Dao of Cooking (A Xianxia-LitRPG Story)

[T4icho12]

Chapter 1 - Three Months

Lei pushed the stall down the sloping ground, careful to keep the redseeds and eggs from spilling out onto the pebbles. The pots and pans wriggled dangerously, but they just loved keeping him on the edge, so he didn't mind them. It was just his luck the blazing sun sent streaks of bloody light down his head, trying to roast him alive.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand, back already drenched through. The sweat plastered his long, dark hair to his scalp, but he was trying hard not to scratch the itch. Once he started there wouldn't be going back.

At least the wind was there, and it was always something he was grateful about. The wind and the sun, two familiar things reminding him of the time he didn't have to work his ass off just to keep himself alive.

These were dangerous times, is all. Dangerous, and strange, and alien, it had to be said. Still, three months of labor lent him a strong hand against this fate, and he was beginning to feel proud of himself.

[Feed 1000 People]

Progress: 985/1000

A smile creased his lips as he regarded the blueish screen that floated before him. It came with a thought, and gone, just like that, yet with another thought. It was the only thing that gave him a sense of responsibility — well, other than the whole having been woken up in a different world thing, of course.

When the ground gave way to the cobbled streets of the city, Lei drew in a breath of relief. Now, the stall could drag itself along the way, allowing him to rest his straining arms. He couldn't say he liked the sun marks on his skin, but whatever thing had sent him here at least gave him a pretty face to which he had no complaints.

Jiangzhen was famous for its long and wide streets, or so Lei has been told, for the streets he knew like the back of his hand were all narrow, and crowded. Children were already out and about, their mothers running after them. Grannies fanned themselves under the shadows of the old houses, their faces nothing more than wrinkled maps. It was hard to tell whether they were happy watching the kids, or they just had this understanding between them that they would, no matter the circumstances, never break those smiles.

Though Lei learned how to manage a smile from them, he still found it hard to keep the act going whenever he'd notice one or two of them had gone missing each day. It happened more often than he would've liked, but guessed it was just the way of life in these streets.

Therefore, it was with a ping of guilt that he turned his head to another side when the children came flocking round the stall, all dressed in rags that had been patched way more than they should. They reached for the redseeds, onions and eggs.

"Lei! Lei! Lei!"

"We're hungry! Please make something for us!"

"Lei! I love eggs!"

They screamed playfully, hopeful glints in their big eyes making them seem like tiny little stars.

"You know a man has to feed himself before feeding the others!" Lei said, pressing his lips into a straight line as he tried to don the mask of a slightly angry older brother. "You'll have to wait, and be patient. Being patient earns you your keep, isn't that right, Old Ji?" he said and gave a small nod to an old man who stood by his house with a hard face.

"Scram!" Old Ji said with a wave of his hand, and the children trembled like broken sticks. "You good for nothings! Your Big Brother Lei here is working hard to earn himself a living, and yet you're trying to leech off of him! Hasn't he given you enough, already?"

"It's Grumpy Ji!"

"Old Monster!"

"Run!"

The children scuttled away like ants before a tiger when Old Ji pulled out his famed bamboo stick, swinging it grimly at them. After they were gone, Lei parked the stall near the old man's house.

"My gratitude, Old Ji," Lei said with a little smile.

Old Ji snorted. "What gratitude, young man? I'm doing this to make those children understand the reality of their lives. There's no such a thing as free food in this world. Everything has its price, no matter how small or big."

"You're wise, as always." Lei nodded as he gave a look over his right shoulder. When he saw the children were gone, he took out a piece of bread from the stall, and wrapped it around a leaf before giving it to the old man. "Here, I want you to try this."

Old Ji frowned. "I don't need your pity. I can take care of myself."

"I know that." Lei sighed out a long breath as he rubbed his left thigh. Though it's been two months, he could almost feel the old man's stick's sting just like yesterday. "Know that too well, I'm afraid. But I made something different this time, and nobody has near the experience you've, Old Ji. Eat this, and tell me what you think. Oh, and be careful with the bread, you'll find it's filled with… eh, different things."

Old Ji ran a hand over his bald head, leaning onto his stick. It was hard to distinguish the stick from his legs, as they all seemed seconds away from breaking. But the thing that made Old Ji different from the others were his dark eyes that glinted with deep wisdom. He was the only man in these streets who had the chance to step out into the wide world, after all, and he had no one caring for him, to Lei's knowledge.

"Hmph," Old Ji snorted again, but took the wrapped bread. Lei gave him a grateful nod before going on his way. It was never wise to idle round Old Ji. Never wise to mess with a grumpy, old man.

It is becoming quite hard to deal with this Old Ji. He's too stubborn for his own good. I need to come up with different excuses if I don't want him starving to death.

After he left the forgotten streets of Jiangzhen, Lei made his way towards the Sidestone Street and was greeted by a whole different world. Men and women strolled through the stalls, robes flapping in the wind. The air was heavy with the smell of spice and incense, which were all displayed on the shelves dotting the walls of the shops.

It was always a rush with these people, and yet nobody bumped into each other, people somehow managing to slip past the others with a certain finesse. Other than the screaming shopkeepers, the only sounds hanging low in the air were the words being spoken in a gentle manner so as not to disturb others.

Lei's place in this wide street was just around the corner. He'd paid good buck for that spot, so much so that he had to work odd jobs for weeks just to save enough for it.

Those were the good days.

Pushing the stall towards the spot, he waved a hand or two to the familiar faces, nodded to those who earned it, and smiled at the ones who were useful to him. Making connections, now he could say with confidence he's never been a stranger to this field of expertise. Being in debt was a popular sport round here in the Old City, and without connections one could only hope to live to see another day.

Feeding people certainly helps, though.

Lei nodded to himself as he set the stall right before the corner, under the shade of a two-story building made of wood, and began working on the redseeds. At first, he was of the mind to try and pay this vegetable its due with giving it back its real name, but changing old habits and challenging old beliefs proved to be… tough, to say the least. Calling it tomatoes wouldn't simply be enough to change it.

He'd heard many call them strange eggplants, but most often preferred the name redseed, and it made sense when he thought about it. The color was there, and the seeds were plenty, though it was a touch too hard for his taste, so he had to mash them good before using them on a dish.

Now, it was hard earning a living in this ancient Chinese-style city, alright. It was especially the case when you've little to no idea what to do in a medieval society. Shitting, pissing, eating, and drinking, even the clothes and the manners were completely different, and it took many weeks for him to find his place through all of this.

After peeling the redseeds, he arranged them, the onions and the peppers in neat rows before pulling out his chopping board — it was a piece of wood. He made fast work of the redseeds and onions, cutting them into pieces. Then he sliced green peppers into thin rings and made sure he left no seeds in them.

When that was done, he pulled out a wooden bowl and cracked ten eggs inside of it. Using the sticks, he stirred the eggs until they were as yellow as the bloody sun over his head.

"Got you your bread, Brother Lei!" said a thick voice.

Lei wiped his teary eyes when he heard the voice, and saw a man bounding across the street like an angry bull, dividing the sea of people into two halves. At each step the fat under his chin wriggled, the bloody apron curving over his belly stretching, and stretching until it seemed it would split.

It didn't.

Fatty Lou, otherwise known as the Hasty Butcher, has worn that apron from the day they'd met, or so Lei reckoned. It was hard counting the bloody streaks that had spurted over onto it when the man had the habit of slaughtering dozens of pigs everyday, and today it seemed yet another scar had been added on his already riddled fingers, thus earning him the name Hasty Butcher.

"Why are you here?" Lei raised an eyebrow when he saw Fatty Lou's hanging with his dear life onto the sac full of loaves of bread. The sac had been smeared with blood, and Lei could only hope the bread was fine.

"Oh, Father's busy with… other things," Fatty Lou said when he crossed the last line. He lay a trembling arm onto the stall before gasping himself into a coughing fit. His face was as red as a beet. "He…" - he breathed, hard — "He's been summoned…" — he choked once more on his own spit — "by the cultivators."

Lei took a deep breath after Fatty Lou finished his sentence. It wasn't the cultivator part that got him anxious, but rather watching Fatty Lou breathe through his nose like a bull made him feel like he himself was about to explode.

"I see he's had enough time to bake the bread," Lei said as he reached out, and took the sac with the care of a mother. "But what can these mighty cultivators possibly want from a baker, I couldn't follow. Should've been you they've called, considering you have quite the experience about killing and butchering."

"If only," Fatty Lou said with a forlorn face. "It was something about the Kitchens, I've heard. Looks like they've been looking for talents who'll serve them in their sect."

"You mean slaves, no?" Lei scoffed as he regarded the redseeds and the eggs, and the pitiful stall on which they stood. "To my knowledge there are hundreds, if not thousands of people licking the feet of these so-called immortals. Why bother with a baker or two?"

Fatty Lou stepped near him, and clamped his mouth shut with a hand. "You're going to get us killed, Brother Lei! You know those people can hear the ground, and listen to the whispers of the wind. Everything has its voice, they say, and these people are the only ones who got ears sharp enough to hear it."

Lei almost rolled his eyes, but went with a nod so as to save himself from the sweaty, bloody fingers of his friend. He was an honest man, and Lei found being honest was a rare thing in these lands. Though the irony, he resembled those plump pigs he butchered without batting an eye each day, and Lei wanted to keep him close, and safe.

"Alright," Lei said, and clapped him on the back. "Don't worry. I'm sure Master Li would've just wanted to give them some face."

"Yes, that must be it." Fatty Lou nodded with little enthusiasm.

Lei nodded, too, but there was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. They were some strange people, these cultivators. The tales he'd heard resembled the ones he read back on Earth, but he'd found soon enough he'd underestimated the reverence being shown to them, especially by the normal folk.

They were close to gods, and angels in the sense that most people would simply prostrate themselves while facing one, daring not to look into their eyes. It was something along the lines of fear and respect, but more so the sheer might they radiated about them.

Lei had never seen one, as even in a city as big as Jangzhen cultivators were a rare bunch to come across, but heard enough of them to know they'd killed men for less than mere words.

He smiled wryly when he remembered the first day he opened his eyes to that broken, dusty, and rotten walls of the cage he was supposed to call home. Being a twenty-some-year-old orphan didn't help, as he had no one to ask any questions, but got in return a single hovering screen that didn't make any sense. Even now he wasn't sure whether he should be thankful about the fact that he got another life, or not.

Well, I think you have to make the best of it with what you've got. No point in dwelling in the past.

Lei straightened his back. He pulled a couple of wooden logs from under the stall, and started working on the little make-shift stove which was essentially a big hole in the planks. He placed the short logs inside the hole, and lit a match to get the fire going. To manage the smoke he'd gotten a metal pipe the other week. It proved more useful than he would've thought. At least he could keep his face half-clean. That was something.

When the logs got cuddled by the flame, he flourished the old fan to keep the smoke from spreading. Fatty Lou was watching intently from the side, his mind still on his pops, no doubt. It was good having him here, for today would be the day he'd complete this senseless work. Feeding a thousand people, who would've thought it'd take him three months to achieve that?

….

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 2 - Robed Man



It didn't take long for a small crowd to gather before the stall. Lei could see some of his regulars smiling up at him while the others were mostly drawn here by the little commotion. Surely they heard about his food, but it took more than curiosity to waste a couple of coins on a street delicacy, considering the times being as they were.

Still, there's always business to be done in the mornings. The street had plenty of people with deep enough pockets, after all.

Fat oil, in. The hot pot sizzled with the touch of the liquid, producing the first delicate trail of smoke. The onions were more than ready to dive in, and dived in, they did. Lei grabbed hold of the handle with one hand, swirling the onions with the art of a master chef.

Seconds passed as the onions turned brown and soft. The peppers followed suit, and Lei added more oil for good measurement. Butter would've been his first choice, but not only it was hard to find, the ones he came across were either too expensive or tasteless. So he had to settle with the second-best alternative.

The strong smell of fat burned with the underlying sweetness of the onions, and peppers. As he was about to saute the mix, he couldn't help but to glance at the gloomy fatty who stood by his side. While Lei could understand Fatty Lou's concerns, he couldn't let him spill the mood by standing there like a brooding beast.

"Cheer up a little, will you?" Lei came up with a quick fix and squeezed Fatty Lou's wrist. "Now that you're here, let's show them how it's done, Hasty. Do your thing."

Fatty Lou stared intently at the hand holding his wrist before his face eased down to a little smile. He nodded and took a step in, looming over the crowd with his big bulk. He lingered in that same spot for a few seconds, breathing steadily. Then he stretched his arms to both sides and squinted up at the sky.

"Heavens, we're blessed!"

The crowd took a step back at the same time, even the ones strolling about the streets stopping as if a strong wind had slapped them across the cheek. Some shopkeepers craned their heads to see about the owner of this mighty, yet somehow captivating voice, only to stiffen.

"This…" Fatty Lou said, closing his eyes and cupping his hands as if in prayer. "The mixture of fragrances is almost tingling my nose. Not too strong, but sharp enough to leave you wanting… Can I taste it? Can I really dare taste such a novel dish? I'm not sure. I'm hearing it now… a voice within me whispering into my ears, saying that should I try this dish once, then I might never go back again. Will this one dare? Am I… worthy enough?"

Lei almost slipped as he was about to add the mashed redseeds into the pot. He gave a quick glance at Fatty Lou, and found the man had already flung the apron to the backside of the stall, and raised both hands to his chest, eyelids squirming while he took deep, long breaths from the pot.

"Are you?" Fatty Lou's eyes snapped open as he jabbed with one thick finger into the crowd, face twisted up in cold rage. "Are you worthy enough for such a heavenly dish?"

The crowd whispered among themselves while Lei's regulars exchanged strange looks. Those looks seemed almost saying, 'Is this the same dish we eat every day, or something entirely different?', while the others had in their eyes the sort of twitch one would get when they are nervous.

Lei didn't mind the fatty. Quite the opposite, he was more than happy and proud of such novel marketing attempts. The man had in him the gift of speech, but his Father kept a tight leash round him to prevent him from becoming something other than a butcher.

The eggs splashed into the mix as the wood's smoke blended gently with the dish. Lei gave them a slight twist with the stick but didn't poke it too much, as the dish had to look messy. It resembled a modern painting, the play of the colors and the mixing themes made little sense at first look, but Lei wasn't done with it, yet.

He reached down the stall to pull out his treasured bottle. Inside was a powder as dark as the night. A single sniff from it would make a man sneeze for days. Used sparingly, it could give a wholly different layer of flavor to any dish.

"You don't know," Fatty Lou said with a wave of his hand. He sunk into his knees while pinching the bridge of his nose. If Lei didn't know better, he could've thought the man was about to cry. "How can you? Who are you to know? Masters? Hardly seems so. Then crooks? No, it wouldn't be it. Is this what they call the courage of the ignorant? The rashness that seldom produces the spark of a genius? Tell me! Does the dish say anything to you? Can you hear it?"

Let alone the crowd, even Lei wasn't sure if the dish had anything to say. Still, he leaned an ear close to it and heard it sizzling. It was not long before he plastered a longing, zestful expression over his face.

Might as well act the part.

He added the black pepper powder. It looked different, but Lei learned the hard way it was the same thing, all in all. After that came the salt, a little sprinkle from over the top so to make sure each part got its fair share. Then he closed the pot's lid and crossed his arms to watch the crowd.

It was becoming quite the sight, he must admit. For most days he'd have not more than a dozen people eager to try what many called strange-looking, weird-tasting dishes, and a few more who'd only watch from a certain distance just for the curiosity's sake, yet today all the street had its eyes on him — on Fatty Lou, being honest.

But you wouldn't want all the eyes on some man speaking utter nonsense rather than the real business itself. So, Lei pulled the lid with gentle care, and they crossed eyes with Fatty Lou in muted understanding. Fatty Lou gave him a slight nod before taking another step closer to the stall, waiting eagerly for the first taste while the others watched, eyes glinting, the dish to come alive.

The salty smell splashed across the crowd, smoke curling round them in beautiful waves. The mixture was thick with a reddish color, almost a paste but had enough juice to dip into it. The onions and peppers had near blended into the redseeds, and that much was to be expected. They were in just for the extra flavor, after all.

Lei heard and saw a few from the crowd gulping heavily. Wasting no time, he took the bread from the sac, cut it into halves, and stretched them open before filling the insides to the brim with the dish.

Fatty Lou snatched the first one out of his fingers. After the first bite, his face melted. All his wrinkles, all the doubt and the nervousness, slipped away and eased down. His brows were dangerously close to touching each other in this blissful daze. He licked his lips up with a practiced fashion and down his chin, and swiped a finger over his cheek on which stuck a little piece of pepper, jerking it away, and catching it in the air before it could fall, then smacked those lips of his loudly.

