The fire crackled as the sun slipped beneath the horizon, painting the sky in amber and plum..
The scent rising from the spit had grown irresistible, caralized dreamroot glaze, crispy golden skin, and the distinct warmth of fire ginger hanging heavy in the air.
Ace gave the spit one final turn and nodded. "It's ready."
He lifted the skewered chickens off the fire and laid them onto a wooden board carved from spirit oak, letting the juices settle before slicing.
With deft hands, he carved the birds cleanly, separating the wings, thighs, and breast into perfect cuts.
The at stead as it was sliced, very tender and gleaming, infused with flavor.
Even the bones shimred faintly from the spiritual nourishnt.
"Co," he said simply.
Liu i didn't need to be told twice. She bounced over, eyes sparkling, and picked up a thigh with both hands.
"It slls like mama's," she whispered, almost reverently.
Tushan sat down next to her, wide-eyed. "I've never had chicken that slls this good…."
Ace passed them each a portion, then tossed a few spirit bones toward Little Aoki, who caught them mid-air and nuzzled Ace gratefully before settling down with a deep contented grunt.
They began to eat and for a long mont, no one spoke.
The first bite brought silence.
Liu i's eyes went wide, and she nearly forgot to chew.
The skin crackled just right, the glaze tangy and sweet, the at so tender it practically lted on her tongue.
Her shoulders relaxed as warmth spread from her chest down to her belly.
"…Master," she whispered, "this is so good I think I'm going to cry."
Ace chuckled, mouth full. "Don't. It'll ruin the flavor."
Tushan bit into a wing, then blinked slowly. "Oh stars... I think I saw my ancestors for a second."
"Careful," Ace said with a smirk. "You'll want to live long enough to try the pig later."
Liu i leaned back, arms splayed in the grass. "Master, you can't just be handso, wise, and also know how to cook like this. Leave so talents for the rest of us."
"I'll think about it," he said, tossing her a napkin.
The stars began to peek through the sky above, twinkling gently as a soft night wind stirred the trees.
The campfire dimd to a warm glow. Crickets began their nightti chorus.
"Alright, now that you know how it's done, Tushan," Ace said, leaning back and patting his stomach. "You cook the next one. I have high hopes for you."
Tushan's eyes lit up like twin moons.
Mischief danced in them, pure and unfiltered. Ace caught the glint and muttered under his breath, "Uh oh."
But he didn't stop her, hell he didn't even try. At least she's cooking in front of him, unless she try to out sothing like dirt or vomit, he planned to not make a move.
Tushan clapped her hands, cracked her neck, and stood like a warrior about to enter battle. "Clear the field! Culinary genius is about to begin."
Liu i asked curiosly. "Master, are you sure about this? She may cook good but the ingredients she uses are always shady. "
Ace smiled faintly. "She's creative. Let's see what she's got. And if she takes out any shady ingredients,we both are here to stop her."
Tushan humd a bizarre tune as she pulled out her ingredients.
Instead of the traditional glaze and fla-char, she began setting up a little wooden rack, rune-etched and reinforced with cooling talismans.
Then, she summoned a basin of chilled water.
"…You're poaching it?" Ace asked, raising a brow.
"No," she said, giggling, "I'm steeping it. Watch and be amazed!"
She added strange ingredients to the water, moon herb, a pinch of powdered frost peach, three drops of night sap, and a crushed sun lotus.
The water shimred violet, then turned faintly golden.
A warm fragrance blood that didn't belong to any one region, it slled ancient, floral, sharp, and bold all at once.
Then she carefully lowered the spirit chicken into the broth, skin-side down, and activated a gentle heat sigil beneath the pot.
The air changed.
Liu i leaned forward, curiosity winning over suspicion. "That… slls kind of amazing."
Ace tilted his head, arms folded. "That blend… You used opposing elents?"
Tushan grinned like a fox caught with a stolen gem. "Exactly! Fire and frost, sun and moon, harmony through contradiction. It's the taste of duality."
"You sound like Elder Akha when she talks about herbs," Ace muttered.
Half an hour passed in tantalizing scent and soft bubbling.
Then it was done.
Tushan plated it not with a knife, but by letting the at separate on its own from the bones, so tender that even the cartilage had gone soft and translucent.
She drizzled it with a syrup she'd concocted from apple vinegar and honeyroot, then handed them each a bowl.
Ace took a bite.
The texture was like silk and steam. A cooling note danced across his tongue, then gave way to a slow, rolling heat at the back of his throat.
The taste was bright, ethereal, like biting into sunlight that had passed through snow.
He paused mid-chew, eyes narrowing slightly.
"…This is really good," he admitted, albeit reluctantly.
Tushan bead.
Liu i stared at her bowl. "Wait. This might be better than Master's."
Ace paused mid-chew. "Now, now, Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"Too late." Tushan tossed her hair with flair. "You may now call Chef Tushan."
Following that, the spirit chickens were finished up first. Not a bone remained.
Even the cartilage had been slurped away with a kind of reverence, though not without Liu i nearly choking once from laughing while chewing.
Now, it was ti for the real feast.
Ace stood and cracked his back with a satisfied groan.
"Alright," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's move on to the spirit pigs."
"Yes!" Liu i shouted with both fists in the air, her cheeks still shiny with grease. "Ti for the main event!"
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