Reflexes, Apparently

As his body finally warmed up completely, Huo Yuhao realized that nearly ten minutes had passed since the Old Steward had left. He had no idea where he had gone.

He looked around, but everything was quiet. The only sound was the crackling of wood burning in the fireplace.

"Gurgle!"

Suddenly, a clear sound came from Huo Yuhao's stomach. His face stiffened, and he instinctively rubbed his belly, murmuring, "Stomach Brother, hang on a little longer. Once I finish dealing with this matter, I'll eat all the steamed buns I put away. I'll definitely fill you up."

"Gurgle!"

His stomach growled again.

Huo Yuhao said, "Then I'll add one more fish."

Stomach Brother seemed satisfied and stopped launching its hungry chants.

Huo Yuhao helplessly shook his head. Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to going hungry over the years. Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to adapt.

"Are you hungry?"

While Huo Yuhao was lowering his head and communicating with Stomach Brother, a wisp of fragrance drifted over from somewhere, accompanied by a gentle voice.

Huo Yuhao hurriedly raised his head.

Old Chen had returned at some point. He carried a very large ceramic bowl and walked over to the sofa, gently placing it on the coffee table.

Old Chen said with a hearty smile, "Eat. You're at the age when your body's growing, so you need to eat more."

Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment. His eyes instinctively fell on the bowl, only to see it piled high with bright yellow noodles. Three square chunks of meat had been placed on top, each about two centimeters thick. The slightly yellow-brown broth glistened faintly with oil, and there were several meatballs and some greens as well.

Oh, right—the fragrant noodle soup was also topped with a sprinkling of emerald-green scallions as the finishing touch.

"Gurgle!"

Perhaps because it had smelled the fragrance, Huo Yuhao's stomach growled uncontrollably once more. He did not immediately pick up the bowl and dig in. Instead, he stared at the ceramic bowl in silence for several seconds before taking a deep breath and asking, as if he needed to confirm it again, "This is for me?"

"For you." Old Chen picked up his teacup. "Eat. The noodles won't taste good once they get soggy."

Huo Yuhao's lips moved, but he said nothing. He silently lowered his head, picked up the chopsticks resting on the bowl, lifted some noodles, and began to eat.

He did not bother with polite words. The sound of slurping noodles soon filled the room.

The noodles were springy, with a hint of wheat fragrance. They were probably handmade.

The meat chunks looked thick and a little tough, but the meat was actually juicy and practically melted in his mouth.

The meatballs were incredibly bouncy. They could probably be picked up and used as ping-pong balls.

As for the greens, their roots were as flawless as white jade. Their variety was obviously no ordinary vegetable.

Only after a mouthful of hot soup went down did every part of his body finally come alive.

Old Chen had not made the soup overly strong. Its flavor was light, but perfectly balanced—not so bland that one couldn't taste it, nor so heavily seasoned that every bite was filled with nothing but spices.

Old Chen sipped his tea while watching Huo Yuhao devour the noodle soup "ferociously." He couldn't help laughing.

"Slurp, slurp."

When he swallowed the final mouthful of soup, Huo Yuhao was sweating all over. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm, took several deep breaths, and sighed, "This is the first time I've ever eaten noodles this delicious."

"It isn't because I made them well. It's because you were hungry." Old Chen had just begun pouring more tea from the teapot when he suddenly noticed that it was empty. He immediately stood up, holding the ceramic bowl in one hand and the teapot in the other. "Rest for a while. I expect that pack of lackeys is still searching for you outside the estate."

With that, Old Chen left once again.

"Burp!" Huo Yuhao couldn't help belching. He pulled a half-eaten fish from the spacious pocket of his trousers and stared at it silently, letting out a strange sigh. "Yeah, I was hungry."

If Chai San hadn't come to cause trouble, he should have been roasting the fish by now.

Ever since his soul had transmigrated into Huo Yuhao, he had no idea why, but whenever he saw fish, he couldn't help wanting to roast them. It was as if the impulse had been carved into his memories.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Huo Yuhao's expression shifted slightly. He felt a warm current spreading from his abdomen throughout his body, circulating back and forth along his blocked meridians. It was an inexplicable burst of Soul Power.