When he finished it, he closed his eyes as if to savor the taste and keep it fresh in his mind.

For a second everything went still. The crowd, and the onlookers, even the birds and the bees seemed frozen in shock. Lei, too, was busy staring at Fatty Lou, stomach wrenching as he thought if should he take the second one, or not.

"How blind are you?!" Fatty Lou glared out into the crowd, the edges of his eyes creasing. He was trembling, shaking. "How blind are you to not recognize this sudden gift, this fruit of a genius that somehow found its way to our lowly city? Is this reality, or am I dreaming? Surely this sight before my eyes must be an illusion. Some Master at work, perhaps? This lowly Lou can only bow his head to this Senior. This one has but a little wish. Should I… No! Would you let me, oh, honorable senior, taste this piece of heavens that fell before my eyes one more time? I wish for nothing else…"

"Can't be that good, right?" said a man with a long face in the crowd.

"I don't know… but I want to try," said the other who stood by him, one hand under his chin as he stared at the pieces of bread Lei had unwittingly raised high enough that everyone could see it.

An old man mustered his courage to come near the stall, holding in his trembling fingers a single silver coin. "Young man, how much—"

Fatty Lou snapped his head at him with a frown as deep as the wrinkles mapping the old man's face.

"Er…" the old man stuttered, glancing round himself as if in an effort to understand what had he done wrong. Then, light dawned on his eyes, and he smiled sheepishly. "Master, how much for a single bread?"

Fatty Lou nodded in approval.

"Six coppers would be more than enough, Sir," Lei said politely, trying hard not to rub his hands together. They were itching.

After the first real sale, the others came crashing down like a downpour. From left and right reached different hands, holding coppers, holding silvers, pressing tight into each other while Lei sweated under the endless assault, couldn't say he was happy or wasted.

Thankfully, he'd have time for a breather between each patch of the dish, and he almost smacked himself when he remembered he forgot to check the process.

[Feed 1000 People]

[Progress: 999/1000]

One more, and we'll see about this thing. Please be something good.

He prayed a silent prayer before pouring himself back into the work yet again. The coins piling up on the side was a sight to behold, he had to say. And it wasn't even the best part. As he gazed at Fatty Lou who stood by the side, happy gulping another piece of bread, Lei couldn't help but admire the man's thinking.

A breakthrough, was it? I'm thinking it was something like that.

Other than spending nearly all the evenings together, Lei and Fatty Lou had collaborated to spark some interest in Lei's novel dishes before — two times, to be exact, but neither of the times yielded such a grand result. Today Fatty Lou has outdone himself. Who would've thought to use guerilla marketing to sell some Menemen here in the Old City? The dish had quite the following in Turkey and had different shapes and forms in other countries, but it was, simply put, a basic dish that anyone could cook.

I was always bad at marketing. One of my few flaws, people often said. It seems they were right.

Lei sighed when he remembered the first shop he'd opened in the US. Though that venture had left him broken as bones, he could say with confidence he'd learned many things. It was hard managing a small business, especially when you're alone, and the same was true even here.

But with a man like Hasty Lou by his side, it seemed the good days were near — only if he could convince Master Li to save the fatty from being overworked in the slaughterhouse, of course. Still, the thought of cooking pizza or things like chicken curry made his blood boil in excitement.

As Lei was busy dreaming about the riches waiting for him in the future, the bustling noise of the crowd suddenly went still — so still that you could hear a pin drop. Then came a clapping noise.

When Lei raised his head up to see about this change, he saw a man who was clad in robes as blue as the sky, different patterns embroidered all over it.

Behind him stood three men all dressed in a brown-colored robe with a single patch sewn over their chests, depicting a cauldron. Their faces were stern and cold. The crowd inched away from them at each passing second, daring not to look straight into their eyes. And the air grew close all of a sudden, and closer still as the man approached him.

He looked a simple man, but it did seem there was something about him. An air of command, a sense of weight. A man used to giving orders, a man used to being above. His dark eyes were set deep in his skull, and there were gentle creases round them. His long, dark hair wrapped into a tight bun over his head, put in place with a single, golden clip.

Didn't know why, but Lei couldn't stop the shaking of his fingers while facing him. He glanced doubtfully up the heavens and saw the sun blazing as hot as usual, but the shaking wouldn't stop. It was as though he was dropped dead into a blizzard, shivering senseless, heart pounding in his chest.

It was then that a familiar face broke into his sight, an elderly man with a face twisted up in fear — Fatty Lou's father, Master Li. He reached almost in an instinctive motion to Fatty Lou but stopped at the last second, instead staring fearfully into the eyes of the robed man.

"H-Honorable cultivator," said Master Li as he puffed hot air into his trembling hands. "T-This is the young man I told you about."

"A different talent, indeed, Master Li." The cultivator beamed at Master Li before clasping his hands on his back and nodding to Lei. "Can I try your novel dish, Little Brother?"

Lei was about to say something, but Master Li urged him from behind the robed man, shaking his head pleadingly.

"Well, of course, Honorable Cultivator," Lei said as he clasped another bread tight in his hand, making sure the portion was ready and hot.

The cultivator waved a hand over the bread, taking in the flavors. Then he scowled. "Pepper?" he asked, but raised a hand when Lei opened his mouth. "Hold it there, Little Brother. I'm not finished."

He took the first bite. Not too big, not too small. He chewed on it for quite a while, his face strained in focus. "Redseeds, interesting," he commented. "And onions with a touch of pepper under them. Who would've thought they could blend so perfectly? I can taste the eggs too, but rather than drowning the dish with their texture, they seem to have added another layer to it. Spicy, but not overly so. The balance was something of a miracle, I have to say."

"I'm grateful for your generous praise, Honorable Sir," Lei said as he cupped his hands, and bowed his head, trying hard not to hear the thumping in his chest. At least the man genuinely seemed interested in his dish, but that didn't change the fact he probably had the power to cease their existence with a mere flick of his finger.

"Oh, I'm never stingy with my praise, especially not to my Little Brothers," the robed-man said and smiled a little smile to the three men who stood behind him.

Their reactions were… mixed, at best. The one on the left nodded with vigor, the middle one had a certain twitch on his cheeks that made him look like a man who got kicked in the nuts, and the one who stood on the right seemed indifferent.

Can mean anything, you're saying. Shit.

"I've plenty more if your Little Brothers would be interested in tasting my dishes, Honorable Sir," Lei said. "It would be my pleasure."

"Oh, you mean them?" The robed-man jerked a thump back to his so-called Little Brothers and shook his head. "They'll have more than enough chances to taste your dishes, don't you worry."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't get the meanin—"

"Master Li, this fatty is your precious son, then, eh?" The robed man licked his lips as he beckoned Fatty Lou to come closer. "Healthy body, and I'm thinking he must have good bones, too, considering the size. He'll have to adapt, but I saw men half his size who labored their way into the Inner Sect."

"Y-Yes!" Master Li came up quick as the wind, a fawning smile creasing his lips. "He can be a babbling fool here and there, but he'll do as you say, Honorable Cultivator, you can count on my word."

Fatty Lou shifted nervously under the robed man's scrutinizing gaze. The man stared at him as if he was weighing cattle for his farm. In the end, his smile widened, and he clapped the fatty on the back, sending him sprawling onto the ground face-first.

"We'll work on that." He chuckled and turned at Lei. "But you, Little Brother, you don't worry yourself about these things."

Lei wasn't sure what to think, or what to say, or if he should think or say anything at all. A shiver down his spine made him tremble, but the cold was no more, and the only thing that could possibly make him feel this way was standing before him, a robed man a little fat on the sides.

"Can I ask why?" Lei said with a wince.

The man took another step in, round the stall, and patted him on the shoulder. "Because you, and I, Little Brother, we're no simple men. I knew from the very first time I've laid my eyes on you that you have something burning inside of you." He poked him with a finger over his chest. "Some call it talent, and for some it is disposition, but if you ask me, I call it desire. A certain longing comes from within, that makes your blood boil and your neck strain. The reason of your existence, a calling that beckons you from beyond the heavens."

"From beyond the heavens…" Lei gulped down heavily.

"Yes," the robed man said. "You, and I, Little Brother. We both can hear that calling, can't we?"

"Can we?"

"We can, of course, for we're cooks with passion." The robed man smiled deeply at him. "But you're still lacking. Even then you almost achieved to breathe life into this meal, making it more than mere food. If you learn how to wield spiritual energy, then I'm sure you can rise high enough to touch the ranks of Immortal Chefs, the so-called legends who hold sway over the line between life and death."

"Immortal Chefs?" Lei took a step back. "You mean like a cultivator? You want me to become a cultivator?"

The robed man nodded. "We can't let you waste your precious gift, now, can we? Better we're on our way as quickly as possible. Seeing you here, in an old street wasting your talents makes my heart bleed in regret. Come now, Little Brother, we've serious work to be about."

…..

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 3 - On The Road



…..



Lei was a lazy man. During his time on Earth, he always had problems waking up early, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, or even managing his work schedule. It was one of the reasons for his burning desire for entrepreneurship. His thinking was simple: if you can become your own boss, then you can work whenever you want.

It was all wishful thinking, he had learned. Technically, when he opened his little restaurant in L.A he found that he could, indeed, work as little as he wanted, but that came with a catch — money. And even when he devoted himself fully to being the owner and the cook of the shop, things hadn't worked the way he planned. He had to close the whole thing, or else there wouldn't have been any money left from his dear savings.

In that sense, Lei could say life had taught him to become more realistic. You've no choice but to be one, for the disappointments had the tendency to break a man even more than the failures.

So when this robed, feverishly passionate, and freakishly powerful man told him he'd accompany him to this Nine Nails Sect, Lei knew he had no other choice but to accept. In fact, it took him just under an hour to gather all his stuff from his rotten cage of a house, surprising even his lazy self.

At least I won't be alone. That's something.

Something, indeed, and that something looked as excited as a baby facing a dozen toys. He had a pack slung over his right shoulder, round belly wriggling as he patted it happily. Now and then he poked Lei from the side, expecting him to join in his jolly mood, but Lei still had his doubts as he gazed out across the mountainside.

Mountains. Steep, jagged peaks drilling into the clouds. The heavy, damp air made everything stuck to the skin, going as far as to plaster his long hair to his scalp. He scratched himself like a madman, caring not whether it'd left long, red streaks all across his skin. He'd be damned if he let one more spot go untouched.

Sect. Immortals. Cultivators. Things had reached to this point against all the hopes he'd born otherwise. He'd be a dead man in a month or two, if not in mere days. Reading stuff online was one thing, but it was completely different when you're at the end of the rope, staring out down into the darkness, remembering the possible scenarios all ending up with yourself being slaughtered.

Lei wasn't even sure how he'd survived in that old city. He'd rubbed floors, carried boxes, chased after cats, washed an ungodly amount of things before he got enough money to fix himself a stall. Weeks, it took him, and the weeks after he got the stall hadn't been much different. Being a small business owner, he'd suffered so much that even out here in the wilds, while climbing a mountain peak, he found himself thinking about the debts he'd left unpaid back in the city.

Focus on your real problems. There are a lot of them. Shit. They're going to eat you alive, and there's nothing you can do about it.

The grass was slick with dew as they trudged up the mountain path which slithered around the mountain like a rolled-up sleeve. The strange thing was the lack of strain on his feet. He felt as if he was walking on flatland, but the clouds grew closer at each passing second, and the air thinner, making it hard to breathe.

He stared at his cheerful company. Six of them, all carrying different hopes and dreams from the looks of it. Elder Brother Bai trudged happily out in the front, hands clasped behind his back, whistling to himself. The glorious three, which were all Outer Sect disciples, seemed too deep in their own worlds.

Then came the unfortunate folk gathered from the streets of Jiangzhen. Well, Fatty Lou certainly hadn't the look of a man who was kidnapped and was being forced into some sect of unknown origin. On top of that, it seemed this was all Master Li's doing. What kind of a father would try to force his only child into a sect where life worthed less than a penny, and why, on earth, did he think including his friend would be a good idea?

The other two, a young woman and a young man, now they were Lei's people, and both dragged themselves wincing after Elder Brother Bai, still smarting from the gentle kiss of his whip.

They learned after a little incident that Elder Brother Bai had all the qualifications of the famed cultivators, and wasn't shy enough to spare some slaves from the touch of his whip in case they tried something silly — like running away into the woods.

Lei knew better than them, but he wasn't sure if getting round a whip session deemed worthy enough for a celebration. If even this cook couldn't pass over something so simple as that, Lei found it hard to think what kind of horrors they would have to face in the sect.

He sighed out a long breath. The only thing that gave him a sense of relief was the fact that he had no choice in the matter. So, he was trying to accept this little change and go along with it.

You have to make the best of it. You have to, there's no other choice.

Speaking about the choices, Lei called the blue screen once again to check his system to see if there'd been any change to it. After his quest to Feed 1000 People was finished, a different interface popped up, this one resembling a real system. But the system was... a disappointment, to say the least. He'd told himself to keep the expectations low, but he was always his own worst enemy.

[Dao of Cooking]

Name: Lei Liang

Age: 20

Cultivation Level: None

Cooking Skills: ???

Tools: None

So simple was his system, so elegantly pointless that when he'd first seen it he took it as a joke. Some deity, was his first thought, some entity playing tricks on him, giggling from over the heavens like a maddened god. But after he spent his days trudging through cities and mountain paths, it became clear to him that even if there was such a god, he or she wasn't playing a game.

He had his thoughts about it. Assumptions, actually. Could it be this was something he'd need to pour some real effort into it for it to become, well, something? Or could it be that this system, as its name suggested, would simply have him cooking his way toward the peak of the mountain called Dao?

But Dao of Cooking sounded not much, if you'd asked him. Now, if it was Dao of the Sword, or Dao of the Spear, he thought he could make something out of it. At least it'd give him an edge in this grim world, but the notion of him swinging his sword madly, slashing across people's limbs and heads, making them bleed, making them suffer hardly seemed a captivating future either.

Who in their right mind can sketch themselves a future in this shit hole? I never wished this hard to be a psychopath or something like that.

That'd make things easier. That'd give him a steely mind to focus on grander things such as growing in power and climbing up the steps without any regard.

"Lei, what's bothering you?" Fatty Lou said as he slowed down near him. "You haven't said a word for hours."

"I've been thinking," Lei said with a scowl.

"And?" Fatty Lou raised an eyebrow. "What's that done for you?"

"Not much, being honest," Lei said. "I don't know if you've noticed, but some of us don't like the idea of being around people who can kill you in the blink of an eye."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Fatty Lou frowned in doubt.

"Well, he whipped them good the other day, didn't he? He can do the same to us, I'm thinking."

"Only if you give a reason to him," Fatty Lou said, raising one hand to the other two who trudged before them. "You know, Elder Brother Bai told me some things about them. They're not good people, I can tell you that much."

"That doesn't change the fact that he almost killed them in cold blood." Lei sighed tiredly. "What if, I don't know, I make a mistake, an honest mistake? Can you say with certainty he won't do anything like that to me? These cultivators don't seem to have much regard for lives."

"Elder Brother Bai wouldn't do such a thing," Fatty Lou said, squinting up at the broad-shouldered man walking out in the front. "He's a good man, trust me. And my father told me Elder Brother Bai would look after us. He gave him his word."

Lei stifled another sigh.

"You know this is a rare chance, right?" Fatty Lou said, frowning. "Not everyone can just have the chance to stroll into a sect of their own choosing. You have to have the talent for it, and even then you have to work your way through all sorts of tests. People risk death for such an opportunity!"

"For what, exactly?" Lei clenched his fingers but relaxed them after a second. It was hard to have to constantly remind himself that he didn't carry the same values with these people. They were different in all the ways one could possibly think, and though Lei thought he'd adapted well, it was not to the point of changing his whole worldview.

"Glory, might enough to rule over the mountains, to sharpen your senses so to hear all there is to hear, to dance across the land without a care in the world. Who wouldn't want that?"

"Well," Lei said, scowling in thought. "It's the journey what's really important, right? Not the destination…"

"What destination?" Fatty Lou said. "There's no end to this world, the road stretches further away into the unknown."

"I'm saying that you're only thinking about the good parts, leaving out all the possibilities. There's a good chance we might end up dead in a few months. These people are not like you and me. Bump into a Young Master of some high, noble clan, then you're gone for good, isn't that right?"

