Chapter 36: Final Battle at the Peak of Xiaohe Town
Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Final Battle at the Peak of Xiaohe Town
"Boss Lu, save some for me!"
After calling out to Lu Wu, Lou Xiaotian snapped out of his daydream and obediently got in line.
Completely fixated on the pork knuckles, Lou Xiaotian failed to notice a man and a woman in the middle of the line exchange a look, a grin spreading across their faces that said their trick had worked.
It was Lou Batian and his wife, who had altered their appearances.
While Lou Xiaotian was still shadowboxing with himself, Lou Batian had already brought his wife to the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons long ago.
Heh!
’That little brat is still too green,’ he thought. ’Simply put, he needs more training.’
"Young friend, I’ll have three pork knuckles."
The Heavenly Wind Taoist stood before the stall, dressed all in white. His slender figure was perfectly proportioned.
Just by standing there, he became the center of attention.
Especially with a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
Struck once again by such dazzling looks, Lu Wu glanced at him.
’He’s handsome, but why does he talk like such an old man?’
’Young friend?’
’He looks younger than I am.’
’And what’s with that kindly look in his eyes? For a second, it felt like I was looking at Uncle Li.’
’Don’t tell me he’s some ancient monster with a weird fetish for pretending to be young?’
Yikes!
Lu Wu shook her head, pulling her thoughts back from their wild tangent.
"These pork knuckles just came out of the pot, so they’re still a bit hot. Be careful when you eat."
Lu Wu reminded him thoughtfully.
’All my customers are a little bit nuts,’ she thought with resignation. ’I’ve made my peace with it.’
"Ahem, Master, please don’t talk like that," Qin Zhan reminded him in a low voice.
When Boss Lu glanced at him, Qin Zhan’s cheeks flushed.
He was mortified.
"Call me Junior Brother."
The Heavenly Wind Taoist shot his disciple a glare before turning back to Lu Wu with a pleased smile.
"Young friend, you are quite impressive."
After saying this, the Heavenly Wind Taoist leisurely strolled to the side. Though they were in the middle of the wilderness, he gave a wave of his hand, and an ancient, elegant pavilion materialized out of thin air.
A set of dinnerware was already laid out on a stone table inside.
The Heavenly Wind Taoist lifted his robes and sat down. He placed a pork knuckle on a plate, then picked up his chopsticks to savor a small bite.
"This is truly a delicacy of the mortal realm!"
"Marvelous, simply marvelous!"
He paid no mind to the onlookers, his praise coming from the bottom of his heart.
His tone was long and drawn-out, making him sound just like an ancient monster.
Several people with decent cultivation levels shot wary glances at the young man. The fluctuations of Spiritual Energy coming from the pavilion were enough to prove it was no ordinary object.
It was a Spiritual Artifact—and a top-grade one at that.
The aura he faintly exuded was enough to keep them from daring to offend him.
Lu Wu’s cultivation was low, so she couldn’t discern anything special about the pavilion that had appeared out of nowhere.
’What a grand display,’ she thought.
’And so flashy.’
"Ahem, Boss Lu, I’ll take ten... no, fifteen pork knuckles."
Qin Zhan covered his face with his hand.
He hadn’t yet reached his master’s level of composure. Under the weight of so many stares, he couldn’t help but blush.
"Alright."
Lu Wu didn’t recognize Qin Zhan. Her hands never stopped moving as she handed over the food. The moment she did, the customer’s figure flickered and vanished.
...
Lu Wu blinked. ’Alright, another weirdo,’ she thought.
While Lu Wu’s business was booming, back in Xiaohe Town, Wang Er had scoured nearly the entire area.
Ever since tasting Lu Wu’s pork knuckles the day before, he found he couldn’t stomach anything else.
Little Fatty, the biggest meat-lover in his family, was now constantly wailing for more pork knuckles.
Unable to resist the craving himself, Wang Er had gone out to find Boss Lu’s stall, only to discover upon reaching Yanliu Street that she was no longer there.
Wang Er was disappointed, having found no trace of her anywhere in town.
"Where on earth is Boss Lu?"
