Chapter 363: A Branch of the Barbecue Shop is Even Open Here?

Lu Yang could not help but look back to the rush of excitement he felt when he first entered his master’s tutelage.

At that time, completely ignorant of the world of cultivation, he had lain awake all night, trembling with fervor upon learning that his variant Sword Root qualified him to become the direct disciple of the Sect Master of the Dao Seeking Sect.

Yet, as time flowed on and his understanding of the Dao Seeking Sect deepened, he gradually realized that his own master was nothing short of a walking catastrophe.

Not only did the man shirk his proper cultivation to the point of being placed in solitary confinement by the Eldest Senior Sister, but he also courted enemies wherever he went.

Lu Yang had heard that the officials of the Imperial Capital had a deep-rooted tradition of forming factions, and he had assumed it was akin to his past life—cliques drawn along the lines of shared hometowns, a gathering of provincial compatriots.

Then Meng Jingzhou had disabused him of the notion, revealing that the factions were divided entirely based on whether or not they held a bitter grudge against the Daoist Unspoken.

Lu Yang could scarce fathom the sheer magnitude of talent required for his master to offend so vast a multitude.

Had the man gone down the rows of the Imperial Civil Examinations and slapped every examinee across the face one by one?

Lu Yang had harbored a lingering hope that while the officials of the Imperial Capital were hostile, the Five Great Immortal Sects, bound by a shared honor, would surely remain above such petty feuds with his master.

Now, it seemed he had been far too optimistic.

By comparison, Eldest Senior Sister was a paragon of dependability; she possessed a peerless, breathtaking beauty, diligently guided his cultivation, and would unfailingly step forth to rescue him whenever mortal peril loomed.

"By that metric, wouldn't it mean this Immortal is also exceedingly dependable?" The Immortal Immortal beamed with supreme delight, finding Lu Yang more and more sensible by the day.

She, the grand foremost beauty of the ancient antiquity, possessed a countenance beyond flaw, a lady of such grace that she could stand on equal footing with Yun Zhi.

Had she not also taught Lu Yang spells, instructed him on how to form the Invincible Elixir, and laid the foundations for his soaring renown?

And when Lu Yang was on the verge of being possessed, she had personally intervened to guarantee his safety.

Every single criterion was met perfectly!

Lu Yang cast a somber, lingering gaze upon the Immortal Immortal, thinking to himself that she had conveniently omitted the fact that his seniors had formed an orderly queue just to beat him to a pulp.

Yan Tianzhi, sensing that his previous words had been ambiguous and might imply a bitter enmity, pondered for a moment before deciding to convey a sense of goodwill, haltingly stating, "Master... and... your sect's... Great Elder... have a particularly... good... relationship... and... communicate... frequently."

"Is that so?" Lan Ting and Bai Ming murmured in astonishment.

Lu Yang’s expression turned exceedingly peculiar; what manner of communication could it be? Were the two of them debating what sort of coffin offered the most comfortable rest?

Yan Tianzhi wished to speak further, but finding the effort of speech too taxing, he figured a physical object would illustrate his point better. Taking advantage of the brief lull before the dishes arrived, he retrieved a roll of blueprints from his identity jade token and unrolled it across the table.

The parchment was covered in numerous drawn rectangles, interconnected in a sprawling, honeycomb-like pattern.

The longer Lu Yang stared at it, the more he felt the contraption bore an uncanny resemblance to the floor plans of a three-bedroom apartment.

"This... is a coffin... designed... by the two of them... they say... sleeping in it... is quite... comfortable."

"Furthermore... it can... be easily... carried... and if one... cannot find... lodging... one can simply... sleep here."

Lu Yang was left utterly speechless.

So it turned out that the Great Elder had dumped all the affairs of the Mission Hall onto Senior Brother Dai Bufan just so he could spend his days designing coffins?

Did Senior Brother Dai have any inkling of this?

Just then, the waiter called out cheerily, "The dishes are here! Pray make some room, esteemed guests!"

Hearing this, Yan Tianzhi put away the blueprints, and a succession of mouth-watering, delectable delicacies was laid out upon the table.

Not a single dish was familiar to Lu Yang, yet judging by the aroma alone, they were absolute masterpieces of culinary art.

Bai Ming remarked, "Eat to your heart's content, everyone. The Governor has explicitly stated that he will cover all our expenses for food, clothing, and lodging during the grand celebration."

Lu Yang smiled and raised his teacup, "A toast to the Governor."

"A toast to the Governor."

