It was a scene of harmony in the Cloud Mist Restaurant.
Nethery walked along the small shop, hugging a porcelain pot. She had eaten until her entire mouth was oily, turning her beautiful face red yet again. It made her entire being look as if she were angry.
Lord Dog lay below the Path-Understanding Tree, burping while narrowing his dog eyes.
"Lass, give this Lord Dog another strip."
Lord Dog waved his paw at Nethery.
Nethery's figure paused and her slender fingers reached into the pot. A Chili Strip carrying bright oil then flew out from the porcelain pot, toward where Lord Dog was.
With a crunching sound, Lord Dog began to chew on the Chili Strip. He burped as he chewed and a pungent spicy smell filled the area.
Nethery puckered her lips and she was elated. She hugged the porcelain pot as she walked around. While strolling around, she continued eating the chili strips. This woman's red lips had become extremely bright because of the spice, giving out a rosy glow. She appeared extremely enchanting.
Suddenly, Nethery's walking figure froze. Her long straight black hair swayed like a waterfall as she turned, looking toward Lord Dog innocently.
"Lord… Didn't Bu Fang tell me to sell these Chili Strips before he left?" Nethery coldly asked.
Lord Dog burped and the spicy smell lingered in the air.
"Huh? Lass, you actually remembered? It's no problem, eat as much as you like. What are you afraid of? If that kid dares to ask you to sell the Chili Strips, he should have been prepared to not be able to sell a single strip."
Lord Dog's raised his eyes to look at Nethery as he continued to chew on a piece of Chili Strip.
Nethery's eyes suddenly widened, "Really?"
"What are you scared of? Give me another strip. If something happens, I will take responsibility." Lord Dog pulled back its mouth, waving his paw with the face of a hooligan.
Eighty, who was sitting in the distance, seemed to understand Lord Dog's words. Its head shook and it revealed a look of disdain. It cried out with clucking sounds.
"Hey, you are just a little chicken. How dare you mock Lord Dog? Don't make me pluck out all your feathers and make you a featherless Eight Treasures Chicken!" Lord Dog glared at Eighty as it said.
Eighty was scared in an instant. It flapped its wings, and its small eyes widened as it began to run away. It clucked out as it ran.
"Lord, if Bu Fang comes back and hears about this, will he not make us food anymore? Your Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs, my Dragon Blood Rice, will they be all gone?" Nethery's mouth trembled as she said.
Lord Dog froze and its eyes narrowed. It was something extremely possible. With that kid Bu Fang's temper, he might really do such a heartless thing.
"Okay then, Lass, how many strips are there left in the pot? If we start the business now, we would at least be able to sell some of them. Since we actually did something, that rascal shouldn't refuse to cook for us." Lord Dog's mouth pulled back, smiling as he said.
Nethery flicked the Chili Strips in the porcelain pot, then raised her head expressionlessly and looked at Lord Dog.
"There's only five left."
"There's still so many left? Come, a strip for you, a strip for me, then we'll sell the remaining three. We really are too generous."
Once Lord Dog heard that there were still five strips left, he was shocked. How many Chili Strips did that kid Bu Fang make? Even when he and Nethery had eaten countless strips, for there to still be five left at the end?
"Lord, what you say makes sense." Nethery nodded her head seriously. Her slender fingers pinched into the pot once again and tossed out another Chili Strip, covered with oil, toward Lord Dog, who caught it in his mouth.
Nethery also grabbed a strip and stuffed it into her own mouth. While chewing, she waved her hand and the bronze gate instantly opened with a bang. The light from outside shone into the store and the people who were queuing outside broke out into frenzy. When the bronze gate opened, chaos broke out.
At the front of the crowd was Nangong Wuque, whose face was full of excitement.
"Haha! Boss Bu, you've finally opened the store!"
Nangong Wuque rushed in with a face of elation. However, when he saw the cold Nethery, he froze.
"Big sis Nethery, good morning! Huh? Sis, why are your lips so red?" Nangong Wuque said curiously, looking at Nethery.
Nethery glanced over him coldly and placed the porcelain pot on the table with a loud bang.
"Bu Fang isn't here today. However, he said that I am the one in charge today. We still have to do business and sell these Crazy Hot Chili Strips. Burp..."
The atmosphere became extremely awkward as Nethery released out a burp full of the smell of chili once she had finished talking. However, her appearance remain the same without any sight of embarrassment.
"Crazy Hot Chilli Strips?" Although Nangong Wuque's face was strange, his eyes had a trace of excitement. Wasn't that the dish Bu Fang prepared in the finals? It was something he had to try! How meaningful...
"Give me a strip! To be able to defeat White Demon Jiang Ling's six-mark spirit pill, it definitely isn't an ordinary dish!" Nangong Wuque said.
Behind Nangong Wuque, many people were also getting extremely excited.
Chili Strips!
Back when they saw the five hundred evaluators fighting on the stage for the dish, the scene was really a sight to behold. Who in the right mind wouldn't want to give such a delicacy a try?
Sorceress An Sheng couldn't wait at the entrance anymore. She swayed her plump hips and pushed Nangong Wuque to the side.
"Give me a strip too! It doesn't matter how much it costs!"
Nangong Wan also popped out her head, smiling at Nethery.
Nethery was expressionless, looking seriously at the three. Then, she slowly opened her mouth and said, "You guys are lucky. This time, Bu Fang made three Chili Strips, one for each of you. Perfect, Burd."
Everyone was stunned, including the customers who were eavesdropping outside.
There were hundreds of them there… and she was saying that they only had three Chili Strips?
Was Boss Bu stupid?
Even if he used his toes to think, he should have known that there would be a lot of customers today.
