Chapter 59: Six Thighs

"He actually didn't lie in his last sentence; there really is a mechanical maid with high-level access at home. How can a cook be so rich?"

"But he lied in the second sentence. This kid is very confident in his medicinal cuisine skills, believing that the medicinal spirit food he cooks is extremely delicious and highly effective, enough to temporarily heal us, who are already Sequence 7... Hmm?"

When these two sentences rang out, it wasn't just Li Yu who immediately showed a look of astonishment.

The entire exploration team was the same, and subsequently, they all began to reveal smiles.

Clearly, they hadn't expected this sole survivor!

To actually be the most formidable one among the group of applicants.

And Li Yu looked toward the source of the voice.

That was a ragged, two-headed old man, whose second head looked like a tumor parasitic on his neck, with ugly features crowded together and a pair of bulging eyeballs staring at Li Yu, emitting a faint green light.

Clearly, this strange old man possessed an ability similar to a "lie detector" and could even vaguely peer into Li Yu's thoughts.

Seeing him look over, both heads smiled at him simultaneously and said:

"I am Luo Sheng, Sequence 7 [Wizard] of the Fool God path."

"I specialize in peeping into secrets and destiny, which takes a heavy toll on my soul power, so I need a second head to share the burden for me."

"In the future, when you cook medicinal cuisine for me, you can start by focusing on replenishing soul exhaustion."

"I know your thoughts; you are just playing hard to get. Rest assured, such a thing as just now will absolutely never happen again. This accident was likely due to the spirit essence remaining on Sang Zhu after his cultivation, which attracted that Skin-Peeling Forbidden Weird, and he was too careless to check thoroughly, allowing that thing to slip in."

"He will compensate you."

Hearing these few sentences, Li Yu was instantly speechless.

Clearly, all members of the Ninth Exploration Team had already defaulted to him joining the team.

Telling him their names and their paths and sequences right off the bat, they didn't treat him as an outsider at all.

And the bald boy called "Sang Zhu" also revealed a bitter smile at this moment, reached into his bosom, took out a thumb-thick candle that was black-red all over and emitted a strange aura, and handed it over, saying:

"Sang Zhu. I cannot tell you my path and sequence, otherwise, it will bring disaster upon you."

"This object is called [Weird Candle]. In some weird places, evil spirits, or unknown terrifying locations, lighting it will grant you temporary protection."

"You won't see this stuff outside, but once you join the team, I can sell you some at cost price."

Starting from this Sang Zhu, the next three people were all very tacit.

While greeting him, they also separately stated the benefits and treatment Li Yu could enjoy upon joining.

First was a young man whose skin was slick and glossy, with a texture like a porcelain doll, his face seemingly frozen in a permanent smile, who said:

"Zhu Wugou, Sequence 7 [Eroding Person] of the Plague God path."

"I believe you can see that this skin is not real; it is a strange object that can cover up the pollution and poison Qi that I am constantly leaking."

"When you cook medicinal cuisine in the future, you can start from the aspects of nourishing nature and dispelling poison. If the spirit effects are good, I will give you some extra benefits."

"By the way, if you are willing to join, all the raw materials for the medicinal spirit food required by our Ninth Exploration Team in the future will be paid for by the City Lord's Mansion."

"At the same time, for the medicinal spirit food you cook, the City Lord's Mansion will provide half of the market price as your salary."

"The City Lord's Mansion will not inquire too much about the whereabouts of any surplus materials."

Hearing these words, Li Yu was immediately tempted.

What great benefits!

Doesn't this mean: in the future, Li Yu no longer needs to spend money to buy expensive spirit materials or weird objects, just let the City Lord's Mansion procure them, and he only needs to cook and refine them, while collecting half the market price, and also having the opportunity to line his own pockets?

Before Li Yu could fully digest this, a gaunt, bitter-faced young man approached, his exposed skin covered in various scars clearly from self-harm, and a blood-stained hemp rope was wrapped directly around his neck.

Along with his appearance came a wisp of strange evil Qi; just a slight touch would make one's soul feel depressed and full of sin.

"Shu Fu, Sequence 7 [Sin Puppet] of the Hanging King path."

"If fellow Daoist is willing to join, please prepare more food that brings joy."

