In the City Lord's Mansion of Fengxian City, Xu Jianhong was busy in his workroom writing on scrolls. He was the City Lord of Fengxian City and a cultivator at the 8th stage of the Golden Core realm. A knock on the door interrupted him.
"Come in," Xu Jianhong called out without looking up.
A man in military armor entered, cupped his hands, and greeted, "City Lord."
"What is it, General Gao?" Xu Jianhong continued writing.
"City Lord, the big bandit group in the south has been destroyed, along with some of their subordinate groups," Gao Lin reported.
"Oh? Do we know who did it?" Xu Jianhong asked.
"Unfortunately, we still don't know, but I have sent people to investigate," Gao Lin replied.
"Could it be from the Mercenary Guild?" Xu Jianhong inquired.
"Very unlikely. There's been no significant movement from the Mercenary Guild," Gao Lin said.
"What have you learned?" Xu Jianhong asked.
"Based on testimonies from the released hostages, they don't know who destroyed the bandits and rescued them. The men I sent reported finding very few clues and are still investigating further. Additionally, all the bandit bodies have disappeared," Gao Lin explained.
"Did all the hostages get released?" Xu Jianhong asked.
"Yes," Gao Lin confirmed.
"What about the kids?" Xu Jianhong pressed.
"The kids... some were taken by caravan guards who were also hostages. They brought the kids to their families. The fate of the remaining kids is unknown," Gao Lin replied, hesitant.
Xu Jianhong paused his writing for a moment before continuing.
"Such a heroic act, eliminating the bandits who brought misery to the common people and also rescuing the hostages. We must reward them properly. Investigate thoroughly; I want to know the identity of those responsible for destroying the bandits," Xu Jianhong instructed.
"Understood," Gao Lin replied, cupping his hands and bowing slightly. "City Lord, about this month's supplies..."
"It can't be helped. We can't get them from our usual source. For this month's supply, get it from within the city and nearby villages. Remember, do it carefully," Xu Jianhong instructed.
"Don't worry, City Lord. I will arrange it," Gao Lin assured.
"As for the long-term issue, we need a new source. Do you have any suggestions?" Xu Jianhong asked.
"City Lord, we still don't know the true purpose of those who destroyed the bandit group in the south. For now, how about establishing a new source in the west? There's a bandit group on the western route with potential; their leader is rather capable. I am sure we can use him," Gao Lin suggested.
"Hmm, okay. Do it," Xu Jianhong agreed.
"Then I will excuse myself," Gao Lin said, cupping his hands and leaving the room.
The bandit group destroyed by Orion was actually created and nurtured by the City Lord's Mansion. Initially a small faction, they received extensive support and protection, along with occasional intelligence on passing caravans. Over time, the bandit group expanded significantly, establishing numerous smaller subordinate groups.
In return for this support, the bandits paid tributes, believing the City Lord's Mansion was solely motivated by wealth. They operated under the assumption that as long as they paid these tributes, they could operate freely.
However, in reality, the tributes demanded by the City Lord's Mansion were merely a facade. The amount given by the bandits was meager and inconsequential to the City Lord's Mansion. Instead, the City Lord's Mansion exploited the bandit group for another purpose: capturing hostages.
The City Lord's Mansion then utilized intermediaries and proxies to covertly purchase these hostages for certain purposes. Despite being indirect and cumbersome, this method ensured safety and avoided suspicion, attributing any transactions to the bandits' activities and the darker aspects of the black market, thereby shielding the City Lord's Mansion from any implication.
Now that the bandit group in the south was destroyed, Gao Lin prepared to arrange a replacement. He chose the bandit group on the western route and will offer them protection in exchange for tributes, assuring them of backing to grow and expand their operations.
In an underground room beneath the City Lord's Mansion, an old figure with white hair, wearing luxurious robes, sat cross-legged on the floor. Inscriptions were engraved around him, and many dried-up, shriveled corpses with their hands and feet tied and mouths covered lay among the inscriptions. Based on the size of the corpses, they are children. A faint blood mist slowly emerged from the corpses, drifting toward the figure seated in the center.
