The Cao Family of Three Who Treated Huo Yuhao Warmly

"This..."

For a moment, Huo Yuhao did not know how to refute Strawberry's words.

After spending the past few days together, Huo Yuhao also knew that she was a student at Shrek Academy. The reason she had been nearby before was that inner courtyard disciples of Shrek like them also had another, more resounding name: the Shrek Inspection Corps.

Strawberry and the others had been carrying out a mission. The round trip had taken a month, and they had only just returned today.

She had originally intended to go back and report in, but Zhang Lexuan had asked Strawberry to bring Huo Yuhao home first. She still had to return to Shrek tomorrow.

As for nightlife, who knew how late it would end?

"So, come on. Let's go eat." Strawberry took Huo Yuhao by the hand as she spoke and led him outside.

When they returned to the kitchen, it was at its busiest. Huo Yuhao could see Uncle Cao and Aunt Lan working in a blaze of activity. Even the owner and his wife were this busy, let alone the other staff.

"The spicy diced chicken for private room two! Hurry, the customers are asking for it!"

"Got it," Uncle Cao answered, then quickly got to work on the spicy diced chicken.

"Sister Strawberry, why don't we cook for ourselves tonight? Uncle Cao and Aunt Lan are pretty busy. We'd better not add to the chaos," Huo Yuhao said, stopping Strawberry.

"Can you cook?" Strawberry asked, looking down.

"I used to help Mom cook. I know how," Huo Yuhao said.

He really did know how to cook, though it was just food to fill their stomachs. After all, they had been poor, so it had mostly been grilled fish or wild greens stir-fried in a little oil. At other times, they would cook porridge, though sometimes the grains of rice in it were so sparse he could count them on both hands.

Strawberry's heart ached at his words. He was only six. She remembered that when she was six and had just awakened her martial soul, her parents had still been taking her everywhere to play without a care in the world.

And that help he spoke of had been before he turned six. She did not dare imagine what sort of life Huo Yuhao had lived before. Compared with his, hers had truly been heaven to his earth.

Strawberry stroked Huo Yuhao's head, composed herself, and asked, "Does it taste good?"

"It's all right. Grilled fish is what I'm best at." Huo Yuhao scratched his cheek. After all, his family had been poor, and there really had not been many ingredients or seasonings available to him.

"All right, you're the chef tonight. I'll try your grilled fish. We won't bother my parents. I'll get the fish; wait for me in the backyard." Strawberry settled it on the spot and went to fetch the equipment.

A grill, fish and seasonings, some of their family's homemade sauces, and drinks besides.

Huo Yuhao prepared the fish with practiced skill, while Strawberry found an open space nearby, set up the grill, and lit the fire.

The two had a clear division of labor, though Strawberry finished her part a little faster. She had brought five or six fish, and Huo Yuhao needed some time to prepare them, scraping off their scales, removing their innards, and washing them clean.

Once Strawberry finished, she watched Huo Yuhao preparing the fish. From his practiced movements, she knew this was definitely not his first time.

The only seasoning Huo Yuhao had used before was salt, so he tasted each of the seasonings Strawberry had brought for the grilled fish first.

Perhaps because he had grilled fish so many times, he knew how to make it delicious. He applied the seasonings one after another, then placed the fish on the grill.

Before long, a tempting aroma spread from the grill. It was rich, with an allure all its own.

As Huo Yuhao slowly turned them, the two fish gradually became golden. Together with that rich aroma, they were particularly tempting.

Flames burned on the wood, constantly leaping up and bringing scorching heat. Fragrant droplets of fat kept dripping down, making the flames suddenly flare higher.

Without realizing it, Huo Yuhao's eyes turned pale gold. Although he had no soul skills yet, his martial soul naturally allowed him to observe things better and control the heat.

"Yuhao, your martial soul is your eyes?" This was Strawberry's first time seeing Huo Yuhao activate his martial soul.

Knowing that this matter might have something to do with the attack on Huo Yuhao and his mother, everyone had tacitly refrained from asking about him throughout the journey, afraid of stirring up his painful memories.

Although they had speculated about his martial soul based on his condition, a martial soul was something they could only identify after seeing it activated with their own eyes.

"Yes." Focused on grilling the fish, Huo Yuhao nodded instinctively.

