After an nonstop three day baking binge, Benedictus Agnes, finds himself transported to another world. Unlike other heroes, he is suddenly sent to the Backend, a small town overlooking the sea. 
Dropped in the middle of nowhere, our hero only has one plan: get cooking!

After hearing the payback from the castle cooks to Roland by giving him spit in his wine, make me feel goosebump. Lucky I have a good relationship with them, otherwise who knows what they put in our food or drink as their revenge.
"That's really surprising, Mrs. Martina"
"Haha…that scum deserve that, young master Henry. He hurts our feeling since he eats our food for the first time here. He's always comparing our food with the food in his Easton castle. For God sake, can't he see his father is an Earl and this castle only a Baron residence? That's why when young master Henry challenges him in a duel, most of us go to the training ground to see he got beaten by young master. Well, although he shamelessly uses his guard to fight young master, when young master throw that big guard to him and make him scared and fainted, that's really refreshing views"
"Haha…it's just a coincidence that he's in the direction where I want to throw that big guard to"
"Still, hearing him screaming so terrified sound good in our ears, young master"
"Okay, let's leave what already happens in the past. We still have guests to deal with, and we will busy for that. Mrs. Martina, for tonight's dinner please prepare ingredients for the following menu"
"Sure, young master. What should we prepare for dinner?"
"First, for soup, let's make birds nest soup. I've told the cook how to process the ingredients, right? For the appetizer, make some croquettes with tomato and mayonnaise sauce. The main dish will be fish tortilla and meats curry rice and close with vegetable salads as dessert. Make it for people around today's lunch number"
For today, the guards from Stamfort castle will be treated as guests but tomorrow at the banquet, they will be additional security members. So, I'll prepare another place for them to have a feast after the banquet is over, together with our soldier in an open field near soldier barrack.
"Understand, young master. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, make some potato chips and meat buns for afternoon snacks please"
"Sure, we will make it right away"
"Thanks, Mrs. Martina"
Mrs. Martina works efficiently, she orders the cooks to prepare ingredients that would be needed for tonight's dinner. Since the potato slices already prepared before, it only needs to be fried before can be consumed as a snack. Meats bun also only need to steam so it doesn't need a long time before potato chips and meats bun ready to serve as a snack.
I also don't want to see idle by the cooks while they working hard. I should teach them another simple recipe that not requires many ingredients, easy to make but also delicious for breakfast tomorrow.
"Alright! Those who make bread, come here. I'll show a new recipe for tomorrow breakfast, it called 'Pancake'. And someone please prepare these ingredients"
The cooks who make bread immediately gather near me in a fast manner. They look cheerful after hearing the word 'new recipe'. Sarah also can be seen among those who gather around me. She's a breadmaker as well.
"These are the ingredients. Please prepare it, I'm not making much, only for samples"
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoon vegetable oils
I don't want to make a large amount of this dish, just make some for the example to the cooks. Soon after the ingredients already prepared, I show them how to make 'Pancake' for the first time.
1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Stir using a whisk to incorporate everything.
2. Start adding the wet ingredients.
3. Stir everything until there are no small lumps.
4. Heat up the pan. Grease it using a small amount of oil.
5. Spoon the batter into the pan using the ladle.
6. Cook the pancake at least two minutes per side or until bubbles start to come out.
If only I had chocolate or something sweet else, that would be a perfect topping for this pancake. Wait, something sweet…..I almost forget maple syrup from the salt camp. Maybe this can be used for the topping. So, I go to the storage room to take a jar of maple syrup that stored there and returns to the kitchen.
I re-heating the maple syrup for a couple of minutes to make it thicker before it served as a snack for those girls. I'm finished making the syrup when the potato chips and meat buns also ready to serve.
"Alright, all dishes ready…Carina, please deliver this to my fiancé, okay, and this new pancake dish, tell them to pour some syrup here on the pancake before eating. I'll make some again for us too"
"Yes!"
Since there're too many things to carry, Mrs. Martina adds another maid to help Carina bring the snack to my fiancé's room.
After they left to deliver the snack, the cooks that still gather around me start asking me a question about the new recipe.
"Young master, that syrup before….how we can get it?"
Ah, right…this maple syrup is something new that I brought from salt camp. It's not something that you can easily obtain in the market.
"Ugh, that's something I made when I was in salt camp, and there's only a little of it. But after the next shipment from salt camp, I believe it would be available in sufficient quantity here. You can exchange the syrup with something else like honey or caramel. You still can eat it without topping thou"
"Can we try to make it, too?"
"Sure, why not? You can make it for yourself now. I also want to know how the taste"
"Alright!! Let's make it guys"
Oh my, they look excited and eager to make the new recipe right away. Well, this is not taking much time to make and while waiting Carina returns to the kitchen at least I can do some supervising here.
"Hey, it'll be going to burnt if you do not flip it now"
I shout at a cook who takes too much time to fry his pancake. He hurriedly flips the pancake in his pan and as I told, that side already turns into dark brown. Any minutes late, it would turn to black color because burnt.
"Young master….forgive me, but how do you know?"
"Use your nose. Can't you smell that pancake start makes burnt smell?"
"Ugh! That's my mistake. Thank you for your direction, young master"
There's no other mistake again which need me to correct and after they have done with their pancake try out, I took some with me and return to my room with Carina who already back to the kitchen after delivering the snack for my fiancé.

Ikki Isaku, a 17 years old boy, a student in a vocational school majoring in culinary, return to his hometown for summer vacation. 
When collecting cooking ingredient is a mountain near his town, accidentally he found a cave and interested in exploring that cave. An unfortunate event happens when he exploring the cave, he falls into an abyss inside the cave. His consciousness faded as his body falls into darkness in that dark abyss.
When he wakes up, he already in another person body. The body he currently lives in is the body of sole heirs of Baron Harvard, young master Henry Harvard, that due to an incident in his trip, fallen from his horse and lost his consciousness and even his life.
What will Ikki do in his new life as a young master in Harvard castle? Can he adapt to the new life?

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Update : 1 chapter for each 100 PS in previous week

