Chapter 75: You’re Not Good Enough
Chapter 75: Chapter 75: You’re Not Good Enough
Humans can’t refuse meat, and neither can beasts.
When the perfectly marbled pork began to SIZZLE and glisten with oil by the fire, the dragon knew. He knew he would never escape this wretched woman’s grasp in his lifetime.
’She truly is the woman I both love and hate. She knows exactly how to handle me.’
But this dragon was perfectly willing to become a slave to her skirt.
’All I ask... is for a little more to eat.’
The Evil Dragon stared without blinking.
He watched as the small chunks of meat, once reddish-brown, slowly turned a tempting, charred yellow under the intense heat of the flames.
The faint glow of the fire settled on the roasted meat, coating it in a soft light.
When Lu Wu brushed oil and seasonings onto the meat, you could see the pieces tremble slightly from the force of her strokes.
Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—this barbecue was the epitome of perfection.
Everyone was silent.
The tense, hostile atmosphere from moments before had completely vanished.
For the sake of this barbecue, humans and beasts had buried the hatchet. Even Huohuo temporarily set aside its urge to peck the Evil Dragon to death, instead squatting quietly by Lu Wu’s side, waiting.
The scene was utterly still.
The only sounds were the occasional soft POP from the firewood and the suppressed GULPs of people swallowing their saliva.
The reactions of man and beast were perfectly synchronized.
"CHIRP! CHIRP!"
As an omnivorous bird, and the most powerful being present, Huohuo chirped softly, asking when the meat would be ready.
’It’s making this bird drool.’
’This bird has lived for so many years and has never eaten meat this delicious.’
’What a miserable life this bird has lived until now.’
’It must be true. Those heart-wrenching images that flash through my mind must be fake.’
"Alright, alright."
"It’s ready. Eat up."
There was a huge amount. Lu Wu divided the barbecue among the humans and beasts, then took a skewer for herself, brought it to her lips, opened her mouth, and took a bite.
A crisp CRUNCH echoed.
The moment her teeth clamped down, the pressure released the meat’s juices, which burst forth in her mouth.
Lu Wu’s control over the heat was perfect; the outer crispiness couldn’t hide the tenderness within.
The resilient chunks of meat had a satisfying, chewy bite.
The aroma of the barbecue, mixed with the seasonings, aggressively conquered every corner of her mouth.
The unique smokiness from the firewood was infused perfectly into the meat, completely awakening the taste buds.
The different layers of texture made every single bite a new experience.
All their waiting was fully rewarded in this one moment.
"ROAR!"
Unable to stop eating, the Evil Dragon no longer hid its identity and let out a roar of pure pleasure.
The surrounding temperature was clearly rising.
Qin Zhan and the others felt it, but right now, all they wanted to do was battle this little demon of a barbecue for three hundred rounds.
How could a mere rise in temperature possibly shake their resolve?
"AWOO! Delicious!"
Lou Xiaotian let out an inhuman cry, his mouth glistening with grease.
The cool, aloof pretty boy from their first meeting was, it has to be said, gone for good.
Jiang Yunhe primly wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, then swept his tongue across his lips, gathering every last bit of oil-soaked seasoning.
Not a single drop would be wasted.
His hand inconspicuously reached for Qin Zhan, who was next to him.
He had finished his portion, but his appetite was far from satisfied.
Thinking only of himself, he decided to betray his good brother.
’Brothers are meant to be sacrificed for one’s own gain.’
Jiang Yunhe acted with brazen confidence, despite knowing he was in the wrong.
But he didn’t know that Qin Zhan was already on guard.
Snatching food was not an uncommon occurrence among Lu Wu’s customers.
Brothers turning on each other, fathers and sons becoming enemies—these scenes played out every time Lu Wu set up her stall.
Qin Zhan, who had once nearly betrayed his own master and sect for half a pork knuckle, felt this deeply.
