The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

Linggong quickly imagined Mingxiao-senpai laughing wildly while slamming the ground and Hisamitsu-sama typing away in a sarcastic tone.

"I feel like I'm going to die spiritually."

"Compared to this, what are desires? This is a true life-or-death situation for me... By the way, what exactly is Grandma doing?"

After seeing Lanting off, Jiujiu Mu continued unraveling the scarf, turning it into a tangled mess of yarn. Then, she picked something out of the yarn. It was several suspicious brown objects!

"Look! Senior Chai Luo is hiding something very suspicious in his scarf!"

Lu Wenjun fell into thought: "It feels a bit familiar... I think I've seen it in a book before..."

Miss Jiujiu hummed a song as she poured herself a cup of hot water. She then steeped the suspicious brown object with a cheap instant tea bag (3 magic coins), creating a cup that looked quite fragrant.

Just as she was busy, a new customer walked into the store. He was a gloomy young man with a watermelon-shaped haircut, and he reeked of alcohol... It seemed that everyone at the party that night had drunk quite a bit.

Lu Wenjun recognized him: "Isn't this the deputy head of the trouser-crotch wooden stake?"

"What a terrifying nickname."

This man was none other than Chia, the vice president of the Magic Art Studio, the artist who had recently been brutally beaten on the buttocks with a wooden stake by Faris. He quickly selected his items and went to the counter.

"Nose: 40 Magic Coins, Burlap Sack: 20 Magic Coins, Special Spiky Metal Knuckle Dusters: 444 Magic Coins~"

“Hey, don’t read the product name out loud,” Chia said.

Jiu Jiu Mu nodded: "And 50 magic coins for men's gentle conditioning lubricant~"

"Are you listening to me?"

In the distance, Lü Wenjun threw his binoculars down.

"Why?! Those bizarre murder weapons are one thing, but why buy something like this? What did that wooden stake leave him with?!"

A cold glint flashed in Ling Gong's eyes: "Could it be that it's going to be used on the target of assassination?"

"Has the internal conflict at Magic Art Studio become this intense?!"

"It's very likely they intend to use it to conquer the diamond's rear end..."

"Stop talking, I don't want to fall into the same hell as Senior Lanting."

Jiujiu Mu in the supermarket also looked worried: "Aren't these products a bit unsafe...?"

Chia's smile was sinister and terrifying: "Mind your own business."

Jiujiumu picked up the lubricant: "Especially this one."

"Oh, this is for my own use."

Ling Gong covered her ears: "I underestimated him."

"Honestly, that club is crazy. Is it cursed by some idiotic evil spirit? The more they do activities, the more brain-dead they seem."

Miss Jiujiu sighed heavily: "Shouldn't you think about it again?"

Chia's face contorted with rage: "I've thought about this so many times... To be honest, after that failure by the lake, I was half-gone, thinking it would be alright to just end it here. But that bastard... that damned, rotten son of a bitch..."

"Human, your mouth is so dirty."

"He actually said my painstakingly crafted new work was vomit! That's worse than shit! How can I not kill him for such a terrible grudge?!"

Jiu Jiumu shook his head: "Your assassination target's mouth is also very dirty."

Chia slammed her fist on the table: "Right? How can such a useless piece of trash have talent?! I learned my lesson well, and to avoid being ruined by some idiot junior who pops up out of nowhere, I specifically devised the Demon Boar assassination plan..."

"So it really was you who did it!" Lu Wenjun shouted.

"Then the boar's tusk broke? Why? Was that guy's 'Undying Butt'?" Chia let out a hysterical laugh. "Haha, ahahaha. I don't want to do this anymore. Anyway, nobody can understand my art. Staying in a place like this is just a waste of time..."

Miss Kukuki reached out her hand: "May I take a look?"

Chia was taken aback: "You...want to see?"

"Hmm, I'm very curious about what vomit-like art looks like."

Chia instantly perked up, her watermelon head beaming as if it had been hit by a bomb.

"I have photos here, look!"

Chia took out the jade pendant, and the camera panned to the two people in the distance. What they saw was—

Arranged in a radial pattern on the tiled floor are mysterious, yellowish-green, viscous substances that exude an indescribable and terrifying aura.

