Chapter 22 – The Cookbook

Lei breathed in deep, enjoying the cool sensation roaming inside his body. The spiritual energy. He was thankful for it as it kept him from staring into Fatty Lou’s eyes, who’d slumped on the corner and busy staring at his hands.

Felt strange to think that minutes ago they were about to cuddle like a long-distance couple finally got the chance to meet. Some brotherly love, Lei tried to tell himself. Nothing wrong with that. Some brotherly love and the thrill of minor circles dancing inside their bodies.

We did cuddle, though. But it was a celebration. Yes. Nothing more, nothing less.

He nodded as another minor circle started from the depths of his core, and slowly gave himself to the process. There had been a buzzing in his ears, probably a notification from the system, but he feared if he dared to open his eyes and focus on the system the sense of wonder would slip through his fingers.

This wasn’t anything like he’d ever experienced before. The minor circles they’d gotten from the Spirited Fried Rice felt fresh, and novel, but this time, after the ninth minor circle things… had been changed. Felt himself a completely new man, now, as if he somehow ascended into a higher being.

Strength coursed just under his skin, sinews throbbing at the side of his neck with power. He reckoned the wooden walls of the house wouldn’t stand a chance if he were to take a swing at them. Intoxicating, and mesmerizing. No wonder why cultivators acted like they were high on crack all the time.

The earthy tone of Gnarled Soul was still clutching to the roof of his mouth. The burger was gone. The fries were gone. They’d devoured every piece of them. Fought, even, for the last piece of fries. It dawned on him the strangeness of that hug after they were done with the food.

Brotherly love. Men have emotions too. There’s nothing wrong with that.

He was aligned, twisted and turned, changed and placed deftly into the place he was supposed to be. The world beckoned him from beyond the walls, the chirping of the birds loud and clear in his mind. If this was the feeling he got by just becoming a Body Tempering Stage cultivator, he couldn’t even begin to think about the Qi Condensation and other stages.

This was about the nature of one’s self. Didn’t know how, but when the ninth circle was completed, this strange feeling nailed itself right into his heart. Becoming a cultivator was like a farewell to his old ignorant self.

The curious thing was, he knew what he felt was just the tip of the iceberg. Under the surface more waited for him. Walk and ride, slide across the waves to reach the place that lay beyond. It was calling for him.

Why, then, did those people insist on using this wonderous power to wreak havoc around the world? Or perhaps was it the human condition that left them with no choice? Might makes right, people called it. It could be that he was the ignorant one.

I keep forgetting that I’m the stranger here.

The spiritual energy was like the touch of a lover. Gentle and full of desire. It left not a single part of his body untouched, as if keen on exploring this new world it was brought upon. And it was a child even, a curious little devil poking his body from within, expecting to see lights flashing and colors mixing, its touch hard and careless.

But Lei could only watch this spiritual energy inside his body. His words fell on deaf ears. It was there, within, but he felt as if they were separated by a transparent shroud, one that promised many things, but just allowed a brief peek.

Qi Condensation, was it? Until then I can only stare at this wonder. My body, my world, but not everything is mine.

The Body Tempering Stage was crucial for the cultivators. From the previous owner’s memories, Lei knew that this stage was just a soft prologue through which the cultivator prepared their body to contain and control this energy. It took rigorous training and ample resources to climb the ranks, to even have a chance to step into the Qi Condensation Stage.

People like him who lacked spiritual roots could only rely on pills and other treasures on this path. But Lei was not like those people. He was gifted, and Fatty Lou had told him that being gifted is no crime.

And this gift is meant to be shared.

Lei nodded with strength. He had his boys and girls beside him. They were a handful bunch, but perhaps he’d been coming at his new life from the wrong angle. If he could keep getting spiritual ingredients, then there was no reason why their little circle couldn't grow into a more powerful one.

“Simple,” he heard Fatty Lou say just as the tenth circle was completed. “Thought we’re going with simple.”

Lei took another breath, trying to keep his focus. When the spiritual energy strayed toward his pores rather than rounding into another circle, he blinked and stared down at Fatty Lou.

His brother-in-arms was flushed like a ripe tomato, his lower lip quivering with what Lei thought was excitement mixed with embarrassment. His fingers were all white from how hard he clenched them. And there was a tiny smile on his lips.

Lei clicked his tongue, raised a hand over his forehead. “It is perhaps a curse of mine, Brother Lou, to always try to suppress this gift of mine and fail miserably over and over again. But I find a certain joy, an insidious satisfaction, whenever I see the results put to shame what others call food. I fear I can't contain the genius within me."

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“Bah!” Fatty Lou snickered, shaking his head. “Using my words against me, do you? That’s some courage right there, brother, but I like it. Fits perfectly with your heavenly gifts. But--” He floundered up his feet and took a couple of steps, swayed this way or that before finally balancing himself on one foot. He looked triumphant when his other foot found its way beside its sibling. “Do remember that it was this Young Master’s genius that laid the foundation of your success.”

“I was blind,” Lei said solemnly before they both started laughing.

Fatty Lou eased onto the couch while holding his belly, fingers still trembling from the kick he’d gotten out of the spiritual food. Even the skin under his chin seemed to have gained a curious luster about it.

“At least it didn’t kick us goodnight this time,” he said. “Still can’t believe it.”

“Ten minor circles.” Lei nodded. “I say we’re now real cultivators, Brother Lou.”

“Oh, we’re cultivators alright,” Fatty Lou said with a shake of his head. “Though we lack techniques, cultivation manuals, all the training, and the backing of a strong force. We’ve crossed one thing from the list, and left with a heap of others.”

