The Door Was Shut Tight, Time to Show Off My Cooking!

"Mom, I'm back!"

Xu Kun knocked for quite a while, only to find that there was no movement inside.

"No way, your son just went through a life-or-death ordeal, and Mom still isn't off work?"

Xu Kun was speechless, but considering his mother's personality, he felt that was highly likely!

Xu Kun's mother was named Mu Qingxuan. Her talent was only F-rank, so ever since Xu Kun had been born, he had never seen her enter the Haotian Pagoda!

After all, for an F-rank to pass the beginner trial was already an incredible achievement. Climbing any higher would be difficult. Rather than waste time, it was better to work hard just to live well!

Since she had managed to raise Xu Kun by herself, Mu Qingxuan naturally had a job. She was a teacher at a nearby elementary school!

The social status of an elementary school teacher naturally could not be compared with that of a teacher for Xu Kun's graduating class!

In this day and age, those with low-level talents and no ability to climb further up the Haotian Pagoda usually chose to become teachers, because every other industry either relied on mechanized production or required highly specialized work!

Only the education system, which the entire human race valued above all else, needed a huge number of people, from the highest academies down to the most basic elementary schools!

In Jiangnan Base City alone, there were no fewer than a hundred thousand elementary schools!

Among those working in elementary education, at least seventy or eighty percent of the low-rank Talented Individuals were teachers!

In the tube-shaped apartment building where Xu Kun and his mother lived, the overwhelming majority of residents were teachers!

"Eh? Isn't this Xu Kun?"

The neighbor next door opened her door, exclaiming in delight.

"Hello, Auntie Lin. My mom isn't back yet?"

The neighbor next door was Mu Qingxuan's colleague, and they even taught the same class. Yet Auntie Lin had already changed into home clothes and was holding a bunch of vegetables. She had clearly gotten off work a long time ago!

"You mean Qingxuan? Oh, she stayed behind to supervise the students' evening study again. Honestly, Qingxuan really is something else. Those little kids are terrified of her after she puts them through this every day. How are they supposed to learn anything..."

Auntie Lin went on and on, stirring up some unpleasant memories for Xu Kun!

Xu Kun's elementary school years had been firmly held in the center of Mu Qingxuan's palm!

Mu Qingxuan's teaching methods were unbelievably strict and utterly merciless!

If her strictness toward ordinary students rated an eight out of ten, then toward him and Hao Jian, it was at least a ninety-eight!

In everyone else's eyes, she was the very embodiment of terror. To him and Hao Jian, she was a symbol of evil. Because they had not studied properly, he and Hao Jian had no idea how many brutal beatings they had taken. Even after being beaten, they still had to finish the extra assignments his mother gave them...

Of course, the result was that Xu Kun and Hao Jian had both entered Jiangnan No. 1 High School with outstanding grades, becoming top students in the eyes of others!

"Oh, look at my memory. Xu Kun, you're in your final year of high school, right? So you just got back after finishing the beginner trial?"

Xu Kun nodded. "Yeah, I just got back, but my mom isn't even home!"

The two exchanged a look, both rendered speechless!

The beginner trial was the most life-and-death experience of a person's entire life! For ordinary parents, who could possibly have the mind to do anything else during those seven days? They would all wait anxiously outside the school for news!

Seeing Mu Qingxuan going to and from work as if nothing had happened lately, Auntie Lin had not thought of it!

"That Qingxuan is really going too far! Just wait, Auntie will call her right now and tell her to hurry home!"

Xu Kun was about to refuse, but the warmhearted Auntie Lin had already gone back inside, grumbling angrily.

"Sigh..." Xu Kun let out a long sigh. Then, out of habit, he found the house key beneath a flowerpot and opened the door!

The familiar, simple home was kept spotlessly neat, just like Xu Kun's mother's personality!

"Perfect. Since Mom isn't back yet, I'll cook first and wait for her!" Xu Kun thought happily.

Then he took out the materials he had not sold from his backpack!

