Chapter 130: The Peak of Life?

Li Changluo was so startled that he quickly snatched two more steamed buns and wolfed them down to calm his nerves.

It was just too difficult.

He had thought that by securing a "government-funded meal," he could live the life of a lazy, coddled monster. However, he never expected this to be such a colossal trap. Being a monster is truly hard work. All he wanted was to be a quiet, villainous monster who could plunder women, exploit the common folk, wreak havoc on the local peace, and have three-year-olds wet their beds just at the mention of his name. Why was that so hard?

"You brat, if you touch my steamed buns again, I swear I'll make you cough them right back up." Mingshan brandished her iron ladle, striking the steamer with a clang to warn Li Changluo, who was reaching out for another one.

Li Changluo sheepishly pulled his hand back, unable to help but lament: do I even need to spend points just to eat a bun? Did I transmigrate into a mobile game?

And so... he picked up a carrot from the table and began to chew on it.

"..."

"Aren't you going to light the fire?"

Mingshan was speechless. She glared at Li Changluo with wide eyes, amazed at how this little monster treated the place like his own home—his skin was truly thick.

"Lighting it, lighting it! This kitchen is your domain, after all..." Li Changluo shrugged helplessly, stuffing two more carrots into his robes.

"Pfft, shameless wretch. Give him an inch and he takes a mile..." Blackie muttered, handing two cabbages to the vegetable-cutter monster while scolding Li Changluo in broken Mandarin. As he grumbled, he chewed on a piece of cabbage stalk with great relish.

"Manager, did we really hire two starving ghosts?" Mingshan sighed, shaking her head.

Li Changluo strolled over to the newly upgraded divine furnace, examining it. It was true that fine clothes make the man—or in this case, a fine exterior makes the furnace; it looked far more sophisticated than the old earthen stove from before. The kitchen, once trashed by Kong Jia, seemed to have been tidied up neatly by Mingshan.

"Come here, Ah Huang..."

"Ah Huang, what's wrong with you? Where is your professional spirit?"

"This isn't right. Whether you're a human or a dog, you shouldn't rely on your seniority to slack off..."

"Ah Huang, you can't be this unambitious. You need to be a dog that contributes to the tavern, not just lie here being lazy all day."

Li Changluo was holding Ah Huang... preparing to shove him into the firebox of the divine furnace. Ah Huang struggled incessantly, kicking his four paws in the air and letting out mournful whimpers.

"Li Changluo, what are you doing?" Mingshan almost swung her big ladle at him, but she stopped when she saw Li Changluo clipping his fruit knife onto Ah Huang's collar.

"I'm letting him go in to light the fire! The tripod inside this divine furnace ignites as soon as you flip the switch; does it really need me to crawl in there?" Li Changluo’s tone carried a hint of reproach toward Mingshan. Last time, he had been tricked into crawling inside the furnace to light it; this time, he had learned his lesson.

"You idiot! The last time was because the stove's fire source was faulty, which is why you had to activate the emergency divine tripod inside. Now that the furnace is restored, you just need to light the fire." Mingshan snatched Ah Huang away from Li Changluo.

Li Changluo walked to the firebox, raised his fruit knife, and slashed at it. A layer of black flame from the blade flowed into the opening. Instantly, a black fire ignited within the furnace.

"Sigh, the fire is still a bit weak; it lacks the proper heat for cooking. If only the Manager were here..." Mingshan looked at the flames and shook her head, dissatisfied.

"Then why doesn't the Manager come and do it herself?" Li Changluo rolled his eyes at her.

"The Manager... right! You need to go find the Manager; she has instructions for you." Mingshan finally remembered and urged Li Changluo to go.

Li Changluo had intended to swipe two more buns, but seeing the murderous look in Mingshan's eyes, he chuckled and scurried out of the kitchen.

In the tavern, a few monsters were sitting here and there, which was quite normal. However, what was highly unusual was that as soon as Li Changluo stepped out of the kitchen, he was surrounded by a group of monsters—all female, and all dressed to the nines. They looked at him with scorching, fiery gazes.

Passionate as fire? Li Changluo gazed happily at the group of monsters. Could it be that since I became a tavern waiter, my status has skyrocketed? Do these female monsters admire me? Worship me? Are they crying and begging to bear my children?

Li Changluo tossed his hair back confidently. Finally, I’ve made it. Am I finally on my way to the pinnacle of life?

"That's him!" one of the monsters pointed at Li Changluo, her eyes still burning with intensity.

Li Changluo was overjoyed. Is this the part where they swarm me and take advantage of me? Oh, I'm so shy... Should I play hard to get and refuse them?

However, in reality, before Li Changluo could even recover from his pleasant surprise, he was truly terrified. These "passionate" female monsters pulled weapons from their sleeves one after another, their faces filled with bitter hatred as they charged at him.

Li Changluo's knees went weak. This is way too passionate! Passionate enough to beat me to death?

"This is the little monster who hurt our husband..."

"Hammer him to death!"

Amidst the cries for vengeance on behalf of Young Master Dragon Seven, Li Changluo turned tail and bolted, sprinting toward the second floor.

However, right on the staircase, he collided with something. He looked down to see the unlucky "contrarian monster" lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and rolling his eyes, completely motionless. This scene was all too familiar to Li Changluo. Is this what they call fate? Do I have to collide with this contrarian every time I return to the tavern? Every time they collided, Li Changluo knew: Negative Monster Power +1 from the contrarian monster? If he asked Xiaoqing to check his stats now, they’d probably be at -101.

Sigh, so exhausting... But now was not the time for Li Changluo to lament. Behind him, a group of female monsters seeking revenge for Young Master Dragon Seven was still in hot pursuit.

Li Changluo stepped over the contrarian monster and raced toward the second floor. Fortunately, the female monsters did not follow him up. Gasping for air, he walked along the second-floor corridor, looking for the Manager's room. Mingshan had already told him where it was, so Li Changluo found it quickly.

He had expected the Manager’s room to be different from where the other monsters stayed, and standing outside, he realized it was indeed... different.

The door was wide open, and plumes of steaming hot vapor were drifting out. This scene was all too familiar to Li Changluo. Isn't this just the steam from taking a bath?