Good to have you back. Let him rest first

By the time they returned to the sect, lunchtime had already passed.

The carriage had barely stopped when Chen An saw Rongrong coming out with Gu Rong. The little girl had been walking along quite normally, but the moment she saw him get out, she ran over.

"Brother Chen An!"

After calling out, she looked him over front and back, not even sparing his sleeves. Only after finding no injuries and seeing that he looked well did she reach for his luggage.

"You promised me. I get to hear about it first."

"I haven't forgotten." Chen An slipped the strap off his shoulder. "This is heavy. Let someone take it inside first."

Rongrong looked at it and finally took only the waterskin tucked on the outside. Gu Rong came over to take the luggage and gave Chen An's shoulder a pat. Only after confirming that he really was all right did he turn to Chen Xin.

"Back at last. These past few days, someone has been running to your quarters the moment practice ends."

Rongrong immediately turned around. "I didn't neglect my practice."

"I never said you did."

Gu Rong walked on with a smile, and Chen Xin went to see Ning Fengzhi, leaving that patch by the entrance to the two children.

Chen An sat beneath the covered walkway and first told Rongrong about the Soul Beasts he had encountered on the trip. Rather than starting from the day they left, he picked out what he had actually seen in the forest. When he reached the claw marks, he even took a twig and sketched them on the ground.

Rongrong had wanted to guess what had made them, but when he said he had not recognized them either, she could not help laughing.

"I thought you knew everything."

"I know plenty about dishes. Soul Beasts are another matter."

"What happened next?"

Chen An told her about the Mandala Snake that had darted out of the bushes. Only after hearing that the snake had struck the Soul Power and then been forced back by Grandpa Sword did Rongrong breathe a sigh of relief. Then she complained about how he had spent so long talking about whether he recognized things.

"I was telling you what I ran into first."

She was the one who had wanted to hear about it, after all.

Unable to argue with that for the moment, Rongrong could only let him continue. Chen An did not make himself sound especially impressive, either. He had delivered the final blow, but Grandpa Sword had restrained the snake and broken through its scales.

Had he really gone alone, he would hardly have had a chance to sit here telling the story now.

After finishing the events in the forest, he told her about the student whose arm had been poisoned on their way back. Hearing that the new porridge could clear poison, Rongrong immediately looked at his belt.

"Did you bring the porridge back?"

"It's made fresh and eaten fresh. I didn't bring any."

"What does it look like?"

"Seven colors. When you lift the lid, there's something like a little rainbow in the steam."

Now Rongrong wanted to see it even more. But before she could ask him to make it, someone came out and invited the two children inside.

Ning Fengzhi had already heard the results of the Soul Hunting from Chen Xin. When Chen An entered, he first told him to sit down, then glanced at Rongrong, who had followed beside him carrying his waterskin.

"Have you heard about what he saw?"

"Yes, and about the journey back, too."

"Then let him rest first."

Rongrong put the waterskin away and sat down beside Chen An without urging him again. Ning Fengzhi listened as Chen Xin finished describing the absorption, and only truly relaxed after confirming that the child had not been injured.

Around seven thousand years, a purple third Soul Ring, and Level 33 after absorption.

In terms of progress alone, it was certainly cause for happiness. But he had watched Chen An grow up. No matter how good a Soul Ring was, it only meant anything if the child brought it home safe and sound.

Gu Rong had still been smiling outside the entrance, but hearing its age, he gave Chen Xin another look. Only after the old fellow clearly explained the checks before and after, and his protection during absorption, did he reach out to examine Chen An himself.

There was indeed nothing wrong.

"Usually, all I see is you busy in the Kitchen, and now you're already a Soul Elder." Gu Rong withdrew his hand. "If anyone says your cooking holds back your cultivation again, I'll ask them what level they reached at your age."

Chen An laughed at that.

"I haven't been idling away my evenings."

"I know. Your Grandpa Sword told us."

Chen Xin did not interject. He simply held his tea and watched Chen An enjoying himself in front of Gu Rong. The child had worked hard lately. He deserved a few words of praise.

When they moved on to his third Soul Skill, Chen An explained the effects of Rainbow Porridge and the changes in Cheng Yu after eating it. Hearing that they had met a teacher from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy on the road, Ning Fengzhi asked his name and took note of this encounter.

"Clearing the lingering poison is one thing. The wound still needs time to heal," he said. "It's good that you can distinguish between the two. If anyone wants to use it in the future, ask what their condition is first."

Chen An agreed. Qin Ming had watched over his student throughout this incident and examined him both before and after. Chen An had not treated drinking porridge as a solution to every kind of poison, either.

