Chapter 12: The Flesh Buddha and the Glamorous Nun

If he had a choice, Li Yu would not want to come to the Pig Master Temple to see this Zhu Mei.

For no other reason than that this was a genuine Sequence 8 transcendent, and of the "Demon Monk" sequence, which specialized in slaughter.

Moreover, from the fragmented conversations between Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang, as well as the information in the account books, Li Yu knew just how brutal this "Pig-Headed Monk" was.

In fact, both of them suspected that Zhu Mei was about to advance to Sequence 7.

But Li Yu had to come; even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Although he possessed transcendent culinary skills inherited from the Forbidden God and unique recipes, to create true spiritual food, he still needed ingredients filled with spirituality.

And in Wanfu City, to find those, Zhu Mei was the primary candidate.

Fortunately, while this person was brutal, he strictly followed the rules of trade—honest with young and old alike, fair in pricing, and he was also a gourmet who loved fine food.

As Li Yu recalled this, he skillfully handed over a menu and a list of ingredients at the same time.

"Senior Zhu!"

"I am the son of Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang from the old street. Both of them have passed away, so I have permanently closed the butcher shop I inherited and turned it into a private kitchen specializing in spiritual food. I plan to open tonight and have come here to purchase some ingredients."

"If Senior is interested, you may also take a look at this menu."

Almost the instant Li Yu finished speaking, the two lists in his hands were snatched away.

Zhu Mei’s gaze fell upon the menu immediately.

At first, he didn't pay much attention, but when he saw the dishes listed, his eyes lit up, and drool began to drip from the side of his pig mouth.

He couldn't help but mutter excitedly:

"Who are Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang? Oh, that pair of cannibalistic demons who worshipped the Forbidden God?"

"Since you are their son, it is indeed possible that you possess transcendent culinary skills and can make spiritual food."

"Rumor has it that the content of the [Forbidden God Recipes] gifted by that evil god to each believer is different; in this world, no one has ever gathered and eaten all the dishes."

"Currently in Wanfu City, the one who has mastered the most dishes should be my old clansman, the old demon Zhu Can, and the Wedding King... cough, cough!"

"Can you make all of these?"

Zhu Mei stopped halfway, seemingly forced to hold his tongue because it involved a certain big shot.

Although Li Yu wanted to inquire about many transcendent secrets deep down, he stuck to his persona and replied somewhat stiffly:

"Everything on the menu, I can make."

"However, Senior cannot order them all. Some dishes have conflicting spiritual effects, and some are not suitable for those in the Buddhist path, or for men. There are about ten spiritual dishes suitable for Senior to consume, such as the Eight-Treasure Rice, the Treacherous Flood Dragon Soup, and the Glazed Meat..."

"Good, then those ten, make them all. This old pig wants to eat to his heart's content tonight."

"After all, if there are no accidents, you brat won't last many more times; every meal is one less."

Similar words, yet this time they were uttered by a powerhouse.

Clearly, although this [Demon Monk] Zhu Mei was not close to the couple, he used his powerful strength and sharp eyes to see through Li Yu's current state.

Saying this, he naturally did not believe Li Yu could resist the possession of the Forbidden Egg and also believed he would end up as a cannibal.

The difference was that this Pig Master Temple abbot added two more sentences:

"If the spiritual food you cook tonight is truly delicious and makes this old pig happy, it is not impossible for me to help you."

"When you truly cannot hold on any longer, you may come to the Pig Master Temple to find me."

"Oh, is Senior Zhu willing to convert me to the Buddhist path and help me advance to the Sequence 8 [Demon Monk]?"

As soon as Li Yu said this, he immediately received a look of utter disbelief.

There was no killing intent in the gaze Zhu Mei cast; he simply felt that the youth before him might be a shameless fool.

On second thought, it was normal for this kid, having been raised in a dark room since childhood, to not understand worldly wisdom.

So he wasn't annoyed, just said irritably:

"Demon Monk? Why don't you ask me to help you switch to the other Sequence 8 path in the sect, [Glamorous Nun]? You look delicate enough; being a nun who sells her ass isn't impossible."

"Hmph, whether you have the wisdom root is still up for debate. Since you have already been marked by the Forbidden God, unless you stumble upon a great stroke of luck, don't even think about switching to other gods in this lifetime."

"However, although I don't have the ability to help you dig out the thing in your belly, I can take charge and cover you in gold lacquer, then place you on that lotus throne."

"Let you become a 'Pig Master Flesh Buddha,' receiving incense offerings day and night. You will be able to eat your fill and suppress the possession. After a long time, it is not impossible to have a chance at a new life."

"How about it? Think it over carefully."

As he spoke, Zhu Mei raised his hand to point around the Pig Master Temple.

One could see all sorts of grotesque Buddha and Bodhisattva statues on both sides, each one lifelike, yet their expressions were all twisted and painful. In the deepest part, there were a few empty spots; the cast lotus thrones were empty, save for a thick, half-meter-long iron nail that glinted with a cold light.

