Chapter 23: Junior Brother’s Thorough Inspection

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Junior Brother’s Thorough Inspection

The water flowed slowly over Liu Chen’s entire body, washing away the dirt and bringing a refreshing coolness.

After finishing his cultivation for the day, Liu Chen returned to his room. He lay down on the simple bed and fell asleep in no time.

He rose at dawn, first going through one round of Body Tempering. After washing up, he picked some Bamboo Shoots and prepared breakfast.

His two junior sisters weren’t late today, but Liu Chen still had to wait a bit. Since he didn’t have to remake the meal, he had plenty of time to spare.

Perhaps his progress in heat control and knife skills had become negligible, as his Spirit Chef Proficiency only increased by a single point—the minimum possible gain.

If he continued to raise his Spirit Chef Proficiency at this rate, Liu Chen would need nearly a year to reach the next Realm. However, with a junior sister so well-versed in the culinary arts by his side, that time could likely be shortened considerably.

The only problem was that his two junior sisters woke up rather late, so the Proficiency he gained from breakfast was basically just the guaranteed minimum.

"Junior Sister, do you know how to cook fish?"

After breakfast, Liu Chen remembered the two fish Senior Brother Yang had brought over the day before. Although they didn’t contain any Spiritual Qi, they should be perfectly fine as a side dish.

"I know a little."

Although Ye Linglong didn’t know why her senior brother was asking, she answered humbly. Nearby, Ji Suyao, who had been fortunate enough to taste such a delicacy before, couldn’t help but look over, her eyes filled with anticipation. She was practically drooling.

"Senior Brother Yang brought two fish yesterday. I’ll have to trouble you with them for lunch, Junior Sister."

Liu Chen smiled faintly. Ye Linglong nodded slowly, already contemplating how to prepare the fish.

His morning cultivation session went as usual, with no sudden interruptions, which put Liu Chen at ease. If all went well, he would achieve Body Tempering Minor Success tonight.

As Noon approached, the two fish were placed on the cutting board. Ye Linglong held a kitchen knife, demonstrating on one of the fish, while Liu Chen clumsily imitated her on the other. It was only after they had cleaned them that Liu Chen discovered they were both female.

But that no longer mattered. As the fish steamed, Liu Chen began preparing stir-fried Bamboo Shoots. When he was finished, he glanced at the fish, which was already releasing a fragrant aroma, and then at the usual large portion of Bamboo Shoots. He fell into thought.

"We can set some aside and make a salad with it for dinner tonight."

Ye Linglong, seeing his dilemma, spoke calmly. She had noticed the large quantity while digging up the Bamboo Shoots earlier. At the time, she’d assumed her senior brother had special plans, or perhaps had struck some deal with that Senior Brother Yang. Now it seemed he had simply prepared too much.

"That could work."

Liu Chen nodded. It occurred to him that he had only ever stir-fried the Bamboo Shoots. ’If I have my junior sister demonstrate how to make a cold-dressed salad,’ he thought, ’I might be able to gain a bit more Proficiency in the mornings.’

"Not bad."

At Noon, Ye Linglong took a bite and nodded in satisfaction. She was tasting the fish Liu Chen had prepared. The other one was sure to taste even better, so there was no need to worry about sending it to their master and his wife.

Lunch was over quickly, but Liu Chen felt a little uneasy. Weeds were one thing, but fish were living creatures. Handling them inevitably stained him with blood. Being practically a novice when it came to cultivation, he had no idea if this would have any negative effects.

Still, it didn’t seem necessary to bother his master about it. It wasn’t as if he’d killed two Fish Demons.

His afternoon cultivation went smoothly, but the construction of the bamboo house did not. The four walls were complete, but how to build the roof had become a problem.

Furthermore, after they did some planning inside, they realized it was too cramped to be a main house. It was, however, the perfect size for a bathroom.

"I’ve seen artisans build an entire palace in a matter of days. How can we not even build a simple bamboo house properly?"

Ji Suyao sprawled on the floor of bamboo slats, her gaze vacant.

It wasn’t that she was disappointed or anything—their current living situation was already quite good. It was just the feeling that this task was much harder than they’d imagined. This was the third day. Not only had they failed to finish a single bamboo house, but the one planned as the main building was now only fit to be a bathroom.

Things weren’t as simple as the three of them had first thought.

"My two junior sisters, you must know some master artisans in the mortal world. Why don’t we find a way to have them draw up a blueprint for us?"

Liu Chen stood to the side in silence. At first, he’d thought it would be simple, but as the construction progressed, he felt more and more that something was off. Now, he was starting to doubt the wisdom of his own idea from the day before.

"Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’ll take care of it."

Ye Linglong agreed with a decisive nod. Ji Suyao, who had also been about to speak, glanced at her and decided to keep quiet. She didn’t know why, but she had a feeling that Linglong was very determined to see this through.

"Then I’ll leave it to you, Linglong."

Liu Chen nodded. Their construction plan was officially a failure. ’Three amateurs like us shouldn’t be challenging the livelihood of master artisans based on a whim.’

Besides, judging by the little details his two junior sisters revealed in their daily lives, for the artisans they knew, a mistake wouldn’t just cost them their livelihood, but their heads. In a serious case, it might even mean the extermination of their entire clan.

"You’re too kind, Senior Brother."

Ye Linglong shook her head, then pulled Ji Suyao along to write the letter. They still hadn’t received a reply to the last one they’d sent, so there was no telling when they’d hear back this time. But it would all be worth it.

Liu Chen decided to go cultivate for a while. ’Perhaps I can manage an extra round of Body Tempering today,’ he mused, ’provided the lingering side effects disappear after I reach Body Tempering Minor Success.’

"Junior Brother Liu~"

Unfortunately, he hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Senior Brother Yang’s voice called out from outside the bamboo grove. Liu Chen shook his head and walked out of the grove to meet him. He couldn’t help but suspect that his senior brother had taken the Spiritual Cuisine to an auction.

"Senior Brother, why don’t you come in and have a seat?"

After taking the containers from the previous day, Liu Chen felt compelled to extend the invitation. Although the Spiritual Cuisine was surely a great help to his senior brother, the man had, in fact, taken care of the defective products that Liu Chen himself wouldn’t have known how to handle.

"I can be careless, so maybe I didn’t wash them properly. You should check them carefully, Junior Brother. I won’t impose any further; I still have a trip to make to the market."

Yang Haichen declined. He could tell that the junior brother before him wasn’t entirely sincere with his invitation. ’But that’s fine,’ he thought. ’Every little bit of goodwill counts. A steady stream will one day reach the sea.’

"My apologies for being presumptuous."

After the exchange of pleasantries, Liu Chen carried the containers toward the kitchen. Along the way, he opened the bowl that had held the congee. Three mature stalks of Purple Bamboo Grass lay within. A unique fragrance wafted out, and Liu Chen felt the Spiritual Power in his body stir in response.

’That Senior Brother Yang... so "straightforward."’

Liu Chen shook his head. He knew Senior Brother Yang’s words had a hidden meaning, but he hadn’t expected it to be Purple Bamboo Grass. Liu Chen had never used it before; after he had become a disciple, his master had collected all the mature Purple Bamboo Grass in the Bamboo Garden.

He had probably taken it to make tea for his wife. That process must be irreversible; otherwise, it would be completely at odds with his master’s usual generosity.