"You're… not wrong, but we only heard a part of the story," Fatty Lou said, shuffling nervously. "There's another part we're missing."

"Yes." Lei nodded. "And I fear that part might be worse than the other one."

"You always say we have to make the best of it no matter the circumstances," Fatty Lou said, chewing on his lips, but his eyes glinted with determination. "So, that's what we'll do. We'll make the best of it, you and me, together. I say I like our chances."

"Hope so," Lei said as he patted him on the back. A little smile creased his lips, not a big one, but it felt warm and familiar. "I'm glad you're here with me, Fatty."

"I'd be glad too, if I were you." Fatty Lou puffed his chest out with pride. "You've not much meat to your bones, so you'll need someone looking out for you. I've got your back, you know that."

"Yes." Lei's smile widened. "I know that."

…..



The sect was grand and majestic, and the wind knew all about it. It whistled from beyond the high pagodas, blew out across the wide streets, and the log cabins, flapped the tails of the robes like a mischievous child, happy to be noticed. Then it'd circled all around the mountain peak and through the high fields, down in the large patches of earth where people clad in robes as white as the clouds practiced in an orderly fashion.

A man in black robes stood watching over them, the sides of his mouth twitching as he pointed briskly to the ones who either missed a step or slipped across the soil. He would show them how it was done, kicking and punching, breathing steadily with his eyes closed, and the wind would wait at one side like an obedient child.

The air was light with the smell of daisies, but it carried under it a touch of honest sweat pouring out from the training folk. When Lei squinted up at them he saw, much to his terror, the air rippling slightly at each of their motions. Commanding the winds and the skies, a true mark of a real cultivator. There were hundreds of them scattered across the mountain peak.

Jagged, steep ridges rose from the sides, towering into the skies, and the clouds fell in dreamy waves from them, giving them a mysterious, unearthly look. Lei thought they joined all together higher into the clouds, but he couldn't see the end of them, nor did he know if there was actually an end.

Another peak on top of the mountain peak. This must be the place for the Inner Sect. The core of the sect, sort of.

Elder Brother Bai led them through another path which was lined from two sides by scores of log cabins. They looked simple, wooden structures, and they each had a courtyard peering out into the endless skies, and the lush forest below. And the trees crowded round the cabins, and the pagodas had colorful birds chirping cheerily, sunlight bright over their feathers.

It didn't resemble a place for killing, Lei had to admit. Rather it felt like a secret heaven, a place far away from the others, that existed in its own little world, so much so that Lei near forgot here lived people of unimaginable powers, people who were ready to kill at any minor inconvenience.

Maybe it'll be different. Not everything has to be the same, right? Maybe this place has its own colors and rainbows.

But the tales, now they wouldn't lie, would they? They had to have some merit in them, considering the talk about the cultivators never changed topics so often. It was always about a war or a quarrel, and not many people think of them as peaceful hermits living far beyond the eyes of the so-called mortals.

"Get these two to Servant's Division," Elder Brother Bai said as he jerked a finger to the two whip-worn people who trembled under his eyes. "They'll know what to do with them."

The three Outer Sect disciples obliged, dragging the two forcefully away from the log cabins. After that was done, Elder Brother Bai faced Lei and Fatty Lou with a beaming smile.

"Not a bad place, isn't that so?" he said, waving a hand around the peak. "Though I always prefer the glorious sights of the Inner Sect. Waking up to the sprinkle of the Heavenly Waterfall as the clouds swirl lazily in the air, taking in the fresh, tasty air into one's lungs… Now that's what I call living."

"So we're not going up to the Inner Sect?" Lei couldn't help but ask.

"You're an impatient one, aren't you? Guess we cook all are." Elder Brother Bai gave a little laugh. "But no, you're correct. You see there have been some changes to the Sect as of late. A bunch of Elders thought so wisely that the Kitchens weren't worthy enough for such a heavenly place, instead they had us set our operations here in the Outer Sect. That means even I, as an Inner Sect disciple, have to live here with our Junior Brothers and Sisters."

"What about us, Elder Brother Bai?" Fatty Lou asked as his eyes glinted brightly. "We'll be Outer Sect disciples, no? We'll have our own cultivation manuals like the others, right?"

Elder Brother Bai cleared his throat as his gaze shifted toward the high clouds and the bright sky. "Well, not exactly. Not immediately, at least. You're not in the back streets of some little city, now, Little Brothers, you're in a sect, and the sect has its rules."

"Wait," Lei said, scowling at him. "You mean you've brought us here to work as slaves?"

Elder Brother Bai raised his chin high up and glared down at him. "How could you possibly think I could do such a thing, Little Brother? I gave this fatty's father my word!"

"But if we won't be Outer Sect disciples, then what—"

"You'll act as my aides," Elder Brother Bai said as he raised an index finger, pointing it to his own chest proudly. "You'll help me in the Kitchens. If you do well carrying out my orders then I think we can somehow manage to find an opportunity or two for you to become real disciples of the sect."

"Master Li couldn't have agreed to this," Lei said, heart pounding in his chest. This man essentially told them they would be nobodies in a sect of hundreds, not even slaves, for that matter. He raised a shaking finger to Elder Brother Bai's face. "You've lied to him."

"I did not!" Elder Brother Bai smoothened the side of his robe with a twitch on his cheek. "I've told him I'd bring you into the sect, and I kept my promise. From now on everything will depend on you, on how you'll perform. I've seen many junior cooks earn the right to call themselves a disciple after five, at most six years of dutiful service!"

"Five years?" Fatty Lou's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Or six, depending on your performance." Elder Brother Bai nodded with a slight smile. It seemed he thought five or six years to be of little importance, even oblivious to the truth while facing Fatty Lou's bubbling anger. "Now, let me show you your lodgings, eh? You'll be staying together."

…..

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 4 - The Kitchens



The cabin had two rooms, and that was a good thing. Considering Lei lived three months in a rotten cage of a house that was a strong wind away from crumbling, he had to say this place looked almost like a palace in comparison. Well, not a palace, but it'd manage, to say the least.

The rooms had straw-filled beds, clean-looking covers, drawers made of wood, and incense holders which were carved from a different kind of tree. A brown robe hung near the bed dangled in the wind coming from the windows, a single patch attached over on its chest — a tiny cauldron. The floor was covered with a hand-crafted rug that was soft under his feet, reaching as far as the fireplace shoved into the middle of two adjacent rooms so that both of them could get enough heat in case the weather turned its back against them.

Fatty Lou hurled his pack to a corner, near fuming out of his nose. His face was red with anger, and words brimmed under his sharp gaze, words left unsaid when Elder Brother Bai blabbed about some emergency in the Kitchens before scuttling away like a bug. He left them alone with their lodgings and a handful of questions.

"Tell him about your plans if you want to make him laugh, right?" Lei said as he slumped over to his bed. It was so comfy that he almost forgot his own fears for a second.

Almost, but not quite.

"There has to be someone we can talk to." Fatty Lou paced around the room, one hand under his chin. "There has to be…"

Lei sighed. "Just admit it, fatty. He did it on purpose. It was never his plan to make Outer Disciples out of us, he just needed a couple more hands to serve him."

"Then why bother with slaves, Lei? What's the point of gathering criminals from the prisons if not to use them as servants?" Fatty Lou said, trembling. "He could've easily found three or four people If that's the problem. I've told my Father I'd be a true cultivator, that I'd come back to save him from that piss-smelling, shit-laden streets of Jiangzhen! What do I do now?"

Lei raised himself painfully up his feet and then lay his hand over Fatty Lou's shoulder. "There's no turning back. You know that."

"Five years!" Fatty Lou squeezed Lei's hand hard enough to hurt. "I don't even know if my old man has five years in him! Elder… Yes! Let's find an Elder, and tell him all about this. I'm sure they can help—"

"Look," Lei said as he yanked Fatty Lou from his arm, turning him forcefully to face him. "Look at me! There's no way that this man has told the Sect about us. We're some slaves, that's all. Unimportant, the lowest rung here in the sect. I know you're angry, but we need to be careful."

"But he lied to us!"

"I'm aware of that, but we don't want to give anyone an excuse to be off with us, now, do we? Let us be silent, first, let us observe and watch."

"What if there's no other way for us?" Fatty Lou said grimly. "I can't work for five years, not here for some cultivators! At least I was earning my own living when I was in the city, and I'm done with slaughtering pigs. I've had enough of it already."

"I know." Lei nodded. "We'll think some way, but it's been a long road up here. A long road and I'm beaten and bruised all around. We both need a good rest before racking our brains over this matter. Go, and get some sleep."

Fatty Lou gave him a look before nodding grudgingly. He drew to his room, and closed the doors shut after him, giving Lei some time to breathe.

It would have been easy for Lei to scold him, and his father about the choices they've made without consulting him, to scream in his face, to tell him that everything was their fault, but he didn't see a point doing that. Too late, he thought, they were beyond saving, now.

Not everything has to be bad. Not everything.

Lei tried to force some positivity into his cloudy mind. He had his system, no? Though it didn't seem much, surely it wouldn't stay the same. Maybe it was something about the cultivation, as it displayed his cultivation level. Spiritual energy or something like that, which would somehow allow him to open up different features of the damned thing.

But even if that were to be true, there's the Kitchens thing he had to consider before anything else. He was no stranger to cooking, at least, and that was promising. He'd cooked in his own stall for two months back in Jiangzhen, and he couldn't see a reason why he couldn't do the same here. He had his own recipes engraved in his mind that he could use to his own advantage, maybe? Or maybe this Elder Brother Bai was really an honest man, at least about the passionate cook part which would give him and Fatty Lou some semblance of hope.

Yes. Be positive. There's nothing wrong about that. Think good, then it'll be good. I'd promised myself that I'd never turn away from hard work, not ever again.

Lei drew in a long breath, and he held it in, cheeks puffing, heart thumping in his chest, fingers shaking with expectation. He would see about this sect, first, then he would make a decision.

…….



Elder Brother Bai sent to their doorstep a tall, lean man to fetch them to the Kitchens. He wasn't a talkative man, and Lei and Fatty Lou were grateful for the fact. They were in no mood to have small talk.

They strolled through the log cabins, up the sloping ground where big pagodas glowered down at them, sunlight pouring out from the heavens like a sickening rain. But the air was still cold with morning dew, the birds awake and chirping, the disciples out and about with their own lives. They gathered around in the squares which had tall, monolithic stones with characters engraved upon them, flashing from time to time.

It took them at least half an hour before the tall disciple brought them before a wooden structure. It looked like an old factory, smoke trickling out from the windows and the makeshift flues. A single signboard slapped across its high, double doors had the words 'Kitchens' written over it. From the slight opening between the doors spilled a dozen or so different smells. They were cooking something inside.

Lei smiled slightly at the thought, then shook his head as if to say it was nothing when Fatty Lou gave him a puzzled look. With the motivation of the tall man's grim gaze, Lei pushed Fatty Lou into the doors as he took a breath to ready himself for what was to come.

The first thing was the bustle of noises. The bustle of noises, the hot, sticky air splashing across his face, the heavy smells drilling down through his nose. He coughed, and sneezed, spattering saliva all over the floor which was already wet with steam and sweat. He had to pick his steps after Fatty Lou just to stay on his feet.

Now, these people were no cultivators. Not at the first look, at least. They rather resembled horses after a week-long journey on the road, puffing and coughing, sweating profusely between the giant cauldrons, aprons all smeared with different sorts of stains. In the platforms etched high up and near the windows were men barking orders. Stretching their necks out from the windows, they would take a deep breath before screaming down at the hard-working men over and over again.

On the right side, some disciples were busy cutting what seemed like thousands of different ingredients. Hygiene being non-existent in these times was not a new thing for Lei, but this… This was on an entirely new level. Blood dripped down from the long tables, blending in with the sweat and the tears of the working, suffering men. There were pigs, chickens, and strange animals all piling up on the corners.

Hands as fast as lightning would grab these ingredients before sending them down into the bottomless, smoke-choked cauldrons, the water hissing, boiling hot temperature rising at each passing second.

Thanks to Fatty Lou, they coursed through these madmen with ease. His big bulk seemed enough of its own even here in the Nine Nails Sect, and people gave way to him, scrambling away as if scared to get squashed down to their bits.

Guess it isn't an impossible thing here in the sect, being crushed by a palm or something like that.

Lei raised one hand to cover his eyes as they slithered through the cauldrons. Then, as if they passed a threshold, the air grew warm and easy all of a sudden. The noises became distant, giving way to the cheerful whistles of the three men working in the corner.

Elder Brother Bai's figure was stark against the other two men. He was taller, wider, and had the biggest workspace between the three of them. He tended more than five cauldrons at the same time, stirring them peacefully, face healthy and plump with mirth.

"There you are!" he said without turning his back. "I've been waiting, and the waiting's been getting to me, truth be told. We're not having the easiest times, you know?"

"We know?" Fatty Lou knitted his brows. "We don't know anything!"

"Eh?" Elder Brother Bai gave a surprised look over his shoulder. "Then you'll learn, Little Brothers! We're all about learning here, aren't we, Long Zhou?"

The man on the left side gave a snort at the remark before shaking his head. It wasn't hard to see the reason, as the man was half the size of Elder Brother Bai, and leaner than a stick.

"Get me the snatchers from there, will you?" Elder Brother Bai said as he waved a hand to the ingredient table that stood by the side, filled with all sorts of alien things. "I need six of them!"

The fat under Fatty Lou's chin wriggled with anger, but his eyes had the look of a shocked chicken. He leaned closer to Lei and asked silently. "What is a snatcher?"

Lei shrugged as he peered down at the ingredients table, trying to pick the details. There were worms still wriggling the size of his whole arm, attached to each other by a thin rope. At their side stood big eggs, filthy eggs, eggs looking more like rocks. Over them hovered green, slick-looking grass, alive with lightning, spilling streaks of electricity down the big eggs which then got absorbed greedily by the little pores opening up round them.

"What sna—"

"Those ones, the worms, worms!" Elder Brother Bai cut Fatty Lou's words with a knife-like gaze, pointing impatiently at the wriggling worms. "Get me six of them, fast!"

When Fatty Lou stood peering down at them, Lei gave him a little push from the back. Thought it was the right thing to do. You have to be careful, he reminded himself, have to be.

Though unwilling, Fatty Lou seemingly resigned himself to his fate, grabbing hold of the struggling worms with bare hands. They fought back, the worms did, but Fatty Lou wasn't a stranger to handling living beings. He pulled them from the rope one by one, pinched them under his left arm, squeezing just enough so they would still stay alive, although barely.

Then he lumbered back into Elder Brother Bai's station, and hurled the worms out down on the table with the strength of an ox, earning an approving gaze from him. Elder Brother Bai pulled out a knife from seemingly nowhere, its point glinting sharp, then slashed across all six of them in the manner of a master swordsman.

The worms squeaked pitifully as they were cut halfway through the middle, and not one drop of blood got spilled. Elder Brother Bai waved a hand over them, his face a mask of focus. The halves floated over to the six cauldrons and dropped down with a splash.

"Good, good!" Elder Brother Bai said as he turned and smacked Fatty Lou on the back, sending him, yet again, sprawling over onto his face. Fatty Lou slipped and near fell but managed to correct himself before gaining his balance. That, too, earned another gaze of approval from Elder Brother Bai.

"You've passed the first test," he said, arms crossed over his chest as he pointed with his eyes to a drawer that stood under the table. "There's a guidebook in that drawer that has detailed information about the ingredients we use here. I expect you to learn whatever there is to learn, and be ready in one week, at most!"

Fatty Lou nodded absentmindedly, reaching to the drawer when Elder Brother Bai winged another slap across the back of his head. "Not now, you fool!" he said. "After the work's done here!"

Lei was about to tell him to stop, but he paused in mid-step, thinking more carefully. He had to keep reminding himself that this man was no ordinary man. They had to do whatever they'd been told. So instead, he asked him another thing. "What about me?"

"Oh, you?" Elder Brother Bai's smile was wide and deep. "You're a natural-born cook with a potential as deep as the oceans! I've brought you here so you can, well, do your own thing. See this?" he said as he pointed at the empty table that stood by the side, away from the two working cooks. "That's yours."

"Mine?" Lei was dumbfounded.

"Wang Fei! Get your worthless ass over here right on this instant!" Elder Brother Bai bellowed all of a sudden, making Lei and Fatty Lou flinch in surprise.

A man came running from beyond the threshold which was just a single line drawn on the ground. He had an honest look about his face, eyebrows thick as bushes. The tail of his long hair slapped across his back as he crossed the line without breaking a sweat.

