In the evening, Ren sat at his desk, drawing the manga "Seven Heroes."
The story's plot was quite simple.
In the year 347, in the picturesque central plains of China, the leader of the Demon Cult, known in the martial arts world as Black-Hearted Tiger, led the cult in burning mountains and harming lives. He attempted to capture the mythical beast Qilin, intending to drink its hot blood to enhance his internal strength and cure his madness, aiming to dominate the martial world.
To maintain peace and tranquility, the then-master of the Long Rainbow Sword, Hong Tao, led the other Seven Swords to stop Black-Hearted Tiger. Using their combined powers, they eventually defeated him, but the Seven Swords were either injured or killed.
In the year 397, Black-Hearted Tiger returned with the Demon Cult. The only way to stop him was to reunite the Seven Swords, but by then, the other six swords had long since scattered and gone into hiding. In a bloody battle, Hong Tao, outnumbered, heroically sacrificed himself.
His son, Hong Feihong, following his father's dying wish, took on the responsibility of saving the martial world. Filled with anger, he went down the mountain to find the other six swords' successors.
In the Jade Toad Palace on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Yunnan Province, the master of the Ice Soul Sword, Lan Yun, was known as the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world.
In the Ziyan Inn on Mount Lushan in Jiangxi Province, the master of the Purple Cloud Sword, Sha Li.
Next to the Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou Province, in the Six Wonders Pavilion, the master of the Rain Flower Sword, Dou Shenyi.
In the Happy Forest of Mengzhou in Henan Province, the master of the Thunderbolt Sword, Cheng Daben.
In the Hundred Herbs Valley in Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Province, the master of the Whirlwind Sword, Panda.
And in the Flower and Fruit Mountain of Jiangsu Province, the master of the Green Light Sword, Hou Junbao.
Hong Feihong, seeking revenge for his parents, infiltrated the Demon Cult for decades. The Seven Swords and the Demon Cult battled wits and strength, from Mount Lushan to Huangguoshu, from the Happy Forest to Jiuzhaigou...
Each time the Demon Cult surrounded the Seven Swords, Hong Feihong would help them.
After many intense battles, the Seven Swords finally reunited and defeated Black-Hearted Tiger, completely eradicating the Demon Cult.
The central plains once again enjoyed peace and tranquility.
"Next, I need to visit these places," Ren said as he picked up a bottle of Wahaha, ready to drink.
"Daddy!"
Before he could take a sip, Yueyue's voice called out.
She was wearing thick pajamas, bouncing high off the bed, barefooted, and running towards Ren. "That's mine! I saved it to drink before bed!"
"Who said it's yours?" Ren held the bottle high, shamelessly saying, "Does the bottle respond if you call it?"
"Ugh!"
Yueyue pouted, her eyes rolling, and she grabbed Ren's leg, shaking it. "Good daddy, that's Yueyue's. Please give it back to Yueyue, daddy is so nice~~"
"Sigh, I know I'm nice," Ren nodded. "Which is why I can't let you drink this. Kids who drink soda before bed might wet the bed."
(ノ｀Д)ノ
"Ah! Give it back, give it back, give it back!" Yueyue headbutted Ren's stomach repeatedly.
Ren took a deep breath and tensed his belly.
"Duang~~"
Caught off guard, Yueyue was bounced onto the bed.
She lay there stunned, then looked at the Wahaha in Ren's hand, thinking about how her favorite drink was about to be consumed by her dad. She felt it was the ultimate betrayal.
Her dark eyes rolled again, and she covered her face with her hands, crying out loud.
"Hmph, don't think I don't know you're faking it," Ren said smugly, seeing through her act.
Realizing her fake crying wasn't working, Yueyue called out louder, "Waa, I want mommy!"
"Hahaha, your mom's not... ugh..."
Before Ren could finish, he found himself speechless. Jada was suddenly standing beside him, taking the Wahaha from his hand.
(.ω)σ)Д`)
"Stop bullying her all the time," Jada said, poking Ren's cheek.
At first, Ren had been so good to Yueyue. How did he end up constantly teasing her now?
Jada couldn't figure out the man in front of her.
"Hit him, mom! Dad is so mean!" Yueyue said happily, watching her dad get scolded.
...
While Ren was having fun with his family, news of his two new works was released.
This made many readers extremely excited. Although "Madoka Magica" had tormented them emotionally, they couldn't deny its brilliant plot and were left wanting more.
And now the Porter was releasing not one, but two new works?
That was fast! Was he a human printer?
However, soon people noticed something.
In the credits for these two new works, Ren was only listed as the original creator, not the artist. This made many readers unhappy, and some even began to criticize him.
"Really? Two new mangas, and he only did the original story? Got a bit of fame and now he's slacking off?"
"Yeah, letting his assistants do the drawing? No sincerity at all. 'Cooking Master Boy' is also drawn by his assistants now."
"This is just like some online novels where the author gets famous and hires a studio to write for them. Bet these two will be the same."
"Idiot! Many mangas are collaborative. The original story is the core. Without it, how would they draw the plot? I respect the Porter for coming up with two stories so quickly. I just hope they turn out well."
"Ha, keep defending him."
Initially, Ren ignored the online comments, but seeing some of the negativity, he couldn't help but respond.
