Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

"Master, the food is ready to be savored and enjoyed."

Lily's message popped up on the system screen, her usual polite tone making it sound like an invitation to a royal banquet.

Ace smirked. Ever since Lily hit Level 3, she had gotten a bit more… authoritative.

Even Rei could send messages, though she still didn't speak.

His thoughts drifted back to the building he had spotted last night.

[Spirit Kitchen]

Ah, of course. Another establishment proudly flaunting the word spirit like it was a noble title.

[Spirit Kitchen]

Effect: All food cooked in this space receives a random upgrade to one of its special effects (+1).

That was it. Nothing dramatic. No divine enlightenment. Just a simple upgrade.

Before, he had been confused about what this +1 or +2 nonsense meant. But this time, Lily had cleared it up for him.

"Master, it's quality. The difference is like heaven and earth."

So that was it. Plain and simple. The higher the number, the more ridiculous the food.

And right now, Lily had just cooked a Level 3 Spirit Pig.

Ace swallowed. The mere thought of it made his mouth water. But then reality hit—should he really be sharing with them, cultivators?

His eyes darted toward them—dusty, sweaty, unworthy!

A little devil on his shoulder whispered: Just have her cook a Level 1 pig instead. Keep the good stuff for yourself.

But then he remembered… the amount she had cooked could probably last him weeks.

Well, maybe just a day if he counted Liu Mei.

Still!

"Alright, gather up, people! It's time for refreshments!"

The cultivators, still busy moving earth, all froze.

"…Refreshments?"

The word sounded foreign to them, like an ancient, forgotten language term.

But Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng were already dusting themselves off and heading toward him without hesitation.

Zhao Yun, ever the efficient one, turned to Zhao Mei. "Sister, tell them to wash up and clean their hands. We're eating."

Zhao Mei blinked. "Eating? What?"

"Don't ask questions. Just do it."

Zhao Mei, wisely choosing not to question Zhao Yun's sudden seriousness, did as she was told.

The cultivators, meanwhile, whispered amongst themselves, trying to decipher this strange ritual.

Then, it happened.

A portal—vast, shimmering—opened up before them. And from within, a person stepped out.

Lily emerged, graceful as ever, setting up an elaborate dining arrangement with practiced ease.

The cultivators stared.

One of them muttered, "He… he knows the Dao of Space!"

Another scoffed, "'Oh, the Dao of Space? Then why not use it to move all this damn dirt?'"

"Tch, he just enjoys watching us suffer."

"Right?! He never worked! Not once!"

The murmurs continued, the accusations stacking up. Then, Lily returned, carrying a steaming bowl of Spirit Pork.

The moment the aroma hit them, all complaints ceased.

No words were needed. One glance was enough.

And just like that, their entire perception of Ace flipped.

"Oh, Master Zhi is so handsome."

"Yeah, I was mesmerized when he was working earlier."

"Huh?! But you just said he never worked!"

"Hey, don't slander me!"

The instant switch was so shameless that even Zhao Mei couldn't hold back her laughter. She giggled, covering her mouth, while Zhao Yun shook her head in exasperation.

....

....

Just eating pork alone? That wasn't a balanced meal.

Ace frowned, deep in thought. You need rice. You always need rice.

Just as he considered this, Lily walked back—this time carrying another basket of Spirit Pork like she had an endless supply.

And right behind her, despite her small size, Rei appeared.

She carried a basket at least twice her height and three times her width, filled to the brim with Spirit Rice.

The sight was both impressive and slightly concerning.

One of the cultivators gasped. "Wait a minute… is that Spirit Rice?"

Another furrowed his brows. "Spirit Rice? The one that strengthens bones and enhances endurance over time?"

Yet another, clearly suspicious, muttered, "Is he… is he trying to bulk us up just to work us to death?"

A fourth cultivator groaned dramatically, "I can't! I need to cultivate!"

But before anyone could respond, a voice cut through the nonsense—

"Hush. As long as I'm getting quality food, I'll even dig Mount Tai."

"Shut up, fatty."

James, the aforementioned fatty, simply turned his head—completely unfazed. His eyes locked onto the food like a predator tracking its prey.

Ace clapped his hands. "Alright, the food isn't extravagant, but let's eat and fill up!"

The cultivators flocked to the table, eager yet cautious, each taking a plate. First, they added a heap of Spirit Rice. Then—

Zhao Yun stood by the pork basket like a war general overseeing troop provisions.

One.

She placed exactly one cut of pork on each plate, her expression neutral, fair, and merciless.

The cultivators stared at their plates in silent despair.

Lily, walking out with yet another basket of pork, raised a brow. "Ah, little sister Zhao, you don't need to do that. We have too much pork—we won't even be able to finish it."

Zhao Yun blinked. "Oh."

Then, just like that, she stopped rationing.

The place fell silent.

James, who had just been mournfully accepting his single piece of pork, lit up like a festival lantern.

In an instant—before anyone could react—he swooped in and took a full dozen pieces for himself.

No hesitation. No guilt. Just unfiltered survival instincts.

Ace watched this happen and internally nodded. Respect.

Just when everyone thought James' move was the pinnacle of shamelessness—

Liu Mei strolled in.

Without a word, she grabbed an entire basket of pork and walked away like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The cultivators sat there, stunned.

People usually ate pork as a side dish to their rice.

But for Liu Mei?

She ate rice as the side dish to her pork.

Shan Yifeng, witnessing this absurd display, slowly turned to the nearest cultivator, his face carefully blank.

"I don't know her."

Then, as if fearing association, he took a deliberate step back. Then another.

By the time Liu Mei sat down, happily munching on her feast, Shan Yifeng had subtly positioned himself behind another group of cultivators—just in case.

* * *

[Spirit Rice (Level 2)]

Effect: Bone Strength (+2), Physical Endurance (+2) (+1 from Spirit Kitchen), (Taste +2)

[Spirit Pork (Level 3)]

Effect: Muscle Regeneration (+2), Base Strength (+3) (+1 from Spirit Kitchen) (Taste +3)

This was the breakdown of the meal everyone was eating.

Ace stared at his plate, then at Liu Mei, who was happily devouring her mountain of pork without a shred of hesitation.

Glutton. Too gluttonous.

Was this her secret? The reason she was soaring through cultivation realms like a runaway spirit beast?

Ace suddenly felt like the way people should be cultivating had been wrong all this time.