The Culinary Master Little Ling'er

Isn't this my house?!

Little Ling'er, could you really be the daughter Heaven has bestowed upon me? 

Come to think of it...

Somehow, perhaps from being told so often by the villagers, he did feel that Little Ling'er bore a resemblance to him.

Chen Ping'an walked up and asked, "Little Ling'er, do you remember what your father looked like?"

Ling'er tilted her head, pondering for a moment, then shook her head.

"What about your mother?"

Ling'er continued shaking her head.

Chen Ping'an then asked Ling'er some more questions.

And Ling'er's responses were almost always a headshake. 

The only thing she remembered was...

That place was her home.

And Chen Ping'an was her dear older brother.

Chen Ping'an was rendered speechless.

Chen Ping'an reckoned that Ling'er must have been traveling with her family through Qingyuan Town when something happened, causing her to get separated and lose her way.

She had likely also suffered a head injury of some sort, leading to her muddled memories.

Chen Ping'an let his imagination run wild.

Finally, with no other choice, he could only take Ling'er back into the courtyard.

In this situation, Ling'er's parents would surely come looking for her.

And he had already traversed the entire town, with all the villagers now aware that Ling'er was staying with him. As soon as Ling'er's parents inquired, they would undoubtedly be able to find her.

Time quickly passed until noon.

Chen Ping'an, who had been playing merrily with Ling'er, did not forget to cook a meal.

But just then, a voice rang out from outside the door.

"Senior, are you home?"

It was the voice of Murong Gong.

Upon hearing this voice, Chen Ping'an's heart was filled with speechlessness.

This timing was definitely calculated!

He did not need to ponder – this time, Murong Gong had surely brought a group with him again.

"Come in."

Chen Ping'an did not wish to be rude by turning them away, so he had no choice but to let them enter.

However, his guess was wrong this time.

Murong Gong had come alone.

Murong Gong carefully entered, and upon seeing there was no pressure, he cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Ping'an and said, "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life."

His purpose for coming today was solely to express his gratitude.

Had the chef's knife not arrived last night, they would likely have perished.

Chen Ping'an had thought Murong Gong had come to mooch a meal, so upon hearing these words, he was momentarily stunned.

Saving his life?

What was that about?

Oh... it seems he had indeed come to mooch a meal!

The implication was that without eating, one would die, so by expressing gratitude in advance for "saving his life," he was indicating his intention to eat!

Chen Ping'an gave Murong Gong a complicated look, unable to resist rolling his eyes.

If you want to mooch a meal, just mooch a meal – why all this embellishment?

If I did not understand your intentions, who else would comprehend the meaning behind your words?

"Very well, come in and sit for a while. It's fortunate that you're the only one who came this time, as I've only purchased enough ingredients for a few portions. However, let me make it clear – there's a child present this time, so mind your table manners and don't set a bad example for the little one."

With those words, Chen Ping'an headed into the house.

Upon hearing Chen Ping'an's response, Murong Gong was also perplexed.

He had expressed his gratitude to the Senior, but what did the Senior's reply mean?

He did not understand.

Yet, he wore a broad smile.

The Senior's meaning must be an invitation to join him for the meal!

And upon hearing Chen Ping'an mention a child, Murong Gong then glanced into the house.

To his surprise, there stood an extraordinarily adorable little girl.

Seeing Ling'er also looking at Murong Gong, Chen Ping'an doted on her, "Little Ling'er, call him Grandpa Murong."

Upon hearing this, Ling'er sweetly called out to Murong Gong, "Hello, Grandpa Murong."

Murong Gong had visited Chen Ping'an's home a few times, but he had never seen Ling'er before.

Now, upon seeing Ling'er, he was first stunned by her adorableness, but then, he suddenly sensed an immense aura emanating from her!

This caused his expression to turn apprehensive.

"This..."

He stared wide-eyed at Ling'er.

What kind of realm was this!

In his eyes, the current Ling'er appeared like a massive elephant, while he was merely an insignificant ant.

The gap between them was akin to a vast chasm.

Last night, he had felt the terrifying aura of that crazed woman from a close distance, leaving him utterly horrified. But now, this petite and adorable Ling'er exuded an even more potent presence than that crazed woman!

The reason behind all this was, of course, the effect of the Peach Blossom.

After merging with the Peach Blossom, Ling'er's realm had advanced from the Immortal Element Realm to the Immortal Sovereign Realm.

There were four realms for Immortals:

Immortal Infant Realm, Immortal Spirit Realm, Immortal Element Realm, and Immortal Sovereign Realm.

And due to Ling'er's drastic change in appearance, Murong Gong could not recognize that she was the same crazed woman from the previous night.

Murong Gong could not help but look towards Chen Ping'an and ask, "Senior, is this your daughter?"

