novellhall Chapter 24 Mysterious Resurrection?
Chapter 24 Mysterious Resurrection?
Young Lu was in a bad mood, but he did not make any rash moves.
His breathing slowed and became even as Lu Qingfeng tried to control his aura using breathing techniques to prevent his killing intent from being revealed.
So, an ordinary bookstore owner pushed open the restaurant door.
"Splash!"
Lu Qingfeng shook the water off his umbrella and placed it next to the shop door.
From the outside, there was nothing obviously unusual about the restaurant.
However, Lu Qingfeng would not make a judgment easily. If a novice's weekly dungeon could hide something like the Red Moon, then in the real world, which is countless times larger than a dungeon, nothing would be surprising.
"Boss, your business is doing very well."
Lu Qingfeng spoke casually, as if he were a curious guest.
But his gaze kept sweeping over them.
The store is indeed as Jolyne described, with a strong ancient style.
The structure is made of dark wood, with carved window frames, and the tables and chairs are also in an antique style.
The dim light from the lanterns stretched the shadows, making them sway and flicker on the wall.
The air was filled with the scent of incense.
The fragrance was trying to mask something, but under Lu Qingfeng's keen perception, the faint scent still stubbornly entered his nasal cavity.
"This doesn't taste very good."
Lu Qingfeng, as if drawn by the aroma, took a deep breath.
Hiss... Top-notch lung capacity.
The rich, incense scent carried an indescribable sweetness that hit you right in the head.
This fragrance is not ordinary sandalwood or floral scent; it contains an extremely faint, sweet-smelling, rotten aroma.
It smelled like some kind of biological tissue slowly fermenting in a warm and humid place, vaguely overlapping with the aura of certain demonic lairs in his inherited memories.
Something's definitely not right.
"Hello, are you alone? What would you like to eat?"
"Our store is newly opened today, so enjoy a 8% discount!"
A waiter approached, and Lu Qingfeng could sense that the person opposite him was indeed a living person.
"I'm the owner of the bookstore not far away. I've come to meet my new neighbor."
Lu Qingfeng casually found an empty table against the wall and sat down, his seat facing the shrine deep inside the shop.
The shrine was partially covered by a thin veil, through which a simple, archaic wooden statue of a deity with indistinct features could be vaguely seen.
That's it!
Several meters away, Lu Qingfeng's "Basic Breathing Technique" suddenly stopped, as an undeniable aura of decay pierced his senses.
"Give me a bowl of your signature nourishing soup, to warm my stomach."
"Which deity is enshrined here? It looks rather unusual."
While the waiter was writing down the menu, he deliberately showed some interest and asked a question.
Clearly, this wasn't the first time the waiter had been asked this question, and he answered with a professional smile:
"This is a lucky charm that our boss invited; it's believed to bring wealth."
"The God of Fortune, what a niche deity! Could you tell me where your boss bought it? I'd like to get one for my bookstore too."
The waiter's smile remained unchanged, and his answer was perfectly flawless:
"We don't know about that; the boss personally invited it back. Your health-preserving soup will be here shortly."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Lu Qingfeng's gaze was fixed on the shrine as if it were a tangible object.
The moment the waiter turned around, a sharp, icy pain shot through the [Spiritual Amulet] around his neck.
[Warning: Malicious activity may be present nearby!]
[Warning: Psionic Contamination Detected!]
The amulet's message perfectly matched his perception.
The statue behind that veil is definitely not a god of fortune!
Its aura is cold and sinister, carrying a greedy thirst for life, and has nothing to do with blessings or wealth.
It's nothing but a destabilizing and dirty thing!
The cloying, sweet fragrance in the air was trying desperately to mask the stench emanating from the statue itself.
His hand, which was under the table, clenched quietly. The dormant blood and energy in his body surged instinctively, like a beast whose territory had been invaded, radiating an invisible pressure.
If his soul hadn't been weakened and his body hadn't been in a sluggish state, coupled with his powerful willpower suppressing it, this provoked blood energy would probably have already burst forth and locked onto that evil statue.
"Calm down... now is not the time to take action..."
Lu Qingfeng silently recited in his heart.
The sluggishness caused by his weakened soul made him clearly aware that forcibly unleashing his power at this moment was extremely risky.
Not only might it fail to completely eliminate this evil entity, but it might also alert the boss behind it, causing him to become aware or even flee.
Moreover, the consequences of taking action in this bustling city street where ordinary people gather are unpredictable.
Just then, a waiter came over with an exquisite white porcelain soup bowl and carefully placed it on the table: "Your signature nourishing soup, please enjoy."
As soon as the lid was lifted, a rich aroma of steam, a blend of medicinal herbs and meat, wafted out.
To an ordinary person, the smell would be delicious and nourishing, but to Lu Qingfeng, a chilling aura was trying to seep into his mouth and nose.
It's strange. The takeout food is fine, but the food in the shop is so odd.
There's definitely something wrong with it.
Lu Qingfeng didn't touch the spoon; he simply brushed his fingertips seemingly casually across the rim of the bowl, and a wisp of highly refined qi and blood, like an invisible probe, instantly seeped into the soup.
The feedback he received made him even more disheartened: the energy in this soup did not come from any rare or precious ingredients.
Instead, it was created by forcibly mixing ordinary ingredients and herbs in an extremely crude way, and then blessing or contaminating them with the power of that evil god statue.
It can temporarily boost the spirits of ordinary people, much like a low-quality stimulant.
However, long-term consumption can lead to the accumulation of impure energies and contamination from the idols in the body.
At best, it will deplete your vital energy; at worst, it may become nourishment or an anchor for that evil god statue, or even be controlled by it!
This food stall is nothing but a trap disguised as a gourmet restaurant, a sinister ritual site that slowly drains the life essence of its diners!
How did such a obviously problematic store even get started?
The problem stemmed from a lack of official oversight.
Or... a bad guy came along.
Or perhaps, the planet Earth has mysteriously revived, and filthy things can now appear openly on the streets.
"How's the taste? Is it to your liking?"
Seeing that Lu Qingfeng didn't move, the waiter asked with a smile.
Lu Qingfeng raised his head, forcing a flawless smile: "It smells quite nice, but I caught a bit of a breeze on my way here, and suddenly I don't have much of an appetite."
He pointed out the window, "Judging from the sky, it looks like it's going to rain heavily. We need to hurry back and bring in the books that are drying in the sun. The soup will still be paid."
He scanned the code to pay deftly, his movements natural and fluid, without the slightest hesitation.
The waiter was a little surprised, but didn't say much, assuming that the new neighbor had a strange temper.
Picking up the umbrella by the door, Lu Qingfeng took one last deep look at the shrine shrouded in gauze.
It seems that no matter what the reason, I have to come back again tonight.