and he needed to relocate quickly.
Chu Tianqiu descended the stairs and pushed open the small door of the warehouse. A fresh, foul stench rushed toward his nose. He inhaled deeply, slightly intoxicated by the scent, then smiled and stepped inside. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a lighter and lit the candles on the wall.
At the same moment, several animal masks on the shelves in the room were illuminated, their hollow eyes staring back at him.
“My exquisite dinner...” Chu Tianqiu casually picked up a boning knife from the wall beside him, then walked toward the dining table.
On the table lay a corpse of Qi Xia.
The body had been mutilated—many of its organs were missing, and the skin had been shredded into pieces.
"Damn that Sacred Guardian, there’s not much left for me to work with..."
Chu Tianqiu held the knife, inspecting the body like a chef evaluating prime ingredients. "Which part should I eat today...?" His smile grew increasingly deranged. "The {heart} bore no effect... Could {Reverberation} be in the brain?"
After pondering for a few seconds, Chu Tianqiu made up his mind.
While still holding the boning knife, he fetched for the nearest hammer.
He then reversed his grip on the knife, pressing the blade against the calvaria (top of the skull). Slowly, he began chiseling with the hammer.
Had the body before him not been Qi Xia’s, he would never have chosen to consume the white matter. After all, without seasoning, the smell was difficult to mask, and the texture was soft and greasy.
By comparison, he preferred fingers, especially beautiful fingers.
-
The key was not to overcook them—seven or eight minutes would be perfect.
The taut skin would cling tightly to the bone. With a gentle tug, peeling back the nail, a small portion of skin just needs to be bitten off, and the bone could be pulled out, clean.
Have you ever eaten a chicken foot just before the bone detaches? The {crunching} sound from the delicacy is truly satisfying.
It was not only visually appealing but also delicious.
After finishing, he savored the delicate nails, chewing them as if it were the height of refinement—such is the epitome of an exquisite meal.
"It's a pity your ten fingers are gone," Chu Tianqiu shook his head with a touch of regret, continuing to pry open Qi Xia's skull.
He struck rhythmically with the hammer, humming Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major, making the entire scene even more bizarre.
After about thirty minutes, a blood-drenched bone was meticulously removed.
Chu Tianqiu glanced at the slightly darkened crimson cranial interior, a slow smile spreading across his face as he reached for a spoon and gently inserted it.
As if carving out the ripest bite from a halved watermelon, he twisted the spoon around before lifting a scoop of red-and-white, tofu-like matter.
He then used some kindling to start a fire, taking out a block of aged butter to grease the skillet, and placed the ingredients in with a satisfied expression as he began to fry them.
{Zzzz—}
The slightly decayed brain hit the skillet, releasing a strong, fragrant aroma.
“Should we try a butter cheese bake today...?” Chu Tianqiu rummaged through his cupboard, a look of regret crossing his face. “Too bad there’s no more cheese... Well, I guess we can make do with a simple fry.”
With a spoon, he gently pressed down on the ingredients in the pan, ensuring they heated evenly while also shaping them into a more square form.
To make the dish more exquisite, shaping during the cooking process was essential. Each side was fried for thirty seconds until the exterior turned a light golden brown. Once the white smoke ceased rising, it was ready to be plated and enjoyed.
Chu Tianqiu carefully placed the portions of Qi Xia's body onto a large flat plate, then laid a napkin over his lap and picked up a knife and fork.
He carefully cut off a small, whitish, crispy edge, sniffed it in front of his nose with the fork, and then placed it in his mouth. The outside was slightly hard, while the inside was soft and greasy. With a bit of pressure from his tongue, the delicacy spread in his mouth, and a fragrant taste swirled around, far surpassing what Chu Tianqiu had imagined.
“{Turbulence}...” With a look of deep satisfaction, Chu Tianqiu mused, “Maybe after a good night’s sleep… I’ll awaken as a {Turbulentee}...”
He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and spread it out on the table.
The words were penned in his familiar hand, "Once you consume it, that person’s {Reverberation} will be yours to wield."
His face quickly darkened, and he chastised himself inwardly, ‘Chu Tianqiu, oh, you clever fool… Why didn’t you have the foresight to make it clearer back then?’
What is the crucial thing that must be consumed?
