Chapter 55: Business is Booming

He glanced at Lu Yang, then at Meng Jingzhou, before asking in a slow, deliberate drawl, "Did you two come up with these names?"

Lu Yang nodded. "My contribution was the One More Round BBQ Joint."

Meng Jingzhou followed with a nod of his own. "Mine was the Better Luck Next Time BBQ Joint."

Mangu suddenly felt that the name he had chosen—the Sheep-Sheep-Sheep BBQ Joint—was altogether too ordinary.

The first slip of paper Mangu unfolded was Lu Yang’s proposal; thus, by the rules they had set, the establishment was named "One More Round."

"By the way, do either of you possess a method for concealing one's aura?" Lu Yang inquired.

While walking the streets earlier, Lu Yang had observed the breathing patterns of the passersby, noting varying degrees of affinity for spiritual energy. They were undoubtedly cultivators, yet a sweep of his divine sense had failed to gauge their true cultivation realms.

It was reasonable for one or two individuals to surpass him in power, but for every single person to be stronger was an absolute statistical impossibility.

Yanjiang County was not like Taiping Village; it boasted a substantial population of cultivators, but it had hardly reached the absurd extreme where every common pedestrian was a Foundation Establishment master.

After a brief moment of reflection, Lu Yang understood the dynamic. Among cultivators, strength dictated status. To walk the rivers and lakes without being subjected to bullying, one either had to possess overwhelming might or the ability to shroud their cultivation, forcing potential adversaries to hesitate.

Striding about as openly as they had been was practically announcing to the world that the three of them were greenhorns fresh from the nest.

If they intended to infiltrate the Demonic Sect, they needed to carry themselves like seasoned veterans of the martial world.

"I happen to have one, a technique used back in my homeland during hunts," Mangu said, drawing a roll of parchment from his robes.

"The prey in the wilderness is exceedingly cunning, fleeing at the slightest rustle of grass or breath of wind. To guarantee a successful hunt, one must mask their presence entirely and lie in ambush ahead of time."

The Barbarian tribe to which Mangu belonged was a dominant clan of the wild expanses, and Mangu held the highest bloodline status among them.

Within the tribe, hunting was not a chore relegated solely to those in the Qi Condensation or Foundation Establishment stages; even the Golden Core masters, who had long mastered the art of fasting, would venture out to hunt.

To the Barbarians, the prey represented far more than mere sustenance; the beasts often possessed the miraculous properties of natural treasures.

"However, while utilizing this secret technique of mine, one cannot move. The moment you stir, the art is broken."

The greater the restriction, the more potent the effect. In terms of pure concealment, the method recorded upon the parchment ranked among the top three in existence.

"I have a standard concealment spell here; a cultivator must be a full major realm above you to pierce it," Meng Jingzhou said, extracting a bundle of bamboo slips from his jade pendant. Having lain dormant for an untold duration, it remarkably still exuded a faint, crisp fragrance of bamboo.

The very quality of the wood spoke volumes of the extraordinary nature of the magic contained within the slips.

Meng Jingzhou’s jade pendant housed a vast treasury of spells and divine abilities he had brought from home, a collection so immense he had scarce found the leisure to study them all.

Lu Yang cast a peculiar gaze toward him. "Did you not run away from home? Where did you acquire such a wealth of fine treasures?"

"My sister slipped them to me in secret."

"Fair enough."

The trio promptly set about mastering the concealment arts. All three were geniuses of exceptional talent, and a minor spell of this caliber was child's play for them to grasp. Within a single watch of the clock, they had mastered the essence of it, leaving only the finer points to be polished through practice.

Lu Yang clasped his hands in gratitude. "Once I learn new spells, I shall certainly return the favor and teach you both!"

Though Mangu and Meng Jingzhou had offered their techniques with casual ease, Lu Yang knew without being told that such concealment methods were exceedingly rare. The gesture spoke volumes of the profound trust his companions placed in him.

Meng Jingzhou laughed heartily, telling Lu Yang not to pay it any mind, while Mangu offered words to the same effect.

……

"Oh? I recall this being a teahouse. Has it been converted into a barbecue shop now?" Beneath the falling mantle of night, two wandering martial artists chanced upon the spot where the old teahouse once stood, finding it replaced by an establishment bearing a rather intriguing name.

"One More Round BBQ Joint... My word, what a divine aroma."

The first martial artist twitched his nose as the rich, savory scent of roasted meat drifted through the air, an intoxicating fragrance that set the mouth watering and defied all resistance.

