Li Yundong’s face was frighteningly dark all the way home after school. Zhou Qin and Ruan Hongling couldn’t help but stifle their giggles when they recalled the classroom incident. Su Chan walked with her head bowed like a child who had done something wrong, rubbing the edge of her clothes and dragging her toes, not saying a word. Although the little foxes also kept their mouths shut, their bright, lively eyes darted back and forth between Li Yundong and Su Chan, looking as if they feared nothing more than the world being too quiet, thoroughly enjoying the schadenfreude.

Finally back inside the house, Li Yundong’s expression was as stiff as a coffin lid. He barked out, "Zhou Qin, Hongling, do you two have anything you need to be busy with?"

Well, an order to clear out.

Zhou Qin, clever and quick-witted, immediately said, "I’m going to read." With that, she covered her mouth, giggling, and scurried into her room. Ruan Hongling’s eyes rolled; she chirped, "I’m going to find Sister Ziyuan!"

With the two of them gone, only the junior disciples of the Fox Zen Sect remained, standing in the living room, staring blankly at one another.

Li Yundong opened his mouth, intending to lecture these little foxes, but the words caught in his throat, unsure how to begin.

Li Yundong suddenly felt a surge of frustration. In his view, if even one of these silly girls had spoken up, Su Chan wouldn't have been able to act out so wildly. But their silence was precisely what he had demanded of them, wasn't it?

The little foxes, seeing Li Yundong’s long, drawn face, exchanged glances and then collectively walked up to him, saying with aggrieved expressions, "Sect Master, please punish us! Even though... we don't know what we did wrong, making the Sect Master unhappy is our fault."

Li Yundong grew even more vexed. Wow, they were playing innocent after getting the upper hand, practically staging a coup!

Anger flared in Li Yundong, and he waved his hand impatiently, "Go, go, go! All of you back to your own rooms."

The little foxes, who had been anxiously awaiting Li Yundong’s reprimand, were overjoyed that he had raised the rod only to let it fall lightly.

They immediately burst into cheers, crying out, "Long live the Sect Master! May the Sect Master live forever!"

Li Yundong snapped, "Hurry back to your rooms! Haven't you caused enough trouble already!"

Startled, the little foxes instantly covered their heads and scattered like startled birds and beasts.

Su Chan, blending in with the others, spun her eyes around, intending to slip away in the confusion too. She took one step, and her ears immediately shot up, like a highly alert little fox. Seeing Li Yundong didn't react after one step, joy sparked in her heart, and she took another step—still no reaction!

Su Chan’s face broke into a wide smile as she prepared to make a quick escape, only to hear Li Yundong draw out his voice, saying, "Su... Chan!"

The smile instantly vanished from Su Chan’s face. She turned around, looking exactly like a thief caught in the act, and shuffled sheepishly up to Li Yundong, head down, mumbling, "What is it? I have things to do too."

Seeing her demeanor, Li Yundong was so exasperated he almost laughed. He kept a stern face and said, "Oh? What important things do you need to do?"

Su Chan’s eyes darted around: "I need to practice my cultivation!"

Li Yundong scoffed in return, "Practice cultivation at this hour? Dinner will be ready as soon as Ziyuan gets back."

Su Chan, quick-witted, quickly countered, "I’ll do housework!"

Li Yundong grunted, "Save it. Are you planning on dismantling this house?"

Unwilling to give up, Su Chan tried again, "Then Sister Ziyuan is coming back soon; I’ll go cook."

Li Yundong roared with laughter, "You cook? What can you cook? Don't tell me you’ve forgotten the pain of the last time you turned the kitchen into utter chaos?"

Su Chan pouted high, her face clearly displeased, "I can make four dishes now!"

Li Yundong’s mouth fell open in mock shock, "Whoa? When did you learn to cook?"

Su Chan snorted proudly, "I secretly learned from Martial Uncle Cao Yi! This is called gaining wisdom through shame!"

Li Yundong laughed, "Oh, that's a rarity! Martial Uncle Cao Yi knows how to cook?"

Su Chan adopted a look as if she had caught Li Yundong in a major transgression, "Don't look down on Martial Uncle; I’ll go tell her you did!"

Li Yundong feigned anger, "Tattletale! Insolent child! I am her Sect Master; is there a rule about subordinates reporting on superiors?"