It was a strange, mysterious sight, Lei had to say. On the other side, everything was chaotic, but here the world seemed to work on its own rules, making it a cozy and relaxing place.

"Yes, Elder Brother Bai!" Wang Fei said as he bowed near deep enough to touch his forehead to his feet.

Elder Brother Bai took a step and cuddled a hand round Lei's shoulders. "You see this man, here? His name is Lei Liang. You are to fetch him whatever he wants, whenever he wants, understood? You'll do as he says!"

Wang Fei gave Lei an uncertain look, eyebrows pinched together in suspicion. But Elder Brother Bai's gaze was heavier and demanded complete obedience. "Understood, Elder Brother Bai," he said, nodding rigorously. "I'll do as he says!"

"Good!" Elder Brother Bai patted Lei on the back. "Now you go and do your own thing, make me those novel dishes of yours. I'll try them one by one, and we'll see if they're good enough for the Elders or not."

Lei took a step back. "Elders?"

"Elders, of course!" Elder Brother Bai looked proud. "What did you think? Don't confuse us with those lowly fools over there. They're making porridge and filthy things for the disciples! But we… we're different! Our food is for the grand elders who carry the will of the Heavens themselves! Isn't that right, boys?"

"Right!" said the other two cooks without raising their heads from the cauldrons.

Lei tried and failed, tried and failed again to grasp what the hell was happening right at that moment. From being a poor stall owner to making food for elders of the sect… Could he call this an ascension of sorts? Or should he, as a cook here in the sect, feel proud of himself?

I don't feel anything.

Well, that felt like a lie. He felt scared and empty, and like a fraud who was about to show his true face to a judgy crowd. It wouldn't be pretty, to say the least. But it wasn't his fault, was it? He gazed deeply at Elder Brother Bai, then nodded. It was this man's fault, all along, and Lei had done nothing wrong.

I don't have much choice.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. His heart thumped against the cage of his chest, but he clenched his fingers and steeled himself. If he was to cook, then he would do as he was told.

Can't go with Menemen. It's too simple.

People often ate it for breakfast, and it was past noon right now. He had to pick another recipe if he wanted to impress these elders and Elder Brother Bai. He had to pick something different, but not alien.

A chicken soup, maybe?

Lei frowned in doubt. He'd seen chicken being cooked in this world, but people either fried or boiled them straight without a sauce. If there's one thing his gastronomy education taught him on Earth, it was that the sauce was what turned the food into a delicious dish. The sauce gave it the true flavor, the richness, and the depth.

Sauce… But what about the ingredients?

He closed his eyes as he tried to remember all the things he'd seen in this world. Redseeds, peppers, onions, wine, beer, noodles, garlic… He thought it all and came up with… nothing.

Shit. I'm doing it wrong. I should try to think this through from a different angle.

Then he considered all the soup sauces he knew. Spicy sauce, pepper touch, sweet and spicy, straight soy, and… he stopped.

My mother's soup… The one she always made when I was sick and lost.

It was a simple soup. Chicken, tomatoes, oil, garlic, all the ingredients he could find here in this world. But whenever he ate it it somehow gave him the strength to carry on, to take another step instead of lying in his bed, lost in thought. It reminded him of his home, the ones he'd lost, the ones who'd loved him the most.

When he turned with a tremor in his hands to Wang Fei, Lei couldn't help but to smile at the thought of a woman smiling gently at him, stirring the soup with care. She had the kindest smile, and her eyes were the color of the skies.

"I need some chicken," Lei said, and he told him the other ingredients. Maybe, he thought, he could make a difference with this soup here in another world, just as his mother had done for him before.

……

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 5 - The Past



The Skyriver fell through eighty-one branches down the world, sprinkling easing cold and much-needed spiritual energy all around the land, making it an almost sacred entity. To enjoy a higher density of spiritual energy, one would have to get closer to the banks of the heavenly river which found their home over the clouds.

Elder Hao still remembered the days when he was just a lowly inner sect disciple, staring mouth agape at the waterfall glistening over the clouds, thinking and dreaming of a grand, majestic future in which he would be revered as a true powerhouse, who would be worthy of a cup full of liquid spiritual energy.

He sighed out a long breath when even after a thousand years he found himself thinking about those dreams. The path of a cultivator never ends, his Master had told him once, that the search for power, for greater truths, for the profound realms unknown to most men ever stays in one's sight, dangling like carrots on a stick.

Still, he could say with pride that he achieved more than what many thought possible.

Though lately, he was of the mind that this search for power left him less than a man, turning him into a monster who knew no compassion, showed no hesitation, and had no regard for things such as life, and death.

He found that he never smiled anymore, that even the chirping of the birds, the splash of a monstrous wave of the Skyriver failed to spark a sense of happiness in his heart. He found that whenever he saw the young disciples strolling about down in the mountain peak, he would stare at them in anger, threads of envy binding his heart in tight knots, and they would tighten still when he gazed upon the lowly mortals who were oblivious about the truths governing the world they lived in.

The Dao is sacred, and it is not spoken with mere words. The Dao is one's own path, and be it righteous or evil, if should one ever dare to cross his own beliefs, then one should know that he or she will face the wrath of the heavens as a punishment.

Is this the punishment? This emptiness governing the core of my heart, making it hollow and rotten? Is this the tribulation of the heart many speak with discretion, afraid to evoke the gaze of the heavens?

Elder Hao sighed yet another breath when he found his mind heavy with confusion, and regret. There were treasures, he knew, miraculous drugs that could allow a man to be free of these thoughts, and yet these drugs would often break a man's spirit, turning them into addicts who would then search vainly for another drug to get rid of this vile behavior.

The sun glistened bright over the falling waves, but Elder Hao felt no warmth. The clouds were high up and dreamy, yet they seemed far away. Below his glorious manor which was adorned with precious jewels and high-quality jade, tiny ants crawled one after another, happy just to have found a shadow under this hot day.

Pompous and conceited, yet broken and bare amongst the prized possessions even beyond the dreams of many men. Staring out into the skies… What have I done to deserve this?

He was a Grand Elder of the Nine Nails Sect, the commander of winds and rivers, the liege of monstrous beasts and the lands. With one word he could summon an army thousands strong and could march into any battle without batting an eye.

But it wasn't the battles or the wars that made his heart heavy. On the contrary, it was the lack of these things that left him alone with his thoughts. The Sect Master forbid him from acting against the tides of Endless Hordes slowly devouring this world. There will come a time, he'd say whenever Elder Hao tried to talk with him, but that time has yet to come.

If this was the heavens' punishment, if the skies above wanted to test his will through the deeply hidden, buried worries of the old, then Elder Hao wished not for even his bitter enemies such a punishment, for he didn't think any man could break free from this curse.

The Sect Master offered no help, and the old monsters living in seclusion all told him the same thing: the answer was there, the only thing he had to do was to reach for it.

They had this habit of speaking in riddles, these old folk. Elder Hao couldn't help but shake his head at the thought. He guessed he wasn't much different in that regard. Whenever a junior came seeking his wisdom, he would purposely speak in a roundabout way, having pleasure seeing the thoughtful frowns and confused scowls on their faces. He had grown into being his own man through such manners, after all.

Manners, that, now left him helpless.

He raised himself up his feet and strolled down from his manor, his red, silken robe flapping in the wind. The colorful birds and the bugs flying about the cedar trees seemed to have sensed his footsteps, all staring at him as if waiting for a command. He gave them a shake of his head before treading through the air in light steps.

He peered into the clouds, down the Inner Sect peak, seeing all there is to see. Thousands of Outer Sect disciples were out training under the burning sun, robes drenched in sweat. Outer Sect Elders clad in robes as black as the night watched them intently, eager to see one of them break.

Over at the squares, Mission Steles were busy churning out missions to the disciples, youngsters huddled up under their shadows. Inside the Outer Library Hall, the old goat Guo was about to nod off, still busy trying to conceal his profound strength against the pitiful kids. He always liked these sorts of games.

The Outer Alchemy Pavilion reeked with feces and carcasses, cauldrons brimming with vile-looking liquids. There were pills lying in pieces on the ground, trampled by the passing disciples, failed outcomes of hopeless attempts. They will learn through these hardships, Elder Hao thought, if they have the patience for it.

Failures made a man. There was nothing to be learned from a success.

Maybe this was the reason why after a thousand years Elder Hao stood here, under the Skyriver, trying to find a spark of enlightenment watching these kids. Perhaps the road he'd treaded all those years had been too smooth to have taught him essential lessons.

Thinking about it now, he couldn't remember a single time he came near breaking. He was always a gifted man, born with the talent of a genius, they'd said. He coursed through the steps with the ease of a stroll, crushed his enemies blatantly and with sheer might, and never left behind an unresolved enmity. Whatever thing he'd touched would come alive, and speak to him in whispers, telling him all the tricks and the secrets about it.

Until he came across his own face in the mirror.

It was a different face than he knew. Hard lines etched deep into his forehead, creases round his eyes speaking of strength and full of brutal honesty. A stranger's face looking out from the other side, that carried the weight of his long journey. Was this the reason why he hadn't felt it all? Someone else had been bearing the hardships in his stead, someone else who had laid deep in his heart.

Then why in all these years that man has never spoken a word to him? Why did he stay silent, even though the mountains of regret threatened to crush him down to nothing? Why he never asked for any help? Elder Hao would've helped that man with all his might, for the man was the shadow who trailed after him all throughout his life.

And now you're speaking, but it is too late. I don't know you. I don't know myself.

Elder Hao let the wind carry him back to his manor, to the golden throne in the main hall, and he sat there, in silence, amongst all the wealth in the world, yet with no one by his side.

Then came a knock. A single knock on the wood. It wasn't strong. Elder Hao felt himself stiffen, then eased down as he lay one hand over the arms of the throne, his face hard.

"Enter!" he bellowed, his voice reverberating through the silken carpets and up the jaded ceiling, down in the goblets, swords and spears, shields and rulers of the highest quality.

The wooden doors creaked open, revealing a man clad in dark blue robes. He had blue eyes the color of the skies, a strong demeanor worthy of his position, and a straight back that spoke of his courage. But even this genius of the sect couldn't keep his face a cold mask against him, the edges of his lips strained and his steps heavy. He dared not to look Elder Hao in the eye, instead keeping his gaze low on the floor. After three steps he stopped, cupped his hands, and prostrated himself on the ground.

"Honorable Elder, this one is here to ask if there's anything you need," the man said, forehead touching the ground, his breaths short and shaky.

Elder Hao felt the rage brimming inside of him. His fingers were shaking for a reason he couldn't fathom. But seeing this man here, in this hall, made all his past regrets come crashing down on his heart, leaving him breathless.

"I don't need anything!" Elder Hao said, fingers of his right hand tight round the throne. "I don't need anything from you, or anyone else!"

"But—"

"You dare speak before me when I have made myself clear? You dare raise your head in my presence, you lowly, insolent child?!" Elder Hao raised himself slowly up his feet, his face as hot as the burning sun. The wind was there, waiting for a command, and the light was obedient as a newborn, a thought away from drilling into this man's body.

"I dare!" the man said as the wind bore down on him from all around, his face straining with the effort. His blue eyes shined with defiance, but there was something else under them. Something that made Elder Hao's heart bleed. "I will not leave you here to rot away, Master! I will not let you linger in the past, nor slump into that old throne!"

Elder Hao slashed a hand across his chest, and the streaks of wind hacked the man's robe into pieces, leaving him gasping and bloody. He choked out a breath, trembling as his wounds began to close visibly.

"I'm here!" he said, floundering to his feet. He wobbled a couple of steps, unsteady, in pain, but his face was as hard as steel. "I'm here, and I will not go anywhere! It's been years, Master, years that you've buried yourself down in this empty manor. It's been years that you've spoken not a word to me, or any of my Brothers and Sisters! Why must you torture yourself like this? Why must you drive us out while we're dying to help you?"

"You?" Elder Hao's lips trembled as he raised a finger to the man's face. "You will help me, eh? You worthless kids will help me, a Grand Elder of the Nine Nails Sect, eh? Who you are to think that you're capable enough for such a thing when even the Sect Master himself fell helpless against my worries?"

"I know you better than anyone else!" the man said, straightening his back against all the wind trying to tear him down. "You haven't changed, yet you insist the world had gone dark over these years. The same man stands before me, but he does not have the eyes to see the truth for himself. You've not lived your life in vain, Master. Why must you think otherwise?"

Elder Hao turned his back against him, heart crashing into his chest. These old bones couldn't bear the emptiness gnawing at his heart, at his soul. They would crumble soon, and soon the pain would be no more, allowing him to feel at ease again. To face the nothingness, he would cease his own soul if there's need to be.

"Off with you," he said, trying to keep his voice sharp and steady. "And don't ever come back. I, the Grand Elder Qin Hao, won't see your face ever again!"

The sound of a step dinned inside Elder Hao's ears. He closed his eyes shut. The wind flowed back to the tails of his robe, circling his feet as if trying to cheer him. The light bouncing off of the golden throne grew soft and tender on his eyes.

Another step sounded, this one close. Elder Hao clenched his teeth, and the wind whistled past him, the lights growing harsh. The dripping of the blood, the pieces of silk falling slowly towards the ground, the heavy, long breaths… The man was too stubborn, he always has been, and this was the reason why Zhang Wei was his most prized disciple.

"I will stay here…" Zhang Wei said through a violent cough. "I won't go anywhere until you will allow me to sit by your side."

"I…" Elder Hao tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth.

"Just like the old days, eh, Master?" Zhang Wei's step sounded too close now. "Do you remember the first day we met? You took me from that slave house, and told me you've seen a glint in my eyes."

"A stubborn glint." Elder Hao frowned when he heard his own words.

"Yes, a stubborn glint," Zhang Wei said. "That's why you should know I will never give up. Even if your wind drills into my heart, even if the lights blind these eyes of mine, I will never stop trying to reach you."

"Why?" Elder Hao turned slowly to him. There was a terrible pressure behind his eyes. "Why must you be so stubborn? Can't you leave this old man alone?"

"Alone? Never," Zhang Wei said with a smile. His face was battered and bruised, blood trickling out from his nose. His robe was tattered, slashed, and hacked into pieces. "Let me in, Master, let me be there by your side. You know I've…" He spit another mouthful of blood, legs shaking like broken sticks, but he didn't fall. "I've never had a Father before I met you."

Elder Hao drew in a sharp breath as he tried to contain the pressure building up behind his eyes. He couldn't. The Grand Elder of the Nine Nails Sect couldn't weep before his disciple.

"Let us sit here," Zhang Wei said as he slumped down heavily on the ground, over on the puddle of his own blood. He tapped his palm right beside him. "Let us sit in silence, just like the old times. Let us eat and drink, and do nothing else."

Elder Hao hesitated for a second, but his feet almost moved on their own, and he sat there, on the ground, like the time when he'd rescued this child from that old slave house. He was famished, and starving, so he had ordered a soup and a drink for him. It'd been hundreds of years since. Hundreds of years until he swept his wings and became a man of his own.

"Mei!" Zhang Wei called out when Elder Hao sat down near him. A young woman craned her head from the doors, gazing sheepishly at them before her eyes widened. "Get us some soup and drinks. Wine for the Master, and goat milk for me!"

Mei nodded rigorously, and it took her not even a minute before she trudged inside, holding a tray with her trembling fingers. After she lay down the tray she bolted out from the hall.

"Just like the old days," Zhang Wei said as he raised his bowl, smiling at Elder Hao like that child had done in the past.

Elder Hao allowed himself a little smile as he gazed at the soup, smoke curling above it. It was crimson like his robe and smelled of chicken and spice. It was a different soup than the one they ate near that slave house.

For hundreds of years, Elder Hao didn't see a need for food, or a drink. He'd thought himself above such mortal things, but now the soup had a different meaning, the bond shared between the Master and the disciple, the love they bore for each other, an unconditional love that transcended what is mortal.

He took a sip from the soup, and the flavors assaulted his mouth like waves crashing down from over the ridge. The hot spice poured down through his throat, warm and easy in the stomach, and so did the tears he'd been holding up until that moment. There was something in the soup, something that tasted like a longing for a loved one, reminding him of the pain of losing someone dear. And it was warm and tasty. It was home.

….

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 6 - The Ruckus



….

It was night, and windy, a strong wind coming off of the sharp ridges rising above the mountain peak, slithering down the robes, making Lei shiver. But even against the wind, there was a spring in his step as he strolled toward the log cabin, hands clasped behind his back.

