Smoke rose in delicate spirals from the Ironbone Sect's kitchens as dawn spread its pale fingers over the mountain ridges. The world seemed hushed under a veil of chill mist, the pines dripping last night's dew onto mossy stones. Somewhere, metal clanged as early-morning disciples clashed in practice duels, their cries echoing off the crags.
Inside the dim kitchen hut, Lin Tian hovered over a simmering cauldron. The fire hissed as fat dripped onto the embers, sending up bursts of fragrant steam. He held a battered wooden spoon to his lips, tasting, eyes half-closed.
A complex tide of flavors unfolded on his tongue: the silky savor of chicken bones, the bright floral lift of sweet grass, the faint citrus tang of Chen Pi. It wasn't perfect, but it was leagues beyond the flavorless gruel the sect called "food."
Bai Yue sat cross-legged on the floor, blinking sleepily. "You've been up since third watch, Senior Lin…"
Lin Tian gave him a sidelong glance. "A chef's job never ends. And today's important."
Bai Yue yawned. "More important than yesterday?"
Lin Tian cracked a grin. "Every day is more important than the last."
He lowered the heat on the cauldron and stepped back, surveying the cluttered workspace. Sacks of millet leaned against one wall. A few pale gourds and wild onions lay on a shelf. Dozens of small ceramic jars were lined up like soldiers, each sealed with red wax and labeled in Elder Han's precise script.
Lin Tian reached for one labeled Black Salt and pried it open. A whiff of deep umami struck his senses—a mineral richness unlike any salt from his former world.
Bai Yue scrambled closer, peering into the jar. "What's that?"
"Black salt," Lin Tian murmured. "Infused with minerals from spirit stone dust. Salty, smoky, almost like fermented soy. It's… extraordinary."
He scooped a few grains and let them fall into the bubbling broth. The liquid darkened to a richer amber, the scent shifting, deepening.
Bai Yue's eyes widened. "Senior Lin… how do you know all this?"
Lin Tian hesitated. He stared into the steam, memories crowding his mind: the clang of stainless steel in a modern kitchen, rows of polished knives, judges' faces watching him as he plated dishes under glaring lights.
"…Experience," he said finally.
Bai Yue hugged his knees, his voice small. "You talk like someone important. Not like… an outer-sect orphan."
Lin Tian ruffled his hair. "Doesn't matter who you were. Matters who you become."
Bai Yue lowered his gaze. "Then I want to become a cook, like you."
Lin Tian froze, spoon halfway to the pot. He blinked at Bai Yue's earnest expression.
"Cooking is hard work," he said slowly. "Worse than any martial training. Cuts, burns, stress… And you'll never be praised if people don't like your food."
"I don't care." Bai Yue's voice trembled. "You make people smile. Even Shan Long didn't hit you yesterday after he tasted your porridge."
Lin Tian suppressed a snort. "I wouldn't bet on that lasting."
Bai Yue tilted his head. "So you'll teach me?"
A strange warmth fluttered in Lin Tian's chest. In his old life, apprentices had been a mix of pride and headache—always too eager, always burning saucepans or dropping knives. But watching Bai Yue's eyes shine with hope, he felt something stir.
"…All right," Lin Tian said. "First rule: taste everything. Second rule: taste everything again."
Bai Yue grinned.
Lin Tian placed a shallow bowl into the boy's hands. "Now taste this and tell me what's missing."
Bai Yue sipped the broth, eyes darting left and right as if searching for invisible answers. He swallowed. "It's… warm. Savory. But maybe… a little flat?"
Lin Tian snapped his fingers. "Exactly! It needs brightness. Acidity."
He grabbed a thin slice of Chen Pi and tossed it in. The broth brightened instantly, a faint citrus note rising.
Bai Yue's jaw dropped. "That's like… magic."
Lin Tian leaned close. "Cooking is the truest alchemy."
The kitchen door slammed open so hard the curtain whipped off its peg. Elder Han stood framed in the doorway, hair wild, eyes blazing like cold stars.
"You two! Out. Now."
Bai Yue squeaked and nearly dropped the bowl. Lin Tian wiped his hands on a rag and faced the elder calmly.
"Elder Han. Care for some broth?"
Han sniffed the air and grunted. "No time for soup. Trouble's brewing."
Lin Tian frowned. "Bandits again?"
Han spat on the floor. "Worse. Demonic cultivators. Scouts were spotted near Blackthorn Ravine."
A chill slithered down Lin Tian's spine.
Han stabbed a finger at him. "And tomorrow, you're cooking for the inner sect. The elders want to see what all this talk of 'real food' is about. So you'd better not embarrass me."
Lin Tian stiffened. "I'll give them the best meal they've ever tasted."
Han snorted. "Hmph. Do it. And you might earn enough respect that Shan Long leaves you alone for five minutes."
