Chapter 80: Does It Smell Good?

Once again, he could enjoy the feeling of being carried on a girl’s back... What a... truly embarrassing sensation. Li Changluo didn’t care in the least about the principles behind the ice forming on his back... With a single-minded focus, he lay quietly in Xiao Qing’s arms. Yet after quite a while, this slow-witted girl still hadn’t moved... According to the process, wasn’t she supposed to easily pick him up, sling him onto her back, and carry him away? Could it be... his performance wasn’t convincing enough? Should he look even more pitiful, maybe stretch out a leg? Cough up some blood? But wasn’t having his back frozen already tragic enough? How difficult... Sneaking a ride on a young girl’s back was truly difficult... Perhaps I should just get up and earnestly investigate the mystery of the ice on my back instead.

Truth be told, he only felt a chill in the air, a coldness down his spine... Did it really need to be this serious, to the point of actual ice forming? So, Li Changluo slowly cracked open his eyes, wanting to take a look...

No sooner had he opened a slit than he caught sight of a pair of cute, big white eyes looking at him, blinking away.

“Oh, he’s not actually fainted,” Xiao Qing exclaimed in delight, jumping up and pointing at Li Changluo, her surprise evident as she called over to Hei Wa, who was standing aside.

Compared to the simple-minded Xiao Qing, Hei Wa was well aware of Li Changluo’s little ruse, but how could he expose his shameless friend at a time like this? He had no choice but to go along with Xiao Qing, clapping his hands and feigning surprise, “Wow, truly turning body odor into magic—I can’t help but want to praise...”

Yet before Hei Wa could finish his sentence, he saw Xiao Qing decisively raise her hand and, with a loud smack, bring it down hard on Li Changluo’s neck...

Li Changluo let out a muffled groan and genuinely fainted from the pain.

...

“Now I’m at ease. He’s really out this time.” Xiao Qing brushed back her hair and revealed a gratified, adorable smile.

You can never wake someone pretending to be unconscious, but you can certainly make them pass out for real. Xiao Qing, after all, was a straightforward tomboy with simple... and direct methods.

The scene left Hei Wa utterly terrified. His already dark face turned even darker; he stood aside, not daring to make a sound, watching as Xiao Qing hoisted Li Changluo onto her shoulder like a chick and carried him off.

Inside the Monster Tavern.

Li Changluo was limp all over, his head splitting with pain, his vision blurry.

He lay on the bed, not yet fully awake, but could hear people whispering nearby.

“My brother, seeing him like this makes me itch with curiosity. Why not light a fire? The taste would surely be enough to make one wail to the heavens.”

It was Hei Wa’s voice—Li Changluo heard him clearly. He sighed inwardly. Hei Wa was a good friend, and his concern for Li Changluo’s health was understandable, but...

What’s with this talk of lighting a fire?

And what did he mean by “the taste would make one wail to the heavens”?

Could it be, seeing me covered in ice, he wants to thaw me out with fire?

Shocking, truly shocking... In this day and age, someone would actually come up with such a harebrained idea.

Not to mention, roasting someone suffering from frostbite would ruin skin and tissue, leaving lifelong injuries...

And another thing... Are you seriously unaware there’s something called a hospital? Take me to a hospital, I beg you!

Li Changluo wanted to tell them, but his mouth was parched, and he couldn’t utter a word.

“No, absolutely not,” Xiao Qing’s voice cut in, firmly rejecting Hei Wa’s suggestion.

Li Changluo felt deeply moved and warm inside. The always scatterbrained Xiao Qing had actually grown up... She now knew how to care for people... What a sweet, thoughtful girl.

“It’s only fragrant if you take off his clothes and roast him.” Xiao Qing’s cute voice plunged Li Changluo into despair...

So the two of you, seeing that I’m down, are planning to eat me?

...

No way, absolutely not.

Lying on the bed, Li Changluo was so terrified by the pair’s conversation that he sprang up, bolted for the door, and ran outside...

All that talk about weakness, splitting headache, parched mouth, and exhaustion? Faced with a powerful will to survive, none of it mattered to Li Changluo.

He dashed off at lightning speed, vanishing in a puff of smoke, leaving only the door swinging behind him.

Xiao Qing and Hei Wa were left dumbfounded...

Hei Wa, still holding a half-peeled banana, let it slip from his hand to the floor, mumbling, “Li doesn’t like roasted banana?”

At the top of the stairs on the tavern’s second floor, Li Changluo, running wild, suddenly stopped in his tracks—something felt off...

Because someone was standing ahead of him...

To be precise, a monster. On its head, a bright red flower, so vivid and conspicuous...

Still with that faint, familiar air of... flamboyance.

The last time this sharp-tongued monster and the delicate youth before him had met was right here in this hallway, in just such an intimate atmosphere, with the other’s gaze just as passionate and longing...

And, more importantly...

He was still unclothed, standing stark naked, their eyes meeting.

Was this fate, or...

Are you really just short of clothes?

With a helpless sigh, the sharp-tongued monster nodded slightly to Li Changluo, giving him a knowing look...

Then, turning away bashfully, he slipped off his clothes and tossed them to Li Changluo.

Li Changluo gave him a clasped-fist salute in thanks, then jerked his chin in another direction.

The monster’s brows knit tight, his expression shifting from anger to despair, and finally, with a great stamp of his foot, as if making an agonizing decision, he hurled himself, headfirst, into the wooden railing beside him...

Rolling his eyes, he fainted dead away.

The monster’s melodramatic performance left Li Changluo utterly stunned...

I just meant you could go—you didn’t need to go to such lengths, did you?

This silent battle ended in Li Changluo’s victory; he quickly dressed and slipped away.

He descended to the main hall. It was eerily quiet, and he noticed that not a single monster could be seen.

The Monster Tavern was a special place, unlike any ordinary tavern, open around the clock with no closing time...

By day, monsters would gather here in small groups, boasting and joking, taking and exchanging tasks at the quest board...

At night, the homeless monsters would find a corner to rest, filling every inch of the tavern—but such a desolate scene, Li Changluo had never encountered.

His stomach rumbled. In truth, monsters didn’t get hungry, but he was feeling peckish and wanted to see if Miss Mingshan would give him a snack.

Yet the main hall was empty...

Li Changluo decided to check the kitchen.

As he passed the central Eight Immortals table, he caught a whiff of something delicious, a mouthwatering aroma.

It set his stomach growling; he nearly drooled.

Looking around, he saw that on the Eight Immortals table, a plate held a roast chicken, with a jug of wine beside it.

The chicken was golden and succulent, making Li Changluo swallow hard.

Under the plate, he spotted a note. Looking closely, he saw it was signed by Miss Mingshan.

Could it be, she wanted him to light the fire again?

Without another thought, he grabbed the chicken and started devouring it. The taste was exquisite—crispy, fragrant, and tender—the most delicious roast chicken he’d ever eaten.

“Is it tasty?”