Wu Bai left the restaurant with a satisfied expression, disappearing among the crowd as he walked towards the market.
Not long after, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua were escorted out by the manager. Having eaten lots of food, Wang Lingxin felt satisfied. After thanking the manager, Wang Lingxin left, and Chunhua bowed and thanked the manager several times before catching up with Wang Lingxin.
The manager watched them leave and smiled politely, saying, "Please come again," before returning to the restaurant.
"Little Lingxin, where should we go now? Should we go home?" Chunhua asked, glancing at Wang Lingxin with a hint of wonder.
Despite having eaten so much, Wang Lingxin still looked normal, her belly flat, while Chunhua’s own belly was slightly bulging despite eating less.
"Hmm... let's walk a little to help digest," Wang Lingxin replied, feeling full.
"Well, sure," Chunhua agreed, and they both walked among the busy market road.
At a corner of the market, there was a commotion. Wang Lingxin and Chunhua were drawn to the lively scene.
In an open area, a group was performing an acrobatic show. Some were playing instruments, others were juggling sharp knives, breathing fire, and jumping around, while the rest performed various other tricks. Although cultivators could do much more impressive things, these kinds of performances were still quite entertaining for mortals.
Many people gathered around, enjoying the show, cheering, and clapping.
Among the crowd, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua watched and enjoyed the performance. When it ended, some members of the acrobatic group moved around with a wooden box, collecting money. Both Wang Lingxin and Chunhua gave a copper coin.
As the crowd dispersed, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua walked among them.
"You again?!" a voice called out.
Chunhua and Wang Lingxin turned around and saw the familiar young man they had previously met in the restaurant.
"You!" Wang Lingxin exclaimed.
"Who are you calling 'you'? My name is Wu Bai. Call me Young Master Bai!" Wu Bai retorted.
"And my name is Wang Lingxin!" Wang Lingxin shot back, not wanting to lose ground.
"Hmph, so how was it getting kicked out of the restaurant? Did you perhaps cry? Hahaha," Wu Bai sneered.
"Kicked out of the restaurant? Who?" Wang Lingxin asked.
"You, of course! Who else could it be?" Wu Bai retorted.
"Why would I be kicked out of the restaurant?" Wang Lingxin questioned.
"Don't pretend. Didn't the manager bring you inside the restaurant and kick you out through the back door?" Wu Bai mocked with a smug look.
"Of course not. The manager brought me to the best room in the restaurant, and not just that, he also served me personally," Wang Lingxin said, crossing her arms and raising her chin proudly.
"... Hahaha, what a funny joke," Wu Bai laughed, and his guards joined in.
The commotion drew a crowd, but they kept their distance, enjoying the spectacle. The acrobatic show had just ended, but another show seemed to be starting, much to their delight.
"It's not a joke," Wang Lingxin insisted.
"Hahaha, sure, sure. So what were you doing there then?" Wu Bai asked, still mocking.
"Of course, eating. I ate lots of food. Ah, I’m so full and satisfied," Wang Lingxin said, patting her bulging belly with a satisfied look.
Chunhua watched from the side, noticing Wang Lingxin trying to make her previously normal-looking belly appear more bulging.
"Eat? Eat what?" Wu Bai asked, incredulously.
"Young master, perhaps the manager felt pity for her, brought her in, and let her eat at the back, giving her the leftover food and trash from the kitchen," Wu Bai's guard suggested.
"Hahaha, not bad, not bad," Wu Bai laughed, patting his guard in approval. The guard laughed along, pleased with his own joke.
"Hmph, of course not! I ate the best and most expensive dishes in the restaurant, and lots of them filling the entire table," Wang Lingxin boasted proudly.
Wu Bai and his guard laughed even harder. "The best and most expensive dishes? Filling the entire table? Hahaha, good joke, good joke," Wu Bai said.
"I told you, it's not a joke!" Wang Lingxin pouted angrily.
"So, It seems that despite your shabby appearance, you're very rich, to be able to eat the best and most expensive dishes filling the entire table. Even this young master can't afford such a thing," he said sarcastically.
"I'm not rich. I only have a few copper coins," Wang Lingxin replied honestly.
"HAHAHA!" Wu Bai and his guard laughed again, and some spectators joined in, finding the whole situation amusing.
"You said you ate the best and most expensive dishes in the restaurant, filling the entire table. That must have cost a lot," Wu Bai said, thinking the little girl was making it up to boast. "But then you said you only have a few copper coins. You're really funny. If you want to lie, at least make it believable."
Chunhua stood at the side, unsure of what to do. She didn't dare to speak and didn't know how to explain that what Wang Lingxin said was all true. They did eat the best and most expensive dishes in the restaurant, filling the entire table, and Wang Lingxin ate most of it.
"Who said I am lying?" Wang Lingxin retorted.
"Then how did you pay?" Wu Bai asked.
"Of course, it was free," Wang Lingxin replied.
Wu Bai and his guard laughed, and some spectators joined in.
