Chapter 13: Evil Cult Gathering, Report Them All?

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Evil Cult Gathering, Report Them All?

After sending out the message, Uncle Li saw the looks of envy and jealousy on the faces of the others in the sect. He lifted his chin, his expression smug.

He, the Great Elder of the Bun Sect, the one responsible for its establishment, must lead by example and enhance the sect’s glorious name.

Sooner or later, his Bun Sect would conquer the entire Green Origin Realm, and everyone would eat these buns.

Uncle Li was ready to dedicate his remaining years to the cause.

Meanwhile, Lu Wu, who had been scrolling on her One World Communication, had unknowingly fallen asleep.

When she woke, it was nearly dusk.

She yawned and began preparing the things she needed for her stall that evening.

The sunset clouds spread over Xiaohe Town, an endless expanse of orange stretching for miles, like colorful cotton candy. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Many new faces appeared on Yanliu Street today. They had all seen the news on One World Communication and rushed over, curious to know what these ridiculously hyped-up buns actually tasted like.

They had assumed this was a food street, but upon seeing it was lined with brothels on both sides, many of the would-be diners’ expressions grew grim.

’Could it be that the disciples of the Hehuan Sect have fallen so low these days? Are they really using such a bizarre gimmick to attract customers?’

’Or have the men here already been sucked dry, forcing those demonesses to expand their operations?’

"Is there really good food here?"

Xu Gu was skeptical.

Ever since the advent of One World Communication, the major powers of the Green Origin Realm had become less hostile and more prone to gossip.

News spread quickly, and there was always something fresh happening somewhere.

And Xu Gu was a professional errand-runner.

If ancient ruins were suddenly discovered, someone would hire him to investigate the claim’s authenticity.

Of course, that was a big-ticket job. Usually, he just did small tasks, like buying local specialties from various places for his clients.

Today, however, his client was a young lady from a wealthy family.

He didn’t know the details of her background, but she was incredibly generous. To buy two buns, she had given him ten Spirit Stones—far more than the buns themselves could possibly be worth.

Visiting Xiaohe Town for the first time, Xu Gu looked at the crowded street and hesitated.

’Are they really just selling buns here?’

’This isn’t some kind of Evil Cult gathering, is it?’

’Maybe I should report them, just in case.’

As Xu Gu seriously considered this possibility, he met the sinister gaze of the man he had been questioning.

"Of course there is! Boss Lu’s craftsmanship is unparalleled. Not a single person who’s tried her food has had a bad thing to say about it."

This was the very same drunkard who had been the first person to eat the buns, a man named Wang Changgui.

From that day on, he had become Boss Lu’s most loyal fan.

As one of Boss Lu’s oldest customers, Wang Changgui would absolutely not allow anyone to question her incredible skill.

"Let me tell you, I wouldn’t trade Boss Lu’s buns for the ambrosia of the gods! Dragon liver and phoenix marrow? Hah! That’s just pig slop in comparison. There’s simply no contest."

Wang Changgui’s praise was so passionate that he was practically spitting as he lectured Xu Gu. But the more he went on, the more Xu Gu was convinced it was all hyperbole.

Seeing the wary look in Xu Gu’s eyes, Wang Changgui grew anxious.

"Hey, you still don’t believe me, do you? Fine, let’s make a bet. If Boss Lu’s buns aren’t delicious, I’ll give you one hundred Spirit Stones."

"And if I win, I don’t want your Spirit Stones. All I want is for you to shout, ’Boss Lu’s buns are the most delicious in the world!’ How about it?"

Completely confident in Boss Lu’s skills, he looked at Xu Gu with an air of certainty.

’Just you wait. You’re about to be proven so wrong!’

"Well..."

Xu Gu wavered.

’A hundred Spirit Stones is no small sum. It would take me several jobs to earn that much. And even if I lose, all I have to do is shout one sentence.’

"Alright, I accept. But I’m buying these for someone else. There’s a limit on how many one person can buy, right? I won’t get to taste one."

’I take my contracts seriously. I can’t touch what my client ordered.’

Hearing this, Wang Changgui’s face fell.

Faced with Xu Gu’s hesitation, Wang Changgui steeled himself.

"How about this? I’ll give you one of mine later. You can taste it and then tell me what you think."

He was giving away a bun for free just to keep the bet going.

The thought was already causing him physical pain, and he hadn’t even gotten his hands on the buns yet. Wang Changgui felt he was losing too much, but ’for the sake of the Bun Sect, it is worth it.’

"So, we have a deal?"

He said to Xu Gu.

Of course, Wang Changgui had his own motives for making such a generous offer.

As an Outer Disciple of the Bun Sect, he needed to spread the word about Boss Lu’s culinary genius so he could rise to a core position within the sect.

’He’d heard that the mysterious Great Elder got to enjoy food made by Boss Lu herself every single day.’

’He was dying of envy.’

’He, Wang Changgui, would climb to the top on the shoulders of these tasteless fools, ascend to the sect’s upper echelons, and receive his sustenance directly from Boss Lu herself!’

"Fine, fine, fine."

Stared down by Wang Changgui’s fierce eyes, Xu Gu agreed verbally, but his internal suspicions only grew stronger.

’He had read up on this. This was exactly how Evil Cults operated when recruiting new members: fanatical, overly generous behavior to lure people in.’

’But the offer was too good to refuse. He decided to stick around and observe.’

Wherever there are people, there’s drama.

Foot traffic on Yanliu Street had been immense the last few days. The once-spacious street was now barely wide enough for the crowds.

After some people learned from the regulars that Lu Wu’s buns were limited per person and that the daily supply was finite, those who arrived late were unwilling to queue peacefully.

They were Cultivators, after all. When reason failed, they would naturally resort to violence... or so you’d think.

They couldn’t.

A few newcomers, initially defiant, wanted to start a brawl.

But before they could even unleash their techniques, an irresistible Spiritual Pressure slammed down, pinning them in place.

A chilling sense of danger, of hovering on the brink of death, told them that the slightest move would mean instant demise.

A powerful expert was overseeing this place.

The news spread like wildfire, and to save their own necks, no one dared to act out of line anymore.

Everyone dutifully lined up, one by one, according to their arrival time.

Among the crowd was a group of young children.

There were boys and girls among them, whispering quietly to each other with bright expressions.

Many eyes were drawn to them, because every one of their faces was covered in spotted blemishes.

Xiao Hua was among them.

Just one day had passed, but now, even under the crowd’s gaze, Xiao Hua could hold her head high with confidence.

If you looked closely, you could see the spots on her face had faded significantly.

She predicted that after eating two more red bean buns today, the spots would disappear completely.

’Thinking of how she used to wallow in self-pity, Xiao Hua felt she had failed her mother.’

’But then, thankfully, Boss Lu had appeared.’

’It was Boss Lu who saved her.’

’After all, the experts had said that while the poison itself was curable, there was no remedy for its side effect—the blemishes on their faces.’

’It was Boss Lu who allowed them to face the world with a clean face once more.’

To repay Boss Lu, she had decided to join the Bun Sect. Her application was still under review, but Xiao Hua was very confident.

"Boss Lu is here! Make way!"

A shout came from the end of the street, and the long-waiting crowd turned to look, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

SWOOSH!

A path parted open before Lu Wu.

Lu Wu, having just arrived, stared blankly at the absurd scene.

’I didn’t take a wrong turn, did I?’

’Did I accidentally walk into a high-level official’s inspection tour? Why are their eyes so... shiny? Why am I suddenly so flustered?’