Chapter 27: The Earth God’s Toast

The previous mission had been completed, and Yun Tao now had two Shanhai Vouchers.

The system issued a new mission as follows:

[Level 4 Mission: Create at least two new bakery items, and maintain customer satisfaction above 90% within a week.

Reward: 400 Shanhai Points, 400 Shanhai Coins, 1 Shanhai Voucher, unlock full shop repair.

Penalty: 24 hours of volunteer work in a random dimension.]

Yun Tao accepted the mission and went to the bakery with Feifei to develop new cakes. The scallion, pork floss, and ham cake they gave Lin Jiuyuan was their first new product.

“How’s the taste?” Yun Tao asked.

Lin Jiuyuan gave a serious review: “I feel super happy after eating it, the effect is even better than the Worry-Free Scallion Oil Noodles and the Worry-Free Tiramisu. The taste is also great, I want to eat another one.”

Feifei grinned: “Of course! With the fragrant grass and Feifei’s spiritual power, the effect is doubled. Now the Worry-Free series has three members.”

Yun Tao spread his hands: “If we make too many in the same series, it’ll get boring. Let’s wrap up the Worry-Free series with this cupcake.”

Feifei: “Sounds good to me.”

Lin Jiuyuan: “So, can I have another one?”

Feifei brought out a plate of freshly baked scallion cupcakes: “Of course!”

Lin Jiuyuan ate the cupcakes while listening to their work discussion.

Feifei propped her chin up, brainstorming: “If you want something new, why not use Tai Sui’s power and make a Cursed Bread? It’ll definitely be a hit.”

Yun Tao: “Uh, no, that bread doesn’t align with our core values.”

Lin Jiuyuan perked up his ears and asked, his mouth full, “You guys know Tai Sui?”

Feifei glanced at him: “Huh, you didn’t know?”

Yun Tao: “You know him too.”

Lin Jiuyuan: “Huh?”

Tai Sui came in smelling the aroma, walked behind Lin Jiuyuan, and grabbed a cupcake over his shoulder: “Talking about me?”

Lin Jiuyuan: !

Tai Sui was right next to him!

Lin Jiuyuan almost choked on his cake, gulping down a glass of water to recover: “Sui… Brother Sui’s true form is… Tai Sui?”

Lin Jiuyuan’s inner self knelt down: Brother Sui is the legendary Tai Sui incarnate, the one you absolutely mustn’t offend, or you’ll have terrible luck? Then I slept on Tai Sui’s head for three days? I hope I didn’t snore!

This is a mess.

“Yeah, I am.” Tai Sui leaned over to look at him, all lazy: “Didn’t I tell you? What did you think I was?”

Lin Jiuyuan answered dumbly: “Brother Fenghe said you were probably a little mushroom.”

Tai Sui: “If he says so, then sure.”

Lin Jiuyuan fell into thought, remembering that Brother Sui had recently taken a side job from Old Jin. It was said that the next day, the few bastards who had set up Old Jin’s grandson had terrible luck, and the con-artist “expert” lost his cultivation and could no longer harm anyone.

Who else but a Tai Sui incarnate could have such power?

Yun Tao: “Xiao Lin, you seem to be having a hard time accepting this.”

Lin Jiuyuan rubbed his face: “A little bit.”

Yun Tao pointed to his own face: “But I’m a Taotie, you know.”

Then he pointed to Feifei: “She’s a Feifei.”

Lin Jiuyuan: “…”

Lin Jiuyuan finally realized that he was the most special one in the restaurant.

The only human in the shop.

Lin Jiuyuan coughed awkwardly twice: “You don’t have to worry about me, keep discussing the important stuff.”

Tai Sui: “So, what were you guys talking about?”

Feifei: “New products. I suggested a Tai Sui Cursed Bread, but it was rejected. Do you have any good ideas?”

Tai Sui gave a random suggestion: “How about Old Earth Bread? Endorsed by the Earth God, with a new mud flavor.”

Feifei: “Uh, would anyone really want to eat mud?”

Lin Jiuyuan: “Yes, they would. You guys have no idea how curious humans are.”

