"What's wrong?" Hao Li turned his head and asked.
Zhao Yuan pointed at the Magic Array Tower made of firewood in the stove. "This Nine Fire Exquisite Tower isn't built right. The third piece of wood should be moved two centimeters to the left, and the sixth piece should be swapped with the eighth."
Just as Hao Li was setting up the firewood, an introduction and assembly method for the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower had appeared on the Information Leaf. Through observation, Zhao Yuan found two differences between Hao Li's setup and the one recorded on the Information Leaf.
The Information Leaf was passed down from Wu Peng, so it couldn't be wrong. The only possibility was that Hao Li had made a mistake!
Although the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower Hao Li had built was usable, its effects would be diminished, and it would have some drawbacks. It was better to have him correct it.
Hao Li glanced at Zhao Yuan, then at the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower in the stove, and chuckled. "You know about the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower? Did you see someone build one before? A pity. Either you're misremembering, or that person's skills were just terrible. The Nine Fire Exquisite Tower has to be built my way to be correct."
Zhao Yuan shook his head. "If you build it like that, when the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower burns, the Martial Fire will be fine, but the Mild Fire will be very hard to control. You'll have to stay by the stove and watch the heat constantly. The slightest lapse in attention will cause major fluctuations in the flame's intensity!"
"Huh?" Hao Li's expression changed instantly, because Zhao Yuan was exactly right.
After pondering for a moment, Hao Li walked to a corner, grabbed nine new pieces of firewood, carved Runes onto them, and then, following Zhao Yuan's instructions, assembled a brand new Nine Fire Exquisite Tower. He then struck a match, and a flame the size of a bean sprout instantly lit the entire tower.
The two head chefs observing from the side gaped in astonishment, unable to understand why nine pieces of firewood, once stacked together, would become so flammable.
But an even greater shock was yet to come.
With a flick of his wrist—or some other subtle motion—Hao Li somehow caused the raging flames on the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower to immediately weaken, transitioning from a fierce Martial Fire to a gentle Mild Fire.
Hao Li stepped aside and began to observe.
As time passed, the look of surprise on his face grew more and more pronounced.
Five minutes passed, and the flame remained steady, unchanged.
Ten minutes passed. Though the flame flickered, the heat it gave off remained constant.
Twenty minutes passed. Still the same!
Hao Li's jaw dropped, and he was utterly shocked. 'The Nine Fire Exquisite Towers I've been building have been wrong this whole time! No wonder the Mild Fire was always so unstable!' He snapped his head up and asked Zhao Yuan, "Where did you learn the correct way to build it?"
Of course, Zhao Yuan couldn't tell him the truth. "I saw it in an ancient book."
"What book?" Hao Li pressed.
Zhao Yuan continued to bluff. "I don't know. The cover was ruined."
Hao Li asked again, "Did that book contain knowledge of other Tripod Cuisine Schools?"
Zhao Yuan nodded. "Yes."
"Can you teach me?" Hao Li said with a hopeful expression. "I'd even be willing to take you as my master."
The two head chefs standing nearby gaped in shock.
In their memory, Hao Li had always been proud and arrogant. What had gotten into him today? Clamoring to be taught, even willing to become an apprentice to a master?
How could they possibly know how important knowledge related to cultivation was to a Cultivator?
Technique, wealth, companions, and location are the four essentials of cultivation, and technique ranks first—that's how crucial it is! For new knowledge that could enhance his power, even someone as proud and arrogant as Hao Li was willing to swallow his pride!
'Teach him? How am I supposed to do that?'
Zhao Yuan smiled wryly to himself.
He didn't know the first thing about the Tripod Cuisine School's Cultivation Technique.
But he didn't show any sign of weakness, calmly saying, "I have no plans to take on an apprentice for now, but I can give you some pointers. You continue cooking, and I'll watch from the side. If you make any mistakes, I'll point them out."
"Yes, yes, of course! Thank you, Master Zhao!" Hao Li nodded vigorously. His form of address for Zhao Yuan had changed from "Little Brother" to "Master."
He first rearranged the Nine Fire Exquisite Tower in the stove according to Zhao Yuan's suggestions. Just as he was about to proceed to the next step, he caught sight of the two head chefs standing nearby, frowned, and said, "You two can leave for now."
If he were cooking by himself, it wouldn't matter if the two were there to observe. But now, Zhao Yuan was about to give him guidance, which, in a sense, was a form of passing on knowledge. That being the case, the two head chefs could no longer stay.
