Chapter 10: Even a Steamed Bun Recipe Has Thieves After It These Days

Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Even a Steamed Bun Recipe Has Thieves After It These Days

A single punch sent dust billowing and cracked the earth.

Just as everyone thought Dahuang had been obliterated, a bark echoed from nearby.

"WOOF WOOF!"

Dahuang shot them a look of contempt.

’As Gou Aotian, I could tell this human was a sore loser. I was ready to bolt from the start.’

’I’m the Dog Emperor! All my power is dedicated to survival.’

"WOOF!"

’Human, victory belongs to me, the future Dog Emperor! We’ll fight again some other day!’

Having made its declaration, Dahuang flicked its tail with the air of a victor and casually vanished into an alley.

The great battle of prodigy versus Gou Aotian had ended in the prodigy’s utter defeat. What a lamentable outcome.

The crowd tactfully ignored Qin Zhan’s darkened expression and erupted in discussion.

"I’m not just imagining things, am I? That dog is a demon beast that’s gained intelligence."

"It is a demon beast, but it probably hasn’t been intelligent for long. Its cultivation is negligible, but it’s clearly smart and might have some kind of racial talent."

Qin Zhan, who overheard this, nodded in agreement.

Even if Dahuang was a demon beast, not just any demon beast could silently snatch a bun from right under his nose.

And that wasn’t just an excuse to save face.

After all, he was a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

In the Green Origin Realm, Qi Cultivation was just the first step on the long road of cultivation.

After Qi Cultivation came Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divinity Transformation, Void, Tribulation Crossing, and finally, Mahayana.

He was just a little over thirty, yet he was already a Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator. With talent like that, he would be hailed as a supreme genius anywhere in the Green Origin Realm.

Qin Zhan rubbed his nose and retracted his powerful aura.

He couldn’t accept losing to a dog today. He’d challenge it again another day and win his honor back.

"NOM NOM NOM!"

The girl, watching the great battle her bun had caused, was so startled that she quickly stuffed her other bun into her mouth to calm her nerves.

The numbing, spicy flavor instantly awakened her cravings.

The minced pork kidney had a unique texture. Soaked in chili oil, it was delightfully chewy and impossible to stop eating.

She fought the urge to devour it in huge gulps, taking small, deliberate bites to make the bun last longer.

A smile spread across her face, her eyes half-closed in a blissful haze. She was completely satisfied.

She’d had many buns in her life, but she could guarantee this one was the absolute best she had ever tasted. No contest.

[Hey, get to Xiaohe Town ASAP! I found an Immortal Bun, it’s insanely good! Hurry!]

After sending the message, the girl, still lost in the delicious flavor, noticed the envious and jealous stares from the crowd around her.

It was bad enough that a whole group of them had lost to a dog. But for the person whose bun was stolen to be standing right there, eating the other one? Wasn’t that just rubbing salt in the wound?

Talk about a cruel twist of the knife.

The murderous glares, especially the sorrowful look from Qin Zhan, sent a shiver down the girl’s spine.

"Don’ shteal mah bun!"

The girl clutched her mouth, her voice muffled.

Lines of exasperation formed on everyone’s foreheads.

’Forget one that fell on the ground, who would try to snatch a half-eaten bun right out of your mouth?’

They weren’t *that* desperate.

"Ehehe!"

The girl gave an innocent smile.

’I didn’t do it on purpose.’

Behind the bun stall, Lu Wu—who, thanks to her newfound cultivation, had a clear view of the whole affair—retracted her drama-watching gaze.

She turned around, only to meet Uncle Li’s gaze. He too looked like he wanted the show to continue.

The old man and the young woman locked eyes, and both broke into a smile.

You had to admit, this drama was delicious. And so satisfying.

Uncle Li gave Lu Wu a knowing wink, then started typing on his One World Communication.

