Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Pre-made Meals, Simply Fast

Free-falling from a great height without the protection of Spiritual Power was the same as skydiving without a parachute—a surefire way to die.

But Lu Wu didn’t want to die.

Lu Wu’s face was pale as she watched the ground rush up to meet her. Suddenly, a gust of wind caught her stall, and just then, the large wings returned to normal, stabilizing her in mid-air.

Then, she began to descend slowly.

After a smooth landing, Lu Wu felt her legs go soft the moment her feet touched solid ground.

She could barely stand.

"BLECH!"

’I’m going to be sick!’

Lu Wu pounded her chest for a while before the wave of nausea finally subsided.

Looking around, she seemed to be deep in a mountain forest where no one had ever set foot, surrounded by towering trees.

The Heavenly Buddha Temple was situated amidst a continuous mountain range, and there were some mountains that not even the temple’s disciples had ever entered.

Lu Wu couldn’t find any trace of human activity nearby.

The thought that she might have fallen into an uninhabited area made Lu Wu want to scream at the sky, ’Don’t mess with me!’

She took out her One World Communication to check, but holy crap, it wouldn’t work.

’Don’t tell me the Green Origin Realm has network connection issues too.’

This place was also within the area affected by the Sealing Demon Array. Lu Wu looked around, feeling like she should sing a sad song for herself.

While Lu Wu’s mind was racing, a faint "SNAP" echoed through the woods.

It sounded like a dry twig being stepped on.

Lu Wu looked toward the sound, but all she saw were swaying branches, not a single person in sight.

"Is anyone there?"

She called out this most basic of questions, her voice drifting into the distance, but no one answered.

"Um, I’m just passing through. I didn’t mean to intrude."

Lu Wu explained.

The only reply that awaited her was the wind rustling through the forest.

Just as Lu Wu was thinking it was her imagination, a hoarse voice spoke up.

"Got anything to eat?"

’Could it be a hungry ghost?’

The thought flashed through her mind, and Lu Wu quickly replied, "Yes!"

But after answering, her expression turned awkward. "But I can’t get it out."

’My Spiritual Power is sealed here, so I can’t use my storage bag.’

"Tsk."

The voice was tinged with irritation, and then Lu Wu saw a wisp of black qi float toward her.

It seemed to move leisurely, but in the instant Lu Wu thought to dodge, it struck her.

At that moment, Lu Wu found herself wondering what pose she should strike as she fell to make her corpse look a little prettier.

’My dear customers, farewell. Your Boss Lu is about to set sail on a long journey.’

With this somber thought, Lu Wu closed her eyes.

But even after being struck by the black qi for some time, Lu Wu felt no pain, nor did her body change in any way.

The only thing that had changed was that she could now access her storage bag.

"Hurry up."

The voice urged her on, and Lu Wu took the food out of her storage bag.

A half-cooked roast chicken. After a moment’s thought, Lu Wu also took out a cup of milk tea.

It was something she made in her spare time.

Food didn’t spoil in the storage bag anyway, and sometimes, when she felt lazy, she’d just eat her pre-made meals.

The moment she took the items out, the storage bag became unresponsive again.

"Um, Senior... I need a little fire."

She rubbed her fingers together and found that she couldn’t use her Glazed Fire either. She had no choice but to ask this "hungry ghost" Senior for help.

"How troublesome."

The entity’s tone grew even more impatient.

Then, a blast of black qi slammed into the dry branches on the ground, and a fire instantly blazed to life.

The warmth from the blazing fire soothed Lu Wu’s frightened little heart.

Since she wasn’t dead yet, Lu Wu figured she could still try to struggle on. She took a few steps forward and placed the milk tea on the ground.

"Senior, the roast chicken will take a little while longer. This is milk tea; you can drink it now."

"It’s quite good. Think of it as an appetizer before the meal. You should give it a try, Senior."

After setting the milk tea down, Lu Wu retreated to the fireside, added more wood, and began to roast the chicken.

The chicken, which had been marinated long ago, was soon sizzling as it touched the flames. Its brown, sauce-covered skin began to gleam as the fat was slowly rendered out.

Lu Wu, who was focused entirely on roasting the chicken, heard a faint sound from behind her.

GULP, GULP.

It was the sound of someone swallowing the milk tea. Clearly, the Senior had begun to enjoy it.

The sound was right behind her, so close it felt like she could see his true face if she just turned around. But Lu Wu was overcome by a sense of crisis.

’If I turn around, I’ll die!’

She turned the roasting chicken. The tender, juicy meat was thoroughly infused with the aroma of various spices, its flavors constantly being elevated by the flames.

The sharp, stimulating aroma of chili peppers spread with the rising flames.

"ACHOO."

The Senior, who had now been upgraded to a spirit haunting her from behind, sneezed. His voice, sinister and cold, followed.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to poison me?"

Behind Lu Wu stood a being completely shrouded in black smoke, with only a pair of scarlet eyes visible, staring at her slender back.

His gaze seemed to be assessing the best way to dispose of her.

He raised his hand slightly, but the weight in his palm made him hesitate.

He had been sealed here for so long that he had forgotten the taste of mortal food. He had never heard of this drink called "milk tea," but... it was delicious.

A hint of sweetness awakened memories from a thousand years ago.

The sweet taste flowing down his throat, accompanied by a faint coolness, rushed through his entire being, giving him the sensation of being "alive."

Only the living could truly savor such delicious flavors.

He had to admit, just for this cup of milk tea, he was a little reluctant to kill this unlucky little girl.

Hearing his words, Lu Wu trembled, a chill running down her spine.

She was afraid that if she gave the wrong answer, he would strike.

"These are chili peppers. The smell is a bit strong, but they add a lot of flavor to roast chicken."

she explained. Silence followed from behind her.

Lu Wu paused, then asked tentatively, "Senior, you don’t know what chili peppers are?"

’That can’t be right.’

’People in the Green Origin Realm discovered that chili peppers were edible a long time ago.’

"Continue."

He changed the subject stiffly, and Lu Wu could hear the awkwardness in his tone.

All sorts of spices were part of the art of cooking, a subject Lu Wu knew a lot about. Once she got started on it, she had plenty to say.

"Senior, you probably don’t know this, but you can do so many things with chili peppers! When I was selling river snail noodles before..."

Lu Wu began chattering away, telling amusing stories from her time as a street vendor.

As she mentioned the customers whose mouths would swell up like sausages from the spice but still refused to give up eating spicy food, an especially warm smile appeared on Lu Wu’s face.

She was grateful to have met those customers; they made her feel like she belonged in this world.

Blah, blah, blah.

Lu Wu rambled on and on, her hands never ceasing their work.

The whole chicken was plump and large.

As time passed, the chicken’s skin turned a golden-brown, growing taut and shiny. Fine, bumpy, crisp bubbles formed on the surface, which glistened with a crystalline sheen of oil. It looked perfectly crispy and was dripping with fat.

Amidst the swirling smoke, the rich aroma of fat was intoxicating.

The fire forged armor for the chicken, and time was the best catalyst.

Lu Wu poked at the fire, which crackled and popped. The fragrant aroma lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

This was the sound of nearby animals, drawn by the scent, rushing over, only to flee the moment they caught sight of the shadowy figure.

Seeing this, Lu Wu really wanted to cry.

’I wanna leave too.’

"It’s ready!"

A moment later, Lu Wu placed the roast chicken on a large leaf nearby.

’Pre-made meals sure are fast.’

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