The E-rank material—cooked Snow Rabbit meat—did not even need much preparation. It was still steaming when he took it out. With a sprinkle of sea salt and a garnish of onions and chili peppers, a fragrant rabbit dish was complete!

He had eaten three pieces of Mountain-Cleaving Buffalo Meat himself, gaining three points of Strength, and had saved three pieces for Hao Jian. He tossed the remaining four pieces into a pot together with the Mountain-Cleaving Buffalo Bone. After stir-frying it over high heat for fragrance and then simmering it slowly over low heat, the rich aroma of meat soon drifted out through the window!

High-end ingredients often only required simple cooking. Xu Kun's culinary skills were average, but the ingredients were simply too good. A basic preparation was enough to make a delicious dish!

Next, he packed ten jin of Earth-Cleaving Pig Lard into a large basin, leaving seventy jin in his backpack. Then he took out a huge chunk of Earth-Cleaving Pig meat, washed it clean, put it into cold water, and skimmed off the foam.

Then he scooped out a large lump of lard and sautéed scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon until fragrant. He added the pork chopped into small pieces and stir-fried it until both sides were lightly golden. After that, he added several pieces of rock sugar, poured in hot water until it covered the meat, brought it to a boil over high heat, then covered the pot and braised it over medium heat...

After finishing all that, Xu Kun swiftly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. He could not let his mother get upset because he had dirtied the kitchen.

Just as the three hearty dishes were nearly done, Xu Kun heard footsteps outside the door.

He quickly poked his head out and called, "Mom, you're back?"

Mu Qingxuan was changing her shoes by the entrance. Hearing Xu Kun's voice, she did not even look up. She merely nodded lightly and replied in a cool voice, "Mm, I'm back. Did you ask Sister Lin next door to call me just now?"

Xu Kun's expression immediately stiffened. "N-No... Auntie Lin just saw that I'd come back after finishing the trial."

Mu Qingxuan finished changing her shoes and did not pursue the minor issue further, which made Xu Kun breathe a sigh of relief.

It was clear just how afraid Xu Kun was of his mother, considering that he had felt no fear even when facing monsters from countless races!

"Mom, dinner's ready. Go wash your hands and eat!"

"Alright, serve the rice."

"Serve the rice?" Xu Kun froze.

Mu Qingxuan frowned. "What is it?"

Xu Kun slapped his forehead. "I forgot to cook the rice!"

Mu Qingxuan: ...

Xu Kun: ...

In the end, under Mu Qingxuan's direction, the rice was put on to cook, while the dishes came out first.

"Hehe, let's eat the dishes first. Mom, try this meat..." Xu Kun placed a large piece of streaky pork into Mu Qingxuan's bowl as if presenting a treasure.

Then he watched expectantly as Mu Qingxuan took a small bite.

"Mm, not bad."

Those three words alone made Xu Kun so happy he could barely contain himself. Ever since childhood, without a father by his side, his mother had been extremely strict with him. Praise from her had been few and far between!

"Mom, try this beef bone soup too!"

Xu Kun was not even in a hurry to eat himself. He bustled about, wanting nothing more than for his mother to eat well and enjoy herself!

Only after Mu Qingxuan finished another bowl of soup did she wipe her mouth and look at Xu Kun.

Xu Kun hurriedly set down his bowl and sat up straight, knowing the main event had arrived.

"Did everything go smoothly?"

Xu Kun nodded like a pecking chicken and said proudly, "Very smoothly!"

"You were the one who took first place on the Golden Rankings, weren't you?" Mu Qingxuan said something startling.

Xu Kun froze on the spot. "How... how did you know?"

"I guessed." Mu Qingxuan replied indifferently.

Xu Kun's head immediately drooped. This had been the achievement he most wanted to show off to his mother, yet before he even had the chance, she had exposed it with a single sentence.

Seeing Xu Kun's dejected expression, Mu Qingxuan actually could not help but smile.

"Mom, you smiled?" Xu Kun's eyes widened.

Yet the next moment, Mu Qingxuan's expression returned to its usual stillness, as if that smile had only been an illusion!

