The Azure Sky Sect's kitchen at midnight was a silent sanctuary of cooking utensils and stocked pantries. Moonlight filtered in through a high window, illuminating sacks of rice, hanging strings of dried chilies, and jars of spices lined up like soldiers. Li Fan snuck inside with practiced stealth. By now he felt quite at home here, more so than in the training yard certainly.
He lit a small oil lamp and set it on the counter. "Let's see what we have," he whispered to himself, scanning the shelves. There were some leftover steamed buns from dinner, a half pot of cold rice, and various fresh ingredients delivered earlier by the spirit ox. Li Fan rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Midnight fried rice it is."
Gathering a wok and spoon, he built a small fire in the stove. He had to be careful—if caught, he might be scolded for messing around after hours, but the hunger gnawing at him insisted on risk. He drizzled oil into the wok and began chopping ingredients with swift, quiet motions. Green onions, a bit of garlic, some egg whisked in a bowl. He even found a leftover roast chicken leg which he shredded for extra flavor.
As he cooked, the comforting sizzle and the rising aroma put a blissful smile on his face. "Now this is cultivation," he joked under his breath. In a way, it was his form of cultivation—cultivating fullness of the belly.
He tossed the rice in the wok, expertly mixing in seasonings. On a whim, he grabbed a jar labeled 'Fiery Spirit Pepper Powder'. It was a spice he'd never seen, likely from the sect's own herb garden. "Just a pinch," he decided, sprinkling a tiny amount for kick. Unknown to him, Fiery Spirit Pepper was a rare herb often used in alchemy to stimulate circulation of qi.
The moment the pepper hit the heat, a burst of fragrant heat wafted up. Li Fan coughed at the intensity but kept stirring. The aroma was incredible rich, spicy, invigorating. It filled the kitchen and began creeping out into the night air.
Not too far away, Elder Kang (the same elder from the entrance exam) was performing a routine night patrol of the grounds. He was a dedicated cultivator who rarely indulged in worldly desires. But as a breeze rolled past him carrying a whiff of something delicious, his disciplined stomach betrayed him with a loud gurgle. "What in the heavens..." Elder Kang murmured. It smelled like the best street food stall in the world had just opened nearby. Unable to resist, he quietly followed the scent.
Back in the kitchen, Li Fan was just about done. He scraped the fried rice onto a wide bowl. Golden egg pieces, green scallions, and chicken bits dotted the rice which glistened with just the right amount of oil. The smell alone made his mouth water.
He took a small taste. "Oh..." His eyes widened. It was beyond delicious; it was as if that pinch of spice ignited every flavor to its peak. A warmth spread through his chest. Actually, more than warmth his whole body tingled. For a moment, Li Fan felt a surge of energy inside, a flush on his skin as if he had done a round of intense exercise. It passed quickly, but left him blinking in surprise. "Maybe I was just really hungry..." he mused. Still, he felt strangely invigorated for past midnight.
Before he could dig in further, a quiet voice came from the doorway: "Who's there?" Li Fan nearly dropped his bowl. Caught!
He turned slowly, expecting a stern guard or cook. To his surprise, it was Elder Kang, his nose visibly twitching as he clearly picked up the scent. The elder held up a lantern, illuminating the scene: one sheepish new disciple caught in the act of frying rice.
"Disciple Li Fan," Elder Kang recognized him with a frown. "Raiding the kitchen at midnight? This is against sect rules." He tried to sound severe, but his eyes kept darting to the bowl in Li Fan's hands. "What are you cooking?" he added, failing to hide his curiosity.
Li Fan bowed his head. "Elder Kang, I'm sorry. I was just... I couldn't sleep on an empty stomach." That wasn't entirely true, but a half-truth might earn sympathy. "I know I broke curfew, but since I'm caught anyway, would you like to taste it?" He offered the bowl slightly forward. Perhaps generosity might temper whatever punishment was coming.
Elder Kang intended to reprimand him harshly, really, he did. But the temptation of that aroma was too much. Maintaining a scowl (to save face), he stepped in and took the bowl. "For the sake of... investigating illicit kitchen use, I'll sample this," he said sternly.
