After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

In the early morning in the southern border region, a thin mist, like a veil of green, enveloped the Yunbian B&B.

Here, there is none of the industrial smokiness of Jiangcheng; the air is filled with the moist scent of earth and the fragrance of grass and trees.

A few drops of morning dew clung to the tips of banana leaves in the corner of the yard, swaying precariously.

Downstairs in the kitchen, the rhythmic sound of chopping meat echoed.

Zhou Ran sat on a rattan chair on the second-floor terrace, rubbing two fingers together, feeling a wisp of decay.

That was the residue left over from when "hope" was removed from Feng Lili's heart last night.

This thing felt cold and ethereal to the touch, and it had a musty smell that had been there for a hundred years.

However, on this Earth where spiritual energy is scarce, it's not bad to serve as a snack for the old demon in the sea of ​​consciousness.

"Boss, something's not right here."

Qin San, clutching the newsletter he had just received, walked behind Zhou Ran and lowered his voice.

Although he was a ruthless man who lived on the edge of a knife, the land of southern Xinjiang always gave him the creeps.

"When I went to town to buy cigarettes earlier, there were several pairs of eyes watching me from the shadows. And..."

Qin San paused, then pointed to a corner of the courtyard downstairs.

"Even in this courtyard, I always feel like there's something swaying around, but when I look closely, it's empty."

A hint of amusement appeared on Zhou Ran's face.

He did not activate his Demon Eyes, but his immense divine sense had already enveloped an area of ​​a hundred meters in radius.

"It's alright."

Zhou Ran's expression remained calm.

"Let them do what they want, as long as they don't put anything in my bowl."

As soon as he finished speaking, a rich and overpowering aroma wafted out from the kitchen downstairs.

The pork topping stir-fried in chili oil, mixed with the rich flavor of fermented pickled cabbage and the unique umami of wild mushrooms, immediately overwhelmed the fresh scent of grass and trees throughout the courtyard.

Feng Lili carried a brass tray out of the kitchen, her simple cotton and linen dress clinging to her voluptuous figure.

After being cleansed by the demonic energy of last night, this pretty proprietress is like a ripe peach after being thoroughly irrigated by spring rain, exuding a mature charm in every gesture.

"Mr. Zhou, Third Master, please try my cooking."

Feng Lili changed into a clean set of clothes. Although she didn't wear any makeup, she couldn't hide the charm in her eyes.

After treatment last night, her originally pale complexion is now rosy and radiant, like a withered tree coming back to life.

That radiant vitality from within made her look more than ten years younger.

Behind her, a little girl named Guanqi timidly tugged at her mother's skirt.

Although there was still a hint of confusion in her big eyes, the lifeless aura had dissipated.

"Calling this rice noodle 'Crossing the Bridge' isn't quite right. It's a local recipe, a modified version of 'Great Rescue'."

Feng Lili smiled and placed the bowls and chopsticks on the stone table in the courtyard.

"The sauce is a family recipe, simmered overnight, which makes it incredibly flavorful."

The bowl is filled with glistening red oil, and the meat sauce is piled up like a small mountain, while the tender green mint leaves and snow-white rice noodles complement each other beautifully.

Just one glance is enough to make one's throat tighten and mouth water.

Zhou Ran got up and went downstairs.

The moment his toes touched the bluestone slabs of the courtyard, a very faint ripple of spiritual energy came from the gate.

Immediately afterwards, two extremely faint, even clumsy, spiritual energy trails swaggered across the threshold.

They were two stunningly beautiful girls dressed in Hanfu.

Her appearance was ordinary, with delicate features.

The woman on the left has her hair styled in a flowing bun and has a slightly gentle demeanor.

The woman on the right has a silver bell hanging from her waist, and her eyes dart around, giving her a mischievous and clever air.

Ironically, both of them had a yellow talisman stuck to their foreheads.

The talisman paper was so rough it resembled toilet paper, and the cinnabar on it was mixed with chicken blood.

The person drawing the talisman had a trembling hand, and the spiritual energy flow was intermittent, serving no purpose other than slightly refracting light.

This piece of junk doesn't even deserve to be called an invisibility charm.

Zhou Ran almost burst out laughing.