Fatty Lou, on the other hand, trudged before him like a defeated man, shoulders hunched and lips pressed. His robe had streaks of dried blood, ink-like patches, and many other stains. Even without uttering a word he painted the picture of his own day, which was as dark and stormy as the clouds above them.

When they stepped inside the log cabin, Fatty Lou clutched the book in his right hand and started pacing around.

"All that trouble, all that effort… for what? Cutting wriggling worms, watering some lightning grass to feed the half-baked, sickly eggs, and this!" Fatty Lou said as he slapped the guidebook with the back of his hand, waving it before Lei's face. "A book! I'd come here to become something more than a mere butcher, yet this man is trying to force me to become an educated one! What's the difference?!"

Lei sighed as he reached out and took the book from Fatty Lou's hand, afraid the man would tear it down from the middle. It was easily over a thousand pages, all filled with different drawings with walls of text under them, explaining the ingredients to the most intricate details.

"Let's take a deep breath. Together," Lei said after he put down the book in his drawer. Then he stretched his arms out, and closed his eyes, trying to remember that one yoga class he took a couple of years prior. "From the chest," he said, pushing his nostrils open, and then he blew out a long breath. "And breathe out while imagining all the worries, and doubts clouding our mind flowing out from within us just like that puff of air."

When he opened his eyes a crack to see if Fatty Lou's doing the same, he found the fatty staring at him eyes wide, and mouth open with disbelief.

"How could you?" Fatty Lou said, raising his fist. "You should know how painful this is for me, yet you still mock me like it was nothing. Take your damn breaths! I need manuals, elixirs, pills, whatever I can get to save myself from this shit hole!"

Lei scowled at him, then took another breath. "Look, fatty," he said, making his way toward the bed. He sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm beginning to think you've yet to understand our circumstances. We need to keep a low profile, to stay away from certain eyes. You don't think we can just, I don't know, walk away on our own from the sect, right?"

Fatty Lou shook his head unwillingly.

"Then I suggest you take that anger out of your chest, push it down with those thick fingers, and throw it under that rug so as not to mess with our future. We're already treading a fine line here, and we want to keep that line from breaking, am I correct?"

Fatty Lou nodded as he raised his chin high, and glowered up at the ceiling.

"Good!" Lei said with a little smile. "Now, Elder Brother Bai said you're to devour that book like there's no tomorrow, and that's what you're going to do. Not in one week, but you'll memorize all these ingredients in a day or two to make sure you'll impress Elder Brother Bai."

"Easy for you to talk," Fatty Lou mumbled as he turned his back against him, peering out from the windows to the night sky beyond.

The stars and the moon had their work cut out for them today, hiding behind the thick clouds brimming with lightning. They carried the promise of a storm amongst them, but when, and how this storm would unleash itself upon the lands was a big question.

"What do you mean?" Lei said, knitting his brows. "Say it if you have something to say."

"You're the golden pup," Fatty Lou said under his breath. "You cooked that soup all day, and people liked it. But me… I've done nothing but sniffing, licking, eating those greasy, filthy things! You have to taste it, that vile man kept saying to me, have to taste it to understand what sort of a thing you're dealing with!"

"Well, he's not wrong," Lei said but raised both hands in the air when Fatty Lou swept him a fierce look. "Alright, I was kidding. But it's too early for us to do anything other than follow the orders. I'm sure if we keep our diligence, eventually, we'll get rewarded in some way."

Fatty Lou didn't seem that sure. "I don't think being rewarded is a trait for good people in this world. I did what I was told my whole life, never said a word over my old man's word, even when he pushed me, every day, to that bloody butcher shop, I'd kept nodding my head. And what do I get in return? Nothing!"

Lei tried to think of something to quench this burning anger, but he found himself lacking any meaningful things to say other than the words he'd already said. Sometimes, he thought, people have to pour their miseries out into the open, without a need for anyone to lend a helping hand to them.

We all have our demons.

The silence stretched between them until Fatty Lou's shook his head, and drew silently back to his room, closing the door after him.

Lei lay heavy as a sack over his bed, clutching the soft pillow with both hands as he turned his head to gaze out from the windows. Thunder crackled, and then came the first drops of rain.

……..

A chef's mornings were never simple. There was the urgency coursing through the veins, that sinking feeling in the stomach as if they forgot to do something crucial like leaving the meat to marinate for the night. In Lei's case, it was the screams and the shouts drilling through his ears before he had to force his eyes open.

He raised himself painfully up his feet and groaned, and winced as he wobbled a couple of steps. There was hardly a bone in his body that didn't ache from the hard use, but the pressure on his forehead was what made him wheeze through clenched teeth. It was as though someone had slammed a hammer on his head while he was asleep, and kept slamming the damn thing without somehow managing to wake him up.

"What the hell is happening?" Fatty Lou said before pushing the door open, bloodshot eyes staring wide round him. They exchanged a glance with Lei and then made their way toward the entrance.

Once outside, they saw the cause of the ruckus. It seemed dozens of people had gathered around near their log cabin while they were asleep, and were now hot arguing over a matter. The different colored robes made it easier to understand the sides. White-robed Outer Sect disciples stood on the right side, waving arms, poking with fingers, shouting and screaming at the pitiful-looking group of brown-robed kitchen folk.

"Best we get inside," Lei said and was about to turn when Wang Fei, that bush-browed oak of a man waved a hand at them, making both the groups turn their heads toward the two honest, and unfortunately, brown-robed men.

Lei and Fatty Lou had to drag themselves near their fellow brothers when faced with their demanding looks. The other looks they got from the white-robed disciples were a mix of contempt and suspicion.

"Call all the fools you want, but nothing's going to save you today!" said a man, a tall and wide-shouldered man who stood before the white-robed disciples with a disdainful smile. He had long hair wrapped into a tight bun over his head, and a sword sheath dangling from his belt.

"What do you want, Elder Brother Cui?" said a skinny man when his fellowmen pushed him out in front to do the talking. He seemed like an overworked kitchen slave, but slaves didn't have the luxury of donning these brown robes. "We work with what we got, there's nothing we can do to change that!"

"The sect pours hundreds of imperial gold, and spirit stones into the Kitchens every month, yet you still insist you've not the funds to cook something other than that tasteless, filthy porridge?" Elder Brother Cui said with a frown as sharp as a sword. "We're sick and tired of your excuses!"

"B-But—"

"There are no buts! This ends today," Elder Brother Cui said as he drew his sword from the sheath, quality silver glistening bright under the morning sky. It had a dozen or so different characters engraved upon it, making it seem more than a mere sword. "I gave my word to my fellow brothers and sisters. Don't think I won't cut that lying, vile tongue of yours!"

Lei and Fatty Lou joined the throng under angry gazes, keeping their heads low and mouths shut. Wang Fei beckoned them to his side, his face wrinkled in fear. It didn't slip past Lei's notice that the man inched slowly away from his group, taking the steps as small as possible.

"It doesn't look good," Lei said under his breath, craning his head just enough to see Elder Brother Cui's wrathful eyes. "What's the deal with these people?"

"You mean the real Outer Sect disciples?" Wang Fei said as he sighed tiredly. "It's the same thing over and over again. We cook with what we've got, but you can never make these people happy with just porridge alone. They want us to cook them sealed beasts, spiritual herbs, and magical fruits, but it's not easy when there are thousands of mouths to feed."

"True," Lei said with a small nod. "But we have our own people here with us, no? I think they can deal with this… little problem."

"This?" Wang Fei rolled his eyes. "You call Elder Brother Cui a little problem? He's the genius of the famed Cui Clan which governs three cities and carries the three-clawed dragon token they got from the Eastern Wind Emperor three thousand years ago. Oh, not to mention he's a Six-Sealed disciple who'll be stepping into the ranks of the Inner Sect a month from now."

"That's some information." Lei had to nod his head when Wang Fei looked him in the eye. It seemed the man thought his explanation deserved at least some praise.

Though Lei had no idea what a Sealed disciple was, he thought it must be something like a cultivation rank. And from the look of things, a Six-Sealed man wasn't a simple man even in the Outer Sect.

On the other hand, Fatty Lou frowned out across the white-robed disciples while holding his chin in thought. His eyes almost glinted at the sight of Elder Brother Cui, no doubt dreaming himself in his shoes.

Lei wasn't impressed, to say the least. He had other worries inside his mind. So he asked, "He can't just cut people with that sword, right?"

Wang Fei shook his head. "Killing is forbidden in the sect, but there are no rules for a friendly spar. And being friendly can mean a lot of things."

Lei sighed out a long breath. The rows of people standing before him made him feel at ease, but there was no guarantee what would happen when hell broke loose. That was why he and Fatty Lou joined in with Wang Fei as they all took another step away from the pack.

"Elder Brother Bai would not be pleased with your actions," that skinny man said when Elder Brother Cui raised his sword. "Think carefully, or else you will regret yo—"

"You can't be serious." Elder Brother Cui lowered his sword, smiling mockingly at him. "You're not counting on some washed-up Inner Sect disciple who lost his mind in those cauldrons, are you? They even kicked him out of the Inner Sect!"

That earned a loud laugh from the white-robed disciples who, by each passing second, started to seem more like hungry wolves to Lei's eyes than simple disciples.

"If you want to call big shots, then what about I call my Big Brother?" Elder Brother Cui said as he swiped a finger across his sword, producing a ringing sound that shut all the mouths. "I'm sure he'll be happy to help his Little Brother out."

"Not good." Wang Fei scowled. "Elder Brother Cui's Older Brother is Inner Sect's—"

"You don't need to tell us everything, we can tell it's bad," Lei said and stifled another sigh. Then he racked his brains to think of a solution, anything that could save them from a bloody fight. "Can't we do anything?"

"Like what?" Fatty Lou asked.

"I don't know, these people told us that they didn't like this porridge, right? Can't we cook them a different thing?" Lei said. "I mean even a chicken soup or some stew would do the trick, right?"

"Its…" Wang Fei puffed his cheeks as his eyes narrowed down to slits. "Not easy."

"Why?" Lei asked. "We certainly have enough ingredients. I'd seen pigs, chickens, and a bunch of other animals the day before. In fact, I'm wondering how you guys had managed to cook something so awful to make these people angry."

Wang Fei stayed silent at the question, massaging his temples as if he was suffering from a bad headache. But under the lids, his eyes squirmed anxiously as he took another step back.

Lei gave Fatty Lou a look before both of them nodded. This man… There was something he purposely kept from them, right when there was a maddened man who was threatening to cut all of them with a sword.

"Wang Fei, can you tell me the reason?" Lei tried a different approach, assuming a gentle expression. "Why over a hundred cooks can't make these people a good meal?"

"Er…" Wang Fei averted his gaze, staring down his hands.

Fatty Lou's shadow engulfed Wang Fei as he took a step in, towering over him like a mountain. When the man tried to get away, he yanked him from the arm, tight.

"Speak."

"You'll never get tired of bullying these kids, will you?" said a voice, a thick voice coming from the chest, making all heads turn at a plump-looking, wide-shouldered man. He seemed calm as a lake, but the side of his cheek twitched with annoyance.

"Speak of the devil," Elder Brother Cui muttered as he frowned deeply, taking a step back.

Elder Brother Bai strolled from between the crowd of white-robed disciples, holding his chin high. His arms were crossed before his chest as he regarded Elder Brother Cui with a doubtful expression. "You'll never get tired, will you? Can't you leave these kids alone? They had suffered enough already."

"What?" Elder Brother Cui said, eyes growing wide. "What suffering? It is us who suffered for months now eating that garbage! It is us who had to endure the pain of eating the same thing, over and over again!"

"He has enough magical beasts to feed all these people, trust me," Wang Fei whispered to Lei and Fatty Lou, seemingly more than happy to see Elder Brother Bai, and no doubt, to change the topic of their conversation. "But he likes to play the hero."

"Yes." Lei nodded while gazing at Elder Brother Cui. "He seems like the type."

"Scram, all of you," Elder Brother Bai said as he stopped between both groups, turning grimly to face all the white-robed disciples. "I don't have time for your nonsense."

"You!" Elder Brother Cui raised a trembling finger into his face. "You're courting death, Elder Brother Bai!"

"Oh, you can't be a cultivator and not court death with each word, now, can you?" Elder Brother Bai waved his hand before him as if he heard a bad joke. "And if you're thinking of calling your precious big brother here, then send my regards to him. Tell him that if he ever dares to step into the Outer Sect, then I, Gang Bai, will surely return the favor, visiting the Inner Sect to tell all those Elders and Inner Sect disciples about what happened in that one autumn night when he tried my famous Northern Wine!"

"What?" Elder Brother Cui's face wrinkled in confusion. "What wine?"

"He'll know." Elder Brother Bai smiled wickedly. "Just tell him that."

The white-robed, angry-looking mob of disciples sent burning looks to Elder Brother Cui's side, and yet it seemed Elder Brother Bai alone proved a mighty enough challenge that he couldn't help but take a step back, blending into the crowd.

"I'll remember this!" his voice echoed under the morning sun. "I'll remember this!"

"Good!" Elder Brother Bai called after him. "I was beginning to think you had a melon over those shoulders instead of a brain. But turns out you're quite good at memorizing things!"

The angry mob trudged fuming after Elder Brother Cui, muttering amongst themselves. Elder Brother Bai made sure he had sent them their way before turning, with a gentle smile, to his fellow cooks.

"I think we're all awake and ready for another day's work, now, aren't we?" Elder Brother Bai clapped his hands. "Come on, let us move. That porridge isn't going to cook itself."

…..

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 7 - Doubt

……

Smoke, and spices, and the beautiful sound of the wood's crackling fire. These were things most people took for granted, thought of as simple, and unimportant, yet they were essential things all cooks had come to cherish, turning any kitchen into a safe haven for them.

Lei found peace in his station as he poured all the worries clouding his mind into the boiling waters. The notion of cooking in a cauldron still felt alien to him, but it made for a good soup, and he was beginning to like it.

The first dish on the menu today was his mother's chicken soup, again. After he and his fellow cooks had stepped inside through the old doors, Elder Brother Bai pulled him over to a side, trembling like an excited kid. He'd told him that one particular Elder liked the soup so much that he ordered one more cauldron to be served to him, and him alone.

Though Lei had little idea who this Elder was, he thought there couldn't possibly be anything wrong with being acquainted with an Elder, even in a roundabout way. So after he left three whole chickens to boil inside the cauldron, he wiped his hands on his apron and took a deep breath.

Now, things didn't work that well for Fatty Lou. The man seemed to have lost a couple of pounds in just a day or two, and his eyes darted madly left and right as he pulled this ingredient or that. He would sniff, touch, or even lick some awful-looking things.

Like a man standing on the edge, he was always ready for Elder Brother Bai's orders. He would bolt off when given an order, shocking the people in the Kitchens as he gathered all the ingredients fast, and furiously. Fortunately, nobody was foolish enough to stand on his path whenever he got into this task-oriented episode.

Best luck to you, my friend.

Lei sighed deeply as he gazed out into the other side of the Kitchens. He was trying to come up with a simple, yet elegant dish for the evening, but it wasn't easy when you're cooking for some seriously troubled people.

Troubled, indeed, but not the kind of troubles I can relate to, I'm sure.

Then again, it was the little things all people shared. So Lei tried to focus on that while thinking it'd be a good idea to stroll around the other cooks. Maybe, he thought, the other cooks could inspire him in some different way.

It didn't take long before he scowled in confusion while watching the others. Beyond the threshold, the chaos was ever present, people in a mad rush to stick one ingredient after another into the already brimming cauldrons. Pork, chicken, it didn't matter, as long as they could get some in their hands.

This… Can't be true, right?

He blinked, just in case, but the scene remained the same. And the smell was something out of a nightmare, a mix between a sweaty sauna and a slaughterhouse. At some point, Lei had to stop himself from interfering with the process, as he came dangerously close to screaming at a man who crushed all those juicy, fat-rich meat chops with an oversized masher, splashing boiling water all around him.

Why? Just why are you trying to smash everything into a slop?

Yet it wasn't one man, but all the cooks who did the same. Over a hundred of them mashed the meats altogether, producing sick-looking, sweat-smelling gruels, making Lei question the very scene he was witnessing with his own eyes.

He raised a quick hand, waving at Wang Fei who stood watching before a cauldron, drops of sweat heavy on his face. The man mumbled something under his breath before making his way toward him.

"Hey," Lei said as he closed a hand over his nose to keep the smell away. He pointed at the cauldrons. "Is this the porridge that Elder Brother Cui had problems with?"