Li Fan hid a grin. "Of course, Elder. Purely for investigation."
The elder took the offered spoon and scooped a modest portion. As soon as it entered his mouth, his eyes bulged. A medley of flavors danced on his tongue, perfectly balanced and with a spicy kick that made his qi circulation momentarily spike. He felt a pleasant warmth spread to his fingertips. "This... this is..." he stuttered.
"Too spicy?" Li Fan asked innocently, reaching as if to take the bowl back.
Elder Kang pivoted away protectively, hugging the bowl. "I will be the judge of that," he huffed, and then hastily took another bite. And another. Dignity be damned, the elder devoured half the bowl in moments. Finally, catching himself, he coughed and straightened up, handing the bowl back (albeit reluctantly). "Ahem. It's... acceptable." His tone tried to be neutral, but a tear of joy was leaking from one eye, perhaps from the spice or sheer ecstasy.
"Elder, if I may ask, what will be my punishment?" Li Fan ventured carefully. "Peeling potatoes for a month? No dessert?" He braced for the worst.
Elder Kang cleared his throat, smoothing his beard. Oddly, he felt a surge of vitality after eating that rice, as if his evening meditation had gone exceptionally well. "Considering you are new and this is your first offense... I'll let you off with a warning," he said slowly. "But you must hand over that jar of Fiery Spirit Pepper. It's a restricted ingredient for alchemical use, not for late-night snacks. In untrained hands it could be dangerous." He tried to sound wise, though inwardly he was plotting to secure some of that spice for himself later.
Li Fan promptly fetched the jar and gave it over. The elder tucked it into his sleeve. "Also... perhaps tomorrow you could report to the kitchens in the afternoon. The head chef might find use for an assistant with your, uh, enthusiasm. As a disciplinary measure, of course." Elder Kang gave a curt nod.
Li Fan recognized a disguised opportunity when he saw one. Being assigned kitchen duty meant more access to food. "Thank you, Elder. I accept my punishment gratefully," he said, bowing deeply to hide his grin.
"Good. Now back to your dorm with you, and no more midnight escapades. And... leave the remaining fried rice here. I'll dispose of it." Elder Kang's face was stoic, but Li Fan did not miss the way the elder took the bowl back into his own hands.
Suppressing laughter, Li Fan exited the kitchen. As soon as he turned the corner, he heard not-so-discreet rapid shoveling sounds of the elder finishing off the rest of the fried rice. Li Fan shook his head in amazement. "Powerful cultivators... They're just foodies like the rest of us when it comes down to it." If only Guo Hei could have seen that!
He returned to the dorm, belly full and heart light. Unknown to him, up on the roof of the kitchen once more, the veiled girl had watched the entire exchange. She observed Elder Kang's reaction with interest. "Culinary qi manipulation... how peculiar." A faint smile played on her lips as she faded back into the darkness.
That night, Li Fan slept like a baby, a happy one. Meanwhile, Elder Kang, after polishing off the rice, went back to his quarters. He intended to meditate, but found that his cultivation felt subtly nourished. The Fiery Spirit Pepper certainly had invigorating properties, but combined with Li Fan's cooking? The old man chuckled to himself. Perhaps he had stumbled upon a secret weapon for the sect's future banquets. "That boy is a walking treasure trove of flavor," he murmured, then caught himself. "Focus, Kang, focus. You're a dignified elder, not a greedy glutton." Still, he made a mental note to check in on Li Fan's 'disciplinary kitchen duty' tomorrow.
Thus, unknowingly, Li Fan had taken his first step on the path of culinary cultivation. His midnight snack not only satisfied hunger, but also ignited a tiny spark of power within him. In the grand scheme of cosmic cultivation, it was a laughably absurd step but it was his step, taken in a frying pan rather than on a meditation mat.
As the sect slept, a faint aroma of Fiery Spirit Pepper-laced fried rice hung in the air, and perhaps in their dreams, many disciples found themselves inexplicably craving a midnight snack.
End of Chapter 3