A dust storm was billowing, and the crushed rocks littering the ground were blown around by the raging winds.
Intense true energy fluctuations emanated from the Nangong Family"s courtyard. This fueled the already raging winds, causing them to move so fast that anyone caught within would feel a sharp stabbing pain as they blew past one"s face.
The ground was riddled with potholes and crushed rocks.
Nangong Wuque had two chains swaying behind him, which emitted a powerful aura. He was gasping for breath as his scarlet hair fluttered in the wind, looking like a blazing flame.
He strode forward slowly, stepping on the small rocks in his way, and this caused crunching noises to resound with every step he took.
Nangong Xuanhu lay strewn in a depression in the ground not far. His aura was extremely weak, and he was looking at the sky with a blank expression on his face.
"I said… that I have come, this time, to pay you back. You and your two brothers threw my Nangong Family into upheaval, and your crime is unforgivable. Hence, you should know what awaits you now," Nangong Wuque coldly said between heavy breaths.
Although he acted like a clown sometimes, once he put on a solemn and serious expression, he would look dignified and imposing.
He pulled Nangong Xuanhu out of the rubbles and stared at him coldly.
Although Nangong Xuanhu was in a sorry state and had blood dripping down the corners of his mouth, he suddenly began to laugh heartily. He laughed loudly despite coughing blood.
"Nangong Wuque… did you a.s.sume that everything will end after you take back the Nangong Family?
Nangong Xuanhe"s eyes were filled with madness at this point.
"It will be useless because without Nangong w.a.n.gtian and us three brothers, the Heavenly Mist City"s Nangong Family will be quickly swallowed by the Zhang and Lin Families. At that time, your fate won"t be any better than my mine," Nangong Xuanhu said while laughing maniacally.
When Nangong Wuque heard that, his expression became quite gloomy. He let out a long breath and struck Nangong Xuanhu"s face with his fist, sending him flying. Nangong Xuanhu crashed into the ground, and his blood splattered around.
"Don"t worry. The Nangong Family won"t decline in my hands," Nangong Wuque said in a decisive and resolute tone.
He gazed at the terrified guards who were still in the vicinity.
"From now on, I"m the patriarch of the Nangong Family. All of you must obey my orders," Nangong Wuque said.
How could the guards dare to refute? After all, out of the three siblings, Nangong Xuanhe and one other were already dead; only the crippled Nangong Xuanhu remained.
Hence, the guards would obviously support and endorse Nangong Wuque.
"Good, throw this old dog into the prison. He will remain there till my Nangong Family thrives again so that he can witness it."
The guards" hearts shuddered, but they quickly complied and surrounded Nangong Xuanhu, whose cultivation had already been crippled by Nangong Wuque, and took the former to the prison.
Nangong Wuque rubbed his chest slightly while gazing from afar, and his expression couldn"t help but distort everytime he rubbed it.
Nangong Xuanhu was right; it would be extremely difficult for the Nangong Family which had lost many of its experts to still have a footing in the Heavenly Mist City.
The Lin and Zhang Families would surely not let such a gold mine like the weakened Nangong Family off.
Moreover, many disciples of first-rate factions died within that secret realm, and the Grand Barren Sect, Wind and Thunder Pavilion, Puppet Sect, and other powerful factions would surely dispatch their experts to the Heavenly Mist City.
As the Nangong Family owned that secret realm"s teleportation array, they would surely be the first to bear the brunt of their anger.
All of this was really troubling!
.....
Nethery held out her palm and took the fragrant, steaming hot bowl of Egg-Fried Rice.
"Carry it to the customer who ordered it," Bu Fang said as he looked at Nethery.
Nethery nodded without diverting her gaze from the Egg-Fried Rice.
Her delicate face leaned closer to the bowl, and when the steam from the bowl blew past her, her pale face couldn"t help but take a rosy glow. She stuck out her tongue and licked the Egg-Fried Rice, then she threw some of the rice into her mouth. The Egg-Fried Rice"s sweet taste exploded in her mouth, and her eyes couldn"t help but light up.
It was too delicious!
Nethery licked her lips, and her eyes glowed.
Bu Fang was speechless as he looked through the windows at Nethery, who was licking the Egg-Fried Rice, and the corners of his mouth couldn"t help but twitch.
As expected… it was really unreasonable to make such a woman a waitress.
Nethery then went and dropped the porcelain tray in front of a customer.
The customer was stupefied when he saw the Egg-Fried Rice he had ordered; there was less than a third of it left. He turned around and looked at Nethery. The outrageously beautiful woman"s eyes were still staring at his tray intensely, and the corners of her mouth still had some grains of rice sticking to it.
Could you please not do this to me...
The customer wanted to weep but he couldn"t, and when he remembered this woman"s terrifying power, he didn"t dare to flare up.
"Beauty, I will gift you the remaining Egg-Fried Rice, so please serve me another one," the customer said, enduring his pain.
A bowl of Egg-Fried Rice cost ten crystal!
It was even more expensive than ordinary elixirs.
When Nethery heard his words, she looked at him in surprise and discovered that his gaze appeared sincere. She took the porcelain tray without demur and stuffed the remaining Egg-Fried Rice into her mouth.
