Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Scaring Yourself

After a long climb, the summit was finally in sight. Han Wenzheng’s throat was burning, but as sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon him, he couldn’t help but smile.

’I, Han Wenzheng, am not some dark, perverted man!’

Little did he know, the moment he reached the summit, a gaze locked onto him.

The owner of that gaze was none other than Xia Yi, the last person he wanted to meet.

"How pathetic."

Xia Yi sneered, watching him but not making a move just yet.

’There are too many people here. A fight could easily harm the other customers, and if that made Xiao Wuwu despise me, it would be a terrible loss.’

’So this must be that milk tea stall those two were talking about.’

It was nearing the end of Lu Wu’s business hours, so the crowd at the stall had thinned, allowing Han Wenzheng to get a clear view.

’It doesn’t look like anything special,’ Han Wenzheng thought with disdain.

To hear those three brothers tell it, this Boss Lu was praised to the heavens, as if there were no one else like her in the world.

’Just a small-time stall owner. What kind of future could she possibly have?’

With that thought, he ignored the seductive aroma of milk tea wafting through the air and started toward the Heavenly Buddha Temple.

’The little beastie was his true love.’

"Hey, buddy, hold this for me."

Just as he was about to step through the entrance to the Heavenly Buddha Temple, a man walked over and thrust a cup into his hand.

Before Han Wenzheng could even agree, the man rolled up his sleeves and strode toward someone else.

"So you’re the one who tried to sneak a sip of my milk tea, huh? Go on, try it again. I’ll show you just how big my fists are."

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

The sound of the blows was brutal.

Standing at the entrance, Han Wenzheng frowned at the cup in his hand, feeling annoyed.

’How can you just hand something you’re going to drink to a complete stranger? Aren’t they afraid I’ll put something in it?’

’So naive.’

’Are all the Cultivators out here this naive?’

Despite his thoughts, Han Wenzheng examined the drink in his hand. It was a strawberry milkshake.

It was a lovely shade of pink, with visible bits of strawberry mixed in.

The condensation on the cup dampened his hand, which he found unpleasant.

The milky strawberry aroma, expertly crafted by Lu Wu, had been brought to its full potential. Even though someone had already taken a sip, the fragrance was still incredibly rich.

It was intoxicatingly fragrant.

Han Wenzheng prided himself on not following the crowd; it was why he’d set his sights on that particular demon beast.

He had assumed he would be immune to the allure of something so widely adored, but now he could clearly feel its pull.

’Should I go and try some?’

One look at the long line, however, and Han Wenzheng dismissed the idea.

He just wouldn’t wait in line. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t drink it.

’Besides, he wasn’t some saint. He believed in taking what he wanted.’

A perfectly good drink was right here in his hand. Han Wenzheng glanced at the still-brawling Cultivators, his eyes darting about for a moment before he casually carried the cup into the Buddhist Temple.

’I’ve waited for several moments already, and the owner still hasn’t come back for it. That must mean he doesn’t want it.’

’So it shouldn’t be a problem if I dispose of it for him, right?’

Not long after Han Wenzheng left, the brawler, still not fully satisfied, finally lowered his fists and let his opponent go.

He turned around only to find that the human tool he had grabbed at random was gone.

"Where’d he go?"

He scratched his head, puzzled.

’That milkshake had the wrong ingredients added to it. A lot of people saw it happen. I was going to dispose of it myself, but I guess I don’t have to now.’

’Since the guy is gone, he must have thrown the milkshake away.’

The oblivious Han Wenzheng strolled through the Heavenly Buddha Temple, admiring its architecture. Compared to the free-spirited style of the Hehuan Sect, the buildings here were grand and solemn.

While mulling over the speech he’d prepared for the Demon, he casually lifted the cup and took a sip.

Fine ice crystals melted the instant they touched his tongue. The richness of the cream wasn’t cloying; instead, it coated his palate, perfectly capturing the sweet flavor of the strawberries.

The mostly ripe strawberries added a hint of tartness, which perfectly cut through the richness of the dairy, making the drink all the more smooth and refreshingly sweet.

Drinking a milkshake made with pure, natural, additive-free ingredients was true bliss.

And clearly, Han Wenzheng was enjoying it.

He soon found the path that led to the back of the mountain.

’Strange. Isn’t anyone guarding this?’

The path was narrow, with overgrown branches on both sides obscuring the view. It was clearly a difficult, thorny road, but Han Wenzheng didn’t care.

He took a step forward on his path to power.

One step, two steps...

Suddenly, his knees buckled. He nearly collapsed, but his quick reflexes saved him—he grabbed a nearby branch just in time to steady himself.

He shook his head, trying to clear it.

’Strange, why is my vision going dark? My head feels so fuzzy... It’s as if... I’ve been drugged.’

The moment the thought occurred to him, his arms went limp. His grip failed, and his body tumbled down onto the mountain path.

Branches snagged his robes, and thorns dug into his flesh.

In moments, Han Wenzheng was covered in bloody scratches, a truly miserable sight.

But he was lucky, in a way. His tumble sent him rolling right into the path of a strolling Gu Yan.

’A man covered in blood, falling from the sky?’

Gu Yan stared at Han Wenzheng, then scanned his surroundings.

’Something’s not right.’

’Could those monks be testing me?’

’But hadn’t he already told them? He isn’t human, and he doesn’t eat humans.’

’Besides, this person reeked like a stink bug.’

He understood the monks’ concerns, but they were entirely unnecessary.

He was a man of his word. As long as the Heavenly Buddha Temple didn’t fall, he wouldn’t leave Demon Suppression Mountain. And right now, he had to go out for a walk... and get a cup of milk tea.

’I wonder if the little lass has missed me.’

At the thought, Gu Yan grew impatient.

He didn’t give the bloody man on the ground a second glance, simply stepping on his body as he walked past.

’He was a noble Demon, after all!’

’Making a detour for a stink bug? Not a chance.’

The mountain forest fell silent, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. After an unknown amount of time, a demon beast appeared.

It hid in the shadows, the scent of blood in the air making it gulp.

’That Demon is out walking around again. I’ve been so scared I haven’t dared to hunt for days.’

’But now food has fallen from the heavens, and there’s no trace of that Demon nearby. Can’t I finally have a feast?’

But what truly enticed it was the sweet fragrance lingering on this... meal.

’So fragrant... it’s making my mouth water.’

’A human that smells this good must be very clean. He’s bound to be delicious.’

After waiting cautiously for a moment longer and seeing no one appear, the demon beast grew bolder and began to inch its way toward Han Wenzheng.

Despite being a tiger-like demon beast, it moved like a worm.

"AWOO!"

The excited demon beast let out a howl, just as the wind caused the leaves to RUSTLE.

The demon beast instantly clapped its paws over its mouth and buried its head in a pile of leaves.

After a good while, the sound died down.

Peeking its head out furtively, the demon beast realized the Demon hadn’t come back.

’Phew, I just scared myself.’

’Food, here I come!’

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