Inside the Pill Pavilion, Du Yue clung to Su Wen's arm, clearly bored by all the smelly herbs and pills.
She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting him lead the way. Only her feet moved, obediently following wherever he walked.
Suzume, on the other hand, had completely lost her imperial demeanour.
She lay sprawled atop his head, facing upward, feathers spread wide as if claiming the heavens… yet fast asleep, with a tiny droplet of drool gathering at the corner of her beak.
With the two drowsy troublemakers in tow, Su Wen strolled toward the section displaying pill-refining manuals and recipes.
Wooden shelves stretched along the wall, each packed with jade slips and scrolls detailing various alchemical wonders.
The recipes ranged from basic Grade 1 pills to more complex Grade 3 formulas, each one more impressive than the last.
"Thanks to Teacher Elen, I've already learned plenty of alchemical recipes that will greatly aid my cultivation in the future. On top of that, her formulas are several times more complex and of a quality that can't even be found in ordinary places," he murmured to himself as he scanned the shelves.
'Unless I need something for a specific purpose… then I might have to check these formulas more carefully.'
He paused at a few recipes that caught his eye for a moment... Misty Illusion Pill, Crimson Blood Ignition Pill, Aura Concealment Pill, Step Acceleration Pill… but as usual, none of them met his current needs.
Just at that moment, his gaze drifted to the bottom corner of a shelf, where a jade slip lay quietly labelled Blazing Flame Steak... a Grade 3 Spirit Cooking recipe.
He picked it up and examined it thoughtfully.
'Although my spirit cooking has already reached Grade 3, I wouldn't say I'm truly proficient yet. And I do lack some solid Grade 3 recipes.'
He kept the slip and turned to a nearby attendant, asking calmly,
"Do you have more cooking manuals? Preferably Grade 3."
Just as the word "cooking" was spoken, Du Yue and Suzume, who had been dozing moments earlier, suddenly snapped awake as if a switch had been flipped.
Du Yue straightened at Su Wen's side while Suzume perched upright atop his head, both locking onto the attendant with blazing intensity.
The poor attendant nearly stumbled back, feeling as though two dormant zombies had suddenly come back to life.
He felt the pressure of their gazes and had the strange feeling that if he didn't answer quickly, they would stare holes straight through his soul until he produced a cooking manual.
Su Wen lightly shook his head as he looked at these two gluttons, but before he could say anything, Du Yue spoke up first.
Her tone was filled with delight as she tugged lightly on his sleeve.
"Husband… if there are more cooking recipes, does that mean you can make even more delicious dishes?"
"-Chirp! Dumb Su Wen, there's still more delicious cooking to do?" Suzume asked, tugging at his hair, her voice brimming with excitement.
Su Wen nodded with a smile.
"Yes, these recipes can help me learn a lot about spirit cooking. During alchemy, I only lose a meagre amount of Spirit Qi from the ingredients, but during spirit cooking, the expenditure is higher."
"If I can grasp the flow of Qi in a few Grade 3 cooking recipes, my own understanding will improve significantly."
"Then, I'll be able to cook more tasty dishes… as well as dishes that aid cultivation... especially Body Cultivation, since the Spiritual Qi from the food is absorbed directly into the body."
Before the sparkling Suzume and Du Yue could respond, the attendant intervened with a respectful bow.
He hadn't heard their conversation and instead seemed slightly bewildered that the couple was more interested in cooking manuals than alchemical recipes.
But since the cooking manuals here had been collecting dust for years, his excitement got ahead of him.
He stepped into their conversation... though neither Su Wen nor Du Yue minded.
"Young Master," the attendant said eagerly, "if you're interested, we have a few cooking recipes kept in another section. Please come with me."
"Oh?… Then show us," Su Wen replied without much expression.
The attendant nodded quickly and led them toward the section at the back corner of the pavilion.
Su Wen held Du Yue's hand and smiled. "Let's take a look."
"This section has all the spirit-cooking-related items," the attendant explained. "Cooking manuals, knife techniques, spiritual Qi infusion methods… everything a spirit chef could need."
Scanning the shelves, Su Wen noted the top row held many Grade 1 and 2 recipes, while the bottom displayed a handful of Grade 3 spirit cooking manuals.
His eyes gleamed with interest as he ignored the top shelf and bent down directly toward the Grade 3 recipes.
"Golden Steamed Fish, Crystal Boiled Pork… these two look interesting," he said lightly, while Du Yue and Suzume peeked from the sides, eyes sparkling.
Just as he was about to rise, his gaze caught something in the very corner of the cabinet.
An old, ruddy book covered in dust lay forgotten. It looked untouched for years, with only a few faded words written across the cover, Spirit Cooking: Grade 1–3.
He reached for the book, feeling the rough texture of its cover, and opened it.
The first pages were filled with neat handwritten notes, diagrams of spirit flames, explanations of Qi circulation techniques used in cooking, and step-by-step breakdowns of Grade 1 to Grade 3 dishes.
His heart raced... coming here felt like a blessing. A small smile appeared on Su Wen's lips as he thought,
'Yes… this is exactly what I needed. The books back at Sunrise Academy weren't nearly this detailed. This one lays out the basics clearly, teaches the method properly, and even prepares the foundation for higher-grade Spirit Cooking. Perfect!'
Du Yue and Suzume exchanged confused glances, trying to understand why he looked so happy over a dusty old book.
Before they could speak, Su Wen gently closed the book, as he turned to them.
"Get ready, you two," he said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "My cooking skill is about to improve many times over, and the dishes will be more delicious than ever."
Excitement immediately lit up their faces in the otherwise dull pavilion.
"-Chirp! You're not lying, right?" Suzume asked, puffing her cheeks and flapping her tiny wings. "If it's true, I'll give you a gift! But if not… I'll beat you until you look like a swollen monkey!"
Du Yue also chimed in, wiping drool from her sleeve. "Husband… she's right. If you don't want to get eaten by me, make sure you keep your word!"
Su Wen paused, glancing between the two of them.
He wondered what kind of "gift" the little bird had in mind... hoping it wasn't just her favourite melon seeds.
Then he shivered slightly at Du Yue's pointed warning, trying to fully grasp the meaning behind her words.
"Cough," Su Wen said, calming himself. Then he smiled warmly. "I'll study this book and all these recipes… and then I'll treat you to as many delicious dishes as you want."
He pinched Du Yue's ears and Suzume's cheeks gently. "So quit threatening me like little street ruffians."
Both of them blushed, but their happy smiles and eager anticipation were impossible to hide.
Su Wen could only sigh, resigned, and resolve to make these two adorable ones as happy as possible.