Steamed Buns?
The first thing Song Yu thought of was how the Steamed Buns tasted.
But when he came to his senses, he realized Chen Tianhua was probably concerned with the buns’ special effects.
“Director Chen, what about the Steamed Buns?” Song Yu asked calmly, his expression unruffled.
Chen Tianhua said, “Boss Song, could you make the effects of your Steamed Buns a little stronger?”
“Make the effects of the Steamed Buns stronger? That depends on inspiration. If inspiration strikes, it might be possible. If it doesn’t, there’s nothing I can do.”
Song Yu replied helplessly.
Chen Tianhua furrowed his brow. “Then how can Boss Song’s inspiration be improved?”
Song Yu glanced at them. “I’m the sort of person who loves studying delicious food, ghosts, and monsters…”
Chen Tianhua nodded. “I think I understand. So Boss Song needs ghosts and monsters to inspire him, right?”
Song Yu replied, “You could put it that way.”
Chen Tianhua and the other two exchanged glances. They understood one another without needing to say a word.
“Boss Song, if my goal is to resist the Bewitching Ghost Domain that a Red-Clothed Vengeful Ghost can unleash over a wide area, could you make Steamed Buns like that?”
Song Yu raised an eyebrow. “Director Chen, you think a little too highly of me. I haven’t even seen a Red-Clothed Ghost, so how could I possibly do that?”
Chen Tianhua looked at Song Yu’s ever-calm expression, unsure what to make of him.
“What if they were twenty or thirty times more effective than these buns?”
Song Yu smiled. “That depends on fate.”
Chen Tianhua fell silent, apparently deep in thought.
Xia Ling was straightforward and asked, “Boss Song, what exactly do you mean by fate?”
“How can you be that specific about fate? I’m no fortune-teller.”
Xia Ling was at a loss and looked at Chen Tianhua.
Han Qinglong, on the other hand, seemed to have recovered his spirits and came over.
“Boss Song, do you think you and I are fated to meet?”
“No.”
Anyone who dared keep a demon creature at home was no ordinary person.
If he hadn’t opened a Snack Shop, Song Yu would have wanted to use Han Qinglong as a template for a novel on Qidian.
He could call it “Horror Revival: My Husky Is the Demon Emperor” or “Good Grief, My Dog Has Become a Spirit,” or something like that. It would definitely be a hit—he’d take off and reach the Dao.
Han Qinglong wasn’t as impatient as before. “Boss Song, take a good look. What if we really are fated?”
“I don’t read faces,” Song Yu said.
Han Qinglong chuckled. “Then, Boss Song, do you need any staff here?”
Song Yu was taken aback.
You’re targeting me now, huh?
“No.”
Han Qinglong looked disappointed. “Then if you ever need staff, you have to come to me first, Boss Song. This is my specialty. I’ve spent over ten years working security at venues—I’ve got plenty of experience.”
Song Yu: ???
What kind of logic was that?
What did working security have to do with being a shop assistant?
Xia Ling was curious. She glared at him and asked, “You’ve been working security at venues for over ten years? Since you were thirteen or fourteen? Were you in a gang? You know they can still lock you up for that nowadays, right?”
Han Qinglong froze. It seemed he had remembered who the three people beside him were, and he immediately wilted.
“I worked during summer vacation in high school. I was a gate guard at a relative’s screw factory.”
Everyone: …
He wasn’t going on about his Dahei this time, but he also showed none of the fear or disbelief you’d expect from someone who kept a demon at home.
What was going on in that head of his?
Song Yu felt like prying it open to have a look.
Of course, he’d only practiced cooking for two and a half years. He was good at making chicken, but he was still a bit rusty at preparing brain.
Just then, Chen Tianhua frowned deeply and looked toward the window.
Through a gap in the curtains, a figure seemed to flicker atop a building beside the Alley.
“That’s not one of our people,”
Old Sun said, his expression darkening.
Chen Tianhua nodded silently. “It’s not anyone from the Three Teachings either, but it is a Ghost Tamer.”
Xia Ling blinked, not daring to voice what she was thinking.
After a moment’s thought, Chen Tianhua took out a brocade pouch, which had a blue talisman stuck to it.
Song Yu’s eyebrows twitched a few times.
Where did these people keep all their stuff? Every so often they pulled out something else, but none of them seemed to have that many pockets.
Were they all transformed from Doraemon?
Chen Tianhua handed it to Song Yu. “This is a low-level Vengeful Ghost. Please add it to my account.”
Song Yu was surprised. This guy had actually caught a Vengeful Ghost before.
“Sure.”
Song Yu fetched the Flour Bag and, as usual, collected the Vengeful Ghost.
As expected of my kitchen utensils. Even Vengeful Ghosts behave themselves when they’re collected.