Divine Soul Realm's assessment? 
Bu Fang narrowed his eyes when he heard the notification. However, when he felt the energy in his body surge, he could not stop the corners of his lips from curling upwards. 
He stood up from his seat, and his gaze swept past the others, who were either enjoying their meals or sipping their drinks. Then, he turned around and walked toward the kitchen.
He had not expected the Divine Soul Realm's assessment to begin now as he had initially intended to rest. However, now that the assessment was set to start, he was going to take it.
Bu Fang had been expecting it for a long time, so he was not scared in the slightest.
The venue of the assessment was set to be in the kitchen. Logically, there was no other place in the restaurant where he would have been able to carry out the assessment.
Bu Fang walked into the kitchen. This equipment and decor here were the same as those in Fang Fang's Little Store and Cloud Mist Restaurant. It was, indeed, the system's preferred style.
Bu Fang also liked the kitchen's set-up. 
Anyway, after his cooking skills had leveled up, the system had said that he could design his own kitchen.
As Bu Fang walked into the kitchen, his Vermillion Robe fluttered. He took off the robe and headed towards the stove.
The system's solemn voice resounded in his mind once more, instructing him on the forthcoming Divine Soul Realm's assessment.
A dish appeared in Bu Fang's mind. Its recipe was lengthy, and all that information was pumped into his mind. Since his spirit sea had now expanded, his mental energy had grown stronger as well. Thus, the lengthy recipe was no big deal to him, and he was not scared.
A glow emerged in his eyes, which was the system's reminder.
Upon skimming through the recipe, Bu Fang realized that it was something special. The recipe's patterns glowed and moved.
He walked up to a cabinet and pulled it open.
Rumble.
The aroma of meat began to waft outward.
There was a huge, featherless goose hanging inside this cabinet.
This was, no doubt, the main ingredient for this Divine Soul Realm's assessment—Big Goose.
This big goose was a strong spirit beast. Its cultivation being the Divine Soul Realm meant that it was not weak in the slightest. Despite that, however, it was now an ingredient in his cabinet.
Bu Fang lifted his hands and took the big goose down.
He pinched the goose, finding out that its meat was really elastic. After prodding the bird for a while, Bu Fang's eyes lit up.
It really is a good ingredient.
"In this assessment, you're not allowed to use true energy. You can only use your mental energy…" The system's solemn voice echoed around Bu Fang. Its instruction was strict.
Bu Fang was startled. Instinctively, he looked around once more and found himself in a place that resembled an examining room.
Bu Fang exhaled gently. Could he really not use true energy?
His expression turned stern. Over time, he had gotten used to processing and cooking ingredients with true energy, as well as making subtle changes during cooking.
But now, the system would not permit him to use it, which made the assessment more difficult.
Anyway, it is just a little difficult.
Bu Fang's skill in cooking was not gifted to him by the system. Although the system had aided him with regular boosts, he had gotten this good because of constant practice.
Moreover, his skill was not simple, and he did not rely only on the system.
That being said, Bu Fang seemed to know why the system had set up such assessments.
It sought to help him become the God of Cooking, who would stand at the top of the food chain in this fantasy world. 
To become the God of Cooking, however, he could not afford to limit nor restrain himself. He required an endless dedication from which he would promote his ability and competence levels.
When training to become the God of Cooking, one could not tread a path that their predecessors had set up.
For instance, the system had given him a recipe for the assessment, but he noticed that the recipe was too detailed, causing him to knit his brows.
Although the steps to prepare this dish had been outlined simply and clearly, the finished dish would just be bland because it was prepared by the book. Hence, it would not be a magnificent dish, and neither would people find it attractive.
Therefore, what Bu Fang needed to do was to tacitly revise the recipe and complete the assessment.
Bu Fang grabbed the goose by its head before walking over to the stove. The list of ingredients in the recipe suddenly appeared in his mind.
He took the ingredients out from the cabinet, then placed them on the counter.
After washing all the ingredients with clean water, Bu Fang waved his hand. A jet of gold light, which resembled a silk thread, emerged from the void and began orbiting his hand like a small windmill.
Chop. Chop. Chop.
The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife, with its knife spirit, moved so fast that the naked eyes could not grasp the moments it touched the cutting board. 
After all the ingredients had been cut into thin, thread-like pieces, Bu Fang placed them on a porcelain tray. With the chopped ingredients on it, the blue-and-white porcelain tray looked quite beautiful.
After putting the tray away, Bu Fang grabbed the goose's head and pulled the bird over.
The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife moved, chopping down on the cutting board. Bu Fang's hands reached out, moving fast on the skin of the bird as he meticulously plucked the remaining feathers on the goose.
He did not wish for any of it to remain because they would affect the texture of the dish.
After plucking the remaining little feathers and checking the goose several times, Bu Fang began to pat it rapidly.
His mental energy surged like rushing waves.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
As Bu Fang patted the goose, it slowly swelled, becoming bigger and rounder.
Bu Fang was pumping his mental energy into the goose, not his true energy. 
The Black Turtle Constellation Wok appeared and landed on the stove with a bang. Bu Fang spouted out a ball of Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flame, which then soared to the bottom of the wok, causing the temperature within the wok to increase immediately.
The Heavenly Mountain Spirit Spring Water inside the Black Turtle Constellation Wok began to boil.
Burble. Burble. 
Bubbles rose and burst within the wok.
The cool Heavenly Mountain Spirit Spring Water was now boiling.
Bu Fang rubbed the goose briefly before shoving it into the wok.
Buzz...
The Black Turtle Constellation Wok vibrated, and the hot water inside it rippled rhythmically.
When the big goose had been submerged, its pores opened up, as though they were sucking in the boiling water.
Gurgle. Gurgle.
The goose's beak opened up, and bubbles began to emerge from it.
Since Bu Fang was not allowed to use true energy, he was unable to precisely control the heat within the wok. Despite that, his mental energy kept surging, and soon, it covered the entire wok.
When the mental energy seeped into the wok, it turned into thread-like strands and coiled around the goose.
Swoosh.
A little hot water splashed out of the wok.
When Bu Fang brought the goose out of the wok, its rosy meat was revealed amidst the hot wisps of steam coming from it.
This assessment had brought about a huge pressure on Bu Fang's mental energy.
If his mental energy had been just a point weaker, he would not have been able to pass the assessment. Generally speaking, the previous step showed off his culinary ability and talent.
Next, Bu Fang took out a golden syrup that the system had prepared. He slowly poured the syrup onto the goose, and shortly, the entire goose was coated. 
As he poured the golden syrup, his mental energy acted as a brush, smearing the syrup all over the goose.
This syrup was no simple ingredient. It was made with the honey of a certain type of spirit bee.
After the goose was thoroughly smeared, it sparkled, and its meat became more delicate.
Bu Fang squeezed the goose's beak open, then shoved the chopped ingredients down its throat and into its belly. After that, he took out a jar of Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine and poured it down the goose's throat.
Then, he placed the goose on the stove to be roasted.
His mental energy formed silk threads once more, which began to coil around every inch of the goose.
All he had to do from this point onward was to make sure that the goose had been smeared properly, as well as checking on its quality during the roasting.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
As his mental energy seeped into the goose, the heat emanating from it became stronger. After a while, the goose was fully roasted.
The goose meat had turned golden and crunchy, and it gave off a pleasant aroma.
Bu Fang twirled the Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife in its hands, causing its cold golden light to flicker.
As the kitchen knife twirled around, golden light started to flash. This golden light actually came from the flame's light that reflected off the blade, which made it look extremely dazzling.
The next thing he had to do was control the flame.
This time, he had to do it with his mental energy only. Since this assessment required him to use his mental energy much more than he had ever had to, he could not afford to make any mistakes.
If he did, the quality of the goose would change drastically.
Swish. 
The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen knife emerged above the stove, and it instantly made a small incision on the swollen golden goose.
Drops of light golden oil dripped from the incision.
One cut, two cuts, three cuts… 
Bu Fang's knife continually glided across the big golden goose, causing more oil to drip.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
When the drops of oily juiced landed on the hot stove, thicker clouds of steam were produced.
Bu Fang patted the goose with his kitchen knife before spreading the wings open, all the while rotating it over the stove. 
After that, Bu Fang brought out a fancy, flat blue-and-white porcelain bowl.
Swish! Swish!
He positioned his knife above the goose, ready to make a cut.
As he began to slice the goose's meat, his mental energy vibrated gently, causing the sliced bits of meat to fall squarely on the porcelain plate. It was in this manner that he had chosen to present the aromatic, crunchy golden goose meat.
Each slice of goose meat was as thin as a cicada's wing. When Bu Fang used a pair of chopsticks to lift a slice of goose meat, he could see through it.
The slice of meat was tender and soft.
Meanwhile, the goose was still being rotated atop the roasting rack, and Bu Fang was observing it carefully. His mental energy began to surge again, and from time to time, he swung his knife at the goose, slicing off more pieces into the bowl.
The rich aroma emanating from the goose permeated the air. It soon wafted out of the kitchen and into the restaurant.
Everybody went wide-eyed in astonishment. 
Even Flowery was shocked. Her delicate nose sniffed, and the pleasant aroma in the air made her Tri-Flower Snake Eyes roll.
Chu Changsheng's brows were raised, and his face held an expression of surprise. 
This aroma… smelled different from the dishes Owner Bu makes!
The aroma seemed to carry with it something that was difficult to fathom—something that was spiritual in nature.
Could it possibly be that Owner Bu had advanced again?!
He had advanced again?!
Chu Changsheng almost choked on his glass of Sour Plum Juice at the thought. Bu Fang's speed of advancement was just too fast.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the knife made another graceful arc as it chopped off the goose's head, which landed accurately atop the tray.
At that moment, only the goose's skeleton remained atop the roasting rack. 
Every bit of meat that was previously on it had been sliced off.
After a bowl of well-mixed ruddy sauce was placed beside the fancy blue-and-white porcelain tray, the dish's radiance lit up the kitchen.
The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife in Bu Fang's hand dissipated into motes of scattering gold light.
Bu Fang removed the velvet rope on his head, gently letting his hair down. After exhaling, he remarked, "Divine Soul Realm's assessment dish… complete!"


