0018 - Last Rite.

"Come on, let's find something delicious to snack on!" Lu Sheng quickly defused the situation and also he was really hungry.

Tu Peng nodded and led the way to the kitchen with Tu Rong following closely behind. Little Sheng, still full of energy, joined the procession, bouncing around like an excited ball of joy. 

While following them Lu Sheng noticed both of them had a small square bag on their back tied to their waist, which looked more like a first-aid box.

"What is that Senior Brother?" Tu Peng noticed the rusted ashen rod in Lu Sheng's hand.

"This? This is just a souvenir, I like to carry around." He answered quickly to avoid further interrogation.

"It's rusty, if Master Hong sees it then he will confiscate it. He hates dirty things." Tu Peng quickly informed while glancing around as if trying to make sure Physician Hong was not around.

"Umm…" Before he could think of anything Tu Rong pulled the corner of his robe gently and offered a roll of clean white bandages. He quickly understood her meaning and started to wrap his Cane of Obedience.

"This is…" He finds it a little difficult to do even this simple task. "Automated System, help."

[Automating it.]

His body suddenly perked up and he quickly and efficiently wrapped the bandage within a few seconds. He tore the leftover bandage and offered it back to Tu Rong when he noticed both were looking at him with surprise. 

"Err…What?" He got nervous seeing their glowing eyes.

"Senior Brother, that was the perfect 'Three crossway bandage technique'. You have already mastered it? You are a genius, Senior Brother!" Tu Peng could not help himself saying it out loud and Tu Rong also nodded.

"Aw…it's nothing, just a normal technique. Easy as breathing." He bragged.

[...]

"Can you teach us too?" Tu Peng didn't hesitate a moment before folding in front of this newcomer as Lu Sheng could see the fiery passion in Tu Peng's eyes for learning new things.

"Of…of course, why…why not?" He quickly agreed. "Can we?" He quickly asked 'Automated System'.

[Yes, we can.]

Tu Peng couldn't wait for it as he quickly guided Lu Sheng to the kitchen.

"Nobody here?" Lu Sheng noticed the moment he entered the deserted kitchen. He paused in the doorway, gaping over the expansive kitchen. 

It was clearly built to feed the many residents of Physician Hall. Sturdy wooden tables dominated the space, laden with baskets of vegetables, sacks of grains, and racks of glittering knives.

Several large brick stoves stood against one wall, a few still emitting wisps of smoke from the lunchtime meal. Next to them was an enormous circular pit filled with ash, evidently meant for cooking in massive cauldrons or roasting entire beasts; he noticed large cauldrons outside near the well.

The counters were crowded with clay pots, bowls, and utensils in all sizes imaginable. Sturdy cabinets lined the walls, brimming with obscure dried herbs and clay jars of preserved ingredients. A pantry door revealed glimpses of hanging pheasants, smoked hams, and braided garlic.

"It's not dinner time yet and we all cook ourselves, part of our studies to understand the food's function in the art of healing and practicing medicinal cuisine." Tu Peng answered.

[Yes, there were three books on it, two were on the Initial Medicinal Cooking, and they were filled with recipes on how to treat various ailments just by eating the right kind of food or turning ingredients into medicines.]

"It means we would have to cook some snacks for us." Lu Sheng was not so eager about medicinal cooking because he assumed they would only be bland and tasteless like hospital food in his previous life.

"Let me arrange ingredients quickly and my sister will prepare something quick. Anything specific you like to eat, Senior Brother?" Tu Peng was very eager to please his new Senior Brother.

"Nothing much, just bacon. Get as many as possible." 

"Bacons!" Little Sheng started dancing after hearing the word bacon.

"Just bacon?" Tu Peng got confused but didn't question it anymore and quickly went to arrange it.

Meanwhile, Tu Rong quickly lit up a stove and put a large hot plate over it. Tu Peng returned with a large piece of uncut bacon.

"Is there more?" Lu Sheng asked which surprised Tu Peng but he didn't argue and returned to bring more. "Bring at least 5…NO! 10 more, if you can!" Lu Sheng yelled from behind.

Little Sheng started drooling and stayed near the uncooked bacon. A little tendril of black smoke started to seep out of Little Sheng as the Cane of Obedience trembled in Lu Sheng's hand.

