CFSMS -Chapter 174 The Crash!

The sun continued its climb across the sky.

Warm sunlight bathed the land. Outside Heavenly Buddha Temple, some diners squatted, some sat, and others gathered in small groups chatting about all sorts of things.

A number of visitors had even gone into the temple to look around.

Every time Lu Wu set up her stall, she witnessed scenes like this—peaceful and strangely healing.

People from all corners of the world gathering because of a single delicious dish was a remarkable kind of fate.

“Just because I glanced at you once in the crowd, I could never forget your face…”

A song drifted through the air.

Stretching lazily, Lu Wu loosened her stiff limbs.

Running a food stall was hard work. Since opening for business, she hadn’t stopped for a moment.

Whenever she thought about taking a break, the diners would start urging her on in roundabout ways.

Things like:

“You’re still young, how can you stop now?”

“Other people already live in grand palaces, and you’re still resting?”

The endless stream of emotional manipulation from her customers left Lu Wu dizzy and overwhelmed. They treated her like a tireless beast of burden.

Fortunately, she remained clear-headed and hadn’t been brainwashed by them.

So…

“Closing up!”

Looking at her completely sold-out stall, Lu Wu shouted cheerfully, unable to hide her excitement.

Freedom for today!

Checking her mission progress:

[1111 / 2500]

Hmm.

Almost halfway there.

A cause for celebration.

Today’s battle was over. Tomorrow’s could wait.

Showing the customers her empty containers, Lu Wu hummed a tune as she began packing up.

“Ahhh, how can you do this? I haven’t had enough yet…”

“You haven’t had enough? I saw you line up three times! I just got here and didn’t even get one cup before you’re closing. Get lost!”

“Waaah, why are you being so mean? It’s all Boss Lu’s fault. I’m innocent!”

“You dead pervert, get away from me!”

…

Complaints rose one after another, but Lu Wu ignored them completely.

Since Heavenly Buddha Temple sat atop a mountain peak, the surrounding area naturally featured numerous cliffs and precipices.

Quite a few bold cultivators gathered near the cliff edges, watching the ever-changing clouds and winds.

The three brothers were among them.

Fortunately, they had come to their senses in time and had each managed to buy more milk tea afterward.

Just as they’d expected, none of the flavors disappointed them.

At the moment, their stomachs were bulging.

The third brother patted his round belly, which sounded hollow like a watermelon.

Thunk.

“Burp!”

With spiritual power suppressed, he couldn’t digest the milk tea in his stomach, greatly limiting his usual capabilities.

His belly was full.

His heart was full too.

The cold wind brushing against their faces briefly pulled the brothers away from the temptation of milk tea.

They looked down at the seemingly bottomless abyss beneath them.

Then at the crowds beginning to disperse.

Their expressions slowly froze.

“It seems we…”

The third brother trailed off.

“Yeah.”

The second brother nodded firmly.

The chilly breeze reminded him of what he’d forgotten.

Their employer’s mission.

At this point, the deadline had already passed. There was no way they could still complete it.

A terrible miscalculation.

The eldest brother simply covered his face and let out a long sigh.

Over the years, the three of them had carried out countless jobs.

Never once had they stood up a client like this.

More importantly, Boss Lu really was just a street vendor.

She wasn’t their accomplice at all.

The misunderstanding had been enormous.

“We’ll just say security at Heavenly Buddha Temple was too tight today and we couldn’t find an opportunity to act.”

“We’ll come back tomorrow.”

The second brother’s excuse was quickly approved.

After all, the Demon-Sealing Formation would remain active for half a month.

They had plenty of chances.

“Okay.”

The third brother had no objections.

After several cups of milk tea, he’d already forgotten how his two older brothers had tricked him earlier.

“Then… are we still drinking milk tea tomorrow? They said there’ll be new flavors again.”

The third brother asked.

The eldest and second brother exchanged glances and nodded.

“Absolutely.”

