Obviously, Jiahe was quite shocked by this response. Over the years, he had formed a good relationship with Xue Rui as he was the most prominent alchemist in the Subei Province. And he had been right to do so. After all, he had even become a disciple of the famous Wubei Sect, the greatest martial sect of the entire Hongchen Kingdom. But when he heard Guai Mo's words, he felt an absolute sincerity behind them. There was no hatred for Xue Rui or irrational grudge of any kind in those particular words. His interlocutor seemed to only be stating facts. Although he was not a genius, Jiahe Ruo was not an idiot at all. He had been through enough political intrigue to perceive something behind Cao Yun's words. Maybe trying to politely distance himself from Xue Rui would be a good idea. But what if he were the one who won the competition?

Since Xue Rui's return in Qingyun City, Jiahe Ruo had had not time to talk with him. First of all, he would begin by that.

Right now, Jiahe Ruo was in a pinch though. He had wanted to bring the conversation toward a favorable place but things seemed rather cold. Apparently, he couldn't help Guai Mo and Xue Rui find common grounds. Hopefully, he could still prevent them from tearing each other apart. As long as their grudge didn't reach a life or death situation, he might be able to mediate at least a little. If Xue Rui were to lose the competition, it might fall either way but maybe Jiahe Ruo could salvage the situation and reason with him.

Anyway, he knew that further talking about Xue Rui would be a mistake now.

"Brother, let's talk about more interesting matters. Did you hear that at least seven True Essence pills were auctioned off by the Myriad Cherry Blossom Hall?"

"I heard some rumors from the Major Hall indeed."

"Of course, of course. But you might not have heard the news I just got wind of."

Gradually, Jiahe Ruo lowered his voice and tried to direct it toward Cao Yun alone. Sadly, he wasn't as good as Cao Yun himself. It was even a bit comedic to see him try. But to try and save some face, the Spirit Warrior behind him used his spiritual senses to help him out. Of course, it didn't escape Cao Yun's senses. But he had no reason to point it out at all. Besides, he couldn't imagine what kind of information could be so important about those pills. He was the one who had made them after all.

"Oh? Do tell."

"I heard that the Major Hall of our Qingyun City plans to have an auction very soon. And there will be such a True Essence pill. Unfortunately, I couldn't determine which pill it was, but my informant is very trustworthy. I don't know who'll be able to afford it, but I sure would like to see it up close. A Human pill that reached the True Essence quality has to be extraordinary. Hopefully, this will be a 3-star or even 4-star Human pill."

Cao Yun smiled a little. Of course, he knew that this was fake. He had asked the Myriad Cherry Blossom Hall to sell his pills for him so he was kept in the loop. Qinghe Ming had given him the places and dates of those auctions and nothing was planned for Qingyun City for now. But maybe it could be a good idea. Cao Yun would have to think about it some more. All of a sudden, many ideas crossed his mind to solve some of his problems.

If Cao Yun were to ask Hall Master Qinghe to organize an auction in Qingyun City, that fake rumor would attract wealthy characters. Although Jiahe Ruo wasn't really the wealthy type, he seemed to be the talkative type. In order to curry favor with his 'friends', Jiahe Ruo was going to spread this rumor all over the city. In particular, Xue Rui would be sure to come. It would be perfect for Cao Yun. Apparently, this Jiahe Ruo was really a good guy in the end.

"You know, I've dabbled a bit in alchemy. Of course, it is nothing worth bragging about. I would feel silly to even flaunt my meager knowledge in front of such a master. But I must say that I found it fascinating. In my eyes, it seemed like a game, trying to find the right combination of ingredients while adjusting the fire accordingly... If only I had more time, I would love to pursue this occupation. But it helped me gain even more admiration for you alchemists."

As they were talking, the first dishes finally arrived. Even Jiahe Ruo was surprised by the rapidity. Usually he had to wait a bit longer for a single dish. Anyway, maybe he had just been too engrossed in their conversation.

When he saw the very first dish, Jiahe Ruo didn't think much about it. It seemed expensive but not that much. It was an Imperial Lotus Blossom Salad. Then, came the Pearl of the Golden Serpent Boiled in its Sea of Profound Essence, the Golden Blossom Rice Nectar with Celestial Truffle Delight, the Ivory Lotus Soup Infused with Moonlight Dew, the Braised Imperial Pork from Chingtian, ... Many more dishes flowed from the kitchen to Cao Yun's table.

Before long, there were a dozen of sumptuous plates on the table between the two men. Each plate seemed to be enough to feed a small family. Besides, Jiahe Ruo could recognize some of the ingredients. For example, he had heard about the Celestial Truffles. This wasn't an easy ingredient to find and the Red Realm's Banquet Hall would never renege on quality. Their reputation would be on the line otherwise. So those Celestial Truffles had to be the real deal. A single Celestial Truffle could be sold half a tael for a jin. Of course there wasn't an entire jin of Celestial Truffles in that dish but he could still see large enough pieces of it. In his eyes, each ingredient he was recognizing was not food but gold he was throwing away.

Then, he saw Cao Yun begin to eat. He simply went from plate to plate, tasting a bit of everything.

"Mister Jiahe, please, go ahead and eat as well. I can guarantee you that those dishes are rather good."

'Rather good?!' I hope they are for what they cost! Jiahe Ruo kept a cordial smile but he was making a lot of computations in his mind right now. Hell, this entire meal might cost him a month worth of money. Although he had some investments here and there, he was not filthy rich like some kid from impressive lineages. For sure, he wasn't on equal footing with the Huang family. Damn, he might even be forced to ask his father for some help to pay for all that. He was mortified within. If only he had listened to Guai Mo and that waiter. They had tried to warn him but he didn't listen...

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"I don't think we'll be able to finish with just the two of us... Maybe your bodyguards could help us as well."