This sight, combined with Zhu Mei's words, immediately made Li Yu feel horrified and disgusted.

The only gain from these few exchanges was that he learned another piece of transcendent knowledge: the Fallen Buddhist sect also possessed another path of godhood, whose starting Sequence 8 was called [Glamorous Nun].

The rainbow progress bar of the Truth Bubble surged once again.

Despite this, Li Yu still had the urge to curse and complain in his heart.

After forcibly restraining himself, he nodded calmly and responded to Zhu Mei:

"I have noted Senior Zhu's words; we shall see what fate brings."

"For now, I hope Senior Zhu can give the order to have all the ingredients sent to my courtyard. The banquet starts at the Hour of the Rat, and I still need several hours to prepare."

"No problem!"

"This old pig will give you a twenty percent discount and even throw in a full set of tables and chairs."

"You must remember this favor. When you have nowhere else to turn, come to the Pig Master Temple; don't let others take advantage of you, hahaha..."

Amidst the hearty, open laughter of the kind-faced Pig Master Temple abbot Zhu Mei, Li Yu, with a gloomy face, followed the road signs he had come by to return to his own courtyard.

Along the way, the residential buildings with mixed styles but all featuring pipes and lights, the distant sounds of steam whistles, and flying objects appearing and disappearing in the high-altitude clouds... and so on—scenes that were similar to his previous life, yet clearly different.

Made Li Yu feel dazed at first, and then as if he had been cruelly reminded: the terrible predicament he now faced was all real.

His time was running out.

"Hmph, let's see what the harvest is tonight."

"If I can't find a good way out, at worst I'll do what the original owner of this shell did and end it myself; perhaps I'll even be able to transmigrate back."

"I am unwilling to be a cannibal, and that shitty Flesh Buddha is even less of an option."

As this resolute plan formed in his heart, Li Yu had already returned to the old street.

He glanced at the permanent closure notice that still existed, then pushed open his courtyard gate.

The next instant, a scene that left him stunned caught him off guard.

The courtyard, which had been somewhat sloppy, dirty, and eerily disgusting, was now brand new, orderly, and clean. Under the light of the electric eel lamp in the master bedroom, it miraculously revealed a hint of a warm atmosphere.

This feeling reached its peak as the "Red Bean" mechanical doll, who looked like a girl from an ancient style, walked out slowly and called out "Master" in a delicate voice.

Even Li Yu himself hadn't expected it!

Having just walked out of a horrific and terrifying atmosphere, he seamlessly connected to such a beautiful scene.

At this moment, a thought echoed in his heart: those four hundred taels were well spent.

"As an ordinary office worker who had slightly touched upon the two-dimensional world in my previous life, I had fantasized about having a gentle and beautiful maid, though back then I was thinking of flesh and blood."

"Now it seems, a mechanical one isn't bad either."

Li Yu's mood suddenly improved a lot.

Ever since he transmigrated and woke up in this horrific and terrifying [Wanfu City], although the original body's memories and various other signs indicated that the three great kingdoms outside the city—Gan, Jing, and Li—were actually very peaceful and prosperous due to the protection of the six great orthodox god sects.

But he had never been there, after all, and still needed to struggle for survival here.

In such a cruel environment, he would naturally not refuse a rare element of warmth and beauty. A smile couldn't help but appear on his lips, and he then stepped forward to begin inspecting his new courtyard, which had been cleaned and organized by Red Bean.

Especially the kitchen area, which Red Bean had paid special attention to because of the specific instructions Li Yu had given before leaving.

The thick layers of dust that had accumulated for years were no longer visible; everything was shining bright. From the first day they entered the city, Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang had a fantasy of becoming "food people," and for this, they had purchased many strange but useful kitchen utensils, which had been left at the bottom of a box gathering dust for years.

Tonight, they had all been dug out by Red Bean and arranged in order.

Even the stove, iron pots, and other items had been modified by her in some way.

The kitchen at this moment did not look like a rural earthen stove at all, but rather like the territory of an extraordinary chef with peculiar habits.

Li Yu, who had intended to use his transcendent culinary skills in a few hours, felt a sense of intimacy with the kitchen before him.

If it weren't for the fact that he didn't have a single ingredient on hand, he would have already been unable to resist starting.

"Red Bean, you did well."

"Thank you, Master!"

=9+Shu_ba

Hearing his praise, the answer given by this Linglong doll remained that mechanical voice, with not a single fluctuation in tone.

But Li Yu was interested now.

Suddenly, like a lecherous youth, he dragged the maid's small mechanical hand toward the master bedroom.

Along the way, he didn't forget to converse with her:

"Red Bean, how much memory do you have of the past?"

"I do not know what the past is; when I woke up, the first thing I saw was Master."

"Who created you?"

"I do not know, Master."

"Besides cremating corpses and cleaning, what else can you do?"

"I do not know, Master. Please give me more specific commands."