In a fantasy world where martial artists can split mountains and creeks with a wave of their hand and break rivers with a kick, there exists a little restaurant like this.
The restaurant isn't large, but it is a place where countless apex existences will rush into.
There, you can taste egg-fried rice made from phoenix eggs and dragon blood rice.
There, you can drink strong wine brewed from vermillion fruit and water from the fountain of life.
There, you can taste the barbecued meat of a ninth grade supreme beast sprinkled with black pepper.
What? You want to abduct the chef? That's not going to happen, because there's a tenth grade divine beast, the Hellhound, lying at the entrance.
Oh, that chef also has a robotic assistant that killed a ninth grade supreme being with a single hand and a group of crazy women whose stomachs were conquered.
---------
Releasing: Mon, Thu, Fri, and Weekends

"Jiang Liu! Jiang Liu make the fire smaller now! You'll burn the syrup!" Wei Yi Yi snatch his sleeves and shake him hard.


"I can't control them! And can you even burn sugar?!" Jiang Liu tried to remove Wei Yi Yi's claws from his robe.


"An idiot can! Now do something or I'll make your portraits fuel to the fire!"


"Noooooo!!! How could you keep on threatening your brother?! Don't you feel compassion? Or empathy? Are you a heartless monkey?! Also, stop shaking. This brother brain will turn to mush!"


"Stop being noisy! At least reduce the firewood!"


At the side, Xiao Wang Xi ask, "Ummm... Do we separate them?"

"Close your eyes and pretend not to see them." Xiao Yuan Xi answered him tearfully. It's better for servants to remain as background decoration.


It was two consecutive lost for Jiang Liu. The empress took advantage of him, worked him to bone, and abuse him.

Even when the syrup turn up too thick because it was boiled longer than it supposed to, Wei Yi Yi still have the face to blame him!

Is he the one that kept on complaining?! Instead of moving his hand?! Don't lump him together with her! Unlike someone, he can talk while moving his hand, alright.



Wei Yi Yi simply ignore the ugly face that Jiang Liu is making for her. "Here Ah Chen," she pass him the newly coated fruit stick. "Careful it's hot."


She watch as the child cautiously put it down and stare at it as the fruits cool down and crystallize. Wei Yi Yi laugh at how serious Jiang Chen on guarding them.


Turning around to Jiang Liu, she said, in a very contrasting tone, "Hurry up and coat them. If the syrup cools down, it'll be sticky."


"The steam is hot! Even crocodiles would run from this!" Jiang Liu even raise his hand to show her its reddening.


"Crocodile...??" Wei Yi Yi finally cannot follow.

After the five busied themselves in the kitchen, their tanghulu is finally done. Of course, all of this are not possible without making a disaster in the kitchen.

'I know how to cook! Not just with this!' Wei Yi Yi gave comfort to her own self.


Xiao Yuan Xi temporarily excused himself to call for the other servants. When he lead them to a now unrecognisable kitchen, he can only hide his face on his palm as the servants drop their jaws in shock.

There are firewood everywhere; ashes are even on the table; so much sticky substance on the counter!

What did the empress and the sixth prince even did?!

Ah, but the group is no longer here as they proceed to the imperial lake to feast. And even if their are, the servants still need to do their job without complaining.


"They're so pretty!" With astonishment clearly written on Jiang Chen's face, he picked one and raise it to his aunt to see.


Wei Yi Yi carried Jiang Chen and sat him on the swing. Xiao Wang Xi put a blanket on the ground for the empress and sixth prince to sit. 

Not caring for Jiang Liu's opinion, Wei Yi Yi grab the young eunuch to sit with them. This brother-in-law, although he always blabber and commenting on every single thing, he seems one to not mind the so called 'traditions'.

Wei Yi Yi never heard him fuss about how improper she treat the people around her.

But then Wei Yi Yi suddenly remember how he gave her an earful about how unlady like she is!

"Hmp!" Wei Yi Yi.

"???" Jiang Liu.

The sixth prince was momentarily lost on where that came from.


Wei Yi Yi let Jiang Chen pick first what he like and also pick up for Xiao Wang Xi. There was no care left for Jiang Liu.

Holding their own tanghulu, they took one bite each.


"Bleh! So sweet!" Xiao Wang Xi accidentally blurt out.


"Delicious!" "Yum!" The two royalty exclaim in unison. The young eunuch could only look at them doubtfully.


Taking another bite, they make fun of the 'crunch, crunch' sounds that are being produced with each chew. The two either crack the coating, chew it slow then fast, or bite hard; making different sound with each different action. 

It was a prologue on Jiang Liu biting his tongue.

"Ooowww!"

Wei Yi Yi laugh so hard, she almost roll on the ground.

"Stop laughing! It really hurts! You have no heart for this brother at all. At least pretend to care. See? See?! It's this small eunuch that came immediately to my aid! And you call yourself my sister." Jiang Liu shoot off his mount but his hand is reaching for the plate of tanghulu. Wei Yi Yi only raise her brow for him as reply.

"This is tastier than the one on the market. Even though big sister did not follow the recipe." Jiang Liu talk again.


"Sixth brother, things like sweets cannot be dictate by the recipe! You measure that with your heart and desire." Wei Yi Yi replied with a pleased tone.


The group slowly take their time to eat. Xiao Yuan Xi join them after instructing people in the kitchen. He brought a whole pot of tea to Wei Yi Yi's delight. 


Jiang Liu talk about senseless things which become even senseless in their ears. He insists on talking while eating and so was left on his own.


With her peripheral vision, Wei Yi Yi observed Jiang Chen as he eat with small bites. Her one hand holding a tanghulu while the other hold the swing so it won't sway. In her heart, she silently count how many the child have already ate.


