Chapter 44: Is This Toying With His Boyish Heart?
Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Is This Toying With His Boyish Heart?
Seeing it was still early, Lu Wu paid another visit to Butcher Lin and came back with a few fish.
She’d been stewing on it all day, and she was still furious.
She was determined to have her fish.
It was also the perfect chance to see if the recipe from the System was any good.
Just as she reached the alley, she saw someone in ragged clothes squatting at her doorway. Their back was to her, so she couldn’t see their face.
Their hair was streaked with gray and scattered messily down their back, looking like a bird’s nest.
From the back, they looked like a beggar who had fallen on hard times.
They were squatting in front of her door, muttering something under their breath, and she had no idea what they were up to.
As Lu Wu drew closer, she caught a few words.
"A curse on you! I’ll draw a circle and curse you to death."
"This is for pulling my hair, for kicking my butt, for slapping my face!"
"Mani mani om!"
The gibberish didn’t form any real spell, but Lu Wu recognized the person’s identity from the voice.
When the person didn’t react to her arrival, a look of understanding dawned in Lu Wu’s eyes. Suppressing a laugh, she said, "Uncle Li, are you counting ants over here?"
Uncle Li, who had been missing for a day, was back. He just looked a little worse for wear.
It looked like he’d been given a savage beating.
But Lu Wu looked closely. He only looked pitiful on the outside; in reality, his body was completely unharmed.
Hearing Lu Wu’s words, Uncle Li whipped his head around. He was about to say something, but when he saw the fish she was carrying, a sharp glint flashed in his murky eyes.
"Are we having fish tonight?"
Apparently, food was more important than whatever grievances he’d suffered.
This made Lu Wu swallow the words of concern she was about to offer.
"Yep, roasted fish!"
Lu Wu smiled and invited Uncle Li into the small courtyard.
She placed several large sea bass in a basin. They thrashed about lively, and when they saw Lu Wu approach, one slapped its tail, splashing water all over the top of her shoes.
Their fishy eyes were filled with a look of pure, unadulterated stupidity.
’Insignificant human, why aren’t you on your knees yet!’
A gentle smile graced Lu Wu’s lips. She wouldn’t argue with a fish on death row. She raised the filleting knife in her hand.
Gutting, scaling... with a few swift cuts, Lu Wu’s smile grew even wider.
’Can’t flop around now, can you?’
’Ah, another day of sending business King Yan’s way.’
Uncle Li was squatting nearby, a sympathetic look in his eyes.
He could see that these fish had developed a sliver of spiritual awareness and were on the verge of fully awakening their intellect to become demon beasts.
A pity they ran into Boss Xiao Lu.
Right now, the only thing on Lu Wu’s mind was roasted fish.
Once the fish were all cleaned, she scored them with a crisscross pattern to help them absorb the flavors.
Into the large basin with the fish carcasses, Lu Wu added a suitable amount of white wine to remove the fishy smell.
The wine from the Green Origin Realm had an intoxicating aroma and a mellow body, without the off-taste of cooking wine. Lu Wu was very fond of it.
She had stockpiled a good amount of this wine recently. She had also found plenty of chili peppers in Xiaohe Town, which she sun-dried and ground into a chili powder.
Just a whiff of it made Uncle Li sneeze.
The spicy aroma was overwhelming.
Mixing the chili powder with fine salt, scallions, ginger, and wine, Lu Wu gave the sea bass a thorough "bath," then set them aside to marinate.
Uncle Li formed a hand seal for a Dust Clearing Technique, and in an instant, his entire body was sparkling clean.
He had planned to use a self-pity ploy to get some sympathy from Boss Lu, but before he could even start, Boss Lu had pre-empted him with a "delicious food" ploy.
And so, he willingly fell for it.
"By the way, kiddo, you haven’t run into any weird old men lately, have you?"
Uncle Li asked cautiously.
His eyes held a hint of worry.
’That Old Feng... First, he tried to use his reputation and failed, and now he wants to forcefully snatch away the little girl I’ve taken a shine to. He’s simply asking for death.’
’I couldn’t stand it, so I paid him a visit and gave him a one-sided beatdown.’
