Being a chef meant a lot of things. Back on Earth, Lei would spend most of his time in a mad rush to prepare the orders, barely finding time to take a peek round the doors to see if the customers were enjoying their time.

Such innocence back when he’d thought he was making a difference. Good dishes, sure, tasty enough for the rich palates, of course, but that was the end of it. People paid, smiled, and walked off to their own lives.

The kitchen always remained isolated.

But here, in a strange xianxia world, his dishes were more than just a few minutes of pleasure for people who had the means to spend some good buck on a fancy dinner outside. They triggered a fundamental change in a person’s core, and he could witness this change with his own eyes.

The thought had occurred to him when Zhu Luli jumped back to the ground, with a beaming smile on her face, staring at him gratefully as if Lei had done her a favor she couldn’t hope to repay. And there really was something different about her now, an air of relief, a sense of peace that even leaked into Lei’s own mind, settling right in between his doubts.

“Thank you,” she said, leaning closer and clutching his hand tight. “Because of you, I managed to establish a bond with a Riverstar. It was magical, just like how my Father described it. My soul seeped into that faraway celestial being, and it just felt… right.”

Lei tilted his head to the side, searching for his soul brother’s memories to see if there was anything about a ‘Riverstar’ in there. Some broken pieces were all he found, as the clan hadn’t bothered to teach a near-cripple the intricate details of the Immortal Path.

You were just a servant.

“I hope that’s a good thing,” he said a second after, clearing his throat as they shared a look with Fatty Lou. “Pardon my ignorance, but I’m afraid we’re not well-read in the field of cultivation.”

Zhu Luli didn’t seem too surprised this time. “They say it is the most crucial step on the Immortal Path, as, without a Riverstar, no one can step into the Qi Condensation Stage. It is through this bond one’s spiritual roots grow enough to allow the cultivator to control spiritual energy.”

“Spiritual roots, spiritual roots,” Fatty Lou sighed dejectedly. “It’s always about the roots.”

“Nothing’s fair, eh, Brother Lou?” Lei said and turned to Zhu Luli when she raised an eyebrow at them. “Well, we’re not the most talented people you can find round here. But enough of us, now, tell me how you feel. I think that was the strongest dish I’ve ever made, and both of you had rather different reactions, so I’m curious.”

It was only then that Zhu Luli stared down at her spiritual pet, who was standing with a clawed hand spread wide on the rotten corpse of the beast, idly picking her teeth with the other.

“Different… indeed.” Zhu Luli’s eyes widened at the sight of the bloody squirrel, then she scowled when she saw the rotten corpse. “What is this thing?”

“Something wicked,” Fatty Lou mumbled.

Lei nodded, checking the corpse once again.

[Corrupted Sabertongue - Fifth Step of the Body Tempering Stage] - (A Sabertongue corrupted by a special energy that was injected into its veins.)

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Zhu Luli stretched a hand over the yellowish fur, and with a sickening plash, her index finger dug deep into the creature’s flesh. When she pulled it out, pus dripped down from the tip of her finger. “This can’t be nature’s work.”

“Looks like we’re facing some dark people over here in the Darkloom Forest. Hard to pass on that irony,” Lei said, shaking his head. “If not for Little Yao, this thing would’ve killed us both.”

“Little Yao killed it?” Zhu Luli muttered, her hand reaching toward the squirrel, but she pulled it back at the last moment when Little Yao glared at her. “Fine! I was just about to say you’ve done a good job, but as always, you’re acting like a spoiled kid.”

“More like a bloodthirsty, all-or-nothing drug addict.” Fatty Lou smiled slightly at his own words. “Can’t complain, though, can we? She saved us, after all.”

“What do you mean by drug addict?” Zhu Luli asked.

“For a second we’d thought she lost it,” Lei answered. He was honestly not sure if she hadn’t lost it or not. On the road, she was the most cheerful squirrel who kept stealing glances from him, but after eating most of the food, it was like a switch turned on inside her head that made her go wild. “But turns out, she was acting the predator all the while. Good job, little buddy!”

