[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-book-of-strange-tales":3,"chapter-the-book-of-strange-tales-the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-56":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Book of Strange Tales",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2317336,4532,"Chapter 56: Firewood Noodles","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-56",56,"\u003Cp>What kind of work are we doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m going to chop firewood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I’ll go repair the road!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm? Lin Jue thought for a moment, “You come with me to chop firewood too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right! I don’t have enough Qi yet—I’d run out after a little road repair. Better to chop firewood!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lin Jue had a different thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chopping firewood is really about swinging a blade, from every angle, at wood in every orientation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After descending the mountain, this would be extremely useful against demons, ghosts, or humans. Plus, skilled chopping requires full-body effort, making it better for strengthening and exhausting the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the two each took a firewood axe and crossed Fuxiu Peak to Tianmen Peak, chopping without pausing for breath, huffing and puffing for half a day, then went straight to Jian Dao Peak and kept chopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They swung the blades countless times, climbed up and down countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whole mountain rang with the sound of snapping dry wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The firewood shed was completely full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior disciples stared in shock, exclaiming they wouldn’t burn through it all this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From dawn till dusk, they finally grew exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ate one bowl of rice and went to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They slept straight through until noon the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they got up, they could barely rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the ancient texts said, every muscle ached, nowhere untouched by pain—especially the legs, worse than the first time he took the Divine Step Pill. He had to lean against the wall to walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two stepped out almost simultaneously, locking eyes at the door, both weak, both wearing bitter smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior brother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good morning, senior sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Morning…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both voices sounded strained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the days that followed, they slowly recovered—and endured days of ravenous hunger, always starving, ribs pressing against their backs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the food made by Seventh Senior Brother, Lin Jue could eat two or three bowls. Fortunately, though the monastery sat on the mountain, it raised many poultry—eggs were plentiful, and several chickens had been slaughtered, ensuring the nutrition needed for recovery. Combined with daily meditation and cultivation that gently nourished the body, they gradually regained strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until one morning, waking up, he suddenly felt brimming with energy, not a trace of soreness left, no fatigue—only vigor. He knew he had fully returned to his former state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Fuxiu Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue picked up his heavy firewood axe and swung it casually—felt as light as a wooden blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he chopped dry wood, he was astonished: merely swinging the blade now gave him a sense of perfect control. One strike sent a gust of wind; branches that once took two or three chops now snapped cleanly with one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, climbing up the mountain had become much easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for other aspects, though they had improved too, the gains were far less obvious than in climbing or swinging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This elixir truly had a powerful effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The techniques described in the ancient texts were indeed useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The effect of this elixir—especially the first pill—is simply too strong,” Lin Jue couldn’t help but sigh. “No wonder so many ancient alchemists abandoned cultivation, hiding away to focus solely on refining pills. The feeling of a single pill bringing clear change is utterly captivating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even adding the effort of gathering materials and refining them, it remained captivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps even more so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, if Lin Jue held a broadsword and encountered that group of strange monkeys on the road again—even alone—he would have no reason to fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the second pill, he planned to take it later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he’d slowly adapt to this increase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d take the third only after seeing how the second’s effects faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the inner courtyard of Fuxiu Monastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An orange cat strolled calmly through the yard, followed by a smaller tabby, then a tinier multicolored lynx, then an even smaller black-and-white cat, and finally a fox with gray-yellow fur streaked with red—each in perfect order, equal spacing, walking a straight line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the orange cat stopped and turned its head toward the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind it, the tabby, lynx, black-and-white cat, and fox all stopped in sequence, then turned their heads in sequence toward the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of Daoists were eating breakfast beneath the pines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in the dining hall—in the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s breakfast was decent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seventh Senior Brother had boiled egg soup with fried eggs, tossed in some dried vegetable leaves and bamboo shoots to soak into the rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looked simple, but was already rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Lin Jue’s view, it was best to finish it all—otherwise, even a little leftover broth would likely reappear at dinner, mixed with something else into a strange flavor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Little Sister’s appetite had greatly increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Jue, have you recovered?” Daoist Yunhe set down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. According to schedule, this month it’s your turn to cook,” Yunhe said. “Your Seventh Senior Brother saw you were unwell these past days—he cooked for you two extra days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My turn already?