Chapter 22: After Eating a Steamed Bun, I Attained Enlightenment

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: After Eating a Steamed Bun, I Attained Enlightenment

"Mmm, this is delicious! Sweet but not cloying, with a hint of sesame... In a word: perfect!"

Even the old regular, who thought he was prepared, was stunned by the bun.

He didn’t even have time to show off before he devoured the first one.

The piping hot bun made his cheeks puff out as he blew on it, and the tip of his tongue burned as he ate.

Under the intense, hungry stares of the crowd, he took a bite of the tofu bun.

If the signature of the white sugar and sesame bun was its sweet fragrance, then the tofu bun was all about tenderness.

The tofu wasn’t minced; the fingernail-sized cubes were perfectly intact and visibly tender. After being left to sit, the tofu had been thoroughly infused with the flavor of the chili oil.

As his tongue curled around a piece, a gentle press against the roof of his mouth was all it took to feel the burst of spicy fragrance released the instant the tofu was crushed.

The steaming tofu, saturated with spicy juice, was tantalizingly fragrant.

The old regular’s mouth was slick with juices.

At that moment, he completely ignored everyone else, focusing only on savoring every last bit.

The sublime flavor completely immersed him.

In that instant, his mind achieved perfect clarity.

The world around him seemed to grow brighter. In a flash of insight, the Spiritual Power within his body began to circulate on its own.

"Holy crap, he’s having an epiphany!"

"Boss Lu’s buns can do that?!"

Someone cried out in shock.

A vortex of Spiritual Energy appeared above the old regular’s head. The wild Spiritual Energy was compressed before flowing gently into his body, causing his cultivation realm to advance.

The old regular’s aptitude was average at best; breaking through this one minor realm would normally have taken him decades of hard work.

But today, stimulated by one of Lu Wu’s buns, he had fallen into a trance-like state of epiphany and broken through with ease.

When the Spiritual Energy vortex subsided, the old regular opened his eyes, a smug and satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"HAHAHA! I am the chosen one! All you mortals, stand aside!"

The result of this arrogant shout was a fresh footprint on his rear.

"Don’t think we won’t beat you just because Boss Lu is here! Keep running your mouth, and we’ll squash you," someone said with a fierce expression.

This was so damn infuriating.

It was bad enough that they didn’t get any buns, but then they had to watch this guy show off by having a breakthrough right in their faces.

How demoralizing could it get?

"Hehehe!"

The old regular chuckled and bowed in Lu Wu’s direction.

’From this day forward, Boss Lu is my mother, even if we’re not related by blood! I’ll be a filial son to Boss Lu from now on!’

As the old regular was lost in his wild thoughts, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Friend, have you heard of the Bun Sect?"

Wang Changgui had snuck over from who-knows-where and was handing the old regular a piece of paper.

"Join the Bun Sect! Not only will you get closer to Boss Lu, but if you complete your missions with distinction, you might even get personally fed by Boss Lu herself."

Wang Changgui’s tone was laced with temptation.

Seeing the man’s resolve waver, he continued to appeal to both emotion and reason.

"You must know that this is Boss Lu’s last day with a stall on Yanliu Street. You don’t want to go the rest of your life without eating her food, do you?"

"Join the Bun Sect, and we’ll get all the insider information on Boss Lu. You’ll never make a wasted trip again."

Wang Changgui’s patient and persuasive voice was filled with passion.

’The Great Elder said that if I can just recruit three more people into the Bun Sect, I’ll be promoted to a full-fledged disciple!’

’The great responsibility of growing the Bun Sect rests on my shoulders! Who else could it be but me!’

"So, will the food in the future be as delicious as these buns?"

The old regular smacked his lips.

He wasn’t asking for an epiphany every time, just a satisfying meal.

"Of course! Do you not have faith in Boss Lu’s skills?"

Wang Changgui all but pounded his chest in assurance.

"Alright, I’ll join."

The old regular made his decision, and Wang Changgui couldn’t help but leap for joy.

’Recruitment progress: plus one.’

’I’m the best!’

While Lu Wu’s bun business was in full swing, in a large city far from Xiaohe Town, Qin Zhan was anxiously scratching his head.