"I cannot give you any personal benefits, but as long as you become a member of the Ninth Exploration Team, you can enjoy protection from the City Lord's Mansion."

"Even if the overlord of the Four Districts kills you, they will have to give the City Lord's Mansion an explanation afterward."

The previous ones were all very tempting, but only this one made Li Yu full of the desire to complain.

"Fellow Daoist, you don't look very 'comfortable'... So the next sequence of the Sorrow Corpse is called [Sin Puppet]... Did you not notice I stole a portion of the Sorrow Corpse's power just now, or did you notice and just couldn't be bothered to say? The real benefit I want is that I can enjoy protection and won't be easily slaughtered by others."

Just as Li Yu was muttering in his heart, the last team member stood prettily in front of him.

She was a woman in white, with a curvaceous and very hot body, but her temperament was very holy, making one only dare to watch from afar and not dare to desecrate.

Especially her fair, pretty face, with her eyes covered by a white silk scarf, as if she were a saintess of a celestial sect walking in the human world.

Until the next moment, she spoke.

"Little fellow Daoist, I am called Mi Wuniang, and I cultivate the Jade Maiden method. You can just call me Sister Wu."

"Once you join, I can give you some personal benefits."

"My home is near this City Lord Street. If your residence is very far, you can stay at my place temporarily; I won't charge you rent."

"As for the other benefits of the City Lord's Mansion, such as being able to waive the redemption fee to leave the city once your merit points reach a certain level, or using merit points to directly exchange for a spirit-essence residence on City Lord Street, as well as the gold cards for the Soul-Captivating Club issued during holidays, etc., Sister will explain them to you one by one in the future."

……

=9+Shu_ba

The first sentence of this saintess-like female cultivator immediately extinguished all the thoughts of closeness that had just arisen in Li Yu's heart.

Although this "Sister Wu" didn't say it directly, Li Yu had some knowledge.

Jade Maiden!

If he remembered correctly, this should be the Sequence 7 of the Evil God path under the Lust Sect.

The previous sequence was called [Courtesan], and Li Yu's neighbor, the Tofu Beauty, was exactly trying to promote to this.

Unfortunately, before she succeeded, she was killed by that beast, the old vegetable-man Yi Ya, who even shamelessly turned her into a spirit food called "Jade Maiden Feast" and came to Li Yu's door trying to compare culinary skills.

He wondered if Yi Ya would fight to the death to escape if he encountered a real Jade Maiden, that is, the Sister Wu in front of him.

At least Li Yu was certain that if he turned hostile now.

There would be no need for anyone else; this Mi Wuniang alone could kill him instantly.

But this was not the reason why Li Yu immediately agreed to join the next moment.

Even the various benefits and treatments given by these six people in succession were not the reason.

Li Yu also knew that if he delayed and hesitated a bit more, he might be able to extort some more benefits from this Ninth Exploration Team.

After all, he was a survivor of an accidental disaster, and to appease the situation and avoid scandal, his treatment would naturally be higher than that of private cooks for other exploration teams.

But since he had already heard the benefit he wanted most, he naturally chose to stop while he was ahead.

"Exemption from the redemption fee to leave the city and travel!"

That's right, this was the one that tempted Li Yu the most.

It seemed inconspicuous, and this rule was generally applicable to all citizens of Wanfu City; it wasn't that Li Yu couldn't afford that sum of money.

But because of various signs, such as the warning from Hong Dou, the amnesiac mechanical maid.

Li Yu guessed: this rule was actually just a formality; Wanfu City was easy to enter but hard to leave, and ordinary citizens couldn't really get away even if they paid the fee.

"But this kind of benefit for the 'City Lord's Mansion's own people' might be different."

"At the very least, this is the best way I can access to escape Wanfu City."

These two thoughts settled.

A brilliant smile immediately appeared on Li Yu's face, and then he nodded to the six Sequence 7 powerhouses in front of him, who could all be considered his "thighs" in the future:

"Li Yu, Sequence 8 of an unknown path, specializing in cooking various medicinal spirit foods."

"From today on, I am also a member of the Ninth Exploration Team. I ask for your kind guidance, seniors."

(End of chapter)