181: Chapter 181 Can I ask you for a favor again?

Jinguji Ayane nodded cutely, her long black hair swaying gently on her shoulders.

"Mm-hmm!"

Lu Cheng: "..."

Fine.

This shrine maiden looked rather dim-witted.

But Lu Cheng didn't lower his guard immediately.

After all, the information Mei Wushuang provided was very clear: this shrine maiden from Sakura Island was a genius who had a record of killing a beast in the mid-stage of the Hua Hai Realm while she was only in the mid-stage of the Meridian Opening Realm.

If someone like that was truly dim-witted, it could only mean she had put all her skill points into combat.

But if she was faking it... that would be even more troublesome.

There was no guarantee that her arriving in the Imperial Capital early wasn't part of some special plan.

For example, scouting the location in advance.

Or testing the Dragon Kingdom's reception staff.

Or perhaps using a bowl of douzhi as a signal to meet up with a spy lurking in the Imperial Capital.

The more Lu Cheng thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

He shifted his gaze from the photo in Jinguji Ayane's hand and back to her face.

"You don't look like a local."

"Are you here in the Imperial Capital for sightseeing?"

Jinguji Ayane paused, stunned.

"I am here to..."

Her words suddenly cut off.

A clear look of hesitation appeared on the young woman's cold, beautiful face.

The Elder had said that she must not reveal her identity to ordinary people casually.

Especially in a place like the Dragon Kingdom's Imperial Capital.

She had snuck out early this time.

If the delegation found out she had run off to play by herself, they would surely say it was "not in accordance with shrine maiden etiquette."

And... it would cause trouble...

Thus, Jinguji Ayane remained silent for two seconds, then said in very labored Chinese:

"I am..."

"Here for sightseeing!"

After saying this, she nodded forcefully, as if to make her words more credible.

Lu Cheng frowned slightly.

She was deliberately hiding her situation.

That made her even more suspicious.

You, a Sakura Island shrine maiden, standing at the entrance of the Imperial Capital's commercial street, holding a photo of douzhi, and claiming you're here for sightseeing?

Lu Cheng sneered inwardly.

Fine.

Since you won't tell the truth, I don't need to be polite either.

Let's see if I can't teach you a lesson.

"Oh, I see, no problem."

Lu Cheng put on a very enthusiastic smile.

"I'm free right now anyway, I'll take you to see this."

Jinguji Ayane's eyes brightened.

"Really?"

"Really."

Lu Cheng nodded.

"I'm quite familiar with the Imperial Capital."

He felt a bit guilty saying that, as it was only his second time in the Imperial Capital.

But when it came to douzhi, he still had some authority.

This shrine maiden might be defeated before the official exchange even began...

The Little Spirit Fox was nestled in Lu Cheng's arms, having been tugging at his sleeve with its paws, but upon hearing they were going to find douzhi, its ears immediately flattened backward.

Although it didn't know what douzhi was, it remembered the smell.

Danger!

It was the kind of thing that even the instincts of a spirit beast advised against approaching.

Jinguji Ayane followed beside Lu Cheng, holding the photo properly with both hands, her steps light.

From time to time, she would glance at the surrounding shops, her eyes filled with an unconcealable sense of wonder.

The Imperial Capital's commercial street was very lively.

Origin Energy ice drinks, spirit poultry skewers, rune desserts, holographic projection advertisements...

All these things seemed very fresh to her.

Lu Cheng took it all in.

He became even more vigilant; she was putting on quite an act.

Acting like someone who had never seen the world.

If she really was an enemy scout, this acting was decent... but to me, it's still too immature!

Ten minutes later, Lu Cheng stopped in front of a small shop.

The shop wasn't big, and the sign was quite old.

The plaque displayed a few large characters: [Old Wang's Douzhi]

Rumor had it that this was the most pungent douzhi in the Imperial Capital!

Next to it was a line of small text: [A Century of Heritage, Naturally Fermented]

Just standing at the entrance, the air was already filled with an extremely intense odor.

Sour, pungent, ancient, stubborn.

It carried a certain impact that refused to compromise, even after crossing the long river of time.

The Little Spirit Fox had a keen nose; the moment it smelled this odor, its body instantly stiffened.

The next second, it buried its head in Lu Cheng's chest, its four little paws gripping his clothes tightly.

"Ying..."

The sound even carried a hint of grievance.

Lu Cheng looked down at it.

"Bear with it."

"This is culture shock."

The Little Spirit Fox: "..."

The shop owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing a white apron and holding a ladle.

Seeing Lu Cheng enter with a beautiful young woman who didn't look like a local, he immediately greeted them with a smile.

"Young man, what would you like to drink?"

Lu Cheng leaned in, lowered his voice, and showed his terminal to the owner.

"Boss."

"This person might be a spy from Sakura Island."

The smile on the owner's face instantly froze.

His gaze slowly shifted to Jinguji Ayane.

Jinguji Ayane was busy observing a promotional poster on the wall about "Intangible Cultural Heritage: Old Flavors," completely unaware of what was happening.

The owner narrowed his eyes slightly.

The next second, he understood.

He understood completely.

As an heir to an old Imperial Capital brand, protecting traditional culture was his bounden duty.

The owner plunged the ladle into the bucket, his expression becoming incomparably solemn.

"Young man, rest assured."

"Leave it to me."

"Today, I will let this foreign friend experience what true, extreme douzhi is all about."

Lu Cheng felt a sense of respect.

