Lei’s skin prickled with fear. He understood now why the folk around Jiangzhen kept clear of the Darkloom Forest. He understood it perfectly fine, but then he wasn’t sure if this new awareness would do him any good against a beast twice his size.
Its fur was smooth and clear. You wouldn’t see it in the dark of the forest if not for the pair of crimson eyes staring wide at them. Two fangs jutted out from the side of its jaw as if they couldn’t fit with the others and had to make their way down through its mouth. Sharp and dangerous. That was the feeling Lei got from looking at them. It wouldn’t take much for those fangs to rip him open.
He stiffened, squinting up at the creature as his heart pounded in his chest. What would you do against a beast that seemed like a twisted mix between a panther and a lion? Swing the ladle and hope for the best?
It was hard to tell who was on the more spiritual side of things between the tool and the beast.
His brother-in-arms looked deathly pale. That was oddly comforting, seeing that he wasn’t the only one about to piss himself. The woman and the squirrel, now they were another story.
When the beast had made its presence known with a growl, Zhu Luli had stepped sideways with the squirrel and planted herself before the pair of them. She didn’t have a weapon, and her body seemed awfully small against the hulking form of the beast.
Yet for some reason, Lei could feel that the woman wasn’t afraid. There was a little smile on her lips, almost playful, fingers trembling with what Lei thought was excitement. Beside her, Little Yao was no different, her claws glinting sharp and beady eyes staring up at the creature as if weighing it.
“Easy now, little cub,” Zhu Luli said, raising a hand toward the beast. “We don’t want things to get bloody. No reason for you to throw your life away, don’t you think?”
Lei gawked at the woman, and back at the creature, which seemed just as confused as it glanced at Zhu Luli. It then shook its head and reared back with a growl.
“Can’t reason with you lot,” Lei heard Zhu Luli say as he flinched back with Fatty Lou.
There’d been a strange confidence, a feeling that’d crawled from the depths of his core when he faced the group of thugs that told him there was no need to fear. He tried searching for that sensation just now and came out with a paralyzing fear that took hold of his guts.
It’s not working.
He was shaking. The ladle in his hand seemed fragile and so little that he wasn’t sure it could put a dent in that smooth fur. It’d break with the wind of the creature’s passing. What was he thinking, anyway? A ladle in a forest known for its spiritual beasts. Even though it was a spiritual tool, he was starting to think that he’d need much more than something spiritual to stand against a beast of this size.
Greedy eyes gazed at them for another long second, then the beast was flying, the forest taking a deep breath all around him as the wind brushed the tails of the sharp leaves hanging down the branches. The creature vanished within the darkness, with no sound, nothing that suggested it was creeping around to find an angle on them. But the Spiritual Sensitivity skill told Lei that they were, in fact, being weighed upon by that gaze.
He clenched the ladle and raised it high. That was the least he could do. He raised the ladle and waited, ears ringing in the silence. Strange how the tension made him think of the other morning, just before he’d sent Snake and Stone off. Everything was too good that he should’ve expected some shit to happen. Now he was painfully aware that he wasn’t cut out for things like strolling about in a forest full of horrors.
Deep breaths.
He was taking them alright, but a crunch from the left made him pause. He peered down the bushes and stepped back, Fatty Lou dragging his feet near him with the cleaver in his hand. It seemed his brother-in-arms was just as lost as he was finding his way around the dark. Something broke the calm of the bushes, made them shake as a shadow came lunging from between them, red eyes glinting, sharp claws inching closer and closer to Lei’s face.
“Ha!” Zhu Luli yelled, stepped forward, crashed into the beast from the side, wrapped an arm around its front paw, and pulled it hard.
Lei blinked. He was looking at some odd scene his brain was trying to register. A young woman handling a shadowy beast twice her size as if the creature was nothing more than a tiny pup. It whimpered in pain when Zhu Luli turned it around and smashed its back across the ground, twisted the paw she’d been holding onto, and pressed it down to its chest. Something clicked as the creature gave another yelp, red eyes squinted in pain.
“Lucky!” Zhu Luli turned with a wide smile on her face and gave them a thumbs-up. “I’m sure you could’ve handled the beast with a mere finger, but I’m happy that you allowed me to take care of it, Senior.”
Eyes flickering between Zhu Luli and the beast, Lei couldn’t help but use the Yellow Maiden’s Eyes on the creature. He almost gasped when a blue screen flashed before him.
[Shade Cub: 6th Step of the Body Tempering Stage]: (A creature of the forest with a strong Darkness affinity.)
Eh?