Mu Qingxuan, known throughout the apartment building and among the schoolteachers as the "Ice Mountain Beauty," was harder to catch smiling than to climb to the heavens!

Although Xu Kun had been raised by his mother alone since childhood, unlike other mothers who had struggled tirelessly to raise their children, Mu Qingxuan's face seemed untouched by the passage of time!

She was still breathtakingly beautiful. Wherever she walked among a crowd, she naturally became the center of attention!

A son resembled his mother, and Xu Kun had naturally inherited his mother's excellent genes. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been the center of attention!

Starting in middle school, snacks and love letters had never stopped appearing on Xu Kun's desk. But having grown accustomed to a stunning beauty like his mother, the girls who confessed to him seemed far too ordinary!

In the end, more than half those snacks went into Hao Jian's stomach, and he was delighted!

Even Zhan Rourou, known as the school belle of No. 1 High School, lacked much of Mu Qingxuan's charm by comparison and seemed far too immature!

Just as Xu Kun attracted countless secret glances from women, men who wanted to become Xu Kun's stepfather were as numerous as carp crossing the river!

Many of them did not care in the slightest that Mu Qingxuan had an F-tier talent, or that she had Xu Kun, this so-called burden, in tow!

More than once, Xu Kun had seen one well-dressed successful man after another downstairs lavish Mu Qingxuan with attention, willing to spend fortunes just to win a smile from the beauty!

Yet Xu Kun had never seen the slightest change in his mother's expression. There was neither disgust nor reprimand—only a cold aloofness that kept people at arm's length and sent countless suitors away empty-handed!

She was like an ancient glacier that would never melt. Making her reveal even the faintest smile was harder than killing a boss of the same level!

Mu Qingxuan did not answer Xu Kun's pointless question. As calmly as ever, she said, "Let me see your talent and attribute panel."

Xu Kun's eyes lit up. His mother still cared about him after all!

He immediately displayed his attribute panel in its entirety.

Mu Qingxuan studied it carefully, line by line. Xu Kun hoped to see some different expression on her face, but unfortunately, that earlier smile had been as fleeting as a night-blooming flower.

Even the F-tier talent Myriad Races Bestiary that had shocked him, the SS-tier talent Child of the Wind he had obtained from Ling Feng, and his incredibly powerful attributes under the bonus of the demonic martial profession—all of it seemed completely natural in Mu Qingxuan's eyes!

Even his maxed-out Luck could not cause the slightest change in her gaze!

Many times, Xu Kun had wondered whether his mother really possessed an F-tier talent. Her personality and her unflappable way of handling things were nothing like those of an ordinary person struggling at the bottom of society!

But unfortunately, aside from witnessing his mother's strictness since childhood, Xu Kun had never discovered anything unusual about her!

Her life consisted of only two things: teaching and educating others!

Ordinary, yet extraordinarily ordinary!

After Mu Qingxuan withdrew her gaze, Xu Kun also put away his attribute panel.

After waiting for what felt like forever, he finally received the answer he wanted.

"Very good."

Those two words alone were Mu Qingxuan's greatest affirmation of her son!

"Be careful to hide your identity." After thinking for a moment, Mu Qingxuan added.

Xu Kun nodded, understanding what his mother meant.

"Mom, take another look at these things!"

As he spoke, Xu Kun proudly took out the Cheng Ying Sword, the Rongjin Sunset Blade, and the SS-tier Gale Sword Soul job-change certificate.

He even laid out all at once the treasure Qian Manlou had mentioned—the Lucky Three-Piece Set.

"Take a look. Is there anything here you could use?"

Xu Kun thought that although his mother only had an F-tier talent, if she changed jobs into a Gale Sword Soul, she should have the strength to climb the Haotian Pagoda, right?

Mu Qingxuan examined them one by one. After looking them over, she gave her answer. "They're all good treasures. Keep them for yourself."

"Mom!" Xu Kun grew anxious.

God knew how badly he wanted his mother to become stronger!

Before long, he would be heading to the academy for further studies, and he would have even less time to stay by her side.