Beside him stood an elder with the ethereal air of a celestial sage.

This was his master, the Heavenly Wind Taoist, who was also a Supreme Elder of the Holy Sword Sect and a renowned figure in the Green Origin Realm.

The last time he was in Xiaohe Town, the incident where he fought a big yellow dog named Dahuang over food had blown up on One World Communication. Some bored members of the Sect had seen it and, feeling he had disgraced the Sect, wanted to summon him back to answer for his actions.

In all his years roaming the Green Origin Realm, Qin Zhan feared no one but his own master.

While he wasn’t afraid of punishment, he knew that the moment he returned, his master would grab him and force him into yet another session of closed-door cultivation back at the Sect.

Having finally gotten a rare chance to leave, Qin Zhan was not about to let that happen.

So, he came up with a brilliant idea.

Before returning to the Sect, he had bought two of Boss Lu’s buns. Resisting the overwhelming urge to eat them himself, he brought them back as a filial gift for his master.

He still remembered the scene vividly.

His master, who normally had very little appetite or interest in food, had a complete change of expression after one bite.

He had relentlessly asked who made these buns.

Qin Zhan had told him everything about Boss Lu.

He had originally planned to strike a deal with his master: if his master let him go free, he would regularly deliver Boss Lu’s delicious creations back to the Sect for him to enjoy.

Who would have thought that after his master readily agreed, just as he was happily packing his bags to leave, he’d find his master tagging along.

The man said nothing, just watched him with a serene smile.

Unable to curse him out and unable to beat him in a fight, Qin Zhan could only "voluntarily" offer to take his master to taste the delicacies on-site.

However... a trip involving a Supreme Elder was a major affair, after all.

The Sect had to draw up numerous plans and procedures, which inevitably caused a significant delay.

This was why he was only just setting out on the final day of Boss Lu’s stall on Yanliu Street.

Looking at the hour, he knew Boss Lu had already set up her stall.

And he was still a great distance away from Xiaohe Town.

To make matters worse, the Teleportation Array was crowded. He’d arrived at an unlucky time and could only wait for the next transport.

He knew all too well how booming Boss Lu’s business was. The lines were impossibly long, and the buns were snatched up the moment they were ready. There were never any leftovers.

If you were late, you’d get nothing but a mouthful of air.

Burning with anxiety, Qin Zhan wished he could just rip a hole in space and teleport there directly.

Unfortunately, he lacked that kind of power. And while his master was capable of it, he didn’t know the precise coordinates of Xiaohe Town and couldn’t fix a destination.

"It’s here, it’s here! Master, let’s go!"

At this point, Qin Zhan couldn’t be bothered with decorum. The moment the Teleportation Array was clear, he grabbed the Heavenly Wind Taoist by the sleeve and dashed inside.

With a lurch, the Teleportation Array activated.

After a moment of vertigo, Qin Zhan found himself on solid ground again.

This was the major city closest to Xiaohe Town. He had transferred through here last time and was familiar with the route.

He took out his Flying Spiritual Treasure and channeled his Spiritual Power into it at maximum efficiency.

"SWOOOSH!"

The flying shuttle tore through the air, creating a sonic boom above the city.

After a frantic journey, he finally arrived at Yanliu Street.

But when he saw the situation, all the energy drained out of him.

Lu Wu’s usual spot was empty, the stall gone and the crowd dispersed. Only a familiar, lingering fragrance in the air told Qin Zhan that he hadn’t imagined it all—Lu Wu had been here.

’I was too late.’

"Too late... it’s all over."

He still hadn’t made it in time.

Dejected, Qin Zhan squatted on his flying shuttle, clutching his aching heart.

’I’m so sad, I could just cry.’

"Disciple, do you know where this Boss Lu lives?"

"We can go find her. I am willing to trade treasures with this Boss Lu for her food."

The Heavenly Wind Taoist’s logic was simple.

’Since she’s packed up and gone home, we’ll simply follow her.’

’He wanted to eat it, and he was going to eat it today.’

’Worse comes to worst, I’ll just use my reputation!’