’No.’
’I have to do something. Otherwise, if someone lures the kiddo away, where will I go for good food?’
"A weird old man... I don’t think so?"
Lu Wu’s gaze drifted over to Uncle Li, her tone hesitant.
’Does the one right in front of me count?’
"Ahem!"
"As long as you haven’t."
Uncle Li thought for a moment, then added, "Kiddo, let me tell you, don’t be fooled by how glamorous some sects look on the outside. You have no idea how filthy and disgusting they are on the inside."
"Sect disciples, they call them? They’re not free at all."
"Besides, with your skills, you’d be a guest of honor anywhere you go. So you don’t have to pay any mind to the benefits anyone offers you."
Clearly, Uncle Li was alluding to something.
「In an inn in Xiaohe Town.」 The Heavenly Wind Taoist was sitting in a chair while Qin Zhan rubbed his shoulders with medicinal wine.
He had reverted to his original appearance, and his body was covered in black and blue bruises.
Even his beard was a section shorter, with some scorch marks on it.
ACHOO!
The Heavenly Wind Taoist sneezed, a miserable look on his face.
’That fiend! He’s truly ruthless!’
"Master..."
Qin Zhan wanted to ask, but didn’t dare.
"Ahem, I just had a little spar with a senior," the Heavenly Wind Taoist said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Qin Zhan opened his mouth, then closed it again.
’Could a ’spar’ really leave injuries on Master that even Spiritual Power can’t heal?’
’He had a feeling that if his opponent had hit just a little bit harder, his master would have been scattered into pieces.’
"Ah, Zhan, the Sect has summoned me back. You can continue your travels, but remember your promise to me."
He’d been beaten so badly he hadn’t even been able to go get Boss Lu’s pork knuckle today. Thankfully, his filial apprentice had shared one with him.
The Heavenly Wind Taoist suppressed a wail, straightened his clothes, and stood up.
’That fiend is here. I don’t dare stay any longer and provoke him.’
"I remember, Master!"
Qin Zhan smiled.
’I remember, sure. As for what I’ll actually do... we’ll see.’
’It’s not like my master can watch me every second of the day, right?’
"Ah, Zhan, Master has faith in you."
The Heavenly Wind Taoist cheerfully patted Qin Zhan’s head. Suddenly, a cold breeze swept by, and Qin Zhan flinched, his tone becoming much more sincere.
’Oh no, killing intent!’
"I absolutely will not forget, Master!"
Qin Zhan emphasized, his voice overflowing with sincerity.
Only after the Heavenly Wind Taoist had left did Qin Zhan wipe the cold sweat from his brow.
’That old coot is so shameless. He was ready to kill his own disciple for a bite of food.’
Qin Zhan pouted, then noticed a message from Jiang Yunhe.
"Huh? This year, all the candidates for awakening from the cities under Hong’an City’s jurisdiction are being sent to Hong’an City proper for the ceremony."
"Did something happen?"
The annual Talent Awakening was also the time when the major sects recruited new disciples.
Great sects of the Green Origin Realm like the Holy Sword Sect and the Divine Doctor Valley were famous far and wide, so naturally, there were always plenty of people willing to join each year.
Usually, however, these children were tested in their hometowns before any further arrangements were made.
This change in Hong’an City this year made Qin Zhan a little curious.
"Want some roasted fish?"
But before he could puzzle it out, a message came in from the Great Elder of the Bun Sect.
"YES!!!"
The three exclamation points perfectly represented Qin Zhan’s mood. He nearly jumped out of his skin.
’This roasted fish... it has to be from Boss Lu!’
’His master had just left, and good luck was already striking.’
’Sure enough, that old coot really is a walking disaster.’
"Hee hee, you can’t have any."
???
’What was the Great Elder playing at? Was he toying with his tender, boyish heart?’
Qin Zhan was livid.
After pacing furiously around the room a few times, Qin Zhan suddenly laughed.
’If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain!’
’Besides, he and Boss Lu were friends now. It wouldn’t be a big deal to go and bum a meal off her, right?’
’Boss Lu, wait for me!’