As he walked, he overheard someone nearby mention Boss Lu.
Wang Er thought for a moment, then went over to ask. It turned out they were all looking for Boss Lu, just like him.
They started talking and hit it off immediately.
When the other foodies heard that Wang Er had actually gotten to eat the pork knuckles, their expressions turned green with envy.
"Is it possible Boss Lu isn’t running her stall anymore?" Wang Er ventured.
"Impossible," one of the foodies retorted sharply.
"We asked her before. Boss Lu said she’d keep running the stall, but the location would be random."
They vehemently denied that possibility.
Without Boss Lu, what would they eat?
Their palates had been spoiled by Boss Lu; they couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for the buns from other shops now.
And that was before even mentioning the new pork knuckles.
Thinking about Wang Er’s earlier descriptions made their hearts ache with regret.
Why couldn’t they have been the lucky ones?
"In that case, maybe Boss Lu’s stall isn’t in town."
Wang Er was a local and knew the town like the back of his hand. If even he couldn’t find her, it must mean she wasn’t here.
"Why don’t we go take a look outside of town?" Wang Er suggested.
"Alright, let’s go."
The group was in immediate agreement, and they teamed up to head out of town.
Just as they reached the town gate, they saw a man eating a pork knuckle.
Wang Er had just been walking by, but he stopped dead in his tracks when a breeze carried the rich aroma of meat to him.
"That’s the smell."
Wang Er stopped the others and pointed at the young man. "The pork knuckles Boss Lu makes smell exactly like that!"
The others followed his gaze and saw the glistening, succulent-looking pork knuckle in the young man’s hand.
The young man appeared to be well-mannered, tearing off small bites of lean meat as he ate.
The juices trickled down his fair fingers. After a moment of hesitation, he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean.
It was the exact same meticulousness they showed when eating her buns, desperate not to waste a single drop of broth.
"Are you sure?" one of them asked, his nose twitching.
It smelled incredible.
The fragrance was on par with the buns Boss Lu used to make.
To find a clue right after leaving the town gate... could this be a case of searching high and low for something, only to find it when you least expect it?
"I’m positive," Wang Er nodded emphatically. "That smell, that color... I’d never get it wrong."
As the only one in their group who had actually eaten the pork knuckle, his words held a great deal of weight.
"Let’s go ask him."
An older foodie in the group beckoned for the others to follow him over.
"Greetings, fellow cultivator. Might I ask where you bought that pork knuckle?"
The man they asked, Jiang Yunhe, had just finished a pork knuckle. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers, his movements elegant and refined.
"At the entrance to the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. A certain Boss Lu is selling them there."
Jiang Yunhe glanced at the group. Sensing no ill intent, he told them straight out.
’Something this good should naturally be shared with others.’
Yesterday, due to Jiang Yunhe’s high status, Zhang Xiu had overlooked him when organizing the others to keep the news under wraps.
And so, Jiang Yunhe, blissfully unaware of the "Exclusive Enjoyment Alliance," had just exposed Lu Wu’s location in one fell swoop.
If any of the foodies from the Yanliu Street days had been present, they would have known for certain: this disciple from the Divine Doctor Valley would one day pay a terrible price for his choice.
"It really is Boss Lu! Quick, let’s go!"
After thanking him, the group rushed off toward the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. They used every trick in the book to get there faster.
Some flew through the air, others tunneled through the earth—all of them moving at incredible speeds.
The dust they kicked up made a young man who had just appeared cough several times.
"Jiang Yunhe, you did that on purpose!"
With a mouthful of dust, Qin Zhan glared suspiciously at the other man. ’This guy is definitely trying to get back at me.’
’All because I tricked him that one time.’
Their eyes met, both narrowing. In an instant, killing intent flared between them, and sparks seemed to fly through the air.
The wind howled and the clouds churned.
The tense atmosphere, like swords drawn and bows bent, made the city guards secretly grip the communication Jade Tokens at their waists.
’Town Lord, we have a problem!’
’Someone’s about to have a showdown on the highest peak of Xiaohe Town!’