"A toast to the Governor."

The cups clinked together, and the feast began.

As they dined, Lan Ting inquired, "By the way, there is an appraisal exhibition taking place shortly. Would any of you be interested in attending?"

"What is an appraisal exhibition?"

"It is hosted by the Gold Coin of the Realm Merchant Guild. They will display all manner of bizarre and curious relics for people to examine. Whosoever can deduce the origins of an object gets to keep it."

"The items themselves are not of immense value; it is mostly for the lively entertainment."

"Fascinating. Count me in," Lu Yang was the first to answer the call.

"Count me in as well," Meng Jingzhou followed immediately.

Bai Ming reflected for a moment; the task entrusted to him by the Governor was already complete, so joining in the festivities seemed a fine idea.

"I shall go too."

"Go," Yan Tianzhi added, concise as always.

All five wished to broaden their horizons at the exhibition, and their pace of dining unconsciously quickened until they finished their meal in short order.

Stepping out of the restaurant, Meng Jingzhou nudged Lu Yang's arm and gestured toward a particular direction.

Following the line of Meng Jingzhou's finger, Lu Yang saw a bustling barbecue shop with a line that snaked halfway down the street.

The shop bore the name: The One More Time Barbecue Shop.

In small script at the bottom right corner of the plaque, it read: Qingzhou Grand Celebration Temporary Branch.

"Has the Nine Netherworld Sect moved this quickly? To think they have already opened a branch here," Meng Jingzhou inquired via a focused sound transmission.

Lu Yang shook his head, "Unlikely. It has been less than a month; how could they open branches everywhere so swiftly? Even the sparks of flame we provided wouldn't suffice. They are likely using the bustling atmosphere of the Qingzhou Grand Celebration to drum up publicity."

Noticing the strange behavior of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, Bai Ming smiled and said, "Are you two interested in that barbecue shop? Lan Ting was absent last night, but Tianzhi and I gave it a try. The shopkeeper claimed their craft inherits ancient antiquities, boasting that it is a three-hundred-thousand-year-old establishment."

"Whether that is true or false remains unknown, but the flavor is indeed exceptional. It easily ranks first among all the skewers I have ever tasted."

Yan Tianzhi nodded, silently endorsing the flavor of the establishment.

Lu Yang thought to himself that the Nine Netherworld Sect truly knew how to boast; a three-hundred-thousand-year-old establishment indeed. Why not just claim the sparks of flame themselves were three hundred thousand years old?

However, the claim of inheriting their craft from antiquity was technically true, given that the fundamental recipe for the barbecue had been provided by Mangu.

"Shall we have a meal there after the appraisal exhibition concludes?" Bai Ming asked.

"No need, we simply found the name of the shop rather amusing," Lu Yang replied. There was no need for him and Meng Jingzhou to eat there, considering the two of them were the source of the absolute authentic flavor.

Lan Ting noticed the name of the barbecue shop. She had been part of the second batch of employees at the main establishment and possessed considerable seniority.

The very first batch, after all, had been ghosts of the devoured.

The same name, paired with such extraordinary taste—could it truly be a coincidence?

Fearing there might be some hidden plot, she sent a sound transmission to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, "Does this barbecue shop share some connection with you two?"

Given how remarkably clever Lan Ting was, deception was futile. Lu Yang chose to explain, "There is a hidden story behind this. Do not speak of it to outsiders; it is entirely possible that your Immortal Palace harbors a mole from a demonic cult."

Upon hearing the words 'demonic cult,' Lan Ting realized the gravity of the situation and promised, "Rest assured, I shall not even utter a word of this to my master."

Relieved, Lu Yang continued, "Through the unremitting efforts of Meng Jingzhou and myself, the flavor of the skewers was elevated. With the completion of the automated skewer-threading formations and the automated barbecue grills, the prerequisites for a chain establishment have been met. To prevent the Nine Netherworld Sect from sowing chaos everywhere, our Dao Seeking Sect entered a partnership with them, planning to spread The One More Time Barbecue Shop across the entire continent. We are currently in the initial stages."

"Naturally, we did not use the name of the Dao Seeking Sect to partner with them."

Lan Ting was momentarily stunned, "The Immortal Cult was annihilated a mere few months ago, and your Dao Seeking Sect has already set its sights on the Nine Netherworld Sect? Even if vanquishing demons and eliminating devils is the duty of righteous cultivators like us, your efficiency is surely too terrifying. How many months do you plan to take to destroy the Nine Netherworld Sect this time? One month, or two?"