The moment he used the skill, the creature’s eyes snapped back at him, glaring into his face as if disturbed. Just like he thought, he couldn’t use his skills on spiritual beings without being noticed. But under Zhu Luli’s hold, the beast could only struggle desperately.
“Stop it,” Fatty Lou said as he nudged him with an elbow. “Your eyes are blazing.”
Lei let go of the skill, glancing wide-eyed at Fatty Lou. “What the hell happened?”
“You know.” Fatty Lou raised a finger toward Zhu Luli. “That happened.”
“I thought she didn’t look strong,” Lei said as Zhu Luli placed a finger onto the creature’s neck and pressed it hard, the Shade Cub’s eyes rolling backward before it passed out. “Not that strong, anyway.”
“Cultivators,” Fatty Lou said with a helpless look. “You can never be too sure of them.”
Shit.
He was trying to think of something clever to say, to show that he wasn’t scared stiff a second before, but then he couldn’t see a point in doing that. Spirit Chef, sure, but there was no way he could let the woman believe him to be some secret master capable of handling shadowy creatures.
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“Looks like we found something to go along with those mushrooms,” Zhu Luli said, unaware that Lei was debating in his mind to decide if this would be a good time to spill the beans. “I’ve heard their meat is tender.”
“Tender,” Lei mumbled, turned to Fatty Lou, and forced out a smile. “Good thing we have a butcher on our team, eh?”
Fatty Lou scowled at him and down at the meat cleaver, realization coming slowly into his eyes. Lei could tell that behind those eyes, the devilish brain of his brother’s was spinning hard to work up an excuse. But a little tap on his calf broke whatever trail of thought he was cooking, making him blink down at the squirrel.
“Got mouths to feed.” Lei let out a snicker, feeling the tension slowly wear off his shoulders. The shocked tilt of Fatty Lou’s head was a sight to behold as he clapped him on the back. “Better make it quick, Brother Lou. I don’t think staying around here for too long is a good idea.”
Then he pushed him toward the Shade Cub.
……..
Lei let the cleaver ease into the meat, carving out the thick parts of fat in a practiced fashion as firewood crackled behind his back. His wooden chopping board was full of mushrooms and some strange meat from a spiritual creature, both high-quality ingredients that looked equally dangerous.
After Fatty Lou cut a big part from the beast, they left the carcass to the other dwellers of the forest. The meat wasn’t on the menu when they started their search, so Lei hadn’t bothered to dry or smoke the cuts. Just a big part, enough for a good night’s meal. Walking around and carrying pounds of meat would only slow them down.
According to Little Yao’s sharp nose, they had about another day to reach their destination. Lei didn’t know how to respond when it became clear that the trail was leading them toward the big mountain towering high in the distance. It could only be seen through the cracks in the thick canopy, its jagged sides busy with scores of clouds.
He hashed the cuts and seasoned them with a pinch of salt, leaving them to rest as he pulled out the mushrooms. They looked like someone had sprinkled a wicked poison onto their white faces, dotting them with purple and veined stains. They smelled fresh and earthy, though, and Lei trusted the system when it said they were not poisonous.
He had half a mind to cook them right away without an extra touch, but he’d brought some of those Rootremedy stalks with him. He’d planned to squeeze the juice from the stalks rather than use the beans, swirling them just like heavy cream over the meat and mushrooms.
Some onion and garlic in the mix. You can’t ask for anything better than this for a camp meal.
Fatty Lou and Zhu Luli were busy talking by the campfire, while Little Yao proved to be curious company as she watched him from beside the board, sharp claws clenched around the wood and saliva dripping down her chin. It became clear to Lei that, unlike their normal kind that lived on Earth, squirrels here, or at least the Browntails, had the tendency to eat everything they could get.
Different times.
Lei sighed as he cut the mushrooms, stretching his neck. He’d been stiff and nervous from the moment they stepped out of the city. That was the thing with dealing with the unknown. You never could quite be sure of what to expect. Not in an alien world, at least.
The first sensation he felt after opening his eyes in this strange world had been the lingering hatred his soul-brother carried against cultivators. Even as he died, being crushed under the half-collapsed roof while staring up at the two figures battling across the skies, his rage was more bitter than the pain gnawing at his soul.
He was banished from the clan for his lack of talent, despised and belittled by his peers, and bullied just because he didn’t have enough natural talent to be worthy of the family name. After all, the Liang Clan was one of the famous clans in Lanzhou, with more than a few rivals. It seemed like, in their book, the lack of talent was enough of a sin to cross a man’s name out from their family line.
Lei could only remember some parts of his memories. He’d often dreamed about the face of a woman after his reincarnation, a clear face with an easy smile, and a pain rooted deep in her eyes. His soul-brother’s mother was a gentle soul, perhaps the only one who cared for him, but her love hadn’t been enough to keep him close.