Watching the Vengeful Ghost go quiet after being put into the Flour Bag, Song Yu mused to himself.
Five thousand points had been credited. He’d immediately earned two thousand five hundred, and his attitude became much friendlier.
Ding-dong…
As the Mark on his arm grew faintly warm, a new-message notification sounded from the computer.
Song Yu noticed that the others seemed completely oblivious.
Had they not heard it, or did they just not care?
Chen Tianhua cupped his hands and said solemnly, “I’d like to sign up for a premium membership. As a premium member, may I ask Boss Song to keep making new foods as Steamed Buns?”
Song Yu smiled. “I told you, it depends on fate. I think this Vengeful Ghost and I have a little fate between us.”
Chen Tianhua’s eyes lit up. He felt like he’d grasped something.
“Perhaps we can provide Boss Song with an endless stream of inspiration.”
Song Yu waved a hand. “Come on, we’re all friends. No need to be so formal.”
He looked out the window.
For some reason, he’d just sensed something flying toward the shop with hostile intent.
The shop was clearly its target. The sensation surprised Song Yu, and he glanced at his arm.
The Mark flickered in and out, as if trying to alert him.
Following his gaze, the others curiously looked toward the distant sky.
There was nothing there.
They were baffled.
But just as they were about to turn back, Chen Tianhua had a sudden thought.
“Boss Song, I have urgent business to attend to, so I won’t keep you. Xiao Ling, stay here with Han Qinglong and don’t go wandering around.”
With that, he opened the door and strode out.
Old Sun followed him. The moment they stepped outside, a Sword Light tore through the sky toward them, coming from the direction Song Yu had just been watching.
Chen Tianhua raised a hand and condensed Yin Power, catching the Sword Light. It was a short sword about a foot long.
“It’s Deputy Sect Master Wei’s Flying Sword Message. They’re almost here.”
Old Sun glanced back at everyone in the shop, his gaze full of surprise.
Xia Ling exclaimed, “Boss Song, did you already know a Flying Sword Message was coming?”
The moment Chen Tianhua caught the short sword, she understood what was going on.
Even if you’ve never eaten pork, you’ve seen pigs run.
Song Yu shook his head again and again. “A Flying Sword Message is such an impressive thing. I’ve never even seen one before. How could I sense it from so far away?”
Then he rubbed his forehead and said, looking troubled, “Ah, Steamed Buns… How am I supposed to figure out how to make these new buns? This is a real headache for a mere cook like me.”
It really was difficult to make high-level buns. This thing was completely random—what if the Vengeful Ghost got ground up and didn’t give him any pork?
If the Ingredients were different, would the buns still have the effect of keeping the mind clear?
Song Yu carried the Flour Bag containing the Vengeful Ghost and went to the kitchen, frowning.
Xia Ling was utterly confused. She didn’t believe what Song Yu had just said at all. He’d clearly known about the incoming Flying Sword Message long beforehand.
But from the look of him, making Steamed Buns seemed difficult?
Outside, Yin Power surged around Old Sun, and the taxi appeared again. Chen Tianhua got in, and the two sped away.
Inside the car, the two sat in silence for a long while before Old Sun finally spoke. “Old Chen, have you ever thought about abducting Song Yu and taking him back with us?”
Chen Tianhua said somberly, “Why don’t you try it? Just don’t do it in the name of the Special Affairs Bureau.”
Old Sun rolled his eyes and said nothing.
Chen Tianhua continued to himself, “Where exactly did Song Yu come from? Is he really relying on that ancestral magical artifact of his?
“But the Flying Sword Message was meant for me. Even I hadn’t sensed it yet, and he already knew it was coming.
“Yet I genuinely couldn’t sense anything from him. Young people these days are more terrifying than the next.”
Old Sun scoffed. “Young people? Why couldn’t he be an old man with a way to preserve his youth, old enough to be your grandfather? Don’t forget those old monsters from the Three Teachings. We still haven’t seen the experts they keep in reserve.”
Chen Tianhua sighed. “And those Demon Tamers—I don’t know where they found bloodlines from the ancient demon clan. Each one is worth a hundred Ghost Tamers. I’m genuinely afraid that one day a real Ancient ferocious beast will emerge from among them.”
The taxi fell into a long silence, which lasted until they met up with a group of Special Affairs Bureau personnel dressed in all sorts of outfits.
A note on the current levels of ghost creatures and demon creatures, and how points can be exchanged.
Vengeful Soul — Level 1 — spirit monster: 10 points.
Evil Ghost — Level 2 — lesser demon: 200 points.
Vengeful Ghost — Level 3 — Greater Demon: 5,000 points.
Red-Clothed Vengeful Ghost — Level 4 — Spirit Demon: 10 Bronze Coins