Farewell, Mei

Lin Xiao walked into the hidden kitchen, feeling excited and nervous. He had been working with the fox spirits for several weeks now, and they had taught him a lot of new techniques and recipes. He had even started to form a bond with them, and they had become friends.

But today was different. Today, they were preparing for their first big event - a secret dinner party for some of the sect's masters. The fox spirits had been working hard to clean up the kitchen and make it presentable, and Lin Xiao had been helping them.

As they worked, the fox spirits chattered excitedly, their tails wagging. "I can't believe we're finally doing this!" one of them said, bouncing on her toes. "We've been talking about hosting a secret dinner party for years, and now it's finally happening!"

Lin Xiao smiled, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. "I'm glad I could help make it happen. You guys have taught me so much, and I've learned a lot from working with you. I'm looking forward to this dinner party."

The fox spirits grinned, their eyes shining. "We are too! And we have a surprise for you, Lin Xiao. We've been working on a special dish, and we want you to help us prepare it. It's a secret recipe that we've never shared with anyone before. Are you ready?"

Lin Xiao's eyes widened in surprise. "A secret recipe? I'm honored. Of course I'm ready. What do we need to do?"

The fox spirits laughed, their laughter tinkling like bells. "You'll see, Lin Xiao. It's going to be great. Come on, let's get started."

Lin Xiao followed the fox spirits as they led him to a small, hidden room in the back of the kitchen. There, they revealed a collection of rare and exotic ingredients that Lin Xiao had never seen before.

"These are the ingredients for our secret recipe," one of the fox spirits explained. "They're rare and difficult to find, but they're essential for the dish. We need your help to prepare them, Lin Xiao. Can you do it?"

Lin Xiao nodded, feeling a sense of excitement and curiosity. He had no idea what the fox spirits were planning, but he trusted them. He was ready to help them prepare this secret recipe and make their dinner party a success.

But little did Lin Xiao know, the fox spirits had a twist in store for him. As they worked, they revealed that the secret recipe was actually a love potion, designed to make whoever ate it fall in love with the first person they saw. And they planned to use it on Mei, hoping to reunite her with Lin Xiao and make them a couple.

Lin Xiao was shocked and confused when he found out about the fox spirits' plan. He didn't want to force Mei to fall in love with him. He insists that they not use the love potion on Mei. "I can't believe you guys would do something like this," Lin Xiao said, shaking his head. "It's not right to try and control someone's feelings like that. Mei deserves to make her own choices, without being influenced by a potion."

The fox spirits looked at each other, then back at Lin Xiao. "But we want you to be happy, Lin Xiao," one of them said, her voice pleading. "We know you like Mei, and we want to help you. We thought the love potion would make things easier."

Lin Xiao sighed, feeling torn. He did have feelings for Mei, but he didn't want to manipulate her or force her to feel the same way. "I appreciate your intentions, but I can't go through with this. It's not fair to Mei, and it's not the right way to pursue a relationship. I'm sorry, but we can't use the love potion."

The fox spirits looked disappointed, but they nodded in understanding. "We understand, Lin Xiao. You're right, it's not the right thing to do. We'll find another way to help you and Mei. And we'll still make the dinner party a success, without the love potion."

Lin Xiao smiled, relieved. "Thank you, guys. I appreciate your understanding and support. Let's focus on preparing a great dinner for the sect's masters, and leave the love potion out of it."

The fox spirits grinned, their tails wagging. "You got it, Lin Xiao. Let's get to work!"

Lin Xiao joined the fox spirits as they continued to prepare for the dinner party, leaving the love potion behind and focusing on their culinary skills and the Kitchen Dao.

As the dinner party began, Lin Xiao remained quiet, focusing on his work in the kitchen. He watched as the fox spirits, now transformed into beautiful young women with long bushy tails, expertly prepared the dishes and served them to the sect's masters.

Lin Xiao couldn't help but admire their skill and grace, and he felt a twinge of regret that he couldn't pursue a relationship with one of them. But he knew that it wasn't meant to be, and he was content to remain friends with the fox spirits.

As the dinner party came to an end, Lin Xiao caught a glimpse of Mei, smiling and chatting with Master Chen. He felt a pang of heartache, knowing that he had missed his chance with her. But he knew that she was happy, and that was all that mattered.

With a heavy heart, Lin Xiao bid farewell to Mei in his heart, and focused on his work as a Kitchen Daoist. He knew that the journey of cultivation was long and arduous, and he was determined to continue on his path, using the power of the Kitchen Dao to grow and become a better cultivator.

As the night drew to a close, Lin Xiao said goodbye to the fox spirits, grateful for their friendship and support. He looked forward to the challenges and adventures that awaited him on his journey, and he knew that the Kitchen Dao would always be there to guide and support him.