Reika pressed her lips together, trying to ignore the sour aftertaste of the healing elixir, feeling as though she'd just chugged a bottle of vintage pickle juice. Her stomach flipped, but the brew was working—her wound didn't hurt quite as badly, giving her a brief reprieve.
Once she felt somewhat stable, she immediately turned to Sylas and Isla. "Look, you two should turn in the spirit herbs we worked so hard to get before they wither. If mine can't be handed in, so be it. Just don't let the last few days' effort go to waste!" Reika's voice held a hint of urgency, and Isla gave a small nod.
"Oh, right! We nearly forgot. Take care of yourself, Reika; we'll handle the mission hand-in." Isla smiled warmly and patted Reika's shoulder, a touch of reluctance in her eyes. But with a final glance, Isla and Sylas departed swiftly.
Reika sighed, muttering to herself, "Great…now it's just me, solo, against a rogue spirit chicken. Story of my life."
Her inner monologue was rudely interrupted by a sweet, drawn-out call from the hallway. "Ohhh, Zephyr, darling~"
The voice was so syrupy Reika almost gagged. Her shoulders tensed, and she slowly turned to see none other than Zara, sashaying her way inside with a sweet but chilly smile that could freeze a fire spirit.
"Zephyr, darling, don't you forget—you promised to spend the entire day with me!" Zara's tone was all honey, but Reika could sense the thorny undertone.
Reika nearly choked. "Seriously? This woman's a whole chapter of 'how to be a green tea vixen.' Toxic levels, maxed!" she thought, barely containing her snicker.
Zephyr forced a polite smile, his eye twitching slightly. "Miss Zara, Reika's still hurt. I need to help her find the spirit chicken first; it's essential for her recovery."
Zara rolled her eyes with a barely disguised sneer. She looked Reika up and down with a dismissive smirk. "Honestly, Zephyr darling, why waste time on a little 'hospital case' like her when you could be with someone…hmm, more exciting? Say…me?"
Reika clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. "This is pure textbook: 'I'm rich, I'm pretty, let's hang out.' She's like a cultivation world version of every rom-com's mean girl."
Zephyr's smile stiffened, but he managed to keep his tone civil. "Miss Zara, this is a matter of life and death. Finding the spirit chicken is our top priority. Once everything's settled, I'll honor our agreement and spend the day with you."
Zara raised an eyebrow, smoothing her sleeve as she replied coolly, "Oh, you'd better remember that. I don't take being stood up lightly."
"Of course, I won't forget," Zephyr responded with a resigned smile, clearly eager to close the conversation.
With a parting "I'll be waiting, darling," Zara flounced out, her attendants trailing behind her. The scene was more royal procession than casual exit, complete with dramatic swishing robes.
Watching her retreating form, Reika couldn't help but snicker. "Wow, she even walks like she's got her own theme song. The queen bee vibe is strong with this one."
Zephyr sighed, shaking his head. "I thought maybe some stalling would get her off my back, but she's as relentless as ever."
Reika raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Zephyr darling, I'd say you've got quite the fan club. She's practically 'loyal to the end' for you."
Zephyr gave an exasperated laugh. "Please don't call me that…I'd be fine never hearing that title again."
Reika burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. "You signed up for the 'S.S. Queen Zara Express,' buddy. This ship's not easy to jump off."
They both shared a laugh as they headed toward the dining hall, their banter lightening the mood. Despite Reika's lingering unease over the spirit chicken search, Zephyr's presence somehow made the whole thing feel a little less daunting.
"So we're really going to search the dining hall for a chicken?" Reika half-joked. "If it's actually in there stuffing itself, I'm staying back. A hungry chicken's not one I'm keen on meeting."
Zephyr grinned, nodding. "The Elder did say the dining hall's spirit rice is pretty irresistible to that bird. I'd say we've got good odds it's sneaking around there."
Reika's mind immediately conjured an image of the spirit chicken queuing up, waving a wing and hollering, "Extra rice over here!" She snorted, barely holding back laughter. "I'm picturing it yelling at the servers for seconds now."
"Maybe it's a double serving kind of chicken," Zephyr chuckled, eyes twinkling.
"With a side of thousand-year spirit wine, of course." Reika rolled her eyes, imagining the scene and laughing so hard her shoulders shook.
Still, beneath the jokes, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She muttered to herself, "Honestly, I'm a little worried it'll just get overexcited again and…well, come at me. Teeth and all."
Zephyr's expression softened as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Reika. Whatever happens, I'll make sure it doesn't get close enough to do that."
Reika looked up at him, catching his earnest gaze. A gentle warmth spread through her chest, calming her nerves. "Right…let's hope it's smooth sailing this time."