Later, Jiang Chen's adult teeth will grow and replace his baby tooth but it would hurt if he develop cavities. Wei Yi Yi does not want him crying in the middle of the night. But it's also not good to discourage a child's appetite.


"Ah Chen, if you have three stick of tanghulu and a stranger ask for one. How many more do you have after?" She asked to distract him.


"Ummm... Two?" Wei Yi Yi laugh when Jiang Chen adorably count with his fingers.


"Wrong! It should still be three. If you want to be nice to others,  there's no problem with that. But don't give anything to a stranger unconditionally." With her eyes smiling and full of mischief, the empress pretend to reprimand the small prince with a stern voice. 



"That's... You're not supposed to tell that to a kid right?" Jiang Liu interjects. His hand pause from reaching for another stick.


'Shouldn't she be saying, 'be generous', since imperial nephew is a prince of a nation?'


"Listen carefully Ah Chen. It's bad to interrupt someone when they are talking. But if it's your sixth uncle, it's a duty to interrupt him at all cost." 


Jiang Liu almost threw the tanghulu to Wei Yi Yi. "Don't teach the imperial nephew bad things!"

"An empress is employed! While the Imperial noble consort is the true love, ah!"

What's so bad being a subordinate? 

As long as you do your work properly, you'll be paid and still have time to play.

Responsibilities? we have our boss for that! if things go wrong they'll hold the sky for you. Don't want to? Ayaya, point your fingers to them and people will hold them responsible for you.

If there's something, just say you don't know while redirecting the problem to them. When bad things come, you hold their thighs.

Be a good underling and boss will shield you from the rain! Such simple logic!

"Luckily the emperor is a good and powerful boss!"

Wei Yi Yi happily plans how to make him take all responsibility to her ploys.


-----



Tags
#femalelead #slowprogression #slowromance #sliceoflife #flawedcharacters #GLpairing #BLpairing #ShounenAI #ShoujoAI

^because I like people guessing multiple shippable chara (evil laugh)

My cheeks got hot just thinking about what he was walking about. We walked back to the picnic, and sat down. There was cheesecake, sandwiches, noodles, donuts, vegan chicken. "This looks so good!" He handed me a plate. "Of course it does I was the one who set it up!" I  smiled at him and shook my head. I filled my plate with vegan chicken, noodles, and a sandwich. I was really hungry after all the roller coasters and walking. "What is your favorite food?" He asked while keeping his focus on his food. "Cheesecake. My dad's homemade cheesecake is the best. Whenever it was a cold day, or if I was sad. He would make me a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of cheesecake." He looked up from his plate. Then he looked in the basket that he had brought and pulled out a plate full of cheesecake with cherries on top. It was sloppy. Definitely not store bought. "I made this for you. I found your dad's recipe and I thought you might like it." My dad never gave me the recipe he always said that it was a secret recipe from my mother. How did Taylor get it? He knows more than he's saying, and not just about the cheesecake. I took a bite of it. "It's really good!!" I lied it tasted like a four year old made it. "Liar, I messed up but I still wanted to make it special." I smiled. "Thanks." We set our plates down.

We layed down on the blanket and looked up at the stars. "If you could have any super power what would it be?" He asked me. "Probably telekinesis so that I could smash cake in your face all the time." I laughed. "Well I would want to have the power to fly." "How come?" He closed his eyes. "You can look at the world in a whole different way. When you're up close you don't always see the beauty in things because you get too focused on your own thing. But when you are far away just watching you see everything." He put his hands in the air and moved his hands in a circular motion like he wanted to touch the stars. "Wow. Never thought about it like that."  Taylor took my hand and traced the lines on it. I closed my eyes and just let him hold my hand. I fell asleep. 

When I woke up Taylor was laying me in his bed. He kissed my forehead. "Shhhhh." He said. Then he moved to the spot next to me and wrapped his arms around me. He seems a little too nice for someone in a gang. There's just something a little off about him. Like when you have a bad feeling about something. "You okay?" He said as he pulled me closer and wrapped the blankets around me. I snapped back into reality and I felt as if he could read my mind. "Yeah everything is good. Thanks for taking me to the park today! It was really fun!" I said with a smile. "Good." He smiled and rested his head on my head. I fell back into a deep sleep telling myself that I would figure out what he was hiding. I felt like a chip of my heart was chipped just thinking about spying on him. It's for my family. For my mom, my brother, and my dad. I won't give up.

"Good morning troll!!" I woke up with my tired legs entangled with his. My eyes made it hard to adjust to the beaming sun coming through the big windows in his room. "You're a troll!!" I said while rubbing my eyes and yawning. "Come on I made breakfast!!" He pulled me out of bed holding me like a baby. "I have legs ya know." He didn't seem to care he was too excited. We got downstairs to see a table full of pancakes, syrup, vegan butter, fruit, fake bacon, tofu eggs and avocado toast. "Do you like it!!!" He said as he set me down. He reminded me of an excited child trying to show his parents something that he was proud of. "Yes I love it!!! You didn't have to do all of this for me though." He smiled and walked over to me. "You're my fiancee. My future wife, I wanna take care if you and know how to cook for you." He took my left hand and brought it to his mouth. Then he kissed my ring finger. I feel safe around him when he is all bubbly and happy, but I just have a feeling he's hiding a lot.

I sat down next to him at the table. His dad walked in with his phone in hand and a coffee mug. All I could think about was the bruises all over my brother and father's face. I stood up. "Did you beat up my brother and my father?" I said with a serious face. Taylor stood up next to me. His dad looked away from his phone. "Yes I did." Then he looked back at his phone. I moved around the table toward him. Taylor grabbed my waist before I could reach him. He looked up from his phone again. "Listen to me Stormy. I am one of the most important gang leaders in the world." He moved closer to me. I tried to keep eye contact. "And it wouldn't be a problem to get rid of a little girl and he family." Taylor let go of me. I glared at Taylor's dad. "After you two are done with breakfast come to my office. We need to talk about the will." He said as he left the room.

"Stormy you can't do that!! He could hurt you!!" Taylor said while shaking my shoulders. "It's okay Taylor. He couldn't do anything to me even if he wanted to because I am the key to his power." Taylor looked at me with a dark look. "But he could kill your family. He could also kill you after we are married and make it look like it was an accident. Don't mess with him okay?" "Okay." I said. Wow I knew his dad was horrible, but not that horrible. " let's eat." He pointed to the food. We both sat down. I took two pancakes and put butter on them with fruit and some vegan whip and syrup. Then I got some fake bacon. I tried the vegan pancakes and they were so good!! "You know I thought I would never forgive you for messing up my dad's recipe. But dude this is delicious!!" I said. "Oh whatever!" He said. We ate and then we put the dishes in the sink and I started walking ahead of him to his dad's office but he stopped me. He pulled me back. "Don't offend him. He will hurt your family even more." I nodded. He put his hand on my back and guided me to his dad's office.

I ran and ran, crying. Tears streaming down my face thinking "How could they have done this?" Nothing feels real anymore I feel like I am numb all over, I can't feel anything. My legs ache from running so fast and my lungs can't seem get enough air. I start to feel dizzy, and I feel the entire day slip away as my face hits the hard cement. The last thing I see is the bright lights from the street and hear someone calling my name.

