Wu Feng was awakened by hunger, and also by the fragrance.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes, his nostrils flaring as a rich aroma of meat mixed with malt liquor wafted into his nostrils.
"Gurgle..."
My stomach started growling uncontrollably.
Wu Feng jumped up and pushed open the door.
There were already quite a few diners in the inn's lobby, with golden, glistening skewers of grilled meat on the tables.
There was also beer served in a clear glass, topped with white foam. Just one sip was enough to make him feel refreshed and invigorated, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
It tastes much better than many modern beers!
For three consecutive days, Wu Feng completely collapsed.
He would sleep until he naturally woke up each day, and then, carrying the barren mountain token, he would wander around the barren county.
From street vendors selling grilled lamb skewers and fried chicken cutlets to restaurants serving braised pork and sweet and sour fish.
Then, I tried all the spicy hot pot, stir-fried rice noodles, and various flavors of chilled beer from the night market stalls.
Every time it's time to pay the bill, the barren mountain token flashes, and I don't have to pay a single penny. It feels absolutely wonderful!
"Burp!" Wu Feng patted his round belly and let out a happy burp. "This life is a hundred times better than when I was eating ice chips and jerky in that wretched valley in the Northern Barbarians!"
Before they knew it, the seventh day had arrived.
Wu Feng lay on the soft bed in the inn, gazing at the slowly rotating wind-generating magic circle on the ceiling, with only one thought in his mind.
"There's no going back! I'd rather die than go back! I wouldn't even want to live that miserable life!"
He even started to consider whether he should completely submit to this mountain goddess and become a minor guardian demon!
The innkeeper was a kind-hearted man. Seeing that Wu Feng spent his days eating, drinking, and wandering around, he smiled and suggested, "Mr. Wu, you seem to be quite comfortable living in this desolate mountain. Why don't you find a job here? We have plenty of factories in this desolate mountain, with good pay, including food, lodging, and wages!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Feng's eyes lit up.
"That's right! We can't just keep eating, drinking, and living here for free, can we? We're respectable sorcerers, we have to be self-reliant!"
However, when he actually went to visit those factories with the innkeeper, he became deflated.
In Liulichang, the heat was intense; the glowing red-hot stoves seemed to be melting his old bones even from a distance.
"No, no, it's too hot! This god can't stand it!"
The brick kiln was even hotter than Liulichang! And it was smoky and dusty; he coughed incessantly as soon as he went in.
"Cough cough cough! This is not a place to stay!"
The textile factory, with its roaring machines, was giving him a headache.
There are also parts processing plants, herbal medicine processing workshops...
After looking around, Wu Feng found that the moving was too tiring, the polishing too tedious, or the environment too unpleasant.
He said to the innkeeper with a pained expression, "Boss, I'm a mental worker, I'm not suited to doing these physical jobs!"
Innkeeper: "..."
And so, a month passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, Wu Feng had just finished a sumptuous lunch and was picking his teeth while lying on the bed humming a tuneless little tune when there was a knock on the door.
Lin Anniang's tall figure appeared at the doorway, looking at him calmly.
"Wu Feng, the one-month period has come to an end. When will you set off to return to the Northern Barbarians?"
Wu Feng jolted awake, instantly sitting up in bed, then groaned and lay back down, sprawled out on his back, groaning and moaning.
"Oh dear, Lady Anniang, it's not that I don't want to leave, it's just that I've caught a cold these past few days, and I feel weak all over, dizzy and lightheaded. I'm afraid I can't withstand a long journey!"
Lin Anniang said expressionlessly, "The Mountain Goddess said that if you really don't want to leave, you can stay."
Wu Feng's eyes lit up, and he sat up in shock from his deathbed: "Really? The Mountain Goddess is indeed kind-hearted and compassionate!"
"However," Lin Anniang changed the subject, "from today onwards, you'll have to pay for your own food and lodging at this inn. After all, this desolate mountain doesn't support idlers."
She paused, then added, "Of course, we also welcome anyone in our barren mountains who is willing to work hard. You can find a job and earn money with your own abilities."
Wu Feng's smile froze instantly, then drooped as he looked pitifully at Lin Anniang: "Aunt Anniang, look at my old arms and legs, how can I do any work..."
Before she could finish speaking, the innkeeper, who was standing nearby, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed over and poured out his grievances to Lin Anniang.
"Manager Lin, you've finally arrived! This gentleman is really too difficult to serve!" The boss slapped his thigh, spitting as he spoke.
"You have no idea! In the past month, I've introduced him to no less than ten factories! He complained that the glass factory was too hot, saying the fire would dry up all his magical power! He complained that the brick kiln had too much smoke, saying it would affect his cultivation! He complained that the textile factory was too noisy, saying it disturbed his peace and quiet! Even when he went to help weed in the fields, he said the sun was too strong and would damage his skin!"
The innkeeper grew increasingly angry as he spoke: "And the food factory! They asked him to make dumplings, and he made them into huge cartwheels! They sent him to the brewery, and he said the alcohol smell was too strong, and he was afraid he'd get drunk and mess things up! What important things could he possibly need to do!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Anniang frowned slightly, looking at Wu Feng, who was stubbornly refusing to sleep on the bed, with a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "You Northern Barbarian Witch God, you're quite picky!"
"What?" The innkeeper yelled as if he'd been stepped on, pointing at Wu Feng with his eyes wide open.
"He's the Northern Barbarian's sorcerer god? The one who opposed our Mountain Goddess before?"
Wu Feng was startled by this sudden accusation and quickly waved his hand.
The innkeeper, however, was already furious: "Lord Lin, why didn't you say so sooner! If I had known he was from the Northern Barbarians, I should have put more ingredients in his food! I should have served him better!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Feng's face turned green. He jumped out of bed and, no longer bothering to pretend to be sick, cried out with a face full of grievance.
"Injustice! Utter injustice! I, although I am the Northern Barbarian Witch God, I have never done anything wrong! I have never even killed a chicken on my own! I just, just want to make a living and live a few days in peace!"
He paced anxiously, looking at Lin Anniang and the furious innkeeper, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I can work! I can do chores! Just don't make me go to those sweltering, exhausting places!"
"How about guarding the temple gate for the Mountain Goddess? Or becoming a storyteller? Let me tell you, I have a ton of stories to tell!"
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