Chapter 11: Sequence Eight Demon Monk

Just as Li Yu was recalling this, a sudden change occurred before his eyes.

The fisherman Sikong Nian, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly shouted like a madman without any warning:

"Hide? What are you all hiding for? In the future, you will all eat my flesh and gnaw on my bones. What's wrong with letting me toy with you now?"

"Especially you, you foul woman. Your soul was trapped in a rotten fish carcass after you drowned and were buried in the pond. I fished you out and gave you a new body, yet you dare to hide from me?"

Amidst his howling, the disheveled middle-aged man lunged forward, threw down his fishing rod, plunged his hands into the water, and grabbed a red-scaled carp with extreme brutality.

Ignoring the fishy stench, he opened his mouth and bit into the fish's belly, viciously tearing off a piece of fresh, tender fish meat.

The red carp twisted and struggled, letting out a whimpering cry of agony.

Its deformed head indeed looked somewhat like that of a woman.

Whether it was the stench of the fish meat or the crying, Sikong Nian returned to normal. He pulled a mud-like ointment from his bosom, smeared it on the red carp, and tossed it back into the basin.

Only then did he glare fiercely at Li Yu, annoyed:

"Kid, you aren't dealing with the Forbidden Egg in your belly trying to possess you, so what are you doing here at my place?"

"You aren't here to mock me, are you? Heh, I have more guts than that pair of deadbeat parents of yours. Sooner or later, I will pass the 【Water Punishment Ritual】, gain the recognition of the great Ming God, ascend to a Water Ghost, and transcend Wanfu."

Hearing and seeing what was before him, Li Yu couldn't help but scan his eye membrane.

Sure enough, the third Truth Bubble flickered slightly, indicating it had recharged a bit.

He had learned another secret, neither big nor small: the evil god Sikong Nian worshipped was called the Ming God, and the so-called Water Punishment Ritual likely involved having one's own shell gnawed upon by those drowned-soul fish... It was highly probable that if one could endure it, they would become a Water Ghost; if not, they would perish.

"In a way, it's similar to the 'Cai Ren' ritual. It seems the evil gods here all like this sort of thing—pleasing themselves by torturing their believers?"

Li Yu muttered to himself.

On the surface, he nodded in agreement:

"Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang certainly have no guts!"

"But I didn't come here to mock you; I have a good opportunity to invite you to."

"My private kitchen opens at the Zi hour tonight. Since we are neighbors, if you want to eat 【Spirit Food】, you can order in advance."

While speaking, Li Yu didn't give this clearly mentally unstable madman a chance to act out; he handed over the menu and explained quickly.

"Spirit Food!"

Sure enough, these two words held significant appeal.

Sikong Nian restrained his temper, cast his dead-fish eyes toward the menu, and was immediately captivated.

From his earlier angry rant about Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang, it was clear he had a close relationship with the two, and they could be said to know each other inside and out.

Therefore, he wasn't surprised that Li Yu possessed "Spirit Food culinary skills," merely sighing as he muttered:

"Your deadbeat parents dreamed of ascending to become Cai Ren, wanting to possess transcendent culinary skills and their own Forbidden God cookbook... that's why they treated you that way."

"I didn't expect that after they died, you would obtain these, and even be able to let me eat Spirit Food."

"Hahahaha... I'll go, I must go. I have plenty of money."

Laughing triumphantly, Sikong Nian kicked away the wet wooden box he was sitting on. With a clattering sound, a large amount of rusted yellow and white wealth covered in moss and silt, mixed with some white bones, rolled onto the ground.

He wasn't bragging; he was indeed very wealthy.

This was easy to understand. Although he wasn't yet a formal Water Ghost, he had at least reached the level of a Water Monkey, capable of moving freely underwater; fishing for wealth was just a matter of convenience.

"Then I'll have these four dishes: Chicken-Skin Sturgeon, Water Tiger Meat Soup, Deep-Fried Seven-Ring Lotus Root, and Steamed Centipede Crab."

"The total price is one hundred and twenty taels of silver? Kid, your heart is quite black."

"This is indeed a way to get rich, but it's a pity you won't be able to hold out many times before you degenerate into a cannibalistic demon."

"As far as I know, even a true 【Cai Ren】, when using extraordinary culinary skills to cook Spirit Food, must pay a significant price. For someone like you who gained strange powers due to parasitism, I fear that every time you use your ability, the degree of possession will deepen by a fraction... It's quite possible this meal will be your last."

"By the way, since I had some friendship with your parents, can you come to me before you can't hold on anymore? I'll tie you up and send you to those lunatics in the Forbidden God Sect; I might even get some benefits."

After ordering, Sikong Nian suddenly stared at Li Yu with malicious intent.

His eyes were full of mockery.

Listening to his mocking words, it seemed he had already foreseen Li Yu's tragic future and was even thinking of profiting from it.

