Chapter 136: Eating a Small Pancake Before Setting Off
Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Eating a Small Pancake Before Setting Off
Rubbing her stuffed stomach, Wu Yan watched Lu Wu chatting with the other customers, a special light glinting in her eyes.
She had an epiphany!
She was going to be the strong female lead of her own story, just like Boss Lu.
She couldn’t rely on others. She had to rise up on her own.
Instead of trying to please others, she should focus on pleasing herself.
Starting today, she would strive to turn her life around and write her own comeback story.
"Boss Lu, thank you."
Wu Yan grabbed Lu Wu’s hand to thank her. Then, leaving a confused Lu Wu in her wake, she valiantly marched off to go cultivate.
’Huh?’
Lu Wu, who had a cheat system, Old Li next door, and a whole troop of helpers, could only think: ’I used to be so young and naive. Now, all I can say is, freeloading is the best.’
"Closing up!"
When Lu Wu shouted this, the customers started to cry.
"See you next time, Boss Lu."
They had more or less figured it out by now. Boss Lu’s stall location was completely random, and there was no use asking where she would be before she "respawned" again.
"Until we meet again, Boss Lu."
The customers said their reluctant goodbyes. Lu Wu finished packing up her stall, waved with a smile, and turned to enter Little Sea Village.
Right now, a barrier had been placed around Little Sea Village. Outsiders couldn’t get in, and the ghosts inside couldn’t get out.
"Boss Lu, over here!"
Zhang Yue waved, signaling for Lu Wu to come over.
In Little Sea Village stood an ancient tree, and all the villagers were now gathered around it. They greeted Lu Wu with warmth and gratitude.
"Boss Lu, thank you for your pancakes."
"The pancakes were delicious! Next time you make something tasty, Boss Lu, could you burn some paper offerings to let us know?"
"Boss Lu, I’m about to move on for good anyway. How about you give me one more pancake?"
Hearing this, Lu Wu actually took out more pancakes, one for each of them. It was her final gift.
The villagers were stunned.
’Boss Lu learned how to keep a secret stash! She really is a good person!’
Holding their pancakes, the villagers stood in rows while Zhang Yue carved the lines of an Array at their feet.
Obscure runes flowed within the Array, emitting a faint glow.
Lu Wu didn’t understand it, but she was deeply impressed.
The villagers ate their pancakes while saying goodbye to their friends and family.
"Cheng Yang, you brat, when you go down there, remember to use your head. If you offend King Yama, he might just make you a beast in your next life."
Uncle Hua gave Cheng Yang a light slap on the back of the head.
He ruffled Cheng Yang’s hair, his eyes turning red.
"Okay."
Cheng Yang’s voice was muffled.
He kept his head down, listening to the advice and admonishments of the elders.
He was an orphan, raised by the whole village.
If it weren’t for the care of the Little Sea Village villagers, he would have died long ago.
He had no father or mother, yet he had many fathers and mothers.
He was not an orphan.
"Husband, what are you crying for? We’re just going to be reincarnated. Eighteen years from now, we’ll be brave men again!"
"WAHHHH, wife, wait for me to find you in eighteen years!"
"Get lost! I’ve had enough of you this lifetime. In the next one, I’m finding myself a handsome man!"
"No, I forbid it!"
At this moment of parting, many chose to use jokes to lessen the sorrow.
Standing on the periphery, Lu Wu watched the villagers crying in each other’s arms, blinked, and quietly brushed a finger past the corner of her eye.
"The hour is almost here."
It was a long while before Zhang Yue spoke up to remind them.
"Everyone, it’s time to set off!"
Uncle Xia gave a loud shout. As the light from the Array intensified, he tossed a handful of joss paper into the air.
On a nearby altar, incense sticks lit themselves.
Wisps of smoke drifted toward the villagers, transforming into guides that led them toward the world of the dead.
Zhang Yue clasped her hands together, her eyes downcast, and began chanting a sutra.