Wang Fei nodded, keeping his gaze low.

"Now I'm beginning the understand where that sword had come from," Lei said with a scowl. "Can you tell me the reason? Rather, is there any reason at all, or are you just trying hard to make those people sick?"

"What do you mean?" Wang Fei glared at him. "We're not trying to make people sick, we're trying to feed them!"

"Yes, but this…" Lei waved a hand around him. "This isn't feeding. I'm surprised you haven't killed the bastards yet."

"Look," Wang Fei said, staring about himself before stepping closer. "I know Elder Brother Bai likes you, but don't think of yourself as some genius worthy of a hundred praises. We've seen many people like you before, and they were all arrogant bastards thinking they knew all the answers. But here, we don't ask questions, nor do we need any answers. Here, we all do as Elder Brother Bai says."

"You mean this meat porridge was his idea?"

"Of course it was!" Wang Fei poked him with an index finger. "So, if you have any problems with the way how we do things here, then you better go and say it to Elder Brother Bai's face. I'm sure he'll like hearing all about it."

Lei frowned after him when Wang Fei left him there, alone and baffled. But instead of losing himself in thinking about all the possible answers to this question, he reckoned addressing the real issue would be the fastest way.

So, he got back to his stall in no time and patted Elder Brother Bai on the shoulder who was busy whistling a different tune.

"Eh?" Elder Brother Bai said with a look over his shoulder. "There's our genius!"

"Elder Brother Bai." Lei greeted him with a nod. "I wished to ask you a simple question."

"I'm all ears," Elder Brother Bai said and then frowned just when Lei was about to speak. He leaned closer to the cauldron, took a long sniff from it, then raised a finger into the air. "Fatty, get me two highland apples, and a pinch of skywhale's ashes!"

Lei had never seen Fatty Lou bolt across the distance like this. The man seemed to have gained a set of wings behind his back, flowing out from between the cauldrons with ease. He swept two head-sized, green apples, and a bottle filled with rainbow-colored ashes into his hands before making his way back to Elder Brother Bai's side.

Elder Brother Bai sent the apples straight into the cauldron without cutting them and then opened the bottle, took a sniff from it, and added some into the mix. That little pinch of ash turned the color of the liquid bubbling inside the cauldron into a darkish brown, making it seem more like a concoction of some wicked origin than a simple dish.

"Now, now." Elder Brother Bai nodded his approval at Fatty Lou who, in turn, tried to force a smile onto his lips. He waved a hand. "I believe you were about to say something?"

"Well, yes," Lei said, scratching the back of his neck. "Is there any particular reason why you've told all those cooks on the other side of the kitchens to cook that porridge?"

Elder Brother Bai stirred the mix before closing his eyes. He stood there, in silence, before he smiled. "Good, it'll be ready in a minute," he muttered, seemingly happy with that black, boiling liquid. "And yes, there's a reason why I ordered them to cook that porridge, and it's a good one."

Lei gulped in nervous expectation for some reason. The man's black eyes had that crafty glint about them, and his lips parted halfway to reveal a knowing smile.

"Because it's what's good for the disciples," he said, wiping his hand on his apron. "You see, most people think that spiritual energy alone would be enough to satisfy a cultivator's body, that anyone who steps into the ranks of cultivators miraculously gains the ability the maintain their bodily needs with one or two breaths, but as we know, its simply a ridiculous tale shared amongst the lowly mortals who love to exaggerate such things when it comes to cultivators."

I certainly didn't know that.

Lei kept the words inside, for it seemed Elder Brother Bai hadn't finished with his speech.

"So how, one may ask, these power-hungry people can keep their bodies strong and sturdy?"

Lei shuffled under Elder Brother Bai's gaze before answering. "With food?"

"Of course!" Elder Brother Bai snapped his fingers with a smile. "What else could it be? You have to understand, Little Brother, that even breathing the spiritual energy through your pores requires energy, and that energy comes from your meals. Without a good meal, most kids here would find themselves shaking and broken with fatigue."

"You're definitely wise, Elder Brother Bai, but I still find it hard to understand the reasoning behind that awful porridge," Lei couldn't help but say. "We have the means to cook something more appealing than that thing, right?"

Elder Brother Bai's smile died on his lips as he stared at him coldly. "Why?"

"Why?" Lei was taken aback.

"Yes, why would we do such a thing?" Elder Brother Bai said. "Do you think those scum are worthy enough for our effort? Do you think they will smile, and pat you on the back if you give them a beautifully cooked, and seasoned dish? Do you really think they are capable of having such thoughts, those fools? They should count themselves lucky we're giving them that porridge."

"Er…" Lei squirmed anxiously under Elder Brother Bai's chilling gaze.

"Look, Little Brother," Elder Brother Bai said with a shake of his head. "You've yet to understand how the other side of the world works, and that's all right. You will, in time, learn that no favors are left unpunished between the cultivators. The things you've seen today should serve you as an example."

Though Lei nodded, he couldn't help but think otherwise. It seemed clear to him that all those disciples hated the guts of these kitchen folk because of their awful dishes. He thought a little effort could completely change the relationship between both groups.

"Can I..." Lei said, trying to look Elder Brother Bai in the eye. "At least give it a try?"

Lei stared down his hands in the following silence, but he'd thought he had no other choice. It was one thing keeping away from certain eyes, but the Outer Sect had thousands of disciples strolling about the peak. Who could say with certainty one day he wouldn't find himself facing all those angry, white-robed disciples on the road to the Kitchens? Who could say that those disciples would give a damn even if he told them he was new here?

And he had his doubts about whether Elder Brother Bai would be there at any minor inconvenience. The man could be an Inner Sect disciple, but just this morning Lei had seen for himself how his reputation wasn't much different than a scarecrow. If he hadn't arrived in time, that Elder Brother Cui wouldn't simply have left there with mere words.

It was the thing about bullies. Either you make them happy to keep your head over your shoulders, or you make them angry, trying to fight back without having the means to do so, and get a thrashing. In this case, Lei lacked even a whiff of spiritual energy to even think of a scenario having him fight back against scores of cultivators.

So, he was trying to come up with a way to make them happy, and full.

Elder Brother Bai sighed as if he was expecting this. "I keep forgetting that you can't force your own experience into a youngster's head. Headstrong, ambitious, and full of arrogance. These things can make for a genius," he said gravely. "But can also break them."

"I…"

"I understand, you don't have to say anything," Elder Brother Bai said before leaning closer to him. "Pick a couple of our boys from the other side, and make sure Wang Fei is there. I'll keep an eye on you, but you're only allowed to try your chances for this once. After you've learned your lesson, you'll do as I say just like the others, understood?"

Lei nodded.

……



Lei braved the heavy stench of the other side as he regarded his modest team of cooks. There were six of them, and though they each had their defining features, they shared one thing in common: doubt. Doubt creasing their faces into scowls, doubt making them wave their hands impatiently, and doubt rendering them tired, and sick.

Lei took it all in. He took it all in and smiled despite their questioning gazes. He was doing this for the Kitchens, he kept reminding himself, doing this for the Kitchens to eliminate the knife hanging over their heads. If they could make those people happy, then they could go about their lives without any lingering worries.

Then again, it was starting to seem a little doubtful to his eyes, but guessed he didn't have much choice. These were doubtful, and dangerous times, is all. Yes, there was nothing he could do to change that fact.

"Today," he began with a strong, loud voice. "We'll prepare a dish so cunningly simple, yet so delicious that those bastards will gulp their own fingers while eating it, without giving a rat's ass about it. We'll make them understand that we're not the enemy, that we're just simple people trying to make their lives a touch more bearable. Now, who's with me?"

His fellow cooks stared at him with little enthusiasm. But there was one man, a fat man who seemed just happy to have found a chance to get away from Elder Brother Bai. He was standing to one side, glinting eyes staring round at Lei with stars in them.

"Chicken, pork, I don't care," Lei said, donning the mask of a master chef, trying not to think about his team's lack of interest. He pointed a finger to the ingredient table which was rich with multiple animal carcasses. "I will demonstrate a simple technique to show you how you should cut that meat into glorious slices."

He slapped a hand across the table that stood by him, making all the cooks flinch at the sound. Then he caressed gently the whole chicken breast that lay over on it. With one hand he flourished the sharp knife, and cut into the chicken, careful not to go too deep, slicing a clean fillet in a single motion. It was about two fingers thick and five inches long.

"You see this?" Lei raised the fillet in the air, giving it a little shake. "I want hundreds of such clean cuts, seasoned with a mix of garlic, black pepper powder, salt, and a touch of cinnamon. Do pay attention to the amount of cinn—" Lei sighed out a long breath. "You know what, I'll ready the seasoning. You just cut those meat, and make sure to keep each kind separated. Don't mix the pork with chicken, understood?"

The team nodded and was about to make their way toward the carcasses when Lei remembered he'd forgotten a crucial part.

"And don't throw the fat. We'll need it, so put it on the side," Lei called after them, and smiled a little smile as they all turned at him.

It was then that Fatty Lou sprung forward, staring expectantly at him.

"What about me?"

"You?" Lei's smile widened. "You and me, brother, we have some serious work to be about. First, we need firewood. Lots of them. And metal bars."

"Oh?" Fatty Lou rubbed his chin as he raised an eyebrow at him. "What for?"

"That's where we'll cook all those meat, on those bars," Lei said. He patted him on the shoulder, pulling him closer when Fatty Lou gave him a doubtful look. "Don't worry. Those people… They won't know what hit them."

…

Any idea what's cooking? Feel free to share!

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 8 - Meat Stick



Lei carried the metal bars pinched under his arm, all six of them, face straining with effort while the afternoon sun tried to drill through his skull with spears of light. It was hectic, to say the least, and he had half the mind to ask a certain fatty to carry his weight for him.

But Fatty Lou had his hands and shoulders full of firewood as he whistled happily in front of him. The man even carried two sacks hanging from the tips of his fingers, sweating profusely, but he didn't seem to mind the effort. On the contrary, there was a beaming smile creasing the lines on his face.

They trudged up the slope, through the trees, trying to keep their eyes down while dozens of white-robed Outer Sect disciples gazed intently at them, some cracking the knuckles of their hands. It would take not two, but just one of these cold-hearted bastards to be done with them, but fortunately, they seemed to have some sense to them, keeping them away from beating the two road-worn, weight-carrying honest men.

When the Kitchens came in light up the road, Lei blew out a long breath. Though the structure seemed as if it was a strong wind away from crumbling into pieces, it somehow sparked a sense of familiarity within him, a sense of security.

It was hard to understand, to adapt to a new world. Hard when you've nowhere else to go, no one but yourself to depend on. Hard when it feels like you're treading through the dark, hoping the steps you take will allow you to see the light once again.

In that regard, Lei thought that he was doing a good job. It took him weeks to get used to that shaky, unreliable makeshift stall, but he had done it. And here, he would once again try to do the same, no matter the circumstances.

You have to carry on. Yes. That's what you do. You carry on and try not to think much about it.

When he took a step inside through the wooden fence circling the eastern part of the Kitchens, he hurled the bars out down the ground, breath rasping in his throat. He wiped his face with the back of his hand as he regarded the rusted grills strewn across the yard. There were two of them looking bright and shiny as if they were newly bought.

This was a place that solely existed for Elder Brother Bai. It wasn't much, but here he grilled all sorts of spiritual beasts, away from the inner part of the Kitchens.

As Fatty Lou lay down the firewood, Lei made his way toward the Kitchens, to check on his team. They must've sliced hundreds of pounds of meat this morning, but the real thing that would give the meat its taste was the seasoning.

Inside, Elder Brother Bai and his two experienced cooks were busy with their stations. Lei edged round them, silent and careful, and checked his chicken soup before he found himself against a bustle of noises punching through his ears. The porridge-making, sweat-pouring men were busy messing up the precious meat chops, but Lei's cooks were different. To the right side, they stood watching over ten big bowls, all filled with seasoned meat.

"I think they're about ready," Lei said as checked the bowls one by one. The fillets were soaked in goat milk, with a mix of seasoning painting the milk's clear color into a brownish red. It'd been three hours now that they left the meat to marinate, and they looked tender as a newborn's fontanelle.

"Drain the milk, and let the meats rest a bit," Lei said after he was done checking the bowls. "And what about the bread? Are they ready? We need at least two, three hundred of them."

A skinny man with long, brown hair raised a hand. "We're keeping them at the back. Three hundred of them, all baked according to your instructions."

"Good," Lei said. "Cut some redseed, lettuce, and scallions for me. Put them into containers, and make sure there's enough of them."

"Can you at least tell us what are you going to do with… these?" Wang Fei said with a doubtful gaze, pointing a finger to the bowls. "Milk, garlic, cinnamon, black pepper. Seems to me you've added every single thing you can think of all in one bowl. I don't think that'll make for good meat."

"What do you know about good meat, eh?" Lei swept him a fierce look.

Outside, he could pass over Wang Fei's sharp remarks with a shrug, but here, inside the Kitchens, things were different. If he were to be a chef cooking his own meals, then he would not allow this ignorant bunch to say something over him.

"Let the meats rest," he said one more time, keeping the eye contact until Wang Fei nodded unwillingly.

After that was done, he went back to check on Fatty Lou, trying not to think much about the looks of uncertainty coming from all around him. But what really made him angry were the defeated expressions covering the faces of these cooks. Defeated, and desperate, and hopeless, Lei found.

There has to be a story behind all these.

Even if that were to be true, it was clear Elder Brother Bai had preferred not to talk about it, instead, in his words, he would let Lei personally experience the reality which made these men the way they were.

I may be wrong, but I will try to make something out of this.

…..

After making sure the chicken soup was ready and perfectly cooked, Lei then waved a hand to his team of cooks before meeting up with Fatty Lou at the grill yard. The man had a blissful daze as he stared out into the glistening sun, arms stretched to both sides.

"Are they ready?" Lei said, gazing at the metal compartments all lined side by side in the yard.

"Ready?" Fatty Lou gave him a slight smile. "Oh, they're ready, don't worry. I had to cut all the parts myself, and I'm proud of the work. But I still have no idea what are you going to do with them."

"See these parts?" Lei said as he kneeled beside them, pointing a finger to the left-most one. It resembled a three-drawer cabinet coming high up near his stomach, but the side facing them was left open. He pulled a metal bar from the back, stabbing it to the ground before the platform. "We'll put the firewood inside these slots, and stick the meat slices through this bar, on top of each other."

Fatty Lou rubbed his chin thoughtfully, seemingly unsure. "But why? We can just cook the meat over those grills, no?"

Lei shook his head. "Best you wait, and see it for yourself."

The door creaked open behind them, and the team came carrying bowls of meat one after another. They put down the bowls, careful not to mix the different meat types before taking a step back, allowing Lei to once again check the meats.

"I'll show you how it's done," Lei said as he pulled a bowl filled with chicken to his side. First, he passed a wooden plate through the metal bar, lowering it down for it to serve as a base. After it was done, he took the first chicken fillet, stuck it from the bar, and repeated the process. "Carefully stick the fillets, and lay them to each side to create this circular shape. We'll do this until the bar is filled to the brim."

Deciding the team got his meaning, he stepped back, wiped his hands on Fatty Lou's apron, then pointed with his head to the metal bars. "Let's start. We've not much time, so you better be quick."

The team set to work, albeit a touch unwillingly. Still, Lei thought they wouldn't mess up with something so simple as this. He glowered down at them from the back for good measurement, like his teachers had done in the past.

"Careful!" he said when Wang Fei dropped a pork fillet to the ground, grumbling to himself.

The man glared at him from his knees. "You're toying with us!"

"Me?" Lei raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm trying to save you, Wang Fei, save the Kitchens. So help me out a little, will you?"

Wang Fei got back to work, mumbling something under his breath.

What Lei found it hard to understand was while the other cooks didn't seem to like him either, it was only Wang Fei who acted as if he had a grudge against him.

I'm sure he didn't like it when Elder Brother Bai made him work for me, but it can't be just that, right?

Lei took a deep breath. It wasn't the right time to focus on such things. Instead, he kept pointing out the mistakes, making sure everything was up to his standard, and poked Wang Fei a couple of times even though the bastard had nothing wrong.

When all six of the metal bars were ready with slices of meat, Lei then ordered the team to pile the reserved fats on top of them. With wood's beautiful heat, their juice would melt, dripping down the meats, and hopefully, remind those senseless Outer Sect disciples what a good meal really looked like.

…….

