Chapter 31: The Trait of Dark Cuisine

"That was a close call," Zhao Qian said, leaning back against a large tree with a chuckle. "That’s the first time I’ve ever fought a one-star Food Spirit head-on."

"Wait, really?" Qin Lang’s expression turned incredulous. He had decided to lead the attack precisely because Zhao Qian had seemed so confident. You're telling me it was your first time, too?

Seeming to read his thoughts, Zhao Qian awkwardly turned her head away. "I’ve encountered other Culinary Spirit Masters with one-star Food Spirits before, but their spirits were far stronger than the one we just faced. If that Food Spirit hadn’t had the 'astringent' flavor attribute, I wouldn't have dared to engage it directly."

"What do you mean by that?" Qin Lang asked, his curiosity piqued. "Are Food Spirits with an astringent attribute weaker?"

"In a way," Zhao Qian nodded. "It comes down to how these attributes are formed. Food Spirit attributes are divided into elemental and flavor types. The former is random, usually matching the element of the first combat skill awakened at birth, while the latter depends on the origin dish."

"Food cooked through standard methods tends to produce spirits with sour, sweet, spicy, or savory attributes, depending on the dish’s characteristics."

Cao Dongdong, who didn't have a Food Spirit yet, listened intently. According to his plan, if he passed Song Hui’s practitioner assessment, his first Food Spirit would likely be born from an egg yolk pastry. An egg yolk pastry—that would count as a sweet attribute, right?

Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully. So, a spicy dish produces a spicy attribute, sweet produces sweet, sour produces sour, and mild, balanced flavors produce savory... "What about salty?" he couldn't help but ask. He had always assumed Danbao’s attribute was quite common, since almost every dish involved salt. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"The salty attribute is quite unique. Although most dishes use salt, its presence in the overall flavor profile is usually very subtle. If you can clearly taste the salt, it’s definitely been over-seasoned."

"Because of this, if a dish has any of the four main flavors—sour, sweet, spicy, or savory—it will never develop a salty attribute. Most dishes have at least one of those."

"Only when the saltiness masks everything else, or if the dish lacks any other distinct flavor, is a salty attribute likely to manifest. Because the former is more common, salty, along with bitter and astringent, is often categorized as a 'dark cuisine' attribute."

As she said this, Zhao Qian glanced at Danbao. Knowing Qin Lang’s cooking, it wasn't likely that his dish was over-seasoned, so it must have been the latter case. Qin Lang gave a wry smile. Danbao’s origin dish was egg fried rice, which really didn't lean toward sour, sweet, spicy, or savory. Perhaps its simplicity had resulted in the rare salty attribute.

"Setting the salty attribute aside for a moment," Zhao Qian continued, "the point is that the astringent attribute is a dark cuisine trait. Any Food Spirit born with that attribute must have come from a dish with a terrible flavor profile."

"So its flavor rating is very low?" Qin Lang grasped the point immediately.

"Exactly," Zhao Qian nodded. "The flavor of the origin dish dictates the spirit’s flavor rating, which directly impacts its individual strength. That spirit was astringent, so its rating was almost certainly below 200. While the astringent attribute can counter savory, sweet, and spicy—three common types—Danbao happens to have the rare salty attribute, which counters it back. Plus, since their opponent hadn't learned any skills, it lacked versatility. That’s why we were able to win."

After Zhao Qian’s detailed analysis, Qin Lang and Danbao nodded in realization. Both human and spirit now had a much clearer understanding of Food Spirit combat.

Cao Dongdong, listening from the side, couldn't help but ask, "But if that guy managed to activate his first star-pulse, shouldn't he have been recognized by a Food Mentor? Why would he be making dark cuisine?"

Zhao Qian gave a helpless smile. "That’s the difference between criminal organizations and legitimate Culinary Spirit Masters. Many in criminal organizations are impatient and activate their star-pulses through illegal means."

"Large-scale criminal organizations like the Rare Hunter Team, which operate throughout the East Cloud region, even have their own complete methods for activating star-pulses. Getting recognized by a Food Mentor is a requirement of the Culinary Spirit Master Association, but illegal activation has no such requirements—there’s no barrier to entry at all."

"Creating a Food Spirit doesn't require culinary skill, either; you only need to communicate with the spirit embryo during the cooking process after the star-pulse is activated. That is why dark cuisine attributes appear."

"So that’s how it is!" Cao Dongdong nodded in understanding.

Even Qin Lang felt enlightened, gaining a deeper appreciation for why the Culinary Spirit Master Association had such strict requirements for activating a star-pulse.

As they spoke, a hurried figure appeared—it was Song Hui, who had heard the news that her flower had been found.

"Thank you all so much," she said, nodding gratefully. Without waiting for a reply, she rushed over to examine the flower. Once she confirmed it was undamaged, she let out a sigh of relief and carefully transplanted it into a prepared pot.

Only after the work was done did she truly relax, turning to the three of them. "I owe this all to you. If you hadn't found it, I wouldn't have known what to do for tomorrow's Flower Expo."

"It’s no problem," Qin Lang said with a smile. "Ms. Song, let us help you take the flower back to the Daisy Garden."

"Thank you for the trouble," Song Hui nodded. After a moment, she added, "Once the flower is back, I should have some free time. If you want to take the Food Mentor assessment, you may."

Qin Lang and Cao Dongdong’s faces lit up with joy. Fearing a misunderstanding, Song Hui quickly added, "But I must warn you, I will not lower the assessment standards just because you helped me."

"Don't worry, Ms. Song, I’m confident I can pass!" Cao Dongdong chuckled, his face full of anticipation. After witnessing the Food Spirit battle today, he was even more eager to become a Culinary Spirit Master.

Soon, the four of them safely delivered the flower to the Daisy Garden. In the kitchen dedicated to the Food Mentor assessment, Cao Dongdong began to prepare his egg yolk pastry in an orderly fashion.

Outside the kitchen, Qin Lang and Zhao Qian kept Song Hui company. Zhao Qian hadn't prepared anything, but she was hoping to get a taste of the results. As for Qin Lang... while he waited, he pulled out his hand-drawn sketches.