Chapter 12: In Heaven and on Earth, Only the Bun Sect is Eternal

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: In Heaven and on Earth, Only the Bun Sect is Eternal

Glancing at the buns in her hand, Lu Wu fell into thought. She walked over to the wall and called out.

"Uncle Li, it’s Lu Wu. I made some new flavors today. Would you like to help me try them and give me some pointers?"

’Uncle Li must just be craving them but is too embarrassed to say so.’

"Ahem, well, since Boss Lu insists, I suppose I’ll have a taste."

His tone was quite reserved, but the moment the words left his mouth, the buns in Lu Wu’s hand vanished.

He moved so fast, as if terrified she would change her mind.

Lu Wu, who had only eaten two, pouted. She hadn’t even gotten to try one of the new flavors yet.

’I’m just a tool, aren’t I?’

On the other side of the courtyard wall, Uncle Li randomly broke open a bun. Seeing the steaming hot filling inside, he didn’t even care if it burned his mouth and devoured it in one go.

The meat was fresh and tender, not tough in the slightest, its juices plentiful and glistening.

The unique aroma of the fat, enveloped by the white dough, was like a shy beauty hiding her face. Only by breaking open the bun’s skin and letting the juices flow could one catch a glimpse of its lovely form.

Uncle Li’s eyes lit up.

This beef bun was just as its name implied: fiery.

After just one, his entire body felt like it was about to catch fire.

As expected, this fiery beef bun had the same effect as the kidney buns.

Uncle Li quickly circulated his energy to cool his body down.

He was a respectable man, after all. He never frequented Yanliu Street, and it *definitely* wasn’t because the Flower Ladies there had scorned him for being old and frail, bruising his pride.

After wolfing it down, Uncle Li fanned his open mouth with his hand to cool it down.

He was in an absolutely wonderful mood.

When he bit into the egg and chive bun, he looked at the chives—still a vibrant, tender green despite the heat—and a regretful expression crossed his face.

’If only I were a few years younger,’ he thought. ’Riding this wave of vigor, I’d definitely go have a grand battle with those little demons from the Hehuan Sect.’

Reinvigorated again by the egg and chive bun, Uncle Li’s eyes welled with tears.

’The lethal egg and chive bun... it’s really going to be the death of me!’

’I’m old now,’ he lamented. ’I don’t have the stamina of the young ones. Otherwise, I’d risk this old life of mine and... and...’

Wiping away a bitter tear, Uncle Li resentfully bit into a crab roe bun.

Crab meat, crab roe, and pork—the combination of different textures came together, and at that moment, his taste buds erupted like a firework display, sending sparks flying everywhere.

The bliss from this single bite was more fulfilling than the time he had conquered all in his path and brought the universe to heel.

Uncle Li felt as if his very soul had been snatched away by the bun.

He swallowed what was left in his mouth, and seeing the broth that was about to drip out, he hurriedly opened his mouth to catch it.

He even leaned in to slurp at the opening.

That crab roe was unbelievably savory.

It was so good he was starting to fall in love with mitten crabs.

Who would have known that such a delicacy could be hidden inside that hard shell?

’Oh, crab, you died a worthy death.’

Uncle Li was so immersed in the delicacy that he almost forgot the person next door was waiting for his "pointers."

The few remaining buns were quickly annihilated by Uncle Li.

Feeling very satisfied, Uncle Li rubbed his belly and snapped back to reality.

"Getting on in years, and still so reckless."

Uncle Li touched his flushed face, silently cursing himself, then raised his voice to praise her. "That was delicious, Xiao Lu! Thank you!"

"A delicacy like this, how often does one get to taste it in a lifetime?"

"No pointers needed. A perfect score!"

"My life is now complete!"

"I can die with no regrets!"

Uncle Li’s extremely high praise left Lu Wu feeling a bit awkward.

’Surely a few buns aren’t enough to make him renounce the mortal world, are they?’

"I’m glad you like them."

