Chapter 8: Dining Hall |
After serving the two spirit beast “old ancestors” and answering the cultivate-related questions of several junior brothers and junior sisters he met along the way, Lu Fengmian looked up at the sky and finally let out a long breath.
It was noon.
Time to eat!
Although he had now already reached the Golden Core stage and could have long since abstained from food, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was enough to sustain his vitality, making mortal food unnecessary.
But... enjoying delicious food was one of the very few genuine, tangible joys in his career as the “Perfect Senior Brother,” and his schedule rivaled that of Agent 007.
He straightened his slightly disheveled robe, then quickly headed toward the inner sect dining hall.
The inner sect dining hall had been built on an open-air platform halfway up the main peak, and its architectural style was simple yet grand. It was currently the height of the meal rush, with people coming and going in a bustling stream. The air was filled with the fragrance of all kinds of food, enough to make one salivate.
Lu Fengmian had just stepped into the dining hall and had not yet had time to savor this wonderful mortal atmosphere—
【Random task triggered: Dining Hall Food Quality Spot Check】
【Task reward: Slight increase in cultivation, obtain 1 “Basic Spirit Chef Insight” fragment.】
Lu Fengmian’s steps paused for a moment. The smile on his face instantly stiffened, then naturally faded away.
It had come again.
Ever since more than half a year ago, when he had received a tearful message—a newly admitted little disciple, still in the middle of growing, had aggrievedly complained to him, “Senior Brother, the spirit rice in the dining hall seems undercooked again today, it hurts my teeth to chew it...”
At that moment, Lu Fengmian’s mood had been complicated.
On the one hand, he had felt that the child making a fuss to his senior brother over one mouthful of undercooked rice might be making a mountain out of a molehill; on the other hand, seeing how pitiful the child looked, he truly had not had the heart to turn a blind eye.
So that very night, he had gone to inspect the dining hall kitchen, kindly pointed out the temperature control issue, and suggested that the duty servant disciple make a fresh small pot.
From that moment on, it was as though something had been set into motion.
“Senior Brother, today’s stir-fried jade bamboo shoots seem a little salty...”
“Senior Brother Lu, the feathers in the spirit chicken soup haven’t been plucked clean!”
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother! Wasn’t this braised pork cooked soft enough? It got stuck in my teeth!”
“Senior Brother...”
From the texture of spirit rice to the saltiness of dishes, from the cleanliness of ingredients to the temperature of soup... all kinds of complaints or suggestions about “food” would drift to Lu Fengmian’s ears through the messaging jade talisman from time to time.
At first, he had felt utterly lost, but as he gradually became more skilled at taking on this “extra job,” he sorrowfully discovered that the operating model of the logistics center responsible for feeding nearly ten thousand mouths—the dining hall... in terms of stability, resembled the Schrödinger equation.
If today’s head cook happened to be Master Wang, who excelled in fire-type cultivation techniques, then the braised dishes would be richly fragrant and perfectly cooked; if tomorrow it were Master Li, who was more proficient in water-type cultivate techniques, then the soups might be excellent, but the stir-fried dishes might fall a little short.
Whether the disciple responsible for processing spirit birds and spirit beasts was meticulous, whether the duty杂役 disciple washing the spiritual herbs was careful, or even what sort of mood the disciple tending the fire pit was in today—all of it could affect the final dish.
This world—or no, at least Lingyun Sect’s dining hall—really did seem like one enormous temporary organization!
“Alas...” The sigh was drowned out by the din of the dining hall as Lu Fengmian helplessly began carrying out the task.
He did not go directly to the kitchen. Instead, like an ordinary disciple, he first took a tray and went to the serving area. His gaze calmly swept across the dazzling array of dishes.
Today’s staple foods: Crystal-clear jade polished rice, paired with spirit wheat bread.
Main dishes: Braised pork trotters, steamed silver-scale fish, sauce-fried wind chicken pieces.
Vegetable dishes: Stir-fried emerald cabbage, cold-dressed cloud-thread bamboo shoots, mushroom triple delicacy.
Soups: Lotus root dragon bone soup, red date and wood ear soup.
They looked colorful and fragrant, with spiritual energy circulating faintly around them.
He took a little of each, then found a quiet seat by the window and sat down. He first observed the color and plating of the food, then picked up his chopsticks and began... tasting.
The jade polished spirit rice grains were plump, with a proper balance of softness and firmness, and full of spiritual energy. Pass.
The braised pork trotters were glossy and red, stewed until soft and flavorful, melting at the touch in the mouth. The heat had been controlled just right. Not bad.
