In the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.
More and more kindling piled up at the foot of the wall, Chen Xu raised his knife and struck, the black glossy knife light danced before him.
Thud thud thud!
As more experience in knife practice poured in, all the scattered Qi Blood in Chen Xu's body was refined into his limbs and bones.
The previously uncontrollable feeling of expansion finally disappeared, and the burning sensation with each breath also subsided.
Great, the Firewood Splitting Knife Technique had such benefits!
Chen Xu felt joy in his heart and continued to practice with his knife.
Until several hours passed and an intense feeling of fatigue hit, Chen Xu had to put down the chopping knife and let out a long breath.
Open the attribute page.
[Essence: 10+]
[Qi Blood: 18+]
[Divine Soul: 12+]
[Free Attribute Points: 8]
[Fireworks Value: 3]
[Chopping Wood Level 1 (15/100)]
Looking at those 8 free attribute points, Chen Xu decided to take this opportunity to allocate them.
After pondering for a moment, he first tentatively added one attribute to his Essence.
[Essence: 11+]
Once the Essence increased, the feeling of fatigue was inconspicuously reduced, causing Chen Xu's spirits to lift slightly.
It turns out that the three treasures of Essence, Qi and Divine Soul are interlinked, excessive consumption of Qi Blood can cause mental fatigue, and increasing mental strength can also speed up the recovery of Qi Blood.
Of course, this attribute panel of his seems only to display the highest value of his current Tri-Attribute without showing his specific state after physical exhaustion in real time.
However, the skill experience aspect can provide consistent evidence, which is the greatest benefit.
Chen Xu also added one attribute to his Divine Soul while carefully experiencing the changes in his body.
This time, the feeling was as if his mind became slightly clearer and more agile. Although not obvious, there was a comfortable feeling as if his brain was being soothingly smoothed out.
Chen Xu was satisfied and continued to allocate points.
Soon, his attributes became—
[Essence: 14+]
[Qi Blood: 18+]
[Divine Soul: 14+]
[Free Attribute Points: 2]
[Fireworks Value: 3]
He kept two free attribute points in reserve as he found that any increase in the three treasures of Essence, Qi, and Divine Soul could help him recover physically in a state of fatigue and weakness.
Keeping two points for emergency use helps sustain endurance.
Subsequently, Chen Xu checked his leg injury, his right calf, which in modern terms would be a comminuted fracture.
This kind of injury, in a modern technologically advanced society, might not be untreatable, but in Jichuan County, no doctor dared claim they could completely cure his injury.
Chen Xu had originally believed that the limited medical standards of ancient times might mean a lifetime of limping for him.
But now, knowing this is a world of gods and demons, everything naturally looks different.
What mortal means cannot cure, what about supernatural means?
Chen Xu now believed that as long as his Essence, Qi, and Divine Soul continued to grow, there would come a day when he could definitely heal himself!
Without stopping, after figuring out the use of the attribute points, he continued to practice chopping wood until he exhausted all available time in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.
[Chopping Wood Level 1 (35/100)]
In the small house on Ping'an Lane.
As the shadow of the sun slowly shifted upwards, Chen Xu finally leaving the Fire and Smoke Kitchen awoke from a dream, rising from the table all at once.
At this moment of standing, he only felt light and hearty, his spirit clear and refreshed.
Even the injury on his right leg, from the previous unbearable pain and itching, turned into a comfort as if soaked in a hot spring.
All the experience from the Firewood Splitting Knife Technique flowed like a stream through his mind, causing Chen Xu to move his wrist, feeling an impulse to pick up the chopper and unleash three thousand strikes.
He quickly touched his waist and abdomen, and even through his clothes, he felt the fluid sensation of firm abdominal muscles.
Everything in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen indeed faithfully reflected reality!
How wonderful, Chen Xu smiled on his face, feeling a true sense of possessing a "chosen one advantage."
Of course, during the growth phase, when it's time to hold back, one still needs to hold back.
