Chapter 15 – Outsourcing procurement
The Dao Yi Sect has strict rules, and the people in the Enforcement Hall are all impartial, with no room for favoritism or corruption.
So if Ye Changqing were to do something shady out of greed, no one would be able to protect him.
Seeing Qian Youcai's worried expression, Ye Changqing said helplessly.
"Deacon Qian, what are you thinking? No matter how down and out I am, I wouldn't embezzle ingredients. It's just a few coins."
"The main reason is that more people have been coming to the kitchen lately, so the ingredients are naturally consumed faster."
Upon hearing Ye Changqing's explanation, Qian Youcai's expression eased a bit.
Indeed, although Ye Changqing wasn't born into a top family, he wouldn't stoop to scheming over some ingredients. It's just a few coins.
The ingredients in the kitchen are mostly the most common ones and aren't worth much.
But Ye Changqing mentioned that the number of people coming to the kitchen has suddenly increased, which made Deacon Qian a bit curious.
"Why have so many people suddenly started coming? I remember there weren't many going to the kitchen before."
"Maybe my cooking skills have improved."
Ye Changqing laughed, but Qian Youcai just rolled his eyes.
"Come on, I know your cooking skills. It's good enough if it's edible."
Not dwelling on it further, as long as Ye Changqing wasn't up to anything shady, Qian Youcai quickly prepared the procurement list.
"Here you go."
"Thank you, Deacon Qian."
"If you're free this afternoon, I'll come to the kitchen to taste your cooking and see if it's really improved."
"You're welcome anytime."
"Haha, off you go, and be careful on the road."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ye Changqing took the procurement list and left the Outer Sect Steward Hall.
Ye Changqing really liked the atmosphere of the Dao Yi Sect, without the melodramatic plots from the novels of his previous life.
Throughout the Dao Yi Sect, no one would trouble you for no reason, and when you're in difficulty, fellow disciples would lend a helping hand.
Disciples of all levels and elders each had their duties to ensure the normal operation of the Dao Yi Sect.
He made his way down the mountain, leaving Divine Sword Peak.
The Dao Yi Sect's Thirty-Six Peaks, aside from the main peak, the other thirty-five peaks formed a circular mountain range like an array.
Not far beyond the mountains, there were over a hundred villages.
These villages were under the protection of the Dao Yi Sect, but they were also responsible for cultivating spirit fields and raising low-level beasts like red-spotted pigs for the sect.
In worldly terms, these villages could be considered tenant farmers of the Dao Yi Sect.
However, living here was already considered a great fortune for the villagers.
Firstly, they didn't have to worry about attacks from beasts or evil spirits, and secondly, they didn't have to worry about food and clothing.
Moreover, the Dao Yi Sect also taught some simple methods for strengthening the body, allowing these villagers to practice.
Although these methods weren't on the same level as cultivation techniques, they at least strengthened the body and reduced illness.
Additionally, compared to the outside world, the younger generation in these villages had a better chance of joining the Dao Yi Sect. As long as their talent and constitution were adequate, they could enter the sect for cultivation from a young age, like being close to the water and getting the moon first.
Following the mountain path, he arrived at the village closest to Divine Sword Peak, named Qijia Village.
He was already familiar with this place, and upon seeing Ye Changqing, the villagers of Qijia Village greeted him warmly.
"Immortal Ye has arrived. What are you here to procure this time?"
Even as a menial disciple, the villagers still showed great respect. Anyone associated with the Dao Yi Sect was considered a celestial being in their eyes.
Facing the villagers' enthusiasm, Ye Changqing replied with a smile.
"Yes, I'm here to procure some things. Where's the village chief?"
"At home, I'll take you to him."
He found the Qijia Village Chief and explained the ingredients he needed to procure.
They were mostly common items like spirit rice, red-spotted pork, noodles, green onions, cucumbers, and tofu curd.
Qijia Village could gather all these items, and they quickly set about preparing them.
The only things missing were some seasonings.
After all, these weren't very useful and were quite expensive, so the villages at the foot of the mountain didn't bother with them.
To gather the necessary seasonings, he would have to make a trip to the city.
There were three cities closest to the Dao Yi Sect, collectively known as Sanyuan City, arranged in a character formation around the sect.
All were controlled by the Dao Yi Sect, extremely prosperous, and ranked among the top ten cities in the Eastern Continent.
The closest to Ye Changqing at the moment was Yiyuan City, which could be reached in an hour by riding a black-scaled horse.
Checking the time, Ye Changqing planned to go after making lunch, as half a day would be enough.
After collecting the needed items and storing them in his universal bag, Ye Changqing bid farewell to the villagers of Qijia Village and returned to the sect.
He returned to the kitchen just in time for the meal.
"Mapo tofu won't work without pepper, so I'll have to make do for now."
He quickly got busy, and as meal time approached, the menial disciples, along with Hongzun, Lu Youyou, and Liu Shuang, all arrived on time.
Especially Hongzun, who with a quick move, secured the first spot.
"Peak Master, you..."
"What do you mean 'you'? Blame yourself for not being fast enough, not me."
Hongzun was justified, claiming the first spot with his skills. Is there a problem? If you're too slow, that's on you.
Hearing this, the menial disciples were angry but didn't dare to speak, secretly vowing to quickly learn an agility martial skill.
Even if they couldn't beat the Peak Master, they at least wanted to beat their companions.
For a moment, the menial disciples looked at their companions with unfriendly eyes, determined to be the first to eat.
The meal was devoured as usual, with Hongzun eating the most.
He was truly vigorous despite his age, with an appetite that would make even young people shake their heads.
"You're going to Yiyuan City? Don't you know there have been sightings of demonic cultivators in the city recently? The sect is actively hunting them down. It's best not to go now."
After finishing the meal, upon hearing that Ye Changqing planned to go to Yiyuan City in the afternoon, Hongzun expressed his concern.
Demonic cultivators were no joke, especially for Ye Changqing, who was only at the Body Refinement Realm. A single mistake could lead to an unknown death.
Hearing this, Ye Changqing felt a bit troubled.
"That's a bit of a problem. The kitchen's seasonings aren't complete, and many dishes can't be made."
Ye Changqing wanted to quickly try out some new dishes, and upon hearing this, Hongzun's eyes lit up—new dishes?
"But don't worry. Although demonic cultivators are troublesome, do you think they can cause chaos on our Dao Yi Sect's territory? If you're going to Yiyuan City, you don't have a mount, do you? I'll give you one."
With that, Hongzun focused his mind, and soon, two immortal cranes, one large and one small, flew over and landed steadily in the courtyard.
Seeing the two immortal cranes, Lu Youyou and Liu Shuang were taken aback, and Liu Shuang couldn't help but ask.
"Master, you don't mean to..."
"Haha, since Changqing is in charge of the Divine Sword Peak's kitchen, he might need to go out for procurement. Having a good mount can save a lot of time."
Hongzun explained with a smile, definitely not because he was greedy for food.