The Missing Ingredient

Lin Xiao and Mei had successfully won the cooking duel, and they were now busy preparing a feast for the sect leaders. They worked tirelessly in the kitchen, chopping vegetables, stirring pots, and creating delicious dishes.

As they worked, Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and pride. He was happy to be a Kitchen Daoist, and he loved the sense of community and camaraderie in the sect's kitchen.

But as the feast neared, Lin Xiao and Mei realized they were missing an important ingredient for one of the dishes: a rare and exotic spice that was essential for the flavor and presentation of the dish.

"Where is that spice?" Mei asked, frowning as she looked through the cabinets and drawers. "I know we had it here. I saw Master Chen using it just yesterday."

Lin Xiao searched through the spice cabinet, but he couldn't find the spice either. "It's not here," he said, puzzled. "Maybe Master Chen moved it to another cabinet?"

They searched the kitchen, but they couldn't find the spice anywhere. Lin Xiao and Mei were starting to panic. They couldn't serve the dish without the missing spice, and they only had a few minutes before the feast began.

Just as they were about to give up hope, they heard a faint meowing sound coming from behind the kitchen door. Lin Xiao and Mei exchanged a puzzled look, and then they opened the door.

To their surprise, they found a small cat sitting on the floor, holding the missing spice in its paws. The cat looked up at them, meowing plaintively.

Lin Xiao and Mei stared at the cat, dumbfounded. "How did you find the spice?" Mei asked, bending down to pick up the cat and the spice.

The cat purred and nuzzled Mei's face, as if it was trying to explain something. Lin Xiao and Mei looked at each other, a smile spreading across their faces.

"I think the cat wanted to help us," Lin Xiao said, laughing. "Who knew a cat could be such a talented chef?"

Mei grinned, scratching the cat behind the ears. "Well, we're lucky the cat was here. Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble. Let's get back to the kitchen and finish the dish. The feast is about to start, and we don't want to be late."

Lin Xiao nodded, following Mei and the cat back into the kitchen. As they worked, they couldn't help but laugh and joke, enjoying the lighthearted moment in the midst of the busy feast preparations.

But as they finished the dish and served it to the sect leaders, Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of mystery and curiosity. Who was this cat, and how did it know about the missing spice? He made a mental note to investigate further, determined to solve the mystery.