Chapter 31: Seems to Have a Point

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Seems to Have a Point

[Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Mastery +10]

In the bamboo forest, Liu Chen slowly opened his eyes. His two junior sisters were practicing Body Tempering nearby. Ye Linglong’s condition seemed much improved. As for Ji Suyao, Liu Chen had never seen her in a bad mood.

Liu Chen’s promise to Ye Linglong wasn’t for his own sake. He didn’t consider himself a good person. There was no need to compete through force on Purple Bamboo Peak at the moment, so Liu Chen was content to be a relatively harmless Spirit Chef.

The fact that Ye Linglong was his junior sister was due to her being accepted as a disciple by their mistress. This was the true Cause and Effect, and it was why Liu Chen was willing to lend her a hand. Without his master, he’d still be brawling with thugs just to get by.

Since this could be a problem for his mistress, it was only natural for Liu Chen to find a way to resolve it, as long as it was within his power.

"Junior Brother Liu, are you in? Your senior brother has come to see you."

The gentle breeze carried Senior Brother Yang’s voice. Liu Chen, who had just been about to practice his Magic, shook his head and walked toward the edge of the forest. ’Since Senior Brother Yang is here, he must have brought the Purple Bamboo Grass. Surely he isn’t here to freeload another meal.’

"Senior Brother Yang, what brings you here at this hour?"

But upon seeing Senior Brother Yang, Liu Chen faltered. The man was empty-handed, which he found rather perplexing.

"Junior Brother Liu, let’s talk inside."

Yang Haichen discreetly glanced behind him and walked straight into the bamboo forest. Liu Chen looked pensively toward a bend in the path. It seemed someone was there.

Inside the Bamboo Garden where Liu Chen lived, Yang Haichen swiped the ring on his hand, and a brocade box appeared on the table.

Yang Haichen pushed the box over to Liu Chen. "Junior Brother Liu, here are ten stalks of Purple Bamboo Grass. I’ll need two portions of Spiritual Cuisine today. I was in a rush and forgot the Bamboo Shoots and Spirit Rice, so I’ll bring double the amount tomorrow."

Liu Chen first took a moment to look at the legendary Storage Ring. ’Things like this are quite rare. It’s my first time seeing one, anyway.’

Though very curious, Liu Chen didn’t forget the business at hand. He opened the brocade box, and the faint, sweet scent of Purple Bamboo Grass wafted out. There were exactly ten stalks.

"Thank you for your business, Senior Brother. Did you happen to bring a food box?"

Liu Chen accepted the grass. ’Ten stalks of Purple Bamboo Grass are equivalent to three hundred points of Body Tempering Mastery. If I could get thirty stalks, I’d reach Body Tempering Great Success the day I finish using them.’

’At the very least, we can keep this partnership going until I reach Body Tempering Perfection.’

"Of course."

With a casual wave of his hand, Yang Haichen produced an exquisitely crafted food box and placed it on the table.

"Come back in an hour, Senior Brother."

Liu Chen glanced at the time. It was still too early to prepare lunch; he couldn’t let this single transaction disrupt their group’s routine.

"Thank you, Junior Brother."

Yang Haichen stood up without another word, turned, and left the Bamboo Garden alone. ’I’m not worried about him taking the Purple Bamboo Grass and not delivering the Spiritual Cuisine,’ he thought. ’We’re both disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak. If Liu Chen did something like that, no one would ever trust him again, even if he is a Spirit Chef.’

Back at his Cultivation Land, Liu Chen glanced at his two junior sisters. ’Once I have a surplus of Purple Bamboo Grass, I can give them some. It’s a shame that for anyone who hasn’t reached the Beginner stage of Body Tempering, absorbing Purple Bamboo Grass does more harm than good.’

Liu Chen practiced his Magic for a while. When it was nearly time, he took his two junior sisters to gather Bamboo Shoots. Previously, he could manage on his own, but now that Senior Brother Yang had ordered two extra portions of Spiritual Cuisine, Liu Chen naturally needed their help.

Going from five servings to seven meant they would naturally need more Bamboo Shoots.

Once lunch was ready, four servings were packed into two food boxes. Ji Suyao picked up her box and set off to deliver it to their master and mistress, while Liu Chen carried the other one toward his Bamboo Garden.

"Junior Brother Liu, I found what you were looking for."

He had just reached the Bamboo Garden when he heard Senior Brother Yang’s voice. Realizing that Senior Brother Yang might be followed, Liu Chen didn’t meet him with the food box in hand but invited him into the garden instead.

Yang Haichen didn’t bother opening the food box to check. Even through the container, he could smell a delicate fragrance. There was no doubt it was Spiritual Cuisine.

"Junior Brother, what if I come by at this same hour every day from now on?"

Yang Haichen placed the food box into his Storage Ring and asked tentatively. ’Coming here twice a day is too likely to arouse suspicion. But the Grand Elder also handles various miscellaneous duties, so it would seem perfectly reasonable for me to come to the back of the mountain to report to him once a day.’

"That’s fine, but it would be more convenient if you prepared two food boxes."

Liu Chen didn’t have any strong feelings about the arrangement. ’If Senior Brother Yang comes every day, I’ll definitely have enough Purple Bamboo Grass for my Body Tempering, and maybe even a surplus.’

"I’ve come prepared."

As soon as Liu Chen agreed, Yang Haichen took a food box out of his Storage Ring. Liu Chen was about to say something when he caught a delicate scent. He opened the box, and the very meal he had packed inside a short time ago appeared before his eyes.

"Ah, it’s this one."

Yang Haichen was a little embarrassed. ’There are only two food boxes in my Storage Ring, and I still managed to grab the wrong one. If Junior Brother hadn’t checked, I would have made a fool of myself back in front of my master.’

"Junior Brother, I’ll be heading back. My master is waiting."

After putting the correct food box away, Yang Haichen checked the one on the table to make sure it was empty, then jogged off.

When Liu Chen returned to the kitchen, Ji Suyao hadn’t come back yet. Only Ye Linglong was sitting there, waiting, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Senior Brother, why are you using Magic to cook?" Ye Linglong finally voiced her confusion after Liu Chen sat down. While his knife skills had already surpassed hers, his current technique was... hard to put into words.

Furthermore, using the Lamp Burning Technique to control the heat had caused the flavor of the stir-fried Bamboo Shoots, which had once been perfect, to drop by a whole grade.

"To save effort," Liu Chen said frankly. "High-level Magic might be intended for Magical Battles, but the Basic Magic Techniques we’ve mastered are meant to ease the burdens of daily life. If ordinary Magic can reduce physical exertion, why can’t it be used for cooking?"

He was being honest. While it was partly to increase his Proficiency with the Skill, Liu Chen genuinely believed this. ’I don’t know how other Spirit Chefs do things, but I feel like having to do everything by hand all the time doesn’t fit the image I have of a Spirit Chef.’

"I suppose that makes sense."

Ye Linglong nodded. She wasn’t a Spirit Chef and had never met any others. ’Since Senior Brother put it that way, I’ll just have to accept it. It’s not like I can argue with him, anyway.’

Yang Haichen sprinted all the way back to the Grand Elder’s Bamboo Garden. The moment he saw Yang Haichen take out the food box, the Grand Elder flicked a finger, and a barrier of Spiritual Power enveloped the entire garden.

It was best that others didn’t discover what was going on. As for whether this action would attract attention, there was no need to worry. The Stewards and Elders all did the same when instructing their disciples, so it wouldn’t seem the least bit out of place.