Though I still can’t believe she’s an Eighth Step Body Tempering Stage Browntail. I wonder if she’ll evolve after the Qi Condensation Stage. How does it work with spiritual beasts?

“Heh,” Zhu Luli scoffed looking at Little Yao. “Can’t even deal with the spiritual energy, and yet they think you’re some sort of a monster. “

“What do you mean, Miss Zhu?” Fatty Lou asked.

Zhu Luli raised a hand toward the wok, which looked spotless after Little Yao was done with it. “That dish could be the most potent thing I’ve ever consumed, even more than a Peak-Grade Body Tempering Pill. And it had a different, violent energy within, so it was hard to control. That’s why some of it must’ve spilled into Little Yao’s mind, tinkering with her thoughts.”

You’re saying that the reason why we couldn’t take those dishes… was our lack of talent, is it? That’s why the energy made us go crazy.

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“Is there perhaps a method, some sort of technique we can use to control our state of mind while consuming these dishes?” Fatty Lou asked with a frown. “The last time we’d tried one of these things got a little strange.”

“What?” Zhu Luli’s eyes widened. “Even that Rootremedy dish Chef Lei had prepared could’ve been deadly. A wave of spiritual energy can cripple your cultivation bases if left unguided. There’s a good reason why cultivators don’t try to consume higher-grade pills even if they have the means to afford them.”

Lei shrugged. “It doesn’t seem to have done anything other than make our worlds a touch more colorful.”

“And dream-like.” Fatty Lou said. “I’ve once tried a Braintick back in Lanzhou, you know the drug that supposedly lets you witness a part of Heavens in person, but I daresay Brother Lei’s dishes are more potent and efficient. And it takes just a minute before they kick in.”

“Careless…” Zhu Luli mumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “I’m not sure if you’re bold, or just fools thinking anything spiritual would make you cultivators. You’re lucky to even stand here on your feet.”

I’ve heard worse, Miss.

“About my question—“

“No,” Zhu Luli cut Fatty Lou’s words with a knife-like gaze. “There’s not. I don’t know how you two managed to stay alive, but even a spiritual beast like Little Yao found it hard to contain that much energy inside. I’m almost sure a genius with a complete hundred spiritual roots would likely have trouble with these dishes.”

Should I say that we’ve already fed the brats? I mean, they ate that Spirited Fried Rice behind our backs, but still, that has to count. Like I’ve thought, there’s some talent hidden in those kids.

Geniuses with a complete hundred spiritual roots. Then Snake, Little Mei, and Stone had to be at least close to the genius level, considering it just took a single dish for them to step into the Body Tempering Stage without much difficulty.

Is that why they kidnapped those two?

It was a reasonable guess, but as far as Lei knew, measuring one’s talent was no easy feat. At least it wasn’t possible just by gazing deep into one’s eyes. They used a special tool for that, and Jiangzhen only had one of those tools in the Governor’s Office.

“Might If I ask,” Fatty Lou said, his face suddenly serious. “How many spiritual roots have you got, Miss?”

“Not many,” Zhu Luli said, a playful smile on her lips as he raised her chin high. “Just ninety-seven.”

“Great.” Lei’s lip twitched.

“That’s like more than ninety—“ Fatty Lou was about to say, but Zhu Luli clapped her hands.

“Anyway,” she said, looking tired as she pointed at the beast on the ground. “I’m not sure what has caused this hideous transformation, but it must have trailed the smell of Grim’s Mushrooms to come here. Sabertongues, at least the normal ones, like to eat those mushrooms.”

The enchantment made the smell stronger, there’s no doubt about it.

Lei stared up through the thick canopy of trees, scowling at the stars glinting from beyond the cracks. The night was young and eerie, growls echoing from the deeper parts of the forest. From how the soil underneath his feet trembled, it seemed there were more than a few beasts around here.

“We should find a place to spend the night,” he said when a strange idea popped up in his mind. “And get more of those mushrooms if we can.”

“Wait, why?” Fatty Lou asked.

“Miss Zhu, you must be quite knowledgeable in the field of plants and vegetation, right?” Lei said, waving Fatty Lou’s question off. When Zhu Luli nodded, he continued, “Do you think we can find some strong ones around here, preferably poisonous ones?”