The second course was the Beef Braised in Red Wine. This was one of the most luscious slow-cooked dishes that Lu Xinyi had seen so far from the cooking battles she's witnessed. It was the sort of food one would find at fine dining restaurants and quality steakhouses.
As the judges took their turn to taste it, the melt-in-your-mouth beef had exploded and burst with flavors that hit Lu Xinyi's taste buds with tidal waves of flavors. This… she'd never experience such culinary bliss for a long time. This dish reminded her of their mother's favorite Lu-Style Braised Beef Short Ribs that their father would usually make on weekends.
It tasted just the same… no, she corrected herself. This was the improved version of their father's recipe. Just when she thought that their father was the epitome of cooking, Lu Xinyi found herself standing in front of a bigger person than that their father was.
Her brother, Tian Lingyu had managed to surpass their father this early?
Of course, Lu Xinyi had also tried to do the same dish before, but the flavor and experience it left couldn't be compared to what her brother made today.
As with all slow-cooked dishes like Beef Stew and Pot Roast, Tian Lingyu started by aggressively browning the beef brisket. This was where he got a ton of flavor on both the beef and in the sauce. From the brown stuff left on the base of the pot.
After that, he slowly sautéed some garlic, onion, carrot, and celery. The longer one took here, the better the flavor base!
Then, he added tomato paste to thicken the sauce and to add a touch of sourness, beef broth, red wine, thyme, and bay leaves. Once done, he plunked the lid on and then slow-cooked in the oven and let it cook for hours. The ten-minute plating time, in the end, was enough to remove the casserole dish from the oven and serve it.
The red wine sauce in this dish was simply amazing. The depth of flavor and the richness one could achieve with so few ingredients were also incredible! Wine provided the complexity and depth of flavor so Tian Lingyu only used a few ingredients for this dish.
"What kind of red wine did you use?" Headmistress Han asked. She was busy piercing the meat with her fork and let them see how easily the fibers of the meat separate from each other.
Braising was used to cook large cuts of beef, such as a roast or brisket, with a small amount of liquid. This slow-cooking method is ideal for tenderizing less tender—and typically less expensive—cuts of beef. Generally, cuts from the chuck, the shank, and brisket (which Tian Lingyu chose to use) and the round were the most suitable for braising and stewing.
If she thought about it, these parts of the animal worked harder than the middle section. Therefore, the muscles were more exercised, and the connective tissue was stronger—and a bit tougher.
Not all beef cuts were created equal so it's important to match the proper cooking method with the cut of beef. Each method would bring different flavors and textures to one's beef.
The slow-cooking method helped soften and tenderize the muscle fibers and connective tissue, resulting in moist, flavorful beef.
Previously, when Lu Sibai was still alive, she also got a chance to taste his own version of this Beef Braised; but comparing what Tian Lingyu presented today—in her honest opinion, Lu Sibai's was inferior to Tian Lingyu's.
"For this Beef Braised, I used Zinfandel wine," Tian Lingyu answered truthfully, "Some may claim that it doesn't matter what kind of red wine is used in braising, but I disagree. Most wines become more concentrated in flavor but lose nuance when cooked.
"Acidity and fruitiness become more pronounced. The individual tasting notes will be cooked out and indistinguishable, which is why cooking with expensive wine is unnecessary." He added.
He Haotian rubbed his chin as he thought what Tian Lingyu said. Indeed, not all red wines are the same. For example, this Beef Braised, some recipes would call for a dry red wine such as merlot or pinot noir. In fact, this kind of red wine was better for cooking beef stew or a wine-based sauce.
"So why Zinfandel? What so special about it?" Lu Xinyi asked. Yes, she had to ask because, in their family's recipe book, this dish called for a Merlot or Cabaret Sauvignon. Pinots were not suitable because it was too light.
Her eyes were a little watery as she talked to her brother. Seeing her tears, Tian Lingyu suddenly stiffened. He didn't expect her to react like this.
"Zinfandel is lighter in color than both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However, although it's a light-bodied red wine like Pinot Noir, Zin's moderate tannin and high acidity make it taste bold. Together with Shiraz, these bold wines will stand up well on braising meats," he explained awkwardly.
Why was she crying anyway? Shouldn't she be happy for him recreating and elevate the flavor of their family recipe? Initially, he thought that she'd be happy to see and taste the same dish that was familiar to both of them.
"Well, Zinfandel is an affordable red wine anyway. Some wine connoisseurs may call them cheap. However, it pairs well with plenty of meat under a variety of cooking styles," Han Zhiling continued before taking a small plate with tiramisu as Tian Lingyu's dessert… but not before stopping her hand midway as she saw strawberries and blueberries on top of the dessert.
"A berry tiramisu?" she exclaimed. She hadn't seen one since forever.
What was this? Traditionally, tiramisu contained both caffeine and alcohol in a creamy cheese mixture served in layers.
Lu Xinyi followed her gaze and was bewildered to see berries on top of the tiramisu. She never knew berries could complement a dessert like tiramisu. Tiramisu was a super simple and rich trifle-like dessert that, rather than layering up a cake and creamy filling, was designed by layering rich mascarpone mousse, ladyfinger cookies, amaretto liquor, and cocoa powder.
How brave her brother was for using berries on tiramisu. In the end, she could stop herself from taking a bite from her dessert. There was an added layer of syrup-soaked raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries on it.
The berry syrup replaced the amaretto liquor usually used in Tiramisu and heightened the berry flavor of Tian Lingyu's newer creation.
It was surprisingly delicious. It was phenomenal! It was beyond heavenly and out of this world. How come she never thought that berries could also be used on Tiramisu? What a delightful Berry Tiramisu!
Lu Xinyi thought after finishing her dessert leaving a clean plate: who could really say no to berry-dipped ladyfingers smothered in a mascarpone and cream mousse?
Still, this dessert called for mascarpone cheese. Although mascarpone could be used for both sweet and savory cooking, its neutral flavor and luxurious texture really lent itself to sweet desserts. When whipped up with whipping cream and sugar, mascarpone would take on the form of a stunning and light mousse. This mousse, combined with all the berries, truly lifted the dessert to the next level.


[Status: Completed]

“You’re not taking me to bed. Ever.” 
“Who said it had to be on the bed?” 
“What?! You wouldn’t dare kick me off the bed, and I will not share it with you!” 
“The only reason I would force you out is so I can have you on the floor.” She gritted her teeth and glared at her grinning husband. 
“Go fuck yourself!” she hissed. 
“Only if you show me how,” he winked back. 

Once the tabloids released an article claiming business tycoon Shen Yi was gay, his family forced him to date and seek a relationship to stave off the false accusations. After many failed encounters, Shen Yi came upon Lu Xinyi.

Orphaned since childhood, Lu Xinyi had no safe haven left the moment her boyfriend and her best friend betrayed her. Losing her only treasures left, she felt like dying inside as soon as she boarded that ship. However, after a week-long cruise with Shen Yi, she struck a deal with him. Now the Young Madam of the most powerful Shen family, Lu Xinyi turned into a better version of herself. She would not only fight back against those who had hurt her, but she had also taken a shot at accomplishing her father's broken dream.

Attending the country's most prestigious culinary school, Silver Leaf Academy, Lu Xinyi was compelled to compete not only for herself but also for her husband’s pride. Through Shen Yi's love and support, she dreamed to emerge victorious one assault after another from a family that she had long abandoned. Oh, but love for food can be a dangerous thing! As Lu Xinyi and her friends struggle to survive the competition and schemes, more and greater challenges await her, putting her love (for food and Shen Yi) to the test. 