Su Chan huffed, puffing out her chest, "In any case, with this girl's intelligence and quick wit, this world will soon see the emergence of a world-class master chef!"

Li Yundong roared with laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, "Hahahaha, you’re killing me, my stomach hurts from laughing! You’re just blowing smoke, utterly shameless!"

Su Chan stomped her foot, chiding, "You’re being mean! I really can cook! If you don’t believe me, I’ll cook for you right now!"

Li Yundong rejected the idea instantly, "No way! For the safety of the world's populace, you are forbidden from entering the kitchen!"

Su Chan threw herself into Li Yundong's arms, whining playfully, "Don't be like that, please let me cook; I really know how!"

Li Yundong remained firm, "No. Past experience is the best teacher. Are you trying to move out of this house we just settled into?"

Seeing that pleading was useless, Su Chan’s eyes welled up with tears, and she declared, "You don't love me anymore; you despise me! You don't trust this girl!"

Li Yundong immediately felt overwhelmed, his heart softening. After a moment of thought, as if making a painful sacrifice, he gritted his teeth resolutely, "Fine, you go ahead and cook. At worst, I’ll just find us another house!"

The little girl’s tears dried instantly, replaced by a smile, but upon hearing the second half of Li Yundong’s sentence, she pouted again, "Hmph, you’re annoying! I really can cook!"

Li Yundong looked genuinely puzzled, "That's strange. When did you learn to cook? I never saw you learning from Cao Yi."

Su Chan said cheerfully, "I secretly went to her a few nights ago."

Li Yundong smiled, "Then show me what you’ve got."

"I guarantee to surprise you!" Su Chan looked utterly triumphant, as if she had already prepared a grand feast. She rolled up her sleeves and headed for the kitchen. She turned and saw Li Yundong following her like a shadow.

Su Chan immediately chided, "Why are you following me?"

Li Yundong shook his head, "I can't trust you, so I came to watch."

Su Chan stamped her foot, "It’s annoying! I can’t cook properly when you’re standing right there!"

Li Yundong chuckled wryly, "You said the same thing last time, and you ended up blowing up the kitchen!"

Su Chan was both embarrassed and annoyed, "That was ages ago! I definitely won't this time; I know how to use this stove now!"

Li Yundong corrected her, "That’s a gas stove, you idiot! Show me you can use it, and then I’ll be reassured."

Su Chan quickly slapped the gas stove igniter on, adjusted the flame high and low, and then turned it off, complaining, "Are you reassured now? I told you I knew how to use it."

Li Yundong thought for a moment, still uneasy, "Hey, do you know where the salt, soy sauce, and vinegar are kept?"

Su Chan replied impatiently, "Oh, yes, yes, don't worry! I’m not a little kid anymore!" With that, she started pushing Li Yundong out.

Li Yundong was shocked and amused, "Hey, last time you pushed me out just like that, and then the kitchen exploded!"

Su Chan stamped her foot fiercely, "If I blow up the kitchen again, I won't live!"

Li Yundong startled, quickly covering her mouth, and feigned anger, "Don't talk nonsense! I’m waiting for my little girl to catch up to me in cultivation so we can fly together! If it explodes, let it! As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters."

The little girl’s cheeks flushed, and her heart swelled with sweetness, a blissful smile seemingly seeping from her very core. She laughed, "Don't worry, just wait for delicious food!"

With that, she turned and entered the kitchen, not forgetting to close the door behind her.

Li Yundong shook his head with a wry smile, but moments later, he pulled the door open a crack, suspiciously poking his head in to peek at the kitchen.

Unexpectedly, Su Chan seemed to sense his action. Looking at him, she admonished, "You just don't trust me!"

Li Yundong forced a smile, "Not at all, not at all. I just wanted to ask Chef Su what four dishes you are making? Tell me so I can learn too."

Su Chan walked to the door and slammed it shut with a bang, retorting, "Not telling you!"

Li Yundong secretly shook his head. He returned to the living room, feeling helpless, wondering exactly what dishes the girl planned to make.

But after a moment, Li Yundong suddenly slapped his thigh, muttering, "That girl tricked me! I completely forgot to blame her for the school incident!"

He paused, reconsidering. Perhaps she wasn't entirely at fault for what happened at school. Thinking this, Li Yundong let out a soft chuckle.