He suddenly felt that the owner wasn't just selling douzhi at this moment; he was going to war.

Before long, the three of them sat down.

Jinguji Ayane sat very upright, her hands placed on her knees.

She stared at the tabletop as if waiting for a sacred ceremony.

Lu Cheng thought for a moment and decided to give her a heads-up.

"In the Dragon Kingdom, there is a tradition."

Jinguji Ayane immediately looked up.

"What tradition?"

Lu Cheng said with a straight face.

"You cannot waste food."

Jinguji Ayane's expression turned solemn.

"I know."

"Food is very precious."

"I will not waste it."

She said it very earnestly.

She even placed her hand gently on her chest, as if making some kind of shrine maiden oath.

Lu Cheng looked at her, and suddenly felt a slight pang of conscience.

But he quickly suppressed it.

No.

Can't be deceived by appearances.

This is a Sakura Island shrine maiden.

There might be a conspiracy.

A moment later, the owner walked over with a bowl of douzhi.

As soon as that bowl was placed on the table, the guests at the surrounding tables all looked over in unison.

Not for any other reason.

The smell was too authentic.

The douzhi in the bowl was an indescribable grayish-green, with a subtle foam on the surface.

It was served with jiaoquan, shredded pickled vegetables, and a small dish of chili oil.

When the owner set the bowl down, his eyes held the calmness of a master who had just made a move.

"Enjoy."

Jinguji Ayane lowered her head to look at the bowl of douzhi.

Her complexion changed bit by bit.

Her originally fair and beautiful face, upon smelling that odor, was forced to take on an indescribable shade of gray.

Looking like shit...

She looked at the douzhi.

Then she looked at Lu Cheng.

Then she looked at the douzhi again.

Lu Cheng's expression was natural.

"Try it?"

Jinguji Ayane lifted the bowl.

Her movements were light.

But her fingers were clearly a little stiff.

She probably realized that this thing was a bit different from the "traditional Dragon Kingdom Imperial Capital delicacies" she had imagined.

But she had already given her word.

She would not waste food.

So, she closed her eyes, as if making a resolution.

She lowered her head and took a sip.

The next second.

Jinguji Ayane's pupils trembled slightly.

She went completely still.

In that instant, she seemed to see the shrine back home on Sakura Island...

saw the courtyard where she practiced the Imperial God Blade as a child...

saw the Elder's stern face...

saw every important scene from her eighteen years of life flashing before her eyes, frame by frame...

So...

is life really this short?

After Jinguji Ayane swallowed that mouthful of douzhi, her expression went blank for a full three seconds...

Lu Cheng watched her dazed appearance, and his heart suddenly wavered...

Does she really have some other purpose?

Why does it feel like...

this girl doesn't look like a bad person, but more like a victim tricked into checking this place off a list.

"Uh..."

Lu Cheng cleared his throat.

"Maybe forget it."

"Don't drink it."

Hearing this, Jinguji Ayane's eyes refocused.

She looked down at the remaining half-bowl of douzhi.

Then she gripped the bowl tightly.

"No."

"I can, I will finish it!"

Her Chinese was still broken.

But her tone was very firm.

Lu Cheng: "..."

For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit guilty... Why does it feel like I'm tricking an idiot?

Jinguji Ayane continued to drink.

The few local Imperial Capital guests around were dumbfounded.

Someone whispered: "Who is this girl? She can drink this much on her first time?"

"Must be from out of town, right?"

"Even someone from out of town can drink this? This girl really has endurance."

"I'm a local of the Imperial Capital and I wouldn't dare drink Old Wang's original concentrated version."

"This isn't just endurance anymore, this is a tough nut."

The owner stood behind the counter, his expression also changed.

At first, he thought this was an enemy spy.

But now...

watching Jinguji Ayane trembling as she drank the douzhi, a hint of admiration actually grew in his heart.

There aren't many people who can drink this bowl of his life's work to the bottom!

Especially on the first try!

Finally.

Jinguji Ayane set the bowl down.

Empty.

It was really empty.

She sat there, her back still straight.

But her eyes were already a little unfocused...

Lu Cheng was silent for two seconds.

"How do you feel?"

Jinguji Ayane slowly looked up.

She looked at Lu Cheng.

She seemed to really want to tell the truth.

But she was embarrassed to say it didn't taste good.

After all, this was a traditional delicacy the other party had enthusiastically taken her to find.

And she had just said so earnestly that she wouldn't waste it.

So, with a bitter face, she tried hard to squeeze out a polite smile.

"It's..."

"It's not bad."

Lu Cheng: "..."

Surrounding guests: "..."

Owner: "..."

The whole shop was briefly silent for a moment.

Then someone gasped.

"It's not bad?"

"This girl is really not an ordinary person."

"I would like to call her the Saintess of Douzhi."

The owner had an even more complicated expression.

He suddenly felt that he might have misunderstood her.

Someone who could say Old Wang's douzhi wasn't bad without changing their expression, even if they were a spy, deserved respect.

Lu Cheng looked at Jinguji Ayane, who looked like she was about to cry but was still forcing herself to be polite, and his vigilance dropped a little more.

Fine.

If this acting was faked, then it was too good.

Just as Lu Cheng was preparing to take her away, Jinguji Ayane suddenly held her terminal with both hands and spoke a bit bashfully.

"Um..."

Lu Cheng looked at her.

"What is it?"

Jinguji Ayane raised her head.

In the eyes that had just been sunk by the douzhi, golden light suddenly emerged.

"Could I... trouble you with something else?"