---------------------
Little Miss Series
(1) Little Miss Devil: The President's Mischievous Wife
(2) Little Miss Witch: Revenge of the Tainted Angel
(3) Little Miss Sunshine: Conquer the Emperor's Heart
(4) Little Miss Trouble: The Emperor's Rebellious Consort
(5) Little Miss Heiress: The 30 Days Free Trial Lover
(6) Little Miss Fae: Banshee in the Modern World
(7) Little Miss Immortal: The Nine-Tailed Imperial Consort
---------------------
My Other Books
(1) PS I'm (Not) Over You
(2) Gourmet Empress: Hubby, Why's Your Name on the Menu?

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Little Miss Devil Book Cover 2019 anjeeriku

don't read this I'm just spamming some shit for a badge

Fan Xinyue pursed her lips looking at Ma Xiaoli sitting beside Zhou Lei. She felt a tinge of jealousy, continuing to watch the usually quiet girl in class get all chummy with her very first crush.

Beside her, Lin Guiying wasn't any better. She had thoughts along the lines of, 'I'm who he considers his best friend, and you can't change that!' However, she didn't realize that the title of best friend wasn't what Ma Xiaoli was aiming for...

On the other hand, Ma Xiaoli felt incredible glee for the first time in forever. 

As everything around her made her uninterested, only this Zhou Lei gave her a feeling of bliss, especially when she was around him. Her face would be flushed if his shoulder brushed aside hers, and her hands would be all jittery when he was around.

Zhou Lei, the last and the only male of the group, felt exhausted. 'I, I just wanted to try some coffee!'

He couldn't handle this tense atmosphere, and so couldn't the waiter by the side, who craved to escape from this table. 

Why... just why did he approach this table?! He had no idea what made him walk over to this godforsaken table... well, you know, except for the fact that it was his job... Anyways!

As the waiter waited for the atmosphere to ease up, and especially, for the orders, Zhou Lei gestured at Lin Hanying with his eyebrows. 

"Oh, uh, well... I will order, uh..." Lin Guiying was once again reminded of her incompetence and tried to find an excuse. '...Aha!'

She placed a fist over her mouth and spoke, "Ahem, Classmate Ma, why don't you order first?"

Ma Xiaoli wasn't bothered by this. "I didn't come here to have coffee, I came here because I overheard that you were going to take Leilei here."

Zhou Lei widened his eyes. 'Where the fuck did Leilei come from?'

As he turned his head, he saw that Ma Xiaoli shrugged her shoulders at him, an innocent smile on her face. 

"Xiaoli, call me Classmate Zhou, or at least just Lei... Don't call me nicknames!"

Zhou Lei hoped to find a hole just to burrow himself in as deep as he could, and if possible, make it to the other aide of the world...

Ma Xiaoli covered her mouth and chuckled. "Oops, sorry, Leilei."

Fan Xinyue speculated the actions of Ma Xiaoli. 'So this is your plan, huh?'

Meanwhile, Lin Guiying was as calm as ever... or not! While her heavenly acting skills helped keep her composed, she raged all she wanted inside her mind. 

"...Well, let's cast that aside for now. So Classmate Ma, you aren't going to order?" She tried her hardest to stop herself from jumping over the table and strangling that darned woman!

"If Leilei wants me to order, then I will. Otherwise, I won't do anything. After all, I'm here for Leilei only." Without a hint of shame, Ma Xiaoli spoke.

It was then, that Zhou Lei heard the 'Ting!' inside his head. He checked the interface, and a new quest was available. 

Quest: Exit the café and brew your own coffee

Description: You should have your own skills for this, young man! Why be popular by taking girls out on dates and buying them coffee, when you can make your own!

Reward: 100 Exotic Coffee Beans, 10 upgrade points 

Time limit: 2 days

Zhou Lei had no idea how to react. System had just issued a quest earlier this day to make Lin Hanying jealous, and now it was giving him this kind of nonsense quest?

'Well, at least the time limit is 2 days. I'll think about this tomorrow... For now, I gotta solve the problem at hand.'

Exiting the interface, Zhou Lei caught sight of the three girls with him. 

In all honesty, how could Zhou Lei not feel a tinge of happiness? 

There were three girls with him, and all of them were top-tier beauties! Except for Lin Hanying, erm...

Not to mention the fact that one of them had a crush on him, and was actively pursuing said crush. 

However, if it resulted in conflicts between his friends, then someone having a crush on him didn't matter that much anymore. 

"Xiaoli, please behave yourself." Zhou Lei didn't even glance at Ma Xiaoli as he said those cold words.

Ahem, it's because he was too ashamed to glance at her...

The effect worked, and Ma Xiaoli saw that Zhou Lei continued as usual, like this was a common affair for him. She fell into contemplation. 

'Hmm, I see. This plan won't work since he has many pursuers similar to me. I need to change my tactics, pronto!'

His cold hearted command didn't dishearten Ma Xiaoli at the least, in fact, it ignited her spirit even more! 

Well, it worked for now, and Ma Xiaoli shut her mouth, making both Lin Guiying and Fan Xinyue feel relieved.

After dealing with that matter, Lin Guiying now had to deal with another. "Uh... how about you, Classmate Fan? You order first..."

Fan Xinyue didn't expect the girl beside her to pass the torch to her. Nevertheless, she wasn't startled. 

Being a longtime regular in this café, Fan Xinyue had knowledge of every combination of coffee flavors, good and bad. 

The waiter readied his pen for the onslaught of words that Fan Xinyue was about to say as she opened her mouth. Of course this waiter recognized her, she visited this café virtually every day.

"Venti Iced Caramel Macchiato, with Toffee Nut syrup and no vanilla. It's getting kinda hot these days."

The waiter wrote down the eleven familiar words on his notepad without hesitation. 

Hearing her order so seamlessly, Lin Guiying's eyes lit up. 'Aha! A café expert, I presume...'

"So you like that too? Hehehe..." Lin Guiying had a sinister smile on her face. 

Fan Xinyue felt a shiver run down her spine after hearing the small and suppressed chuckle coming from the girl beside her. 

Lin Guiying continued, "...I will have that as well! And him too!"

The thickfaced Lin Guiying surprised the waiter and Fan Xinyue. 

"Aren't you going to customize it...? Just copy exactly what she ordered?" The waiter had his doubts. 

"What did I say? Of course just copy!"

"Ah, okay then..." After getting the orders for the three customers, the waiter rushed away from the terrifying table.

After a realization of his irrelevance, Zhou Lei gets a life-changing system that enables him to redeem himself - in the most attention-catching way possible!

"System, I said to upgrade my intelligence."
"Are you sure you want to upgrade: Appearance?"
"I already said no!"
"Upgrade processing..."

-----

No regular updates.

"If both of you are ready, then you may start! Medicinal Ingredients that are available to choose are all inside the room below our seats, and you're given three tries. So, make sure that each try count." the City Lord waved his hand to start the competition between Yang Guang and Yuan Yao.

And at the same time, the bomb of medicinal fragrance caused by accumulated herbs spreads to the entire Tianyu City Arena.

Catching the Reformation Pill's recipe scroll with their hand, the two participants hastily opened the stroll to start studying them. In the first five minutes, they smiled. But next, both of them felt that sweating alone is unable to describe their hopelessness.