It was a good day. The sun was ready, and high up in the sky, past afternoon heat easy on Lei's face. There was a slight breeze accompanying the line of bar-carrying men, with Lei strolling from behind them. To add a touch of mystery, he had his team cover the platforms with a piece of cloth, so right now they probably looked as if they were smuggling some statues from the sect.

A cultivator's strength has its good sides, that's for sure.

Considering those bars had pounds of meat piled on top of them, these men must've inhuman strength coursing through their bodies, for they were scarcely out of breath, and Lai was thankful for it.

I wouldn't mind carrying it myself, but I'm the chef, now, don't I?

Lei allowed himself a little smile as the line of cooks trudged through the mountain path, into a wide square which was crowded with white-robed Outer Sect disciples. A simple pavilion stood watching the square over one side, seemingly deserted and empty of life. What these Outer Sect disciples showed an interest in, on the other hand, was a single, monolithic stone towering high into the skies from the middle of the square.

There were hundreds, if not thousands of people gathered round the stone, pressing tight into each other. Whenever one of them touched the stone it would glow with a white light, characters engraved upon it flashing before fizzling out.

Lei heard from the others this was one of the Mission Steles in the sect. Acting as a magical device, this thing could pour out all sorts of missions to disciples, allowing them to earn those precious spirit stones and imperial gold.

And what about us? We get nothing.

Lei found his cooks sneaking angry, and envious glances from the crowd as they edged around them, making their way toward the pavilion. It was the Dining Pavilion, the most hated place in the sect, and Lei had no words to say about the matter. In fact, he didn't plan to use the cursed place, at all.

"Stop," he said to his boys. "We'll arrange the platforms here, in the square."

Wang Fei turned at him doubtfully. "We usuall—"

Lei raised a hand at him. "I know it, Little Fei, but we don't want that pavilion to smell of smoke, and ash, now, do we? Best we set our little stands out in the open, to allow the smoke to pour freely into the air."

Wang Fei clenched his fingers tightly around the cloth, but Lei kept his smile looking at him. The other cultivators, now it was never a clever idea to mess with them, but Wang Fei… Little Fei was something entirely else.

"Come on!" Lei clapped his hands when his team stared at him. "We don't have all day. Set the platforms, set the fire. I want to smell that juice as it drips down the meat, to feel the heat splash across my face. We're cooks with passion, after all, eh? We're cooks with passion, so we need to paint a good picture for the bastards."

Platforms, set. They pulled the curtains one by one, revealing the glorious bars of meat shining like red, precious jewels. The firewood shoved inside the slots crackled as the wind blew across them, making the fire jump and wave cheerily. Through the tiny holes poked inside the metal containers, the smoke curled into brilliant circles as it blew out into the air.

Fatty Lou took a couple of cooks as they got back to get the bread and other containers from the Kitchens while Lei was busy strapping a clean apron over his chest. After he managed to wear the damn thing, he took a tong in his hand and stepped before a chicken-wrapped metal bar. He turned the bar ever so slowly with the tong while keeping an eye on the white-robed Outer Sect disciples.

They were, understandably, still engrossed by the flashing piece of stone, with only one or two of them having glanced at Lei's little stands that stood by the pavilion. But there was no rush, as it would take some time for the meat to cook.

"Be sure to check all the sides," he reminded the other cooks. "We want to keep all sides equally cooked, and crispy before we cut them."

After that, Lei closed his eyes, giving himself fully to the gorgeous sizzles of the chicken fillets. The firewood would crunch, and pop, then dripping fat hiss at the touch of the wooden base down below. Whenever the wind blew into the flames, they would produce a sound that was music to Lei's ears.

It reminded him of his restaurant days, this sound, days in which he tried, desperately, to make something out of that little shop. Under the desperation, though, there were days spent in bliss as he cooked one dish after another, just happy to be all by himself in the kitchen. Nothing could break his spirit in those days, nothing could make him depressed.

It was simple. Nothing more, and nothing less. Just as Elder Brother Bai said, it was the passion for cooking burning inside his veins that made him push his luck more than once. He'd been lazy, and irresponsible, but never did he make a half-assed effort while cooking his dishes.

For Lei, this was a way to express himself, an outlet that allowed him to be free of unnecessary thoughts. It was just like a… Yes, a therapy session.

Being honest. That's a hard thing. But I think as the days pass I'm beginning to feel less and less sorry about the ones I'd left behind. Does this make me a bad man? I'm not sure, but you can't just keep living your life choking under all the what-ifs and whatnots, right?

Sounded like some steps to his back. When he opened his eyes, he found Fatty Lou and the other cooks were here with boxes of bread, and the other containers.

"Fetch me a table or two from the pavilion," Lei said to Wang Fei as the man put down the containers on the ground. "And arrange those boxes here, near the platforms. I want all of them cut, and ready for the portions. Lettuce, onions, redseeds, fill them up."

His team began working on the boxes while Fatty Lou came near him, fanning himself with one hand as sweat glistened on his face. "Smells good, I can tell you that much."

"Heh." Lei chuckled. "Wait 'till you taste it."

"I'd never seen you make such a thing," Fatty Lou said, leaning closer to the bar. "What's it called, anyways?"

"Oh, this?" Lei nodded. "From where I came the people called it doner kebab."

"Doo— what?" Fatty Lou sputtered at the syllable. "That's a weird name."

Lei thought for a second. "Let's call it round-up meat sick, how's that sound?"

"Terrible." Fatty Lou's face twisted with a frown. "I'll call this… The Meat Stick, yeah. Very simple, and sound, and has a tasty ring to it."

"The Meat Stick, huh?" Lei smiled. "You're right. These are simple times, after all."

……

I have some mixed feelings about this chapter. On the one hand, I personally love all the preparation behind such dishes, but it can also make the chapter a touch too boring, one might say. What do you think? I'm always open to more feedback, and you don't have to go easy on me.

Thanks for reading!

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 9 - A Little Tasting


The smoke curled cunningly toward the Mission Stele, carrying with it the delicious smell of the cooking meat sticks. One couldn't hope to stay too far away from such flavors, couldn't bear not to turn their head, and look in that direction only to see the perfect, golden crust wrapping the meats like a crispy blanket.

The fan in hand, Lei pushed more strength to his arms as he waved the smoke away toward the crowd, scowling out to the other cooks when they dared to stop for a breather. It was one thing readying a glorious dish, but it was a completely different story to make the people want it.

A chef has to believe in his dishes. That's the first thing. You have to believe, so people won't doubt your expertise. Give them a good smile. A wide, beaming smile that'll beckon people closer to your stall.

He plastered a big smile over on his face when he saw three Outer Sect disciples turned to his side. Putting the fan on the container, he stretched a hand out, waving it round the meat sticks.

"Fatty!" he said with lips straining as he tried to keep the smile. "Do your thing, now!"

Fatty Lou bolted forward, round belly wriggling as he gave the Outer Sect disciples a courteous bow. "Why, hello, Senior Brothers and Sisters! Such a good day, isn't it? It wouldn't be wise to stroll around with an empty stomach, don't you think? So why don't you come near, and have a taste of our freshly cooked, beautifully seasoned meat wraps!"

The three disciples stared doubtfully at Fatty Lou before inching closer, their robes fluttering with the wind. The only woman in the group, who had a deep, arrogant scowl about her brows, seemed to be the leader as the other two young men followed after her steps.

When she came closer Lei nodded in greeting before pulling out his long knife from under the container. That made the two men flinch in surprise as they clutched the sheaths hanging down their belts, but Lei gave them a shake of his head as he started working on the meat stick.

The trick was simple. He turned the knife and made sure he was only cutting the outer parts of the meat. This way, the inner parts of the Meat Stick, which were still raw and tender, would reveal themselves to the hot touch of the burning wood.

"What is this?" said the woman as Lei cut leaf-shaped thin slices out of the stick. "I've never seen such a thing."

"Oh, Senior Sister," Fatty Lou sprung forward, a fawning smile creasing his lips as he shuffled happily. "We call this the Meat Stick, a new invention in the field of cooking. A revelation, one might say, and not a small one. You see these sides?" he said, pointing at the drawer-like wood containers. "The firewood burning inside these slots gives a certain flavor to the meat, and the fat around the top is what makes this dish so novel, yet so familiar at the same time."

After cutting enough meat for three portions, Lei pulled out three loaves of bread, all filled with onions, redseeds, and lettuce, before slapping them down at the burning fat hissing over the wooden base. He made fast work of the meats, spinning them round inside the loaves, then added a pinch of salt to each of them.

"Ready," he said with a smile.

"Bread?" the man on the right said, blue eyes narrowing down. "How can you possibly think such a dish is worthy for our Senior Sister Liang!"

"Should be better than that porridge, right?" Lei said. "Try it, you won't regret it."

"I'll try it," said the other man. He was tall, and wide-shouldered, near rivaling Fatty Lou as he towered over the other two. Though he managed a frown across his face, it didn't slip past Lei's notice that the man had kept an eye on the Meat Stick all this time.

Lei passed the first bread to the man, and crossed his arms, waiting for his reaction.

When the man took the first bite, he chewed on it for some time, juice dripping down from the edges of his lips as his frown deepened, making Senior Sister Liang look at him suspiciously. Then the man took another bite, and another one, until there was nothing left in his hand. He stood there, eyes glinting, fingers shaking before leaning closer, and taking the second bread.

Lei smiled knowingly. There was no way a single bread would be enough for a cultivator. It was with a confident clap of his hands that he beamed at Senior Sister Liang.

"Well, what do you say, Senior Sister? I think Elder Brother here seems to like it."

"Oh?" Senior Sister Liang raised an eyebrow at the man. "How is it, Chen Liu?"

"Senior Sister you should…" said Chen Liu as he gulped down the second bread, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "Try it! I've never had such a dish in my life, and I don't know how to say it, but the meat… is too tender, juicy, and delicious! It melts in your mouth like a dream. Yes… Like a drea—"

"Give me that," Blue Eyes said as he took the third bread, presenting it kindly with both hands to Senior Sister Liang. "Here, Senior Sister, try it."

Fatty Lou gave Lei a slight nod, looking greatly proud of himself. Lei, too, felt as if a great weight lifted from his shoulders.. It was never an easy thing, to satisfy these cultivators. For all Lei knew, they could be eating tons of spiritual beasts, and other delicacies unknown to mortal men.

Well, what we're making here is something much more than that, right? Food is not always about the benefits it gives. It's first and foremost, for the taste, and pleasure.

Lei readied three more portions when Blue Eyes and his Tall Brother looked as if they could eat a dozen more. But he kept an eye on Senior Sister Liang who was busy taking painfully small bites from the bread, as though afraid to show a less perfect expression than that scowl creasing her face.

Don't hold it. Let yourself be.

Lei smiled when the woman licked the side of her lips, her fingers shaking with impatience.

"Excuse me, Senior Sister," Fatty Lou said when another group came trudging near the stalls. They had over ten people staring wide-eyed at Senior Sister Liang, whispering amongst themselves. "Welcome, Elder Brothers and Sisters! Today is a good da—"

"I want what Senior Sister Liang eats," said a short, sharp-browed young woman, pointing an excited finger at Senior Sister Liang. "I want it, now!"

"Of cour—"

"Now!"

Fatty Lou bolted across the distance, took the bread out from Lei's fingers, drops of sweat bright under his chin. He gave them to the group before bellowing at the other cooks. "We need more, here! More, and fast!"

Soon after the second group the team found themselves pressed tight from all around. Lei's hands almost seemed to blur as he readied one portion after another while screaming at the other cooks. He would smile at the customers even though they didn't pay him a dime, then jab his finger into the faces of the cooks, telling them all sorts of stories about their families.

It was a chef's job to keep the team from lazing around. Thankfully, these cooks seemed to have some strength in them, allowing them to work as fast as Lei asked them to be. Even Wang Fei had his hands full with a dozen different Outer Sect disciples, fawning and serving them over with a dazed expression.

Then a snapping sound reverberated round the square. The wind came slashing across the crowd, sending all the lettuce and onions sprawling over onto the ground. A heavy silence hung down over them, a silence threatening the crush all who'd dare to move an inch.

It was then that Lei found himself facing against Senior Sister Liang, who had a slight smile on her face. She raised a graceful finger into the air, seemingly unbothered by the wind, and pointed at the Meat Sticks one by one.

"I want all of them," she said before waving a hand to the tall man. "Chen Liu, have them put these sticks inside the spatial ring."

Chen Liu nodded dutifully, taking a step in. He had that sort of look that told he wouldn't take no for an answer as he pulled a ring from his index finger, putting it down on the containers.

"What?" Lei asked, first.

The wind whistled past his ear, making his hair dance wildly.

"Why?" he said when he started to understand, but the wind poked through his robe like sharp knives.

"How?" was the third question that made Chen Liu's frown as deep as the ocean.

"Put those sticks," the man said with a hard voice, tapping with his finger to the ring. "Inside this."

Lei gulped down heavily when he felt the wind curling round his chest, tightening at each passing second. There was little air for him to breathe, and then there was no air at all, making him choke out a breath, legs shaking like broken sticks.

"R-Right," he wheezed through clenched teeth as Fatty Lou came running from between the stands, only to crush down over on his legs, neck pressing into the soil as though some invisible force was trying to behead him.

"S-Stop!" Lei raised a shaky hand when he saw Fatty Lou's face growing red, and then purple. The man had done nothing wrong. Nobody did anything wrong, but then it seemed this wasn't about rights and wrongs.

"I'll do it," Lei said when the wind eased enough to allow him a breath. He rubbed his throat painfully, heart pounding in his chest. "I'll fucking do it, alright!"

He turned to his cooks who were all staring at him defeated and lost. At one side, Wang Fei clenched his fingers, eyes burning as he glared at the surrounding disciples.

They started readying the sticks as the crowd drew away, keeping their distance from Senior Sister Liang. The woman, on the other hand, chewed on the bread as though she was simply enjoying a good day here in the square.

"Who is this woman?" Lei whispered when Wang Fei dragged a Meat Stick beside him. "And what the hell does she want from us?"

"Can't you see it?" Wang Fei hissed at him. "Can't you understand that we are just servants to these people, to be used as tools, and nothing more? They're not doing anything wrong. There's nothing wrong with this. This… is just the way how the world works here. "

"But the sect…" Lei's eyes darted madly around him, searching for something, anything that could help them. An Elder, maybe? Or some sort of force established to intervene with such behaviors. But then, Wang Fei said the sect had no problems with friendly spars, or anything friendly, for that matter. Was this something like that, then? Senior Sister Liang was kindly, and friendly asking them to hand out all their work just like that?

"The Kitchens…" Lei mumbled, dazed, and disoriented. Fatty Lou was there, holding his neck tight, snot running down his nose as he tried to gather himself. There were others, cooks with passions, was it? They seemed dead, and tired, and crushed like a bunch of ants.

The other disciples had gone back to the Mission Stele. They had gone back there, pointing fingers at the flashing characters, laughing and chuckling. But then, there it was… A man clad in robes black as the night. He seemed someone different than these white-robed bastards. A man of authority, perhaps? He just… strolled from between the disciples, nodded here and there, and then trudged away from the square, vanishing into the trees. Gone, without sparing them a single glance.

"Why?" Lei said, shaking hands trying to pile the containers on top of each other. But some spilled on the ground. It wasn't a big problem, right? Didn't seem much considering the woman would get everything. All afternoon, and the morning they had worked to make something for these people. To be the bridge between the kitchen folk and these cold-blooded people, was it?

"Here," Lei said, forcing a smile onto his lips as he waved a hand at the meat sticks lined side by side. There was some lettuce and onions here and there, spilled and crushed under steps, but they had more back in the Kitchens. They could go back to get some more if Senior Sister Liang asked them. "Everything."

"Oh?" said a voice, thumping in Lei's chest. "I see you're about to have quite the feast here, Sister Liang. If I'd known, I would've come earlier."

Senior Sister Liang's cheeks twitched as she turned to face the short man. His long hair spilled freely down his shoulders, and his hands were clasped behind his back as he took the steps as light as the wind. He was relaxed, and joyful, even, smiling up at Lei and the other cooks.

"Elder Brother Chen," Senior Sister Liang said as she bowed deeply, her two aides following suit. "I wouldn't call it a feast, especially not before your presence, for I know how your Chen Clan is famous for their festivities. It's just… I've taken a liking to this novel dish of our Kitchens, so I'd thought I'd try it before all our disciple brothers and sisters to see if it's worthy enough for them."

