Chapter 22: After Eating the Steamed Bun, I Had an Epiphany

“Mmm, delicious! Sweet but not cloying, with a hint of sesame aroma—one word: perfect!”

The seasoned food lover, who had braced himself mentally, was still utterly amazed by the buns.

He didn’t waste time showing off; he quickly devoured one.

The steaming bun puffed up his cheeks as he blew on it repeatedly, his tongue burning from the heat.

Under the watchful eyes of onlookers, he bit into the tofu bun next.

If the sugar and sesame bun was all about sweet fragrance, the tofu bun was about tenderness.

The tofu wasn’t minced finely; the pieces were roughly the size of a fingernail, intact and visibly silky smooth. After ample resting, the tofu was infused with spicy oil.

As his tongue curled around a piece and pressed it against the roof of his mouth, he distinctly felt the tofu break, releasing an instant burst of spicy aroma.

The tofu, soaked in spicy juice, was steaming hot and intoxicatingly fragrant.

The old food lover’s mouth was dripping with oils.

At this moment, he completely ignored everyone else, focusing solely on savoring the flavors.

The exquisite taste immersed him completely.

In that instant, his mind cleared.

All things in the world became lucid before his eyes; enlightenment struck suddenly, and his spiritual energy began to flow naturally.

“He’s having an epiphany.”

“Does Boss Lu’s bun really have that effect?”

Someone exclaimed in surprise.

Above the old food lover’s head, a swirl of spiritual energy appeared. The fierce energy was compressed and then gently entered his body, elevating his cultivation level.

His talent was average; to break through even this small stage would normally take decades of effort.

Yet today, stimulated by Lu Wu’s bun, he entered a state of sudden enlightenment and broke through with ease.

When the spiritual energy vortex subsided, the old food lover opened his eyes, wearing a smug smile.

“Hahaha! I am truly the chosen one! You mere mortals, all step aside!”

His arrogant shout was immediately met with a footprint on his backside.

“Don’t think we won’t hit you just because Boss Lu’s here. Keep talking, and we’ll crush you.”

Someone sneered fiercely.

It was infuriating beyond words.

Not only had they missed out on the buns themselves, but now they had to watch someone else get a breakthrough right in their face.

Such a blow was almost unbearable.

“Hehehe!”

The old food lover laughed, bowing respectfully toward Lu Wu.

From today onward, Boss Lu was like a surrogate mother to him; he vowed to be filial to Boss Lu henceforth.

Lost in his fanciful thoughts, the old food lover was tapped on the shoulder.

“Dear, how about joining the Bun Sect?”

Wang Changgui, having pulled out a piece of paper from somewhere, handed it to the old food lover.

“Joining the Bun Sect not only brings you closer to Boss Lu, but if you accomplish tasks well, you’ll even be fed by Boss Lu.”

Wang Changgui’s tone was full of temptation.

Seeing the old man’s eyes waver, he continued to persuade with heartfelt reasoning.

“You must know today is Boss Lu’s last day selling on Yanliu Street. You wouldn’t want to miss out on Boss Lu’s food forever, right?”

“By joining the Bun Sect, we get the first-hand scoop on Boss Lu’s whereabouts—never miss out again.”

Wang Changgui coaxed passionately.

The Grand Elder had said that if he recruited three more people into the Bun Sect, he would be promoted to a formal disciple.

Who better than himself to carry this important mission?

“What about future food? Will it be as delicious as these buns?”

The old food lover clicked his tongue.

He didn’t ask for enlightenment every time—just to be fully satisfied with every bite.

“Of course! Don’t you trust Boss Lu’s craftsmanship?”

Wang Changgui almost pounded his chest in assurance.

“Alright then, I’m in.”

With that decision made, Wang Changgui couldn’t help but jump for joy.

One more recruit for the Bun Sect!

He was truly amazing!

Meanwhile, far from Xiahe Town in a large city, Qin Zhan was anxiously scratching his head.

Beside him stood a venerable elder with an ethereal aura.

This was his master, Daoist Tianfeng, the Supreme Elder of the Sacred Sword Sect and a renowned figure in the Qingyuan Realm.

The last time Qin Zhan had fought a big yellow dog for food in Xiahe Town, the incident had caused quite a stir on the One Realm Network. Some idle sect members, feeling embarrassed, wanted to call him back for reprimand.

Qin Zhan, who had roamed the Qingyuan Realm for years, feared no one except his own master.

Though unafraid of punishment, he knew that once back, his master would order him to continue secluded cultivation in the sect.

Having finally come out this once, Qin Zhan was unwilling to return so soon.

So he devised a plan.

Before returning, he bought two buns from Boss Lu, resisting the urge to eat them, intending instead to offer them to his master.

He still recalled the moment vividly.

His master, usually indifferent to food cravings, changed expression after tasting the buns.

He kept asking who had made such buns.

Qin Zhan revealed everything about Boss Lu.

He intended to strike a bargain with his master: if allowed to stay out, he would regularly bring Boss Lu’s delicacies back for him to taste.

But unexpectedly, though his master agreed verbally, just as Qin Zhan joyfully packed to leave, he found his master had followed him.

Saying nothing, only smiling.

Unable to scold or fight back, Qin Zhan proposed taking his master to the scene to sample the delicacies firsthand.

However… since the Grand Elder was involved, it was a serious matter.

The sect even brought out many regulations, causing unavoidable delays.

This meant Qin Zhan only set off on Boss Lu’s last day at the Yanliu Street stall.

By then, Boss Lu was already selling.

But Qin Zhan was still far from Xiahe Town.

With many people at the teleport array, and his timing off, he had no choice but to wait for the next round.

He knew well that Boss Lu’s business was booming, the queues endless; buns sold out the moment they were fresh—there was never any leftover.

If he arrived late, he’d have nothing to eat.

Frustrated, Qin Zhan wished he could tear through space to get there.

Though his master could do it, he didn’t know the exact coordinates of Xiahe Town, making it impossible to pinpoint.

“Here we go, Master! Let’s go!”

Qin Zhan, abandoning all respect at this moment, grabbed Daoist Tianfeng’s sleeve and rushed into the teleport array as soon as it cleared.

After a jarring teleportation, Qin Zhan finally touched solid ground again.

They were in the nearest large city to Xiahe Town, where he had transferred last time and was familiar with the route.

He produced a flying spirit treasure, activating it at full spiritual power.

“Whoosh!”

The flying shuttle sliced through the air overhead, causing a sonic boom.

Rushing as fast as he could, he finally reached Yanliu Street.

But seeing the scene, his spirits sank completely.

Boss Lu’s usual stall was already empty, the familiar aroma lingering in the air told Qin Zhan that Boss Lu had indeed been here.

He had simply arrived too late.

“Too late… it’s all over.”

He still hadn’t made it.

Dejected, Qin Zhan crouched on the flying shuttle, clutching his aching heart.

His heart was bitter, and he wanted to cry.

“Disciple, do you know where this Boss Lu lives?”

“Let’s go find him; I can use my treasures to trade with him.”

Daoist Tianfeng’s plan was simple.

Since Boss Lu had packed up and gone home, they would just follow.

He wanted to eat—today, he would eat.

If necessary, he’d use his influence!