Or perhaps she was the one who proposed the deal. Living there like a slave… Doesn’t look much of a future to me.
That clan was one of the classic examples of their kind. Cruel and demanding. No wonder why most people thought of cultivators as beasts hiding under mortal skin.
And then there was Zhu Luli and her little beast. The woman seemed to have taken him as some secret master, capable of killing that beast with a flick of his finger, and if he kept up the front against her, he didn’t know what would happen in the long run.
I have to talk it out and tell her that I’m a new sort of Spirit Chef. Not the kind who could slaughter beasts with ease. Yeah, a gifted one. Natural.
Lei brought the ingredients with him to the campfire, pulled his wok out, and placed it over the burning logs as Zhu Luli and Fatty Lou watched him with expectant eyes. Little Yao was on his tail, rubbing her claws together.
“I’ve done a damned good job it seems, ‘cause those look tasty,” Fatty Lou said, smiling at him. “Can’t do without that spiritual kick, now, can we?”
Zhu Luli nodded with delight. “I have to say a Spirit Chef’s dishes are certainly different.”
“Knows her food,” Fatty Lou said. “It’s hard to find people who appreciate a good effort. Our chef here is indeed a rare talent, but even a shiny rock needs some polishing, eh?”
“That’s your job, then, the polishing?” Lei glanced at him, and down at the meats. “No wonder it took me the better part of an hour to make something out of your cuts. You were never made for a butcher, after all.”
“Heartless and cold,” Fatty Lou seemed offended for a second before he clicked his tongue. “You must’ve heard it, Miss. Chefs are always like this. Ungrateful bastards thinking their noses are a touch higher than most of us. Leave them alone, though, they won’t know how to sell their shit to the crowds.“
The oil hissed when the hot surface of the wok cuddled it round. Lei added the meats soon after, raising the wok over the fire and giving it a little shake. He was still unsure if he should use the Essence Enhancement skill during the cooking process, as the look on Fatty Lou’s face told him that he wouldn’t be taking it easy once the dish was done.
“Oh, that smell!” Zhu Luli said, waving a hand near the wok as she sucked in all the delicious smoke with hungry breaths. Little Yao was on her heels, tail swaying left and right.
“Before we start to eat, there’s something I want to clarify,” Lei said, sharing a solemn glance with Fatty Lou before turning toward Zhu Luli. “It’s clear from the way you keep calling me ‘Senior’ that you think I’m something of a master, perhaps a cultivator who could’ve killed that beast with ease. But we’ve just stepped into the ranks of Body Tempering Stage cultivators, and can barely count as cultivators.”
“What?”
“It’s true that I can make spiritual dishes, but I’m not sure if I’m one of those Spirit Chefs you keep mentioning,” Lei said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Wait a second,” Zhu Luli scowled at the pair of them, clearly taken aback. “This doesn’t make any sense. Spirit Chefs can command the spiritual energy of the world with perfection. I’ve only seen one in my entire life, and he was a Core Formation expert. I’m fairly sure that to cook those kinds of dishes you must be at least a Foundation Establishment expert.”
“I guess I’m—”
“You see, Miss Zhu,” Fatty Lou chipped in, giving Lei a hard glance before smiling at Zhu Luli. “My brother here is trying to say that he’s different.”
“Different how?”
“You might say he’s gifted.” Fatty Lou nodded with confidence. “Blessed by the Heavens themselves with the touch of a master. A single look from him can turn anything spiritual.”
“Perhaps we shouldn’t go that far.” Lei sighed tiredly. He could feel a budding headache at the back of his neck as he added the mushrooms and the diced onions, sprinkling another pinch of salt over the mixture even as Zhu Luli kept staring at him.
“But how?” the woman said a second later, eyes flickering back to Fatty Lou. “If you two are just Body Tempering Stage cultivators, then who cooked those meals?”
“She doesn’t believe it,” Fatty Lou said and shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to show her.”
“Are you sure?” Lei asked doubtfully. “These things here… are not your average ingredients, I can tell you that much.”
“All the more better, then!” Fatty Lou barked out a laugh, slapping his knee. “You know she’s our best bet to find those kids. Make her sing, then she’ll believe.”
“Make her sing, you’ve said?” Lei shook his head as he stirred the wok. “Miss Zhu, you might want to step back a little. Things can get dangerous when I’m cooking.”
“Eh? Sure,” Zhu Luli mumbled, blinking as if trying to make sure she heard everything right.
Can’t blame her, now, can I?
They should’ve told her way before things got a lot more heated.