Was that a joke?! But when he saw Cao Yun's face, he realized it wasn't. For him this amount of money seemed to be nothing. And the truth was that it was indeed nothing at all. With a single hour of work, he could make a hundred times the cost of all the food in front of him.

Jiahe Ruo decided to accept his losses. He couldn't very well send the dishes back. And he certainly wouldn't ask Guai Mo to pay after what he had told him. After accepting that he had tripped over himself, he didn't blame Guai Mo who had tried to warn him. He blamed himself. But hopefully, he might still benefit from this situation.

"Sir Lie, Miss Lie, Brother Guai is right. You won't be able to enjoy such a meal very often." That was for sure! "So you should take advantage of the occasion. Come on, help us finish it all."

With this single gesture, Cao Yun's esteem for Jiahe Ruo increased slightly. He had not been part of his plan, but maybe he might find use for him yet. Right now, Cao Yun was focused on the Xue family and Gu Song. But he was also interested in the Governor. After all, he might also help him unravel some secrets of the Imperial City. The 5th Imperial Brocade Guards was of special interest to him. A province that was so militaristic might know a bit about them. And Governor Jiahe might know even more. Although Cao Yun's priority was the Xue family, he could still prepare the ground for gaining information on the Governor and the central administration.

Besides, he was certain that there was a link between the Governor and Cang Yin. And he had to be sure to control her until it was time. The thief knew that he was tight with the Huang family. Unlike her, he couldn't change his face at leisure, he was just able to alter the vibe he was giving off enough so no one could recognize he was Chen Guo even if they knew him. They were still seeing Chen Guo's face but they simply couldn't place him. Of course, he could kill the thief. But as annoying as she seemed, she didn't seem like she was evil. Anyway, he was still thinking about maybe simply capturing her and keeping her locked down until he was done... But the situation might help him secure her for the long run. After all, she might be extremely useful as a spy in the near future.

After the plates, incredible wines began to appear on the table. Before he could lose all rationality, Jiahe Ruo decided that what was done was done. Instead of lamenting on the poor decision he had made, he decided to enjoy the moment.

In the end, his two bodyguards also did. And Jiahe Ruo was forced to admit that what he was eating was worth the price...

Thanks to his attitude, Jiahe Ruo was also able to have a more enjoyable conversation with Cao Yun. But they didn't talk about anything of importance at all. After almost blowing it with the mention of Xue Rui's name, Jiahe Ruo was just going for a civil and friendly conversation. Maybe he would get to more difficult subjects later, but not today...

In the Red Realm's Banquet Hall, Cao Yun and Jiahe Ruo were savoring the feast that was laid before their eyes. Jiahe Ruo had completely forgotten about how much this would cost him as he was even sucking the juice of some caramelized pork from his fingers. He was forced to admit that this restaurant was living up to its reputation. Thankfully, when he often visited this place, he wasn't ordering as much food all the time. Contrary to the appearances, Jiahe Ruo had no lofty ambitions. As long as he could keep enjoying his life, he was happy. He didn't even care about being governor, but he wanted his life to sail smoothly. The best job for him would be a quiet administrative role near a capital, maybe even in the Imperial City itself.

And with the war brewing, he really wanted to get away from any potential fight before he could get drafted in one. His cultivation was essentially the result of pills, to the point where he was terrified by the idea of attempting the Lesser Tribulation. He was almost certain he would not survive it. At the very least, he would be terribly injured. As a 6th-grade Mortal Warrior, he could live for several centuries. In fact, he might even keep looking young for the two or three centuries to come. Maybe he would just slowly work on mustering the courage and the confidence. Hopefully, he might even be able to get his hands on some legendary pill. After all, Spirit Masters Xiao and Hua had refined a Spirit pill recently.

This was a small part of the reason why he was befriending alchemists. But the major reason was to make sure to always have some friends in high places. And the best way to do so was to befriend them before they could get to those higher places. As such, some of them would remember him fondly. Even those who would not pay him back would still not have any grudge against him. Thus, Jiahe Ruo was trying to sail through the world while making friends any chance he could. The problem was to deal with two alchemists he wanted to befriend but who seemed to be set on killing each other.

After much consideration, Jiahe Ruo decided that the wisest move would be to keep cordial relations with the two of them without taking sides. During the upcoming months, he would try to keep his distances under the guise of letting them get ready for the competition. Once a winner was announced, it would be easier to see things clearly. But he would still need to maintain a certain level of social etiquette with the two of them. Since he had talked about the auction to Cao Yun, he would have to do the same with Xue Rui. Making friends wasn't as easy as it looked. Every time, it was a balancing act between several people. He had to try to offend as few people as he could and he had to choose who to offend very carefully.

On the other side of the table, Cao Yun was also savoring his meal. He was picking pieces of food in every plate and was tasting different wines as well. In his sea of consciousness, Dian Mo was salivating even without a mouth. As he could experience the outside world through Cao Yun's senses, he was able to taste the food and the wine as well. At any moment, Cao Yun could simply cut off his perception from Dian Mo. Indeed, they had negotiated that much. But he wouldn't do so for two main reasons.

The first one was that he intended to keep the time he had to conceal some important information, not the taste of meat. And the second one was that it was giving him a way of pressuring Dian Mo, just in case. At any moment, he could take this pleasure away. Dian Mo had most of the cards in hand as he had a lot of knowledge Cao Yun might like to learn. Since Cao Yun had already promised to keep his existence a secret and even to protect him if need be, he had very few bargaining chips. However, he had realized how much Dian Mo craved some sensations.

In Cao Yun's eyes, Dian Mo was some kind of hermit who wanted to experience the outside world without being confronted by it. As such, living vicariously through the young human might in fact be a blessing in disguise, no matter how much he would deny it.