Chapter 39: What the Heck is With Bringing Your Own Rice to Queue?

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: What the Heck is With Bringing Your Own Rice to Queue?

"Everyone, I’m really all sold out this time."

"Ahhh... so fragrant."

The customer scooped up a spoonful of rice and shoveled it into his mouth. As his tongue worked the grains, each one bursting with a savory, meaty aroma, the rich flavor of the pork knuckle slowly coated every inch of his palate.

This bowl of rice, drenched in meat drippings, was enough to help him endure a day of pining for the great pork knuckle.

Tomorrow, the battle continues!

"You son of a bitch, get the hell out of here!"

Some of the other customers who hadn’t gotten to eat were blindsided by this cheeky maneuver. Their cravings were already unbearable, and this latest provocation sent them into a rage.

Instantly, the crowd rose up and swarmed the sly customer, beating him until his head was covered in lumps.

Lu Wu looked at the sparkling clean bottom of the pot and gave a thumbs-up.

What a pro move.

Saved me a wash.

Time to pack up!

Lu Wu figured she could complete her mission tomorrow. That also meant she didn’t have enough pork knuckles in reserve.

She turned her head just in time to see Dahuang struggling on its way to the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons again.

Lu Wu headed over to Butcher Lin’s place.

The fish pond she’d seen before was now in use. When the lively, wriggling spirit fish saw Lu Wu approach, they spat water at her.

It wasn’t very damaging, but it was extremely insulting.

Lu Wu mused, ’The system must have a recipe for grilled fish.’

When the time came, she’d make sure these fish were as delicious to eat as they were pretty to look at.

As for the Spirit Pigs, the moment they spotted Lu Wu in the distance, they squealed in panic and scurried away.

They moved at a speed Lu Wu could only dream of matching, leaving her in the dust.

"OINK OINK!"

’King Yama is here! Run!’

His name was Pig Xiaosan, and he would never forget the day this Living King Yama arrived, for that was the day his big brother and second sister left this world forever.

’Today, more of my brothers and sisters will surely meet a tragic end.’

’Better my friends and family suffer than me. I need to go hide.’

Wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, Pig Xiaosan got back to the task at hand.

’I have to eat more, get nice and fat. Sooner or later, I’ll get so big I’ll make that Living King Yama eat until she bursts!’

Lu Wu ordered another batch of pork knuckles from Butcher Lin.

By the time she arrived home, it was already mid-afternoon. In the small courtyard, the Phoenix Tree swayed gently under the clear sky.

It was pleasantly warm.

[Mission Progress: 268/500]

About halfway to go.

Given how things went today, the two hundred-odd servings she had prepared for tomorrow might not be enough.

After a leisurely afternoon, night fell.

After a night of sweet dreams, Lu Wu woke, rolled up her sleeves, and got straight to work.

It was a huge batch, and Lu Wu was busy well into the morning before all the pork knuckles were finally stewed.

To Lu Wu’s surprise, Uncle Li didn’t appear.

She called out his name a few times, but there was no response. She figured he must have gone out for a stroll somewhere.

Once everything was packed, Lu Wu leisurely made her way to the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.

Unlike previous days, Lu Wu encountered quite a few customers on the road today.

The moment these customers saw Lu Wu, they got expressions on their faces like students who were late for class, and their gazes were full of silent accusation, as if she were a heartless scoundrel.

"Hi, Boss Lu! Take your time, Boss Lu! See you in a bit, Boss Lu!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

One by one, they shouted a greeting before dashing off at a speed that suggested they had ghosts on their tails.

Lu Wu lowered the hand she had just started to raise.

She was baffled.

’I’m the stall owner and I’m not even there yet. What are they rushing off to buy? Air?’

Outside the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, the scene was incredibly lively.

Scores of customers were waiting. Some, who had the foresight, had started lining up early, and many had even brought little stools.

They were now sitting on their stools, chatting and cracking melon seeds, looking quite at ease.

A few merchants, catching wind of the opportunity, had moved in to set up their own stalls.

They weren’t selling food, however. With Boss Lu around, their food wouldn’t sell at all.

This was the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, after all. Antidote Pills sold very well here.

Jiang Yunhe had set up a small stall, and this time, he was using his true appearance.

