Chapter 106: The Five Elements
“Shopkeeper, when will you make a move?”
Lin Dandan stood aside, watching the shopkeeper Bai Lianhua, who had her back turned to him. He felt as nervous as a schoolboy summoned to the principal’s office—nervous, still nervous...
“If the enemy does not move, I will not move.”
Bai Lianhua’s gaze was lazily fixed on the large screen in the middle of the tavern, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“Ah, Young Master Long Qi...”
The many female monsters in the tavern saw the screen switch to Young Master Long Qi and all screamed excitedly, their excitement palpable... It was as if one could already hear cries of “I want to bear your child!”
Yet, unexpectedly, all the creatures watching the live broadcast were stunned, their eyes glued to the screen.
Because Young Master Long Qi seemed to be in trouble.
He was trapped inside what looked like a cage made of trees, surrounded by towering ancient trees...
Their branches were lush and thick, as if controlled by someone—these gnarled branches were attacking the trapped Long Qi viciously.
Every branch scraped the ground with a harsh sound.
Even the densely vegetated ground was torn up, roots and soil uprooted like the turf left scarred after a fierce soccer match.
Cradling an ancient zither, Long Qi dodged these branches sharper than swords.
As he evaded, he played the zither, which emitted flashes of cold light that shot toward the attacking branches.
Crack!
The crisp sound of breaking branches was oddly satisfying...
Branches severed by Long Qi littered the ground.
Yet, as soon as these branches touched the earth, like seeds nurtured by Mother Nature, they rapidly grew again in wild profusion.
In no time, the once-spacious tree cage was again densely packed with towering trees, crisscrossing in every direction, leaving little room for Long Qi to maneuver.
His situation grew more desperate by the moment.
The gathered monsters gawked, eyes wide in disbelief...
“To be a waiter and die in the process, really...”
“Truly... too damn thrilling.”
“Being a waiter is a whole new level you’ve never experienced before...”
“Sweet and sour, the kind that ends in death.”
The crowd in the tavern erupted in excitement, never expecting the recruitment trial for waiters to be so spectacular, even deadly...
Tell me, isn’t this thrilling to watch?
The monsters couldn’t help but chatter wildly, teasing with reckless abandon, reveling in the spectacle.
The scene was becoming ever more captivating...
If Young Master Long Qi’s journey had been smooth sailing, killing gods and buddhas alike, the broadcast would lose its charm...
It would be boring.
This is what psychology calls peer pressure...
Everyone secretly watches the star performer, waiting for the moment he slips.
Not because they are dark or malicious at heart,
But because...
When a tree stands out tall in the forest, I just want to trim it...
After all...
Being outstanding comes at a price...
Even in this chaotic world of dancing monsters, this truth holds.
Although occasional fangirls of Long Qi in the tavern anxiously cheered him on, shouting “666” (awesome)...
Ultimately, Long Qi was now in a losing battle.
“Shopkeeper, the ordeals in this waiter trial are really intriguing.”
On the tavern’s second floor, Lin Dandan pushed up his glasses thoughtfully, watching the live broadcast.
“Oh? Do tell,” Bai Lianhua replied without turning her head.
“You see, the first trial tests the character of the candidates...”
Lin Dandan adjusted his glasses.
“Oh? Why is that?”
Bai Lianhua asked.
“A waiter seems like a minor role, just running errands, but this position controls the distribution of food in the tavern. If evil thoughts arise, the waiter could be bribed, tampering with the food and causing unfairness.”
“So, the first trial demands that candidates not be deceived by appearances: the injured old man, the man who fell off a cliff, the lost old woman...”
“All of these test whether the candidate’s mind is steadfast, whether they can resist sympathy that clouds their judgment and abandon their principles.”
“Long Qi’s performance has been flawless—decisive and resolute—but...”
Lin Dandan pushed his glasses again, a little embarrassed.
“But what?”
Bai Lianhua kept her eyes glued to the screen.
“But that little monster Li Changluo is shameless—taking advantage of diners and squeezing every last drop from them. Absolutely disgraceful...”
Lin Dandan shook his head, expressing his disdain for that little monster’s shamelessness.
“Lin Dandan, what are you thinking? You overanalyze. This trial isn’t some elaborate scheme; it’s simply...”
“To weed out candidates. Anyone who can’t make it should be eliminated.”
The shopkeeper Bai Lianhua finally turned around and smiled gracefully at Lin Dandan, revealing the truth.
“…”
Lin Dandan pointed to the live broadcast, awkwardly asking, “So this trial is also about eliminating candidates?”
“No, it’s actually a Five Elements cultivation test, assessing the waiter’s perceptiveness.”
Bai Lianhua smiled softly at the puzzled Lin Dandan.
“Uh, Five Elements? Where?”
Lin Dandan’s eyes widened as he stared at the large screen.
“You’re so dumb. These are trees, right? Wood belongs to the Five Elements. And the element that controls wood is metal, right?”
“Right.”
“Five Elements—what conquers wood?”
“Metal.”
“Then isn’t it that metal conquers wood, and the trial hides clues to pass through. The metal is right here in this trial.”
“Where’s the metal?”
“Look closely...”
Bai Lianhua pointed to a corner of the big screen.
Lin Dandan pushed his glasses and searched intently where she indicated...
“Shopkeeper, who designed such a senseless Five Elements trial? Isn’t this an insult to the audience’s intelligence?”
Lin Dandan was shocked to see what was supposedly the metal element: in an inconspicuous corner of the wooden cage was a real blade...
A demon-slaying golden blade...
A white paper boldly read: A demon-slaying golden blade...
But where was the blade?
Where was the blade?
...
...
They really thought of everything for the candidates...
Heh, this was far more sincere than some cheap special effects, since it was a tangible item...
The shopkeeper, Bai Lianhua, leaning against the wooden railing, looked a little tired. She straightened her slender figure, standing tall and proud...
Gracefully stretching with a languid yawn...
Bai Lianhua was statuesque, with a slender waist and long legs...
But...
Most slender women have an unspoken pain...
If they weigh under a hundred pounds, they’re either flat-chested or short...
Bai Lianhua was tall, not short, but flat-chested.
Even so, every movement she made stirred the lustful men in the tavern. They were like the lecherous characters in some Japanese adult film...
Frantically recording the second floor with their phones, capturing this fairy-like shopkeeper...
So much so that when she raised her hand, ready to scold Lin Dandan, it strangely turned into her gently patting his head...
“Your head is so big...”
“You’re so good...”
“What a cute little kid...”
“Sister will pat your head...”
“See? How pure and innocent I am, your sweet girl next door... I never hit anyone, I only gently pat heads...”
“Hey, shopkeeper, please stop patting, my hair is falling out...”