Zhu Luli placed a finger on her lips, frowning in thought. “I guess we can, but I’m not sure why you are asking.”

Another growl disturbed the silence of the forest, echoing all around them. A strong wind flapped the tails of Lei’s robe against his thighs. They were coming.

“I’ve thought of another recipe,” Lei said. “But I’m afraid this one is not for us.”

“No, you didn’t,” Fatty Lou almost cackled, earning an odd glance from Zhu Luli and her spiritual beast.

“Oh, but I did,” Lei nodded confidently. “Death doesn’t have to bring a bad taste about it, don’t you think? Let us give them a flavorful rest.”

………

They strode forward, through the bushes, the wind behind their back, roars and growls of agony coming at them from all around. Little Yao guided them in this nervous silence, her nose to the ground, sniffing, searching. Zhu Luli was at the back, covering the group’s rear, with Lei and Fatty Lou squeezed in the middle. Hard to believe they were depending on a spiritual squirrel, but nothing felt odd now that Lei had faced a rotten beast on his own.

He’d secured a few plants already, nothing too fancy, but with the touch of a master, and a spiritual kick from the System, he hoped he could break those beasts with his dishes.

After all, the skill worked on all the spiritual ingredients, and there was no indication that he had to make safe-to-eat food.

Now that I think about it, it’s certainly better than swinging a ladle into their faces. Lure them with the smell, and let the poison do its thing.

He’d made a mental note to ask Zhu Luli about the wider applications of certain plants, as he was painfully ignorant on that front. Poison seemed like it was just a single piece of a larger pie. Hallucinogens, sedatives, medicinial ones — the possibilities seemed endless.

He checked the skill once again.

[Essence Enhancement - Novice 3]: Increases the potency of spiritual ingredients you use in your dishes.

I have to do a little test to see what counts as a ‘spiritual dish’ to the System.

The first thought was that he had to cook the ingredients. Likewise, there wasn’t anything like a taste mark in the skill, so by that logic, he didn’t have to make a good dish for the enhancement to be successful.

With that, there was only one question left in his mind. Would a poisonous dish enhanced by the skill be enough to get rid of those beasts?

If a dish made by Mortal-Grade, High-Quality ingredients had been enough to overwhelm Little Yao, who was at the Eighth-Step of the Body Tempering Stage, then Lei reckoned he could at least make those rotten beasts sway with Middle-Quality ingredients.

Pulling his pack closer, he hooked a finger inside and checked their last prize with the Yellow Maiden’s Eyes.

[Yellow Ivy: Mortal-Grade, Low-Quality]: (A poisonous ivy that grows near the Darkloom Trees.)

He had another Low-Quality ingredient, which oddly resembled a daisy, but with petals as dark as the night. The good thing was, they had enough of these two to make more than a few dishes, but Lei wasn’t sure they would suffice.

At least we’ve found plenty of Grim’s Mushrooms. Seems like they grow everywhere.

Lei stopped when Little Yao raised a clawed paw toward them, pointing at a nearby tree, its trunk dark and peeling off of the edges. Seemed like a little push would be enough for it to crumble down on its roots.

“Where is it?” Zhu Luli asked as she passed by them, staring at the tree.

Little Yao tapped a claw to the bark, then swung it wide when Zhu Luli gave her a nod. The strike thudded against the tree, sending splinters of wood about it. Inside the hole was a thin stalk, red as blood, swaying with the gentle wind as Little Yao pulled her claw back, a red-colored berry dangling from the narrow end of it.

“This…” Zhu Luli said strangely when she saw the plant. “Not quite what we’re looking for.”

Lei stepped back toward Fatty Lou’s side, using the Yellow Maiden’s Eyes while raising a hand over his eyes. It didn’t take too long for him to understand the reason for Zhu Luli’s strange expression.

[Bloodberry: Mortal-Grade, Medium-Quality] - (A fruit grown by absorbing blood from the soil. It has a mild aphrodisiac effect.)

This thing was certainly not poisonous but looked just as useful to Lei’s eyes.

……