162: Chapter 162: Netherworld Cuisine of China 162: Chapter 162: Netherworld Cuisine of China The cafeteria was brightly lit.
Li Mumu stood under the light, yet she felt nothing.
Old Master He faced the girl who appeared as a dainty and harmless figure with a dual-headed and four-armed Dharma Body, and he only felt his gums swell in pain.
Light and fire are the natural enemies of demons and evil spirits.
Official residences are no-go zones for demons and evil spirits.
But these aren’t absolutely accurate rules, such as the exception at present.
Laws are essentially a game of quibbling over words.
Before listing various restrictions for demons and evil spirits, one must first define what constitutes a demon or an evil spirit.
In the past, it wasn’t like this, a demon was a demon, a god was a god, and a ghost was a ghost.
As for evil spirits, they were entities not fit for decent company.
Just like loafers on the street, good for nothing, despised by everyone, not even sorted into categories of waste—that’s what an evil spirit is.
But demons and evil spirits aren’t the same as those old concepts.
It’s a new term.
Like the dish ‘couple’s lung slices’ which contains neither couples nor lung slices.
Regarding the Dharma Body revealed by the girl before him, Old Master He wasn’t extremely surprised apart from the initial shock of being awakened.
In storytelling and operas; Immortals with three heads and six arms are far from rare; this is a traditional Dharma Body from Buddhism.
A dual-headed and four-armed Dharma Body is merely uncommon, not unseen.
Within Tibetan Buddhism, there is a Four-Armed Bodhisattva; aside from Bodhisattvas, beings under Buddhism such as Asura, Yaksha, and Naga also possess four-armed Dharma Bodies.
What truly puzzled Old Master He was, how could such a young girl possess the capability to sustain a four-armed Dharma Body?
She was too weak, and mentally… she didn’t seem very strong, just docile like a quail.
“Girl, where are you from?”
Having composed himself, Old Master He tentatively asked.
“I am Chinese!”
Having settled down and consistently considering how to maintain her personage, Li Mumu quickly responded, “My name is Li Mumu, born in the Federation’s Saifu City, 14 years old this year, and both my parents are Chinese; my father is Mu Yuming…”
“Alright, alright, no one’s checking your household registration.”
Old Master He was merely making small talk, but he suddenly couldn’t help but respond to the last piece of information, “Your father’s surname is Mu?
Of the ‘Yu’ generation?”
Li Mumu was a bit surprised, “You’ve heard of the Mu Family?
My father told me we have many relatives back in our homeland.”
“It’s not just a matter of having many relatives; they were royalty and nobility of the former dynasty!”
Old Master He clucked his tongue in admiration, “Everyone knows the name of King Mu’s Mansion; if it weren’t for a change of dynasties, I would have to address you as Commandery Princess.”
Li Mumu was also a bit confused, “King Mu’s Mansion?
That can’t be right.
My dad told me it’s just a large family with many relatives, never mentioned anything about royalty and nobility.”
Old Master He scoffed with a smile, “Are there many people with the surname Mu?”
Uh…
This, Li Mumu wasn’t too clear about, as she didn’t really understand the situation in her homeland at this time.
But it definitely wasn’t one of the common surnames like Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang.
The surname Mu actually doesn’t have a very long history; in official records, it originated from the surname “Murong.”
Li Mumu faintly remembered reading something about this in her history textbooks, during the Apocalypse Era, State Duke Mu quelled rebellions in Shaan-Gan.
Later in his advanced age, he led the army to the west during the Apocalypse Era, drove away foreigners, and recaptured the Western Regions…
It must have been State Duke Mu.
In her memory, this was indeed a significant point likely to be a major question in exams.
Of course, it was not uncommon for posthumous promotions to occur in history.
King Mu’s Mansion…
Who would have thought my family heritage was so illustrious, and yet my real father had never mentioned it to me.
Of course, there’s an even greater possibility that my family is just some distant relative you can’t even connect by stretching eight poles between us.
It might not even be a distant relative; can a mere surname prove anything?
Even if we back up ten thousand steps, how much could this old gatekeeper at the police station know about the royalty and nobility of the Former Dynasty?
Li Mumu felt somewhat relieved yet also a bit disappointed.
While she was conflicted inside, Zuo Yan came back carrying a piece of beef liver.
Fresh, tender, still dripping with blood, the beef liver retained some warmth.
Li Mumu watched expressionlessly as Zuo Yan placed the beef liver in a basin and, grinning from ear to ear, pushed it toward her as if presenting a treasure.
I’m really stupid, truly.
I even boasted to Wendy about the profound and extensive culture of Chinese cuisine.
Luckily, she wasn’t here.
Ah, she’s already dead.
Well, that’s better.
No need to worry about losing face in front of her anymore.
“What, doesn’t it suit your taste?”
Seeing the wooden expression on Li Mumu’s face, Zuo Yan was suddenly at a loss, “Sorry, I thought Foreigners liked this sort of thing…
I’m not saying you’re a Foreigner.
You can tell me what you want to eat, as long as it’s not human flesh!”
What exactly is your misunderstanding about Foreigners?
“Thank you, Senior Sister, just normal food will do, I mean the stuff normal people eat.”
“Are you sure?”
Zuo Yan took out a small knife and cut a two-centimeter cube from the beef liver, offering it to Li Mumu, “No need to be so formal; there are no outsiders here.
I’ve seen many Fusang People, Spirit Clan, and Sea People who like to eat this way.
They call it…
ah, right, sashimi!”
Beef liver sashimi, huh?
Li Mumu still firmly declined, “Thank you, Senior Sister, but I’m really not that desperate for food…”
Then she watched, wide-eyed, as Zuo Yan turned around and stuffed the piece of beef liver into her own mouth.
With a gulp, blood trickled from the corner of Zuo Yan’s mouth.
Ah…
because she’s so kind-hearted, I almost forgot that this Senior Sister is a Yin Envoy from the City God’s Office.
In other words, a ghost.
Li Mumu felt like an alpaca was sprinting in her heart, thinking to herself just what on earth had the world come to, that after all the hardships of traveling back to China, the situation here was also so bizarre.
Can things get any better!
“Well, since it’s bought, we can’t waste it.
Just hold on, and I’ll go buy you some breakfast when it gets light.”
Zuo Yan, chewing on the raw beef liver, turned to look at Old Master He, “Uncle He, where’s the statement?”
Old Master He became furious, “I’m just a gatekeeper; why would I know how to make a statement?”
“Don’t talk like that.
Doesn’t the old saying go, ‘prolonged illness makes the doctor’…”
“Does ‘prolonged illness makes the doctor’ sound reasonable?
Believe it or not, I could beat you to death, you little brat!”
Old Master He, holding the philosophy that less trouble is better than more, avoided stirring up troubles whenever possible.
At his age, why bother getting involved in the resentments of the young…
“Younger generation” seemed a more appropriate term.
Not liking to eat fresh beef liver doesn’t necessarily mean one is normal.
An official person might not even like eating beef at all.
“Then tell me, and I’ll report it to the City God’s Office from which it can be transferred to the Special Service Bureau.”
Zuo Yan smiled, “No need to be nervous, you’re already back home now.
I can’t promise about other places, but in Tianmen, for the sake of the Queen Mother, I can guarantee your personal safety absolutely.”