To be precise, he added: “But not many people might buy it.”

Yun Tao was rebellious: “Let’s do it, I think it’s interesting!”

Yun Tao asked Yun Fenghe for help and actually made an Earth God Toast. This toast was flavored with the Earth God’s spiritual energy, had a natural earthy aroma, was intentionally made with a moist and soft texture, sprinkled with thick matcha powder on top for decoration, with a prominent “earth” character in the middle.

Tai Sui asked cautiously: “If it flops, you won’t blame me, right?”

Yun Tao: “No, a flop is also a good thing.”

Tai Sui: ?

Yun Tao was telling the truth. It was a bit of a shame to fail the mission and not get the reward, but he could go play in another dimension.

Besides, he didn’t think it would necessarily flop. The mission didn’t require sales, as long as he sold the Earth Toast to people who needed it, he could get 100% positive reviews!

Yun Tao put the scallion cupcake on the platform, and the Earth Toast became a hidden item, only making three a day, only available for in-store purchase, letting those who wanted it come find it.

Eating Earth Toast could replenish earth energy, benefit the body and mind, and also gain the Earth God’s one-time protection, especially suitable for people working in places or units with heavy yin energy.

The target audience was clear. If it didn’t sell, he could ask Xiao Lin to advertise it in the metaphysical circles. Then it would be a different price.

After the scallion cupcake was listed, it was warmly welcomed by some old customers, but didn’t attract too much attention.

The next day, many customers came to buy the scallion cupcake. While waiting, many noticed the Earth Toast in the display case. It looked a bit like a dark cuisine, with a description card next to it: Replenishes earth energy, benefits the body and mind, 100% tastes like mud (this product does not contain mud, please eat with confidence).

This description killed the customers’ curiosity.

A customer chatted with Feifei: “Boss, how do you make mud-flavored toast? Will it sell?”

Feifei smiled meaningfully: “We’re waiting for someone with a connection with it!”

The customer said: “That must be someone very curious.”

Who would spend money to eat dirt?

Feifei said: “We only sell to those who need it.”

The familiar ringtone rang, looping continuously.

He Xiaoying knew her phone was ringing. But her eyelids felt heavy, unable to open them.

Her mind was clear, but her body was too heavy to obey. In a daze, she felt someone approaching. Knowing she was having a nightmare, but unable to escape, was terrifying.

She tried to raise her hand and pinched herself. Her eyes finally opened a slit, and a hideous pale face flashed before her eyes—

“Ahhh!!” He Xiaoying screamed and woke up, looking around in horror. There was no pale ghost face, and she hadn’t really pinched herself.

It was all a dream. She knew it was a dream, but her heart was still pounding.

Covered in cold sweat, as if she had been pulled out of water, she grabbed her phone, and saw it was a call from her friend.

“Hello? What’s up?”

“Damn, why is your voice so hoarse?” Her friend said loudly: “I’m out playing. You know Taotie Delicacies, right? You definitely know, but you probably don’t know that the store released a hidden toast today, only three a day, mud-flavored, how dark is that?”

He Xiaoying was a food review blogger, with an unconventional style, mainly reviewing “dark cuisine” on the market. Her videos were high quality, and she had made several restaurants popular. Now, some restaurants even actively sought her out, paying her to “roast” their restaurants.

In the age of traffic, being blacklisted is also being popular!

He Xiaoying had principles and didn’t accept just any promotion, usually relying on her own online searches for “potential stocks.” Her friends knew her job and would notify her of any strange food they saw.

Having just had a nightmare, He Xiaoying wanted to go out for a walk. She said she would be there soon and hung up the phone.

He Xiaoying had been following Taotie Delicacies for a long time. The restaurant was famous locally, rumored to have some metaphysical aspects, like how the Worry-Free Scallion Oil Noodles really could relieve worries, and the Reality-Check Ginger Scallion Chicken really could keep people clear their minds. He Xiaoying was skeptical, thinking it was just a high-end marketing strategy.

She hadn’t gone to review it because, while the dishes were novel, they weren’t “dark” at all.

