Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2682  Unwanted Visitors

Meng Bai had seen many men dream about the Ten Flower Beauties, yet none had dismissed them as easily as Lin Mu just had.

”Whoʼs better?” Meng Bai asked, eyes full of curiosity. ”And how many have you seen that you think the Four Flower Beauties arenʼt up to the mark?”

”Hmm... Iʼve seen a few who surpass them, but one stands out the most,” Lin Mu replied.

”Really?” Meng Bai leaned forward. ”Who?”

”Perhaps Iʼll let you meet them when the time is right,” Lin Mu said, offering no further details.

Meng Bai wasnʼt sure if Lin Mu was joking or if such a person truly existed. He chose not to pry further, simply hoping that one day he might get to witness the beauty Lin Mu spoke of. On some level, he even wondered if he was ready to see someone like that.

”Come on now, finish your meal and absorb the energy,” Lin Mu reminded him.

”Ah, yes!” Meng Bai quickly scarfed down the last of his hearty stew and sat down to assimilate the energy.

An hour passed in silence as Lin Mu finished his own meal, which typically took him longer than most.

ʼI should store the rest away,ʼ Lin Mu thought, glancing at the various vessels filled with food.

Little Shrubby had prepared plenty before leaving, ensuring they had enough stock to last at least a week. The beast was currently exploring the forest, searching for unique ingredients they had yet to encounter. This was in addition to the various herbs and spices they had already procured from the city.

After all, many herbs werenʼt traditionally considered food ingredients. Some were regarded as poisonous, while others held no value for cultivators because they lacked Qi or special properties.

Yet for Little Shrubby, even those seemingly useless herbs had merit—they introduced new flavors into his dishes. Some toxic herbs could be processed or balanced with others to neutralize their harmful effects. In fact, sometimes, their toxicity was exactly what he wanted to enhance a dish.

Take the Gut Melt Pepper, for instance.

It was infamous for its extreme heat and was often used to torture prisoners. Consuming even a small amount made one feel as though their insides were aflame. In large quantities, it could even ignite internal organs.

But to Lin Mu and Little Shrubby, it was simply an exceptionally spicy pepper—perfect for adding a fiery kick to their meals.

The problem was, Gut Melt Peppers were incredibly rare. A single pepper might be found only once in a several-kilometer radius. Cultivation was impossible due to their toxicity, and harvesting them was a tedious, time-consuming task.

Another such ingredient was the Flesh-Cutting Lime.

This tiny citrus fruit was so acidic that it could melt through flesh—and even corrode certain metals. Unsurprisingly, it was not farmed and had to be located in the wild. Though the trees bore many fruits, each lime was no larger than a pea, requiring vast amounts to extract any meaningful juice.

Given Lin Mu and Little Shrubbyʼs appetites, even an entire treeʼs worth of limes wouldnʼt be enough to flavor a single meal. They needed at least ten trees per batch of cooking. If they wanted to stock up, theyʼd have to gather significantly more.

That was precisely what Little Shrubby had been doing for the past two days.

As a result, Lin Mu and Meng Bai were the only ones left in the courtyard. Even the Twins and Ashy were off in the city, enjoying themselves. Lin Mu had no idea when they would return, but he assumed they were having fun if they were taking this long.

Little did Lin Mu know, his solitude was about to be disrupted.

WOOM WOOM WOOM

Just as Lin Mu was about to store the second cauldron of stew, a loud noise erupted.

”What!?” His senses flared as he turned toward the source.

The defensive array around the courtyard had been triggered—it had detected multiple intruders and, worse, an incoming attack!

BOOM!

Before Lin Mu could react, the attack struck the array, shattering it almost instantly.

SHATTER!

The protective barrier broke apart, sending a shockwave through the courtyard.

”AHHHH!” Meng Bai, who had been meditating, was thrown backward.

Luckily, he had been seated on the ground, so he didnʼt go far. He managed to dig his hands and feet into the dirt to stabilize himself before he could be flung further.

The same couldnʼt be said for their food—pots and vessels flipped over, their contents spilling, while some shattered from the force of the blast.

Lin Muʼs expression darkened as he turned to face the intruders.

”So this is where you were hiding.”

A late middle-aged man stepped forward, his sharp gaze locked onto Lin Mu.

”For a criminal, heʼs certainly clever—using an isolation array to keep himself hidden,” sneered another man, wearing the inner court robes of the River Bending Axe Sect.

”He made us run around in circles so many times.” A third disciple scoffed. ”He should be punished even more for wasting our time.”

A vein pulsed on Lin Muʼs forehead as he listened to their words.

”Who are you?” he asked coldly.

He had his suspicions, but one man among them wore different robes—someone he didnʼt recognize.

”You dare ask who we are?!” The disciples barked. ”Canʼt you tell!?” ”Or are you so dumb as to forget about us already?” Another disciple scolded.

”River Bending Axe Sect.” Lin Mu uttered, his fingers clenching into a fist.

”At least you remember that much.” The man leading them spoke. ”I am Elder Nui of the River Bending Axe Sect and I have come here to exact justice!” he declared.

”My, my… Looks like they came looking for trouble again.” Lin Mo chuckled in Lin Muʼs mind.

Meng Bai who was listening to it all from the ground was shocked. The day had been going rather calmly and the night was peaceful. And yet it had all changed in a mere moment for such was life.