Looking at the baozi in her hand, Lu Wu became thoughtful. She walked to the wall and called out.
“Old Man Li, it’s Lu Wu. I made some new flavors today. Would you like to help me try them and offer some pointers?”
She felt that Old Man Li was just craving them but was too embarrassed to say so.
“Ahem, since Boss Lu has offered, I suppose I’ll have a taste.”
His tone was quite reserved, but the moment he finished speaking, the baozi in Lu Wu’s hand vanished.
The speed at which they disappeared made it seem as if he was afraid she would regret it.
Lu Wu, who had only eaten two herself, pouted. There was still one new flavor she hadn’t even tried yet.
Confirmed, I’m just a tool.
On the other side of the courtyard wall, Old Man Li randomly broke open a baozi. Seeing the steaming hot filling inside, he couldn’t be bothered about it scalding his mouth and finished it in one go.
The meat was fresh and tender, not tough at all, and the juices were plentiful and glistening.
The unique aroma of the fat was enveloped by the white dough, like a veiled beauty. Only when the skin of the baozi was torn open and the juices flowed out could one catch a glimpse of its exquisite charm.
Old Man Li’s eyes brightened considerably.
This Spicy Beef Baozi was just as its name suggested—fiery hot.
After one went down his stomach, his entire body felt like it was about to catch fire.
As expected, this Spicy Beef Baozi had the same effect as the Yāozi Bāo.
Old Man Li quickly circulated his energy to cool his body down.
He was a respectable man who never frequented Yanliu Street. It was definitely not because those Flower Girls looked down on him for being old and frail, dealing a blow to his pride.
Having wolfed it down, Old Man Li fanned his mouth with his hand to cool it down.
He was in an absolutely wonderful mood.
When he started on the Egg and Chives Baozi, he looked at the chives, which remained verdant and tender even after being cooked at high heat, and a regretful expression appeared on his face.
If only he were a few years younger. Riding this wave of vigor, he would definitely go challenge those little vixens from the Hehuan Sect to a great battle.
Replenished once again by the Egg and Chives Baozi, Old Man Li’s eyes filled with tears.
Life-Stealing Egg and Chives Baozi, it really steals your life!
He was old and didn’t have the strength of the young. Otherwise, even if it cost him his life, he would have to…
Wiping away a tear of bitterness, Old Man Li took a resentful bite of the Crab Roe Baozi.
Crab meat, crab roe, and pork—a combination of meats with different textures. At that moment, his taste buds were like exploding fireworks, sending sparks in all directions.
The sense of bliss from this single bite was more fulfilling than when he had dominated the world and suppressed the universe in his prime.
Old Man Li felt as if his very soul had been bewitched by this baozi.
He swallowed the remnants in his mouth, and seeing the broth that was about to drip out, he quickly opened his mouth to catch it.
He then leaned in and slurped it up.
The umami of that crab roe was simply divine.
He was so captivated by the taste that he was about to fall in love with hairy crabs.
Who could have known that such a delicacy was hidden inside that hard shell?
Oh, crab, you died a worthy death.
Immersed in the deliciousness, Old Man Li almost forgot that there was someone next door waiting for his “pointers.”
The remaining few baozi were quickly annihilated by Old Man Li.
Feeling very satisfied, Old Man Li rubbed his belly and came back to his senses.
“So old, yet so undignified.”
Old Man Li touched his flushed face and cursed himself inwardly, then raised his voice to praise her, “Truly delicious! Little Lu, thank you.”
“How many times in a lifetime can one taste such a delicacy?”
“No pointers needed. A perfect score.”
“My life has been worth living!”
“I can die with no regrets.”
Old Man Li gave such high praise that it made Lu Wu feel awkward.
A few baozi couldn’t have made the old man see through the vanity of the mortal world, could they?
“I’m glad you like them.”
Lu Wu couldn’t see through this Old Man Li, but the old man had been very good to her and helped her a lot. She had intended to give him these baozi anyway.
