Chapter 151
After carefully examining Yun Wen’s nine mouths, the ever-helpful Niu Tou confidently declared:
“Guest, you’re suffering from heatiness! You must drink my special pear tea to cool down! Alright, I’ll brew you some now—one, two, three… nine cups, right?”
Yun Wen: “???”
Wait, this wasn’t how things were supposed to go.
It was a top-tier pollutant!
Anyone who met its gaze should’ve been dragged into the abyss, doomed to eternal torment!
…Theoretically, that was true.
But as a veteran underworld employee, such rules didn’t apply to Niu Tou. Though he noticed this guest was slightly different from the last two, to an underworld envoy who’d seen all manner of bizarrely disfigured spirits, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
What delighted Niu Tou was that this guest had many mouths—and all of them showed signs of heatiness: ulcers (the suckers on the tentacles), a thick tongue coating (the tentacles’ discoloration), phlegm (the yellow-green slime), and even bad breath (the stench of rotting flesh).
Niu Tou was certain his pear tea could solve the guest’s health woes.
He loved sharing!
Yun Wen looked utterly disbelieving, thrashing violently as tentacles flailed from its many mouths: “Heh heh heh… hiss hiss…”
Its struggles were so intense it seemed the tentacles would break free any second—
Only to be unceremoniously shoved back by Niu Tou at the last moment.
[Interrupted Casting.jpg (Again)]
Yun Wen: “????”
Niu Tou patted the guest’s shoulder, gently pushing them back into the seat with a reassuring, honest smile: “Guest, no need to rush—I’ll be right back.”
Then, he vanished.
The next moment, Niu Tou reappeared, holding a tray with nine teacups.
The tea was a lovely honeyed amber, filled with chunks of snow pear, red dates, and floating pear blossoms—served in glass cups like works of art.
Beaming, Niu Tou presented the tray:
“Guest, try it!”
Yun Wen: “…”
Under the cloak, the cluster of mouths on its mutated half froze in shock.
After a pause, one mouth hesitantly extended two slender tentacles, dripping with slime, and curled them around a cup. It lifted the tea cautiously and took a sip: “Heh heh heh—gulp, gulp.”
The other mouths watched nervously.
The sipping mouth held the cup, paused—then chugged the tea: “Heh! Heh heh heh! Gulp gulp gulp gulp!”
Sweet. Soothing. Delicious!
As the cup emptied, the mouth underwent a dramatic transformation: its tentacles cleaned up, the grime on its teeth vanished, and the oozing slime lessened. The whole mouth now exuded a fresh, floral pear fragrance.
Compared to its previous filthy state, it was practically unrecognizable.
…Seeing this, the other mouths no longer hesitated. Tentacles shot out, each grabbing a cup and gulping the tea down!
Between swallows, they even gave Niu Tou enthusiastic thumbs-ups with their tentacles.
Overjoyed by the tea’s reception, Niu Tou beamed: “Guest, I’m so glad you like it! Let me fetch you some pears to take home.”
With that, he returned with several large pears, stuffing them into Yun Wen’s cloak pockets before reluctantly leaving.
Leaving Yun Wen sitting there.
Staring blankly at the nine empty cups in its hands.
And the pears now filling its pockets.
For a moment, Yun Wen was dazed again.
It no longer felt like a pollutant in an apocalyptic wasteland.
Instead, it was like being in a relative’s living room during the holidays—where said relative not only insists you drink herbal tea for your “heatiness” but also stuffs red envelopes (with a measly five bucks inside) into your pockets for you to take home…
Outside the curtain, the snowstorm continued to howl.
The lingering sweetness of the pear tea still clung to its throat, the warmth of the hand heater seeped into its palms, and the porridge in the clay pot on the stove was nearly ready, bubbling softly. The young stall owner bustled about, the large dog still dozed lazily, and the bulging pockets filled with pears gave an inexplicable sense of security.
…Yun Wen sank deeper into the soft seat, a dreamy, weightless sensation washing over it. A low, contented sound escaped its throat:
“Heh heh heh… comfortable…”
The cloak slipped slightly, revealing that the eerie, abyssal half of its face had cleared somewhat—the thick fog dissipating to show Mu Dongsheng’s clean, human features beneath.