"Can you help me kill people, Red Bean?"

"I can, Master. Starting to search for human life forms..."

"Stop!"

In the master bedroom, Li Yu looked at the beautiful, charming mechanical doll standing obediently before him and could not help but reveal a bitter smile.

The sense of warmth was still there, but he now vaguely understood: Hongdou still possessed extraordinary value, but in terms of intelligence, one could not expect too much; it had a rather "artificial idiot" vibe.

Because he had already anticipated this, Li Yu was not disappointed.

At this moment, he confirmed that Hongdou did indeed possess some other functions, only they required Li Yu to conduct in-depth development.

He walked around Hongdou a few times to observe her, then immediately intended to get hands-on, conducting a very detailed inspection of this maiden doll from the inside out.

That’s right, he still refused to give up.

He attempted to understand her thoroughly first; even if he couldn't find hope for repairs, knowing a bit more extraordinary knowledge would suffice.

But before he could act, a knock on the door suddenly rang out, accompanied by huffing and puffing breathing sounds, and a loud voice miraculously sounded directly in Li Yu's ear:

"By order of the Abbot!"

"We have come to deliver ingredients, tables, and chairs; please open the door, benefactor."

His actions interrupted, Li Yu was not disappointed and walked quickly to open the door.

Compared to understanding the maid doll in depth, proper business was more important.

As soon as the courtyard gate opened, Li Yu first smelled that familiar scent of meat and incense, and immediately saw five or six pig-faced monks standing before him.

Each was burly and thick-waisted, covered in fat, with pig heads and pig faces, and bristles growing thickly everywhere, which even their monk robes could not conceal.

Yet there was no pig stench at all; instead, the scent of incense was even stronger.

He saw them offer no polite greetings to Li Yu, walking straight inside to put down the various tables and chairs they had carried, then spreading out seven or eight large bundles, signaling for Li Yu to come forward and count them.

Inside the bundles were indeed various ingredients filled with spiritual energy, such as a bag of gloomy, yin-filled black toads, river mussels covered in ghost faces, segments of strange wheel-shaped lotus roots, evil crabs with a hundred legs, a large jar of poisonous insects... and so on; these were exactly all the ingredients Li Yu needed for tonight.

Compared to ordinary ingredients, these things all had eerie aspects.

Ordinary people would avoid them at all costs.

Even if they obtained them, they could not eat them, otherwise, they would surely die.

Take that "ghost mussel," for example; if a commoner who was not an extraordinary being ate even a small piece, they would be poisoned, grow ghost faces all over their body, and wail as they died on the spot.

In reality, even for extraordinary beings themselves, or even formal Sequence 8 cultivators.

If they forcibly consumed high-spirituality ingredients that had not been processed, they would also be poisoned, and if they didn't die, they would still lose a layer of skin.

At this time, an existence like Li Yu, who possessed extraordinary culinary skills, had immense value.

Although he was not a true [Chef Being], he possessed the power of a Chef Being and could process these ingredients, stripping away the toxicity so that diners could enjoy only the beauty of the spirituality within.

Of course, there were conservatively estimated to be nearly a hundred paths of gods in this world, and there were far more people with similar abilities than just Sequence 8 of the Forbidden God Path; otherwise, that evil god, Forbidden God, could have long since walked openly in the human world, at least standing on equal footing with the six major orthodox god sects, rather than being a street rat that everyone shouted to beat.

Very quickly, Li Yu finished counting all the ingredients.

And with incomparable heartache, he paid the leading pig-faced monk a massive sum of five hundred taels.

The one thousand taels he had obtained from selling Sun Sanniang's intestines were now completely bottomed out.

This was only because "Zhu Mei, the Abbot of the Pig Temple," had coveted Li Yu's body and generously given a twenty percent discount; otherwise, he would have ended up owing money.

After sending off that group of absurd-looking pig-faced monks, he began to mutter:

"The total cost for all dishes is five hundred taels."

"The selling price is nearly six thousand taels; if nothing goes wrong, I can recoup my capital more than tenfold tonight."

"This business looks excellent, but unfortunately, when you really calculate it, I am going to lose until I'm destitute."

Li Yu weighed the remaining few dozen taels of silver in his hand, his face solemn.

What he was calculating in his mouth was only the procurement cost.

The true "major cost"!

Was himself.

Every time he used his culinary skills, he took a giant step closer to death.

Compared to this, a mere few thousand taels of silver naturally counted for nothing.

"Fortunately, if my scheme can succeed."

"What I will gain will be more than just this silver; that is the truly profitable business, making it worth my while to set such a cheap price and take the risk to set the trap."

"Let's begin!"

"Hongdou, help me wash and chop the vegetables."

"Yes, Master, starting Spirit Chef function... startup failed..."

"Damn Heavenly Craft Sect salesman, they even gouged out the chef module? They really just left me a shell?"

"Forget it, you can just help me tend the fire."

"Yes, Master!"

(End of chapter)