He turned on his heel, robes swirling. "And keep the poison out of it, boy. Unless it's for the demonic bastards."
He vanished into the courtyard, leaving a stunned silence.
Bai Yue tugged Lin Tian's sleeve. "Senior… the inner sect… that's the elders and the elite disciples!"
Lin Tian let out a shaky breath. "Good. Let them taste what they've been missing."
Bai Yue peered up at him. "And… the demonic sects?"
Lin Tian's eyes hardened. "If they're coming for us, then we'd better be strong enough to face them. Even if it starts in the kitchen."
Hours later, Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor, parchment spread out in front of him, scribbling ideas with a thin charcoal stick.
Bai Yue perched beside him, peering over his shoulder.
"What's that word?" Bai Yue asked.
Lin Tian pointed. "Confit. It means cooking meat slowly in its fat."
"Fat…?" Bai Yue wrinkled his nose.
"Trust me." Lin Tian scribbled more. "We need a soup course, a vegetable dish, and something spectacular for the finale. Something that shows skill and can boost qi recovery."
Bai Yue frowned. "But… what can we use? We don't have spirit beast meat or rare mushrooms."
Lin Tian drummed his fingers on the parchment. "We'll make do. Even scraps can be transformed. Elder Han has herbs with qi-nourishing properties. If I balance bitter herbs with sweetness and heat, I can create a dish that's both food and medicine."
Bai Yue looked impressed. "Will that help the sect?"
Lin Tian exhaled slowly. "A sect on the brink needs more than swords. It needs morale. Unity. And sometimes… that starts with the first taste of good food."
He rose, determination blazing in his eyes. "Tomorrow, we cook for the Ironbone Sect's future."
....
That evening, as dusk bled red along the mountain peaks, Lin Tian and Bai Yue slipped through the back corridors of the medicine hall, weaving past shelves stacked with dried herbs and jars of preserved roots. The air was sharp with camphor and old dust.
Lin Tian paused at a set of low cabinets. He crouched, running his fingers along each wooden door, eyes half-lidded in thought.
"Senior… what are you looking for?" Bai Yue whispered.
Lin Tian murmured, "The treasure every chef needs. Ingredients."
He found a cabinet marked with Elder Han's spidery calligraphy: Medicinal Edibles. Carefully, he cracked it open. The hinges squeaked faintly as the door swung back, revealing row after row of tiny ceramic pots sealed with wax.
Bai Yue leaned closer, nose wrinkling. "It smells… funny."
Lin Tian grinned. "Funny is potential."
One jar caught his eye—a small vessel marked Spirit Lotus Pollen. He popped the wax seal and dipped a fingertip into the golden powder inside. A faint floral sweetness hit his senses, followed by a cooling sensation that lingered on the tongue.
"Sweet, slightly bitter. Qi-calming properties," he murmured. "Perfect for dessert."
Bai Yue blinked. "Dessert? We never have dessert!"
Lin Tian shot him a sly look. "That's the problem."
He pocketed the jar and reached for others—Mountain Peppercorns, Wild Icefruit Essence, Purple Root Sugar—until his arms were full.
"Come on. Before Han finds me raiding his stash."
They returned to the kitchen hut, the last sliver of sunset casting orange bars through the slatted windows. Lin Tian dumped his haul onto the worktable. Ceramic jars rolled and clinked, spreading strange fragrances—floral, citrus, and spicy in turn.
Bai Yue hovered, eyes round. "What are you going to make with all this?"
Lin Tian scrubbed his hands clean, then rolled his sleeves higher. "Something the inner sect has never tasted."
He pulled out a battered wok and set it over the fire. Oil hissed the moment it hit the metal, releasing a smoky perfume.
"First, we build a base," Lin Tian said. "Flavor comes in layers."
He tossed in minced wild onions and slivers of dried mushroom. The scent deepened into earthy sweetness. Next went a sprinkle of mountain peppercorns, which crackled and released a numbing, citrusy aroma.
Bai Yue's eyes watered. "It smells… so strong."
Lin Tian waved the steam away. "Good. We're building a foundation."
He ladled in a scoop of broth from the cauldron. The sizzling died into a rolling simmer. Lin Tian dipped a spoon, tasted, and frowned.
"Not enough depth," he muttered. "We need umami."
Bai Yue blinked. "Uma… what?"
"Umami. The savory taste that makes you want more."
Lin Tian rummaged through his stash and found a jar labeled Fermented Black Bean Paste. He scooped a dark smear into the wok. Instantly, the scent grew richer, darker, like roasted nuts and aged soy sauce.
Bai Yue gasped. "It changed again!"
Lin Tian's lips curved into a fierce grin. "Cooking is transformation."
After the sauce simmered, Lin Tian fetched a battered cleaver. Its blade was pitted with age, but his grip was easy and sure.
He drew a carrot from the sack, set it on the board, and began slicing.