"Shall we have a bite?"

"Come, let us step inside."

Finding themselves in perfect agreement, the two strode into the tavern.

The moment they crossed the threshold, they were struck by the sheer, boisterous fervor of the place. The patrons were clinking cups and exchanging toasts, devouring skewers and downing flagons of wine with joyous abandon. The collective roar of their laughter and chatter threatened to lift the very roof from the rafters. A burly, muscular fellow was sprinting in and out of the kitchen bearing trays of grilled meats, performing the duties of a shop hand beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Employing an attendant of such formidable build—was it perchance to discourage patrons from dining without paying?

"A newly opened shop, and already so wildly popular?"

The two travelers felt a surge of anticipation. For a place to thrive to such a degree, there had to be a reason; it was an experience not to be missed.

Fortune favored them, for there remained a single vacant table in the corner.

No sooner had they seated themselves than the other shop hand, a youth named Lu Yang, approached with a small ledger in hand, his countenance adorned with the textbook smile of the service trade. "Good evening, gentlemen. What may I get for you today?"

"Two flasks of wine, a plate of boiled peanuts, thirty skewers of mutton, thirty of beef, and two portions of roasted potatoes... keep the spice mild, if you please, for neither of us can tolerate overly fiery seasoning."

Lu Yang nodded, jotting down the order even as he sent a whispered transmission of divine sense to Mangu: "Can you perhaps alter your recipe a bit? The barbecue is altogether too delicious; it has drawn such a crowd that we can scarcely keep watch on Qin Yuanhao."

Lu Yang had never anticipated that Mangu’s secret recipe would prove so devastatingly effective. A mere handful of patrons had arrived on the first night; by the second, several tables were occupied; by the third, the tavern was filled to capacity. Now, on the fourth night, the moment these two martial artists claimed the final seats, a line had already begun to form outside the door.

Lu Yang harbor a grim suspicion that by the fifth day, patrons would be demanding reservations or sharing tables, by the thirtieth day they would be opening branches in neighboring commanderies, a year from now they would have two hundred franchises sprawling across the northern reaches of the Central Continent, three years would see them sweep the entire continent storm, and five years would bring an initial public offering... assuming such a concept existed in this world.

Could there be an issue with Mangu’s spices? Had the fellow perhaps mixed some illicit, addictive substance into the sauce?

It was a jest, of course. Both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had sampled Mangu's craft; there were no forbidden ingredients, it was simply exquisitely prepared. They had merely underestimated the sheer gravity of its appeal.

Upon deeper reflection, Lu Yang understood the cause. His palate had been spoiled by the peerless delicacies of Heaven's Gate Peak; for an item to earn praise from his pampered tongue meant that Mangu’s recipe was truly an extraordinary masterpiece.

Regardless of the cause, they could not allow the establishment’s fame to grow any further.

"It sounds rather chaotic downstairs. Do you require my assistance on the floor?" Meng Jingzhou’s indolent voice drifted into their ears.

At present, Meng Jingzhou alone remained on the second floor, keeping vigil over Qin Yuanhao.

"Stay exactly where you are and keep your eyes on Qin Yuanhao, do not come down to cause mischief!" Lu Yang warned sharply. Were Meng Jingzhou to descend, it would entail far more than a mere extra pair of hands serving dishes.

Given what he knew of Meng Jingzhou's character, the fellow would likely deliver a full comedic monologue in the brief time it took to serve a single platter.

Meng Jingzhou let out a massive, contagious yawn that induced a wave of drowsiness in those who heard it. "But the second floor is dreadfully dull. It has been four days, and Qin Yuanhao shows absolutely no intention of leaving his house. He spends his entire day in meditation, lacking any semblance of a leisure life."

"If you ask me, we would be far better off disguising ourselves as traveling street performers. I shall enter Qin Yuanhao’s courtyard to deliver a comedic performance, you can perform feats of strength by lifting heavy iron cauldrons, and while their attention is diverted, Mangu can slip in to plant a listening talisman."

Neither Lu Yang nor Mangu offered a single word in reply.

When dealing with an incessant chatterbox, the wisest course of action was absolute silence.

Seeing that his companions chose to ignore him, Meng Jingzhou could only shift the topic. "Mangu, will you truly not consider making the skewers taste a bit worse?"

Mangu remained unyielding in his principles. "My lineage is a venerable dynasty of the culinary arts; eighteen generations of my forefathers have mastered the grill. I cannot allow the illustrious reputation of the Barbarian Barbecue to be tarnished in my generation!"