He felt that Ling'er bore some resemblance to Chen Ping'an.

More importantly, Ling'er was tremendously powerful – despite her small stature, she possessed such immense strength. He could affirm that Ling'er must be related to Chen Ping'an.

Even if Chen Ping'an insisted that Ling'er was not related to him, Murong Gong would not believe it.

Before Chen Ping'an could respond, Ling'er chimed in to correct him, "Grandpa Murong, this is my older brother."

Upon hearing this, Murong Gong understood.

So they were siblings – no wonder she was so powerful!

But just as he reached that realization, he became perplexed once more.

Older brother?

Then how old exactly was the Senior?

Or rather, were the Senior's parents still alive?

If so, wouldn't they be even more formidable?!

The more he pondered, the more bewildered Murong Gong became, his head about to burst.

Chen Ping'an could not be bothered to correct her, for if he truly had such an adorable younger sister, he would surely be overjoyed.

"Little Ling'er, go play with Grandpa while I prepare the meal," said Chen Ping'an, humming a tune as he walked into the kitchen.

He felt that his mood had improved a hundredfold since Ling'er's arrival.

Not long after, Chen Ping'an emerged carrying three plates of dishes.

During the time Chen Ping'an was cooking, Murong Gong had caught whiffs of tantalizing aromas, but this time, he dared not brazenly inhale them.

Because Ling'er was sitting right beside him.

He could only sneak in occasional sniffs.

And now, upon seeing such a sumptuous feast, he began rubbing his hands in anticipation.

Chen Ping'an, who had brought out the dishes, cleared his throat upon witnessing Murong Gong's display.

Murong Gong understood Chen Ping'an's signal and restrained his inappropriate expression.

This time, with no one to compete against, he needed to maintain some decorum.

In his view, Chen Ping'an would surely have impeccable table manners, and this adorable little girl, being Chen Ping'an's sister, should also not lack such graces.

However, just as they were about to begin eating, Ling'er called out to stop them, instructing them not to eat yet.

With her large eyes narrowed in an extremely proper and adorable manner, Ling'er picked up her chopsticks and bowl, taking a small taste of each dish.

After sampling them all, she said, "Brother, Grandpa Murong, don't eat yet."

With that, she hopped off her chair and gathered all the dishes from the table, carrying them into the kitchen.

Chen Ping'an and Murong Gong were utterly perplexed.

What was she planning to do?

Under their bewildered gazes, Ling'er donned the white apron, tying it around her body.

Then, she nimbly lit the stove.

Finally, she scampered over, dragging a small stool to stand in front of the stove.

She... was actually going to cook?

And moreover, her demeanor seemed quite practiced and professional!

Ling'er waited for the wok to heat up, then poured one of the dishes into it.

Next, she glanced towards the seasonings nearby and began adding ingredients on the spot.

After just a single taste earlier, she had determined which dishes needed more or less flavoring.

Her task now was to adjust the flavors to perfection.

In a brief moment, Ling'er had reworked all three dishes, flashing a bright smile at Chen Ping'an and Murong Gong.

"All done!"

And at that instant, if one were to observe closely, the iron wok seemed to tremor ever so slightly.

Chen Ping'an retrieved the three dishes from the kitchen and placed them on the table. As Ling'er hopped back into her chair, he was still trying to process what had just occurred.

It was too mystifying!

Ling'er appeared to be only around six years old.

Yet how could she have cooked with such poise and professionalism?

Her movements, the way she handled the seasonings – it was reminiscent of a high-level chef.

"Brother, Grandpa Murong, try it," said Ling'er, resting her elbows on the table and cradling her rosy cheeks in her small palms. Her short legs, too small to reach the floor, swung back and forth beneath the chair as if she were quite pleased and expectant.

Chen Ping'an nodded and took a bite of the dish.

"Hm?!"

After just that first taste, his eyes widened in astonishment. 

He then quickly moved on to the next plate.

While it did not seem so at first, after sampling all three dishes, Chen Ping'an was rendered utterly awestruck.

"Little Ling'er, who taught you these culinary skills?!"

It was inconceivable.

How could a simple stir-fry with some added seasonings produce flavors worthy of a five-star restaurant?!

Chen Ping'an could not recall the last time he had tasted such exquisite dishes.

Murong Gong also followed Chen Ping'an's lead and sampled the food.

After eating, he froze in place, gaping dumbfoundedly at Ling'er.

A torrent of emotions washed over him.

He even entertained the thought of disowning his own granddaughter!

This person far outshone others.

At such a tender age, she possessed formidable prowess.

Moreover, she was adorable beyond measure.

And to top it off, she commanded culinary skills unmatched throughout history.

How could his granddaughter ever compare in any regard?