The blade flickered like light across water. Thin orange threads fell in perfect curls, each no thicker than a strand of hair. The rhythm of the knife rang like tiny bells in the quiet hut.
Bai Yue's jaw dropped. "You're… you're so fast!"
Lin Tian finished the carrot in seconds and turned to a gourd, peeling it into delicate ribbons.
"It's not about speed," he said. "It's about control. Each cut affects texture, how the mouth feels the food."
He dropped the shreds into the wok, where they softened in the dark sauce.
Bai Yue swallowed hard. "Can you… Teach me how to do that?"
Lin Tian paused, considering the boy's trembling hands.
"…One day," he said softly. "But first, we keep you from chopping off your fingers."
The door burst open without warning.
Lin Tian spun, cleaver raised. Bai Yue yelped and ducked behind the table.
In the doorway stood a senior disciple wearing dark gray robes embroidered with the Ironbone Sect sigil. His hair was tied high, face grim as a thunderhead.
Lin Tian. Elder Han wants you in the main hall. Now."
Lin Tian wiped his blade clean and sheathed it at his belt. "What's happened?"
The disciple's lips thinned."Scouts returned. The demonic sect has been seen gathering forces near Blackthorn Ravine. The elders want to prepare contingency plans."
Bai Yue whispered, "Will they attack us?"
The disciple glanced at him, then back at Lin Tian. "No one knows. But Elder Han said if Lin Tian's food is half as miraculous as he claims, it might help sustain injured disciples."
Lin Tian stiffened. "I'll come."
The senior disciple turned on his heel and disappeared into the dusk.
Bai Yue tugged Lin Tian's sleeve. "Are we going to fight demonic cultivators?"
Lin Tian exhaled. "Let's just worry about tomorrow's dishes first."
But deep in his chest, a familiar tension coiled. In his old world, he'd competed for medals and Michelin stars. Here, he'd be cooking to keep people alive in a war.
The Ironbone Sect's main hall was lit by lanterns whose soft glow spilled across jade tiles and carved pillars.
Lin Tian followed the senior disciple inside, the scent of sandalwood hanging heavy in the air. Rows of elders sat on cushions, faces shadowed. At their center was Elder Han, arms folded.
Elder Han barked, "Lin Tian. Come forward."
Lin Tian stepped into the lantern light. Every eye turned on him.
Han gestured. "Tell them your plan."
Lin Tian took a slow breath. "I intend to cook three courses. The first will be a spirit-nourishing soup. The second, a vegetable stir-fry laced with qi-boosting herbs. The last… a dessert using Spirit Lotus Pollen to calm the mind and aid meditation."
A murmur ran through the hall. One elder raised a snowy eyebrow. "Dessert? In a time of war?"
Lin Tian met his gaze. "A moment of sweetness can restore faith even in chaos."
Another elder growled, "Food is not cultivation. We need pills, not snacks."
Lin Tian's jaw tightened. "Food is the foundation. If your body fails, your cultivation means nothing. Let me prove it."
Han's eyes glimmered. "Let the boy try."
The elders conferred in low voices. At last, one spoke: "You may cook tomorrow at sunrise. Fail, and you'll be expelled from the kitchens—and perhaps the sect."
Lin Tian inclined his head. "Understood."
He turned and walked out, heart pounding, Bai Yue at his heels.
Moonlight cast a silver glow across the mountain ridges as Lin Tian and Bai Yue made their way back toward the kitchen hut. Crickets sang in the grass, and the cool breeze smelled faintly of pine resin and distant smoke.
Bai Yue clutched his sleeves. "Senior Lin… what if they hate your food?"
Lin Tian stared ahead, face unreadable. "Then I'll try again. And again. Until I get it right."
"But… they said you'd be expelled!" Bai Yue's voice cracked. "Where would we go?"
Lin Tian stopped walking. He gazed up at the stars sprinkled across the night sky.
"I didn't come to this world to crawl in shadows." His voice was quiet, but there was steel beneath it. "If the Ironbone Sect throws me out, I'll open my kitchen. Even if it's in a cave. People will always come for good food."
Bai Yue blinked rapidly, eyes shining.
"…Then I'll come work for you," he said.
Lin Tian smiled faintly. "Then we'd better make tomorrow a success, so we're not cooking over sticks and twigs on a mountainside."
They reached the hut to find it silent and dark. Lin Tian lit a lamp, and shadows leaped across the walls. He rolled up his sleeves.
"Sleep if you want," he told Bai Yue. "I'm working."
Bai Yue yawned but shook his head stubbornly. "I'll help!"
Lin Tian pulled out parchment and began scribbling notes.
Spirit Chicken Broth → Add ginseng slivers for qi.
Mountain Pepper Stir-Fry → balance with sugar to soften heat.
Lotus Pollen Custard → blend with wild icefruit for texture.
