Enjoying Delicious Food Earns System Rewards Too?

At the cafeteria window, the menial disciple changed his expression faster than he could flip a page. An obsequious smile spread across his face, as if his earlier coldness had never existed.

The two youths standing nearby stared in dumbfounded confusion.

They instinctively turned to look at Lu Yang beside them, unable to make sense of it.

That menial disciple hadn't treated them like this just now!

Weren't they all bottom-rankers from the same intake who had yet to pass the assessment?

Why the different treatment?!

Lu Yang hadn't expected the menial disciple to change his expression so smoothly, either.

But he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.

He had money in his pocket, and that gave him confidence.

Calmly, he accepted the menu the menial disciple handed him with both hands.

Once a customer ordered Spirit Cuisine, the menial disciple would take the dishes out of a Storage Bag.

The cafeteria in the entry-level disciples' quarters had no dedicated Spirit Chef.

All the Spirit Cuisine was prepared in advance by the outer sect's Spirit Chefs, sealed in Storage Bags using a special method, and brought over for the menial disciples to sell.

Space inside a Storage Bag was peculiar, and time seemed to stand still.

Spirit Cuisine came out exactly as it went in, staying as fresh and hot as the moment it left the pan.

Lu Yang's gaze slowly swept down the menu.

Stir-fried spirit mushrooms, flash-fried spirit pork, red-braised spirit pig trotters...

Most of the dishes at the beginning were made from basic ingredients containing Spiritual Qi, such as spirit mushrooms and spirit pork. They weren't particularly precious and could be bought with Spirit Stone fragments.

Farther down the menu, Demon Beast ingredients began to appear, and the prices shot up. The expensive dishes cost as much as two or three Spirit Stones.

Lu Yang tapped a fingertip near the bottom of the menu and said unhurriedly, "I'll have the red-braised Flamehorn Wolf meat and the spicy white jade bamboo shoots."

The two youths beside him, who had still been fuming moments ago, sucked in a sharp breath at the same time, almost certain they had misheard.

They stared blankly at Lu Yang, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Those were the two most expensive dishes on the menu!

Each one cost a full three Spirit Stones!

Together, that was six Spirit Stones!

That was nearly more than half a month's allowance for an ordinary disciple!

With that many Spirit Stones, he could have bought a dose of Spirit Gathering Powder and made a serious push in his cultivation. Instead, he was spending them on Spirit Cuisine?!

Spirit Cuisine might be good, but its medicinal effects were ultimately inferior to pills.

After all, a large part of the premium went toward satisfying one's appetite.

They simply couldn't understand spending so much money on a single meal.

The world of the rich was just too absurd, wasn't it?

The menial disciple was also taken aback for a moment.

To be honest, he hadn't expected Lu Yang to order the two most expensive meat dishes.

Even during the first year or two of each intake, when the disciples from aristocratic clans were still here, those willing to order Spirit Cuisine this expensive were definitely a minority.

He immediately breathed a long sigh of relief, secretly congratulating himself.

Good thing I've got a sharp eye. The moment I saw this senior brother, I could tell he had confidence and was no ordinary person.

Sure enough!

It never hurts to be polite!

The burly menial disciple's smile grew even brighter, taking on a hint of ingratiation. "Senior Brother, you really know your food! Both of these dishes are specialties of our outer sect's senior brother Spirit Chefs!"

As he spoke, he brushed a hand over his Storage Bag.

A light flickered on the windowsill, and two steaming plates of Spirit Cuisine appeared out of thin air.

In an instant, an extraordinarily rich aroma burst forth, plunging into everyone's nostrils like invisible hooks.

The red-braised Flamehorn Wolf meat was coated in a rich, ruddy sauce, its meaty fragrance laced with a faint wisp of flame Spiritual Qi, hot and full-bodied.

The spicy white jade bamboo shoots were crisp and refreshingly hot, their savory fragrance seemingly carrying the freshness of morning dew.

The two scents intertwined, stealing hearts and souls.

The moment the two youths nearby caught the aroma, their throats bobbed uncontrollably as they swallowed hard, their eyes fixed on the two dishes.

Lu Yang's mouth watered too, and his eyes lit up.

It smells incredible!

For the aroma alone, these six Spirit Stones were more than worth it!

Eager to taste the food, he reached into his Storage Bag, pulled out six glittering low-grade Spirit Stones, and handed them over.

The menial disciple hurriedly accepted them, then suddenly remembered something and quickly took out a bowl of spirit rice.

Every grain was crystal clear, as if each one glimmered with a faint light.

"Senior Brother, your Spirit Cuisine came to more than five Spirit Stones. According to the rules, you get a free bowl of spirit rice as well," the menial disciple said with an attentive smile.

Lu Yang didn't stand on ceremony. He nodded calmly and accepted the spirit rice too.

Carrying the wooden tray, he turned and found an empty seat in an unoccupied spot in the cafeteria.

The rich aroma drifted along with him, enveloping nearly half the cafeteria.

The surrounding disciples raised their heads one after another, their noses twitching involuntarily. The sounds of swallowing rose and fell around the room, and their faces were filled with bewilderment and longing.

"Holy crap... that smells amazing! Who bought Spirit Cuisine?"

"That smell... it doesn't seem to be one of the cheap basic dishes. Could there still be a disciple from an aristocratic clan who hasn't passed the entry assessment?"

"Oh man... every time I smell Spirit Cuisine, I can't help drooling. With that aroma to go with it, I could stuff down two more bowls of plain rice!"

"I see him! Over there! That senior brother is eating Spirit Cuisine!"