To concoct an Azure Soul Pill, all they need is either the Azure Jade Grass or between three to four medicinal ingredients. Cold Heat Pellet takes four, Small Huang Pellet five, and Triple Concoction Pill is so far the only recipe that needs six medicinal ingredients.

And this Reformation Pill Recipe required fifteen different medicinal ingredients to be refined into a unique medicine. By taking this Reformation Pill, it increases the effectiveness of building a Jade Cultivation Body by fivefold.

Furthermore, this medicine can also be taken as a recovery pill in case of injuries towards a cultivator's foundation. At least up to date, there are no medicinal recipes that Yang Guang possessed has this effect.

== == == == ==
Formation Pill
-Application: Create, Repair, or Treating. Upon consumption of this medicinal pill, there are three options to choose from depending on the requirement. Speed up the creation process of Jade Cultivation Body by fivefold. Removes imperfection on degraded or lesser-quality Jade Cultivation Body on frequent application. Treatment if Jade Cultivation Body is damaged due to Cultivation deviation or external cause.

-Movement List: Lightning Seed | Dew of Night Glowing Flower | Bulb from Ice Mountain Frozen Lotus

-Adjustment List: Grounded Nose of Thousand Needle Porcupine | Bleeding Ganoderma | Essence inside Hell's Slaughtering Pepper

-Treatment List: Blood Essence of Ten-Thousand Years Medicinal Turtle | Pearl from Freshwater Mold Clam | Clouded Water from Watery Jade

-Cores: One Blood Bison's Assembling Core | One Emerald Python's Assembling Core | One Red Face Lighting Monkey's Assembling Core

-Essences: Blood Jade Sesame's extract, a minimal requirement of no lesser than 2,000 years old and below 3,000 years old | Flame Wormwood of between 1,500 years to 2,000 years old | 1 blade of Poison Grass from Sunless Valley with poison no lesser than two Cursing Pellet

-Preparation Technique: All ingredients shall be refined with the Intense Flame. The stronger the flame, the higher the quality. There is no limitation on the pill itself and graded based on the color.

Black equals failure | Blue represents one-fifth | Yellow represents two | Violet three | Azure four | Clear as perfection
== == == == ==

"Fifteen extinct medicinal ingredients. How can I recreate an entire recipe of Formation Pill if the required herbs are gone?" Yang Guang scratched his scalp and felt a slight headache due to the difficulty of this question.

"Master, please go into the Medicinal Ingredient's room. I'll lend you a hand in what to choose," suddenly, Yu-Ding's voice came into his head to give him some help.

"I'll go now, but will the others found out about you?" Yang Guang makes the first move and entered the room. While at the same time, he expressed his worry about getting exposed by the experts present inside the Tianyu City Arena.

"We won't, but in exchange, we'll have to refine an imperfect Formation Pill. Although I want you to win gloriously, based on your strength now, I worry that refining a perfect pill will harm your cultivation." Yu-Ding hesitates but still let Yang Guang knew about her worries.

"Also, your strength is too weak. I am worried that the display of your skills will cause hidden danger in the future." Yu-Ding added.

"I'll be relying on you to choose the most suitable medicinal ingredients then. As for the refinement process, we'll see how lucky I am in refining a slightly proper Formation Pill." Yang Guang nodded. This also means he agreed to Yu-Ding's decision to refine a successful pill while ignoring its quality.

"Take the Seedless Sunflower,"

"Bunch of Lightning Grass. Choose those that started to turn soft,"

Ice Medicinal Lotus,

Fire Horned Beast, Sponge Ganoderma, Water Lantern Pepper.

Blood from three different Medicinal Turtles. Seaweed Conch fragment of shell. Deep-Sea Plain Jade.

Blood Tiger's Core, Jade-Mine Serpent's Core, and Lightning Beetles, a bunch of them.

"Licorice, Young Wormwood, and Poison Purple Berries,"

"If I'm not mistaken, these ingredients are enough for us to refine a Yellow-colored Pill." Yu-Ding chooses everything that possibly converted to refine a middle-quality Formation Pill.

"Study them. We're going to take a few additional medicinal ingredients later to replace some. We'll have to act a few times to removes their suspicion on us before we start refining the pill," Yu-Ding said.

"Change the wormwood later. Choose those younger roots. As for the Licorice, start soaking them with some alcohol spirits while we collect more of them over."

"And bring back some Azure Jade Grass, Blood Fruit, Blood Clam, Dragon Whisker Flower, and a box of Green Jade Insect. We'll use the Meridian Soothing Syrup later." Yu-Ding instructed Yang Guang to collect the second batch of ingredients to be used.

Soon, Yang Guang collected the second and third batches of ingredients.

And at this moment, almost everyone present in the arena is assuming Yang Guang as a person that messing with medicinal ingredients. As his achievement in creating the Profound Yun Pill is not known by many people, more and more negative comments started to pop up as the competition continued.

Even Tian Peng and Yu Wen had the urge to go up to the stage and knock some sense back to Yang Guang but, since their teacher Xiao Yi wasn't bothered with what Yang Guang is doing, they held in.

Only Xiao Yi, Tang Hulu, and a few elders from Ten Thousand Pills Sect noticed what Yang Guang is trying to do.

"Your preparation is all done. Three trials. It all comes to your skills in handling flames, their order to be added into the cauldron, and how you cook them, it all depends on you."

"Makes your ancestor proud," Yu-Ding added before she left.

"Looks like there is something to expect in this year's Junior Conference," some experts with a background in Alchemy are packed with expectations as Yang Guang fired the cauldron!

The flames ignited using his Soul Qi, was not yellow, orange, or blue, but instead, purple! That's the solid proof about Yang Guang's Art of Jade Flame has reached the entry-level of Profound Stage!

= = = = = = = = = =
This piece of work is written on Grammarly and all the effort I could yield. I hope it would be an entertaining read that worth that little bit of your time. Each chapter will have between 1,000 to 1,200 words to make the story progress in a good momentum. I hope my broken English will not offend anyone.

Thank you.
From: Yang-Lin
= = = = = = = = = =

Losing his parents when he was ten, Yang Guang is forced to face reality earlier than others. To survive in the Jade Realm, cultivation is a must. Next is the profession.

A herb farmer?

A beast hunter?

A constable?

A guard?

Or...

A cultivator?

It wasn't that easy. Cultivator cultivates with Soul Qi, and only the Soul Jade works the best. If one relies on what nature gives you, the speed of your cultivation might stagnate forever without hope of advancement.

"What is this Jade Container doing here?" Yang Guang shakes the bottle gripped between his hand. And at the same time, a thick stench of blood is gradually drifting to his nose.

"Aye, that it is~! There's nothin' better than potato bread ta sop up tha meat gravy. Our Patsy here makes the best potato bread in the kingdom!" Ayva said proudly. 

"In that case, I must try this then!" Robin said before digging into her food with an enthusiasm that only hunger could bring out. Her fork didn't stop moving until she finished dessert.

"Ah, that was delightful!" Robin sighed in satisfaction, sitting back in her chair.

"I can't believe it. You finished all that in just ten minutes!?" Jasmine noted, incredulously.

"It's amazing how fast you can eat when you aren't talking." Robin nodded. 

"We aren't in any hurry. You could have taken your time." Jasmine grumbled, worried about Robin getting indigestion.


"You say that, but if I didn't hurry, you'd have less time to enjoy the hot springs." Robin pointed out.


