Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

When Ning Rongrong mentioned that Tom's cooking was delicious, Chen Xin, contrary to his usual demeanor, frowned instead of agreeing.

Chen Xin hesitated and said, "Rongrong, this cat is a top-tier swordsman. Having its paws, which should hold a sword, grip a kitchen knife instead... isn't that a bit of a waste?"

Rongrong, if you don't practice swordsmanship, watching Tom is like looking at the moon through a well. But if you do, you'll realize that watching Tom is like a mayfly glimpsing the vast sky. 

Chen Xin wanted to say this to Ning Rongrong but feared it might upset her, so he kept it to himself.

Ning Rongrong tilted her head cutely and said, "Grandpa Sword, Tom is a jack-of-all-trades. There's no such thing as a waste."

Chen Xin didn't believe her and turned to look at Tom. If Tom showed even the slightest reluctance, he would risk upsetting Ning Rongrong to stop this from happening.

In his view, a cat's energy was limited. For a cat to possess such intelligence and master swordsmanship to this level was already a miracle.

Forcing such a cat to cook not only demeaned Tom's swordsmanship talent but was also inhumane—no, un-cat-like.

After sparring with Tom, Chen Xin felt an inexplicable kinship with the cat. If Tom weren't a cat, he would have sworn brotherhood with it and considered it a lifelong friend.

Chen Xin looked at Tom and was stunned to see that the cat showed no reluctance at all. What's more, Tom rolled up its blue sleeves, looking full of enthusiasm.

Wait, can cats even roll up their fur sleeves? 

Chen Xin felt that the events of this day were more absurd than anything he had experienced in decades at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

Whether on the continent or within the clan, Chen Xin's life had always been like a shounen manga—training hard, defeating strong enemies, and pursuing the pinnacle of strength.

But after encountering Tom, Chen Xin felt his life had taken a strange turn, becoming somewhat... abstract.

Chen Xin couldn't help but glance at Shen An, wondering, Where did this kid find such a cat? Ah, I really want to take this cat back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and spar with it every day to improve together. 

However, Chen Xin couldn't bring himself to do such a thing and reluctantly dismissed the idea.

Shen An had initially planned to help Tom in the kitchen, leaving Chen Xin and Ning Rongrong some time to chat. But once he entered the kitchen, he realized he was completely useless.

So, he sat on a small stool, admiring Tom's culinary skills.

Normally, Shen An wouldn't enter the kitchen, so this was a rare occasion. Tom, unaware of Shen An's presence, was fully immersed in cooking, going all out.

Tom's cooking speed was astonishing. From prepping ingredients to flipping the wok and plating the dishes, the cat moved like a blur, making no mistakes.

Tom elegantly arranged the dishes on the plates. When the plates were full, there was still a small portion left in the wok. Tom glanced around sneakily.

Since Tom wasn't tall enough, it stood on a stool to cook. With Shen An sitting on a small stool, Tom didn't notice him.

Seeing no one around, Tom's eyebrows danced with glee, and its mouth curved into a wide grin. Time for a snack! 

Tom lifted the wok, opened its mouth wide, and poured the remaining soup and food into its mouth, swallowing it all in one go.

The cat let out a satisfied burp, thinking, Food always tastes better when stolen. 

Tom even wiped the sauce off its whiskers and, without looking, gracefully jumped off the stool.

Huh? Why didn't my paws touch the ground? Tom stretched its paws downward but still couldn't feel the floor.

Confused, Tom opened its eyes. Oh no! Shen An! 

The cat's face instantly showed guilt, and it even bit its white glove. Did he catch me stealing food? Please don't kick me out! 

In its previous home, Tom had been kicked out for stealing food and nearly became a stray. Since then, Tom had been terrified of being abandoned.

Despite being a master swordsman, a culinary genius, a rocket scientist, and a fierce fighter, Tom just wanted to be a happy house cat.

Shen An watched as beads of sweat formed on Tom's head, dripping to the ground with a drip-drip sound. He found the whole scene hilarious.

Tom's nerves are so fragile. It's just stealing food. Why is it so guilty? Besides, you're the one who cooked it. 

Seeing how scared Tom was, Shen An decided not to expose it. Instead, he feigned surprise and said,

"Wow, Tom, you've already finished cooking? That's amazing! Let's take the dishes out together."

Hearing this, Tom immediately puffed out its chest, looking proud. The sweat on its body vanished as if wiped away.

Good, Shen An didn't notice. I'm still a well-behaved cat. 

Tom carried two dishes in its paws, a cloth on its head, and a large bowl of fish soup, elegantly bringing them to the table.

"Fish soup is here~"

Shen An followed behind, carrying two more dishes.

Chen Xin and the others were already seated. Chen Xin looked at Tom with a pained expression. A swordmaster cat is reduced to doing such menial tasks. What a tragedy. 

Huh? This smells amazing. Chen Xin's nose twitched, and his mouth watered. A desire for food, something he rarely felt, suddenly arose.

Chen Xin had eaten his fair share of delicacies, but the four dishes and one soup on the table captivated him. He couldn't wait to dig in.

"Grandpa Sword, as the elder, you should try Tom's cooking first," Ning Rongrong said with a smile, handing Chen Xin a pair of chopsticks.

Chen Xin smiled, his usually indifferent eyes glistening with tears. "My Rongrong has grown up. She knows to give her grandpa chopsticks first."

Shen An and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged glances, their lips twitching. This is way too exaggerated. It's just handing over chopsticks. 

Tom, watching Shen An and Zhu Zhuqing, grinned like a proud matchmaker. They really look like a couple, their expressions and movements so in sync. 

"Grandpa Sword, try it quickly. Tom's cooking is amazing."

"Alright, I'll have a taste." Hearing Ning Rongrong's words, Chen Xin decided to try a small bite. Although there was plenty of food, the young ones had big appetites, so he thought he'd leave most of it for them.

Chen Xin picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. The fish melted on his tongue, incredibly fresh and flavorful. An intense aroma filled his mouth.

Holy cow, a cat made this? Even the top chefs on the Douluo Continent couldn't do better. 

Chen Xin had planned to only take a small bite, but after one taste, he couldn't stop himself. His chopsticks moved like swords, swiftly devouring the dishes on the table.

The thought of leaving most of the food for the young ones was long forgotten.

Young people should respect their elders. I, Chen Xin, am in my sixties. What's wrong with eating a bit more? 

Seeing Chen Xin's behavior, Shen An and the others turned pale and quickly joined in. But how could they match the speed of a Title Douluo?

For the first time, whether it was Shen An, Zhu Zhuqing, or Ning Rongrong, they all deeply regretted their lack of strength.

If I were a Title Douluo, I wouldn't lose to Grandpa Sword in eating speed!