Since Liliana and Erica couldn't handle spicy food, Phoenix requested a twin pot setup. Liliana and Erica would use the mild side, while Phoenix and Higokumaru would enjoy the spicy side.
Due to her height, Higokumaru had to stand on a stool to eat. Without it... her body wouldn't reach high enough to even hold a bowl, let alone pick up food.
Standing on the stool, Higokumaru skillfully wielded her chopsticks, continuously transferring cooked fried tofu into her bowl.
After all, fried tofu cooks quickly and is ready to eat soon.
"So delicious..."
Higokumaru popped a piece of cooked fried tofu into her mouth, her face immediately lighting up with delight.
Nothing brings more joy than eating fried tofu.
Even fried tofu cooked in hot pot is incredibly delicious.
"Is that enough?"
Phoenix looked at the fried tofu beside Higokumaru that hadn't been added to the pot. Higokumaru had ordered eight portions, but only one had been put in. However... it seemed like even eight portions might not be enough for Higokumaru.
"Enough, enough!"
Higokumaru nodded vigorously while eating.
"Mm, if you want more, just order again."
A beast-eared girl who could be satisfied with just fried tofu was truly cheap...
"King, where do we go next?"
Erica ate something mild, seasoned only with spices and sesame oil. To her, the flavor was already quite satisfying.
While eating, Erica curiously asked Phoenix.
"Mount Lu..."
Hearing Erica's question again, Phoenix didn't hide and casually answered.
"Mount Lu?"
When Erica heard Phoenix's words, she stopped eating immediately, looking very surprised.
"Mount Lu is where Luo Hao resides. To go to Mount Lu..."
King is actually going to cause trouble for Luo Hao!
In that moment, Erica felt a headache coming on. Luo Hao was no kind person!
Campione - Godslayers - were never benevolent, but even among the seven Campione, Luo Hao was considered the most vicious, comparable to the Marquis Voban of Eastern Europe.
With her unpredictable temper and tendency to strike at any moment, rumors claimed she showed no mercy to anyone, including her own people.
"King, is this decision..." Liliana also felt Phoenix's choice was unwise, too risky.
"You don't need to worry about that. Just follow me."
Phoenix ate a piece of fried tofu, then waved her hand, stopping them from saying more.
"..."
Liliana and Erica could only accept this decision. After all, it was the King's choice.
Two more days passed. After spending a day or two in Shanghai, the four departed for Mount Lu.
The scenery at Mount Lu was breathtakingly beautiful. Towering peaks, secluded valleys, cascading waterfalls, and babbling brooks created a picturesque landscape. The ever-changing mists added an air of mystery to the mountain, making it seem as if one could reach out and touch the drifting clouds while hiking its trails. Walking along the mountain paths, visitors often felt as though they were soaring through the clouds themselves.
The mist-shrouded mountain, known as "Kuanglu's Peerless Beauty," was partially obscured by thin layers of fog, making the small nunnery at the summit appear ethereal and elusive.
Within this nunnery sat a young girl cross-legged on a prayer mat.
Her face, as serene as polished jade, held a posture as delicate as a sensitive plant. In the tranquil elegance of the temple hall, the girl who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old sipped her tea. Her eyes seemed to pierce through the mist, gazing beyond the visible world.
Her long black hair flowed straight down like a waterfall of ink, its luster surpassing even the most expensive silk.
The white Hanfu draped over her figure with impeccable grace, exuding an air of refinement that accentuated the gentle elegance characteristic of Jiangnan women.
Suddenly, the young girl's expression shifted momentarily, as if sensing something unusual. A peculiar smile flickered across her face.
After a moment's consideration, she projected her voice down the mountain:
"Eaglet, come here..."
Her melodious voice pierced through the mist, resonating from the small nunnery all the way to the foot of Mount Lu.
At the mountain's base, a handsome black-haired man was practicing his cultivation. Upon hearing this voice transmitted across miles, he sprang into motion. With a light step on the stone path, his figure soared upward like a swallow, wings catching the wind.
"Master..."
The man arrived swiftly at the nunnery, dropping to one knee before the young girl seated on a prayer cushion.
"Guests are approaching Mount Lu. Go receive them..."
The young girl glanced at the black-haired man below her, her voice carrying the raw power of a lion's roar or a tiger's growl. Yet paradoxically, this voice also evoked the delicate resonance of a tsukigoto, the moon harp.
The young girl sitting here was Luo Hao, the ruler of the martial arts' pinnacle, the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains' leader, the Martial King of Jiangnan, and a Campione since her early years.
Among the practitioners of Chinese martial arts and folk sorcery, thirty percent were her followers, swearing absolute obedience to Luo Hao.
The man she called "Eagle" was Lu Yinghua, the eldest young master of Hong Kong's Lu Family, whose lightness technique was peerless.
Only Lu Yinghua knew that if his lightness technique weren't so exceptional, his Master would have whipped him to death countless times.
Luo Hao's reputation in the magic world was household-known, rivaling Marquis Voban's as the most fearsome sorceress. She never held back when disciplining disciples - her modus operandi was to beat them to within an inch of their lives, provided she didn't actually kill them.
This was precisely why Lu Yinghua's lightness technique had become so extraordinary, rivaling the ability to fly.
"This disciple will obey."
Lu Yinghua felt some confusion at these words, but didn't dare to ask. He merely gave a respectful response and slowly retreated.
Only after leaving the temple's grounds did he breathe a sigh of relief. It was fortunate his master hadn't beaten him this time, but... had guests come to Mount Lu?
His master's guests? What kind of guests could his master have? Lu Yinghua, who had always followed Luo Hao, was deeply puzzled. After all, given his master's nature...
At this point, Lu Yinghua didn't dare to continue thinking. If his master found out about his thoughts, he'd undoubtedly receive a half-dead beating. He knew all too well his master's martial arts prowess.
Being beaten by such a beautiful woman had even given Lu Yinghua a fear of women.
The more beautiful a woman was, the more Lu Yinghua would detest her.
Lu Yinghua descended the mountain, searching its base thoroughly. Yet, he found no trace of the guest his Master had mentioned. This left him in a difficult position.
His Master had only said a guest would come to Mount Lu. Who was this guest? What was their name? Where could they be found?
Lu Yinghua knew nothing about any of this.