Chen Xu maintained his tireless approach, rising to go to the kitchen, first checking the porridge and cakes he deliberately left.
He found that the porridge was still on the stove, and the cakes were untouched.
Hmm, the Mouse Demon didn't come to eat the porridge and cakes?
Chen Xu then tilted his ears to listen, hoping to hear the voice of the Mouse Demon, but still heard nothing.
He couldn't help but wonder, why didn't the Mouse Demon come to eat? Is it injured? Physically inconvenienced? Captured by some master? Or...
Or what, Chen Xu couldn't figure it out.
He could only console himself: This is a monster, a monster whose right and wrong are hard to discern, worrying for it, isn't that foolish?
Chen Xu calmed himself, leaving the previously saved porridge and cakes in the corner of the stove deliberately.
Then he began to sort through the various small ingredients he had traded with street vendors on South Market Street.
The items were scattered, for example, small pieces of tofu, a handful of shepherd's purse, a piece of meat bone, a handful of millet, a small undernourished gourd the size of a fist, a small bundle of mugwort leaves, and so on.
To make anything decent out of these mixed items was virtually impossible, so Chen Xu, using his previous life's kitchen experience, decided to make a pot of meat and vegetable porridge out of them.
His culinary skill currently is: [Mortal Level Cooking LV2 Proficient (45/100)]
This was mostly due to his hobby from his past life, as his main occupation in this life is studying for the civil service exams, his opportunities to cook were actually limited.
But this was enough, the gift [The Food I Make Is Always Tastier] was sufficient to meet the demands of diners at the current stage.
Chen Xu lit the fire, set the pot, and started making porridge.
In this cooking process, a half-hour quickly passed by.
During this time, Chen Xu even took the "Zhou Yi" book from the bedroom to read while tending the fire.
The firelight shining on the young scholar's face reflected a star-like brightness in his eyes.
Suddenly, a faint squeaking sound came from the distant crevice.
"Squeak squeak squeak, Master Jiu, this scholar actually reads while making porridge, he must be so tired!"
It's the voice of the little mouse!
Chen Xu's heart leaped with joy, the little mouse spoke up, the Mouse Demon was indeed unharmed, he really worried for nothing earlier.
But if the Mouse Demon was fine, why didn't it eat the food he left?
Chen Xu wondered, only to hear an older voice say: "He reads while cooking porridge, you could say he's diligent, why say he's tired?"
The little mouse squeaked: "I just feel he's very tired, but the porridge he's making today smells so good! It's different from the ones before, Master Jiu, I really want to eat."
[Mouse Demon Like +1]
The old voice said: "It does smell good, but after all, we are companions and mice, it's best not to appear at a person's home during the day. Be good, Ah Shi, if the owner's house leaves food at night, we'll eat then."
[Mouse Demon Like +1]
...
Chen Xu never expected that the reason the Mouse Demon didn't come to eat porridge during the day was such a reason.
For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a little sentiment.
In this world full of unreasonable people, these two mice were instead so humble and courteous, no wonder the ancients would scold: Against the mouse with skin, humans without dignity!
Chen Xu stayed by the stove, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon.
Gradually, increasingly rich aromas of meat wafted from the pot.
The meat bones in the soup pot turned white from boiling, with the meat strands that Chen Xu had long since picked off, chopped into bits, and mixed in with the porridge.
The porridge was a two-grain porridge made with both white rice and millet.
After cooking for a while, the porridge water was thick and just right, each grain of rice distinct and blooming.
The rich aroma suddenly intensified, and from afar, in the crevice, the little mouse squeaked excitedly: "So fragrant, so fragrant, this porridge smells so good today! It's not like before, Master Jiu, I really want to eat it."
[+1]
+1+1+1...
Chen Xu, sitting by the stove, could not have held back his mouth from curving upwards slightly, a smile appearing on his face.
The Mouse Demon had directly given him nine likes in just a short moment, adding to the previous three that hadn't been converted, which had already exceeded the ten likes limit again.
[Free Attribute Points: 2]
[Accumulated Likes: 192]