Chapter 23: The Piglets: The Living King of Hell Has Arrived

Under the cover of a dark and windy night, a master and his apprentice snuck toward the alley where Lu Wu resided, the world around them hushed in total silence.

There was no telling which unscrupulous person had been spreading so much misinformation about Lu Wu’s address throughout Xiaohe Town, causing them to only just find the correct location.

"Is this the place?" Qin Zhan stood at the entrance, staring at the tightly shut door with a heart full of trepidation.

It felt like an illusion, but Qin Zhan couldn't shake the prickling sensation on his back, as if he were being watched by some great, terrifying force.

Qin Zhan raised his hand to knock. As his knuckles struck the door, there was no "thud" to be heard—only a cry of agony from Qin Zhan himself.

"Ah! My hand!"

Qin Zhan recoiled instantly, clutching his fingers and grimacing in pain. This dramatic display left Daoist Tianfeng with a darkened expression. He slapped the back of his apprentice's head.

"Stop putting on a show." He knew his disciple’s strength well enough; how could knocking on a door feel like breaking a hand?

"It’s true, Master." Qin Zhan looked at Daoist Tianfeng with teary, aggrieved eyes, holding up his hand as proof.

Daoist Tianfeng glanced at it and sneered. "Doesn't it look perfectly fine?" Not only was the skin unbroken, but there wasn't even a hint of redness.

Qin Zhan cried foul. He stepped forward to try again, but the moment he touched the door, his fingers felt as if they had been crushed by a heavy carriage, the pain so intense he felt sure his hand was shattering.

"Master..." Qin Zhan’s voice choked with tears. He wiped the corner of his eye, feeling he could no longer stay strong. It hurt too much.

This time, Daoist Tianfeng did not refute him. Just a moment ago, he had sensed a surge of spiritual energy emanating from this wooden door, which had looked like it could be shattered with a single palm strike.

"It’s a defensive array," Daoist Tianfeng said, his expression thoughtful after a careful inspection. "Someone has cast a formation upon this door. It is highly advanced, and I am unable to break it for the time being."

"If I’m not mistaken, someone doesn't want us disturbing the master of the house." Daoist Tianfeng stroked his beard. He knew many experts in the art of arrays and could tell that this one was incredibly formidable—well beyond his own capabilities.

Since it could not be broken, the plan to eat steamed buns tonight had gone completely down the drain.

"Let's go!" Daoist Tianfeng said with deep regret, gesturing for Qin Zhan to lead the way. He walked with his hands clasped behind his back, projecting the convincing image of a high-level master.

In reality, his hands behind his back were tingling with numbness. From that minor collision alone, he knew the person behind this was far superior in cultivation to himself. But with his disciple watching, for the sake of his reputation, Daoist Tianfeng could never admit that he had come out on the losing end of this invisible confrontation.

In the house next door, Old Man Li chuckled as he watched the master and apprentice retreat.

"Well done," he praised the members of the Bun Cult.

The master and apprentice's inquiries about Lu Wu's residence had been discovered by an outer disciple early on, so Old Man Li had prepared defenses well in advance, and the false information had been spread by the cultists on purpose.

After commending his followers, Old Man Li looked toward Lu Wu’s small courtyard with deep, inscrutable eyes. Two battles, two victories—he was the undisputed guardian.

*Boss Lu, as long as I am here, you are invincible.*

***

A new day dawned, but Lu Wu couldn't bring herself to get up; she lingered in bed. With the seven-day task completed, she had no stall to tend to today. Finding nothing to do, she could only pass the time with her "World-Link."

This internet addiction of hers was impossible to break, no matter where she was. *World-Link is so much fun, hee-hee!*

Lu Wu played until the sky grew dark, and when she finally put the World-Link down, she discovered it was already afternoon. Half the day had simply slipped away.

Having wasted the time, Lu Wu rubbed her hungry stomach and was just about to find something to eat when a "ding-dong" sounded. It was a message from the system.

【Task Updated.】
【Current Task: Sell 500 Braised Pork Knuckles within seven days.】
【Designated Location: Entrance of the Ten Thousand Poison Valley.】
【Designated Time: Between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.】

The new task came with the recipe for the Braised Pork Knuckles. The complexity of the ingredients was enough to give anyone a headache, but what troubled Lu Wu even more was the location.

The Ten Thousand Poison Valley, located outside Xiaohe Town, was a natural danger zone and a place where many cultivators went to train and hunt for treasures. It was filled not only with rare herbs and artifacts but also with a vast array of poisonous creatures.

When Lu Wu first arrived in this world, she had heard that about three years ago, a plague of toxic insects had erupted from the valley, and Xiaohe Town had barely survived. The danger of the place was evident.

People entering the Ten Thousand Poison Valley were either focused on staying alive or hunting for treasures; how could they possibly have time to gnaw on her braised pork knuckles?

Yet, looking at the succulent, meaty image on the recipe, Lu Wu swallowed her saliva and decided she might as well give it a try.

The task wouldn't start until tomorrow, giving her time to prepare. She had met a butcher when buying pork previously, and since his family ran a pig farm, she decided to go purchase the supplies from him.

***

The location was a bit remote. When Lu Wu arrived, Butcher Lin was waiting at the gate.

"Boss Lu, you're here." Butcher Lin led the way. Once inside, Lu Wu realized this wasn't just a home-based operation, but a small-scale agricultural farm. Besides a large number of spirit-pigs, there were also poultry, and she saw construction underway for a few fish ponds. It was clear Butcher Lin was quite well-off.

"Big Brother Lin, you're impressive. In the future, I can just come straight to you for chicken, duck, and fish." She had gotten along well with him before, and if possible, she preferred to source everything here.

"Just come to me, Boss Lu. I guarantee that the livestock here is the finest in all of Xiaohe Town and even Hong'an City. You’ll never find any deception or inferior goods from me."

"From now on, I'll give you a ten percent discount on all your purchases," Butcher Lin promised with a hearty laugh.

Xiaohe Town fell under the jurisdiction of Hong'an City. Mentioning the city, Butcher Lin spoke with the confidence of a man who had seen the world.

Lu Wu followed him to the spirit-pig enclosure. The pigs were free-range, grazing on the hillside; each one was massive and sturdy. Lu Wu even noticed that some of the food the pigs were eating was infused with spiritual energy.

Because they were nourished by this energy, the pork lacked any gamey odor and was incredibly fragrant. Lu Wu’s eyes landed on the large, meaty knuckles of the pigs. Her intense gaze caused the herd to stir, and they trotted off to a distant corner, hoofs clattering. *Oh no, the Living Yama has arrived!*

"Big Brother Lin, I need to purchase some pig knuckles this time—at least five hundred of them," Lu Wu estimated. In truth, with her current customer base, she could probably sell five thousand, but since she was changing locations, she couldn't be sure all her regulars would find her. So, she set a baseline number. Even so, five hundred was quite a lot.

"Done."

"I happen to be slaughtering a batch of mature pigs today. I'll have them delivered to you by this evening." Even though she only wanted the knuckles, Butcher Lin didn't hesitate. Since his pigs were of such high quality, he could easily sell the rest of the meat to others. By selling parts of the same pig to different customers, he had no fear of waste.

After finalizing the arrangements, Lu Wu left the farm carrying the pork sausages Butcher Lin had given her. She had already decided: she would have steamed rice with sausage tonight to treat herself.