Chapter 42: Face-slap: Fatty, I’m Serious

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Face-slap: Fatty, I’m Serious

[Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. Your cultivation has been raised to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.]

[Congratulations, Host. You have been awarded one lottery draw.]

The sensation of Purifying Essence and Marrow washed over her, sweeping away all the fatigue accumulated over the past few busy days.

Her mortal physique was strengthened once more, and Lu Wu felt like she could now kill a bull with her bare hands.

She got up and threw a couple of kicks, hearing them slice through the air.

’It seems my body is starting to transcend mortal limits. As I keep completing missions, maybe I’ll become like one of those mighty experts, able to move mountains and drain seas with a single thought.’

’Sweet.’

After Lu Wu adapted to the changes in her body, she found that the Ruyi hairpin in her hair was concealing all of her Spiritual Power.

’From the outside, I look completely ordinary.’

"System, lottery draw!"

’Luck, be on my side!’

Shouting internally, Lu Wu pressed the lottery button.

The wheel spun... and stopped.

"..."

Lu Wu was rendered speechless when she saw the prize.

[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: The Complete Guide to Grilling Fish.]

’Honestly, I didn’t want to get revenge on Butcher Lin’s fish *that* badly. Can I return this prize?’

[...]

The system answered Lu Wu with silence.

"Tsk!"

Lu Wu was officially annoyed.

’The love is gone.’

「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」

At this hour, a thin layer of mist shrouded the sky above the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.

The gray, hazy mist billowed all around, isolating the entire Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons from the world.

Standing outside the valley, one could occasionally hear the roars of the demon beasts within.

Natural selection, survival of the fittest—this was the only law in the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.

Exhausted from a long night of fighting, Gou Aotian strode out of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. His body was still covered in wounds, and his fur was a mess.

But upon closer inspection, one could see that Gou Aotian’s fur had taken on a faint golden sheen, its luster more brilliant than before.

Gou Aotian had intended to come out to find a place to rest and wait for Boss Lu to arrive.

But as soon as he exited the valley, he saw many figures outside.

These people weren’t entering the valley. Instead, they were sitting on small stools, chatting idly, eventually forming a long line.

And the head of this queue was Lu Wu’s usual spot for her stall.

Obviously, these people were all customers.

Gou Aotian even spotted an acquaintance among them. He wagged his tail, walked over, and immediately flopped down to sleep.

’A defeated foe. Not even worth mentioning!’

’Allow me, the Dog Emperor, to get some sleep. We’ll fight again later.’

"Hey, don’t try to pull a scam on me!"

Qin Zhan jumped in fright.

He nudged Gou Aotian, but there was no reaction.

"It’s nothing serious. He’s just exhausted and fell asleep."

Beside him, Jiang Yunhe reassured Qin Zhan after checking on Gou Aotian.

This dog was with Boss Lu now. For the sake of staying on Boss Lu’s good side, Qin Zhan didn’t dare to take revenge for their past fight over a steamed bun.

Unfortunately, the dog’s very presence was a testament to his failure.

And that embarrassing incident had been spread far and wide. Facing Jiang Yunhe’s mocking expression, Qin Zhan felt utterly aggrieved.

"There are so many people here,"

Qin Zhan changed the subject.

He knew Boss Lu’s business was good, but after word had spread over the past two days, many new customers had set their sights on her stall in addition to the regulars.

To make sure he could buy a pork knuckle, he had dragged Jiang Yunhe along to line up early.

Who knew so many others would have the same idea.

Don’t be fooled by how happily these people were chatting, calling each other brother as if they were the closest of friends.

But no matter how animated their conversations became, their butts never left their spots. Their ability to remain as immovable as a mountain was truly top-tier.

’They’re all just a bunch of smiling tigers with dark hearts.’

Hiding in the crowd was a Little Fatty.

His chubby body and short stature made him stick out like a sore thumb.