Zhao Yuan's willingness to guide him was a great kindness; he couldn't push his luck.
The two head chefs left, filled with regret. Hao Li then went to cover the stairwell before returning to the stove to begin cooking the Snake Meat and Snake Gallbladder.
Zhao Yuan stood to the side, constantly giving him pointers.
"Your Butcher's Knife Skill is quite good, but your power-issuing technique is a bit lacking. Try adjusting it like this..."
"The order of ingredients is wrong here. The Ginseng should be added last..."
"Slapping the clay pot to vibrate the ingredients and medicinal materials with your Palm Power and draw out their essence is the right idea, but you shouldn't be using this Palm Technique. It's too rigid and forceful. You have a softer, more yin-style one, right? Yes, that's the one. That kind of Yin Soft Palm Technique, with its Soft Force, can better draw out the essence from the ingredients and medicinal materials..."
Zhao Yuan spoke without pause, only stopping when Hao Li had finished his work.
After placing the lid on the clay pot, Hao Li let out a long sigh. "Next, we just have to let it simmer over Mild Fire for half an hour, then it will be ready to serve." He immediately turned, gave Zhao Yuan a deep bow, and said, "Master Zhao, thank you for your guidance. Truly, listening to your words has been more enlightening than reading books for ten years!"
"Don't mention it." Zhao Yuan waved his hand and spoke frankly, "To be honest, I had selfish reasons for guiding you. Only when you perform every task to perfection can this Snake Meat, Snake Gallbladder, and the Spirit Medicinal Materials be cooked into the most delicious dish and unleash their greatest effects!"
Hao Li said with a serious expression, "Regardless of your intentions, the fact is that you guided and taught me! For a Cultivator, the grace of being taught a technique is nearly as great as the grace of having one's life saved. You may not care, but I must remember this kindness!"
Zhao Yuan smiled and said, "Alright, alright, don't be so formal. We're friends, aren't we?"
"That's right, we're friends!" Hao Li nodded forcefully. "If there's ever anything you need from me, Master Zhao, just say the word. I won't hesitate!"
"If we're friends, then stop calling me Master. Just call me Little Brother," Zhao Yuan said.
"Alright! Little Brother Zhao!" Hao Li nodded forcefully.
Half an hour passed, and the snake meat and snake gallbladder medicinal dishes were taken off the heat one after another.
Zhao Yuan called out, "Brother Hao, go ahead and take your share."
Hao Li shook his head. "These medicinal dishes were all cooked under your guidance. I've received your teachings, how could I possibly take a share of them?"
While the two men were being polite, the White Cat was not polite at all, leaping onto the stove to get at the medicinal dishes.
"You little rascal, so this was your plan for following me all along." Zhao Yuan chuckled, shaking his head. He gave the White Cat a small portion, and the little creature immediately began to wolf it down.
Zhao Yuan tried to persuade Hao Li a few more times, but seeing his firm refusal, he didn't insist further.
After exchanging contact information, Zhao Yuan politely declined Hao Li's kind offer to see him off. He used a phone app to call a car and returned to West Hua Medical University.
After getting out of the car, he waited until no one was looking and put the medicinal dishes into his Storage Ring Space.
When he returned to the dorm, his three brothers were already back.
Liu Zhu asked, "Third Brother, where did you go? Did you get the birthday present ready?"
"It's ready," Zhao Yuan nodded.
"What is it?" Wu Yan asked curiously.
Zhao Yuan kept them in suspense. "You'll find out tomorrow."
"Still being mysterious?" Wu Yan rolled his eyes. "Aren't you going to show us so we can give you some advice? Aren't you afraid Lin Xue won't like it?"
"I'm very confident in my gift," Zhao Yuan said with a smile. "Tomorrow, just you wait. You'll be dumbfounded!"
The three of them simultaneously gave him the middle finger, clearly not believing a word he said.
The next day, Zhao Yuan got up bright and early and spent a long time fussing over his appearance in front of the mirror, much to the amusement of his three brothers, who snickered for quite a while.
Once he was ready, the four of them took a taxi to Lin Xue's address. As for the girls, they had gone over with Lin Xue early in the morning.
In the car, Zhao Yuan stroked the sandalwood box containing the Moonlit Stars Necklace, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He was very curious. What kind of expression would Lin Xue have when she saw this necklace?
Surprise?
Enchantment?
Or would she be lost in a daze?
He was really looking forward to it!
PS: Please vote and donate~~ Aren't you all looking forward to Lin Xue's reaction?