The Salted Fish Cultivator: My Pet System Awakens

The Lu family home, situated on the outskirts of the bustling city of Blue Willow, appeared ordinary from the outside. A neatly maintained garden, a modest house with simple architecture—nothing about it screamed "cultivation royalty." To most visitors, it was the home of a perfectly normal family.

But for Lu Tian, this place was a battlefield.

As he stepped through the front gate with Zhang Wei and Wei Jingyi in tow, his heart sank. The faint sound of his mother's sharp voice drifted through the open window.

"Tian'er!" Madam Lu's tone could curdle milk. "I hope you're not planning to sneak in and head straight to your room again. You have chores to do."

Zhang Wei immediately froze, his usually carefree expression replaced with a look of pure panic. "Brother Lu, your mom is scarier than a third-tier spirit beast."

Wei Jingyi blinked. "She sounds… intense."

"You don't know the half of it," Lu Tian muttered, dragging his feet as he entered the house.

Inside, Madam Lu stood in the kitchen, her hands on her hips. Her sharp eyes locked onto Lu Tian like a hawk spotting prey. Her presence radiated authority, and even Zhang Wei, who'd grown up visiting the Lu household, kept his head down.

"Tian'er," Madam Lu began, her tone dangerously sweet. "Do you know how long it's been since you last cleaned your room?"

Lu Tian scratched his head, feigning ignorance. "A few days?"

"Three months," she said flatly.

Lu Tian blinked. "That's not so bad—"

"And the garden? The training hall? Your father has been asking you to organize the scrolls for weeks!"

Lu Tian sighed dramatically. "Mother, all this talk of chores is exhausting. Why don't we just… not?"

"Why don't we just not?" Madam Lu repeated, her voice rising. She raised a wooden spoon like it was a weapon, and Zhang Wei ducked behind Lu Tian for cover.

"I'll clean it tomorrow!" Lu Tian blurted.

"You said that last week!"

Lu Tian opened his mouth to retort, but his father's calm, deep voice cut through the tension.

"Enough, dear," Master Lu said, stepping into the room. His presence was quiet but commanding, the kind that made people instinctively straighten their backs. "Let the boy rest. He must be tired from his training at the academy."

Madam Lu raised an eyebrow. "Training? Him?"

Master Lu turned his gaze to Lu Tian, his expression unreadable. "Yes. Tian'er has been working hard, haven't you?"

Lu Tian stared back, unsure if this was a trap. "Uh… yes?"

Zhang Wei choked on his laugh, earning a glare from Madam Lu.

"Well, if that's true, then I'll excuse you for today," Madam Lu said, though her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "But if I find out you've been slacking off again…"

She didn't finish the sentence, but the ominous aura around her was enough to make Zhang Wei sweat.

"Understood, Mother," Lu Tian said, retreating toward the stairs as quickly as possible.

---

Upstairs in his room, Lu Tian flopped onto his bed with a groan. Zhang Wei and Wei Jingyi sat on the floor, both looking like they'd just survived a storm.

"Brother Lu," Zhang Wei said, clutching his chest, "your mother is a force of nature."

"Don't remind me," Lu Tian muttered, staring at the ceiling. "Why do you think I avoid coming home?"

Wei Jingyi glanced around the room, which was somehow both messy and eerily sparse. Scrolls and books were piled in one corner, while the rest of the room looked like it hadn't been touched in years. "Your parents don't seem average at all," she said. "Your dad especially—he gives off a really powerful vibe."

Lu Tian waved her off. "He's just a little strict. It's not that serious."

"Not that serious?!" Zhang Wei said. "I saw your dad crush a spirit stone between his fingers when we were kids! Normal people can't do that, Brother Lu!"

Lu Tian shrugged. "He probably used some special technique. Besides, it's not like I've ever asked him about it. Too much work."

"You're hopeless," Wei Jingyi said, shaking her head.

Lu Tian grinned lazily. "I get that a lot."

Before anyone could respond, the system's voice rang out in Lu Tian's mind, making him flinch.

[New Mission: Assist your parents with household tasks for one hour. Reward: 30 experience points. Penalty: Pain Calibration Level 4.]

Lu Tian's eye twitched. "Not again."

"What is it this time?" Zhang Wei asked, noticing the sudden change in his expression.

"The stupid system wants me to do chores," Lu Tian muttered.

"What's wrong with that?" Wei Jingyi asked.

"Everything," Lu Tian said, sitting up. "It's chores. I'd rather get struck by—"

BOOM!

A bolt of lightning struck just outside the window, shaking the house.

Wei Jingyi and Zhang Wei jumped, their faces pale.

"Was that… lightning?!" Zhang Wei shouted.

"There's not a cloud in the sky!" Wei Jingyi said, panicked.

Lu Tian stared at the smoking ground outside and let out a long sigh. "Fine, you sadistic machine. I'll do the chores."

"What?" Zhang Wei asked, confused.

"Nothing," Lu Tian muttered, dragging himself off the bed.

---

Downstairs, Madam Lu raised an eyebrow when Lu Tian approached her. "Tian'er? Why are you standing there like a lost puppy?"

"I, uh… I'm here to help," Lu Tian said, his voice flat.

Madam Lu blinked. "Help? With chores?"

"Yes," Lu Tian said, looking like he'd just swallowed a lemon.

She stared at him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Well, this is a surprise. Here—start with the dishes."

As Lu Tian shuffled into the kitchen, Zhang Wei and Wei Jingyi watched from the stairs, barely containing their laughter.

"Brother Lu… doing dishes?" Zhang Wei whispered. "This is a historical moment."

Wei Jingyi shook her head. "It's about time he did something useful."

Inside the kitchen, Lu Tian stared at the pile of dirty dishes like it was a mountain he had to climb. He picked up the first plate and sighed dramatically. "This is the worst day of my life."

[Good work, Host. Keep it up.]

"I hate you," Lu Tian muttered under his breath.

Madam Lu walked by and patted his shoulder. "See? This isn't so hard, is it?"

Lu Tian didn't respond, his face a mask of despair.

---