Morning came with whispers.
By dawn, the Falling Cloud Sect already buzzed with rumors of the Awakening Square. The story spread faster than wildfire in dry grass: a kitchen drudge had made Yun Kai, young master of the merchant clans, break through with nothing but a bowl of rice.
"Impossible," scoffed some. "It must be a trick."
"Then explain how his qi surged," others whispered back. "I saw it myself."
"They say the rice shone like pearls."
"No, no—it was broth. Broth that healed injuries!"
"Either way… food cannot be Dao. Can it?"
The more the sect argued, the more the tale twisted. But no matter how it changed, one thing remained the same.
All whispers ended with my name.
Ren.
---
In the kitchens, I could hear them even through the walls. Disciples loitered outside, pretending to pass by, ears straining for the hiss of flame. Servants darted in and out, glancing at me with wide eyes before scurrying away to spread new tales.
I sat cross-legged on the floor, the Dao Stove humming faintly beside me, Spirit Flame glowing steady.
The System's voice echoed in my bones.
> [Quest Reminder: 95 disciples remaining. 6 days left.]
I exhaled slowly.
Six days. Ninety-five mouths.
If I cooked too fast, too openly, enemies would come crashing down on me. But if I failed, the Stove—and my life—would be destroyed.
My eyes fell on the Stove. The runes along its surface pulsed like a heartbeat. For a moment, I swore I saw faint golden patterns flicker inside the flame, twisting like hidden recipes waiting to be discovered.
The Stove was not just a tool. It was alive. And I had only glimpsed the first layer.
---
The door creaked open. Two figures entered.
They weren't servants. Their robes marked them as outer disciples.
One limped slightly, his sleeve torn and stained with old blood. His eyes were sharp, desperate. The other strode in with a smirk, arms folded across his chest.
"Well?" the injured one asked quietly, glancing at the Stove. "They say your food can mend wounds. Is it true?"
The smirking boy laughed. "Don't be fooled, Han. It's kitchen smoke and lies. A trick. But I admit, I'm curious how the rat plans to fake it this time."
The injured boy, Han, ignored him. His gaze stayed locked on me. "Please. Just a bowl. If it eases the pain even a little, I'll pay."
His desperation rang truer than any insult.
I nodded once. "Sit."
---
I gathered what little I had: a pouch of cheap tea leaves, brittle from age. Hardly fit for disciples. But the Stove's flame licked them gently as I ground them between my fingers. The sharp scent cut through the kitchen air.
Water hissed in the pot. Steam lifted, carrying the clean fragrance of mountain spring.
The smirking boy scoffed. "Tea? You'll heal him with tea?"
But Han leaned forward, eyes locked on the rising steam. His breath caught, as though the fragrance had already eased his lungs.
I poured the tea into a chipped cup. The liquid shimmered faintly, green as jade.
"Drink."
Han obeyed without hesitation.
The moment the tea touched his lips, his shoulders loosened. His breathing deepened. The tension in his body eased.
He exhaled, eyes wide. "The pain… it's gone."
The arrogant boy froze. His smirk faltered.
Han gripped the cup tighter. "Thank you. You don't know how long I've carried this wound." He bowed low, trembling.
The Stove flared behind me.
---
The chime rang.
> [Ding! Dish Cooked: Spirit Tea (1★)]
✦ Effect: Clears fatigue, soothes pain, sharpens focus
✦ Bowl Points +10
✦ Quest Progress: 8/100 disciples fed
---
Han straightened, his eyes shining with gratitude. He pressed a silver coin onto the counter, bowed again, and left.
The arrogant disciple stared at the empty cup. His pride warred with his greed. Finally, he snatched the cup and licked the last drop.
His eyes widened. His qi stirred. For a moment, awe cracked through his mask.
But then he slammed the cup down.
"It's a trick," he snapped. "Some mortal herb. Don't get arrogant, stove-boy. No matter what your tricks are, you'll never be a cultivator."
He stormed out, his steps uneven.
But I noticed his fingers twitching, as though longing for another sip.
---
From the corner of the kitchen, servants whispered.
"Did you see? His wound really eased."
"And the other… he couldn't even hide it."
"Heaven help us. Ren's food truly is Dao."
They looked at me with something new in their eyes. Not just fear. Not just awe.
Something closer to reverence.
---
Outside, shadows stirred.
Two sect stewards stood hidden beneath the eaves, their robes plain but their eyes sharp.
"You saw it," one muttered. "He fed them, and their qi shifted. This is no rumor."
The other's lips tightened. "If word reaches the Inner Court, they'll take him. If the Elder loses control of this, it could tip the balance."
"So what do we do?"
The first man's gaze hardened. "We watch. We test. If it's a trick, we expose him. If it's real…" His hand closed into a fist. "…we silence him before the Inner Court claims him."
They melted back into the shadows, their whispers trailing like knives.
---
By nightfall, I had fed three more disciples. The quest counter ticked upward.
> [Quest Progress: 11/100 disciples fed. Time remaining: 6 days.]
I sat before the Stove, the Spirit Flame flickering low. The room was quiet, save for the soft hiss of coals.
Cooking had always been survival. Something to keep me breathing, one day to the next.
But now, with every bowl, every sip, I felt it.
The Stove was not just fire and iron. It was memory. It was will.
And it whispered to me, faint as wind through bamboo: Food is Dao. Dao is endless.
I clenched my fists, heat burning in my chest.
Six days. Eighty-nine disciples left.
I would not fail.
---
Outside, beneath the pale moonlight, Luo Feng met with Yun Kai.
"He's still feeding them," Luo Feng hissed. "Even scraps become Spirit Food in his hands. If this continues, the sect will turn to him."
Yun Kai's jaw clenched, his face shadowed with hate. "Then we make sure he chokes on his own food. I will not be shamed again."
His voice was low, but venom dripped from every word.
The Dao Stove flared suddenly at my side, its flame snapping high as if it sensed the danger closing in.
I opened my eyes.
And smiled.
---