...
It was nighttime near a waterfall, the sound of cascading water echoing through the forest. A masked figure in dark clothing moved swiftly among the treetops, landing silently near the waterfall. The masked figure looked around as if searching for something. Then, a voice broke the silence.
"Did you bring everything?"
"Yes," the masked figure replied, cupping his hands and bowing toward the voice.
"Were you followed?"
"I took great care to cover my tracks. I'm certain no one followed me," the masked figure assured.
"Good. Leave it here and you can go."
The masked figure placed a silk pouch on a small boulder, cupped his hands again, and disappeared into the distance, leaping from tree to tree. Not long after, Orion appeared, took the pouch, and then left. High above, several SO-1 drones patrolled and monitored the area.
Orion had been escorting Zhang Yueru's group, who had traveled by carriage for two days. Then they continued on foot for about three days, moving slowly because of the many children in the group. Orion stayed hidden, following from about 50 meters away. During the journey, several SO-1 drones scouted the path and monitored the surrounding area, while Orion erased their trail.
Orion walked among the trees under the night sky and arrived near a campsite where several tents were set up. Orion sat on a fallen tree trunk, unmoved for a long time, waiting for the sun to rise. Meanwhile, its AI was busy executing tasks in the background.
As the sun rose, the camp came alive with activity, preparing to depart. Once ready, Zhang Yueru led the group in the direction given by Orion, who had not shown itself during the entire journey. Secretly accompanying them, Orion dealt with any dangerous animals that came too close to the group. On one occasion, a snake Spirit Beast tried to ambush the group but was silently killed by Orion instead. With Orion's protection, the group traveled safely.
...
Wang Lingxin and Chunhua strolled along the busy market road, holding sticks of quail eggs as they ate and chatted.
"Sigh, Master said it will still take a few more days for him to return," Wang Lingxin said, walking and biting into a quail egg.
"Do you miss him already?" Chunhua asked.
"Of course. I wonder where Master went. I wanted to come too. I think he's doing something fun without bringing me," Wang Lingxin replied.
The two continued to walk and explore the market, buying several snacks from food stalls.
"Let's have lunch in that restaurant," Wang Lingxin said, pointing at a restaurant that looked rather grand and had a lot of patrons.
"Uh... Little Lingxin, are you sure? How about having lunch in another place?" Chunhua suggested, worried as she noticed the restaurant was rather lavish.
She checked her purse and discovered she didn't have much money. She also knew that Wang Lingxin had only a few copper coins left in her coin pouch after spending on street food these past few days.
"No, big sis Chunhua, let's go to that restaurant," Wang Lingxin insisted.
"But... that place looks expensive. We don't have much money," Chunhua said worriedly.
Wang Lingxin took out her coin pouch and checked the coins. "Hmm... indeed, the money given by Master is almost out, but don't worry about that. Come on, let's go," Wang Lingxin said, grabbing Chunhua's hand and pulling her toward the restaurant.
"Wait, Little Lingxin..." Chunhua said helplessly as she was dragged along.
Wang Lingxin and Chunhua arrived and stood in front of the restaurant. It was rather grand, and Chunhua looked in awe for a moment, still worried about their lack of money. But Wang Lingxin insisted on entering. Chunhua kept thinking of a solution, not knowing what to do.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"Oi, don't block the way. If you don't want to enter, then get lost," a voice suddenly said behind them.
Chunhua and Wang Lingxin turned around and saw a young man in fine robes. A big, burly man followed closely behind him, likely his guard.
"Why are a bunch of lowlifes like you hanging around the restaurant?" the young man sneered, looking down at them.
"We want to eat at the restaurant," Wang Lingxin replied. Chunhua, intimidated by the young man's behavior, looked down worriedly, but Wang Lingxin remained unaffected.
