Chapter 117: The Foodie's Resilience (Please Bookmark)

"What is a mobile phone? How does video chatting work? And what about cars and airplanes—are those some kind of spirit beast mounts?"

"Hey, how many questions is that now?"

"Just answer two first: is 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' really that delicious? And when you eat 'boiled live fish,' is the fish actually still alive?"

"How many more questions are you going to ask? Why don't you just kill me instead?"

Lin Zhan had initially thought that stalling for time would be enough, but with his spiritual consciousness sealed, his connection to the Nine-Star Space was severely obstructed. He had no choice but to keep piquing Shui Hanmeng's curiosity, hoping she would keep asking more questions. Yet, as this process dragged on, Lin Zhan realized he was being driven mad by this female assassin; he couldn't wait for it to end, wishing she would just finish him off already!

"Humph, killing you? You're thinking too simply!" No one saw the faint, triumphant smile that curled the corners of Shui Hanmeng's lips.

Today, the outside world described by Lin Zhan had brought her a tremendous shock—a shock so profound that she yearned to see it for herself.

She longed to see the bizarre and wonderful gadgets described to her, to play all sorts of games, and to go on shopping sprees for beautiful clothes, shoes, accessories, perfumes, and luxury goods. It felt as if those big brands—those "Cry-dior," "Bear-nel," and "Donkey" (Dior, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton)—were all beckoning to her. Of course, what she wanted most of all was to eat every variety of delicacy, to travel the length and breadth of the land, and to turn the world upside down with her appetite.

Her final questions were naturally focused on various gourmet snacks. Lin Zhan noticed that the black veil covering Shui Hanmeng's face seemed to have wet spots—could it be drool?

"You glutton, just kill me!"

"How about I keep you alive instead? If there's an opportunity later, will you take me to see the outside world?"

The more Lin Zhan begged for death, the more Shui Hanmeng seemed afraid of him dying.

Even in such a life-or-death moment, Lin Zhan would not be fooled by her words. This was a female assassin, after all—the same one who had nearly slit his throat.

The Soul-Devouring Order finally loosened its grip, and Lin Zhan's consciousness was finally able to break through into his Nine-Star Space, though this sliver of consciousness was far from enough.

At this moment, he only had ten percent of his spiritual power available; his body was bound, his consciousness restricted—what could actually be of use?

Suddenly, a surge of energy poured out from the Enlightenment Stone on his chest. Lin Zhan realized this was actually a fragment of his own consciousness!

It must have been that before he lost consciousness, the Enlightenment Stone had self-stored a sliver of his awareness, and now that the timing was right, it had released it to replenish him.

Lin Zhan was overjoyed. With this added consciousness, his capabilities instantly increased several-fold.

The white bone tower consumed too much spiritual power to be used now, and the Black Blade was equally ineffective.

Lin Zhan turned his attention to the three small flying swords he had recently acquired. They looked incredibly sharp; he wondered if they could cut the ropes binding him.

However, the female assassin opposite him was still watching him like a tiger eyeing its prey. If he made a move, he was certain she would kill him with a single strike. It seemed he would need a more thorough plan.

The Q&A between the two continued.

Naturally, Lin Zhan also had the right to ask questions. Through these exchanges, he gained a general understanding of Shui Hanmeng's situation. He learned that she belonged to an alliance dedicated to dealing with interdimensional travelers, had grown up in a secret realm, had seen very little of the world, lived a dull life with monotonous food, and had missed out on the joys of childhood. This led him to think of the "Heavenly Chicken" in his space, and the wine!

Since she was a glutton, she surely wouldn't be able to resist the Heavenly Chicken. And while he might not be able to best her in combat, he certainly wouldn't lose to her in a drinking contest.

"Hearing you say that, I really feel you're quite pitiful. Not to mention the outside world, even the Blue Ice World has so many delicious things you've never tried. It’s a wasted life, truly. The world is so vast; if there is a chance in the future, I would really like to take you to see it."

Lin Zhan was half-sympathetic and half-insincere.

"In my space, I have the first-class delicacy, Heavenly Chicken; I have the Hero's Wine, which one must not overindulge in; and I have the Holy Spirit Spring water. I really wish I could let you taste them right now."

Heavenly Chicken!

Hero's Wine!

Holy Spirit Spring water!

Each item struck her taste buds—which were already flooded with drool—like a heavy hammer.

"You... why don't you take out the things you mentioned and let me see them?" Shui Hanmeng whispered, her tone no longer icy.

At this point, if Lin Zhan still needed to resort to blades to cut the ropes, it would be too unfriendly, especially since she wanted to eat his food.

The roasting technique for the Heavenly Chicken was Lin Zhan's well-guarded secret, so the five-hundred-word roasting process is omitted here, as is the three-thousand-word account of Shui Hanmeng’s transition from hesitant resistance to letting her guard down and gorging herself.

Thump!

Another wine jar was emptied and tossed aside by Shui Hanmeng. This female assassin, who feigned a cold exterior but was actually simple and innocent at heart, was now thoroughly intoxicated.

Lin Zhan tore off a drumstick from the sixth Heavenly Chicken and handed it to her. "Sister Shui, if it's tasty, have some more. You're at the age where you're still growing; you need to nourish yourself."

Shui Hanmeng reached out to take the drumstick, swaying as she shoved it into her mouth, while puffing out her chest.

Her face, having long since shed the black veil, was now flushed red. Her hazy eyes looked at Lin Zhan with a mischievous, playful smile.

"Uh... Lin Zhan, why did you break up with your girlfriend? From what you said, she loved you very much... uh..."

Shui Hanmeng's speech was slurring, but this made her look incredibly adorable.

At least in Lin Zhan's eyes, that was exactly how it appeared.

However, Lin Zhan’s goal in getting her drunk wasn't to take advantage of her, but to escape with his life. So, when Shui Hanmeng could no longer hold herself up and collapsed onto the stone platform, it was time for Lin Zhan to make his getaway.

"Haha... ugh... damn it, for a little girl, she has quite the tolerance for alcohol." As he spoke, Lin Zhan realized his own voice was nearly hoarse from answering so many of her questions.

This had been far too close; Lin Zhan was covered in cold sweat.

Looking at the drunken Shui Hanmeng, who wore a look of pure innocence even in her stupor, the now-restored Lin Zhan couldn't bring himself to kill her.

Sigh, he couldn't understand why his luck had been so bad that he was transmigrated here, only to become a target that the Shadowless Pavilion had to eliminate. This was truly ridiculous.

This young girl had clearly been poisoned by her sect's teachings from a young age and was a victim herself. What a pity—a waste of talent.

Lin Zhan carried Shui Hanmeng to a flat patch of ground, leaving behind two Heavenly Chickens and a full flask of Holy Spirit Water.

After a moment's thought, he decided to leave her three Shadowless flying swords by her side as well.

Before leaving, Lin Zhan reached out and gave Shui Hanmeng's nose a firm pinch. "Don't come looking for me next time, or it won't be your nose I'm pinching—it'll be somewhere else."