“It’s not just vomit, it’s practically shit!” Lü Wenjun shouted.

"Wenjun, I feel a little nauseous..."

"Senior Chai Luo has already been very restrained! This is shit! Even if the King of Heaven himself came, this would still be shit!! It's the last desperate trace left by a poor soul suffering from stomach pain and unable to find a toilet in the wilderness!!"

After examining it closely for a while, Jiujiu Mu said, "This is... a forest swamp covered in winter snow, isn't it? It really looks like it."

"Hahaha?!" X2

Chia perked up immediately: "You understood?!"

“Because it’s a painting done from a bird’s-eye view, it must be quite difficult to understand.” Jiu Jiu Mu returned the jade pendant to him. “The depiction of the mud is quite detailed. You painted it very carefully.”

"That's right! I tried my best too!!" Chia pounded his chest. "But those idiots didn't understand at all! They didn't get my painstaking efforts and just kept saying it was ugly and hideous. That guy Chai Luo was even worse, he actually said something about 'overly extreme self-expression that completely disregards the audience's opinions'... Who cares about the audience? This is art!"

After patiently listening to his complaints, Jiu Jiumu asked, "If you are satisfied with your art, why do you care about other people's opinions?"

“This…” Chia paused, “Artists all… definitely need to pay attention to other people’s feedback…”

Jiu Jiumu said, "Oh, so that means you still want to be praised by others."

"This……"

"If you want to gain praise, you should try to make your paintings easier to understand. In that case, Xiaochai Luo's opinion is not wrong, is it?"

Chia waved excitedly: "I am an individualistic creator! Those harsh criticisms, tainted by commercial thinking and smeared by money, mean absolutely nothing to me!"

"Hmm..." Jiu Jiu Mu looked puzzled. "If it's all about 'individualism,' why would you care about other people's criticisms..."

Chia's expression looked as if he had just taken a full set of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

Jiujiumu concluded, "If you're always striving to be self-absorbed and so concerned about what others think, you'll never be happy."

"I, you, you..." He slumped dejectedly in front of the counter. "Damn it! I can't think of anything to say in response!!"

Jiu Jiumu gently stroked his head.

"Both satisfying oneself and pleasing others can be the driving force behind creation. However, from the creator's perspective, shouldn't we prioritize determining which is more important? Once you've decided on your direction, don't regret it and keep working hard. How can you be an artist if you spend all your time refuting others and doubting yourself?"

"You're right...!"

Jiujiumu brought over the cup of cheap tea that had been brewed earlier.

"Alright, have a cup of tea to sober up, and get a good night's sleep tonight. Let's keep working hard tomorrow with a fresh start."

"Thank you so much for your guidance!"

Chia drank the warm tea in one gulp, didn't buy any more items, and left the supermarket after buying the lubricant.

Feel comfortable.

The gloom was swept away.

I can feel every pore on my skin radiating a passionate energy.

Yes. This is the attitude that art seekers should have. How can those who waste time on pointless internal conflict and self-destruction compare to those who enjoy the creative process?

"Hey~ Vice President!!"

The party in the distance was still lively, and Chalco and Faris were waving excitedly at him. Chia opened his arms and walked towards him in an embrace.

"I am back!"

“You—” Faris shouted, “Look—”

"Behind me—"

"Huh?"

For some reason, strange footsteps were heard, as enthusiastic as fans rushing towards a celebrity. Vice President Chia turned his head amidst the shouts.

They saw a gigantic pig's head, now only having one tusk remaining, charging towards them.

"Ahhh?!?!"

"There's a demon boar!" Faris shouted.

Time couldn't keep up with the artist's thoughts. Actions were always out of sync with the flow of reality. The moment Chia turned back, the boar was already unable to stop.

It charged fiercely and passionately, thrusting its last remaining fang into the vice president's buttocks like a spear!

"Ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh—!"

The vice president soared into the sky with a highly artistic howl, and Faris exclaimed in surprise, "Why... I reminded this idiot so hard, why won't he move...?"

