Chapter 114: Chapter 114: The Gourmet Squad Assembles

A good, long sleep with no interruptions.

When Lu Wu opened her door, she saw three heads huddled together by the entrance, whispering about something.

They were Tool-man Number One, Tool-man Number Two, and Uncle Li from next door.

The trio was so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t even notice Lu Wu’s arrival.

"Don’t worry, I’ve already mobilized the sect’s disciples to come to Yuanhai City. I guarantee there won’t be any problems."

’This is the Holy Sword Sect disciples coming for their mission, right?’

"What’s the word from Boss Lu? The disciples aren’t ready yet."

’Not ready?’

’Are they planning to help?’

"Is there anything I can do?"

Believing in reciprocity, Lu Wu was willing to lend a hand.

She squatted down too, putting her head right next to theirs.

Hearing Lu Wu’s voice, the three of them whipped their heads around.

After staring blankly at Lu Wu for a moment, Lou Xiaotian covered his face and gave an awkward laugh. "Not at the moment, no."

As the Sect Hierarch, all she had to do was sit tight on her high throne and receive her followers’ audience.

"Alright then."

’That makes sense. If a major sect like the Holy Sword Sect can’t handle it, what could a small fry like me possibly do?’

"By the way, why are you covering your face?"

Seeing Lou Xiaotian covering half his face, his hair a bird’s nest, she wondered if he was doing some kind of cosplay.

"Yeah, why are you covering your face?"

Qin Zhan asked, twisting the knife.

’Gotta say, my success rate for offline takedowns is one hundred percent. That pancake was delicious.’

"I tripped and fell, scraped up my face."

Lou Xiaotian sheepishly lowered his hand. The bruise at the corner of his mouth and the scratch marks on his face made Lu Wu seriously suspect he’d been caught cheating on someone.

For the sake of her tool-man’s pride, Lu Wu didn’t press the issue.

"Uncle Li, where are you staying now?"

Though she asked with her mouth, Lu Wu’s eyes were already glancing next door.

Sure enough, Uncle Li nodded.

’Instead of being the cheating neighbor Old Wang, he’d rather be the wall-climbing neighbor Old Li.’

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Someone knocked on the courtyard gate, and Gou Aotian went to open it, wagging his tail.

As the weakest one among them, Gou Aotian knew his place and never acted spoiled just because he was doted on.

’The path to the throne is still long. As the future Dog Emperor, I must be patient and serve my master well, starting with the small things.’

The gate opened to reveal two familiar faces.

Jiang Yunhe and Zhang Yue.

’There are eight major sects in the Southern State, and right here, I’ve gathered the number one of the younger generation from three of them.’

’How is this turning into some kind of overpowered-protagonist story?’

Lu Wu looked at her assembled food-tasting squad, clapped her hands, stood up, and walked into the kitchen. She was going to change the story’s genre right now.

Uncle Li was already rubbing his stomach, dropping a heavy hint.

Lu Wu decided to make a simple meal of sour soup noodles.

The method was simple; the key was getting the soup base right.

The kitchen was packed. To avoid being kicked out by Lu Wu, the tool-men took over the task of washing vegetables.

Even the two little beasts were eager to contribute.

Dahuang picked up the kitchen scraps from the floor, while Huohuo breathed fire under the stove, even fanning the flames with its wings to control the heat.

This fully automated process earned a five-star review from Lu Wu.

She placed chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic into an empty bowl, added chili powder and white sesame seeds, and sizzled it all with hot oil, instantly releasing the aroma.

Then she added light soy sauce, aged vinegar, and pepper, stirred it all together, and set it aside.

She stir-fried shredded lean pork with pickled vegetables to make the noodle topping. After bringing a pot of water to a boil, she put the noodles in to cook.

Cooking noodles was a delicate art. Too long and they’d get mushy; too short and they’d be undercooked.

The tool-men didn’t dare to meddle with such a technical task.

Timing it perfectly, Lu Wu poured the noodle-cooking water into the bowls, creating the appetizingly sour and spicy soup base.

After scooping the noodles out of the boiling water, Lu Wu rinsed them in cold water. This kept them from sticking together and made them chewier.