"Want to eat at the restaurant? Hahaha, what a funny joke. Why don't you take a look at yourself first? Do you even have money to pay for the food? You look so shabby and want to enter this restaurant? Hahaha, this place is not for lowlifes like you," the young man scoffed, his guard laughing along.
Chunhua, feeling humiliated by the young man's ridicule, checked herself and Wang Lingxin. Indeed, they looked rather shabby, dressed simply and poorly, not like someone who had money, especially for a grand restaurant. Meanwhile, Wang Lingxin remained unaffected.
Wang Lingxin wondered why this person was so annoying and suddenly showed up to cause trouble. "You don't have to worry about us. Mind your own business," Wang Lingxin said.
"Hmph... how dare a lowlife like you talk to me like that," the young man retorted.
"Please forgive her, she didn't mean it. We're really sorry," Chunhua pleaded, stepping in front of Wang Lingxin and bowing to the young man.
The young man, angered by Wang Lingxin, wanted to order his guard to teach the little girl a lesson. However, the commotion had already drawn a crowd, and the older girl had apologized. To avoid tarnishing his image, he decided to let it go.
"Tch... forget it. Let's go," the young man said. The guard followed behind as they walked past Chunhua and Wang Lingxin.
"You two better get lost immediately," the young man added, casting a side glance before entering the restaurant.
"Little Lingxin, are you okay? Let's leave. Let's not enter the restaurant or we'll meet that guy again," Chunhua said, worried and scared.
"What a trash," Wang Lingxin muttered, looking toward the young man entering the restaurant.
"Big sis Chunhua, you don't need to be scared. He's just a trash. Master said people like that are only good for face-slapping. Lucky for him I'm not strong enough now; otherwise, I'd slap him and beat him up," Wang Lingxin continued, unfazed and more annoyed than afraid.
She remembered what her master had taught her about such people, and her master called them as "arrogant young masters" whose sole existence was to cause trouble and end up as stepping stones, getting face-slapped by others. Indeed, she felt a strong urge to slap him.
Chunhua was rather surprised by Wang Lingxin's remark. She had expected Wang Lingxin to be scared, but instead, Wang Lingxin wanted to beat up the young man.
Inside the restaurant, a server immediately greeted the young man and brought him in. "Young master Bai, welcome. Your usual table is ready," the server said politely.
"Very good, lead the way," Wu Bai replied. The server then gestured for him to follow and led Wu Bai to the second floor, continuing to flatter him.
Outside the restaurant, Wang Lingxin said, "Big Sis Chunhua, come on, let's go in too." Already hungry and having decided to eat at this restaurant, she grabbed Chunhua and pulled her along.
"Little Lingxin?!" Chunhua exclaimed.
Chunhua got dragged along into the restaurant, unable to resist. She wondered how Wang Lingxin could be so strong. They entered the restaurant and stood in the entrance for a while. Chunhua marveled at the lavish scene. She had never been to such a place, while Wang Lingxin also looked around for the best place to eat. They stood there for a while, attracting the attention of some patrons.
Wu Bai sat at a table on the second floor, his guard standing behind him. After taking the order, the server poured tea and then left to bring his food. Wu Bai sipped his tea, relaxed.
"Young master, look at that," the guard said, gesturing toward Wang Lingxin and Chunhua on the first floor.
"Hahaha, I already told them to leave, but they still entered. They really don't know their place. Let's see how they embarrass themselves. Perhaps they'll get kicked out," Wu Bai said, smiling as he enjoyed his tea.
Several servers whispered among themselves, looking at Wang Lingxin and Chunhua. One of them approached a middle-aged man, who appeared to be their superior, and reported about the two girls who had just entered. The man then hurriedly approached Wang Lingxin and Chunhua. Seeing the approaching man, Chunhua worried they would be kicked out.
"Welcome, esteemed guests, to our restaurant. I am the manager," the manager said politely, rubbing his hands together.
"I want to have lunch. Show us the best table," Wang Lingxin said.
"Of course, esteemed guests, please follow me," the manager replied, leading the way.