The steamed silver-scale fish had tender flesh, seasoned only with a small amount of spirit scallion and ginger shreds and a clear sauce, preserving the ingredient’s freshness, sweetness, and spiritual energy to the greatest possible extent. Superior quality.
The stir-fried cabbage had been cooked just right as well, preserving both its crisp texture and sweetness, and the saltiness was moderate. Acceptable.
The lotus root dragon bone soup was milky white, with a rich aroma. The lotus root was soft and powdery, the dragon bone meat melted at a touch, and spiritual energy had merged into the soup, warming both stomach and heart. Very good.
While eating, Lu Fengmian silently scored everything in his mind, while also observing the reactions of the surrounding disciples. Most people were eating quite happily; it seemed that today’s overall food quality was fairly passable.
【Dining hall food quality spot check task completion: 80%. Overall satisfaction is relatively high. Please conduct a detailed supplementary inspection.】
There were still more details? Lu Fengmian helplessly set down his chopsticks, stood up, and walked toward the kitchen.
The kitchen was busy but orderly. Dozens of duty disciples and several master chefs were bustling about enthusiastically. When they saw Lu Fengmian enter, everyone froze for a moment, then hurriedly stopped what they were doing and saluted him.
“Senior Brother!”
“Why has Senior Brother Lu come?”
Lu Fengmian smiled and waved his hand. “No need for formalities, everyone. Continue working. I’m only here for a routine inspection. Thank you all for your hard work on today’s lunch.”
A somewhat plump middle-aged head chef in a white cook’s robe with a kindly face walked over while wiping his hands. He was one of today’s duty head chefs, surnamed Zhao.
Master Zhao said with a smile, “Senior Brother, don’t worry. Today’s ingredients are all fresh. We old fellows have all been keeping watch, so nothing will go wrong.”
“I naturally trust Master Zhao’s skill.” Lu Fengmian nodded, but his gaze could not help sweeping over every corner of the kitchen.
In the cleaning area, the sinks were spotless, and the spiritual plants had been carefully washed, with no traces of mud or sand left behind.
In the chopping area, the cutting boards and knives were arranged neatly, and raw and cooked ingredients were stored separately.
In the cooking area, the furnace fires were under stable control, and the masters’ movements were practiced and skilled.
Even the area where unprocessed spirit birds and spirit beasts were piled awaiting preparation had been cleaned, and the smell had been properly dealt with.
Everything looked completely normal—indeed, even better than during many of his previous inspections.
However, just as he was about to leave and complete the final 20% of the task, the corner of his eye caught sight of a young duty disciple in the corner holding a large basin of freshly washed, crystal-clear “jade cucumbers,” preparing to send them to be cut. These cucumbers were fresh green and lovely, full of spiritual energy, and excellent ingredients for a cold dish.
But just how sharp were Lu Fengmian’s eyes? The observation ability granted by the system was even more meticulous than that.
He clearly saw that mixed in with that basin of cucumbers were a few of poorer quality, with tiny withered yellow spots at the ends—hardly noticeable, but truly there.
“Wait.” Lu Fengmian spoke to stop that duty disciple.
The disciple hurriedly halted and looked at him nervously. “Se-Senior Brother?”
Lu Fengmian walked over, picked out several cucumbers with yellow spots from the basin, and said softly, “The spiritual energy in these cucumbers has leaked away, and their taste will be bitter, making them unsuitable for cooking. You must be more cautious when selecting ingredients. You should know that every meal concerns the cultivation of the other disciples and also reflects the sect’s sincerity. You must not be careless.”
The duty disciple’s face flushed red, and he quickly lowered his head to admit fault. “Y-yes, it was this disciple’s negligence! Senior Brother, please punish me!”
Nearby, Master Zhao also looked over, his brows slightly furrowed, and said to the disciple, “How many times have I told you to keep your eyes open! It’s lucky Senior Brother noticed, or this whole dish would’ve been ruined! Hurry and replace them!”
Lu Fengmian waved his hand. “It’s fine. Just pay more attention next time. Everyone continue working; I won’t disturb you any further.”
Lu Fengmian walked out of the kitchen and returned to his seat. Looking at the meal he had “saved,” the slight frustration from being interrupted faded again.
Although this was a “temporarily patched-together operating model,” everyone was doing their best to keep it running.
And he, this “manager,” could only look a little more closely and say a few more words in these subtle places, so that this enormous sect machine could run a little more smoothly, and so that after exhausting cultivation, the disciples could at least eat one satisfying, delicious meal.
【Random task “Dining Hall Food Quality Spot Check” completed!】
【Overall evaluation: Good. Details handled properly, effectively avoiding a potential problem.】
【Reward issued: Slight increase in cultivation, obtain 1 “Basic Spirit Chef Insight” (current progress 4/10)】