The Soldier King Becomes a Useless Little Girl-Chapter 407 - 404: A Spirit Stove

Master Ji was a man of his word who did not brook any objections, and he let Xin Lin enter the inner part of the kitchen.

Xin Lin had been at Taoyao Pavilion for several days but it was her first time entering the inner part of the meal preparation area, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit curious.

The inner area was much more spacious than the outer area, roughly the size of two main rooms of Taoyao Pavilion combined.

As it was close to opening time, all the ingredients and various furnaces and stoves had been prepared.

Freshly cleaned ingredients and newly acquired medicinal herbs, chopping, garnishing, the capacious inner area was surprisingly staffed by more than a dozen people, most of whom were assistant chefs, primarily one-star and two-star Spiritual Delicacy Masters, all of whom were ready for work.

The other assistant chefs in the inner area also showed looks of surprise as they turned to look at Xin Lin.

For a general worker to enter the inner area was the first step towards becoming an assistant chef.

Such an event was not unprecedented in Taoyao Pavilion, but for a new worker, and one who was abruptly thrust into the meal prep area by the boss at that, to be allowed into the inner area was indeed an unprecedented first.

"Xiao Xin, don’t just stand there; go and keep an eye on the furnace."

Compared to others, Master Ji was undoubtedly much more at leisure.

He was holding a brightly polished copper furnace, walking back and forth in the inner area, checking the work of his helpers.

Xin Lin’s gaze was immediately drawn to the copper furnace.

It contained Spiritual Energy!

The Dan Wood Furnace kept in Chu Mansion was somewhat similar to the one in Master Ji’s hands, but a bit smaller.

This must be Master Ji’s Spiritual Food Furnace.

After acquiring the Dan Wood Furnace, Xin Lin had also studied spirit stoves.

Be it a Spiritual Delicacy Master or an Elixir Alchemist, each had their respective Pill Furnace and Spirit Stove.

Ordinary chefs would just use pots and pans.

But upon becoming a Spiritual Delicacy Master, especially when preparing two-star and above Spirit Cuisine, it was necessary to use a Spirit Stove.

Despite appearing as just a small furnace, there were significant particulars to attend to.

Spirit Stoves were classified into several kinds: the most common were wood stoves, followed by iron furnaces, then somewhat finer were copper furnaces, with silver furnaces and golden furnaces being superior, and of course, these furnaces were not crafted from ordinary materials.

By the level of silver furnaces and above, only existences like Spiritual Cuisine Masters, such as those in Longteng Imperial Palace, could afford to use them.

A single Spirit Stove could cost at least a few thousands, or even tens of thousands—it was a tool of the trade for Spiritual Delicacy Masters, not to be lightly displayed in public. Only three-star and above delicacies or special spiritual materials warranted the use of a Spirit Stove.

When not in use, a Spirit Stove had to be carefully stored, even reverently taken care of.

On normal days, Master Ji would not use his Spirit Stove, and if he brought it out today, it was because of the evening’s Spiritual Banquet and the freshly bought Fire Dragon Ginseng.

Allowing Xin Lin into the inner area was in part to watch over the fire; moreover, Master Ji wanted Xin Lin to formally witness the process of preparing Spiritual Cuisine.

After all, the preparation of three-star and above Spirit Cuisine was out of the ordinary, and if Xin Lin could learn something from the process, it would be greatly beneficial to her future path as a Spiritual Delicacy Master.

Of course, Xin Lin did not yet know what spectacle she would soon face.

After letting Xin Lin in, Master Ji immediately went to arrange the staff.

"The stoves are over there. For tonight’s Spiritual Banquet, besides ten dishes of one-star and below Spirit Cuisine for each table, as well as one three-star Spirit Cuisine, the rest are one-star Spirit Delicacies and some common dishes to be cooked on ordinary stoves. You go and tend to stove number one; you must not let the fire go out during this time. Otherwise, if you spoil the dishes, it’s on you."

Following closely behind, Master Ji quietly scoffed to himself, assigning Xin Lin to tend the fire.