Finally, she arranged the topping over the noodles. The steaming hot sour soup noodles were ready, their fragrance wafting through the air.

A bowl for everyone.

The tool-men watched Uncle Li’s practiced eating posture—squatting just outside the kitchen—and copied him.

A bowl of sour soup noodles on a cold day was both appetizing and warming.

The sour soup soaked every inch of the noodles. A large mouthful, lifted by chopsticks, was slurped down. The moment it entered the mouth, the sourness ignited the taste buds, immediately followed by a spicy kick that made you want to keep slurping without stopping.

The noodles were firm and didn’t break easily. With each bite, a rich, wheaty flavor filled the mouth.

The pork was stir-fried with plenty of oil, making it very tender, while the pickled vegetables were sour, crisp, and delicious.

The noodles acted like a net, tightly enveloping all the toppings. After a few bites, a symphony of flavors blossomed, leaving one feeling utterly content.

The tool-men began to inhale their food, the sound of their incessant slurping filling the air.

Their heads were practically buried in their bowls.

Tasting such a delicacy for the first time, Zhang Yue’s usually stoic face was a canvas of pure amazement.

Nearby, Dahuang was licking his bowl clean with his tongue. Huohuo pecked at its food bit by bit with its beak, but apparently, that wasn’t satisfying enough. A fluctuation of Spiritual Power flashed around its body, and it instantly grew in size.

It used its Spiritual Power to levitate the noodles and soup into the air, opened its mouth, and began to gulp it all down.

CHIRP CHIRP!

’Delicious! Birdy loves it.’

’It was definitely the right choice to abandon that former master, Bai Gu, in the Secret Realm and follow Xiao Wuwu.’

After a simple dinner, the well-fed group lay sprawled out in the courtyard.

The wind, frost, snow, and rain of winter held no threat for Cultivators.

"Do you think if those disciples knew Boss Lu was waiting on us like this, they’d want to rise up and attack us?"

Lou Xiaotian asked sincerely, rubbing his four-month-old belly.

"Then just don’t let them know."

Qin Zhan glanced at his One World Communication.

He had just sent a video of them eating to his master, which prompted a barrage of "caring" inquiries in return.

’This love from Master is too heavy to bear.’ To lighten his master’s burden, the "filial" disciple Qin Zhan immediately blocked Old Deng. ’I’ll unblock him in a few days.’

"What disciples?"

The new tool-man, Zhang Yue, asked. As Inner Sect Disciples, Qin Zhan and Lou Xiaotian exchanged a look and began to explain, taking turns selling her the dream.

"You know how Boss Lu’s stall appearances are random, right? If you join the Bun Sect, you can keep track of her whereabouts at all times."

"Right, and sometimes there are surprise drops from Boss Lu, like this bowl of noodles today."

"Join now! You can’t lose, and you won’t regret it."

"It doesn’t look like you have much to do normally. Since you’re free, you should join the Bun Sect! But you’ll have to start as an Outer Disciple. Our Bun Sect treats everyone equally."

Thanks to their enthusiastic sales pitch, Zhang Yue became a glorious member of the Bun Sect.

"What’s this about treating everyone equally?"

Lu Wu, walking out of the kitchen with a cup of health-preserving tea, overheard a snippet.

"Oh, we were just sharing our experience with Fellow Daoist Zhang on how to enjoy the Sect’s benefits."

’Is there anything wrong with that explanation?’

’Nope, nothing wrong at all.’

But Lu Wu associated this with the Ghost Sect’s poor resources and nodded.

"Right. When it’s time to fleece the sheep, don’t hold back. When there’s profit to be squeezed, you have to squeeze it dry."

"No matter how poor they are, if you squeeze hard enough, you’ll always get something."

Lu Wu, digging her own grave, didn’t notice that all the tool-men’s eyes were lighting up.

’Boss Lu is teaching us how to fleece *her*!’

’Boss Lu is such a good person.’

A sudden chill ran down her spine. Lu Wu lifted her teacup, sipped the sweet, health-preserving tea, and glanced around.

’I have a nagging feeling that some villain is plotting against me.’

’An illusion. It must be an illusion.’

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