"You're absolutely right. When are we heading over?" Jasmine asked eagerly, a bright smile lighting up her face. Chelsea chuckled as Jasmine's sudden change of tune. Robin thought Jasmine's current expression suited her much better.


"It should be soon. Ayva said she would take us over after dinner." Robin replied, as she took out her fruit water to drink. 

"Wait, what is that?" Quinn asked. 

"Fruit water." Robin said as a matter of fact.

"No, why is it bubling?" Quinn asked.

"Ah. I thought it was a bit flat, so I tried carbonizing it using a concentrated air stream. As I thought, sparkling is the way to go! Wanna try some?" She asked, offering him the pitcher. 

"It looks like ye've thought of something interesting, Deary." A voice came out from behind Robin. It was Ayva. "Is that a new kind of drink ye've got there?"

"Not really. More like an improvement upon the drink you approved of earlier. Wanna try the new improved version?" Robin asked. Quinn was already pouring himself a glass.

"I would. I'm not sure how much adding bubbles would improve upon the taste, though." Ayva had the barkeep toss her another mug.

"Here you go." Robin poured the mug as tall as the fizz would allow her to. She paused five seconds to let the fizz disseminate. Then she topped it off. 

"Try sipping it first." Robin advised.

Ayva sipped. "Oh my! OH MY!" She sipped again. "Why that's a wonderful thing you've managed to create there, Deary. How did you manage to make it bubble like that, I can't possibly imagine!"

"Robin, this..." Quinn was taken aback after trying the drink. "This is Spr*te, isn't it?" 

"Well, if you're talking about the version before they added an ungodly amount of sugar to the recipe and ruined it? Yes. It does taste a bit like that." Robin replied.


"This... is someone else's recipe?" Ayva asked, feeling a bit put out that she couldn't buy the method to make the drink.

"You could say that." Robin replied. 
"But where I come from, drink recipes are not as regulated as food recipes. Take this drink here, for instance." Robin lifted her glass.
"There is a rather famous mixed drink made using this as an ingredient. You don't happen to have any grenadine, do you?"

"Whazzat?" Ayva tilted her head.

"No, the dwarves don't have pomegranates here." Quinn shook his head. "Besides, it's spring now. Pomegranate is an autumn fruit. Good thing I have this." He brought out a glass decanter half-filled with red liquid.

"You made it?" Robin asked.

"No. I received it. The elves like to make concentrated fruit syrups to add to their tea. This is a mixture of strawberry and pomegranate syrup. You can have some if you make me one as well." Quinn replied.

"Great! we can make it here, then!" Robin smiled. She uncapped the decanter and poured a small stream of red into all three cups, stirring it once to make the syrup mix. 
Then she brought out some preserved cherries, and dropped two into each glass via a spoon.

"Done! Enjoy your Shirley Temple!" Robin smiled as she pushed the mug towards Ayva, and the glass back towards Quinn.

"A what? Surely...Tample?" Ayva asked, confused.

"It was named after a popular delightful bubbly little dancer girl who became quite famous where I'm from." Robin replied. 

"Oh! Shirley! Not surely...I get it now!" Ayva realized. 

"That's right." Robin smiled. Then she glanced over at Quinn, and noticed that he hadn't tasted the drink yet.
"What's the matter? Is it not sweet enough for you?"


"Aren't you giving me back the grenadine?" Quinn asked. 

"Do you want a ready-made barrel of Shirley Temple or not?" Robin asked.

"Ah. Fine then!" Quinn sat back in his chair and brought his glass up to his lips, enjoying the nostalgic taste.

Ayva's face positively beamed with delight. "I don't usually enjoy it if it isn't alcohol, but this is definitely the best drink outside of beer that I ever did taste!"She said, enjoying the rare treat slowly.

Robin also sat back enjoying her glass. 
--------
"This way, this way!" Ayva lead them down the well lit pathway to a beautiful wrought-iron gate. There was no keyhole, but it was clearly locked.

"How are we gonna get in?" Gerard asked.

"Hold the stampede. If Ye'd just be patient, I'll let ye in." Ayva chuckled and lifted her hand. She touched a carved piece of quartz to the decorative-looking stone in the center of the gate. 

Click. The door swung open, revealing a path lined with glowing stones, and flowering trees.

"This way, it's not too far now. just down this pathway." Ayva eagerly led them forward down the path.

"An don't dawdle about if'n ye dinna want ta get lost!" She warned, leading them past several branching lit pathways. Soon, they came upon what Robin recognized as a Ryokan.

"Hmm?...This building..." Robin muttered just loud enough for Ayva to hear it.

"Aye, it's a bit strange innit?" Ayva nodded. "I hear tell that the plans for this building were bestowed upon mah grandad by the hero himself a little over a hundred years ago. The water around here isn't suitable fer drinking. But the hero somehow found out that et was just perfect fer soakin. He even left a sacred tome with lots of pictures, showing us how ta properly behave. The strange thing is, the images are backwards instead. Unfortunately, the writing is hopelessly unreadable."

'Sounds like he left a manga on onsens then...' Robin thought as she nodded, continuing the conversation. "Ho? I see...So there was a hero in these parts around a hundred years ago, huh?"

Quinn rolled his eyes. 'Didn't I tell you as much earlier!?' He thought dourly. 

"Yes. That's around the same time the hero cut open the great mountain rift." Ayva explained. "While we dinna know what ta do with et at tha time, it has become our main source for magic stones, currently, due to the long lasting effects of the hero's magic. It's even so powerful that the land on the other side has a completely different climate, being able ta grow potatoes, corn, and wheat. Due to that, the land over there is called the Hearthlands."

Impressive indeed!" Robin nodded, amiably. 

"Ah, I do need to warn ye, shoes are nae allowed in tha building. Ye'll need ta remove them at tha entrance. An' since a lot of tha hot springs are outdoors, ye'll be issued some special footwear for the pathways. But! Ye will not wear them in the buildings. Understand?" Ayva looked sternly at the group. Aparently, she had had to say this many times to tourists.

"We understand, Ayva." Robin waved her hand to placate the dwarf woman's frustration. "Seriously, how many people have ignored the rules for you to be so distraught?"

"Too many! I kinna tell ye how many tatame I've had ta replace because of it!" Ayva sighed begrudgingly.

"Hmm? You? I thought this place was run by your cousin?" Robin asked.

"Before I started mah tavern, I used ta work here. Well, tha truth is, Ah'm actually allergic ta rice wine. So, I branched off inta makin beer instead. Then the tavern did so well, it quickly became an inn. So, I only come here fer ol time's sake." Ayva chatted. When they reached the building, Ayva slid the door open.

"Whoah!? That's a door? It totally looked like a large frame of windows! How surprising!" Jasmine exclaimed in delight. "A sliding door, huh? it's like a secret entrance~! How novel!"

Robin lowered her eyes as they stepped into the entrance way. The wooden area for them to remove their shoes...the familiar scent of sulphur, the well-preserved tatami mats...it was quite nostalgic. Robin lifted her head up to look around.

A rookie scheduler ends up in a different world of swords and magic. 
"Hero! A demon has made off with one of our village maidens!"
"Hero! There is a goblin nest! I beg of you your aid!"
"Hero! A band of thieves have made off with all my valuables!"
The Hero helps them all out, but they don't know: she's a girl.

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