Long Jun returned to the kitchen and summoned the Food Cauldron Scripture.
This ancient bamboo scroll emitted a mysterious glow before his eyes.
Messages like [Like +1] [+1] kept popping up from it, giving this ancient and mysterious object an indescribably strange and fantastical feeling.
Long Jun quickly figured out the various abilities the Food Cauldron Scripture possessed.
First, he had three innate talents:
[1. I can become stronger whenever customers praise my food]
[2. I can see food entries]
[3. The food I make will always taste better]
The Food Cauldron Scripture also displayed his current culinary skills:
[Skill: Ordinary Cooking LV2 Proficient (39/100)]
[Food God Recipes: None]
[Note: 1.For every 10 likes collected from customers, your Blood Qi will +1;
2.When accumulated likes reach 100, you can unlock the Essence Gate and Spirit Gate;
3.When accumulated likes reach 1000, you can unlock the Food God Cultivation Method scroll.]
[Cooking Value: 16] (Each like received accumulates 1 point of Cooking Value)
Long Jun immediately checked what the Cooking Value could be used for.
In the void, the bamboo scroll opened to the left, and then a blurry gray-white icon appeared on one of the bamboo slips.
Long Jun understood that this was the [Cooking Kitchen].
The Cooking Kitchen existed not in reality but in the void, and could be opened and entered by consuming Cooking Value.
In the Cooking Kitchen, Long Jun could practice his culinary skills and also unlock and learn Food God recipes with various magical effects using Cooking Value.
This was a complete Food God system!
Seeing this, Long Jun felt complex emotions, unsure whether to be happy or sigh.
After studying diligently for ten years, no imperial examination system came to him, but a Food God system did.
Does this mean he would have to switch careers and become a chef from now on?
If he could become a god or immortal, being a chef wouldn't be so bad.
But...
Long Jun thought about the Rat Demon in his home, about this mysterious and unpredictable world, about his [Bad Luck Curse], and felt that immediately switching to being a chef might not be a good idea before he grew stronger.
An official position was like a tiger's skin - a powerful protection. His talent was to become stronger whenever customers praised his food, which meant he couldn't leave the mundane world of cooking. If he could have an official position as cover, it might make his actions more convenient.
The grandmother and grandchild next door kept saying "delicious, delicious," but Long Jun wasn't getting any more [Likes].
After opening the Food Cauldron Scripture, Long Jun naturally understood the principles behind it.
Ordinary people had limited vital energy, and the number of likes they could give Long Jun was also limited.
Although their likes didn't directly deplete their vital energy, as what Long Jun's talent captured was some mysterious substance that would naturally dissipate, there was still an upper limit.
Taking Granny Lai's family as an example, each person had a daily limit of 5 likes, and each person's total like limit was 100.
This meant that even if Long Jun fed the neighboring grandmother and grandchild different foods every day to coax them into giving him likes, these two people could at most provide Long Jun with 200 likes in total, no more.
But if he were to feed the Rat Demons, each of those two Rat Demons could provide Long Jun with up to 20 likes per day, with an individual total limit of 400 likes!
Long Jun discovered another strange ability of the Food Cauldron Scripture.
Through it, he seemed to be able to discern roughly the life level of each customer who had given him a like.
Although this discernment was still somewhat vague, and although Long Jun couldn't even understand—
How many types of demons existed in this world, and how cultivation levels should be classified?
If humans cultivated, what directions could they take?
All these questions were hazy and mysterious.
But his mood today was very different from yesterday.
He had a completely new understanding of this mysterious world and deeper thoughts about his future path.
Long Jun ate a bowl of porridge and three egg pancakes.
He found that even without adding any sugar, salt, or side dishes, the white porridge he cooked naturally had a sweet taste.
The egg pancakes were the same, with an especially savory and delicious flavor.
It truly lived up to "the food I make will always taste better."
As Long Jun ate, he gave himself a like: "Delicious, truly tasty!"
Then he was embarrassed to discover that the Food Cauldron Scripture showed no response.
Well, giving yourself likes doesn't work – the dream of becoming a self-sufficient perpetual motion machine was shattered.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Suddenly, someone knocked on Long Jun's courtyard gate.
A familiar voice came through: "Brother Long, Brother Long, are you home?"
Long Jun was startled at first, then his face lit up with joy. He rose and said: "It's Brother Mu, please wait a moment."
Leaning on his cane, he opened the door to see a visitor wearing a cloud-soaring headband and a lake silk robe, with a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and an imposing manner.
