Chapter 25: The Floral Gourmet

"Wow! This is delicious!"

Holding the egg yolk pastry in both hands, Zhao Qian couldn't help but exclaim. She closed her eyes blissfully, savoring the lingering sweetness on her lips.

"Bui~"

Beside her, Bubi watched this scene, swallowing hard and calling out anxiously. Seeing no response from Zhao Qian, it puffed out its cheeks and leaned in, pressing its cold, frosty horns against her cheek.

"Sss..."

Zhao Qian shivered and quickly snapped back to reality. Seeing Bubi’s aggrieved expression, she gave an awkward smile and handed it another egg yolk pastry.

"Here, for you."

Having gotten its wish, Bubi took a bite and its eyes immediately lit up.

"Bui~"

This egg yolk pastry is super delicious!

Liu Suyun, who finally got to taste Qin Lang’s cooking, was full of wonder. "This dessert Xiao Qin made is truly delicious!"

Nearby, Zhao Chuan had already finished his first pastry and was launching an attack on the second. Hearing this, he stopped and looked up. "Right? I told you so," he hummed, a hint of smugness on his face. He had been the first one to discover Qin Lang’s culinary talents, after all!

Liu Suyun rolled her eyes at him and retorted, "No wonder you, old man, kept stealing Xiao Qin’s dinner."

Zhao Chuan: "..." No, seriously, are we never going to move past that?

"I’m glad you all like it," Qin Lang said with a smile as he observed the feedback from the three people and one spirit. "I still have guests waiting, so I’ll be going now."

"All right, come visit again soon!" Liu Suyun said with a cheerful smile, watching Qin Lang depart as she slowly finished her pastry.

The next moment, her gaze turned sharp. With a "slap," she pinned down Zhao Chuan’s hand as it reached for the very last pastry. "You old codger, you’ve eaten two, and you still want a third?"

"Oh, well..." Caught red-handed, Zhao Chuan gave an awkward laugh. "I was just worried you wouldn't be able to finish it..."

"Even if I can't finish it now, I can save it for later." Liu Suyun glared at him, then immediately switched to a loving smile as she turned to Zhao Qian. "Qianqian, would you like this one?"

Zhao Qian hesitated for a moment. After finishing one, she was indeed still craving more. But she decided to leave it for her grandmother. With that, she shook her head with a smile. "Grandma, you have it."

"Oh, my sweet granddaughter!" Liu Suyun’s smile deepened as she carefully tucked away the last pastry. "By the way, Qianqian, how long do you plan on staying here this time?"

"Half a month," Zhao Qian replied after thinking for a moment. "I plan to visit the Food Critics in Dongxia City to see if I can earn a Food Critic Badge. To unlock a second Star Meridian at the Spirit Chef Association, one needs to obtain seven Level 1 Food Critic Badges or one Level 1 Spirit Handler Emblem."

"I am working hard toward that goal."

Spirit Handlers were also assessors for the Spirit Chef Association. Unlike Food Critics, they didn't test cooking, but rather the combat capability of one's spirit. Upon earning recognition, they were awarded the corresponding token—the Spirit Handler Emblem.

The Spirit Chef Association established these two different criteria for activating Star Meridians to account for the varying development paths of different Spirit Chefs. Those who were not skilled in combat but possessed high culinary talent could unlock subsequent Star Meridians by collecting Food Critic Badges. Conversely, those who excelled in combat but lacked culinary talent could unlock them starting from the second Star Meridian by collecting Spirit Handler Emblems.

Spirit Handlers were also divided into three levels: one, two, and three. A Level 1 Spirit Handler usually commanded spirits between two and three stars. Even if one chose a spirit with a completely dominant elemental advantage, they would still need to be at least Level 15 to have a chance of passing the Level 1 Spirit Handler assessment.

Zhao Qian preferred spirit battles, but she wasn't currently strong enough to earn an emblem, so she intended to pursue both paths.

Hearing that Zhao Qian could stay in Dongxia City for two weeks, Zhao Chuan and his wife exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with joy.

On the other side, Qin Lang returned home and found Cao Dongdong preparing ingredients at the counter. His movements were still a bit clumsy, and he had to glance at his notebook from time to time, but as Qin Lang watched, he noted that Cao Dongdong’s technique had become quite solid.

As a batch of egg yolk pastries came out of the oven, Qin Lang tasted one, offered some feedback, and then had Cao Dongdong start the next batch. The leftovers wouldn't go to waste; Danbao was always happy to help.

By the third batch, Qin Lang tasted one and nodded slightly. "That’s it. You've got it."

"Finally," Cao Dongdong said, wiping sweat from his forehead, visibly relieved. Although he had only practiced three times, his intense focus allowed him to set aside the notebook and commit every detail to memory.

Eating the pastry he had made himself, which was almost indistinguishable from Qin Lang’s, a joyful smile bloomed on his face.

"It’s three in the afternoon," Qin Lang noted. "If we head out now, we should be able to visit a Food Critic in time."

"N-now?!" Cao Dongdong was startled, nearly dropping his pastry.

"Yes," Qin Lang said matter-of-factly. "I taught you this recipe specifically so you could pass the Food Critic assessment. Now that you’ve mastered it, why wait? Don't you want to become a Spirit Chef?"

"I do, of course..." Cao Dongdong said, looking conflicted. "But is it really okay for me to go like this?" Just hours ago, he was an apprentice who couldn't even cook a simple dish, and now he was going to pass an assessment to become a Spirit Chef?

"Do you have no faith in the pastry I taught you?" Qin Lang smiled.

Glancing at the pastry in his hand and savoring the lingering taste, Cao Dongdong’s eyes grew firm. "All right, I’ll go!"

"But..." He scratched his head. "Does Dongxia City actually have a Food Critic who assesses pastries?"

"Of course," Qin Lang replied calmly. When he had been researching Food Critics, he had made sure to note the general profiles of all of them. If Dongxia City didn't have one, he wouldn't have taught Cao Dongdong this particular recipe.

"That person is probably the most obscure Food Critic in Dongxia City," Qin Lang said with a smile. "A Level 1 Food Critic named Song Hui. Her assessments focus primarily on desserts. Because there are relatively few Spirit Chefs who specialize in desserts, her assessment criteria are often more lenient and not strictly limited to specific themes. If everything goes smoothly, these egg yolk pastries should be enough to pass."

Incidentally, Qin Lang also had his own reasons for visiting her. Song Hui was known in Dongxia City as the "Floral Food Critic," and she had a profound knowledge of flowers. The most distinctive feature in the second landscape painting of the Traveler’s Book was a four-colored flower. Qin Lang planned to ask her if she could help him find a clue.