As soon as he hung out the sign for the Divine Doctor Valley, a steady stream of customers came flocking.

"One bottle of Detoxification Pills, one bottle of Qi Gathering Pills. That’s five hundred Spirit Stones total. Thank you for your patronage."

Qin Zhan watched Jiang Yunhe rake in a fortune and grew green with envy. It was a pity the specialties from his Holy Sword Sect couldn’t be sold so casually.

"Aren’t you getting in line?"

Qin Zhan pointed to the nearby queue. By a rough estimate, there were nearly three hundred people.

He was using a Clone Technique to chat with Jiang Yunhe; his actual body didn’t dare move an inch.

The moment these customers saw an opportunity to move forward a single step, they wouldn’t give a damn about his status or background.

The area outside the valley was a dense sea of people; the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons had never been this lively.

Some Cultivators who had intended to enter the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons for training found the magnificent scene utterly baffling.

A situation like this, however, was perfect for the disciples of the Bun Sect to do their missionary work.

Thanks to the proselytizing of numerous disciples, some Cultivators were even cajoled into joining the queue.

The number of customers just kept growing.

Looking back down the road, you could still see more people hurrying over.

"I’m not worried."

"I hired someone to hold my spot."

Jiang Yunhe said bluntly.

He’d traded two bottles of Detoxification Pills with someone to have them wait in line for him.

"Careful that doesn’t blow up in your face."

The allure of Boss Lu’s pork knuckles wasn’t something that could be resisted for a mere two bottles of Elixir Pills.

Catching sight of Lu Wu out of the corner of his eye, Qin Zhan’s clone vanished.

"Make way, make way! Boss Lu is here!"

Once again receiving a standing salute from the orderly queue, Lu Wu calmly walked to her designated spot and took out her gear.

"Limit two pork knuckles per person today."

With the sign hung up, the pork knuckle stall was officially open.

The moment the pot lid was lifted, steam billowed out, making the customer at the very front of the line drool uncontrollably.

Seeing Lu Wu about to pack his order, he quickly stopped her.

"Hold on, Boss Lu."

Hm?

Lu Wu, who had just ladled out a pork knuckle, gave him a questioning look.

Then, to Lu Wu’s astonishment, the customer calmly retrieved a large lunchbox from his Storage Space.

He opened the lid, revealing it to be filled to the brim with rice.

"Boss Lu, you can just put the pork knuckles right on the rice."

Yesterday, he had been thoroughly infuriated by that sly dog who’d had his rice soaked in the sauce. The memory of that saucy rice had tormented him all night, and he hadn’t slept a wink.

’Dammit, I wanted to eat that too!’

But it had also given him a flash of inspiration.

’Boss Lu doesn’t sell rice, but I can bring my own!’

Pork knuckle and rice... he couldn’t even imagine how wide his smile would be in just a moment.

Solid plan. No notes.

Lu Wu suppressed a smile, placed the two large pork knuckles on the rice, and even considerately ladled a spoonful of sauce over the top.

When it came to spoiling her fans, she was serious.

"Thank you, Boss Lu."

The customer’s face was flushed as he gave his thanks. He shot a smug look at the people behind him, then took out a small stool, sat down right next to the stall with his bowl, and started to dig in.

"Ahh, that’s the stuff."

The customer was immediately on the receiving end of numerous death glares.

But some of the other customers merely snorted, completely unconcerned.

They, too, were seen taking rice out of their Storage Spaces as they waited for their own pork knuckles.

There were quite a few customers who had brought their own rice. It seemed that plenty of people had been inspired by yesterday’s innovator.

Two pork knuckles and a spoonful of sauce became the standard order. As for Lu Wu, well, they were her customers, so she might as well spoil them.

The line crept forward, and it was nearly the turn of the man Jiang Yunhe had hired.

He’d heard the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was bustling these past two days and had come to earn some extra cash.

But as he smelled that meaty aroma, having already swallowed his saliva more times than he could count, his professional resolve was beginning to crumble.

Behind him, Xu Gu, who recognized the man as a fellow professional, sighed with deep feeling.

A client had asked him to buy on their behalf this time, too, but he had refused.

There was no special reason; he wanted to eat one of the great pork knuckles for himself.

This time, there weren’t any kind members of the Bun Sect to make a bet with him.