So, the instant he sensed Jiang Yunhe was about to make a move, Qin Zhan lifted all the skewers in his hand to his face and licked them all over.
Disgusting?
A little, yes.
Lu Wu averted her indescribable gaze. Jiang Yunhe silently retracted his hand, shooting Qin Zhan a look that said, "Just you wait."
Smug and triumphant, Qin Zhan believed he had won again.
But he forgot that, aside from the hygiene-conscious humans, there were also beasts who preferred to act on instinct.
And in particular, one of those beasts was an Evil Dragon with a black heart and not a single care for cleanliness.
"SLURP!"
A massive tongue swept past Qin Zhan’s face, snatching away the skewers that were now covered in his saliva.
To get a taste of this barbecue, the Evil Dragon had reverted to its true form.
Its massive, slender draconic body lay behind Qin Zhan, its sharp claws resting on his shoulders with enough force that he couldn’t even turn around.
The Evil Dragon’s eyes were huge. It glanced at Qin Zhan, a look of casual warning in its gaze.
"Penned in" by the dragon, Qin Zhan was furious but didn’t dare say a word.
He could only stare blankly at his empty hands, a mournful expression on his face.
’I shouldn’t have been so smug.’
’It’s true what they say. Good food only truly belongs to you once it’s in your mouth.’
In contrast to Qin Zhan’s sorrow, the Evil Dragon stroked its own whiskers, swaying its head as it slowly savored its spoils of war.
’The dragon got to eat.’
’The dragon is happy.’
It was just that its true form was too large; this little bit of barbecue was barely enough to get stuck in its teeth.
In the end, the Evil Dragon changed back into its small snake form, coiling around the skewers to fill its belly.
"BURP!"
At last, the dragon was full.
It let out a burp, looking utterly content.
Then, it completely gave up and lay flat at Lu Wu’s feet, its tail lazily brushing against the hem of her skirt.
’The dragon has accepted its fate.’
’Whether you stick your neck out or pull it back, the blade falls just the same.’
’Even if this dragon has to die, it has to die in style.’
Amused, Lu Wu stroked its scales. The dull, dusty scales indicated that this Evil Dragon was not in good condition.
With Huohuo around, Lu Wu wasn’t afraid of the Evil Dragon.
But she was wondering if there might be other possibilities.
To Lu Wu’s right, a plate was now completely empty.
A few barbecue skewers had been there a moment ago. When they vanished into thin air, Lu Wu pretended not to notice.
Inside the stone tablet’s cave abode, Bai Gu was picking its teeth with a wooden splinter.
Its big white teeth clacked together as it broke into a smile.
"This little girl, she gets it."
’She even knew to leave some tasty treats to bribe me.’
’Heaven knows how much I’ve been craving all the delicious food this girl has been making these past few days.’
’It’s true. Once you’ve had something good, you never want to lose it.’
’For the sake of these morsels, I suppose I could put in a little effort and live a few more years.’
’But since I can’t leave this place, I’ll just have to make my old friend stay here and keep me company.’
’Little Long, I, the Venerable, am about to get serious again.’
...
「Outside the Secret Realm」
The City Lord of Hong’an City, who had been keeping watch here all this time, abruptly stood up and looked toward a certain spot. An ordinary-looking old man was walking out from there.
The man approached with his hands behind his back, his expression dignified and his gaze cold.
It was none other than Uncle Li.
"Senior, what brings you here?"
the City Lord asked cautiously.
He was an arrogant man, but in front of this old senior, he didn’t dare to be.
After all, anyone who had acted arrogantly in front of this man was now hobnobbing with King Yama.
"Isn’t it because you’re useless?"
Shooting a glance at the City Lord, Uncle Li’s eyes were filled with the kind of disappointment one has for someone who fails to live up to their potential.
To be called useless right to his face—the City Lord opened his mouth to retort, but one glare from the old man made him swallow his words.
’I really am... useless.’