The Rat Has Skin, Yet Man Has No Decorum

Inside Embers Kitchen.

More and more thin kindling piled up by the wall. Chen Xu raised and dropped his blade, its dark gleaming arc whirling before him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As more saber-practice experience poured in, all the scattered Vital Blood within Chen Xu's body was tempered into his limbs and bones.

The swelling sensation that had once been difficult to control finally vanished, and the burning heat in his breaths gradually subsided.

Wonderful! The Wood Chopping Saber Technique actually had such benefits!

Delighted, Chen Xu continued practicing with the saber.

Only after several hours had passed, when intense exhaustion swept over him, did Chen Xu have no choice but to set down the wood-chopping blade and let out a long breath.

He opened the attribute panel.

[Essence: 10+]

[Vital Blood: 18+]

[Divine Soul: 12+]

[Free Attribute Points: 8]

[Firework Value: 3]

[Wood Chopping Level 1 (15/100)]

Looking at those eight Free Attribute Points, Chen Xu decided to allocate them while he had the chance.

After pondering for a moment, he tentatively added one point to his Essence first.

[Essence: 11+]

The moment his Essence rose, his previous exhaustion actually lessened invisibly. Chen Xu's spirits lifted slightly.

So the Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body were interconnected. Excessive Vital Blood consumption could also cause mental fatigue, while an increase in spirit could likewise speed up the recovery of Vital Blood.

Of course, his attribute panel seemed to display only the current maximum values of his Threefold Attributes. It did not show his exact condition in real time after physical exertion.

Skill experience, on the other hand, remained recorded once gained. That was its greatest advantage.

Chen Xu added another point to his Divine Soul and carefully sensed the changes in his body.

This time, his thoughts seemed to have become a little clearer and quicker. The change was subtle, but it felt as though his brain had been gently pressed smooth by an iron.

Fully satisfied, Chen Xu continued adding points.

Before long, his attributes became—

[Essence: 14+]

[Vital Blood: 18+]

[Divine Soul: 14+]

[Free Attribute Points: 2]

[Firework Value: 3]

He saved the final two Free Attribute Points because he had discovered that any increase in the Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body could help restore his physique when he was exhausted or weak.

Keeping two points in reserve for unexpected needs would help with his endurance.

Afterward, Chen Xu examined his leg injury again. His right calf was, in the terms of his previous life, a comminuted fracture.

Such an injury might not have been incurable in a modern technological society, but in Jichuan County, not a single physician dared claim he could fully heal it.

Chen Xu had originally thought that ancient medicine was limited, and that he might have to limp for half his life.

But now that he knew this was a world of gods and monsters, everything was naturally different.

If mortal methods could not cure it, what about extraordinary ones?

Chen Xu now believed that as long as his Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body kept growing, one day he would surely heal himself!

Without pausing for even a moment, he continued practicing Wood Chopping after figuring out the uses of attribute points, until he had used up every last moment he could remain in Embers Kitchen.

[Wood Chopping Level 1 (35/100)]

Ping'an Alley, inside the little house.

The sun's shadow gradually shifted upward. Chen Xu, finally returned from Embers Kitchen, snapped awake as if from a dream and sprang up from the table.

The instant he stood, he felt light and strong, refreshed in both body and mind.

Even the wound in his right leg had changed from unbearably painful and itchy to as comfortable as though it were soaking in a hot spring.

All the experience from the Wood Chopping Saber Technique flowed through his mind like a stream. Chen Xu flexed his wrist, seized by the urge to pick up a wood-chopping blade and hack three thousand times in a frenzy.

He hurriedly felt his waist and abdomen as well. Even through his clothes, he could feel the sleek firmness of lean abdominal muscles.

Everything in Embers Kitchen truly fed back into reality exactly as it was!

How marvelous. A smile appeared on Chen Xu's face. Only now did he truly feel that he had indeed obtained a heaven-chosen cheat.

Of course, while he was still growing, he had to lie low when it was time to lie low.

Maintaining his tireless pace, Chen Xu rose and headed into the kitchen. First, he checked the porridge and flatbread he had deliberately left behind.

