The day after the birthday, Ning Fengzhi did indeed go to the training grounds.
Rongrong had said she would not wait for him, but once practice began, she still could not help glancing toward the edge of the grounds twice. The third time she looked up, she saw her father already standing beside Gu Rong and nearly recited the soul incantation on her lips too soon.
"What are you looking at me for?" Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. "Look ahead."
She hurriedly turned her gaze back. Only when the disciple in front actually stepped out did the strength amplification settle onto him. After practice, Rongrong went over to ask whether her father had seen it. Ning Fengzhi said he had, and added that if she could make it steadier next time, it would be even better than today.
She remembered those words for several days. When Chen An heard Gu Rong mention it in the Kitchen, he was serving Uncle Zhou some rice. At those words, he casually scooped out an extra half-spoonful, only for the old man to notice.
"What, a word of praise for Rongrong makes you happy too?"
"She waited for Uncle Ning that day without even eating her Eight Treasure Rice first." Chen An handed him the bowl. "This half-spoonful is for you. Don't let her know."
Gu Rong left with his rice, but in the end, he did not keep that secret for him. When Rongrong came over that afternoon, she first asked about him giving Grandpa Bone extra rice, then said she would be practicing again tomorrow and told him to come watch if he had time.
And so the days moved on.
He had to light the stoves for breakfast, sometimes train with Grandpa Sword in the afternoon, then return in the evening to inspect the ingredients bought that day. Chen Chuan and the others continued cooking the big-pot dishes in the front courtyard, while Uncle Zhou stayed at the small stove to help him. Those twenty disciples who regularly came to eat still ran over whether they had business or not. When Rongrong passed by after practice, she would poke her head in to see what was on the stove; sometimes, when Chen An was busy, she would sit by the door and wait until Uncle Zhou brought out the hot food, then tell him about what had happened at the training grounds.
After closing down the stoves at night, Chen An went to meditate. Cooking and cultivating Soul Power-he neglected neither.
The little bit of Soul Power and physical constitution granted by favorable reviews did not amount to much on any single occasion. But as he cooked meal after meal, with his nightly circulation of Soul Power added in, those gains accumulated day by day, and he was no longer treading water. More than half a year had passed since Rongrong's seventh birthday; by his reckoning, it had been nearly a year since he last reached Level 23.
Chen An had first noticed the change while making dinner a few days earlier. That day, several baskets of rice were still in the steamer, and the soup beside the stove was not ready either. After finishing his work and returning to his room, he had barely sat down before he felt that his Soul Power had reached the threshold. It seemed he was only a tiny step away from moving further.
He did not force his way through that night. The next day, he chopped vegetables and carried plates as usual, then went to Chen Xin that afternoon and told him about it.
After listening, Chen Xin told him to sit down in the room as usual. He did not leave either, but sat nearby reading a book.
"Don't keep thinking about the soup on the stove tonight."
"I left Uncle Zhou watching it."
"Then bring your mind back here."
Chen An acknowledged him. What he had done that day and which ingredients he needed the next morning could still have gone around in his head a couple of times, but at the sound of pages turning, his mind instead gradually quieted.
His Soul Power circulated along its usual route again and again. At first, there was no earth-shaking disturbance; it merely flowed a little more smoothly than yesterday. After another circuit, he finally stepped steadily across the point he had always fallen just short of.
When Chen An opened his eyes, it was already completely dark outside the window. Chen Xin still sat in the same place, but his book was closed.
"Grandpa Sword."
Seeing his expression, the old man knew what he was about to say and raised a hand to signal him not to get up yet. Chen An could only straighten up again and let him examine his Soul Power and body. Only after that hand left his shoulder did he hear, "Level thirty."
From Level 23 to this point, he had cooked no shortage of meals over nearly a year, nor had he spent any fewer nights cultivating. Chen An had thought he would jump for joy, but when he actually heard those words, he first let out a long breath.
"Finally."
"Yes, you've reached it." Chen Xin set the book on the table. "But cultivating more now won't conjure up another ring out of thin air. Go back and sleep. Tomorrow we'll discuss where to look."
"It's still early."
"You've been sitting here for several hours, and you call that early?"
Chen An looked out the window. There was nothing but darkness, and he laughed too. On his way back, he passed the Kitchen, where the dinner Uncle Zhou had saved for him was still warm. After eating, he held back for quite a while, but finally told Uncle Zhou that he had just reached level thirty.
Uncle Zhou froze for a moment, then took the empty bowl from his hands.
"Does that mean you're heading out again tomorrow?"
"We haven't decided yet."
"How could you not go when it's a matter of hunting a Soul Ring?" Uncle Zhou put the bowl in the basin. "Get some sleep first. You don't need to worry about mealtimes. It's not Chen Chuan and the others' first day cooking."
By the next morning, Ning Fengzhi knew too. After breakfast, he had someone invite Gu Rong over. The elders sat down in the room with Chen An, even closing the door.
At the words "level thirty," Ning Fengzhi's hand paused with his tea. He remembered that Chen An had last reached Level 23 before Rongrong's birthday. By now, it had only been nearly a year.