Everyone's gazes swung toward Lu Yang in unison, their eyes full of envy and complicated feelings. The ordinary food on their tables instantly became as tasteless as chewing wax.

Among the crowd were a few disciples who had run into Lu Yang that morning. They exchanged bewildered looks.

A square-faced disciple lowered his voice, his eyes full of disbelief. "Th-that's Lu Yang, isn't it? He's that rich?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he has a mid-grade Spirit Root..."

Another muttered, "Maybe his family's actually extremely well-off?"

"But if his family had that kind of money, shouldn't he have made a breakthrough by now, even with a mid-grade Spirit Root...?"

Their minds were tangled in a thousand thoughts, but they couldn't come up with a reasonable answer.

Outside the cafeteria entrance, Wang Lin hurried along, unable to suppress the excitement on his face.

As expected of a Qi Nourishing Pill!

He had swallowed one while cultivating just now, and the Spiritual Qi circulating through his body had instantly surged to more than three times its usual speed!

Even now, that surging medicinal power was still coursing through his meridians.

He had only stopped cultivating because his body was too hungry to hold out any longer. He planned to wolf down a few bites before rushing straight back to continue cultivating diligently.

But the moment he stepped through the cafeteria entrance, an overwhelmingly powerful aroma rushed into his nostrils.

He was already so hungry his belly was sticking to his back. When the aroma hit him, it was as if an invisible hand had clutched his stomach hard. His insides churned, and his belly rumbled loud enough to shake the heavens.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed a great gulp of saliva, then he raised his head and looked around the cafeteria in bewilderment.

Someone bought Spirit Cuisine?

It smells that good?

He looked in the direction where nearly everyone's gaze in the cafeteria had converged.

The next second, he froze in place, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He saw a youth sitting at a nearby table, leisurely enjoying two plates of Spirit Cuisine that looked and smelled wonderful.

Wang Lin: "...??"

Lu Yang?!

Suspecting that hunger had blurred his vision, he rubbed his eyes hard and stared again.

Holy crap?!

It really is fucking Lu Yang?!

Where did this kid get the Spirit Stones to buy Spirit Cuisine??

His mind went blank for a moment, and his thoughts ground to a halt.

But by the time he came to his senses, he found that his legs had already carried him toward Lu Yang of their own accord.

He decided not to change direction and instead quickened his pace, his footsteps thudding as he walked over.

Soon, Wang Lin stood beside Lu Yang's table, his gaze falling on the two dishes.

He was taken aback at first. Once he recognized what they were, the corner of his eye twitched, and he said in shock, "These two dishes... don't look cheap, do they? Lu Yang, where did you get the Spirit Stones?"

Lu Yang was bent over his food. He wasn't eating crudely, but his chopsticks moved swiftly, and he was immersed in the happiness the delicious meal brought him.

Delicious! So delicious!

The medicinal effects really can't compare to pills, but it's a treat for my mouth!

This mouth has been with me for so many years, and it's never had a single treat.

Now that I can afford it, I should reward it properly.

Unfortunately, I'm only bringing in twelve Spirit Stones a day right now. That's not enough to eat like this at every meal.

He had already worked it out in his head: he would have a good meal every other day and make do with something a little more modest on the days between.

Just as he was happily enjoying his meal, Wang Lin's voice suddenly sounded beside him.

Lu Yang looked up, still slowly chewing a tender piece of wolf meat, and saw the disbelief on Wang Lin's face.

He swallowed the meat unhurriedly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. "Someone gave them to me."

Wang Lin's expression went through a whole series of changes, as if a bottle of five flavors had been overturned. He pressed in disbelief, "Someone gave you Spirit Stones?! Aren't you going to use them to buy pills for cultivation?"

Looking at Wang Lin's complicated expression, as if he were on the verge of losing it, Lu Yang chuckled and twisted the knife. "I have enough for pills too."

Wang Lin froze on the spot.

Only that morning, he had been in high spirits as he showed off to Lu Yang that he had received a whole bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills.

Yet now, not only did Lu Yang have enough money for pills, he could also spend a fortune in Spirit Stones on Spirit Cuisine of this caliber?!

Wang Lin's composure instantly shattered into pieces.

What benefactor did this kid run into?

Someone was actually willing to give him that many Spirit Stones??

Wang Lin understood that even if he asked, Lu Yang would never tell him.

The corners of his mouth twitched several times before he managed to force out a brilliant smile uglier than a crying face. "Hahaha... I see. Well, enjoy your meal. I'm going to eat too."

With that, he turned and walked away on unsteady feet, as if he had lost his soul, his retreating figure carrying an indescribably dazed air.

Lu Yang merely glanced at him before looking away, paying him no more attention and returning to his meal.

Before long, he had polished off both plates of Spirit Cuisine, leaving not a single grain of spirit rice in his bowl.

He leaned back in his chair contentedly, rubbed his slightly swollen belly, and let out a breath of turbid air.

That meal was so satisfying.

Just then, a screen of light appeared before him without warning, and a clear line of text sprang into view.

[The host enjoyed delicious food and is in a pleasant mood. Reward: 300 low-grade Spirit Stones, Low-Level Rebate Card ×1!]

Lu Yang's pupils contracted sharply, and he froze as if rooted to the spot. Then wild joy surged through his heart like raging waves.

"!!!!"

What?!

There's a reward for enjoying delicious food?!

I get to eat and take something away too?!

...Is that really okay?

Oh, I'm the one getting to eat and take something away.

Then of course it couldn't be better.