*Prodigy vs. Yellow Dog—Shocking! The Winner Was...*

Never mind how Qin Zhan’s reputation would be tarnished after this incident. Having sold her last basket of buns, Lu Wu felt a wave of relief.

"See you tomorrow, Boss Lu!"

"Boss Lu, make more tomorrow! I’ll die if I can’t get one of your buns!"

"My bun... how could you be sold out by the time you got to me? Waaaaah..."

Lu Wu waved goodbye to the lingering foodies. Instead of heading home, she turned onto a commercial street.

It was a trivial matter for Cultivators to go days and nights without sleep. With no real distinction between day and night, many shops stayed open 24/7.

Now that she had a tiny bit of cultivation, Lu Wu could finally buy the storage bag and One World Communication she had been eyeing for so long.

After her shopping spree, Lu Wu stuffed the entire bun stall into her new storage bag and started fiddling with the One World Communication.

When she saw the familiar "registration" process, she became certain that a predecessor from her world had been here before.

The conveniences this predecessor had brought to the Green Origin Realm allowed Lu Wu to quickly get the hang of the One World Communication.

"Evil Cult Appears in Xiaohe Town, Preys on Awakening Youths! A Sign of Moral Decay or a Perversion of Humanity?"

She scrolled to a post, but before she could read it carefully, it vanished.

Lu Wu mulled it over for a moment before dismissing it.

The Cultivation World was hardly a peaceful place. Danger lurked everywhere, and there was no shortage of bizarre sects and cults.

But all that was far removed from her life. ’Besides, if the sky falls, the tall people will hold it up.’

’I’m just a humble stall owner.’

’Surely those Evil Cults wouldn’t put their world-ending conspiracies on hold just to come steal my bun recipe, right?’

Humming a little tune, Lu Wu headed home.

After freshening up, she sat on her bed and opened the system interface.

The first quest was complete, but since it hadn’t been seven days yet, a new one hadn’t been issued.

Lu Wu, however, opened the lottery page.

"Spirits of heaven and earth, please bless me with a grand prize."

After muttering her little prayer, Lu Wu hit the "Draw" button. Instantly, a burst of fireworks exploded on the system screen.

[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Spiritual Artifact: Ruyi hairpin.]

A hairpin made of pure green jade appeared in Lu Wu’s hand. It was cool to the touch, its lustrous, warm jade color perfectly translucent and flawless.

The Ruyi hairpin had no offensive power. Its sole purpose was to conceal the user’s cultivation.

Lu Wu’s cultivation progressed differently from an ordinary person’s. To avoid revealing the existence of her system, this hairpin was actually perfect.

After admiring it for a while, Lu Wu went to sleep, completely content.

...

「The night grew deeper.」

The area around Lu Wu’s alley was silent. At this hour, most families had closed their doors and were deep in slumber.

As the moon vanished behind a bank of clouds, shadowy figures appeared near the alley.

They approached Lu Wu’s small courtyard with clear intent.

The group appeared to belong to the same organization. They moved with caution, and with Lu Wu’s paltry cultivation, she naturally remained oblivious.

"Go. We must make her hand over the recipe."

"Anyone who dares oppose our Hidden Spirit Sect deserves to die."

How could the poison that the Hidden Spirit Sect had worked so hard to create be neutralized by a simple bun? It had to be a unique antidote recipe.

They were determined to succeed.

The group’s leader gave a wave of his hand, and the others began to move.

Just as they were about to push open the gate to Lu Wu’s courtyard, a ripple of Spiritual Energy shot out, blasting them away.

"AAAH!"

Several of them slammed into a wall, their bodies convulsing in pain.

Their shrill screams were contained outside the courtyard walls.

The rest of the group scanned their surroundings warily, searching for their hidden foe.

"I wonder which senior is present. Would you be willing to show yourself?"

the leader called out, his sharp eyes trying to locate the person hidden in the darkness.

"Scram!"

The leader’s only answer was a sharp rebuke, followed by a flurry of slashes.