Although the amount of spiritual essence contained in the Egg-Fried Rice was minuscule, the dish tasted delicious. It was as delicious as the Dragon Blood Rice which Nethery preferred over heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Now that another delicious dish was right in front of her, she most certainly would not let it off.
When she finished eating the Egg-Fried Rice, she wiped her rosy lips in content. Her tender lips now had an alluring l.u.s.ter to them because they were moistened by oil.
Many customers looked at her with blank expressions.
"Nethery, come over here."
Bu Fang"s indifferent voice echoed; he was leaning against the kitchen"s door and watching her.
Nethery suddenly became fl.u.s.tered like a child that was caught pilfering candy.
However, Bu Fang didn"t scold her; he just explained to her what she had to pay attention to while she was serving dishes. He placed emphasis on the fact that she wasn"t allowed to pilfer food.
Nethery had already eaten to her fill, so she nodded in an aloof manner.
The remaining dishes were properly served to the right customers" table; this left Bu Fang quite satisfied.
Nethery had adapted to her current job, and she seemed quite fond of it and accustomed to it. However, when Nethery served a dish, she involuntarily licked her lips because she really wanted to pilfer it.
Enduring such an impulse was like torment to her.
If Ouyang Xiaoyi saw Nethery"s current predicament, then the little la.s.s would nod at her in content.
Who wasn"t like this when they just started at Owner Bu"s place?
The day"s business quickly came to an end. After the last customer left the store, Bu Fang closed its bronze gate. He pulled a chair and sat on it, and rested for a while.
Nethery strolled around barefooted; she seemed really curious about everything in the store.
After walking around for a while, Nethery looked for a seat and sat down. She blinked her pitch-black eyes and turned to stare at Bu Fang.
"Bu Fang, I"m… hungry," Nethery said.
Bu Fang was taken aback by her words, and at that moment, Lord Dog suddenly appeared beside him and said, "This Lord Dog is also hungry."
Hasn"t this plump dog been sleeping since they returned? It got hungry even though it didn"t have to move in the slightest… Was it a dog or a pig?
Bu Fang was flabbergasted.
He stood up and went to the kitchen.
Nethery also stood up and followed him.
However, when she was just about to enter the kitchen, she was stopped by Bu Fang, so she could only return to her seat.
After Bu Fang entered the kitchen, he took out some Dragon Blood Rice and skillfully cooked Dragon Blood Rice smeared with Crystal Source Purple Essence and Sweet "n" Sour Dragon Meat Ribs mixed with Crystal Source Purple Essence.
When he finished cooking the dishes, he lifted each of them with a hand and went out of the kitchen.
Nethery and Lord Dog were already quite anxious from all the waiting and looked at Bu Fang with the same expression.
"This is Nethery"s." Bu Fang put the Dragon Blood Rice in front of the Netherworld woman.
"This is Blacky"s." He put the Sweet "n" Sour Dragon Meat Ribs in front of Lord Dog.
Rich fragrances and dense clouds of steam wafted out of both dishes, causing the store to be somewhat misty.
Lord Dog, who was already impatient, instantly began to wolf its food down.
After taking a mouthful of its food, Lord Dog couldn"t help but squint its eyes and wag its tail around as it enjoyed the taste of the Sweet "n" Sour Dragon Meat Ribs. "I"m truly too blessed; that kiddo"s Sweet "n" Sour Dragon Meat Ribs really is the real deal. I finally taste a delicious Sweet "n" Sour Meat Ribs after such a long time."
The Netherworld woman was scooping the Dragon Blood Rice with her hand and stuffing it into her mouth.
Bu Fang couldn"t help but furrow his brows when he saw this.
He went to the kitchen and brought back a porcelain spoon which he gave to Nethery, hinting at her to use it to scoop food, instead.
Nethery stared at that porcelain spoon for a long time, but in the end, she tossed it aside and continued using her hand to stuff rice into her mouth, which now had oil dripping down it.
She really did not have manners befitting of a beautiful woman.
Nevertheless, her table manners were still better than Lord Dog"s.
Bu Fang felt helpless. It seemed that teaching the Netherworld woman how to use a spoon would be an extremely difficult task.
Squis.h.!.+ Squis.h.!.+
In the brightly lit store, the Netherworld woman and Lord Dog were happily and noisily eating their meals. The noise they made was even audible outside the store.
By nightfall, two crescent moons hung in the dark sky, emitting a gentle light akin to a gauze draped over the world. Not only was it gentle like water, but it was also capable of calming one"s heart.
"Bu Fang, kiddo, your culinary skills have improved a lot. This Sweet "n" Sour Meat Ribs… Woof! La.s.sie, don"t steal this lord dog"s Sweet "n" Sour Meat Ribs!!"
"I will eat just a piece to taste its flavor," the Netherworld woman"s cold voice rang out.
"Woof! Do you want to stir a fight? That wasn"t "just a piece"! La.s.sie, are you looking for trouble?"
The corners of Bu Fang mouth couldn"t help but twitch as he watched Blacky hide its porcelain bowl underneath its paws and the Netherworld woman who eyed it with a flickering gaze.
"As long as you both are happy, it is fine."
The next matter he needed to sort out was where the Netherworld woman would sleep.