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other senior disciples all turned to Lin Jue, their gazes either assessing or wary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yunhe was the most relaxed: “You’ve been here two months—you should know the monastery’s routines. Cooking is simple: just cook on time, don’t forget. Cook the food well, wash the bowls clean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue answered casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qingyao, learn too—next month it’ll be your turn. Didn’t you cook at home before?” Yunhe looked at Little Sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only to add water and boil it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yunhe nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Sister still looked uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bad news: this breakfast did leave some broth. The good news: from now on, the kitchen was under Lin Jue’s control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating, he collected the bowls and lifted the pot, pouring the leftover broth outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, why’d you dump it? You could’ve boiled it into tonight’s rice—it’d add saltiness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did feel a touch of authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if this power could improve his own life, it was a good kind of authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he thought this, he walked into the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monastery’s kitchen was small but fully equipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue looked around, scanning for anything edible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his first meal to prepare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a tub of white rice—the monastery’s daily staple. Freshly gathered eggs from free-ranging chickens—the most common meat. Several jars of pickled vegetables, salty and crunchy. Some dried bamboo shoots sent by villagers below—common local fare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several strips of cured meat hung overhead—looked decent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue suddenly spotted a coarse cloth sack and went to open it—surprised: it was the wheat he’d brought from Xiaochuan Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue pondered what to make for dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a figure appeared at the door—it was Little Sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brow was furrowed with worry, as if worrying about her own future in a month. She asked him, “Senior brother, what are you making for dinner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still thinking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I help?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Help…?” Lin Jue thought—there actually was something, “Can your ‘Ji Shi’ technique turn stones into powder?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can it turn other things into powder too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, but not as effectively as with stones. Harder materials work better,” Little Sister said, standing at the door. “If you want me to grind meat into paste or filling, that won’t work. This technique wasn’t meant for combat—Master said it takes deep mastery before it can be used offensively.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can wheat become flour?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wheat? Probably. But the husks won’t turn to powder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect—just like a stone mill, and saves the trip down the mountain to find one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Sister stepped in, grabbed a handful of wheat, clenched it, crushed it—and fine wheat flour sifted down, while the husks cracked but didn’t turn to powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quick sieve—and it was flour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this good enough, Senior brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine!” Lin Jue was very satisfied, and said bluntly, “This will be tonight’s dinner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eat this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior brother! You already knew how to cook!” The junior sister stared at him blankly, sensing something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You hold onto it for now—consider it practice for your spellcraft,” Lin Jue took a piece of cured meat and soaked it in water. “It rained yesterday; there should be some mushrooms in the bamboo grove up the mountain. I’ll go gather some.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, senior brother...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junior sister, delighted at the chance to practice spellcraft, said so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to thank me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue had already stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still the hot season, when mushrooms thrived; the mountain received frequent rain and was always rich in fungi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue climbed the mountain with the fox and quickly found a chicken fungus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little fox grew smarter with age; after observing him for a moment, it understood what he sought and immediately led him to several more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lin Jue returned, a sack of wheat had been ground into powder and sifted through a fine sieve—now flour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue glanced at it, thoroughly satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since each person took turns cooking for a month, and this month was his turn, he naturally had to put in effort—consider it an improvement to his own life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue knew how to cook and still remembered some methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monastery’s meals had long grown tiresome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he was in Shu Village, it was understandable—he came from a poor household with no such resources—but the Daoist monastery had no shortage of food or silver, paid no taxes, and naturally ought to seek greater refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But previously, he had too many daily duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, for his first meal, using the wheat contributed by the villagers of Xiao Chuan Village, it could not be better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took out the cured meat and sliced it thinly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dried bamboo shoots were soaked and similarly cut into small pieces; the chicken fungus was washed but not bothered to be chopped—only torn into strips by hand. These three formed a perfect broth base, the mountain’s three delicacies; just by the ingredients alone, the flavor was unquestionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he added salt and flour, pulling the dough into thin sheets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue had no skill in hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles, but this noodle block dish was a familiar food from memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noodle blocks were also called “blanket noodles”; Lin Jue’s favorite way to eat them was with a bowl of fresh broth. In memory, he often used loofah, cucumber, or stick vegetable for the broth—especially the stick vegetable, most delicious of all. Mountain conditions were limited; vegetables were few. His senior brother had planted loofah and cucumber, but for this first meal, he’d make it even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue sat before the stove, patiently adding firewood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to light it—just exhaled gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huu...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire instantly blazed in the stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a newly learned fire-spitting technique—a true Fire Element spiritual method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire Lin Jue exhaled was indistinguishable from ordinary flame, resembling the Banished Fire Spell, but this was merely the beginning of the Fire Element spiritual method—already surpassing the upper limit of the Banished Fire Spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While tending the fire, he also felt the spiritual resonance of the Fire Element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sss...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cured meat was first fried in oil; high heat drew out its fat and aroma. Water added to the pan hissed sharply, turning the surface slightly white as soon as it touched the heat. Then he added the dried bamboo shoots and chicken fungus to brew a savory broth, slowly dropping in the noodle sheets to cook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When lifted from the pot, the noodle sheets were wide, like blankets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountains had fine food too.\u003C\u002Fp>",1941,"2026-06-20T14:45:35.226Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5b3909bf5f9bd19d87799d104f839bc9fb05cf9c608a2a42e8464992bf3b1431","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-57","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-55",608,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-book-of-strange-tales-cover.jpg"]