The change inside his body instantly caught Huo Yuhao's attention. He hurriedly closed his eyes and guided the Soul Power that had inexplicably appeared within him. His cultivation advanced far too slowly, so he yearned for every bit of Soul Power and would never waste even a trace.

Before long, faint fluctuations of Soul Power spread around Huo Yuhao. They were not forceful, but they were warm, like the first rays of the rising sun.

On the other side, Old Chen was washing the dishes. He smiled calmly and said, "Meat from a Thousand-Year Soul Beast. That should give you quite a feast, you brat."

"Mom, I plan to report to Shrek Academy ahead of schedule." Dai Huabin sat upright on a soft sofa, respectfully looking at the Beautiful Matron seated in the place of honor.

This Beautiful Matron's beauty differed from Huo Yun'er's pure and charming loveliness. Her appearance carried a mature allure, with a trace of authority mixed into her brilliance. Her smooth black hair fell loosely behind her, while her body was concealed by a loose, luxurious robe, making it impossible to tell whether she had a good figure.

The Beautiful Matron held a wineglass in her hand and gently swirled it, making the ruby-like liquid inside ripple. Under the illumination of the Soul Guiding Lamp, it looked rather magnificent.

Hearing Dai Huabin's request, the fingers swirling the wineglass stopped. The Beautiful Matron said calmly, "What news did the Dark Guards you left in Shrek City send back? Why are you in such a hurry to go to Shrek City?"

At the words "Dark Guards," Dai Huabin's pupils suddenly contracted. The room was clearly warm, yet he felt as if he had entered the depths of winter, a chill seeping through his body.

Seeing him like this, the Duchess gave a light snort. "The entire Duke's Mansion is under my control. Do you really think I wouldn't know about your little tricks?"

"Mom..." Dai Huabin was only a boy a little over ten years old. Upon learning that his secret had been exposed, he immediately grew flustered.

"Look at you." The Duchess slightly furrowed her brows. "You're the piece of flesh that fell from me after ten months of pregnancy. I even remember the two moles on your butt clearly. What are you panicking about? Are you afraid your mother will punish you?"

Dai Huabin came to his senses and awkwardly scratched his head, forcing a laugh. "I got too worked up."

This is my own mother. What am I afraid of?

Reflexes, apparently.

The Duchess took a sip of wine and said calmly, "If nothing unexpected happened, you must have been keeping an eye on your older brother, right?"

Dai Huabin's expression turned solemn. He nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, "Big Brother has already become a Soul King, while I only entered the Soul Grandmaster realm recently. Father's title will definitely be decided between Big Brother and me in the future. I've grown anxious."

The Duchess sighed and placed her wineglass on the coffee table. "What I least want to see is you and your older brother fighting over this title. You're both my children. If either of you were injured over the title, I, as your mother, would be heartbroken. But since you're members of Duke White Tiger's Mansion, you must walk this path and determine who is superior. I can't stop you."

Dai Huabin fell silent.

The Duchess looked at him and gently shook her head. "Forget it. Let's not talk about that. Since you came today, there's something I happen to need to tell you."

Dai Huabin turned to look at her.

The Duchess smiled. "Do you remember that girl Zhu Lu? Your Martial Soul Fusion Degree with her is extremely high, almost reaching ninety percent. In the ten-thousand-year history of the White Tiger Family, a level like that would easily rank among the top ten. Your maternal grandfather's side has decided to send Zhu Lu over so that the two of you can spend some time together."

The pacing of this book might be a little slow, so I hope all readers will forgive me. There's quite a bit of groundwork in the early stages, and I know it can be rather dull. We'll get to the exciting parts later.

As for the update schedule, new chapters will be released punctually at noon every day. Of course, that may change later, and I'll let everyone know if it does.

And finally, I'm asking everyone to follow the book and vote for it. Following is truly important, so I hope everyone will finish reading the free chapters. Please, please!