He set his pen aside and opened jars one by one, inhaling their scents. He blended a test portion of the black bean sauce, adjusting the ratio of fermented beans to spirit vinegar. A drop on his tongue confirmed the result—a potent hit of savory umami, balanced with a faint sweetness.
Bai Yue watched, spellbound.
"How do you remember all this?" he whispered.
Lin Tian smirked. "Years of cooking, and a good nose."
He passed Bai Yue a sliver of lotus pollen custard he'd begun testing. Bai Yue tasted it and made a small, blissful sound.
"It's like snow melting in my mouth," the boy murmured.
"Good," Lin Tian said. "The elders need that feeling. Even for a second."
At first light, drums rolled across the Ironbone Sect, summoning disciples from their beds. Lin Tian stood outside the kitchen, arms folded, watching the dawn bleed red over the eastern peaks.
Bai Yue shivered beside him. "They're all going to come watch, aren't they?"
Lin Tian's jaw flexed. "Let them watch."
Soon, elders and inner disciples gathered near the main courtyard, curiosity plain in their faces. A few outer disciples peeked around pillars, whispering behind their sleeves.
Elder Han strode forward, scowling. "Well, boy? Impress us."
Lin Tian tied on a stained white apron. His eyes gleamed. "Stand back. This is going to get hot."
First, he built the broth. Chicken bones, wild ginger, sweet grass, and a carefully measured pinch of spirit ginseng. Flames licked high as he stirred, shimmering oil gliding over the bubbling surface. The scent drifted across the courtyard—rich, earthy, tinged with sharp herbal notes.
One elder leaned closer. "Is that… medicinal ginseng?"
Lin Tian nodded. "Enough to stimulate qi flow but not overwhelm the body."
Next, he sliced vegetables with flickering speed. Carrot ribbons, crisp mountain gourds, thin coins of pale mushroom. Each piece fell precisely, uniformly, and delicately.
Gasps came from the crowd. A few inner sect disciples murmured, "That's faster than some sword techniques…"
Lin Tian dropped the vegetables into the wok, where oil and mountain peppercorns exploded in a fragrant cloud. He worked with sure, fluid motions, flipping the contents through shimmering arcs.
A thin veil of sweat coated his brow, but his eyes burned with focus.
Bai Yue handed him the next jar—fermented black bean paste. Lin Tian added a careful spoonful, then slivers of spirit chili and purple root sugar. The sizzling intensified, steam swirling upward.
"Spirit chili?" Elder Han called out. "Are you trying to kill us, boy?"
Lin Tian barked a laugh. "Just enough heat to wake your spirit. Not enough to send you running."
Finally, Lin Tian prepared the dessert. He whisked spirit lotus pollen into warm wild icefruit puree. The mixture shimmered pale gold under the rising sun.
He poured the custard into small cups, letting it set into a glossy, trembling layer. Bai Yue helped him plate each one, hands trembling with nervous excitement.
Lin Tian wiped his brow and stepped back. "Done."
The courtyard fell silent. Elder Han stepped forward first, lifting a spoonful of broth to his lips.
He paused. Blinked. Then took another sip, slower this time.
"It's… light. Yet rich. I can feel warmth spreading through my meridians."
Another elder tried the stir-fry, eyes widening. "The heat… it fades into sweetness. The bitterness is gone!"
Bai Yue held out a lotus pollen custard. Elder Han eyed it suspiciously before tasting. For a moment, his stern face softened into something near wonder.
"This…" he murmured, "feels like cool rain in summer. It clears the mind."
Gasps and murmurs spread through the gathered crowd. Inner disciples exchanged startled looks. A few outer disciples began craning their necks for a taste.
Han turned to Lin Tian. "Boy… how did you learn to cook like this?"
Lin Tian met his eyes. "I learned where taste and survival are the same thing."
By the time the last spoon scraped a custard cup, the elders were conferring in excited whispers.
Elder Han clapped Lin Tian's shoulder. "From this day forward, you have full access to the medicine hall's stores. Ingredients, herbs—whatever you need. And if the demonic sects attack, you'll be in charge of sustaining the disciples."
Lin Tian's chest tightened. "I'll do it."
Another elder spoke. "And I propose he teach his methods. The Ironbone Sect could become renowned not only for cultivation but for the arts of nourishment and recovery."
Murmurs of agreement spread through the courtyard.
Bai Yue stared at Lin Tian, eyes shining. "Senior Lin… we did it."
Lin Tian knelt and ruffled his hair. "This is only the start. Tomorrow, we plan the next menu."
A burst of laughter and applause rose from the crowd, carrying across the peaks as the sun climbed higher. For the first time, the Ironbone Sect seemed alive with possibility.
And though storm clouds gathered on distant horizons, Lin Tian felt steady, cleaver at his belt, recipes spinning in his mind.