Bullying Junior Sister Seemed Pretty Good

"Forget it. With my big-shot master here, nothing will go wrong."

Gu Chen took a deep breath, composed himself, and said with a smile:

"Ling'er, it's your first time cooking, and you already managed to make chicken soup. That's better than a lot of people can do."

"I'll have a taste of your soup."

"Yay, yay!" Luo Ling'er nodded excitedly.

For this, I have to find a way to swindle at least two Dao Comprehension Tea leaves out of Master.

Gu Chen thought to himself.

Then he picked up the ladle and filled a teacup.

Gulp.

He tilted his head back and downed it in one go.

His every movement radiated righteous resolve.

"How is it? How is it?"

Luo Ling'er hurriedly asked.

Lu Changzhi was a little curious as well.

A trace of confusion and uncertainty appeared on Gu Chen's face.

Then he poured himself another teacup.

"I swallowed it too fast just now. Let me try again."

This time, Gu Chen drank noticeably more slowly.

His expression changed from resolve to uncertainty and surprise, then to shock and disbelief.

"This..."

"Is it good? Is it good?" Luo Ling'er hurriedly pressed him.

Disbelief filled Gu Chen's face, and he couldn't help looking at Lu Changzhi.

A faint smile played on Lu Changzhi's lips.

It was as though he had known all along that this would happen.

Gu Chen stared blankly for a full two breaths before sighing:

"Junior Sister is a cooking genius!"

Luo Ling'er's eyes lit up at once.

"Master, Eldest Senior Brother praised me!"

As she spoke, she planted her little arms on her hips, practically wearing the words "pleased with herself" on her face.

Lu Changzhi laughed and raised a hand to serve himself a bowl.

Perhaps it was because of how it looked.

The moment it entered his mouth, the contrast made it all the more striking.

It was hard to imagine that chicken soup which looked as though it had been poisoned could have such a subtle and distinctive flavor.

Is this the power of talent?

Lu Changzhi thought to himself.

An ordinary person could easily make something that looked like this.

But getting the flavor just right like this would have been impossible.

Although the soup couldn't compare with the sect's meals in appearance,

its flavor absolutely rubbed the sect's meals into the dirt.

And this was only the beginning...

Hidden Origin Peak's meals were taken care of!

Lu Changzhi immediately gave Luo Ling'er a thumbs-up:

"To make something this good on your first try, you really are a little cooking genius."

Hearing Gu Chen's praise, Luo Ling'er was so excited she could have jumped for joy.

"Yay! Ling'er really is a little genius!"

Master really is a big shot. So this is the real reason he took Ling'er in?

Understanding dawned on Gu Chen, though he also found it somewhat unbelievable.

After all, even his system hadn't found anything special about her.

Yet Lu Changzhi had seen it.

A big shot who had returned to simplicity was truly terrifying.

Junior Sister is so cute and such a good cook. She'll probably be gentle and virtuous in the future.

Gu Chen thought to himself.

Just then, Lu Changzhi looked at him:

"Gu Chen, I'll give those suggestions you made earlier some thought."

"Don't."

Gu Chen hurriedly spoke up,

"Master, please don't consider them. Just pretend I never said anything."

"Junior Sister's chicken soup really is delicious. She certainly has a talent for this."

"Everything should be put to its best use, and good steel belongs on the cutting edge. We'll follow all of your arrangements, Master."

What a joke. With a junior sister who could cook like this,

how could he let the chance slip by?

Before coming here, he had thought that making Luo Ling'er cook was a bit like bullying a little girl.

But it seemed...

Bullying her a little was actually pretty good?!

"As long as you understand."

Lu Changzhi nodded, satisfied.

Without even realizing it, he had gained another measure of prestige.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave, Master."

With that, Gu Chen stood up and left.

Lu Changzhi finished the soup in his bowl and had just raised a hand when he froze.

"Hmm?"

"Where's the pot?"

The days that followed brought some changes.

Luo Ling'er's cooking improved with every attempt.

In just five days, it had completely surpassed the sect's meals.

Luo Ling'er never tired of it and kept trying new things.

And her attempts proved time and again that a genius could do as she pleased.

Even her unsuccessful attempts weren't bad.

Under these circumstances, Gu Chen and Lu Changzhi were the most satisfied of all.

They had Luo Ling'er for meals and Dao Comprehension Tea to drink.

It was truly a life of unparalleled pleasure.

There was just one thing that had been a pain in Lu Changzhi's balls.

The last time he had gone out with Gu Chen, the system had given him three hundred experience points.

When Gu Chen successfully signed in, it had given him another hundred.

Added to what he already had, that came to exactly nine hundred and fifty.

He was just fifty points short.

Yet during this time, he hadn't encountered any other choices.

Gu Chen hadn't received any new sign-in missions either.

Until this day.

[Second disciple recruitment mission issued]

[Mission details: Host, please recruit a new disciple within one month.]

[Mission restriction: The disciple must have an aptitude of High-Grade Spirit Rank or above.]

[Mission rewards: Experience points × 1500; disciple recruitment gift pack × 1.]

"Finally, more work."

Lu Changzhi's eyes lit up, and he rose from his recliner.

After holding out for so long, it was rare for the system to be this generous.

And this time, there was no restriction requiring the disciple to have a system.

That made the mission noticeably easier to complete.

A reward of fifteen hundred experience points.

That was enough to unlock the shop right away.

"Wait."

Lu Changzhi's expression shifted slightly.

"I might have a chance to unlock it right now."

He immediately got up and headed outside.

"Master intends to go away for a while. While I'm gone, I'll leave Hidden Origin Peak in your care."

Gu Chen nodded and agreed.

Then Lu Changzhi continued:

"Gu Chen, I'll be using your flying boat for a while."

Gu Chen was slightly taken aback.

But he quickly took out the flying boat and handed it to Lu Changzhi.

"That doesn't seem right."

After Lu Changzhi left, a puzzled look appeared on Gu Chen's face.

"Why would someone as generous as Master need to use my flying boat?"

Soon, a look of understanding appeared in his eyes.

"I understand. Master must have an even higher-grade one, but he doesn't want to flaunt his wealth, so he's using my inferior one."

"I wonder if Master will bring back another disciple this time."

After leaving Hidden Origin Peak, Lu Changzhi went to find Cang Wenyu.

After hearing that Lu Changzhi planned to travel, Cang Wenyu hesitated, then said:

"Changzhi, things haven't been peaceful out there lately."