Nangong Wuque's face was doubtful. If not for the burping Nethery, he would have actually believed it, given that she was the Netherworld woman. However, that burp of hers had already exposed everything.
Ge~
From afar, another burp suddenly rang out, containing the smell of chili.
Nangong Wuque took in a deep breath, and his eyes widened as he looked at Lord Dog's position… Could it be? How many Chili Strips did these two big shots eat? For a second, his heart ached for Boss Bu.
"So? You don't believe what I said? Are you still buying?" Nethery coldly said. Her eyes had become pitch black in an instant, causing a chill to travel down Nangong Wuque's entire body.
Big Sis Nethery… could you not start threatening us all of a sudden? Why don't you just make your move?
"I believe you. If I, Nangong Wuque, don't believe Big Sis Nethery, then who else will I believe in? It's just three strips, I'll buy all of it!" Nangong Wuque said domineeringly.
"A strip for each person, I'm very fair," Nethery said.
Sorceress An Sheng's chest rose and fell for a moment, and she let out a deep breath of relief.
"One strip for fifteen thousand crystals, Bu Fang's price. Our house offers equal and fair treatment to young and old alike," Nethery continued.
Pu…
Nangong Wuque almost spat out a mouth of blood. Big sis Nethery, do you think that we are blind? Isn't Bu Fang's price on the menu behind you? A Chili Strip was… a thousand and five hundred crystals!
"So? You don't believe what I said? Are you still buying?" Nethery's eyes became pitch black again.
Nangong Wuque's face was stunned. Those words seemed so familiar. Big sis Nethery, didn't you just say this?
In the end, Nangong Wuque and the other two spent fifteen thousand crystals to buy a single Chili Strip. When they bit on the Chili Strip, it felt as though they were chewing on a spirit pill, and their hearts twitched.
Blacky rolled his eyes under the Path-Understanding Tree. This lass had been brought up badly by Bu Fang. At first, she was such a pure Netherworld woman, but now she had become so evil.
However… Lord Dog was very satisfied, ge~
…
The light flickered. After the wave of absent-mindedness passed, Bu Fang felt much more clear-headed. Slowly opening his eyes, he felt a sharp pain in his them from the abrupt glare of bright light.
"Have you recuperated? If you have, follow me."
Just as Bu Fang opened his eyes and saw the scenery before him clearly, a cold voice suddenly resounded from beside his ears.
Bu Fang realized that he was in an open-air hall, with dragons and phoenixes sculptures around it. They were carved very delicately in very solid stone. The floor was engraved with a magic array that looked the same as the one in the hidden room of the Pill Pagoda.
"Where is this?" Bu Fang asked.
The person speaking sneered and glanced at Bu Fang, saying, " Did the transportation make you dumb? This is the Heaven Secret Territory, where else do you think it would be?"
This person was a young man wearing an alchemist robe. However, what was different from the alchemy robes that Bu Fang usually saw was that other than the dazzling clouds on this person's clothes, there was also a star-shaped badge made of gold hanging from his chest.
"Boss Bu, this person should be the Star Time Pagoda senior who is in charge of receiving us." Mu Bai gently smiled, nodding his head toward the youth.
"What are you smiling for, stop talking so much and move quickly! If you cause me to miss the inheritance speech of Lord Huang Fuhe, this senior here will settle things with you!" The youth ignored Mu Bai's greeting, coldly glancing over the three.
"Huang Fuhe? Could it be… could it really be that it's the previous Pill Master Lord Huang Fuhe?" Mu Bai was frozen for a moment before he realized in shock.
"Oh? You actually know Huang Fuhe?" The youth was also stunned.
"I have heard Lord Pill Master bring it up before…" Mu Bai said, smiling.
"This person actually has connections to the Pill Master… Looks like the top three of this time's Magical Hand Conference was not ordinary."
The youth thought about it in his heart, his face becoming a lot gentler.
"Wo, since junior has heard of Lord Huang Fuhe before, then let's go together. After all, this is a fated opportunity for those with affinity," the youth said.
"Then I shall trouble you to lead the way," Mu Bai said respectfully. The youth was indeed a warm and refined person.
Looking at Mu Bai, who had gotten along with the arrogant youth, Bu Fang was slightly speechless.
"The two of you should follow along as well," the youth said it with a face of impatience, looking at Bu Fang and Jiang Ling.
Bu Fang tapped Whitey's plump stomach, ignoring the youth. He turned around, walking off on his own.
Jiang Ling also coldly glanced at the youth and curved her mouth. Then, with a cold laugh, she left as well.
This was a bit awkward…
"Boss Bu, Senor Jiang Ling, are you not coming with us? Master Huang Fuhe's speech about inheritance is something very hard to come by," Mu Bai said in a hurry as he looked at the back of the two figures.
Bu Fang merely curled his lips, then waved his hand.
Jiang Ling glanced at Mu Bai and then at the youth, before turning and leaving with a "humph".
And so, the three had parted ways there…
Jiang Ling seemed to have an objective, walking in a direction without stopping.
Bu Fang, however, was walking aimlessly. The reason he came to the secret territory was to find the True Dragon Fruit, and with Nethery selling the Chili Strips back at the Cloud Mist Restaurant, there was no need to worry about the business, which made Bu Fang feel quite leisurely.
"Hey, the newbies nowadays are quite wild. Soon they will realize how difficult it will be in the Heaven Secret Territory without a guide…. Oh yeah junior, are you the champion of the Magical Hand Conference this time? Senior Wu Zhang wishes to meet you." The youth glanced at Bu Fang and Jiang Ling's vanishing silhouettes with disdain as he turned his head towards Mu Bai to ask.
Mu Bai froze… In that instant, he felt as though his cheeks were hurting.