Gourmet of Another World

Ah Ni curled up his snake tail. His upper torso was covered with scars, wounds that looked savage and hideous.

“To hell with that guy!” Ah Ni’s eyes snapped with burning rage, but his heart was filled with bleakness. He had never realized how big the world was before leaving the Illusory Spirit Swamp. Back in the serpent-men tribes, his cultivation level of a sixth grade Battle-Emperor was already considered matchless. Rarely anyone dared to challenge him, and even when there were the occasional spirit beasts, he could easily slay them.

However, he was met with excruciating defeats ever since stepping into the human realm. The tribe elder was right in saying the human realm was much more terrifying than the Illusory Spirit Swamp.

That group of folks held Yu Fu and serpent-man Yu Feng hostage but left him here. This was clearly a conspiratorial scheme.

“Do they want me to go seek out senior Bu? This group of people is surely up to no good. If the senior, with all the kindness of his heart, tries to go rescue Yu Fu, he will definitely fall into their trap… I cannot bring harm to senior Bu!” Ah Ni clenched his fist with a dark and gloomy face.

However, if he didn’t go find him, Yu Fu and Yu Feng would be in grave danger… This was a difficult decision to make.

“Huhn? Serpent-man?”

A curious mutter suddenly interrupted Ah Ni’s indecisive thoughts. Ah Ni looked back in shock only to find two familiar shadows.

He recalled these two figures clearly, since they had also appeared in the tribe for the Ice Soul Monarch Lotus but left empty-handed.

“I thought you guys got here a long time ago… turns out you just arrived? But why are you all alone? If my memory hasn’t failed me, the one needing Owner Bu’s remedy isn’t you,” Wu Yunbai asked calmly. She was dressed in a white robe and eyed the wounded Ah Ni, very much intrigued.

Ah Ni’s eyes flashed. He couldn’t determine if Wu Yunbai could be trusted.

“Come on, let’s discuss this in Owner Bu’s store.” Wu Yunbai saw through Ah Ni’s unease, scrunched her brows, and charged ahead.

Master Ah Wu took a look at Ah Ni and walked forward.

The three of them arrived at Bu Fang’s store.

Wu Yunbai came especially early today. She was still vexed about not getting to taste the lotus made Frost Blaze Path-Understanding Brew yesterday, and so got up extra early and hauled along Master Ah, who was dead asleep.

Bu Fang was slouching on the chair before his door. His eyes flashed when he saw the three figures approaching.

Bu Fang was dazed to catch sight of the serpent-men he hadn’t seen for a long time. The young monk from yesterday had just mentioned the serpent-man, and here he was today.

That young monk yesterday… was clearly troublesome.

“Owner Bu, do you still remember this serpent-man?” Wu Yunbai arrived at the store, and first glimpsed at Blacky, who was happily gulping down Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs, before asking Bu Fang her question.

Master Ah Wu’s also gaped with eyes unmoved. The dozens crystals worth of Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs was discarded to feed the dog. Now that was throwing God’s gifts to the winds.

Blacky paused his feast of the Sweet ‘n’ Sour ribs and lifted up his doggy head to glower at the ogling Master Ah Wu. He snorted with his doggy nose, then turned around, facing his butt at Ah Wu before refocusing on his meat in the ceramic plate. His tail wagged in an adorable way.

“Senior Bu…”

Ah Ni came face to face with Bu Fang. His heart was filled with sorrow. He had finally met up with him! It had been a month since leaving the Illusory Spirit Swamp, with the specific purpose of finding Bu Fang. Now that he had finally tracked him down, a myriad of emotions burst in his heart.

Seeing Ah Ni so rattled, tears, snots and all, Bu Fang’s eye twitched. Dear brother… must you be so worked up?

“Come on inside,” Bu Fang responded.

He left his seat and entered the store.

Wu Yunbai inhaled deeply, then strode into the store. As soon as she stepped in, her complexion changed.

The spirit energy within the store had gotten even richer compared to the day before, and the mystifying waves of energy were also more distinct. It was as if peculiar Path-Understanding Notes buzzed incessantly by one’s ears.

“The Path-Understanding Tree…” Wu Yunbai’s gaze fixated upon the Five Stripes Path-Understanding Tree growing by the corner in a earth yellow flower pot.

The leaves on the Path-Understanding Tree had matured, having no longer the fresh, gentle color from before. Undoubtedly, the Path-Understanding Tree was beginning to ripe.