"You're too kind," Elder Brother Chen said with a little smile, then nodded at the cooks. "But in doing so, I'm afraid you've scared our honest friends who are eagerly working for the greater good. I can see the fear making them shiver like headless cocks, empty and desperate, and I have to say, I didn't like it. I would rather prefer them to have a free space, considering the Kitchens are solely carried out by Elder Brother Bai's respectable efforts. We don't want to drive him out of the sect, now, do we?"

"Well…" Senior Sister Liang shifted nervously, eyes staring down at her nails. "It was just a little tasting, Elder Brother Chen. You know I wouldn't go as far to involve myself with the matters of our sect."

What do you mean solely carried out by Elder Brother Bai's efforts?

It took Lei way longer than he thought to get rid of the fog clouding his mind, and when it dawned on him what had happened, he found himself staring out into the eyes of Elder Brother Chen.

"Oh, you wouldn't, of course," Elder Brother Chen said, hiding his smile with his right hand. "Then what do you think, should I save you the trouble? I can taste this novel dish of our friends, to see if it's up to our standards. In fact, I have the perfect team for it."

Elder Brother Chen snapped his fingers, the sound echoing far and wide. A couple of heads turned from near the Mission Stele, and soon after about a dozen Outer Sect disciples rushed across the distance, stopping behind him before bowing deeply.

"Cousins," Elder Brother Chen acknowledged them with a nod before turning to Senior Sister Liang. "Your Elder Sister Liang here is kind enough to let us taste this novel dish of our friends. What do you think?"

"It would be an honor," said a man from the group, smiling wickedly at Senior Sister Liang. "We were just about to go out for a mission ourselves."

"Perfect!" Elder Brother Chen clapped his hands. "Then eat all you want, but make sure to take notes while doing so, for we'll be sharing our experience with our fellow sect brothers and sisters."

The disciples started tearing apart the meat sticks, the bread, and the containers before Lei's eyes. Like beasts left famished for years, they plunged their hands into the containers, grease smearing their faces. When they were done eating, they threw the sticks into golden rings, unbothered by the team of cooks staring at them in cold rage.

"Send my regards to Elder Brother Bai," Elder Brother Chen said when it was all done. "Tell him that it is always a pleasure tasting the food of his good-natured brothers and sisters. And tell him that Zhao Liying is doing quite good for herself, having just broken the Third Seal. I think she won't miss those precious kitchens in the near future."

…..

There it is, your 'favorite' Xianxia cliche. To sort of establish the ground here, I had to make you all, and myself, see the unreasonable way how your average Outer Sect worked. It's a dog-eat-dog world here, and nobody actually cares for each other. With the 10th chapter, which will be from a different POV, I'm hoping we'll start with the real plot, with our dear LitRPG system will surely becoming more handy in the following chapters. However, the LitRPG elements will be light throughout this series. Cheers!

 

[T4icho12]

Chapter 10 - Lost and Alone



There were a thousand different Qi Refining and Body Forging cultivation manuals in the sect for disciples to choose from. They represented the glory of the Nine Nails Sect, which spanned across the multiple ages of the known past. Her Master had even said to Mei once that when Kabarrah broke the world, the Nine Nails Sect was there to witness the plight of millions, forming the Crack to stop the Endless Hordes from devouring the whole world.

It was a culmination of many generations, and thus, the sect allowed its disciples to choose freely. But most would often choose the Soaring Hawk Qi Refining Manual, as it was the signature cultivation technique that derived from the Sect Master's Taoist name, Jadehawk.

Mei herself used this manual to reach the early Foundation Realm, allowing her to stand proud as an Inner Sect disciple and earning her the honor of being accepted as the sole disciple of Zhang Wei.

But letting servants choose freely from this large collection was... unprecedented, to say the least.

I should've tasted that chicken soup when I had the chance. There must be something miraculous inside of it, considering the Grand Elder Hao deigned worthy of the cook to grant him a reward like this...

She sighed as she climbed down the steep steps of the Inner Sect, the wind brushing past her long, brown hair. Keeping the edges of her robe pressed into her sides, she took the steps one by one, gazing out into the endless skies beyond, and the sun blazing above them.

It was a good day, and a good change, if you'd asked her. Being lodged inside her cave, spending the days cultivating and doing nothing else could be… boring, sometimes.

Then she flinched. She snapped her head anxiously around her to check if there was anyone who could hear her even though she was making sure to keep the words inside. When she saw nothing but the birds chirping loudly about the trees, she sighed tiredly.

It was a habit Mei had acquired from her Master, known for his sharp ears across the eastern continent. Some said he could hear the moon's agony when the sun left her alone in the sky, and some others said even a conversation made thousands of miles away from him couldn't escape the risk of being heard.

Either way, it was never a bad thing to be cautious. You couldn't be overly cautious in a sect of thousands, after all, even though you've nothing to hide. Still…

Stop it. Take deep breaths. Three deep breaths to calm your nerves.

She took the breaths, one by one, blowing them out as she puffed her cheeks like a balloon. It made her heart calm down, and the shaking of her fingers stop. Then she jumped the last steps, landing with the grace of a swan on the ground, and the Outer Sect wind welcomed her.

It was an old friend, this wind. It's been years now since they were separated, but Mei couldn't say it brought good memories into her mind.

The Outer Sect…

This place was established to serve as a meat grinder for the recruits, a place where only a handful of talented and strong-willed chosen could rise to join the Inner Sect.

The others, who would eventually fall from the steep ridges of this path, would be seen as the necessary casualties in this big, wide world. Their sole purpose was to act as steps through which the chosen would ascend, higher and higher until they too were pitted against each other. This cycle of terrible competition never ended.

Was all this worthed in the end?

Mei couldn't be sure. However, there was one thing she was sure of — that the path of immortality was a path unfit for the weak-minded.

She strolled through the trees, keeping away from the crowded squares of the sect, greeting in silence the old Alchemy Pavilion from far away which stood towering over the trees, hundreds of Outer Sect disciples filing in and out through its double doors. To the other side, in another square, loomed one of the famed Mission Steles that brought another flood of memories to Mei's mind.

I surely don't miss those days.

Then she stopped. Her fingers started trembling once again as she sent a thread of spiritual energy to her storage ring, filtering through all sorts of things that lay scattered inside the huge space. Her heart beat in her throat as she fumbled the checkers, sent clothes and rugs flying across the invisible walls until, at length, she found the paper that had Grand Elder Hao's signature over on it, hidden inside a jade-inlaid wooden cabinet.

She took a shivering breath, eyes darting toward the long staircase that vanished inside the clouds high up the mountain. It wouldn't have been the first time that she lost something precious that his Master had trusted with her. There was that one time when an Adept Realm Sabertongue corpse…

Don't. Lose. Yourself. In. The. Past.

She giggled foolishly, wiping the sweat drops on her face with one hand, checking once more if there had been anyone to witness her little anxious episode. She didn't forget the paper, after all, but being cautious… Yes, you couldn't be overly cautious when your Master's Master had given you a mission.

For a cook. I've climbed all the way down here just for a cook.

It was past afternoon, so the cooks should be all huddled up in the new Kitchens Elder Brother Bai made for them. He was a different man, Elder Brother Bai was. Different, and odd, and strange, Mei had to say. But she liked him, liked his foods, more precisely. He had a way of cooking that made everything taste heavenly, and it was paining her that he no longer cooked for Inner Sect disciples.

Those fools.

Past the trees, the familiar sight of the log cabins lined parallel to each other greeted her. Mei wasn't amused as she inched away from them as if they carried a wicked sickness that could somehow make her, well, sick, too. She'd been sick before, right here in the Outer Sect, when dozens of disciples butchered limbs and splashed blood all across the trees during her first pill distribution day.

Up the slope, she made for the Central Square where the Dining Pavilion stood, alone and desperate, thinking that maybe she could catch some of the cooks there. If not, she could use the mountain path that sloped away toward the eastern part of the sect as a shortcut.

When the Central Square came in sight she hid herself behind the trees, to stay away from hundreds of disciples crowding around the Mission Stele. Then she squinted up at the Dining Hall, for there seemed a group of people standing there, still as statues.

Brown robes. They must be from the Kitchens.

There was a young man and a young woman who stared at each other, seemingly unaware of the group of cooks who all stood listless like ghosts. Mei was sure she'd never seen that woman before, but the man… Now, he had a familiar face.

Chen's Clan Second Young Master? Not good.

Her eyes searched madly for Elder Brother Bai, scowling out through the trees, up the Dining Hall, down near the Mission Stele, but he was nowhere in sight. How he could let his brothers face this demon all alone? Wasn't that too heartless of him?

Should I do something?

She was about to take a step, having decided to intervene to save those sorry-looking cooks from their plight, when the wind carried the soft rustle of the leaves to her ears, making her turn her head to the back.

Elder Brother Bai gave her a slight nod from behind. He stood perched over on a thin branch, which shook violently as if it was about to break, but he didn't seem aware of that fact. He had a deep frown creasing his face as he watched, intently, the group of cooks standing in Central Square.

"Elder Brother Bai," Mei said as she bowed deeply to him. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Teaching lessons," Elder Brother Bai said without looking at her. "Making a point. Showing the reality of our lives."

Mei nodded even though she hadn't the slightest idea about what he meant, but then, from the slight twitch of his lips, it seemed he wasn't sure himself either, fingers clenched tight around his long sleeves.

"I've heard you've been feeding the Outer Sect disciples a sort of… porridge, was it?" Mei said as she tapped with one finger to her cheek. "Meat soup? Something with meat, yes. I've heard the disciples didn't quite like it."

Elder Brother Bai grunted. "Seems like your ears are working the way they should. Good for you."

"Good. Oh, yes. Good!" Mei said as she shuffled nervously. "But why? What happened to all those delicious food? To be honest, I was hoping to taste your dishes once again, after all these months."

"Become an Elder," Elder Brother Bai said coldly. "Then I'll have no reason to turn you back. Until then, I'm not making even a normal porridge for any disciples."

"Right," Mei said with a nod. That was understandable. Or, was it? "Eh, why?"

"That fool Feng Chen, acting as if he owns the whole sect," Elder Brother Bai said under his breath. "I'm wondering if you didn't have hundreds of your clansmen here in the sect would you be so confident, and arrogant, eh? Like cats and dogs… Yes, breeding like cats and dogs, these people!"

"Ah, Elder Bro—"

"And what about that little kid Liang! Does she think she is some sort of princess? Even her sister hadn't been full of herself like that, scrambling away at the sight of my face. Does she think she's capable? Isn't that courting death, here, eh? But I mustn't. This is a lesson for Lei. Yes, a lesson for both of those fools!"

"Lei?" Mei's ears perked up at the name. "Elder Brother Bai, can you tell me which one of those cooks is Lei? I was sent here by Grand Elder Hao, to find this Lei and take him to the Outer Sect Library," Mei said, then smiled sheepishly under Elder Brother Bai's sharp eyes. "I can show you his signature if he—"

"What Library?" Elder Brother Bai's face was cold and deathly. "What do you mean sent here by Grand Elder Hao? Is it about the chicken soup? We'd sent the cauldron this morning, hadn't we?"

"Ah, yes!" Mei's eyes glinted at the remark about the soup. "That's the reason! Grand Elder Hao wants to reward this Lei with a cultivation manual, for he likes the soup very much. My Master even told me that the Grand Elder is curious to see what this Lei can achieve with spiritual energy after he learned he was a simple mortal."

"What nonsense!" Elder Brother Bai raised a hand, and the branch cracked under him, finally couldn't bear the weight of his body. He plummeted down the ground with a grunt, arms flailing, but then he somersaulted in the air before landing with two feet on the ground, face twisted up in burning rage. "The kid's been barely here for three days, yet the Grand Elder wants to reward him? For what, some chicken soup? I must admit it wasn't the worst thing I've tasted, but he can't possibly think there had been some magical genius poured into a dish as simple as that!"

"I-I…" Mei gulped heavily, unsure about what to make of the twigs caught up in Elder Brother Bai's hair, but forced herself to continue. "I'm not familiar with the details, but I must carry my Master's orders. You know how har—"

"Haven't they stolen enough from me?" Elder Brother Bai jabbed a finger into Mei's face, making her wince. "Brothers, they'd taken from me, sisters! Whenever I find a person with some semblance of a talent these vultures come knocking on my door, demanding I give them my own hard work. The disciples weren't enough, the Outer Sect Elders weren't enough, and now even the Grand Elder is after me, eh?! Where is the justice?"

Mei took a step back when Elder Brother Bai unleashed his late Foundation Realm aura, eyes burning with hatred. This man… They used to say he was a talent seldom seen in a thousand years, a genius amongst the geniuses. Even Mei with her cultivation level couldn't hope to stand before his path.

But she couldn't step back, either.

"I'm not here to steal anything from you, Elder Brother Bai!" Mei said, and flinched when her voice came out more high pitched than she intended. "It is just a cultivation manual, nothing more. It's not like the Grand Elder is considering taking this Lei as his personal disciple. I'm sure he doesn't even know if he has the talent for it!"

Elder Brother Bai pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's how these things start, Little Mei. First, it would be the little things, a cultivation manual, a spirit stone, a good spiritual tool. Then before you know it, the bastards have taken the man into their clutches, feeding him all sorts of lies about me."

Mei's heart leaped to his throat when she heard him. "P-Please, Elder Brother Bai. I'm sure you hadn't intended to call the Grand Elder a bastard, right? Must be a slip of your tongue…"

"Eh?" Elder Brother Bai froze as if lightning struck him from over the heavens. He gazed anxiously around him, then wiped the sweat out of his face. "Of course, I wouldn't do such a thing. Just… You know what I've been through."

"I know, but aren't you making your life harder by acting like this?" Mei said as she clasped her hands together. "I'm sure these disciples wouldn't mind you cooking them your signature dishes. In fact, I think they will appreciate it more as they find out the depths of your talent."

Elder Brother Bai shook his head. "You don't understand. If I was an Alchemist, I could've acted as I wished, caring not about these people. They would've come crawling under my feet, begging for pills, and elixirs. But I'm a cook. Just a damn cook. You can't simply cook miraculous dishes that will somehow allow people to, I don't know, breathe spiritual energy more easily? Or you can't expect a meal to make you stronger unless you can find a spiritual beast to eat every day!"

"But you're cooking for Elders, are you not? Isn't that enough?"

"Elders?" Elder Brother Bai smiled mockingly. "They never look at your face, or your work. They're giving orders, and that, I can understand. We are talking about the people commanding the winds and the clouds, after all. You know, pillars of the sect, and so on. What I can't accept is that some snotty bastards thinking they're the same, looking down at us, at our food, as if we only exist to work for them!"

A tense silence enveloped Mei as she locked eyes with Elder Brother Bai, her pulse quickening with each passing moment. Seeing him here, trembling in anger, made Mei remember the old times when Elder Brother Bai soared into the skies as the brightest star of the sect. She would be there, right behind him, staring at him like a little girl admiring the boundless heavens.

"It wasn't like this when my Master was here," Elder Brother Bai said, eyes staring past the trees, and out into the skies, as though trying to peer into some old memory. "We were hard-working men, before, treated with great respect. We were honest people trying to pursue our own path. What's so wrong about that?"

"Did you ever consider leaving the sect?" Mei chewed on her lips. She raised both hands in the air when Elder Brother Bai swept her a fierce look. "Oh, I didn't mean like that. I mean… You can pursue your own path somewhere else, don't you think? In some place where these disciples and Elders won't bother you."

"Never," Elder Brother Bai said. "I will wait here until Master is back. I won't let these bastards tear apart his hard work."

"But he's gone beyond the Crack," Mei said guiltily as if this was her fault. "Beyond the Nails, they said. Nobody has ever come back from that side of the world. Not even the…"

"You think I don't know that?" Elder Brother Bai clenched his teeth, hard. "Is this how you console an old friend, Little Mei? If so, you're not helping." He raised a finger to the Central Square, pointing at a man who stood before the other cooks, empty eyes staring at his feet. "There, that is Lei. You go follow your orders, take him away from me. I've learned to live with nothing but tiny crumbs."

Mei gave him a small nod when the silence stretched between them. Her fingers were tense as a fully drawn bow, her back drenched in cold sweat. She understood at that moment that there was nothing she could say that would help Elder Brother Bai in any way. He was a man still mourning after his Master, like a desperate child left forgotten by his parents, trying to cling to that last glimmer of hope.

But his Master was no more, and he was too deep in his sorrow to accept that.

"Elder Brother Bai," Mei said after she took a couple of steps, looking over her shoulder. "If you don't care about yourself, at least think about your brothers and sisters. Don't do the same thing your Master had done to you… to them. They seem like they're all lost and alone, just like you."

……