“Baby steps,” Lei said, reaching for the water cup on the table. He took a sip before glancing at Fatty Lou. “Things are only going to get better from now on. That’s what I’m thinking. Focus on what we have here, and build slowly upon your so-called foundation.”

Fatty Lou raised an eyebrow at him. “You know what, you're right. A month ago, I was trying to decide whether I should kill myself with that butcher knife or drink myself to death in some whorehouse. Then you came here and started cooking those delicacies. I guess you’re not the only one who is gifted, eh, Brother Lei? Seems like I’ve got some of your fortune as well."

Lei looked him in the eye, wondering if the man knew he’d been one of the reasons why he started feeling at home in this strange world. He didn’t know that one day Lei would become a spiritual cook. There was no expectation. They were just two men—one a stranger in his own world, the other a complete alien—who found that life could get a lot easier if you could find someone to depend on.

“It’s my fortune to have someone like you here at my side,” Lei said, smiling at him. “But we’re just starting, aren’t we, Brother Lou?”

“You’re damned right we are!” Fatty Lou slapped his thigh before barking out a laugh. “Come on, then. We have a cultivator caught on the hook. We can’t let her escape.”

Lei nodded. He had a newfound confidence about his spiritual fast-food business.

……

After he sent Fatty Lou off with a burger and some gnarled fries, Lei then eased onto the couch and stared at the blue screen flashing before his eyes. There were three new notifications.

Your [Tier] has increased by 1 level!

[Essence Enhancement] has increased by 1 level!

Skill Choice Available!

Oh?

He checked the status window.

Name: Liang Lei

Age: 20

Class: Chef

Tier: Novice 5

Skills: Eyes of the Yellow Maiden

Cooking Skills: Essence Enhancement - Novice 3

Cultivation Stage: 1st Step of Body Tempering Stage

Dao: None

There were two new tabs on the window, one showing his cultivation level, the other highlighting the fact that he had none of those mystical Daos. That was hardly a surprise, considering he’d just stepped into the ranks of cultivators, but he still felt a certain excitement looking at it.

The possibility of comprehending a Dao alone was more than enough for him to start thinking about the future. Perhaps one day, he would look down at the world from beyond the Heavens as an Immortal Cook who could feed the crowds with a wave of his hand, or maybe as a Spiritual Chef cooking his dishes beside the heavenly rivers, simply savoring the freshness of the air high up in the skies.

And Fatty Lou would be there too, but not as the true Immortal he’d thought he’d become—perhaps as a waiter. Lei reckoned his brother-in-arms wouldn’t have trouble carrying a few plates. It was just good business.

What about the kids?

That was a question best left unanswered for now. They all had their own paths, and Lei was too young to act like a strict father who had unreasonable demands. Unlike the other kids in this world, he would try his best to give them the freedom of choice. That was the least he could do.

I’ve changed, haven’t I?

Lei looked down at his hands. Lately, these fingers had started to feel like his own. A month ago, he was used to waking up to the darkness of his room, wooden tiles clanking under his feet, phone already dead because he forgot to plug it in. Not that there would be anyone to call him.

The sun wouldn’t show its face until he stepped inside the kitchen, and after that, he would be too busy to crane his head out from the window to see if it was there. The chaos of his surroundings helped silence the sounds inside his mind—thought against thought, always bickering, never finding a middle ground. But here he couldn’t hear those thoughts anymore. The sun was there, perhaps a different one, flashing through the shutters. He also had another kitchen, his own kitchen.

He chuckled to himself as he finally focused on the skill choice notification. Like the last time, there were three of them.

[Spiritual Sensitivity - Novice 1]: Allows you to discern the details of spiritual ingredients, identify hidden properties, and detect spiritual anomalies.

[Soulremedy - Novice 1]: Infuse your spiritual dishes with a sedative aura that affects both you and the consumers of the food, reducing stress and fatigue.

[Cookbook - Novice 1]: Adding a recipe to your cookbook will brand that recipe with your spiritual energy, allowing you to gain special essence from people eating your food prepared by using the same recipe.

Current slots in the cookbook: 0/1

Spiritual ingredients to heal your soul, eh?

Lei clicked his tongue when he saw the Soulremedy skill. A part of him thought that there was a wicked being somewhere high up, peering down at the world of mortals and enjoying watching Lei get high on spiritual food.

Thanks, but no thanks.

The Spiritual Sensitivity still looked useful, especially after Lei had experienced the boundaries of the Yellow Maiden’s Eyes. That skill allowed him to identify multiple things but didn’t provide any specific details, which made it somewhat basic. He wondered if getting Spiritual Sensitivity would change that.

The Cookbook, on the other hand, was simply too strange. For a second, he thought he’d read it wrong. But taking another look, this thing really seemed broken. By simply giving his recipes to stall owners and restaurants, he could earn himself an endless amount of special essence.

Why doesn’t it say spiritual energy? Are they different?

That made him pause. The system used the term spiritual energy for basically all the skill choices he’d been given until now, so he found it peculiar that it suddenly opted to use a different terming. So either this special essence was a completely different thing, or the system was baiting him with its wording to keep him from choosing this fraudulent skill.

Sleep on it. No need to rush.

Lei closed the interface, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. He was still smarting from the effects of an hours-long cultivation session with Fatty Lou, and they’d gotten enough spiritual herbs from that cultivator woman to feed the brats for two or three days, so he had a whole feast to prepare before the kids came back to the house.

He’d decided to turn the group of misfits into real powerhouses, after all.