Once the family knew the outcome, they did not ask him to make a pot on the spot.

They could try the new Soul Skill anytime. After the journey home, what mattered now was letting the child eat, wash up, and rest comfortably for a while.

Rongrong was still beside Chen An when he left. Once outside the courtyard, she did not ask about Rainbow Porridge again. Instead, she asked whether the books had pictures of the Soul Beasts he had mentioned.

"Some of them," Chen An said. "But I think there's still a gap between seeing a picture and actually encountering one."

"Then I'll look next time, too."

When she had hunted for her own first ring, Grandpa Bone had done most of the choosing for her. Now, after hearing so much from Chen An, she wanted to know whether she could recognize anything if she saw those claw marks herself.

There was no hurry to do that today. Chen An promised to bring her the books he had read another day, and the two went to the Kitchen together.

The door had barely opened when Uncle Zhou spotted him.

"You're back? The food's still warm. Sit down first."

Chen An had intended to check the stove, but at those words, Uncle Zhou led him straight to the table. His bowl and chopsticks were already set out: a bowl of hot rice and a few ordinary dishes. It was not his own cooking, but he enjoyed the meal just the same.

After several days on the road, he had come home to someone saving him food and even lifting the pot lid for him. What was there to be picky about?

Fang Ming came over from the back courtyard, originally to help Uncle Zhou deliver something. Seeing Chen An seated at the table, he immediately quickened his steps.

"You're back."

"Just got back."

"Then tomorrow..."

Before he could finish, Uncle Zhou looked over.

"Let him finish his meal."

"I'm not rushing him. I'm just asking." Fang Ming put down what he was carrying. "Chen An, get some proper rest today. We're in no hurry."

Despite saying that, he remained standing beside them, even forgetting to take away the empty basin he had just put down.

Chen An swallowed his mouthful of rice and smiled at him. "Tomorrow will be business as usual. No new dishes today. I'll take a breather first."

"That's good, then."

Fang Ming answered too quickly. Afterward, feeling that something about his words seemed inappropriate, he hurriedly picked up the basin and went out back. Rongrong laughed beside them, and Uncle Zhou could not be bothered to call him out. He turned back to tend the soup on the stove.

Regular meals had continued uninterrupted over the past few days. Chen Chuan and the others had looked after the front courtyard, and some of the small kitchen's regular diners had come to help, too. The pots, ladles, and seasonings Chen An had left behind were still in their usual places, not the slightest bit out of order.

Once Chen An finished eating, Uncle Zhou went over the ingredients purchased in recent days. Hearing that there were both chicken and peanuts, Chen An knew what he had to work with.

He had yet to serve the Kung Pao Chicken he had learned a while ago.

He had returned from this trip with a new Soul Skill; it was time to give the ordinary dishes a new flavor, too. As long as the chicken was fresh and the scallions, ginger, and dried chilies were ready, he could make it for lunch tomorrow.

"Uncle Zhou, set aside some chicken tomorrow morning. I'll make Kung Pao Chicken."

"Tell me how much you need."

Chen An specified the amount based on their usual number of diners, then asked Uncle Zhou to reserve the chicken thigh meat. Kung Pao Chicken needed a quick stir-fry over high heat. If he tipped it all into the wok at once, the meat would release water before he could stir-fry it properly. Tomorrow, he would cook it in several batches, and Uncle Zhou would send them out as they were ready, so everyone could eat it fresh from the wok.

"Save some peanuts, too. Don't let them take them all for snacks."

"They're already in the cupboard," Uncle Zhou said with a smile. "When you mentioned making it just now, I kept them back."

Chen An glanced at the cupboard, feeling even more at ease. He had not even started on the new dish, and someone was already thinking ahead for him. Coming home to cook saved him more than just this little bit of work.

Once they had arranged the ingredients, Chen An did not linger by the stove. Rongrong walked him to his courtyard gate, and before leaving, reminded him to call her when it was time to eat tomorrow.

"I want the new dish, and I want to see the rainbow, too."

"All right. Once I've rested."

With that promise, she finally left satisfied.

Chen An returned to his room and washed off the dust of the journey. Not long after lying down, he fell into a deep sleep. As for tomorrow's lunch, the ingredients had already been arranged. Once he woke, he only needed to fire up the stove.

Back in the Kitchen, Fang Ming helped carry away the empty basin but did not hurry to leave.

He had heard Chen An discussing the new dish with Uncle Zhou.

Kung Pao Chicken. He had never tried it.

But that would not stop him from coming early tomorrow.