On the Temptation of Food

On the Temptation of Food

"As expected, my state of mind still has major flaws."

Noticing her own excitement and agitation, Qi Zixiao murmured to herself.

She had thought her heart had long been like an eternal glacier that never melted, unshaken even if the heavens collapsed. But now, it seemed her previous feelings had all been nothing but an illusion.

Otherwise, how could her emotions have changed so much in such a short time?

"I must change this state as soon as possible, otherwise..."

"Still... it smells so good."

Qi Zixiao looked at the buns in the steamer, unable to resist picking one up. After hesitating for a moment, she finally took a bite.

It was a small bite, only enough to break through the skin and reach the meat inside.

The soft bun wrapper, mixed with the flavor of braised meat, instantly filled her mouth...

Her eyes widened at once. "What kind of food is this?!"

It smelled so good!!!

What?

The state of mind she had struggled to calm was stirring again?

Sigh, forget all that. She would eat her fill first.

She had already been starving, and this was Qi Zixiao's first time tasting food made by ordinary people. Besides, this Steamed bun shop was famous for its delicious taste...

With all those factors combined, how could she possibly hold back?!

Burp~

After swallowing six huge buns, Qi Zixiao finally no longer felt hungry.

But there were still quite a few left in the steamer...

Throw them away?

How could such delicious food be discarded?

Qi Zixiao realized she seemed to have been conquered by ordinary people's cuisine. Then she decisively decided that she could not throw them away—she had to take them with her!

Otherwise, when hunger struck again, was she supposed to go rob more?

Although the law of the strong devouring the weak never changed, she had not forgotten that she currently did not possess even a trace of True Essence. She was just an ordinary person now, and acting recklessly would not be safe.

Then...

Holding the steamer in her arms, she fixed her sights eastward and continued walking.

Where was she going?

She did not know.

But a place without the slightest trace of spiritual energy was clearly not somewhere she wanted to stay.

A young man, his clothes fairly neat, carrying a steamer full of buns through the Bustling Market—no matter how one looked at it, he stood out.

And so...

Before long, someone recognized Qi Zixiao.

Several people wearing identical uniforms spotted Qi Zixiao from afar, pointed at her, and took out their phones to compare the surveillance footage...

Then one of them pointed at her. "Stop, police!"

Clearly, the Steamed bun shop had called the police.

In truth, both the people making the report and those receiving it were baffled.

What era was this? Someone still robbed buns?

Yet the police did not ignore the case. Public security was getting better and better these days, to the point where some officers were sometimes even a little bored...

The case did not look like much, but it was perfect for getting some practice, wasn't it?

So, they had rushed over immediately.

Qi Zixiao: "..."

"Government runners in this world?"

Should she fight, or run?

The thought flashed through her mind for only an instant before Qi Zixiao turned and ran...

Though her True Essence was gone, a cultivator's spiritual perception remained. She could sense that these government runners carried things capable of threatening her.

Therefore, of course she ran!

"Stop!!!"

"Stop right there!"

As she sprinted wildly, the police naturally gave chase. They ran, shouted, and did not know whether to laugh or cry...

They chased her through several streets.

The police, who had assumed they would definitely catch up, discovered that they had actually lost her! Every one of them was panting like a dog, yet that kid had vanished without a trace?!

"Is that guy a rabbit or something?"

"He runs way too fast!"

"He's not just a rabbit."

The captain braced a hand against his waist, gasping nonstop as he said with difficulty, "He's also a foodie."

"Why?"

Someone looked confused.

"Look!"

The captain raised his hand, and only then did everyone notice that he was holding a shoe...

Everyone: "...Is that the kid's from earlier?"

"Isn't it?"

The captain could not help laughing. "He ran so hard he lost his shoe, but he held onto that steamer for dear life. Not a single bun fell out. He's definitely a foodie!"

"He really is..."

"That kid isn't just a foodie. His brain might be a little messed up too, right?"

"Probably. Otherwise, who would rob buns?"

"This case really makes people want to laugh."

In the end, the captain said seriously, "All right, laugh if you want, but we still need to handle the case. That person's mind probably isn't working quite right..."

"And we don't know just how badly it's impaired. It would be bad if he ended up hurting someone. Pull up the surveillance footage as soon as possible, find him, and then contact his family."

"Yes, Captain!"

The police got busy.

Qi Zixiao was panting hard as well...

After realizing the government runners had lost her, she could not help laughing aloud.

Then...

She discovered that she had run right out of one of her shoes.

But so what if it was gone? As long as the buns had not fallen, that was all that mattered.

Besides, shaking off the government runners' pursuit was naturally worth being happy about.

At that moment, even Qi Zixiao herself had not noticed that, in this mortal world, she was no longer pursuing a flawless and perfect state of mind. Instead, she was gradually blending into it.

To put it in an easy-to-understand way...

This big shot at Glory King rank had, at that moment, perfectly integrated into Bronze Rank and was even going back and forth with the other Bronze players~!

However.

Qi Zixiao's happiness did not last long.

Only half a day had passed, and before the sky had even darkened, the government runners had caught up with her again.

Had she not run so fast, they would have caught her.

Even at night, the government runners came again...

"They can still find me?"

Qi Zixiao's expression gradually turned grave. "Master was right after all. One must not underestimate anyone."

"Even in a world of ordinary people, these government runners still have methods to find me among countless people in such a short time!"

"And those things on the government runners that make me feel threatened are not ordinary either..."

She did not know what those things were, but she knew that in her current state, she definitely could not defeat them.

And so, over the next two days, Qi Zixiao fell into a life of "fugitive existence."

When she finished the buns, she would find somewhere else to keep robbing...

After that, a mysterious legend began to spread through C City—a legend about the Food Bandit...

"Shocking! Young man repeatedly 'robs' food, yet escapes from the police time and again"

"On Just How Tempting Food Can Be!"

"Food Bandit: Multiple Food Shops in This City Robbed"

Purple Mansion Holy Land.

Lin Fan had been here for nearly three days.

During this time, she had used all kinds of excuses to learn quite a bit from Chen Cheng...

And those excuses came in every strange variety imaginable.

In the end, Lin Fan truly could not find anything else to use. Asking too much each time made it easy to expose herself, so every excuse could only yield limited information...

Finally, he slapped his forehead. "Got it!"

With a stern face, he opened the door, moving with practiced ease.

"Chen Cheng, go prepare some bathwater. This Saintess wishes to bathe."

This excuse was perfect~!

(New author, new book. As a trembling newbie, let me timidly say: please bookmark, please recommend, please invest.

Of course, if there are rewards: may I ask, esteemed reader, what position do you like?

^o^)