Under his all-seeing, demonic eyes, these two girls were no different from running naked with a searchlight in hand.

"Sister! I told you Master's 'Heavenly Rank Divine Talisman' was amazing!"

Su Qingling on the right lowered her voice, her face flushed red.

"Look at that big guy with the scarred face. We're right up to his face, and he's still like he's blind!"

As she spoke, she waved her hand in front of Qin San's eyes.

Qin San frowned, feeling a gust of cold wind sweep past. He instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife, but his eyes remained fixed on the empty gate.

"Stop fooling around, let's get down to business."

Although her older sister Su Qingwu was more composed, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing this, and a sense of admiration for her sect arose spontaneously within her.

however.

The next second, both of their stomachs protested in unison, much to their dismay.

"Gurgle—"

The noise was unusually jarring in the courtyard in the early morning.

The two sisters froze, exchanged a glance, and their eyes were immediately drawn to the red oil rice noodles on the stone table, their throats bobbing.

So delicious.

For them, who had been eating dry rations for three days in the deep mountains and forests, this was an irresistible temptation.

Su Qingling pointed at Zhou Ran, who had just sat down, and bit her lower lip indignantly:

"Sis, look at that pretty boy!"

Living in such a nice courtyard, being waited on hand and foot by orphans and widows, while he sits back and waits to be fed, he must be a rich second-generation who exploits the people!

Su Qingwu looked at Zhou Ran's lazy appearance and then at Feng Lili and her daughter who were standing next to her with respectful expressions, and her sense of justice was overflowing.

"You're right, people like that should be punished."

"What we're doing isn't stealing, it's robbing the rich to help the poor, it's acting on behalf of Heaven!"

Su Qingling found a perfect excuse and pulled her sister toward the stone table.

Zhou Ran sat on the stone bench and slowly picked up a mouthful of rice noodles.

Early stage of foundation building.

In this degenerate age, those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage before the age of twenty are rarer than giant pandas.

Unfortunately, its foundation is as flamboyant as a marshmallow, and...

Zhou Ran's nostrils twitched slightly.

A pure and vast aquatic energy rushed towards me.

This constitution is extremely soft and yin, which is a great tonic for cultivators, but its weaknesses are also very obvious.

"Kid, you've run into something good again! This is the Tidal Sacred Body!"

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the old demon seemed to be recalling something.

"The Holy Body of the Tides?"

Zhou Ran frowned slightly, asking himself a question.

"Indeed, this body's cultivation is progressing rapidly, but its foundation is weak, and it must use secret methods to consolidate its cultivation."

In other words, if one's cultivation is not strengthened, one's physique will be too sensitive, and even the slightest external stimulation will cause one's body to go limp, the vital energy to dissipate, and the ebb and flow to cease!

"Oh?"

Such a constitution exists?!

Zhou Ran seemed to have discovered something extraordinary and kept pressing for answers.

At this moment, Su Qingling, taking advantage of her "invisibility," swaggered over to Zhou Ran's side.

She bent down, her delicate little nose almost touching the rim of Zhou Ran's bowl, her greedy expression making her look just like a little mouse stealing oil.

"You dared to bully me!"

"I'll let you eat all by yourself!"

Su Qingling made a face at Zhou Ran's ear, then reached out her wicked little hand and headed straight for the bowl of freshly mixed rice noodles in front of Zhou Ran.

The older sister, Su Qingwu, couldn't resist either and quietly reached for the other bowl.

Nearly.

One inch left.

Seeing that she was about to succeed, Su Qingling's face broke into a wicked smile of victory.

In the blink of an eye, just as my fingertips were about to touch the rim of the bowl.

Snapped.

A crisp sound.

Without warning, a pair of chopsticks fell, not only picking up a piece of succulent roasted pork, but also "coincidentally" pressing down on Su Qingling's fair and delicate hand.

The force contained in chopsticks is as heavy as a thousand pounds!

"Ouch!"

Su Qingling cried out in pain, her whole body trembling violently as if she had been electrocuted. Her special constitution was immediately triggered, and half of her body became weak and limp.

Zhou Ran didn't even look up, just blew on the meat on his chopsticks, his tone as casual as if he were shooing away flies.

"Where did this stray cat come from? It's still nursing and already stealing food like a human!"