’Grandmaster Wei?’
Although Zhao Tiansheng’s cultivation was low, his Mental Realm was exceptional, so he too, a moment later, noticed the unusual situation with Elder Wei.
’Don’t worry about it. Just keep cooking.’
’Once this dish is finished, it might even give Wei Jie a little extra boost...’
Hearing Chi Xuan’s instruction, Zhao Tiansheng nodded silently. He didn’t waste much thought on matters he had no power to interfere with. It wasn’t necessary, and besides, excessive worry would only become an unneeded burden.
His attention turned back to the wok. As the water rapidly evaporated, the initial earthy, grassy scent of the Cone Mushrooms gradually transformed into a unique, incredibly savory flavor—rich like meat, yet distinctly not.
Even the rich lard couldn’t seem to contain such a fragrance. It began to break free from the confines of the stove, spreading outwards.
Seeing this, the Jade Food Immortal, with her dark hair and black robes, took a step and walked out of the kitchen, revealing her form.
This was partly to let Zhao Tiansheng focus more on his cooking, and partly to act as a guardian for Elder Wei.
The instant Chi Xuan revealed herself, the faint traces of Dao Rhyme emanating from Elder Wei were suppressed. This prevented the many non-humans who had detected the phenomenon, as well as the powerful practitioners of Great Cultivation within the Prefecture City who had felt it in their hearts, from having any chance to pinpoint the location.
’Fortune is fickle; it favors the worthy. The rest is up to you, Wei Jie...’
If not for Zhao Tiansheng’s good relationship with Elder Wei, Chi Xuan would not have intervened like this. After all, she had to be meticulous with every bit of her cultivation now. Fortunately, Zhao Tiansheng had now entered Tier Three, which gave her a bit more leeway.
...
Since he was determined to cook with his entire being, Zhao Tiansheng naturally focused his Heart Spirit on a single thought. Subsequently, all his movements seemed to become silky smooth, carrying a faint sense of being effortless and perfectly timed.
An ingredient like the Cone Mushroom was both easy and difficult to prepare.
It was easy because, as a Yellow D Level ingredient, there was a guaranteed baseline of quality no matter how it was cooked.
It was difficult because if not cleaned properly, its origins in rotting wood and damp places meant the Cone Mushroom had a very strong, raw, earthy scent.
One careless mistake, and even if the flavor remained delicious, the occasional wave of that earthy odor would still make one frown.
That was why Zhao Tiansheng was particularly fond of making Yan Cong Mushroom into a Mushroom Oil. In his view, this was the best way to fully preserve the flavor of the Yan Cong Mushroom without any waste.
By simmering it completely in oil, the rich aroma would dispel and suppress the Cone Mushroom’s grassy taste. The small amount of minced ginger and dried chili flakes he added served to reduce the mushroom’s "cold" nature.
After all, the locals in Xiang Prefecture also had a name for this fungus: "Cold Mushroom."
He rendered lard from pork belly using rapeseed oil, then slowly simmered the Cone Mushrooms in the hot, blended oil, allowing the mixed fats to continuously permeate them inside and out. He waited until the steam and smoke from the stove gradually thinned.
The SPLASHING sound of simmering gradually became a gentle RUSTLE, like light rain tapping on an umbrella.
This meant the Cone Mushrooms had been simmered until their moisture had almost completely evaporated, concentrating their ultimate umami flavor within.
But at this point, there was only the umami of the Cone Mushrooms, without a hint of saltiness.
Only after adding a little salt and some high-quality first-draw soy sauce would this Mushroom Oil be truly complete.
There was no need to add white sugar to enhance the flavor; the umami of the Cone Mushrooms alone was already top-tier, beyond compare.
Using salt to draw out the umami. The moment the salt was added, an even more intense, savory aroma shot straight to the crown of Zhao Tiansheng’s head. But with his quick reflexes, he immediately slammed the wooden lid onto the stove and removed all the fire from within.
He simply let the Cone Mushrooms steep in the oil, allowing them to cool down slowly.
Only when the fragrance had fully infused into the oil was this batch of supreme Cone Mushroom Oil finally complete.
And at that moment, Chi Xuan, who was outside the house, finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Although it might not have seemed like much time had passed while Zhao Tiansheng was cooking, in reality, more than twenty-five minutes had already gone by.
