Fox Demon: Heaven rewards diligence; I will eventually achieve divine mastery of martial arts.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 2 The Future Black Fox Queen Phoenix Nest

Lin Yu smiled, waved to disperse the smoke, turned around, opened the window, and said with a smile to the figure.

The mature woman in front of him is Lin Yu's savior and the reason he has been able to survive until now.

When Lin Yu was desperate and faced setbacks everywhere, unable to find a way to make a living, he almost starved to death.

It was the mature woman in front of him who took him home.

They gave him new clothes, plenty of food, and a warm house.

If it weren't for the person in front of him, he would probably have frozen and starved to death outside long ago.

It is said that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude.

Lin Yu always kept in mind the kindness of saving his life and wanted to wait for the right opportunity to repay her.

Before, I might have just been thinking about it, but things changed after I activated the system recently.

Now we just need to give him some time to accumulate experience.

With this system, improving your living environment is absolutely no problem.

Lin Yu opened the doors and windows to ventilate the room and disperse the thick smoke. Then, he quickly started preparing the meal.

The mature woman didn't leave either. Instead, she carried a small stool for tending the fire and sat there, resting her chin on her smooth, fair wrist, watching Lin Yu busily working at the stove with great interest.

His eyes were deep, as if he were lost in some kind of reminiscence.

Feng Qi's mind subconsciously conjured up memories of her days in Tushan.

Back then, I was always followed by three little ones.

Although it was a bit noisy, it was peaceful and warm.

But now that I think about it, those days are gone forever.

At this moment, Lin Yu, who was cooking, was unaware of what was happening.

Who exactly is this mature woman who is staring intently at him?

If he knew that the villain Black Fox, who spans hundreds of years from now to the future, was right in front of him, it's hard to say whether he would be as calm as he is now.

[You are currently using your culinary skills. Cooking skill +1!]

Hearing the notification sound in his ear, Lin Yu moved even more swiftly.

In no time at all, the ingredients were chopped.

While the pan was heating up, I used a spatula to scoop a spoonful of solidified white oil into the pan.

Once the oil is at the right temperature, add the ingredients.

"Fuck!"

The collision of ingredients and hot oil becomes a symphony of gastronomy.

[You are currently using your culinary skills. Cooking skill +1!]

This earthen stove, although much more troublesome than the natural gas stove of my previous life, is still quite easy to use.

After stir-frying two simple dishes, Lin Yu boiled a small pot of water, then used bamboo strips to hold the stir-fried dishes on top, along with two large steamed buns.

[You are currently using your culinary skills. Cooking skill +1!]

After finishing all this, Lin Yu stretched and said to Feng Qi beside him.

"Just a little while longer, and we'll be able to eat."

"Well, hard work."

Feng Qi still had the same chin-resting posture, her expression seemingly languid.

"It was a wise choice to pick you up back then."

"Otherwise, cooking is just too much trouble."

Lin Yu picked up a rag and, while wiping the stove, asked with a smile.

"So, Sister Xifeng, how did you eat before I came?"

"Don't eat."

"Or we can eat in town."

Feng Qi said it casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lin Yu's lips twitched. He couldn't understand how the mature woman in front of him could lie so blatantly.

He talks as if he's some kind of master who can fast.

Still not eating?

In this kind of weather, let alone going a whole day without food, even missing just one meal would leave you starving and miserable.

They had no strength left to walk more than ten miles of mountain road to the town.

However, since the other party didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't going to ask any more questions.

He was taken in by someone, not someone to be treated like royalty; digging into every little detail isn't in his nature.

Moreover, there is something even more important waiting for him now.

That's my cooking skills; it seems like they're about to level up!

In my previous life, as a corporate slave, I had very little experience in cooking.

The ability to light the stove comes from my childhood experience in my rural hometown.

As for the taste of other dishes, you can't ask for much; just cook them until they're done.

After waiting for a few minutes, during which the system panel notification flashed twice more, the system notification finally arrived.

[Your cooking skills have been upgraded to LV.2 (0/500), and your understanding of cooking has improved.]

Despite the system notification, Lin Yu didn't experience any of the warm currents described in novels.

However, I gained a deeper understanding of cooking skills.

If he were to remake this dish now, it would definitely taste much better than it does now.

They may not be as skilled as experienced chefs, but they can still cook some everyday dishes without any problems.

Lin Yu lifted the lid of the pot.

The rising white steam quickly enveloped the entire kitchen.

In this cold season, the steam carrying the aroma of food lingers for a long time.

Feng Qi, who was waiting for the meal to be served, twitched her high, straight nose slightly.

"The taste is slightly better than a few days ago; it's not burnt."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu touched his nose and said somewhat awkwardly.

"That was just an accident, don't worry about it."

Feng Qi shrugged, not caring much. She really didn't care much about food.

Taking advantage of the rising steam, Lin Yu took out the food.

It was cold outside, so the two of them ate in the kitchen, using the residual heat from the stove.

The food wasn't particularly delicious.

In this cold winter season, being able to eat something hot and fill one's stomach is already a very happy thing.

After finishing lunch, Lin Yu quickly cleaned up the dishes and rested for a while before going to the yard to continue practicing the Mighty Bull Technique.

Feng Qi remained languid, leaning against the doorframe as she watched Lin Yu begin to hurt each other against the wooden stake.

"boom!"

Lin Yu exhaled a breath of white air and slammed his fist into the wooden stake.

[You have diligently practiced the Mighty Bull Kung Fu and gained some insights; proficiency +1!]

Without any guidance, there were only a few basic standing postures and punching diagrams.

Lin Yu could only figure it out on his own, recalling the descriptions in the martial arts novels he had read in his previous life, of each punch delivered with all his might.

I don't ask for anything else, I just want to remember the feeling of throwing a punch, to engrave it into my bones and make it an instinctive reaction.

For this stage, this is all he can do.

"Bang! Bang!"

The sounds of fists colliding with wooden stakes rang out one after another.

The system notification in my ear was also being broadcast.

After practicing for a while, a fine bead of sweat appeared on Lin Yu's forehead, and his breathing became heavy.

"You'll be able to upgrade soon!"