A body martial soul. Judging by Yuhao, he should have soul power. With a body martial soul, soul power generally wouldn't be too low, especially with a part as important as the eyes. From how he looks now, his innate soul power should have been at least rank five or six. It might even have been about the same as mine, Strawberry could not help thinking.

Shrek was the continent's foremost academy, and it was divided into inner and outer courtyards. Those in the inner courtyard could essentially all be called geniuses among geniuses.

Strawberry had already joined their ranks. Moreover, hers was a food-type martial soul, Strawberry, which was an extremely difficult kind of martial soul to cultivate. She was nearly twenty this year, and reaching Soul King already proved her talent.

Her Strawberry was actually just an ordinary food-type martial soul, but a body martial soul was a top-tier martial soul, especially the eyes. Body martial souls also had a second awakening.

Once a part like the eyes underwent a second awakening, it would definitely become one of the world's very finest spiritual martial souls.

He's a promising seedling. I need to tell Sister Lexuan tomorrow.

As Strawberry thought, the aroma of the grilled fish gradually spread. Already hungry, she had her appetite thoroughly hooked by the smell and instantly tossed all her other thoughts behind her.

"That smells so good. Looks like my taste buds are in for a treat tonight. Sister Lexuan and the others don't even know, especially that damn fatty. He loves good food most of all. Missing out on something like this will definitely leave him kicking himself to death." As she spoke, Strawberry wiped away the tears that had shamefully trickled from the corners of her mouth.

Huo Yuhao smiled without replying. Soon, the two grilled fish were ready. He had only grilled two to start with, afraid he might not control the heat properly.

"They're ready. Here, Sister Strawberry." Huo Yuhao handed Strawberry the larger of the two grilled fish.

Unable to wait, Strawberry snatched it up. There were no outsiders here, and she bit straight into it without any concern for appearances.

At the first bite, a flash of amazement crossed Strawberry's eyes. The delicious flavor made her cry out involuntarily, "Whoa! This is definitely the best grilled fish I've ever eaten."

This was no flattery, but sincere praise. Her family ran a restaurant, and she had eaten all manner of delicacies from the mountains and seas growing up. Some dishes had even tasted better than this grilled fish, but when it came to fish alone, there really seemed to be nothing that could beat it.

"As long as you like it." Huo Yuhao smiled at Strawberry's reaction. What chef did not enjoy hearing others praise their food?

Strawberry ate very quickly. In less than a minute, she had polished off the enormous fish.

Even after finishing, she still wanted more. But Huo Yuhao had only just begun grilling the second batch, and the only one left was the fish he had already taken a few bites of.

"Sister, why don't you have this one too?" Feeling Strawberry's burning gaze, Huo Yuhao instinctively turned his head and offered the fish in his hand.

"No, I'll just wait. But come to think of it, these five fish don't feel like enough. I'll go get some more." Strawberry shook her head. Whatever else, she would not go so far as to snatch someone else's half-eaten food. She looked down at the three fish already on the grill as she spoke.

With that, she got up and left without waiting for Huo Yuhao to speak.

Huo Yuhao looked at the grilled fish in his hand, which was about as thick as his arm, then at the ones still cooking on the grill.

After becoming a Soul Master, his appetite had indeed grown considerably, but he felt two should be enough for him. Strawberry should be full after eating the other three.

But since Strawberry said it was not enough, he would just grill more.

When Strawberry returned with two fish, Huo Yuhao had just finished grilling the other three. Without missing a beat, he prepared the newly delivered fish while eating.

The fish Strawberry had brought were a special variety raised for eating and had no bones at all. A fish without bones could truly be called a good fish.

Of the seven fish, Huo Yuhao ate only two before he was more or less full. Strawberry polished off all the rest.

"I'm so full." Strawberry finished her last mouthful of drink and tossed the empty bottle into the trash. Having eaten and drunk her fill, she leaned back in a chair in the courtyard without the slightest concern for a ladylike image, utterly casual and relaxed.

"Speaking of which, Yuhao, you have innate soul power, right?" With her hunger and thirst satisfied, Strawberry remembered Huo Yuhao's situation. He seemed to have soul power and be capable of cultivating, but they did not seem to have seen him cultivate privately during this time.

Huo Yuhao, who was cleaning up, froze for a moment. Because he had been hunted down before, he actually did not particularly want to reveal that he had soul power now.