The mud-flavored toast didn’t quite fit the restaurant’s style, but it piqued her curiosity.

He Xiaoying washed her face, and the nightmare from earlier suddenly came back to her. She had been having nightmares for a week, always dreaming of the same face.

What was even weirder was that she recognized the face. It was a ghost NPC. She had visited the haunted house with friends last week. She wasn’t particularly interested in haunted houses, but she wanted to try their dark cuisine set, which was a disappointment. She gave them a low rating.

During the walkthrough, He Xiaoying wasn’t scared by the NPCs, but she kept dreaming of that face afterward, which baffled her.

“Whatever.” He Xiaoying shook the water off her face and left. Her reflection in the mirror showed a wisp of dark energy clinging to her shoulder, but she was oblivious.

When He Xiaoying arrived at Feifei’s Bakery, her friend had already left. There were only a few seats in the shop, and only two customers were there.

The Earth Toast in the display case hadn’t sold a single piece.

When He Xiaoying said, “I’d like an Earth Toast,” the two customers in the shop looked at her with admiration—

A brave soul had appeared!

He Xiaoying took out her payment code, but Feifei didn’t rush to scan it. She looked at He Xiaoying for a moment and whispered, “Have you been sleeping poorly lately?”

He Xiaoying nodded, not surprised that she could tell, given her dark circles.

Feifei continued, “Frequent nightmares?”

He Xiaoying was surprised this time: “You can tell that too?”

“Yeah.” Feifei’s gaze fell on her shoulder. The spiritual fire was almost extinguished by the yin energy; it would be strange if she could sleep well. Feifei didn’t elaborate, not wanting to scare the young woman. “It’s a small matter. After eating this Earth Toast, you won’t have that nightmare anymore.”

He Xiaoying was stunned, almost telling her that she not only had nightmares every day but also dreamed of the same ghost face. But she didn’t say anything, ordered a Worry-Free Cake, a Scallion Cupcake, took a free cup of clear tea, and found an empty seat outside.

She set up her phone, deciding to do a short live stream.

The live stream started suddenly, and there were only a few viewers. He Xiaoying didn’t mind, opened the package, and showed the Earth Toast to the viewers.

“Hello everyone, today I’m live-streaming eating dirt.”

“This is the store’s hidden item, called Earth Toast. I heard they only make three a day, only sell to those with a connection, and it 100% tastes like dirt. I’m going to try it now.”

He Xiaoying tore off a piece of bread and smelled a faint aroma of dirt mixed with grass. The toast was dense and soft, moist, filled with goji berries, orange peel bits, and walnuts, with a dark color, and the matcha powder on top looked like a layer of moss.

He Xiaoying took a bite and frowned.

The viewers were curious.

[What does it taste like?]

[Does it really taste like dirt? That sounds awful.]

He Xiaoying chewed and said, “It’s like when you fell as a kid and got a mouthful of mud… Huh?”

[What happened?]

[Your description is making me feel like I ate mud too, yuck!]

“The dirt taste is gone, I’m tasting orange peel and walnuts, it’s a bit fragrant.” He Xiaoying closed her eyes, chewing slowly. “The matcha flavor is strong, it’s like trekking through mountain roads, finally breaking through the fog, and seeing a vast tea garden.”

[So it’s not dark cuisine?]

[A piece of toast, can you really taste such imagery?]

He Xiaoying took another bite: “Friends, this taste is addictive.”

Each bite revealed a deeper layer of flavor. By the end, she even smelled a faint, otherworldly aura.

He Xiaoying took a sip of clear tea and exhaled slowly. The fatigue was gone, the fear and anxiety from the nightmare were gone, and she felt lighthearted.

She didn’t know that she had eaten the Earth God’s spiritual energy, which was igniting her spiritual fire, burning the wisp of yin energy clinging to her shoulder.

“Friends, I’m done eating.” Her voice was light and cheerful. “It’s time for the rating. Ten points is the maximum. I’ll give it seven points for creativity, it’s still a bit conventional. I’ll give it eight points for taste, it really 100% tastes like dirt, and it has a strong aftertaste, with rich layers, it’s already very good. I’ll give it five points for darkness, except for the first bite, the taste isn’t that dark.”