After chatting with Old Man Li for a while, she glanced at the sky. It was still early.
She simply pulled out a lounge chair, placed it in the courtyard, and began to sunbathe. The warm sunlight made one drowsy.
Lu Wu took out her Universal Realm Communicator and started scrolling.
There were many fresh happenings in the Qing Yuan World.
Things like “Famous Prodigy No Match for a Dog, You’re Worse Than a Dog,” “Ancient Ruins Reveal Mysterious Species, Disciple Exclaims His Eyes Were Molested,” and “Sect Master Caught at Night Scooping Koi from Rival Sect’s Pond with a Fishing Net as Revenge, No One Bails Him Out.”
Lu Wu found this news rather bizarre, but she read it with great relish.
The Qing Yuan World was vast, and Xiaohe Town was just a peaceful corner. The cultivators here were basically at the bottom of the Qing Yuan World’s hierarchy, so they could only watch the world’s changing tides through the Universal Realm Communicator.
After watching for a while, she entered the Xiaohe Town section.
“Huh, Hidden Spirit Sect’s conspiracy exposed. A Venerable One took action last night and annihilated the evil sect’s stronghold in Xiaohe Town.”
Finding it interesting, Lu Wu clicked to read more.
It said that the Hidden Spirit Sect had been secretly poisoning some young boys and girls in an attempt to destroy the Spirit Roots within their bodies.
Fortunately, a kind-hearted citizen had stepped in to detoxify these children, leaving their constitutions unharmed.
She had heard a little about the Hidden Spirit Sect. It was considered a major evil sect in the Qing Yuan World.
Its power wasn’t great, but it was like a stubborn plaster—you could kill one batch after another, like cutting chives, but you could never finish them off.
The Hidden Spirit Sect’s main goal was to oppose the major sects of the Qing Yuan World. With the annual Awakening Day approaching, all the good seedlings would be recruited by the major sects to strengthen their forces.
This evil sect didn’t dare to confront the major sects directly, so it simply tried to cut off their development from the source.
But this act was a bit like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Lu Wu was more curious about who the Venerable One and the enthusiastic citizen were. Why did it feel like Xiaohe Town was full of hidden experts?
Well, at least her safety was guaranteed.
Patting her chest, Lu Wu let go of her suspicious heart.
She was just a passerby. She couldn’t walk the path of a weakling’s counterattack, nor could she play the part of a tiger disguised as a pig. The protagonist’s role definitely had nothing to do with her.
She scrolled down further and saw a new post.
“In heaven and on earth, only our Baozi Cult will last forever.”
“Join our cult, amen, amen.”
Lu Wu’s eyes widened. Seeing that the post originated from Xiaohe Town, she wondered, could it be that another evil sect had been born in Xiaohe Town?
But why was this evil sect called the Baozi Cult? It sounded completely unimpressive.
Lu Wu pursed her lips, swiped past it, and clicked “dislike.”
With such a terrible name, it probably wasn’t a very ambitious evil sect. It might just be a bunch of softies inside.
At this very moment, in the courtyard next door, Old Man Li, who was also scrolling through the Universal Realm Communicator, looked at the fledgling Baozi Cult and nodded, feeling a sense of pride.
This cult would be Boss Lu’s most loyal guardian.
The first batch of members would become the elders of the Baozi Cult in the future, expanding the cult and taking it upon themselves to protect Boss Lu’s safety.
To secure his position as the Great Elder of the Baozi Cult, Old Man Li sent a message to the cult members.
As for who the cult leader was?
Of course, it was the completely oblivious Boss Lu, Lu Wu.
“Teaser: Boss Lu’s baozi have new flavors today, and there are as many as four types.”
“The taste… slurp… was so good my soul almost left my body and ascended to immortality.”
Old Man Li cackled.
As the first customer to taste such a delicacy, wouldn’t it be a disservice to his status if he didn’t show off a little?