Anyone would have become a little wary in this regard after possessing talent that guaranteed they would at least become a powerful figure in the future, only to have it bring a deadly disaster upon them instead, with their mother dying right before their eyes to protect them.

"Yes." But Huo Yuhao quickly came to his senses. There was little point in hiding something like this. At worst, he simply would not reveal everything.

"I haven't seen you meditate to cultivate these past few days. Is it because you don't have a cultivation method? Why don't you try mine? This is a cultivation method Shrek Academy released publicly. It might not be the very best, but across the continent, it's still a high-level meditation cultivation method," Strawberry said.

Shrek Academy would certainly keep its finest cultivation methods for itself rather than release them publicly, but what it did release was already top-tier and high-level to ordinary people.

Moreover, after joining Shrek Academy, one could switch to the finest cultivation methods it kept in reserve without having to worry at all about the issue of starting cultivation over.

"There's no need. I have a cultivation method." Huo Yuhao declined Strawberry's kindness. He had the method Huo Yun had given him, the one best suited to his current cultivation.

It was one of the very finest cultivation methods the World Will had stored over many years, developed by countless powerful figures of the past. Building on that foundation, Huo Yun had tailored it specifically to Huo Yuhao's constitution.

For Huo Yuhao alone, there was already no cultivation method in the world that could replace this one.

For anyone else, it was also a top-tier cultivation method.

He did not need to change it.

"But I still think you should try it. Outside cultivation methods might not measure up to mine. Of course, you can compare them. You've only just started cultivating, so I'm sure you can tell which one works faster and which works slower. And you don't need to worry that changing methods will affect you." Although Huo Yuhao had said that, Strawberry still insisted that he give it a try. She simply wanted what was best for him. After all, in her eyes, Huo Yuhao was just a child from a poor family and certainly could not obtain any particularly good cultivation method.

It might simply be a low-level cultivation method passed down in his family, or one given to him by the kind person who had helped awaken his martial soul.

"Mm." Huo Yuhao nodded without saying anything more.

"All right, we've eaten and drunk our fill. Let's get some rest." Strawberry took a notebook from her soul tool and handed it to Huo Yuhao, then rose and headed for her room.

Her room was quite close to where Huo Yuhao stayed, though it was inside a separate house next door. That was where she and her parents lived, and her room was inside, while Huo Yuhao stayed in the staff quarters near the guest rooms.

Huo Yuhao put away the grill and the other things. Only after cleaning everything up did he return to his room.

With no one nearby, he did not choose to rest as he had before. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began cultivating.

The night passed without incident. The next day, with the sun already high, someone knocked on Huo Yuhao's door.

"Yuhao, time to get up." Aunt Lan's voice came from outside.

Huo Yuhao emerged from his night of cultivation, exhaled a breath of stale air, got out of bed, and opened the door.

"Good morning, Aunt Lan."

"Good morning. Breakfast is ready. Get up and wash, then come eat," Aunt Lan said.

"All right." Huo Yuhao did not delay. He went into the bathroom to wash, then followed Aunt Lan downstairs.

Besides Uncle Cao and Aunt Lan, there were also several employees here. Some had places to stay in Shrek City, while others had come from elsewhere to apply for work, with meals and lodging provided. Although not everyone had this arrangement, counting Huo Yuhao but excluding Uncle Cao and Aunt Lan, there were seven people in total.

Everyone ate together at the table in the courtyard, including the owners, Uncle Cao and Aunt Lan. Neither put on any airs as the boss, and both were very approachable.

As for breakfast, it was quite plentiful, with meat, eggs, milk-everything one could want.

Huo Yuhao ate while looking around, but he did not see Strawberry.

"If you're looking for Strawberry, she went back to the academy first thing this morning. Rushed off like a whirlwind without even eating breakfast. Don't mind her." Uncle Cao knew who Huo Yuhao was looking for from his expression. His whole family treated Huo Yuhao warmly, speaking with obvious ease and without the slightest sense of distance.

Huo Yuhao nodded without saying anything more.

"Don't be so reserved, Yuhao. Just make yourself at home." Uncle Cao had noticed Huo Yuhao's unease, though it was only natural. After all, Huo Yuhao was living under someone else's roof.

Huo Yuhao nodded again. Seeing this, Uncle Cao knew he certainly would not be able to relax right away, so he smiled and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, Yuhao, Strawberry told me you have innate soul power."