Chapter 16: This Round, the Advantage Is Mine

“Brother, do you still remember why we joined the sect?”

His sister’s words plunged him into memories.

They had been beggars—hungry, cold, and of average talent—so insignificant that no one cared if they died on the streets.

When they were at their wit’s end, the Hidden Spirit Sect took them in.

They promised that joining meant they could eat delicious food every day.

At that time, they saw it as a dream come true.

After some discussion, the siblings agreed.

They had no deep grudges to settle, nor ambitions to become great; they simply joined the sect for a morsel of food.

At first, life was good—no worries about food or drink.

But as the years passed and the sect declined, poverty set in, and their living standards dropped considerably.

They took on missions mainly to earn extra money for meals.

Now they had grown up.

Even if they left the sect, they could eat well and dress warmly.

Together, the siblings could live well without relying on anyone else.

In contrast, within the sect, they had to complete numerous tasks to earn a modest reward, and if their identities were exposed, they risked being hunted down.

The cost outweighed the benefit.

Truthfully, he had never been truly loyal to the sect.

“Brother, I still want to eat those buns,” his sister said quietly.

If Boss Lu were harmed by the sect, would they lose access to those buns?

Or if they opposed Boss Lu, might they be crushed by the powerful forces behind him without even a chance to speak?

His sister’s concerns made perfect sense.

Reflecting deeply on the sect’s harsh nature—always punishment, never kindness—he resolved to strike back at his comrades.

“Sis, let’s report them and become whistleblowers.”

He quickly snatched the bun from his sister’s hand, stuffing the last half into his mouth, savoring the fleeting happiness before wiping his mouth and making his decision.

Man dies for wealth, bird dies for food; he would cease being a man and become a bird instead.

“Brother, I still want to eat,” his sister said angrily, glaring at him.

Who has a brother so wary of his sister stealing food?

“I want some too,” he said, glancing toward the bun stall, where a long line still stretched but the stock was running low.

“Everyone, only enough buns left for ten people. The rest come back tomorrow,” Lu Wu called out, trying to discourage the waiting crowd.

The group behind the tenth customer instantly fell into despair.

They had nowhere to complain.

They had simply arrived too late.

Just as Lu Wu was about to close up, a loud shout echoed through the air.

“Boss Lu’s buns are the best in the world!”

In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned toward a certain spot.

There stood Xu Gu, shouting with reddened eyes. Facing the curious gazes, he paused briefly before shouting again.

“Boss Lu’s buns—number one in the world!”

He meant it with all his heart.

Though initially skeptical, the moment he tasted the buns, he knew he was utterly defeated.

It was his fault.

He had not believed that buns could be so delicious as to bring tears.

If not for his professional discipline, he would have tried to steal the two buns Boss Lu had ordered.

It wasn’t that he lacked self-control; it was that Boss Lu’s buns were simply irresistible.

No more shouting—henceforth, wherever he went, he would spread the word for Boss Lu.

Boss Lu deserved it!

Beside him, Wang Changgui smiled, accepting this honor.

He had always known that no one could resist Boss Lu’s buns.

Noticing Lu Wu’s astonished gaze, Wang Changgui wore a modest smile, lifted his head, and glanced over some fellow disciples grinding their teeth in envy before flashing a broad, confident grin.

The position of inner disciple in the Bun Sect was within his grasp.

Lu Wu shivered, her toes curling in awkwardness.

She forced a smile, quickly packed up the bun stall, and, amidst the crowd’s reluctant looks, waved and ran off.

If she didn’t leave quickly, she might lose everything she had worked for.

After bidding farewell to the customers, Lu Wu glanced at the sky and wasted no time returning to… Grandpa Li’s small courtyard.

The night sky over Qingyuan Realm was bright.

Stars hung high and clear.

Without technological pollution, the vast expanse of stars was plainly visible.

Moonlight shimmered over Lu Wu as she sat in the octagonal stone pavilion, watching Grandpa Li perform his exquisite tea ceremony.

Drinking tea was an art.

Yet Lu Wu felt Grandpa Li’s art had yet to find its true form.

Though the night was dark, the luminous pearl hanging from the pavilion illuminated the space enough to reveal the slightly murky tea in her cup.

Despite her ignorance of tea art, the yellow-brown tea and the sediment at the bottom looked all wrong.

But Grandpa Li had no reason to harm her, so she took a sip.

Only a small taste, but Lu Wu’s face twisted.

Bitter and astringent, with a hint of mold—the taste repelled her tongue.

She had been careless, failing to dodge.

Her gaze toward Grandpa Li shifted uneasily.

“Cough, cough,” Grandpa Li, who also tasted the tea, silently pushed the cup aside.

He hadn’t sipped tea in a long time; this was the cup he had painstakingly found, apparently aged twenty years or so.

“Little Lu,” Grandpa Li said, “we’ve known each other a while now. How about we add each other as friends?”

He pulled out a Realm Communicator and offered it to Lu Wu.

Her eyes flickered.

Her expression suddenly quieted, and beneath the darkness of her pupils, a trace of contemplation drifted.

Everyone knew the Realm Communicator couldn’t be used without spiritual power.

Grandpa Li had never mentioned this before.

Only recently, after completing a mission, her cultivation had been granted by the system, though she quickly concealed it with the Wishful Hairpin.

How did Grandpa Li find out?

She looked at him.

He still wore a cheerful expression, his eyes kind.

Though he saw through her thoughts, his demeanor remained unchanged.

“Little Lu, you know me—I’m a bit greedy. I just want to take a shortcut with you, nothing more,” Grandpa Li said, his gaze briefly scanning the hairpin in her bun.

What sharp perception.

He had noticed the spiritual energy fluctuation the moment it appeared in Lu Wu’s body yesterday.

He had concealed it to avoid alerting others.

He didn’t want to pry into her secrets.

The Qingyuan Realm was vast, full of opportunities.

There were cases of those without innate roots cultivating successfully.

When faced with treasures and delicacies, anyone wise would choose the latter.

“All right.”

“Thank you, Grandpa,” Lu Wu said, having made up her mind.

She smiled and bumped her communicator against his.

Once they were connected, Lu Wu noticed Grandpa Li sending messages to someone, glimpsing words like “Sect Leader” and “Operation.”

Polite Lu Wu withdrew her gaze.

She knew Grandpa Li was warning her: one must never be without caution.

She carried secrets; though the customers loved her food, her true standing in Qingyuan Realm rested on her own strength.

Great treasures in hand must not be flaunted without power.

Fortunately, she was in no rush.

While others struggled desperately to cultivate, she had an advantage—she could grow stronger just by running her stall.

This time, the advantage was hers!

Back at her residence, Lu Wu felt much lighter.

After browsing her Realm Communicator for a while on her bed, she finally succumbed to sleep.