Just then, Ziyuan returned. Li Yundong took a look and saw that although the fairy-like elder sister had been busy all day, she remained perfectly composed, showing no sign of fatigue.

Li Yundong secretly admired her. He smiled, "Only a fairy remains a fairy. After a whole day of running around, you are still so ethereal and refined—I’m impressed. If it were me, I’d probably be sticking my tongue out from exhaustion."

Ziyuan smiled faintly. She glanced around the living room and asked with surprise, "Where is everyone else? It's usually quite lively around this time."

Li Yundong sighed, "Ah, I sent them all back to their rooms. These little ones wore me out today! I was nearly driven mad."

Li Yundong looked at her again and inquired, "What about Cao Yi and the others? Weren't they out with you?"

Ziyuan smiled sweetly, "They will be here shortly. Midway through, they said they needed to buy some things, so they went together. I came back alone."

Li Yundong didn't think much of it and asked, "How is the shop renovation design coming along?"

Ziyuan replied, "I have drafted two design proposals. You can look them over when you have time, and we can all discuss them."

Li Yundong laughed, "No need. You make the final decision; I trust your judgment completely—it's surely of a caliber that elevates the mundane to the sacred. If a brute like me were to interfere, I might just turn a masterpiece into a failure, and that would be a great sin on my part!"

Ziyuan smiled subtly, not pressing the issue. She paused, seemingly gathering the courage to say something important to Li Yundong, and said, "Li Yundong, there is something I've been debating whether or not to tell you."

Li Yundong rarely saw Ziyuan look so serious. He asked curiously, "What is it?"

Ziyuan opened her mouth to speak, but just then, Cao Yi, Zhuang Yating, and Liu Yuehong—the three senior members of the Fox Zen Sect—returned laden with many bags. Seeing them, Ziyuan gently closed the lips she had just parted and swallowed her words.

Li Yundong noticed their arms were full and joked, "Where did you all buy so many things?"

Cao Yi spoke up with a laugh, "The market nearby. We hadn't been before, and only now do we realize how huge it is. It was truly an eye-opener."

Li Yundong smiled, "With several beauties like yourselves appearing in the market at once, I imagine the staff and customers there had quite the spectacle."

The three martial aunts laughed in unison. Cao Yi covered her mouth and chuckled, "Sect Master is joking with us now."

Li Yundong laughed, then said, "By the way, Martial Aunt Cao Yi, I heard you taught Su Chan how to cook?"

Cao Yi paused for a beat, then quickly laughed, "Yes!"

Li Yundong heard this and chuckled, "When was this? Why didn't I know?"

As soon as his words fell, the kitchen door suddenly swung open. Su Chan emerged, juggling four plates, which she placed one by one in front of Li Yundong, presenting them proudly: "Look! These are the Four Famous Dishes of the Fox Zen Sect!"

"When did the Fox Zen Sect acquire Four Famous Dishes?" Cao Yi and the others exchanged glances and leaned closer to look curiously.

Ziyuan and the others turned their heads to look curiously. Li Yundong peered closely and saw that on the table were four plates: the first was fried rice with egg, the second was also fried rice with egg, the third was just rice, and the fourth was just egg!

Li Yundong's expression was strange as he asked, "These... these are the four dishes?"

Su Chan pointed to the plates smugly, introducing them one by one: "This is egg fried rice, this is rice fried egg, this is rice fried rice, and this is egg fried egg! Starting today, these are the Four Famous Dishes of our Fox Zen Sect!"

The moment she finished speaking, Cao Yi and the others burst into loud laughter. Li Yundong gasped, looking utterly defeated. He pressed his throbbing temples and managed a strained smile, "Good, good, Four Famous Dishes. They truly have color, aroma, and taste!"

Seeing this, Ziyuan couldn't help but smile softly. Her gaze swept over and noticed Ruan Hongling standing nearby, signaling her discreetly.

Ziyuan calmly said to Li Yundong, "I need to go take care of something."

Li Yundong was still wrestling with the dilemma of these four supposedly delicious plates and didn't notice her departure.

After Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling reached their room, Ruan Hongling shut the door mysteriously and whispered, "Sister Ziyuan, I have a brilliant idea that can help us find Second Martial Aunt!"