Master Ah Wu was most affected, since he was a seventh grade Battle-Saint and could make out the Path-Understanding Notes with higher clarity.

He felt a stirring inside, and had the urge to sit down cross-legged for cultivation training. After all, it was not everyday that one would encounter a ripening Five Stripes Path-Understanding Tree.

“Miss… this Path-Understanding Tree is about to mature. Owner Bu’s flower pot is quite unusual. It probably has the ability to accelerate time, or else why would the tree grow so quickly!” Master Ah Wu observed solemnly.

As a seventh grade Battle-Saint, he was well aware of the circumstances in the Imperial City nowadays. Once the Five Stripes Path-Understanding Tree ripened, the unsettling equilibrium within the Imperial City would break instantly.

“Why don’t you two see what you want to order, um… as for the serpent-man, where are the others? How come it’s just you?” Bu Fang turned around and asked.

A cold shiver ran down Ah Ni’s spine when he heard Bu Fang’s words. He was still hesitant to respond, since he suspected that the bald man was untrustworthy and purposefully sought to lure in Senior Bu…

“I must not drag Senior Bu into this!” Ah Ni’s heart sunk.

“Go ahead, don’t be afraid. I say no to most requests. Speak your mind freely,” Bu Fang said evenly. He could detect the struggle from Ah Ni’s eyes, and hence recognized his degree of anguish.

Um… say no to most requests, Wu Yunbai was quite speechless at Bu Fang’s remark. But indeed, Owner Bu was inflexible in his own way. If he had sold her a cup of Frost Blaze Path-Understanding Brew yesterday, she wouldn’t need to pay a visit here this early in the morning.

The serpent-man Ah Ni felt an instant rush of relief and poured out everything.

Wu Yunbai and Master Ah Wu listened with their ears perked. This serpent-man’s adventure was certainly more entertaining than their bland, eventless journey.

“Zhao Musheng?” Bu Fang glanced at the serpent-man and asked calmly.

“Yes! That abominable man is called Zhao Musheng! He captured us with a dishonorable ploy!” Ah Ni gnashed his teeth in anger, fuming with a bitter resentment.

Bu Fang gave it a thought, and recalled the man who attempted to battle the simulacrum of the dragon he conjured at the Double Calamity Dragon Head Array. He didn’t expect this guy to enter the picture again, and this time redirecting the target at him.

“Senior Bu, that Zhao Musheng has definitely set up a trap for you. Please don’t risk your safety for us. In the name of moral justice, I really do not wish for you, Senior Bu, to go to the rescue, but then again, Yu Fu and Uncle Yu Feng are my family, I…” Ah Ni’s complexion was clouded with conflicting emotions as he rambled on.

Bu Fang was dumbfounded and gazed at this babbling fellow, completely tongue-tied.

He lifted up his hand to cut off the blathering Ah Ni, and remarked coolly: “Um… sorry for the slight interruption, I did not agree to going to the rescue.”

Ah Ni was struck dumb, and Wu Yunbai was also startled as they both gazed at Bu Fang.

“I am only responsible for treating your Uncle Yu Feng. As for what happens on the way here, it is irrelevant to me,” Bu Fang explained solemnly.

Ah Ni trembled, shaking uncontrollably. If Bu Wang was unwilling to come to their aid, then how could he ever save Yu Fu and Uncle Yu Feng?

Just as Ah Ni was about to open his mouth, the sounds of footsteps drifted from the alleyway. Another big crowd was forming by the store.

“Well, as you can see, my restaurant is pretty busy. As for rescuing hostages… I don’t have the time for that.” Bu Fang threw his hands in the air. He gazed at Ah Ni, then glimpsed at Wu Yunbai, before suggesting: “Huh… you can always ask her for a helping hand. After all, you are both from the Illusory Spirit Swamp. Even though you’re from different species, you two could well have been a family thousands of years ago.”

To hell with the “same family thousands of years ago” theory… Wu Yunbai did not know whether to laugh or cry.

But Wu Yunbai caught sight of the depressed, desperate Ah Ni, and exhaled a light breath, “Serpent-man, seeing that we were from the same family… ah pft! Seeing that we know each other pretty well, how about if we come to the rescue?

“However, there are strings attached to our offer. We are hoping that you can introduce us to someone after returning to the Illusory Spirit Swamp… the Serpentine Sovereign.”

Wu Yunbai’s eyes instantly sparkled, beaming in radiance as she stared at Ah Ni.