Chunhua was surprised that the manager himself came to meet them. She thought they would be kicked out but instead, they were being personally led inside.
On the second floor, Wu Bai noticed them too. He frequented the restaurant and knew the manager.
"Fufufu, this will be interesting. Even the manager himself is handling them personally," Wu Bai said, expecting the manager to kick Chunhua and Wang Lingxin out. However, he noticed the manager leading them deeper into the restaurant, towards the back hallway which connected to the kitchen and storage rooms.
"Hahaha, not bad. The manager knows how to handle things without causing a commotion," Wu Bai said, assuming they were being kicked out through the back door.
Wang Lingxin and Chunhua followed the manager. As they walked, Wang Lingxin noticed Wu Bai on the second floor, who seemed to mock her. Wang Lingxin mocked back, puffing out her chest and walking proudly.
Hmph, who said I can't come and eat inside, Wang Lingxin thought, smirking toward Wu Bai.
"Hahaha, as expected of lowlifes. They don't understand anything. The manager is just being nice and kicking them out through the back door. Why is she being cocky about it, hahaha," Wu Bai said, ignoring Wang Lingxin's provocative look. His guard laughed with him.
The manager led Wang Lingxin and Chunhua deeper into the restaurant, taking several turns. Chunhua noticed it was getting quieter and more desolate, with fewer workers around. She also saw doors leading to the storage area and kitchen. She worried that they were being led to the back door to be kicked out without causing a commotion. Chunhua sighed internally, thinking it would be fine if they were just kicked out, hoping nothing worse would happen.
The manager led them to a room, opened the door, and invited them in. The room was grand and spacious, nicely decorated with a big round table in the middle. There was an open wall leading to a small garden with many flowers, a small pond, and a little waterfall. The room was nice, and the garden was beautiful and calming.
"Please be seated. This room is the best in our restaurant. You won't be disturbed by other customers," the manager said, showing the menu.
"Manager, give me the best dishes with lots of meat. I am very hungry," Wang Lingxin said enthusiastically.
"Understood, Miss Lingxin. We will bring out the best dishes with lots of meat," the manager replied. "And for you, Miss Chunhua, what would you like to order?"
"I... I... Uh, anything is fine," Chunhua said, flustered by the situation. Huh? Why are we not kicked out? And why are we in this nice room? How does the manager know our names? Chunhua wondered internally, bewildered.
"Understood, the dishes will be delivered right away. How about having some tea while waiting?" the manager asked.
"Yes, I want tea. Thank you," Wang Lingxin replied.
"And you, Miss Chunhua?" the manager inquired.
"Uh... Yes, thank you," Chunhua said, still muddled.
On the table, there was already a teapot and a tea set. The manager prepared the tea and then poured his Qi to activate the inscription on the pot to heat the tea. After pouring the tea, the manager excused himself and left. The room was quiet, with the serene sound of the little waterfall. Wang Lingxin calmly enjoyed her tea.
"Ah... what a nice tea," Wang Lingxin said.
"Wait... that's right, Little Lingxin, we don't have much money. How could we eat in this restaurant? And how does the manager know our names? Little Lingxin, let's get out of this place, and I will tell the manager to cancel our order," Chunhua said, snapping back to reality and panicking a little.
"Big sis Chunhua, calm down," Wang Lingxin said.
"But... but..." Chunhua stammered.
"Also, why do we need to worry about money? Why should we pay?" Wang Lingxin asked, looking puzzled.
"Huh? How come we don't pay?" Chunhua wondered.
"Huh? But before Master left, didn't he say that we can go and eat at any Liu family restaurant for free?" Wang Lingxin replied.
"What? This restaurant is owned by the Liu family?" Chunhua asked.
"Of course, that's why I wanted to eat here. There is a Liu family symbol at the entrance. Didn't you see?" Wang Lingxin said.
"Of course, I didn't. And why didn't you tell me? You made me worry for nothing, sigh..." Chunhua said.
