Culinary Cultivator (Part Two)

Xu Ya stomped up the floating stone steps.

The lavish decor of the upper floor left her speechless. She had only seen such opulence in the residences of Master-level figures back in Yunmeng Immortal Marsh.

After a quick look around, Xu Ya lost interest.

With a huff, she pulled out the food box she had prepared from her treasure pouch and set it by the door in one smooth motion. At the same time, she grumbled mentally at the heartless system that had enslaved her.

Xu Ya pursed her lips, puffed out her cheeks, and stomped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum before turning to leave without a second glance.

Hidden deep in the cave behind the mountain, the man suddenly curved his lips into a smile.

The next day, Zhang Xin, the Great Senior Brother of the Culinary Cultivators, pounded impatiently on Xu Ya’s door. “If you’re awake, get up! We Culinary Cultivators don’t feed freeloaders!”

Still half-asleep, Xu Ya was jolted awake by the thunderous knocking. Zhang Xin’s thick arm, infused with spiritual power, made the door shake like an avalanche. Xu Ya thought it was an earthquake and groggily scrambled out of bed, looking for a table to hide under.

She tumbled off the high bed and hit the ground hard, the impact finally waking her up. Only then did she remember—she was still inside the book.

When no one answered, Zhang Xin grew more aggressive, banging on the door and shouting, “Don’t think joining the Culinary Cultivators means you can slack off! We don’t feed lazy bums!”

Who’s slacking off?! Who wants to freeload?!

Xu Ya had never been one to seek comfort in this cultivation world. Even during the decade she spent with amnesia, she had worked diligently every day. She truly couldn’t understand why these cultivators kept targeting her and turning things around on her!

As her mind cleared, Xu Ya suddenly realized: I’m in the book! Damn that author!

The moment she opened the door, Zhang Xin grabbed her without ceremony and vanished with her in an instant.

He brought her to the Culinary Cultivators’ massive grand kitchen—a place Xu Ya was quite familiar with. She had helped out here during nearly every annual competition.

In this vast world, Xu Ya was the smallest cog in the machine. She resigned herself to following orders from the senior brothers and sisters, running around like a spinning top.

It was even more exhausting than working events back at Ta-o-ting! Damn it, she just wanted to go home!

“Xu Ya, here. Sort these precious herbs.”

“Xu Ya, come help over here—!”

“Xu Ya, watch the heat for me. If the timing’s off and the quality drops, it’s on you…”

“Where’s Xu Ya?! Where’d she go?! Senior Brother Zhang? Where is she?!”

Since regaining her memories, Xu Ya had been treating Fried Chicken like a daily tonic, scarfing it down nonstop.

Aside from looking more energetic, her once gaunt cheeks had filled out, her complexion was rosier, and her limbs had gained some muscle. She no longer looked like someone whose bones showed through her skin.

She rarely looked in the mirror during her amnesiac years, but now, she realized she looked nearly identical to her real-world self—maybe 90 percent alike.

The Fried Chicken had clearly worked wonders in nourishing her body, but it still had no effect on her spiritual power. Her dantian remained as stagnant as a dead pool.

The tasks the other cultivators kept assigning her might have been easy for them, but for Xu Ya, they were so exhausting she felt like coughing up blood.

On top of that, the system kept chiming in like an alarm clock, reminding her to feed the male lead on schedule. Xu Ya was starting to wonder if all of this was part of Shi Yuzhen’s grand conspiracy.

But then again, the golden finger she’d received was just too bizarre!

After finishing all the errands from her senior brothers and sisters, Xu Ya finally got a moment of peace and returned to her tiny room.

She collapsed on the bed for a bit, then sat up and pulled out a treasure pouch from behind her. Putting on cotton gloves, she began taking out several portions of marinated Fried Chicken and placing them on the table—who knew how many chickens were still left in that pouch?

Following the recipe to the letter, she carefully coated each chicken with a thick layer of seasoning.

To improve efficiency, Xu Ya had prepared over a dozen special oil pots—modified food boxes infused with spiritual energy. Lined up in rows, they looked quite impressive.

She carried chickens bigger than her own face and placed them into the oil pots one by one.

The sizzling crackle filled the small room.

Soon, a rich, mouthwatering aroma wafted through the air.

Xu Ya removed her gloves and used a minor spell to fish out the golden, crispy Fried Chicken, placing them neatly into food boxes. She set them on the table, then winced and pinched her earlobe—the boxes were still too hot to handle.

The small door creaked open—

In the quiet of night, Xu Ya set out once more.

Returning to the male lead’s residence, she found the experience quite different from the first time. The mist that once clouded the air now seemed to part for her like a privilege. Wherever she walked, the fog dispersed within moments, as if guiding her.

With a blank expression, Xu Ya walked through it, set down the food box with practiced ease, and turned to leave without a backward glance.

What she didn’t see was a feather-light strand drifting down from the sky, landing on the hem of her robe.

It shimmered briefly, then vanished into the fabric. At that moment, Xu Ya was too busy arguing with the system in her head to notice anything around her.

The days leading up to the grand competition were brutal for Xu Ya.

Aside from the Fried Chicken provided by her golden finger, her lack of spiritual growth had been exposed by the other Culinary Cultivators.

As a cultivator, her movements were too slow. Thinking back, it was only a matter of time before she was found out. Of course, her Fried Chicken had only ever been tasted by Master Wang. After joining the Culinary Cultivators, she realized Master Wang had just let her do as she pleased.

So the other cultivators came up with a conspiracy theory: Xu Ya must have tricked Master Xu to get into the sect. They started bossing her around even more.

