CFSMS -Chapter 149 This Is a War for Dignity

Perhaps realizing that her “image” had completely collapsed, Longzhu gave Lu Wu an embarrassed little smile, her round face flushed red.

She should have been a bit more ladylike.

Her mother had always said that human women were elegant and refined.

But the moment her tongue tasted the crab roe burger, Longzhu already regretted eating so fast.

That rich, delicious flavor only lingered briefly in her mouth before vanishing in an instant—she hadn’t even managed to grasp its true essence.

Fortunately, she still had one left.

Holding the crab roe burger like a treasured gem, Longzhu began to take small, delicate bites.

Adorable beyond words.

But in Lu Wu’s mind, all she could recall was that previous mouth opening wide enough to see down the throat.

As for Longzhen, the moment he received his burger, he had already buried his head in it, occasionally letting out muffled sounds of praise, completely ignoring everything else.

Even when his mother shot him sharp, warning glances, he ignored them entirely.

No one from the clan had ever told him that food on land could be this good. If he had known earlier, he would never have given this mission to that foolish younger brother.

“… ”

Watching both of her children behave so disgracefully, the Empress of the Octopus Clan felt her stomach ache from anger.

Still angry, but unwilling to harm her own stomach, she turned her gaze to Lu Wu and studied her for a long moment before slowly saying,

“Bring me a set meal.”

Only by personally tasting this “sinister” snail rice noodle dish could she find proof that humans had indeed kidnapped her youngest son.

Facing the Empress—cold, noble, and exuding regal disdain while wearing a bizarre mix of red and green—Lu Wu once again set to work.

Steam rose as she worked swiftly with both hands.

White rice noodles were lifted from the pot.

The Empress frowned at the pale noodles. They didn’t look suspicious at all. But that thought quickly shifted once the heavy presence of pickled bamboo shoots was added.

As expected—humans were truly sinister!

Watching the plain white noodles drowned in a fiery red broth, along with strange-smelling toppings, the Empress let out a heavy sigh.

Humans had even learned how to waste food.

Wasn’t it said that food was the essence of life?

When the bowl of uniquely fragrant snail noodles was placed before her, she almost wanted to pinch her nose and run.

But as the Empress of the Octopus Clan, she could not lose face here.

With a dark expression, she sat down and, after a long moment of hesitation, picked up… the crab roe burger instead.

The moment she truly tasted it, she finally understood why her children had acted so shamelessly.

As Empress, her daily meals were meticulously prepared, yet none of them could compare to this small burger.

As rich, fatty flavors burst across her tongue, it felt as though her very soul was being elevated.

In that moment, she even forgot about her “suffering” youngest son, holding the burger like a priceless treasure.

The delicious taste was simply unstoppable.

But even the best burger has its end. After swallowing the last bite, a blissful expression still lingered on her face.

It was the smell of the snail noodles that finally pulled her back to reality.

In that instant, it felt as though she had fallen from paradise into hell.

After experiencing the burger’s perfection, she now viewed the snail noodles with absolute disgust.

If not for that bowl, she could have eaten another burger.

With a heavy heart, she picked up her chopsticks.

When she was younger, she had secretly gone ashore and learned human dining etiquette, so she was quite skilled with them.

She twirled a few strands of noodles and, decisively, shut off her sense of smell.

Without the odor, the dish was far more tolerable.

With that thought, she bit down.

The springy noodles were smooth and chewy, absorbing the rich broth. The snail meat wrapped within also entered her mouth.

The plump, fatty snail meat was surprisingly satisfying.

After a bit of chewing, everything slipped smoothly down her throat.

Only after swallowing did she realize, belatedly, that the taste was nothing like the “disgusting food” she had imagined.

She paused in surprise, looking at the bowl, and cautiously lifted the seal on her sense of smell.

Instantly, the stench rushed in.

The familiar scent confirmed the dish had not been swapped.

But that taste…

Confused by her own delayed sensory response, she refused to believe it and took another bite—this time without blocking her sense of smell.

The smell still filled her nose, unpleasant as ever.

Yet the taste in her mouth felt like two completely different worlds colliding.

The clash between smell and flavor was like ice meeting molten lava, shaking her perception to its core.

“Delicious” was no longer enough to describe it.

She finally let go of her prejudice and buried herself in the noodles.

She thought she understood now—the people crying earlier must have been moved to tears by how delicious it was.

Completely absorbed in eating, she failed to notice the gazes of shock and admiration from surrounding diners.

Unlike those who merely boasted, she actually ate spicy food as casually as eating home-cooked meals.

The bowl was covered in chili, yet she treated it as a side dish, calmly savoring it.

Her expression never changed, even while eating fiery spice, making everyone realize they had met a true rival.

“That person doesn’t seem to be from the Bun Sect.”

“I’ve never seen her before either.”

“Don’t tell me an outsider is going to steal first place?”

The disciples of the Bun Sect quickly began exchanging messages, feeling their dignity challenged.

How could an outsider surpass their faithful members?

Previously wary diners now exchanged glances, silently reaching the same conclusion.

They would unite and bring down this challenger to the Bun Sect’s dignity.

Victory must belong to them.

“Let’s go. Come back tomorrow,” one diner said, staring deeply at the Empress, memorizing her face before heading toward Yuanhai City.

They still had a day to train and improve their tolerance for spice.

Why not settle it today?

Because the damn shop owner had imposed purchase limits.

And that annoying big yellow dog.

It had a perfect memory—anyone who had already bought food and tried to sneak back in would be ruthlessly exposed.

Then they’d be blasted by fire.

No one wanted to end up running naked in front of Boss Lu.

Absolutely not because they were afraid!

After finishing a bowl of snail noodles, the Empress patted her full stomach, her expression satisfied.

She admitted she had misunderstood humans.

Since her foolish son had not been harmed, she could rest easy.

She called over her two children, who were still watching other diners with predatory eyes, and signaled them to return to the palace.

No snatching allowed.

If they scared the little shop owner away, how would she come back tomorrow for snail noodles and burgers?

Perhaps from overeating, the Empress’s mind had slowed down as she swaggered back into the sea.

Lu Wu couldn’t help but wonder—are all sea people this… simple-minded?