He saw that the tendril of black smoke suddenly changed its path and started to get absorbed into the Cane of Obedience as Little Sheng's size started to shrink bit by bit. It was not fast but noticeable as Lu Sheng felt a tinge of sadness in his heart.

[Do you want me to cut the bacon into bacon slices for Little Sheng?]

"Yes…" He agreed with a sour mood. "Wait…I will do it. It's the least I can do for him."

[Very well.]

Lu Sheng tucked the Cane of Obedience into his waist sash and took the knife from Tu Rong's hands, preventing her from cutting slices. 

With shaky and unskilled hands, he made the first cut, creating a long bacon slice that was uneven in multiple places, and placing it on the sizzling hot plate. Tu Peng returned with a large stack of uncut bacon, placing them on the table.

"Tu Peng? Tu Rong? Could you leave me alone for now?" Lu Sheng requested with a somber tone.

Tu Peng was about to say something when Tu Rong pulled at the corner of her brother's robe. He nodded, and both left the kitchen.

Tu Peng and Tu Rong left the kitchen and while Tu Rong was silent, Tu Peng's face was full of confusion.

"This Senior Brother is little…" He gestured with his finger rolling at his head, indicating that the Senior Brother was not quite right in the head. Tu Rong immediately slapped his hand away.

"Ow!...fine." Tu Peng rubbed his hand regretfully as Tu Rong glared at him. He sighed. "Fine, I won't call Senior Brother silly, even if he is a bit...strange." He gestured again in defiance with both hands.

Tu Rong glared but didn't protest, casting a worried glance back towards the kitchens where a faint sizzling sound had begun.

As they entered the central courtyard, a group of older disciples paused their conversation to glance over. "Oh, Lu Sheng's new attendants," one remarked loudly. "You're serving that useless Young Master now?"

"Useless?" Tu Peng blurted.

Another disciple chuckled. "Haven't you heard? He's almost twenty but still at Mortal in cultivation! No wonder the Lu Clan sent him here - he must be an embarrassment!"

"Or crippled, Master Hong is going to treat him." The disciples snickered. Tu Peng bit his lip angrily while Tu Rong held the end of his brother's robe.

"And we hear he spends all his time napping and stuffing his face!" another disciple added and the rest laughed out loud. "He'll eat Physician Hall out of Supplies within a month at this rate!" More mean chuckles followed.

"That's not true!" Tu Peng protested.

"Not true? Are you not coming from the kitchen? leaving that fat lazy slob to stuff his face?" Another disciple sneered.

"How can you be so disrespectful? Didn't you hear that the Senior Brother is the third personal disciple of Master Hong?" Tu Peng burst out, face red.

The gossiping disciples burst out laughing again at Tu Peng's angry retort.

"Master Hong's third disciple? Hah! More like his third headache, third freeloader!" one sneered.

Another shook his head in mock sadness. "Poor Master, forced to take in that useless lump Lu Sheng to uphold some confidential pact with the Lu Clan. We've served them exclusively for years because of it!"

"Yes, and now Master must pretend to teach that talentless fool in return," an older female disciple grumbled. "Wasting his precious time and our resources."

The group all made noises of resentment. "We could have been honing our skills in the Imperial Palace instead of this backwater!"

"But noooo, Master is still chained to the Lu Clan, and now we must bow to their idiot son too," another grimaced angrily.

Then he waved a hand dismissively. "Not like that fool will be any competition for the rest of us. I bet he can't even cure a common cold! This 'personal disciple' business is just a sham to keep the Lu Clan happy."

More murmurs of agreement as the disciples shook their heads. Tu Peng clenched his fists, ready to defend his new Senior Brother's honor, but Tu Rong held him back, shaking her head.

Finally, the gossiping group dispersed, still making cutting remarks. Tu Rong led the fuming Tu Peng away quickly before he could blow up at them again.

"They're horrid liars, aren't they? Sister?" Tu Peng whispered angrily. "Don't listen to those snakes. We just saw how talented Senior Brother Lu is, no matter what they say!" Tu Rong nodded firmly at his brother's remarks.

Tu Peng still simmering from the insults, even as doubts lingered when Tu Rong pulled a roll of bandages, they were the same bandages Lu Sheng used earlier to hide his rusty ashen rod. "Yes, See! Our Senior Brother is skilled, he showed us, we should go and tell them." Tu Peng immediately turned when Tu Rong stopped him.

"Right…I need to calm down." He followed his little sister obediently.