Xu Ya had no way to defend herself. She accepted her fate and worked harder than ever, sneaking off later and later each night to deliver her special Fried Chicken to Shi Yuzhen’s residence.

Ten days before the competition, the Culinary Cultivators finally paused their hectic work.

Xu Ya let out a sigh of relief. She could finally rest.

But the heavens had no intention of letting her off easy.

A group of cultivators gathered outside her shabby little hut, led by an enraged Zhang Xin and his crew.

Some had already been sent to find Master Wang to seek justice.

Night had fallen, hinting that something big was about to happen.

At this hour, Xu Ya was usually on her way to the male lead’s residence to deliver his daily dose of Fried Chicken—a special formula meant to boost his cultivation.

Zhang Xin shouted, “I’ve been watching you for a while, Xu Ya! Sneaking out every night like a thief—what are you up to? Don’t tell me you’ve been stealing our Culinary Cultivator food to sell it off!”

Just like that, the accusation dropped on her head. Xu Ya panicked. “I didn’t!”

“Then tell us where you go every night! And why is it always at this exact time? If you don’t explain yourself, you’re going to look very suspicious.”

“I…” Xu Ya’s expression turned conflicted. She lowered her gaze, but there wasn’t a trace of fear in her eyes.

Zhang Xin’s temple throbbed with rage. They all knew Xu Ya—timid, annoying, completely devoid of spiritual power, yet still clinging to Yunmeng Immortal Marsh. She looked scared, but wasn’t she bold now? Bold enough to steal from the Culinary Cultivators?

Zhang Xin sneered and turned to the other cultivators, his voice full of certainty. “Why are you stammering, then? Funny how our ingredients never went missing before, but ever since you arrived, things started disappearing… So it was a dirty little rat all along.”

Xu Ya had heard about the missing ingredients from the grand kitchen. They had dispatched quite a few people to investigate, but no leads had turned up.

Because of this, Xu Ya was barred from entering the main dining hall in the final days and was only allowed to do menial chores outside.

Just as Xu Ya was about to explain, several cultivators forced her down with brute strength.

A female cultivator, acting on Great Senior Brother’s orders, immediately stepped forward and began frisking Xu Ya from head to toe.

Xu Ya struggled desperately, her face flushed with shame. She couldn’t bear such humiliation.

The scene quickly descended into chaos. No one knew who shouted, “Master is here!”

Unfortunately, the female cultivator found nothing useful on Xu Ya. She was already reluctant to search this so-called waste, and after all that effort for no gain, she grew irritated and shoved Xu Ya hard.

Though Xu Ya had eaten plenty of fried chicken to nourish her body, compared to cultivators she was still weak. With a push, she stumbled backward and slammed into the door behind her. The door burst open with a loud crash, and Xu Ya fell to the ground.

Since joining the Culinary Cultivators, Xu Ya hadn’t seen Master Wang again. Now, out of nowhere, she was face-to-face with his furious, scowling expression.

News of the sect’s theft had likely reached the Immortal Marsh by now. If so, the Culinary Cultivators would be utterly disgraced.

Master Wang pressed his lips into a thin line, silently weighing his options. Things had come to this—he could only quietly expel Xu Ya from the Yunmeng Immortal Marsh to quell the turmoil and preserve what little dignity their sect had left.

Just as he was about to speak, a massive orb of light suddenly flashed beside Xu Ya.

Everyone instinctively raised their sleeves to shield themselves from the blinding glow.

Moments later, a tall, slender figure appeared in front of Xu Ya.

The cultivators in the front row rubbed their eyes in disbelief. The newcomer wore a robe of pure white, hands clasped behind his back, his tall frame radiating cold detachment as he stood with his back to the crowd.

But everyone recognized him. It was… Shi Yuzhen.

According to the food chain within the Yunmeng Immortal Marsh, all Culinary Cultivators were expected to show him utmost respect. Even Master Wang had to yield to him. The reason was simple—on the rankings, strength reigned supreme.

With just one glance, the group that had been clamoring to execute Xu Ya on the spot fell completely silent, not daring to make a sound. They could only wait anxiously for Shi Yuzhen’s next move.

But Shi Yuzhen said nothing. He merely lowered his gaze to look at Xu Ya, who had fallen to the ground.

He crouched slightly, as if to help Xu Ya up. The familiarity between them made Master Wang, Zhang Xin, and the others exchange uneasy glances.

But Shi Yuzhen didn’t care what they thought. He simply extended his hand toward Xu Ya with quiet elegance.

Xu Ya misunderstood his intent and stood up on her own, using the doorframe for support.

Her eyes, filled with resentment, shimmered with unshed tears. It was unclear who she was looking at. From behind her, she pulled out a treasure pouch, retrieved a food box she had prepared in advance, and shoved it into Shi Yuzhen’s arms.

Then, for the first time, she mustered the courage to turn and flee the scene.

The others, unable to pursue her with Shi Yuzhen present, could only watch helplessly as Xu Ya ran off, their frustration simmering in silence.

Shi Yuzhen stood there, holding the food box filled with warm fried chicken, momentarily stunned.

The air seemed to freeze.

Everyone remained frozen in place.

Then, as if no one else were around, Shi Yuzhen casually slipped the food box into his sleeve. His gaze swept indifferently over the Culinary Cultivators before he slowly parted his lips.

“Junior Sister brings me food every night. Do any of you have a problem with that?”

— Translator’s Notes —

– golden finger: Chinese internet slang for a cheat ability or special advantage given to a protagonist in a story.

– floating stone steps: In xianxia (immortal hero) fiction, floating architecture is common in immortal realms, suggesting magical or spiritual construction.