Many people noticed the child’s presence, but the Little Fatty thought his disguise was perfect.

He had snuck out of his house, even stealing some Spirit Stones, all so he could buy a pork knuckle here and go back to "ransom" his beloved Yaya.

After Yaya’s family found out he had encouraged her to climb a wall, they forbade her from seeing him.

The Little Fatty couldn’t accept this.

He racked his clever little brain and decided to use the delicious pork knuckle as a ransom to win back his friendship with Yaya. So, while his parents were still asleep, he grabbed the Spirit Stones and came here all by himself.

As the Little Fatty waited anxiously and the sun rose higher in the sky, Boss Lu’s figure finally appeared in the distance.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

The Little Fatty pounded on his aching legs, silently cheering himself on.

’For Yaya,’ he thought, ’I can do this.’

"I want two pork knuckles."

The line moved slowly, and finally, it was the Little Fatty’s turn.

He placed the Spirit Stones on the counter, his eyes fixed on the steaming pork knuckles in the pot as he wiped the corner of his mouth.

’It smells so good.’

Yesterday, his dad had brought home two pork knuckles, and they were quickly devoured by their family of three.

The Little Fatty remembered how the pork knuckle had been braised until it was fall-off-the-bone tender, all its fat rendered into the rich sauce. Paired with the rice his mother had cooked, the taste had made him dizzy with delight.

He had even savored the leftover bone for a long time.

Stomach rumbling, the Little Fatty felt his friendship with Yaya was facing a severe trial.

Its glistening sheen was tempting him from every angle.

A whisper seemed to echo in his ear, "Just one bite. There’s so much, Yaya will understand."

The devil on his shoulder was tempting him.

SLAP!

The Little Fatty gave himself a hard slap across the face.

After getting the pork knuckles, the Little Fatty sealed the oil-paper bag, clutched it to his chest, thanked Lu Wu, and ran straight off in the direction of Xiaohe Town.

Lu Wu, who had watched the whole thing unfold, didn’t understand the self-flagellation but supported it nonetheless.

’Freedom is the name of the game.’

Beside her, Dahuang, having just enjoyed a delicious meal, started barking at the next customer. ℯ

Dahuang had now become Lu Wu’s assistant.

He was responsible for maintaining order and making sure all the customers paid.

If anyone tried to walk off without paying," Dahuang would bite them, and they’d then be subdued by the crowd of other customers.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

After Dahuang barked this time, a whole crowd of people fixed their gazes on one man. One by one, they began to channel their Spiritual Power, ready to jump into action at a moment’s notice.

They had discovered that people who helped out before would get a little extra sauce from Boss Lu when she was serving.

For that little bit of extra gravy, they would seize every opportunity to prove their worth.

The customer, targeted by a pack of hungry wolves, trembled in fear.

He pointed to the pile of Spirit Stones and said, "I paid."

Facing the crowd’s suspicious glares, he wished he could cut open his chest to prove his innocence. He really wasn’t trying to get a freebie.

It was just that his eyes held a trace of guilt.

"Ahem, you did pay,"

"but you’ve already bought one today."

Lu Wu pointed at his lapel, gesturing for him to look.

A faint, almost unnoticeable, gravy stain remained there.

Dahuang’s sense of smell was extremely sharp. He was telling Lu Wu that this customer had already visited, then changed his face to try and buy a second time.

"You little punk! So you’re trying to cheat, huh!"

The crowd was furious.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t considered cheating with a clone or some other method, but they were afraid of breaking Boss Lu’s rules and getting blacklisted by her, so they’d always hesitated.

Who knew this kid would be so bold!

"Brothers, get him! Let’s teach him a lesson."

The crowd swarmed forward, and the customer was swallowed by the mob, his desperate cries echoing for only a moment.

Lu Wu calmly waved over the next customer.

’Go on, go nuts.’

’A little chaos is good. It gives me something fun to watch.’