The porridge was still on the stove, and the flatbread remained untouched.

Huh? The Rat Demon had not come to eat the porridge and flatbread?

Chen Xu listened closely again, hoping to hear the Rat Demon, but he still heard nothing at all.

He could not help wondering. Why had the Rat Demon not come to eat? Was it injured? Was it unable to move? Had some expert captured it? Or was it...

Or what? Chen Xu could not guess.

He could only console himself: This was a demon—a demon whose good and evil were difficult to distinguish. Was it not foolish to worry over a demon?

Chen Xu put the matter aside and deliberately left the porridge and flatbread in one corner of the stove.

Then he began sorting through the miscellaneous ingredients he had traded for from the vendors on South Market Street.

There were scattered bits and pieces: a small piece of tofu, a handful of shepherd's purse, a meat bone, a handful of millet, a fist-sized malnourished little gourd, a small bundle of huo leaves, and so on.

It was basically impossible to make any proper delicacy from such odds and ends. Based on his cooking experience from his previous life, Chen Xu decided to stew them into a pot of meat-and-vegetable congee.

His current culinary skill was: [Mortal-grade Culinary Skill LV2 Proficient (45/100)].

Most of that came from the boost of his hobby in his previous life. In this life, since his main occupation was studying for the Imperial Examination, he actually did not have many chances to cook.

Still, it was enough. His talent, [My Food Will Always Be More Delicious], was sufficient for the diners at his current stage.

Chen Xu lit the fire, set the pot in place, and began simmering porridge.

It simmered for a full half hour.

During that time, Chen Xu brought over the Book of Changes from the bedroom and read it carefully while tending the fire.

Firelight shone upon the young scholar's face, making it seem as though his eyes held starlight.

Suddenly, faint squeaking came again from some distant crevice.

"Squeak squeak squeak, Ninth Master, this scholar still reads while cooking porridge. He's so tired!"

It was the little rat's voice!

Chen Xu, who had been reading, was delighted. The little rat had spoken—the Rat Demon was indeed all right. His earlier worries had been for nothing.

But if the Rat Demon was fine, why had it not eaten what he left behind?

Chen Xu was still puzzled when he heard another, elderly voice say, "He reads while cooking porridge. You may call him diligent, but why say he is tired?"

The little rat squeaked, "I just feel he looks so tired! But his porridge today smells so good! It's different from all the previous ones, Ninth Master. I really want to eat it."

[Rat Demon Like +1]

The elderly voice said, "It does smell good. But we are merely lodging together, and we are rats besides. We should not appear in someone else's home during the day. Be good, A Shi. If the master leaves food out tonight, then we can go eat it."

[Rat Demon Like +1]

Chen Xu had never expected that this would be the reason the Rat Demon did not come eat porridge during the day.

For a moment, he could not help feeling a few more complicated emotions.

There were so many unreasonable people in the world, yet these two rats were so humble and courteous. No wonder the ancients cursed: The rat has skin, yet man has no decorum!

Chen Xu stayed by the stove, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon.

Gradually, an increasingly rich aroma of meat rose from the pot.

The meat bone had been stewed white in the soup. Chen Xu had already stripped off the shreds of meat, chopped them into mince, and mixed them into the porridge.

It was a two-grain congee, made with both white rice and millet.

After simmering for so long, the congee had become perfectly thick, every grain of rice blossoming open.

Chen Xu sprinkled in a handful of salt, then added the various chopped vegetables one after another.

The rich fragrance burst forth with a bang. From the distant crevice, the little rat squeaked frantically, "It smells so good, so good, so good! It smells so good! Ninth Master, it really smells so good, so good, so good!"

[Rat Demon Like +1]

[+1]

+1 +1 +1...

Sitting beside the stove, Chen Xu could not help letting the corners of his lips curl upward, a smile appearing on his face.

In just this brief while, the Rat Demon had given him nine likes outright. Together with the previous three likes that had not been converted, it had long exceeded the limit of ten likes.

Now Chen Xu had gained another Free Attribute Point to allocate.

[Free Attribute Points: 3]

[Accumulated Likes: 192]