Lu Wu couldn’t quite figure Uncle Li out, but the old man had been very good to her and helped her a lot. She had planned to give him the buns anyway.

After chatting with Uncle Li for a while, she glanced at the sky. It was still early.

She simply pulled a lounge chair into the courtyard to bask in the sun. The warm rays made her feel drowsy.

Lu Wu took out her One World Communication and started scrolling.

There was a lot of fresh news in the Green Origin Realm.

Things like, "Famous Prodigy Loses to a Dog; You’re Not Even as Good as the Dog," and, "Mysterious Species Sighted in Ancient Ruins; Disciple Claims His Eyes Were Violated," and, "Sect Leader Caught Netting Rival’s Koi at Midnight for Revenge; No One Willing to Post Bail."

Lu Wu found the news bizarre, but she devoured it with relish.

The Green Origin Realm was vast, and Xiaohe Town was just a remote, peaceful corner of it. The cultivators here were essentially at the bottom of the social ladder, so their only way to witness the great changes sweeping the realm was through the One World Communication.

After browsing for a while, she navigated to the Xiaohe Town section.

"Huh? ’Hidden Spirit Sect’s Plot Exposed. A Venerable Took Action Last Night, Annihilating the Evil Cult’s Stronghold in Xiaohe Town.’"

Intrigued, Lu Wu clicked on it for a closer look.

The post said the Hidden Spirit Sect had been secretly poisoning young boys and girls in an attempt to destroy their Spirit Roots.

Fortunately, a "concerned citizen" had stepped in to cure the children, leaving their potential for cultivation unharmed.

She had heard a little about the Hidden Spirit Sect; it was one of the major Evil Cults in the Green Origin Realm.

They weren’t particularly powerful, but they were persistent, like weeds. You could cut them down batch after batch, like harvesting chives, but you could never eradicate them completely.

The Hidden Spirit Sect’s main goal was to oppose the major sects of the Green Origin Realm. With the annual Awakening Day approaching, all the promising new talents would be recruited by these sects, further strengthening their forces.

The Evil Cult didn’t dare to confront the major sects head-on, so they resorted to cutting off their supply of new talent at the source.

’But that’s like a mantis trying to stop a chariot,’ she thought.

Lu Wu was curious about the identities of the Venerable and the "concerned citizen." ’It feels like Xiaohe Town is full of hidden masters.’

’Well, at least my safety is guaranteed.’

Lu Wu patted her chest, setting aside her suspicions.

’I’m just a background character. I’m not on some ’from-zero-to-hero’ journey, nor am I playing the ’wolf in sheep’s clothing’ trope. The main character’s drama definitely has nothing to do with me.’

She scrolled down a little further and saw a new post.

"From the heavens above to the earth below, only our Bun Sect shall endure forever."

"Join our sect, Ah Men, Ah Men."

Lu Wu’s eyes widened. Seeing that the post originated from Xiaohe Town, she wondered if another Evil Cult had been born.

’But why call it the Bun Sect? It sounds so lame.’

Lu Wu pursed her lips, scrolled past it, and hit "dislike."

’With a name that terrible, it can’t be a very ambitious cult,’ she thought. ’It’s probably just full of a bunch of softies.’

At that very moment, in the courtyard next door, Uncle Li was also scrolling through his One World Communication. Looking at the post for the burgeoning Bun Sect, he nodded, swelling with pride.

This sect would be Boss Lu’s most loyal Guardians.

The first members to join would become the founding elders of the Bun Sect. They would grow the sect, and their sacred duty would be to ensure Boss Lu’s safety.

To solidify his own position as the Great Elder of the Bun Sect, Uncle Li sent a message to the other members.

As for who the Sect Hierarch was?

Why, the completely oblivious Boss Lu Wu, of course.

"Announcement! Boss Lu has new bun flavors today, a total of four different kinds!"

"The taste... SLURP... it was so good my soul nearly left my body and ascended on the spot."

Uncle Li chuckled slyly.

As the very first customer to sample such a sublime delicacy, how could he not show off a little? It would be an insult to his status.