Gu Rong walked up to Chen An and gave his shoulder a light pat. "Seeing you tending the stove every day, I almost forgot. At your age, you're already looking for your third Soul Ring."
"Tending the stove hasn't held up my cultivation."
"I know it hasn't." As Gu Rong spoke, he glanced back at Chen Xin. "This grandson of yours really doesn't leave anyone a chance to catch him slacking these days."
Chen Xin's expression remained mild. He nudged the tea leaves with the lid of his cup and said nothing. Yet after Chen An left the night before, he had sat under the lamplight for quite a while longer, and it had not all been for the sake of that book.
Rongrong had finished her morning practice and was resting in her own courtyard, while Uncle Zhou was busy clearing away the bowls and chopsticks. At present, only the three elders knew about the Twin Martial Souls in the first place. Now that it was time to choose the third ring, they naturally discussed it only here.
Ning Fengzhi first asked about his physical condition, then heard Chen Xin say that he had already examined his Soul Power and found no problems from forcing a breakthrough. Only then did he look at Chen An.
"Have you decided this time? Which Martial Soul will you add a ring to?"
"The Dragon-Transforming Pot."
His answer came so quickly that Gu Rong laughed. "I don't think you've ever spent this little time thinking about a meal. Are you still leaving that knife empty?"
"The knife is already usable," Chen An said. "Whether I need to chop bones or slice fish, I just have to change its form. But another Soul Ring for the pot means another new dish. At least for now, I'd rather get the cooking right first."
It was not as though he had never considered the Eternal Spirit Knife. But when the people at his tables returned from training-injured, exhausted, or drained of Soul Power-their first question was always what they could eat that day. However sharp the knife in his hand was, for the time being, it could not produce a bowl of hot soup.
"It won't be too late to add rings to the knife later," Chen An added. "I'm not planning to leave it empty forever."
Ning Fengzhi glanced at Chen Xin. Chen Xin had already known he would choose this, and now that he had heard him explain it clearly, he did not change his decision for him.
"We need to choose the Soul Beast for your third ring even more carefully than the first two times," Chen Xin said. "Its age is one matter, and whether it suits your Martial Soul is another. Once we see it, we'll decide whether to take it."
"I'll listen to Grandpa Sword."
Gu Rong chuckled beside them. "So now you know to listen. Last time, when we were looking for your second ring, who went straight for a thousand-year one?"
"I listened that time too."
"You listened, but you certainly didn't stop asking."
For a moment, Chen An had no way to argue. Seeing that the grandfather and grandson were about to bicker again, Ning Fengzhi simply settled the arrangements for the trip: Chen Xin would accompany Chen An, while Gu Rong stayed at the sect to look after Rongrong; the sect would prepare a carriage and dry provisions for the journey. If they found a suitable one, they would take it. If not, they would rather stay a few extra days.
Before leaving the sect, Chen An made another trip to the Kitchen. Uncle Zhou had already portioned out the seasonings commonly used at the small stove. Chen Chuan and several other adult kitchen hands would handle mealtimes in the front courtyard, and the twenty regular disciples also knew that there would be no popcorn or Soul Skill soup for the next few days.
Fang Ming happened to come over to return a bowl. Hearing that Chen An was going to get his third ring, he immediately remembered the soup whose rich aroma had filled the whole room last time.
"Will there be another new dish when you get back?"
"I haven't even seen the Soul Ring yet, and you're already thinking about food."
"Can't I even ask?"
"Ask again when I get back." Chen An took his bowl and handed it to Uncle Zhou. "Meals will be served as usual these next few days. Don't think you can wash one less bowl just because I'm away."
Fang Ming took the bowl back. Uncle Zhou laughed at him from the side, but his hands never stopped working, and he turned to check the fire for lunch.
When Rongrong learned that Chen An was leaving, she had just finished a round of practice and had not yet withdrawn the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her hand. She ran to the courtyard gate and immediately asked, "How long will you be gone?"
"Hard to say. We have to find a suitable Soul Beast."
"Then when you get back, tell me what you saw first."
"Come to you first?"
"Mm." Rongrong nodded, then added, "Don't only tell Grandpa Sword."
"All right."
Chen An agreed, then followed Chen Xin into the carriage. Gu Rong stood at the gate and watched the carriage slowly recede. When he turned and saw Rongrong still gazing at the mountain road, he reminded her to put away the pagoda in her hand first.
"I forgot." She hurriedly withdrew her Martial Soul, but was still murmuring, "I wonder what Soul Beast it'll be this time."
Sitting in the carriage, Chen An was wondering the same thing. Of the Dragon-Transforming Pot's first two dishes, one became popcorn, while the other required soup to simmer over a low flame. No one could say what the third ring would bring.
The carriage left the sect, and the mountain road gradually widened. Chen Xin raised a hand to lift the carriage curtain, checked the road ahead, then turned back and said, "We'll take our time choosing this time. Don't get impatient."
"I won't." Chen An gripped the edge of the carriage window, answering readily, though his gaze had already gone to the far end of the road.
If he found a suitable Soul Ring sooner, then when he returned, Rongrong could hear him tell her just what he had seen on this trip.
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