He posted news about "Seven Heroes."
"Not just two? There's a third new work? Love it!"
"Seven Heroes? Is it a martial arts story? The Porter loves a challenge. Ever since the rise of xianxia, there haven't been many good martial arts mangas. I hope he captures the martial arts essence."
"I think we'll finally get a good martial arts story. The Porter has never let me down, whether it's cooking or magical girls!"
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As people discussed the Porter's three new works, the release dates for two of them arrived.
Daniel reheated some leftover dumplings from lunch, made a small plate of side dishes, and brought them to the table. He pulled out a stack of manga, ready to eat and read at the same time.
He had a lot of manga to go through, from the Big Five publishers and smaller comic companies alike. After all, he was a manga reviewer and couldn't just read from one publisher.
"Let's start with Picca Comics' 'Cooking Master Boy' and the two new works, 'Bleach' and 'Cardcaptor Sakura' from Flowing Shrine," Daniel decided.
Reading the Porter's works every week had become one of Daniel's great joys. He considered himself a supporter of the Porter.
First, he opened "Cooking Master Boy."
This manga, originally drawn by the Porter, was now only written by him, with the art handled by his assistants. Daniel didn't mind this; many current mangas were made this way, and the Porter's assistants had a good art style. Plus, the stories were still great, so there was nothing to complain about.
This chapter continued from the last, where they were in a cooking battle against the Dark Cooking Society. The second round's theme was pastries.
The project was chosen by throwing darts, and the participant, Master Xie, hit "buns."
Unfortunately, Logan was the last disciple of the Bailuo family, known as the King of Pastries!
The key point was that his family was especially skilled at making buns.
"They even tied it to Zhuge Liang?" Daniel's eyes widened as he read the explanation of the Bailuo family history.
He knew this story. During the period when Zhuge Liang assisted Liu Bei in conquering the world, Zhuge Liang led his army to the southwest to subdue Meng Huo. When they crossed the River Lu, the toxic water and heavy miasma caused many soldiers to fall ill or die. In response, Zhuge Liang created the world's first bun.
Daniel was amazed that the Porter could tie this story into his manga. This made him admire the Porter's creativity even more.
It wasn't just Daniel who felt this way. Many readers, upon seeing this part, couldn't help but exclaim "Whoa!"
"No wonder they call him the King of Improv. This kind of imagination surpasses many manga artists."
"Who would have thought of this?"
As readers continued, they saw that Master Xie wasn't afraid of Logan, even though he was up against the King of Pastries. After all, he was called the Best Pastry Chef in the land... known as Steel Rod Master Xie!
Not only was he unafraid, but he also flaunted his muscles, challenging Logan, thinking the old man couldn't even knead the dough.
However, Logan easily stirred the dough with his cane and revealed a secret weapon: a yeast starter that had been preserved for 1,600 years, the "Shu Han Old Yeast"!
"A 1,600-year-old yeast? Wouldn't it be spoiled by now?"
"Yeah, this is too far-fetched."
Many people were curious about this "old yeast" and looked it up. They learned that it wasn't literally a 1,600-year-old batch of dough. Instead, it was a starter that had been preserved and passed down through generations. Nowadays, artificial yeast is used, so the tradition of keeping old yeast is less common.
Readers were impressed by the power of the ancient yeast, making them worry about whether Steel Rod Master Xie could defeat such a formidable opponent.
Despite the strong opponent, Master Xie laughed heartily, mocking Logan for valuing an old yeast starter as if it were a treasure.
Readers eagerly awaited the Porter's next bit of improv.
The competition was intense, and soon both chefs finished their buns.
As they lifted the cloths covering the buns, beams of light shot into the sky!
This chapter ended here, but since the issue had two chapters, readers sighed in relief. They were used to the Porter ending on cliffhangers, making them wait a whole week.
Daniel turned the page.
Logan had made "Four God Seafood Eight Treasure Buns" with four colors representing the legendary Four Sacred Beasts: Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger.
Readers were nervous.
With such impressive buns, could Master Xie really win?
Especially when they saw the judges praising the buns filled with delicacies like shark fin, readers felt their stomachs growl, craving the buns.
But then they remembered the online videos showing how recreating dishes from "Cooking Master Boy" often resulted in gross "dark cuisine," and they shivered.
Logan's creation mesmerized the judges, making the outcome seem obvious, which increased the readers' anxiety.
However, Master Xie laughed in the face of such a formidable opponent and tossed his buns to Logan.
As Logan examined Master Xie's buns curiously...
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Laughter erupted from Master Xie's buns!
Yes, the buns were laughing!
Everyone, including the readers, was stunned. How could buns laugh?
Readers couldn't wait for the Porter's next explanation.
Soon, with Master Xie's hint, the readers learned the secret of the laughing buns!
Master Xie had used the principle of sodium bicarbonate rapidly expanding when heated!
Upon learning this, readers left comments in online forums.
"See? This shows the importance of learning. Now I understand the saying 'Good math and science skills can take you anywhere.' Even making buns involves understanding chemical reactions."
"Whoa, it actually makes sense!"
"That's the Porter's brilliance. While almost every dish in the manga would be gross if made in real life, his explanations always sound so plausible."
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