Chapter 56: As a Lackey, One Must Strictly Execute the Boss's Orders

It was simple truth: the primary culinary art of the barbarian tribes was roasting meat.

Within Mangu’s eyes, a blazing fire erupted, brimming with an unyielding fighting spirit.

Lu Yang: "..."

Why on earth are you getting fired up here? We are here to infiltrate a demonic cult, not to open a franchise for your family!

Lu Yang let out a soft sigh; since Mangu refused to compromise on quality, the only alternative was to raise the prices.

"What kind of wine would you two gentlemen like?"

The two itinerant martial artists were men of bold demeanor, shouting out in a carefree manner, "The stronger, the better! In the martial world, I am known as the Thousand-Cup Drunkard!"

The other also bellowed, "And I am known across the land as the Ten-Thousand-Cup Undaunted!"

Lu Yang thought to himself, *Stop bragging, you two. If I bring out two jars of pure alcohol, will you even be able to handle it?*

In the end, Lu Yang served them two jars of Lao Er Pottou, hoping their capacity for alcohol was as formidable as their boasting.

Lu Yang greeted the customers at the entrance, straining his voice to call out, "Please take a number and wait in line, no cutting ahead. We have prepared free tea and light snacks for you. Please be patient, a table will open up very soon!"

"Furthermore, there are no discounts for referring guests to our establishment, so please do not introduce any more newcomers!"

Lu Yang had no idea if it would be effective, but he chose to shout it out regardless; they absolutely could not turn this into a real chain restaurant.

The patrons waiting in line were restless, and questions came one after another.

"Can we make a reservation in advance?"

"Do you offer home delivery?"

"Can we book the entire venue?"

Among the customers waiting in line, aside from the martial artists, there were also cultivators, possessing substantial wealth.

"Reservations are possible, and if the distance is not too far, we can deliver to your door, though an additional service fee will apply. Booking the entire venue is also perfectly fine."

Lu Yang hoped most of all that someone would book the whole place, so they could have a bit of peace.

"Pay attention, everyone. Qin Yuanhao has left the estate." Lu Yang and Mangu simultaneously received a voice transmission from Meng Jingzhou. Lu Yang actually felt a sudden sense of relief.

"I will go track him. Come down and replace me. Also, Mangu, keep an eye on him, don't let any trouble break out." Lu Yang mastered both the techniques of Earth Shrinking and Inch-Stepping, giving him an absolute advantage in combat and tracking.

Lu Yang could not simply submerge into the earth in broad daylight, so he made his way to the backyard, where only two ghost servants were present.

The two ghost servants were busily roasting meat, drenched in sweat from the exertion, their movements so rapid they nearly left afterimages, wishing they had eight hands to work with.

Doubtless, they had never experienced such a fulfilling and industrious life before their deaths.

Incidentally, the two ghost servants wore the attire of traveling merchants from their past lives. To prevent any inebriated customers from wandering into the backyard and discovering that the servants' clothing was amiss, the three companions had spent a long time researching how to change a ghost's clothes.

From Taoist rituals and Buddhist chanting to flipping through ancient texts and verifying legends, they threw themselves into the task until the two ghost servants had nearly faded away entirely.

Fortunately, Lu Yang discovered the most rustic method—simply burning the clothes for the ghost servants sufficed.

The two ghost servants were so absorbed in their labor that neither noticed Lu Yang’s arrival. Lu Yang smoothly sank into the earth, carefully shadowing Qin Yuanhao.

Meng Jingzhou quickly changed his attire to replace Lu Yang, serving the lamb skewers while proclaiming, "Here are the lamb skewers, enjoy your meal, honored guests."

"Speaking of these lamb skewers, their origin is no small matter. Allow me to relate it to you all slowly. There came a day when a golden light radiated across the northern grasslands, and an infant was born..."

...

Qin Yuanhao walked amidst the shadows, his form seemingly blending into the veil of night, to the point where even passing pedestrians failed to perceive his presence.