As the sunset cast its glow across the path, they finally saw the silhouette of the dining hall up ahead. This chase was just getting started, but Reika already felt much more at ease than before.
The only question now: would the spirit chicken actually be there, patiently waiting, or was this quest about to turn even more chaotic than they could imagine?
***
Reika and Zephyr stepped into the Hundred Blossom Valley dining hall right as the lunchtime rush was in full swing. The aroma of rice and spiritual energy filled the air, making Reika's stomach grumble immediately. She sniffed the air, mouth watering, then muttered, "We're supposed to be here for a spirit chicken, but it's my inner hungry chicken that's about to take control!"
"Zephyr, we should ask around about that spirit chicken's whereabouts, but honestly, if I'm running on half a tank, I'm not sure I'll be at peak chicken-hunting performance." Reika gave him a half-serious grin, rubbing her stomach for emphasis.
Zephyr raised an eyebrow as he scanned the packed dining hall, shrugging. "Looks like this chicken quest just got an extra difficulty level. It probably doesn't want to be part of this food frenzy any more than we do."
They maneuvered through the bustling crowd to approach the dining hall manager—a formidable woman wielding an oversized ladle with the authority of a seasoned general. Each ladleful of spirit rice she served seemed to hum with energy, and disciples lined up eagerly, enchanted by the aura.
"Auntie, sorry to interrupt!" Reika piped up, trying to sound casual. "Have you seen a certain spirit chicken? One with an appetite big enough to order extra-large portions of rice?"
The Auntie paused, looking over Reika and Zephyr with a knowing smile before pointing her ladle at Reika with a wink. "Looking for a spirit chicken, are we? Not looking for food yourself, eh? The way you look so hungry, I thought you were here for a bowl too!"
Reika laughed awkwardly, scratching her head, thinking, "Busted… Even Auntie can tell I'm starving."
Auntie put down her ladle and thought for a moment before nodding. "Oh, that spirit chicken? Comes around pretty often! Orders large every time. Actually, it's been eating so much lately that I'm half-wondering if it's training for some kind of 'Big Eater' title."
"Large portions?" Reika echoed in disbelief. "That chicken must have a bottomless pit for a stomach!"
Zephyr chuckled. "Maybe it's evolved a second stomach just for spirit rice?"
Auntie burst out laughing. "You're not wrong! And it's an odd one, too. No spirit stones for payment, so it uses its own feathers instead. For a spirit chicken, it's sure got some class; those feathers fetch a pretty penny!"
Reika stifled a laugh, immediately imagining an elegant chicken standing in line, wings outstretched, proudly plucking feathers as payment. "Wow, that's a rare one—a 'rich chicken' that pays its way with feathers!"
Auntie chuckled as she cleaned a nearby table. "And it's got better manners than most disciples around here! Some of them don't even wait their turn, but this one? Always polite, never cuts the line. Guess it learned some proper etiquette while hanging around all you cultivators."
Reika and Zephyr exchanged a look, each thinking the same thing: This chicken's gotta be enlightened or something!
Zephyr thanked Auntie for her help, though he noticed her slight hesitation when mentioning the spirit chicken. Something about this bird seemed… off. Perhaps there was more to its behavior than they realized.
"So… has it been here today?" Reika asked, still eager to locate their feathery target.
Auntie scratched her head, then shook it. "Not yet today. But it's not one to show up on a strict schedule—could be off on other business."
"Other business? The spirit chicken?" Reika exaggerated her shock, her voice dripping with playful skepticism.
Auntie laughed heartily. "Who knows? Spirit beasts have their own lives. Maybe it has a secret lair somewhere or a whole hidden world it visits."
Reika and Zephyr exchanged bemused looks, still puzzled by the chicken's strange behavior.
"We could stick around a bit longer and see if it comes by," Zephyr suggested.
So they settled into a corner of the dining hall, sampling some food as they waited. The lively atmosphere in the hall buzzed around them, but as time passed, there was still no sign of the spirit chicken. Reika looked down at the now-empty spirit bun plate and groaned, "This chicken… did it get called to a spirit chicken conference or something?"
Just as they were about to give up, a disciple overheard their conversation and stopped by to offer a tip. "You two looking for a phoenix chicken? You could try the spirit beast garden—there are a few there. You might even find a relative of your chicken!"
Reika's eyes lit up. "Spirit beast garden? Really? They've got phoenix chickens?"
"Of course. But there's a few to sort through," the disciple replied with a shrug before heading off.
"Spirit beast garden… looks like we're in for a trek," Zephyr said with a small smile, though there was a glint of excitement in his eyes.
Reika nodded, clapping her hands together. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go to the spirit beast garden and see if we can find it!"