"Young master, if she ate the leftover food and trash from the kitchen, it’s no surprise she could eat for free. For a lowlife like her, such a thing could indeed be the most delicious and best food ever," Wu Bai's guard said, making Wu Bai and the spectators laugh even louder.
"It's not like that! Why don't you guys believe what I said? Stop laughing at me!" Wang Lingxin fumed, stomping her foot on the ground.
"Hahaha... haaah... haah..." Wu Bai caught his breath from laughing so much, wiping away tears. "Come on everyone, let's stop. Let's not laugh anymore. She seems about to cry," Wu Bai said, looking at the angered Wang Lingxin, whose eyes were reddening.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The crowd slowly stopped laughing.
"I am not!" Wang Lingxin protested.
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Wu Bai said, retrieving a gold coin from his storage ring and tossing it to Wang Lingxin.
Wang Lingxin caught the gold coin. "What's this?" she asked.
"Take it. You managed to entertain this young master. Use it to buy food. For a mortal like you, it should last a year, or you can treat yourself to some restaurant. It’s not enough to eat at the previous restaurant, but if you want to eat some good food, you can try Supreme Fried Chicken restaurant," Wu Bai said.
"Supreme Fried Chicken restaurant? Hmph, I’ve already eaten too much of it. I'm tired of it," Wang Lingxin retorted.
"Hahaha, you really know how to boast. Anyway, although you are very funny and entertaining, this young master is busy and must leave. See you again, hahaha," Wu Bai said, walking away.
"Already tired of eating Supreme Fried Chicken? hahaha..." he continued laughing as he walked away, and the spectators slowly dispersed.
The Supreme Fried Chicken restaurant has recently become a rising star and is very popular, with several branches opened across the city. Many shops and stalls also sell imitation versions of SFC at lower prices.
Hearing the little girl claim she's already eaten too much of it and is tired of it made Wu Bai laugh. The SFC is rather expensive for mortals, and the shabby-looking little girl, who only has a few copper coins, bragging about being tired of it is laughable, Wu Bai thought.
At first, Wu Bai found the little girl to be an eyesore and wanted to teach her a lesson, but now he found her to be funny and entertaining, so he canceled his plan to punish her and gave her a gold coin instead for making him laugh a lot.
"Big sis Chunhua, what should I do with this?" Wang Lingxin asked, holding the gold coin in her palm, not having had the chance to return it to Wu Bai.
"Uh... just keep it for now. Don't show it around. Put it in your coin pouch," Chunhua said, worried that showing the gold coin might attract thieves.
Wang Lingxin did as she was told.
"Hmph, that Wu Bai guy, although annoying, is not that bad. But I will get back at him in the future," Wang Lingxin said, determined.
"Little Lingxin, it’s better not to get involved further with that guy. He’s the Third Young Master of the Wu family," Chunhua advised.
"Big Sis Chunhua, like I said, you don’t need to be afraid of him. So what if he’s from the Wu family? We have Master backing us," Wang Lingxin replied confidently.
With that, Wang Lingxin and Chunhua continued their walk home.
Several masked men in dark clothing hiding nearby had been monitoring the entire situation. As everything began to wind down, they looked at each other. One of them raised both hands to the sides, as if unsure of what to do next.
In the Liu family residence, Liu Mingzhen and Liu Yang were seated in a room discussing some matters.
"A while ago, Mr. Orion asked for information about the bandits in the surrounding area. Then suddenly, many bandit groups were destroyed. Do you think what I'm thinking?" Liu Yang asked.
"I don't know what you're trying to say, but whoever destroyed the bandit groups is doing good deeds for the masses. It's commendable," Liu Mingzhen replied.
Liu Yang nodded. "And a few days ago, Mr. Orion asked for various kinds of things... hmm..." Liu Yang fell into deep contemplation.
News had already spread about a big bandit group in the south that was destroyed with no survivors, and the hostages were rescued, though some had disappeared.
Several factions, including the City Lord's Mansion, were investigating, but they had no leads. Meanwhile, Liu Yang and Liu Mingzhen had some guesses in their hearts.
"There is no need to talk more... it's better for us to know less," Liu Mingzhen said. "How about the task I gave you?"
"Sigh... it's not easy. If not for Mr. Orion, I would never personally go out to hunt for Spirit Beasts like this. Moreover, the Rank-2 slime and dragonfly Spirit Beasts that Mr. Orion specially requested are very rare. I've been scouring the forest and can't find them. Next, I plan to go to Yuezhi Forest, hopefully can find some," Liu Yang replied.
Orion had asked the Liu family to search for various kinds of Spirit Beasts, including the rare rank-2 slime and dragonfly Spirit Beasts. Despite deploying their forces, the Liu family had not succeeded, so Liu Mingzhen also sent Liu Yang.
...
After traveling on foot for several days, Zhang Yueru's group finally arrived at a small clearing on top of a hill. There were already several tents set up and various items around. Orion had moved ahead and prepared various items and some tents.