"At that time, the Celestial Worthy, Savior from Suffering, pervaded the Ten Directions. With his divine power, he saved all living beings, freeing them from the lost path. Unaware, they were like the blind seeing the sun and moon..."
This was the *Wondrous Scripture of the Numinous Treasure for Salvation from Distress*, used specifically to guide the dead and pray for the liberation of their souls.
As the chanted scripture hung in the air, green smoke filled the sky above Little Sea Village.
The bodies of the villagers began to turn ethereal.
In a daze, Lu Wu heard the faint rattling of chains.
Lu Wu copied Zhang Yue, silently reciting the sutra in her heart.
"Go in peace."
Her sincere blessing blended into the wind.
When the last villager had faded away, the walking stick in Uncle Xia’s hand fell to the ground.
Lu Wu walked over and picked it up.
"I’m old... useless now."
Uncle Xia sighed, his pale, gray eyes filled with sorrow.
Perhaps because she was a Cultivator, Lu Wu had a vague sense of a normal person’s life force. She knew Uncle Xia’s life was coming to an end.
"They’ve gone. It’s time for me to follow."
Noticing the sadness emanating from Lu Wu, Uncle Xia’s tone was very peaceful.
Death is not the end.
In the end, Uncle Xia declined any help and walked alone toward his home.
His lonely figure cast a long shadow. Little Sea Village, which should have been bustling with life, lost all sound, falling into a deathly silence.
"Don’t worry. The City Lord has already arranged for Uncle Xia’s affairs. They will all be buried together."
Zhang Yue comforted Lu Wu.
Lu Wu nodded and walked out of the village with Zhang Yue.
When they stepped out and looked back, the once-flourishing village, wreathed in green smoke, shattered like a soap bubble.
All that remained was the ruin from ten years ago, a scene of utter decay.
This was the true face of Little Sea Village.
Seeing Lu Wu remain silent, Zhang Yue thought she was devastated.
"Boss Lu, don’t be sad. They never did anything evil in their lives. Souls like theirs will find a good place in the underworld."
Not to mention these souls had all been purified by the little pancakes.
They were pure and clean.
They would all enjoy good fortune in their next lives.
"Huh? I’m not sad."
Lu Wu snapped back to reality. "I just suddenly realized... my customers were a bunch of ghosts."
Her business really had a wide reach—humans, beasts, and ghosts.
It was thrilling just to think about.
Seeing Lu Wu’s cheerful mood return, Zhang Yue smiled as well.
She fell a step behind, watching Lu Wu’s back and narrowing her eyes slightly.
’Boss Lu probably doesn’t know, does she? Her soul is the same color as her pancakes—glittering gold, as brilliant as the sun. It’s so beautiful.’
With her task complete and some free time on her hands, Lu Wu was dragged off to watch the Prodigy Tournament. It was there she discovered she had the potential to be a Prophet.
The "protagonist seed" she had her eye on earlier had now charged into the tournament’s top ten.
Even some prodigies from major sects had to concede defeat to her.
Lu Wu also learned her name.
Lin Shuang.
’See? Just hearing the name, you can tell she’s a strong female lead with no romantic interest.’
"Go! Go!"
Lu Wu was shouting for Lin Shuang. Her voice was lost in the crowd, but Lin Shuang’s opponent caught it.
He was a disciple of Bihai Building, a major sect local to Yuanhai City. His name was President Cui, and he was also a favorite to win the championship.
Of course, his favorite identity was that of a disciple of the Bun Sect.
Seeing Lu Wu cheering so enthusiastically, President Cui’s first thought was that the Sect Hierarch was cheering for him.
President Cui was instantly pumped up, as if he’d been shot full of adrenaline.
"Come on."
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, projecting the air of a grand master as he challenged Lin Shuang.
’He would prove with his actions that Boss Lu’s judgment was flawless.’
And then...
"Lin Shuang, go!"
But President Cui, who was only half-focused on the fight, heard his opponent’s name from Lu Wu’s lips.
SNAP.
President Cui heard the sound of something shattering.
He looked down.
’Oh, it was just his own worthless heart.’