Chapter 109: Blood-Infused Noodles

Lu Ming laughed upon hearing this. "How ridiculous. If you truly possess such means, I would certainly like to witness them."

Seeing that his intimidation tactics had failed, Wula suddenly flicked his hand. A cluster of yellow objects, accompanied by a buzzing sound, lunged toward Lu Ming and Xu Yongchao. Without looking back, Wula turned and dashed toward the door, vanishing in an instant.

The yellow objects latched onto Lu Ming and Xu Yongchao. A closer look revealed them to be a swarm of thumb-sized Poison Emperor Bees. These bees were lethally venomous; a mere three or four stings would kill an ordinary person. Naturally, the toxicity of those raised by a Gu practitioner was beyond measure.

Lu Ming glanced at the bees clinging to him and offered a faint smile. With a slight shudder of his body, the bees let out shrill, dying squeaks before falling to the ground, lifeless.

Xu Yongchao, however, let out a blood-curdling scream. Dozens of the bees were swarming over him. Within moments, his entire body swelled, his face turned black, and his skin began to fester.

The group of glamorous young women nearby shrieked in terror, huddling together and shivering in the corner of the room. Xu Yongchao writhed on the floor, howling in immense agony. As he screamed, his hands clawed frantically at his own body. Each scratch tore away layers of skin and flesh, yet he remained oblivious, tearing at his face and limbs as if a demon were devouring him from within.

Lu Ming looked on coldly. "You reap what you sow. This is heaven claiming its due."

Xu Yongchao seemed to have lost his mind, his screams continuing as he shredded his own body. His face was mangled beyond recognition, his bones exposed. Peering through their fingers, the girls let out another round of terrified sobs.

Before long, Xu Yongchao ceased his frantic movements and lay still on the floor. By then, his entire body had festered beyond repair; the ground was slick with the blood and flesh he had clawed from himself. Gradually, his body decomposed rapidly, melting into a pool of black blood within mere minutes, leaving not even his bones behind.

Lu Ming could have easily saved him, but given the vile and treacherous methods Xu Yongchao had used to harm others, he had brought this upon himself, and Lu Ming could not be bothered to intervene.

Turning to the girls huddled in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably, Lu Ming said coldly, "You may leave. Remember, if anyone dares to speak of what happened tonight, Xu Yongchao’s fate will be your own."

Hearing this, the women helped each other stand, trembling and weak, and left after showering Lu Ming with desperate thanks. The scene they had just witnessed was far too horrifying; they had never encountered such a thing and were nearly paralyzed with fear. They had been terrified that Lu Ming would silence them permanently, especially since a life had been lost here. Once released, they felt a sense of relief and fled while weeping quietly. They would likely never mention this incident for the rest of their lives; it was far too traumatic to even contemplate.

Watching them leave, Lu Ming surveyed the room, made a phone call to Futu to handle the scene, and then strolled away.

Lu Ming wandered to the high-speed railway station, bought a ticket to the Miao border, and fell asleep the moment he boarded the train. Letting Wula escape was a deliberate choice. He had become intrigued the moment he heard the terms "True Immortal" and "Gu God," so he had planted a spiritual mark on Wula. Furthermore, if the Witch Gu Sect could produce someone as treacherous as Wula, it was likely not a righteous organization. Lu Ming had already decided to uproot them; otherwise, he would never have let Wula get away.

He slept until noon the next day. Lu Ming slowly opened his eyes, stretched, and yawned. The train reached its destination just then. After disembarking, he caught a long-distance bus to continue his journey.

Two hours later, Lu Ming arrived at a place called Huishan Town. The small town was full of exotic charm, its buildings constructed of blue stone, appearing ancient, sturdy, and rich with history.

There were many storefronts along the main street. Lu Ming scanned the area, found a small restaurant, and walked in. It was a modest place with seven or eight tables. A few people were eating, and a young girl dressed in traditional ethnic attire hurried over warmly as he entered. "Hello, my name is A-Duo. What would you like to eat?"

As she spoke, A-Duo led Lu Ming to a table. Lu Ming observed her; she looked about eighteen or nineteen, pure and lovely. Her traditional outfit was distinctive, especially the hat adorned with silver ornaments that jingled melodiously as she walked.

Lu Ming smiled at her. "I'm very hungry. What do you have here that is both delicious and filling?"

A-Duo covered her mouth and giggled. "Then you should try our signature dish, 'Blood-Filled Noodles.' It's delicious and very filling, though it is a bit spicy."

"That sounds good. Bring me three bowls to start," Lu Ming said.

A-Duo’s eyes widened in surprise. After a moment, she asked, "Big Brother, our Blood-Filled Noodles are very spicy and the portions are large. Will you be able to finish them?"

Lu Ming laughed. "I have a big appetite, and I especially love spicy food. No problem. Please bring them quickly; I'm starving." He had not eaten for a whole day, so he was telling the truth.

A-Duo nodded and hurried to the kitchen. Lu Ming patted his stomach, waiting anxiously. Soon, A-Duo returned with three large bowls of noodles, placing them before him. They were served in massive bowls, the portions generous, topped with a layer of blood-red chili oil that would intimidate anyone unaccustomed to spice.

Lu Ming rubbed his hands together, salivating. "Looks good." He took a mouthful of noodles and slurped them down. As the flavor hit his palate, a wave of heat surged straight to his crown. "Refreshing!" he exclaimed.

He began to eat heartily. A-Duo was amazed to see him handle the spice so well. They grew the chilies themselves, and they were incredibly hot—only the locals were truly used to them, and outsiders rarely could handle the heat. Seeing how much he enjoyed it, A-Duo smiled and went to clean a nearby table.

Just then, three men and two women entered. They were dressed in fashionable, modern Han-style clothing and wore sunglasses. One of the women complained, "I'm starving. Hurry up and order something." Her voice was cloying and artificial, causing Lu Ming to glance back.

Two of the men were in their early twenties, wearing well-tailored designer clothes and expensive watches, looking about with an air of arrogance. The third man, in his early thirties, was robust with a sharp gaze, scanning the restaurant as soon as he entered—clearly a bodyguard. The two women were beautiful, well over 1.75 meters tall. They were dressed trendily in tight, sleeveless tops that revealed their midriffs and very short shorts.

The group drew the attention of everyone in the room. Lu Ming took one look and returned to his noodles, assuming they were just tourists.

A-Duo rushed over, smiling sweetly. "Big brothers and sisters, what would you like to eat?"

One of the men tilted his head. "Bring us your best signature dishes. Don't waste time."

A-Duo hesitated. "Would you like to look at the menu first?"

"I told you not to waste time! Hurry up and prepare the food; we're starving," the other woman said impatiently.

A-Duo agreed and headed to the kitchen. Before long, she returned with plates of fried sticky rice cakes, tri-colored rice, and five bowls of sour soup noodles, placing them on the group's table.

At that moment, Lu Ming finished his third bowl of noodles, feeling satisfied, and called out, "A-Duo, two more bowls of Blood-Filled Noodles, please."

"Huh?"

A-Duo, who was serving the last bowl of sour soup noodles to the newcomers, turned in surprise. Her hand slipped, and the bowl of sour soup tipped over, spilling directly onto the legs of one of the women.