Upon hearing this, Li Yu simply used a charcoal pencil to check off the dishes without refuting him.

Because what Sikong Nian said was the truth.

When he woke up and received the inheritance because of the Forbidden Egg, he had already known it clearly.

The Forbidden God cookbook, the Forbidden God's Eye, and that meat-eating secret technique were all exclusive to the Children of the Forbidden God.

The price for him to borrow them was himself.

Self-mutilation could only prevent the Forbidden Egg from consuming his spirituality and thus actively possessing him; it was equivalent to a delaying tactic.

But if he used these strange powers himself, it would be a complete transformation of his shell. Once it fully took shape, he would become a cannibalistic monster first, actively merging with the Forbidden Egg, which was no different from being possessed.

However, it was precisely because of this that Li Yu was anxious to plan his private kitchen.

In a sense, this was his only path to survival.

"If there are no other conflicts that waste the opportunity."

"I should be able to use the ability three times, or maybe four?"

"During this period, I must find another path to godhood suitable for myself and completely excise the Forbidden Egg, otherwise I will truly degenerate into a cannibalistic monster."

While pondering, Li Yu stopped paying attention to Sikong Nian and continued on to the next candidate for a diner.

It was strange to say!

Ever since he awakened his golden finger, his courage, or rather his willpower and rationality, had become exceptionally resilient, making it difficult for external things to influence him.

Not only did he remain indifferent when facing that "Forbidden God's Call," but he also acted ruthlessly to resolve it.

Now, even though he was clearly threatened by possession and could turn into a cannibalistic monster at any time, Li Yu remained calm, actively walking step by step toward the cliff, seeking a glimmer of survival from death.

He believed he didn't possess this kind of psychological quality in his previous life.

"Transmigration benefit?"

After muttering this, Li Yu checked the sky and began to speed up his invitations.

He walked quickly through the entire old street, following his memories, becoming increasingly familiar with the surrounding environment and his neighbors.

At the same time, the list of diners and the Spirit Food banquet to be prepared for the evening began to expand and enrich:

"Chen Canglu, a fairly famous fortune teller in the Heavenly Machine Workshop."

"But in the mouths of the couple, he is a treacherous villain who uses rhetoric and evil arts to steal guests' luck. He believes in an extremely secretive evil god and seems to be attempting to reach Sequence Eight, but the path he cultivates seems extremely difficult, and he hasn't even gathered the formula."

"Ordered two dishes: Ten-Insect Porridge and Deep-Fried Mountain Demon Brain, total price sixty taels of silver."

... "Geng Jing, a pet dealer on the old street."

"This person sells all kinds of pets, from elegant things for amusement to beasts for guarding the house, everything is available. Of course, they are all extraordinary, perverted, and strange things. Jiao Qing was once interested in a pet he captured called a 【Half-Man Bird】 and wanted to buy it, but was stopped by Sun Sanniang."

"The evil god he believes in is unknown, the path is unknown, and the sequence name is unknown. It is only known that he is infinitely close to Sequence Eight, has extraordinary combat power, and uses strange methods."

"Ordered three dishes: Steamed Bear-Man Palm, Mountain Treasure Nine-Flavor Pot, and Charcoal-Grilled Green Phoenix, total price one hundred and fifty taels of silver."

"Tan Buyi, a well-known spice master in the Heavenly Machine Workshop."

"What this person sells are spices with various spiritual effects. He seems to have a significant background, but in reality, he is a middleman; almost all the goods in his hands are imported from the West District, and he himself only has a rough understanding of some spice-related strange arts."

"He is suspected of believing in the Fallen Buddhism, which has the greatest influence in the West District, but he doesn't seem to cultivate the relevant path to godhood, he is just well-informed and closely connected to the West District."

"Ordered one dish: Arhat Vegetarian, total price fifty taels."

"Hong Sanquan, a notorious hunter on the old street."

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"His prey is literally 'people.' He often cooperates with Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang, but he doesn't eat people; he just murders for money. He is naturally cruel, believes in an unknown evil god, and is attempting to reach Sequence Eight 【Blood Soldier】 on his path. He can complete the promotion ritual at any time and is extremely dangerous."

"But this person is also a gourmet who loves all kinds of delicacies and has no resistance to Spirit Food."

"Ordered three dishes: Two-Headed Strange Dog Pot, Blood Ganoderma Soup, and Hundred-Rat Stew, total price two hundred taels of silver."

"Hoo!"

"That's about it."

At the end of the old street, Li Yu looked at the sloppy menu in his hand.

Dozens of dishes had already been checked off.

About ten diners, some ordered four dishes, some ordered one.

Li Yu realized he had underestimated the appeal of the words "Spirit Food" to these low-level evil cultivators.

In the past half hour, even the evil cultivator neighbors who didn't like him had to succumb to the temptation of Spirit Food.