But the moment those words left its mouth, Yun Wen stiffened.
It was furious!
So this was the cunning lower lifeform’s plan—to weaken its resolve with such underhanded tactics!
It would not fall for this!
Every pollutant within a hundred miles sensed its rage, stirring in response to the top-tier pollutant’s call, gathering toward the tiny tricycle stall.
Inside the curtain, Yun Wen’s cloak billowed without wind, an invisible tremor shaking the entire stall. Beneath the hood, dark blood began to seep from Mu Dongsheng’s eyes, nose, and mouth—
Then, everything froze again.
Because…
The silver-gray dog lazily sauntered over.
Around its neck hung a basket, inside which lay a steaming hot towel.
With just a glance from those dark golden eyes, every pollutant that had just awoken “plopped” back into slumber.
Yun Wen: “???”
At the same time, the smiling stall owner announced:
“Guest, the porridge’s ready! …Ah, your face seems a bit dirty—here, wipe it with this warm towel before eating!”
As he spoke, Jian Yunlan ladled the freshly cooked mushroom and chicken porridge into a bowl, its rich aroma instantly filling the air.
Yun Wen: “…”
A hot towel?
…Porridge??
Who cared about some stupid towel or porridge?!
The top-tier pollutant screamed internally.
Yet, the body it controlled defied its will.
—The large dog looked irresistibly fluffy, its fur carrying the scent of sunshine, adorable and pristine.
And the white towel in the basket around its neck seemed… tantalizing for some reason.
Almost against its will, Yun Wen’s bony fingers reached out, trembling, and picked up the towel.
The moment the steaming cloth touched its frozen face—
Even Yun Wen couldn’t suppress a soft, involuntary “Mmm…”
…So good.
…So good!!!
The damp heat seeped into its skin, melting away the stiffness and cracks from seven days and nights in the frozen wasteland.
Time seemed to stand still.
The wind chimes tinkled softly, warm air from the stove brushed its face, and beside it sat a bowl of fragrant porridge, its savory scent wafting up.
If comfort had a rating, Yun Wen—nestled in that soft seat—would’ve maxed it out instantly.
That second stretched endlessly.
For a fleeting moment, Yun Wen hallucinated:
In the vision, it wiped its face contentedly with the towel, then lifted the bowl of porridge and took a big gulp—so hot it stuck out its tongue.
What did the porridge taste like?
The mild sweetness of rice, the velvety texture, the umami of chicken, the chewiness of mushrooms… No imagination could fill the void of anticipation.
In the fantasy, it had already drained the bowl and was asking for seconds.
But reality wasn’t so kind.
In reality, everything froze at the moment the towel touched its face—
The body beneath the cloak went completely rigid.
As the soothing warmth spread through his limbs, the twisted black mist, the countless mouths, the writhing tentacles, and the jagged teeth—all the grotesque features on the polluted half of his face—began to fade away beneath the cloak.
Finally, the mist dissipated, replaced by a clean, beautiful human face.
Yes.
In that brief moment when Yun Wen let its guard down, overwhelmed by comfort, Mu Dongsheng briefly regained control of his body.
The soul beneath the cloak had changed.
The top-tier mercenary, S-class lightning ability user, and former savior of Eastern Base—Mu Dongsheng—had returned.
“…”
The nearly spent charcoal in the stove crackled softly; the wind chimes tinkled.
Nine empty teacups sat beside him, snow pears bulged in his pockets, and the young stall owner gazed at him expectantly.
The rich aroma of porridge drifted into his nose.
It came from the bowl cradled in his hands.
Mu Dongsheng subtly surveyed his surroundings.
His memory was fragmented.
Why was he here? Who was this young man? He vaguely recalled being possessed by the high-risk pollutant Yun Wen—but where was it now?
And why was there a seemingly formidable dog nearby?
For now, he had to stay calm, not panic…
Holding the bowl of porridge, Mu Dongsheng slowly steadied his breathing.
So Mu Dongsheng going eat the porridge and be happy that he took over while Yun Wen going be annoyed that his body possession is ruined and afraid that itself will becomes a core?