"For now, you will stay here at this place. Rest for a while. After that, start building the houses. I have already prepared everything," Orion said, still hidden.
Zhang Yueru then brought the kids to the tents. They found food and drink inside, ate and drank, and rested for a while.
Afterward, Orion began instructing Zhang Yueru to start working on building houses. Orion had previously asked Liu Jian to prepare several wooden houses with a simple design, disassembled into pieces that could be easily reassembled. Orion also requested Liu Jian to prepare various other items. Then Liu Jian ordered one of his subordinates to deliver everything to Orion, storing it all in storage pouches and storage rings.
Two young men, Zhu and Fang, began assembling the knocked-down house pieces, helped by Zhang Yueru and the other three girls. The kids also helped by cleaning the area, sweeping, plucking grass, and arranging and moving stuff. They worked together while Orion gave instructions, still hiding itself.
When the houses were still under construction, they stayed temporarily in the tents. It took a week to complete the construction, finishing a small compound surrounded by a wooden wall with five wooden houses of varying sizes to live in and store supplies. Sixteen people lived there: Zhang Yueru, her three maids, the two young men, and ten children.
Zhang Yueru, her three maids, and the two young men all kneeled on the ground. Even the children obediently followed suit. Orion had said there was no need for such formality, but Zhang Yueru and the others insisted, so Orion let them be.
"Currently, I am occupied with other circumstances and unable to bring you with me. You will stay here for now. Don't worry; I will protect and provide for you," Orion said, still hidden and using a disguised voice.
"Later, I plan to move to another place. If you are still willing to follow me, I will bring you along," Orion added.
"Senior, we owe you our lives. We will follow you and serve you, ready to do anything you command," Zhang Yueru said. The others echoed her sentiment.
"Very good. For now, I need to go, but don't worry, I will visit at least once a month," Orion said.
A silk pouch then landed in front of Zhang Yueru. "In that pouch, there are several storage pouches and storage rings. You know how to use them, right?"
"Yes, Senior," Zhang Yueru replied. Although she didn't have a storage pouch or storage ring herself, her father had a low-level storage ring, and he had taught her how to use it.
"You can use everything stored inside. There are also cultivation techniques, various pills for cultivation, talismans, weapons, and spirit stones," Orion instructed.
"That's too much, Senior. We can't accept such precious items. Just food will be enough for us," Zhang Yueru said, refusing.
Among the group, she was the only cultivator, at the 1st stage of Qi Condensation realm, and understood the value of such things, especially cultivation techniques, which even at the lowest level cost several dozen spirit stones.
"Just use it. It's okay, even if you use everything, I will provide more," Orion reassured her.
"But..." Zhang Yueru hesitated.
"Use it to improve yourselves so you can become more useful to me," Orion insisted.
"Yes, Senior. I will not disappoint you. I will strive to become more useful," Zhang Yueru promised.
"Not just you. Any of you, even the kids, if they can cultivate, then use the resources inside and learn the cultivation techniques," Orion said.
The two young men and the three maids looked delighted. Who wouldn't want to try cultivating? But even if they wanted to, they didn't have the resources. Now they could use the resources and try to cultivate, and they were even given cultivation techniques.
They thanked Orion profusely. "Thank you very much, Senior," they said.
"Also, please take care of the kids and teach them how to read and write," Orion added.
"Understood, Senior. We'll do our best," Zhang Yueru replied.
Among the group, only she and the young man named Zhu could read and write. Zhu's father had worked as a trusted steward in her family, managing various businesses. Zhu had been following and learning from his father, preparing to be the next steward, so his father taught him to read, write, and other necessary skills. During the bandit attack, Zhu's father was killed.
Fang's father worked as a bodyguard for Zhang Yueru's family but was also killed during the bandit attack. Fang had been training to follow in his father's footsteps as a bodyguard, focusing on physical training and fighting skills, so he couldn't read or write. Zhang Yueru's three maids also couldn't read or write. Thus, only Zhang Yueru and Zhu were literate.
"Senior, if there is anything we can do for you, just say it. We owe you so much and are ready to do anything," Zhang Yueru said.
"Hmmm, next time when I come, I'll ask for your help. For now, just focus on getting used to living here," Orion said, considering asking for their help to make gluten dough. Then, Orion gave several more instructions.
"Also, call me Noiro," Orion said, finally introducing itself using a fake name.
"Thank you very much for everything, Master Noiro," Zhang Yueru and the others bowed.
Orion then left. Having obtained the materials it needed, Orion couldn't wait to conduct some research on them. But first, Orion headed back to Fengxian to pick up Wang Lingxin.
The small hill where Zhang Yueru and the others were staying was a few kilometers away from Orion's house outside the city. Orion had brought them there so it could help if something happened. It was within the range where the SO-1 drone could fly and monitor them, so Orion left one SO-1 drone to keep an eye on them.
The location was not too far and not too close; close enough for Orion to monitor and assist, but far enough that any trouble wouldn't implicate Orion or be traced back to it.