"Well, I thought you already knew," Wang Lingxin said, sipping her tea.
"Sigh..." Chunhua finally relaxed and sipped her tea, finding it of good quality. She also enjoyed the calmness of the room and the refreshing garden outside.
Compared to Wang Lingxin, Chunhua was not very familiar with the Liu family. She had only been to the Liu family residence twice and was not familiar with their symbol at the restaurant entrance. Meanwhile, Wang Lingxin had visited the Liu family residence many times and even knew some of their higher-ups, thus easily recognizing the Liu family symbol.
The restaurant is owned by the Liu family and was previously the Liu family's best establishment, but with the opening of Lotus Delight Pavilion, it became their second-best. Despite this, the restaurant remains popular, with many patrons. All Liu family restaurants had been previously informed about Wang Lingxin and Chunhua's importance, ensuring they would be well-served. Upon their arrival, the manager immediately recognized them and attended to them personally.
In a nearby room, several masked men in dark clothing sat at a table. The manager served them politely, knowing they had higher cultivation levels and held higher positions in the Liu family. He didn't dare to be careless.
"Manager, bring me a fish dish."
"I want noodles."
"Bring the wine."
"And I want..."
The masked men placed their orders.
"Right away, sirs," the manager replied, leaving to prepare their orders.
"It's good that Miss Lingxin is having lunch in this restaurant. Now we can take a little break and enjoy some food," one masked man said.
"But damn, that Wu family's Third Young Master is so cocky. How dare he look down on Miss Lingxin," another masked man said.
"He even dared to show some killing intent earlier," a masked man added. When they secretly followed Wang Lingxin, they observed the interaction between her and Wu Bai at the restaurant entrance and noticed Wu Bai showing some killing intent.
"Leader, should we teach that bastard Wu Bai a lesson?" a masked man asked.
"There is no need. I will report everything to Mr. Orion later. It's better not to get involved with the Wu family," Liu Jin replied.
"Hmph... Not only Wu Bai, but the Wu family has been getting too cocky recently, just because they are getting closer to the City Lord's Mansion," a masked man said.
"That's right. The Wu family is currently on the rise, so it's better not to make trouble with them," Liu Jin agreed.
"But our Liu family is also on the rise because of Mr. Orion, and with his help, our cultivation has improved so much. The mere Wu family is not a problem for us," a masked man said.
Both the Wu and Liu families were considered medium-sized factions in Fengxian City and were of equal strength. The Liu family originated from Yanjing City, while the Wu family was from Ershiwu Shan City.
Not long after Wang Lingxin and Chunhua ordered, the food arrived. Many dishes looked nice and smelled good. Wang Lingxin happily devoured the food, while Chunhua also enjoyed it, no longer worried.
In the other room where the masked men were seated, their orders also arrived. They began eating, still on guard but relaxed a little, knowing the restaurant was safe and there were other Liu family cultivators tasked with guarding. The masked men ate while still monitoring the room where Wang Lingxin was eating.
"The food is so good," Chunhua said.
"Well, not bad," Wang Lingxin replied. "Look, Big Sis Chunhua, this roasted chicken dish is just like the one that Masked One brought for our dinner a few days ago," Wang Lingxin pointed to the roasted chicken on a plate.
Orion had instructed Liu Jin to prepare food for Wang Lingxin while Orion was away and to ask her what she wanted, then bring it from the Liu family restaurants.
"Oh, you're right," Chunhua acknowledged.
Wang Lingxin and Chunhua ate the best dishes on the menu, filling the table with a variety of the best and most expensive dishes.
Meanwhile, Wu Bai also enjoyed his food, having ordered two rather expensive dishes.
"Hahaha, I wonder how those lowlifes are doing now," Wu Bai said, imagining the shabby-looking little girl who wanted to eat at the restaurant; she must have been kicked out by the manager.
He ate happily, imagining the faces of the lowlifes dreaming of eating expensive food but unable to, making his meal even more enjoyable.