"Is it a cultivation method related to shadows, or perhaps one connected to darkness?" Lu Yang observed secretly, gathering as much intelligence as possible.

In order to create his own cultivation method, he had read extensively and possessed an understanding of all manner of techniques.

Lu Yang continued to track Qin Yuanhao.

Qin Yuanhao stepped along a muddy path into a winding, narrow alleyway, the sour stench it exuded reaching even Lu Yang, who was concealed underground.

Hearing Qin Yuanhao’s accelerating footsteps, Lu Yang knew the man’s mood was far from pleasant.

Qin Yuanhao knitted his brows, detesting such places. With a grim expression, he kicked open a door, startling a subordinate who was fast asleep.

"You still have the mind to sleep!"

The subordinate scrambled to his feet, trembling all over, entirely unaware of why his leader was angered.

They worked diligently and conscientiously, never daring to slack off. Was it now a mistake to even sleep at night after a busy day?

In stark contrast, their leader stayed awake every night and did not rise during the day; their routine was far more regular than his.

Qin Yuanhao kicked the subordinate against the wall, raging, "Why has no one approached me to report on the situation these past few days? Where is the person I told you to find!"

The subordinate felt as though his chest had been violently struck by a massive hammer. He spoke aggrievedly, "Boss, it was you who said that if we could not find the person, we should not come to see you."

"We couldn't find the person you spoke of, so we didn't dare to see you. How can following your words be a mistake too?"

The subordinate cried injustice. The subordinate did exactly what the big brother commanded, yet the big brother remained unsatisfied; he was truly difficult to please.

Qin Yuanhao: "..."

He actually found the subordinate's reasoning quite sound, yet he simply felt the urge to hit someone. What was he to do?

"If you couldn't come to see me, could you not have written a letter!"

"But you also said that important matters must be reported face-to-face."

"Did I not also say that special circumstances require special treatment!" Qin Yuanhao roared in anger.

"You did say that special circumstances require special treatment, but you also said that what constitutes a special circumstance requires our internal discussion first, before being personally decided by you."

"Then did you discuss it?"

"We discussed it two days ago and unanimously agreed that this time was indeed a special circumstance that required your decision."

"Then why didn't I see you bring it to me for a decision!"

"You said important matters must be reported face-to-face. We couldn't find the person spreading rumors, so we couldn't come to see you."

Qin Yuanhao: "..."

Am I going to talk myself into a circle until I die here today?

Qin Yuanhao took two deep breaths, repeatedly warning himself not to kill, not to kill. Although this bunch of subordinates lacked flexibility, they were fiercely loyal to him and executed his commands strictly, without the slightest deviation.

Killing a subordinate would alienate those below him.

Furthermore, trustworthy hands were already scarce; if he killed any more, none would remain.

"So how exactly is the search for this person going? If the person cannot be found, surely there must be clues?" Qin Yuanhao glared at the subordinate. If the man dared to claim they had found no clues whatsoever, he could forget about leaving this place alive today!

Did he truly think he dared not kill!

The subordinate muttered a quiet negation under his breath. Catching the murderous glint in his leader’s eyes, he hurriedly added, "Big brother, you know how distinctive the person you are looking for is. Anyone like that would draw attention the moment they showed their face on the street. Four days have passed, and the brothers have run until their feet are blistered, yet we still haven't found them."

"If nothing else, regarding the condition of being eight feet wide and eight feet tall alone, we have inquired everywhere and found only one person who fits the description. However, that person doesn't have pockmarks on their face, nor do they eat children, and their appearance is actually quite pleasant."

"Who is it?" Qin Yuanhao thought to himself that regardless of whether the appearance matched, he would first kill someone of the same build to make an example of them, lest the hidden adversary look down on him!

"It's the mascot selling tofu on Front Gate Street."

"I'll bloody slaughter you!"