If she hadn’t seen that his Heart Spirit was completely immersed in the cooking process, the Jade Food Immortal would have likely intervened to stop him.
Even for those who practiced Sacrificial Cultivation, expending so much Heart Spirit while cooking was incredibly taxing.
To say nothing of Zhao Tiansheng, who could only be considered a beginner in Sacrificial Cultivation. The concentration he relied on was purely born from a passion and dedication that surpassed ordinary people.
You could say that the moment he stepped away from the kitchen, Zhao Tiansheng’s face would instantly turn pale. This was also why even High Tier practitioners of Sacrificial Cultivation rarely cooked with their full effort.
Such an expenditure of Heart Spirit required a long time to recover from. If done too often, it might even affect their future.
However, Zhao Tiansheng was already used to this. Back when his cultivation was low, he would exhaust himself like this for every feast he prepared. His body had long since adapted, and he actually recovered quite quickly.
A good night’s sleep, and he would be fine.
Perhaps this was an unexpected benefit of Zhao Tiansheng’s body being unable to practice conventional cultivation. But it was a benefit he couldn’t exactly explain to others.
"Sister Chi, I’m going to sit and rest for a bit. If Grandmaster Wei wakes up,"
"you can help him get some of the Mushroom Oil to try."
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Zhao Tiansheng wiped his forehead. Being used to it was one thing, but it was still unpleasant. So after saying this, he immediately closed his eyes and began to rest.
Soon, his breathing became deep and steady. He had clearly fallen asleep on the spot.
Gazing at the soundly sleeping Zhao Tiansheng, Chi Xuan couldn’t possibly blame him for just passing out. For a child who wasn’t even that old, what he had done wasn’t just good—it was far, far beyond that.
...
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!
The morning dew awakened the sleeping Jinning Town as roosters crowed ceaselessly.
Soon, people began to wake up and wash. It seemed the fragrant aroma from last night had made them exceptionally hungry. They had also slept particularly soundly, and everyone was in high spirits today.
They just ended up eating a little more for breakfast than usual.
Meanwhile, at Zhao Tiansheng’s little eatery, the red lantern hanging outside had been taken down. The wide-open storefront showed that its owner was already awake.
After Elder Wei woke up, he didn’t dare say another word and simply took the Mushroom Oil back to the Water God Temple.
He knew just how unreasonable an angry woman could be.
The fact that his own affairs had caused Zhao Tiansheng to collapse from exhaustion had made a certain being very angry.
Of course, he also had to accept this favor from Zhao Tiansheng. It wasn’t that he would have had no hope of ever advancing again in this lifetime without the boy.
Rather, without Zhao Tiansheng’s help, he might never have taken this step at all. Of course, the *Cone Mushroom Oil* was good stuff, too. Even facing the displeasure of a certain someone, he had still snagged a large jar to take back with him.
For the next few days, he would be a persona non grata. Since he couldn’t go to Zhao Tiansheng’s place to eat, he would have to rely on this to satisfy his cravings.
As for Zhao Tiansheng, he sealed up the Mushroom Oil he had finished cooking—a batch that had definitely reached the *Garden Banquet* level. Normally, when cooking or needing to enhance a dish’s flavor, just a little bit of the oil would suffice.
The Cone Mushrooms themselves, of course, were to be saved for more important occasions.
After sleeping through the night without a proper cleanup, he used a Purification Talisman and washed up again before he felt about seventy or eighty percent of his energy had returned.
He had already opened the eatery for business. Jinning Town’s population wasn’t small, but the peak times when people ate out were in the morning and at noon.
If he missed this window, his little eatery would be without customers for the rest of the day.
Besides, his eatery’s breakfast rice noodles were considered one of Jinning’s unique specialties.
The handmade rice noodles were freshly pressed and cut—soft yet springy, pure white, with a smooth texture that wasn’t sticky. He had them specially custom-made.
Ordinary people would have a hard time getting them, to say nothing of the special shredded pork and Cone Mushroom topping he made today, which was a seasonal exclusive.
The drifting aroma alone attracted all the surrounding neighbors. There was no need for special orders; a simple greeting was enough for them to wait for their noodles. Zhao Tiansheng already knew the preferences of these regulars by heart.
However, drawn by the scent, a few figures who had just entered the town exchanged a look and headed straight for his little eatery.
One of them carried a large scholar’s basket on his back, which also seemed to be filled with numerous cooking utensils...