"Well done, Vice President!" Chai Luo exclaimed happily. "Look everyone! The Vice President has also caught the eye of the Demon Pig. This is proof that his artistic talent is growing stronger! Our club has a bright future!"

"Oh, so this is the true meaning of the Demon Pig!"

"Learn from the president and vice president!"

Faris sighed and led the way in raising his glass: "To art and the Demon Pig."

"Ohhhhhhh... Ohhhhhh..."

"Homage to Art and the Demon Pig!"

In the distance, Lü Wenjun silently put away his binoculars.

“I remember now,” he said. “That brown thing is an autumn specialty of the Four Seasons Forest, a demonized truffle. Because of its unique aroma, it is especially loved by magical beasts, so very few of them are produced as a magical ingredient.”

"what."

"And it is said that when consumed with tea, its unique aroma is amplified tenfold..."

Both of them remembered the cup of tea that Jiu Jiu Mu had just brewed. They silently lowered their eyes, looking at the vice president who was being gored repeatedly by wild boars. In the distance, several more demonic boars were passionately charging towards the party.

"Did Grandma see through everything from the very beginning?" Linggong said.

Lu Wenjun shuddered: "I will never provoke Grandma again."

"Me too……"

The commotion at the Magic Arts Research Club subsided amidst the grunts of numerous wild boars and the vice president's screams. That intense and passionate conflict is perhaps one of the obstacles that must be overcome on the path of art.

After that, Lady Kukuki continued working at the convenience store. Lady Kukuki herself was very happy with this part-time job because it not only allowed her to make use of her talent for standing for long periods of time, but also allowed her to interact with all kinds of customers... For a tree that loves to listen, it is rare to have such an ideal job.

You might stumble upon a beautiful shop assistant in a supermarket who's good at listening to your troubles... A few weeks later, this urban legend quietly spread across the campus.

"Hmph~" Miss Jiu Jiumu sipped her tea.

Chapter 71 Autumn of Appetite, Autumn of Obesity

Evening, at the tavern.

"...The last dish is Mediterranean-style grilled pigeon, please enjoy." Lü Wenjun served the plate.

The pigeon meat, with most of the bones removed, is skewered on wooden sticks and thoroughly roasted. The skin, infused with spices, develops an enticing pale yellow color. The chef deliberately leaves the bones in the legs and wings intact, thus perfectly preserving the unique flavor of poultry. When you chew it, you can almost feel the plump wild pigeon leaping on your tongue.

“Fantastic!” Cabone gave a thumbs up. “Let’s use this as the main course on the fall menu!”

“He’s good enough to be offered up as a sacrifice,” Huther sighed. “Well, I can’t find fault with him. I’ll give him a raise this month.”

"Thank you very much, that's pretty much it then."

Lu Wenjun took off his apron and casually pulled up a chair to sit down. Outside the window, yellow leaves fell with the wind, and little sprites hopped and skipped among the fallen leaves.

Autumn arrived late, and the tavern's seasonal menu was finally ready to change. Lü Wenjun assisted in designing the appetizers and main courses. During his two months working here, he had mastered many of the seasoning techniques of Mediterranean cuisine, and the finished products received unanimous praise from everyone.

"As an extra bonus, here, have a taste of this."

Hui Se brought out a plate of freshly baked, flaky pastries.

"Oh, is this Baklava?!"

Baklava, also known as nut cake, is a common dessert in Greece, Turkey, Persia, and other regions. It is made by creating multiple layers of thin, crisp pastry with honey, butter, and syrup, filling the center with various pickled nuts, and then baking it.

Lu Wenjun was prepared to choke on the crispy crust when he took a bite, but he found it surprisingly easy to chew. He not only tasted the crunchiness of the nuts, but also enjoyed the flowing juice as if it were fresh fruit.

The nuts inside this dessert are merely for decoration; instead, a generous amount of plump, juicy fruit is added. Despite being shrunk to such a small size, it still retains a concentrated fruit juice-like texture, a feat that can only be attributed to the marvelous techniques of ancient Greece.

"Ms. Huise, this pickled fruit is amazing! How is it made?"