Seeing Xu Kun's anxious expression, Mu Qingxuan's face revealed a rare motherly tenderness. She extended her delicate hand and rested it on Xu Kun's head.

"My son has grown up. You know how to worry about your mother now. I'm very pleased."

Her gentle tone carried a tenderness Xu Kun had never felt before.

"Work hard. You don't need to worry about me!"

The unquestionable firmness in her voice made Xu Kun instinctively choose to believe her!

"Put it all away. You're already an adult. From now on, you should walk your own path, and take control of your own life!"

Hearing Mu Qingxuan's words, Xu Kun felt a faint sense of unease.

But the noise outside instantly made him swallow what he had been about to say. He hurriedly put everything on the table back into his backpack.

"Big Sis-in-Law, are you home?"

Mu Qingxuan's expression returned to its usual calm. "Come in!"

Soon, two large and one small... ahem, not actually small figures pushed open the door, making Xu Kun's already cramped home feel instantly overcrowded.

"Second Dad, Second Mom, you're here?"

Xu Kun immediately stood up and went over to greet them in delight.

"Haha, my good son, Second Dad missed you to death! Come on, let Second Dad see whether you've grown taller lately!"

Hao Jian's father, Hao Zhong, stood over two meters tall, like a mountain. Even Xu Kun, at 1.88 meters, looked frail in front of him.

Just like when he was little, Hao Zhong grabbed Xu Kun under the arms and lifted him up.

Dangling in midair, Xu Kun's face reddened with embarrassment. "Second Dad, I'm already an adult. I don't want to play this lifting game anymore!"

"Besides, I'm tall enough already. If I get any taller, the ceiling won't be able to hold me!"

"Haha, listen to you. Calling yourself tall in front of Second Dad? You're skinny as a monkey. You should eat more, like Xiao Jian!"

Hao Zhong put Xu Kun down. That slight lift just now had nearly sent Xu Kun's head straight into the ceiling. The apartment building's floors were barely over three meters high; Hao Zhong did not even dare jump while standing inside!

Xu Kun stood where he was and looked toward the gentle woman beside him. Sweetly, he said, "Second Mom!"

"Ah!" The gentle woman immediately beamed. She quickly spread her hands and brought out the item she had prepared long ago.

"This is a gift your Second Dad specially prepared for you. Take it!"

Compared to the aloof Mu Qingxuan, Hao Jian's parents, Hao Zhong and Chen Gu, were much warmer toward Xu Kun. They had always spoiled him even more than their own son!

Whenever the two had fought as children, Hao Zhong never cared who was right or wrong. He would only grab Hao Jian and give his backside a vicious beating.

While beating him, he would scold, "You little brat, Ah Kun is your younger brother. As the older brother, don't you know to give way to him?"

As usual, Hao Jian, standing to the side, said with considerable jealousy, "Sometimes I seriously wonder whether I'm their biological son. An A-grade growth-type protective bracelet—I don't even have one! Boohoohoo!"

The moment Xu Kun heard that Second Dad and Second Mom had prepared an A-grade piece of equipment for him, he felt too embarrassed to accept it. "Second Dad, Second Mom, this gift... is too valuable!"

"What are you saying? Don't listen to that little bastard Xiao Jian spouting nonsense. Take it. If you dare give it back, I'll beat that foul-mouthed brat Xiao Jian!"

Xu Kun: ...

Hao Jian: ...

Was he sure he was scolding Hao Jian and not insulting Xu Kun along with him?

Hao Zhong, rough and straightforward, handled things just like that—one was one, two was two. Refusal was not allowed, and no one dared refuse!

Still, there was someone who could handle Hao Zhong's personality.

After exchanging pleasantries, Hao Zhong lowered his footsteps and walked to the table. Looking at the lavish dishes on it, he carefully glanced at Mu Qingxuan and said, "Big Sis-in-Law, you're eating?"

Mu Qingxuan raised her head blandly. "Mm. You came at just the right time. You timed it for the meal, didn't you?"

Xu Kun: (′???‵)