They agreed to attend the banquet and didn't raise a single objection to Li Yu's pricing.

Obviously, they all felt they were getting a bargain.

For the same price, if they went to other areas in Wanfu City, such as the Garuda Grand Restaurant in the East District or the Buddha-Jumping-Over-the-Wall Restaurant in the West District, they wouldn't be able to eat Spirit Food of the same level at all.

"That's fine. If I set the price too high, these people wouldn't come."

"Making money isn't my real goal; inviting these people to my courtyard first is the right thing to do."

After muttering this, Li Yu didn't return to the courtyard along the old street.

Instead, following the memories in his mind, he turned and entered a bustling street called "Red Candle Street."

Although it wasn't truly night yet, the sky had already dimmed significantly.

The customs of this street seemed different from other streets in the Heavenly Machine Workshop. Shops and residential buildings on both sides had hung red lanterns early, or lit red candles that crackled as they burned.

If it were in a peaceful country, this scene would actually be a bit strange, but in Wanfu City, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Residents and pedestrians were extremely accustomed to it, and it was bustling with activity.

However, the most conspicuous thing on the whole street was a temple that looked luxurious and wealthy.

In front of the temple, there was a bronze tripod engraved with inscriptions, filled with incense ash, and thick incense sticks the size of an arm were still burning.

A large number of poor believers holding yellow talismans entered the temple with expectant faces, and not long after, they walked out with joyful faces, and each person had quite a few things in their arms.

Looking at it, it should be all kinds of food.

Because even from a distance of more than ten zhang, Li Yu could smell, besides the rich incense, the fragrance of various meats, and they were all cooked meats.

Can poor people get food supplies just by burning incense in a temple?

If it were in an area controlled by one of the six major righteous sects of Buddhism, this scene might be somewhat possible.

In Wanfu City, one wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing.

Li Yu scanned the poor believers who had received the grace one by one; their faces were glowing, and they hadn't become thin. It seemed there was no problem?

He sighed lightly and looked at the plaque of the temple, which had three gold-painted characters written on it: Pig Master Temple!

In his mind, relevant memory information immediately surfaced:

"The Pig Master Temple, or the Pig Master Society, is an extraordinary organization in Wanfu City that spans the two major districts of West and South."

"All members of this organization believe in and follow 【Fallen Buddhism】. This Buddhism is different from the orthodox Buddhism of the outside world. The extraordinary people inside are all fallen evil cultivators without exception, and their path to godhood and extraordinary sequences are completely opposite to Buddhism."

"And the Pig Master Society controls the food supply and sacrifice-related industries in both districts."

"In every street and alley of the two major districts, Pig Master Temples have been built, dedicated to a high-sequence powerhouse named 【Wood Mother Venerable】. As for how high, it is temporarily unknown; perhaps Sequence Two, perhaps Sequence One. This can also be considered a secret."

"Believers only need to take a sacrificial talisman and write down what they want to sacrifice to get food of equal value from the temple."

"Perhaps because lifespan is something intangible yet most valuable, many poor people who have no way out choose to sacrifice their own lifespan... three days of life for a meat bun, one month of life for a catty of cooked meat, one year of life for a hundred catties of good grain... In this way, even if they die of old age, they will at least be a well-fed ghost."

When he recalled this, Li Yu had already passed through the thick incense smoke and various mixed meat fragrances, and stepped into the Pig Master Temple before him.

The first scene that caught his eye was a statue in the very center.

A Pig-Man Bodhisattva with an extraordinary appearance, wearing Buddhist robes, a gold-locked Buddhist chain around his neck, holding a seal in each hand, and laughing compassionately!

Around this strange Bodhisattva statue, and even in the entire temple, smoke was swirling, like a Buddhist fairyland.

Monks wearing monk robes, whose faces were also faintly pig-like, shuttled through it, receiving the endless stream of believers.

Before Li Yu could take a closer look at the "transaction details," a shout filled with strong danger suddenly came.

"Where did this heretic kid come from?"

"Coming to my Pig Master Temple empty-handed, aren't you afraid that I, Old Pig, will eat you?"

Before the voice fell, a pig-headed monk, two meters tall, with fat trembling all over his body and his chest exposed, appeared.

He waved away the smoke and appeared fiercely in front of Li Yu.

A strong, nauseating smell mixed with cooked meat and candles hit his nose, almost making Li Yu stagger.

However, the moment he saw the person, information surfaced in his mind again:

"Zhu Mei, the abbot of the Pig Master Temple in the old street area of the Heavenly Machine Workshop."

"A person of Fallen Buddhism, already a formal extraordinary person. Several years ago, he formally ascended to the path to godhood mastered by his sect, Sequence Eight 【Demon Monk】."

"Extraordinary combat power, ruthless, and because of his position, he also masters many spiritual ingredients."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 12 =====