Thanks to today’s experience, they’d be prepared tomorrow.

They’d buy the milk tea and leave immediately.

Surely they wouldn’t become so obsessed that they couldn’t walk away again.

With arms around each other’s shoulders, the three brothers headed down the mountain.

After they left, Xia Yi emerged from the shadows, holding an empty milk tea cup and pouting.

“How boring.”

She hadn’t gotten a chance to do anything.

“Isn’t it better if nobody has to fight and kill?”

Chan Yu appeared beside her, smiling as he looked toward the crowded mountain path, though his gaze remained deep and thoughtful.

Who knew how many among those visitors had come to Heavenly Buddha Temple with ulterior motives?

Yet regardless of what they intended, they had all been conquered by Boss Lu’s milk tea and temporarily abandoned any thoughts of causing trouble.

Boss Lu truly lived up to her reputation.

“How’s that demon doing?”

Xia Yi glanced toward Lu Wu, who was still surrounded by customers, and casually asked Chan Yu.

“Still alright. It hasn’t awakened yet.”

A true demon wasn’t so easy to destroy.

Heavenly Buddha Temple had suppressed it for years, reciting scriptures day and night in hopes of purifying its demonic nature.

The results, however, had been minimal.

This period each year was when its demonic energy accumulated most intensely.

Only by activating the Demon-Sealing Formation and suppressing all spiritual power could they prevent it from exploiting an opportunity.

Unfortunately, there were always people who wanted to cause trouble during times like this.

That was why Xia Yi had come.

After all, the mastermind this time was a traitor from the Joyous Union Sect.

She was here to clean up her own sect’s mess.

The culprit had hidden too well, and she’d been tracking them for a long time without success.

This time, she intended to use Heavenly Buddha Temple as bait.

Under the Demon-Sealing Formation, all cultivators became ordinary mortals.

“Do you think that demon would enjoy Boss Lu’s milk tea too?”

Xia Yi suddenly asked.

She had eaten the pork knuckles and drunk the milk tea.

She had also witnessed firsthand how crazy the customers became over Lu Wu.

Those foods contained more than just flavor—they carried special effects.

Take the milk tea, for example.

It could calm the mind.

Obsessive thoughts accumulated during cultivation were shattered by a single cup, clearing the Dao heart and naturally leading to breakthroughs.

She knew that quite a few monks at Heavenly Buddha Temple had entered states of enlightenment over the past couple of days.

“Hmm… that might actually be worth trying.”

After hearing her suggestion, Chan Yu found the idea surprisingly plausible.

Of course, it would require Lu Wu’s cooperation.

“Huh?”

A sudden chill ran down Lu Wu’s spine, and she tightened her coat.

The mountain was truly cold after winter arrived.

Even beneath the Buddha’s radiance, gloomy winds still howled.

No reason to stay here any longer!

“Everyone, I’m going to buy ingredients now. If I don’t leave, there won’t be any milk tea for you tomorrow.”

Lu Wu lied with a perfectly straight face.

In reality, her storage space still contained plenty of ingredients.

“What? Absolutely not! Boss Lu, hurry and go!”

The customers immediately panicked.

What was idle chatting compared to tomorrow’s milk tea?

Not only did they stop trying to keep her around, they actually started pushing her toward the mountain path.

“Tch.”

Lu Wu clicked her tongue.

So in front of food, Boss Lu really didn’t matter at all?

Climbing onto her stall, she spread the giant wings attached to it.

With a powerful flap, she soared over the crowd and headed down the mountain.

But halfway down—

A strange gust of wind suddenly swept through.

Whoosh!

The giant wings flapped desperately.

High in the air, Lu Wu clung tightly to her stall, terrified.

Don’t do this to me!

Unfortunately, her prayers went unanswered.

The wings shuddered violently once more.

Then her flight path shifted.

The stall began plunging straight downward.

The aircraft was going down!

My life ends here…