The meal was simple.
Rice, boiled vegetables, and a light soup made from herbs gathered nearby.
Nothing in the scene suggested anything extraordinary.
And yet—
the moment the young man took the first bite, his entire focus sharpened.
"…This taste…"
It was not rich. Not spicy. Not rare.
But it felt unusually clean.
As if every bite removed some invisible dust from his body.
He slowed down immediately.
Every movement became careful.
He began analyzing the food like it was a cultivation resource.
"…Is this a hidden spiritual recipe?" he thought.
Across the table, the old man ate normally, without any reaction. No change in expression. No pause. Just simple eating.
That alone made the young man even more suspicious.
"If it were ordinary food, there would be no such effect," he reasoned. "But senior shows no reaction… which means he is beyond needing it."
His thoughts deepened.
The wind outside drifted gently through the open window. The atmosphere inside the room felt unusually stable, almost like time itself had slowed.
The young man noticed it.
"…Even my thoughts are calmer here," he murmured internally.
That realization unsettled him slightly.
Because he had never experienced "calm" as something external before.
He looked at the old man again.
The old man placed his chopsticks down and spoke casually.
"You eat very carefully."
The young man nodded immediately.
"I am studying the process of absorption."
The old man paused for a second.
"…Absorption?"
"Yes," the young man said seriously. "Every material contains hidden essence. It must be refined through consumption."
The old man stared at him.
Then, unexpectedly, he sighed.
"I just cooked lunch."
The young man froze.
But only for a moment.
Then he nodded again, even more seriously.
"As expected… even casual actions conceal truth."
The old man didn't respond further.
But something in his eyes suggested mild confusion.
The young man, however, was already lost in thought again.
"…If food affects the body so directly," he thought, "then cultivation might be everywhere."
And without realizing it—
his understanding of the world began to quietly shift again.