“But take my review with a grain of salt, after all, there are only three a day, only sold to those with a connection, and it could be taken off the menu anytime, so you can’t even try it.”

[…Are you even human?]

[Has no one noticed that the streamer looks much better after eating it?]

[Wow, a beautiful white-haired lady just walked by!]

He Xiaoying picked up the cupcake: “This is the Worry-Free Cupcake made by the beautiful lady who just walked by, I’ll review it too.”

“Sister, are you live-streaming?” A cute, doll-like face suddenly appeared. He Xiaoying’s eyes lit up. It was the little boss of Taotie Delicacies!

The little boss was holding a cat, and his eyes were a clear amber color, like a beautiful child from an anime.

He Xiaoying nodded: “Do you want to say hello to my fans?”

“Okay.” Yun Tao leaned into the camera, his long eyelashes fluttering, like fans brushing against one’s heart. He struggled to lift Tan Xue: “Tan Xue, say hello.”

Tan Xue was very cooperative: “Meow~”

The comments exploded.

[Ahhh, this is a scene only those with a connection can see!]

[So cute, so cute, so cute.]

[I’m taking the streamer’s recommendation, because the boss is too cute—who can resist this?]

The popularity suddenly soared, and after Feifei appeared in the camera, it soared again, almost making it to the trending list.

It was quite sudden.

After the live stream ended, Yun Tao looked at He Xiaoying’s back deeply: “Sister, you should avoid places with heavy yin energy in the future. If you still have nightmares tomorrow, come to the store and find me, I’ll help you ‘solve it completely.'”

The wisp of yin energy clinging to He Xiaoying’s back shuddered violently.

He Xiaoying nodded blankly. When she got home, she quickly edited the live stream replay and updated her post.

Because she kept having nightmares, she was reluctant to sleep, but today she fell asleep quickly.

She had another dream. The ghost NPC appeared in her dream again, immediately kowtowing to her.

“I’m sorry, miss, I shouldn’t have bothered you and your friends because you said the stuff in the store was bad. I know I was wrong, I’ll pack up and leave!”

He Xiaoying took a deep breath: “You’re the ghost NPC, are you really a ghost?”

“I was just working part-time at the haunted house to make ends meet, but don’t worry, I’m leaving.” The ghost NPC pointed to the holes in his body, shedding tears of regret. “You ate a genuine Earth God Bread today, look what the Earth God’s spiritual energy did to me, the human world is too dangerous, I’m going to the underworld!”

There were so many ruthless characters in that store, he didn’t dare mention them! If he didn’t leave, he would be physically transcended!

He Xiaoying: “…” Then have a safe trip?

When she woke up, He Xiaoying found the whole thing both bizarre and frightening.

Luckily, she stumbled upon the Earth Toast!

He Xiaoying recalled what the ghost NPC had said in her dream, that he had also bothered the friends she had gone to the ghost house with.

He Xiaoying wanted to ask in the group chat. As soon as she opened it, she was flooded with messages.

Friend A: “OMG, I dreamed of the haunted house NPC apologizing to me last night!”

Friend B: “Me too!! I kept dreaming about him for the past few days, I thought it was a haunted house aftereffect! I was afraid you’d laugh at me, so I didn’t say anything!”

Friend C: “Ahhh, me too. When I woke up, I looked it up, and that haunted house really had paranormal rumors, no wonder the business was so bad, and they gave us a discount.”

Friend A: “Unscrupulous merchants, hiring ghost NPCs, reported!”

Friend B: “So, what exactly happened that made the ghost NPC apologize in our dreams with wounds all over his body?”

He Xiaoying replied: “It’s a long story, it’s related to the Earth Toast I ate…”

He Xiaoying told her friends about her adventure, and silently edited her post from yesterday, changing the rating for the Earth Toast.

Out of ten points, the Earth Toast’s creativity was a hundred points, and its taste was a hundred points!