Chapter 5: Junior Sister, Feel Free to Speak Your Mind

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Junior Sister, Feel Free to Speak Your Mind

[Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Mastery +20]

In the Bamboo Garden, Liu Chen slowly opened his eyes. The faint, stinging sensation was gone. Compared to the agony from before, the pain after reaching the Beginner level was nothing at all. He guessed that soon, the pain would disappear completely, and sensing and absorbing Spiritual Qi would become as natural as breathing.

’No side effects. I can start practicing the Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Chapter regularly now. If I schedule my day properly, practicing four times should be no problem.’

Liu Chen was undoubtedly pleased with this change. While practicing Magic was certainly fulfilling, one’s Realm was the foundation of all power. No matter how well-practiced one’s Magic was, an opponent could just overwhelm it with superior Spiritual Power.

The best method was to tackle both at once, and master both.

This was Liu Chen’s goal. As long as he was willing to grind, it was entirely possible. All he had to do was work hard; the rest he could leave to his Proficiency.

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"Give me a copy of the recipes you’ve been working on. I’ll find a way to pester Senior Brother into trying them out, and then we’ll get to enjoy a real treat!"

Ye Linglong was stunned by her friend’s idea. He was a Spirit Chef—the only Spirit Chef in Purple Cloud Valley! Even Stewards and Elders would likely show him deference. This friend of hers really wasn’t afraid of making her Senior Brother angry!

"No problem. Also, I want to meet that Senior Brother of yours."

In the end, Ye Linglong agreed. She had to give her the recipes; it was the only excuse she had to approach him. If the recipes caught his interest, she could use the opportunity to befriend him.

Once his identity as a Spirit Chef was revealed and he became an Inner Sect Disciple, then even if the worst-case scenario her father had mentioned came to pass, she might be able to use this seemingly insignificant connection to save her family.

Even if he refused to meet, the recipes she had developed over this time would still count as a show of goodwill. They might be useless to a true Spirit Chef, but she was betting on that one glimmer of hope.

Her only regret was that she couldn’t—and didn’t dare—tell Ji Suyao the whole truth. After all, she still needed her friend to make the introduction.

"Senior Brother, I have a small request."

As his junior sister appeared somewhat bashfully before him, Liu Chen, who was in the middle of preparing dinner, slowly looked up. "If you have something to ask, just say it."

He had already guessed that his junior sister had a favor to ask, and that it was likely something a bit forward. Still, Liu Chen was prepared to listen. If someone with ulterior motives was taking advantage of her, he needed to be prepared.

"I have a friend who would like to meet you tomorrow at noon. Would you be free, Senior Brother?"

Ji Suyao was a little apprehensive; she hadn’t even taken out the recipe book yet. Although she didn’t understand why Ye Linglong was being so formal, she could still sense that there was something extraordinary about her Senior Brother.

Ye Linglong had always been a good judge of character. The fact that she was so deferential toward her Senior Brother spoke volumes.

"I’m free at Noon. It’ll be a good chance to make some extra dishes."

Liu Chen agreed. After all, his Spirit Chef Proficiency was based on quantity. With his master nowhere to be found, one more person simply meant more Proficiency. As for any other potential problems this might cause, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Thank you, Senior Brother! This is a thank-you gift from my friend."

Ji Suyao placed a recipe book that still smelled of fresh ink on the table, then departed with a spring in her step.

’The handwriting is quite nice.’

Liu Chen glanced at the recipe book. The ingredients it listed were all rare mortal ones, containing no Spiritual Qi. Still, he figured he might be able to find spiritual counterparts for them later.

’They’re interested in me as a Spirit Chef, so it probably isn’t a big problem.’

The advantages of being a Spirit Chef were immense. Even though the effects of a First Grade Spirit Chef’s cooking on a Cultivator took time to manifest, a single dish of Spiritual Cuisine could improve the aptitude of a mortal’s descendants, making it more likely for an Immortal Seed to be born among them.

The rise and fall of a Noble Family was directly tied to its number of Immortal Seeds. An Outer Disciple could live as an elite within the Great Xia Dynasty, while even Dukes and Ministers had to bow their heads before an Inner Sect Disciple.

Being a Spirit Chef should be enough for Liu Chen to become an Inner Sect Disciple of Purple Bamboo Peak. The only problem was that his unreliable master was absent, so he had no way to officially demonstrate his Spirit Chef Skill.

The management of Purple Cloud Valley was relatively lax, and this was even truer on Purple Bamboo Peak. Yet his master had insisted there were many rules, such as the monthly quota for Purple Bamboo Grass. The problem was, including his junior sister, there were only three people in the entire Bamboo Garden.

With their master gone, the actual output of Purple Bamboo Grass was entirely in Liu Chen’s and his junior sister’s hands.

"Senior Brother agreed. I told him the recipe book was a thank-you gift from you, so remember not to let it slip."

Ji Suyao found Ye Linglong and whispered this reminder. Ye Linglong, who had been anxiously waiting, finally let out a sigh of relief. Now that he had agreed to meet, the door was open for future interactions.

If she persevered, she was confident she could forge a bond.

"It’s getting late. I need to get back and cook for my master. Remember to send word to your family."

Ye Linglong couldn’t help but offer this reminder as she left. They were kindred spirits in misfortune, and she didn’t want her friend to face the risk of an arranged marriage. Being married off to some unfamiliar Outer Disciple would be considered fortunate; if she were sent to an Inner Sect Disciple, it would be little better than being a slave.

In this situation, having a Senior Brother who was a Spirit Chef was enough to make those powerful factions back down. They understood the principle of gaining an advantage through proximity. For a family, the impact of the Spirit Chef Skill was second only to Alchemy, ranking even higher than Spirit Talismans and Arrays.

And if she herself had a Spirit Chef as a friend, her family could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Plus, she might even have a chance to become a Spirit Chef herself.

Before, she had been fumbling forward all on her own, but now she had the chance to meet a real Spirit Chef. As long as she was willing to pay the price, it shouldn’t be too difficult to receive some guidance.

Ye Linglong finished preparing the meal and delivered it to the Bamboo Garden where her master lived. The scene was identical to the day before.

Her master was dressed in simple robes, engrossed in a book. Faint cyan smoke curled up from a nearby incense burner, and a pot of fragrant tea sat on the table.

The only thing out of place in this tranquil scene was the man lying off to the side. He looked scruffy and seemed to be from a completely different world than her master, who was like an ethereal Fairy. And yet, the two of them coexisted in perfect harmony.

Ye Linglong didn’t know who the man was, but for him to be so comfortable around her master, their relationship had to be extraordinary.

"What are you thinking about?"

Bai Qiulan lowered her book, looking at her disciple who was staring into space. This was the apprentice she had taken on; her Talent was decent, and she was diligent, which pleased Bai Qiulan greatly.

The only problem was that she tended to overthink things. But considering the pressure on her from her family, that was to be expected.

Ye Linglong’s heart tightened. Just as she was about to say something, she saw her master turn and glance at her, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"The lingering Spiritual Qi of Cyan Bamboo... You haven’t started Body Tempering yet, so you shouldn’t have been able to absorb it. Don’t tell me you used Purple Bamboo Grass?"