It was indeed one of his closest classmates, Lin Qi.
Lin Qi, courtesy name Muxian, was called by his courtesy name among friends.
As for Long Jun, not yet twenty, he hadn't yet been given a courtesy name.
Lin Qi looked Long Jun up and down, seeing his rosy complexion and spirited appearance. How could he look like someone barely recovered from illness? He looked more like someone who had just taken a miracle tonic.
This was, of course, the effect of the Blood Qi +1.
Lin Qi's face immediately showed surprise, then joy: "Wonderful! Seeing Brother Long's spirits today, half my worries are gone."
Long Jun welcomed him into the courtyard and invited him to sit in the kitchen.
Receiving guests in the kitchen was a necessity for a poor household. The small courtyard had only two rooms, a bedroom and a kitchen, so guests were typically received in the kitchen.
Lin Qi was a kind-hearted person who never looked down on his poor classmates. He sat down with Long Jun at the small kitchen table and accepted the white porridge and egg pancakes that Long Jun offered without declining. After taking a sip of porridge, he immediately praised: "Excellent porridge! Such a simple bowl of white porridge, yet so sweet and delicious!"
After taking a bite of the egg pancake, his eyes brightened, and he praised again: "Excellent pancake, looking so ordinary yet deliciously savory, with endless flavor."
[Like +1]
[Like +1]
[Like +1]
A string of likes appeared, but that wasn't all.
Lin Qi took a sip of porridge and a bite of pancake, repeating several times, then slightly closed his eyes and sighed: "White porridge and egg pancakes, without any additions, yet surpassing countless delicacies."
[Like +1]
"A humble room and cold window, without any decorations, yet more splendid than silk brocade and gorgeous chapters."
[Like +1]
"Today, seeing Brother Long with a bowl of porridge and a pancake, content and at ease, simple food eaten unhurriedly, I finally understand why Brother Long is called the White Robe of Yunjiang, the unparalleled talent!"
[Like +1]
[Like +1]
"It is precisely by not being attached to material things, returning to simplicity, that one finds great wisdom! The universe in a pot, the five flavors of life, Brother Long, it seems you have attained enlightenment."
[Like +1]
After speaking, Lin Qi stood up and gave Long Jun a deep bow: "Thank you, Brother Long, for teaching me with just porridge and pancakes!"
[Like +1]
Long Jun was stunned.
Is this what scholars are like?
Hiss, how terrifying!
Lin Qi had given Long Jun 9 likes in one go. Long Jun secretly glanced at the Food Cauldron Scripture and discovered that Lin Qi's daily like limit was actually 10.
Both were ordinary people, so why did Lin Qi have a like limit of 10?
Long Jun steadied his emotions and quickly got up to stop Lin Qi's bow: "Elder brother, please don't do this. You're embarrassing me!"
Lin Qi only said: "Brother Long makes me feel ashamed and moved, please don't be modest."
He laughed cheerfully: "Besides, what's wrong with me paying respects to this delicious food?"
[Like +1]
Since he was laughing, Long Jun also smiled naturally.
Both sat down again, and on the Food Cauldron Scripture, the Cooking Value had accumulated to: [26].
And without realizing it, Long Jun's Blood Qi had increased by one point again.
He felt a warm flow surging through his body, his whole being full of energy, no longer having the weakness that made him short of breath in recent days.
The Rat Demon had previously said he had a [dark and gloomy aura], but now Long Jun felt only warmth in his breath.
Even the pain in his right leg injury had lessened somewhat.
Long Jun sat at the simple small table, his eyes gleaming with spirit.
After chatting casually with Lin Qi for a while, Lin Qi suddenly asked: "Is tomorrow Brother Long's birthday?"
Birthday?
Long Jun was stunned for a moment before reacting: "Yes, by tomorrow, I will have wasted another year."
Lin Qi disapprovingly said: "What do you mean wasted? Every birthday is worth celebrating. Tomorrow I must come to celebrate your birthday!"
He continued: "But your leg injury remains a big problem. These days I've been searching around and found a famous doctor. Time is of the essence - come with me now to properly treat your leg injury."
Long Jun pondered slightly, considering whether to agree, when suddenly he heard from some distant crevice the "squeak, squeak" of rats again.
"Hey, this scholar is not a good person. He has very heavy evil energy; you absolutely must not go out with him."
Squeak, squeak squeak—
One sound after another, sharp and thin, piercing the heart.