Chapter 78: Righteous and Demonic as One Family

The constables scattered and sat down. Constable Wei had not exaggerated in the slightest; a great multitude had indeed arrived, nearly filling every table to capacity.

The Sub-branch Leader’s table was situated right in the center, surrounded entirely by constables. The atmosphere appeared remarkably harmonious, a veritable portrait of the righteous and the demonic joined in kinship.

Chi Xulong was so terrified he hastily lowered his head. Regardless of how arrogantly the rumors portrayed him outside, that was merely an persona he had cultivated for himself; whenever he committed misdeeds, he either disguised himself or masked his face, and he would flee as far as possible from any government officials he encountered.

Unable to hide now, he could only lower his head and play the ostrich.

"Constable Wei, I'm right here," Lu Yang rose with a smile to greet Constable Wei.

Chi Xulong’s eyes widened as he stared at Lu Yang in utter disbelief. So you're the shop owner, you rascal!

"You've already started eating," Constable Wei said, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"It's no trouble. What would you all like to eat?"

Constable Wei waved his hand. "With so many people, we won't order specific dishes. Just bring out whatever you have."

"Alright," Lu Yang agreed, having anticipated that Constable Wei would think exactly that.

Smelling the fragrant aroma wafting from the Sub-branch Leader’s table, the constables subconsciously swallowed their saliva.

It was mealtime, and they were already hungry, so the scent only intensified their appetite.

Fortunately, Lu Yang had come prepared. Before Constable Wei and the others even arrived, he had commanded the ghost slaves to exert their full strength and pre-roast a portion, so food could be served the moment the guests arrived.

Very quickly, Meng Jingzhou and Mangu brought out tray after tray of grilled skewers, allowing Constable Wei and his men to cushion their stomachs first.

Though Constable Wei said nothing, he was deeply grateful to Lu Yang in his heart; otherwise, waiting for ages while smelling the food would surely have drawn complaints from his colleagues upon their return.

"Allow me to introduce our Chief Constable, Fang Qingyun!"

Fang Qingyun shook hands with Lu Yang out of courtesy. As a Golden Core cultivator, he could easily discern that Lu Yang was a cultivator himself.

Not only could he tell that Lu Yang was a cultivator, but he could also see that everyone at the Sub-branch Leader’s table possessed cultivation.

Yet he said nothing. Cultivators opening shops were a dime a dozen; as long as they did not violate the law, what did it have to do with him?

Opening a barbecue skewer shop was hardly a crime.

As for the tables being occupied, so be it. As the Chief Constable, he could scarcely use his authority to oppress others; it would reflect poorly on him if word got out.

After Lu Yang sat down with a smile, Chi Xulong cursed under his breath, lodging a complaint with the Sub-branch Leader: "You absolute bastard, you harbor malicious intent! Why didn't you tell us earlier that the constables were coming?!"

Lu Yang looked deeply aggrieved. "Wasn't this to help you build a good relationship with the constables? You really ought to seize this opportunity."

Lu Yang pointed to the silk banner on the wall. "See that? That's a banner Constable Wei gifted to me."

He fabricated a story on the fly: "Before I joined the organization, I deliberately sought out a stronghold in advance, smoothing over relations to establish a connection with the authorities. This way, no matter what I do, the officials will never suspect me. I can even eavesdrop on intelligence when they come here to drink."

Chief Chang nodded. Lu Yang’s words were well-reasoned and perfectly aligned with the Cult Leader's assessment.

The Cult Leader had remarked that while these three appeared to act absurdly, their actions held deeper meaning, and one must not judge them solely by appearances.

Just by virtue of proactively establishing ties with the authorities, the courage and vision displayed far surpassed the vast majority of people in the cult!

"Come, drink."

With a few skewers down to line their stomachs, Constable Wei and the others began to drink.

As more and more skewers vanished down their throats, the constables grew increasingly merry, drinking round after round in a lively clamor of clinking cups.

In stark contrast to the boisterous surroundings was the Sub-branch Leader’s table at the very center, where they drank with absolute caution, terrified that a drop too much might cause someone to blurt out a secret.

Eventually, they stopped drinking alcohol altogether and switched to tea.

Seeing the lack of atmosphere at the Sub-branch Leader’s table, Constable Wei assumed his own arrival had caused the chill. Feeling a pang of guilt, he walked over holding his wine cup.

"Come, come, come, don't mind us! Once we're off duty, we're just ordinary folk. Coming to a barbecue shop is all about eating happily and drinking to our heart's content!"

"Come, let's have a cup!" Constable Wei said to Chi Xulong.

Chi Xulong cautiously lifted his teacup. Displeased, Constable Wei scowled and said, "What's the meaning of drinking tea? Are you denying me face? Pour the wine!"

Left with no alternative, Chi Xulong could only steel himself, pour the thirty-year spiritual wine he had brought, and drain it in one gulp.

Seeing Constable Wei drinking his way around the tables, the other constables, clearly inebriated, followed suit. They toasted the Sub-branch Leader’s table, drinking with absolute abandon.

No one sought out Lu Yang and the other two to drink; it wouldn't do for the proprietors to get drunk.

The potency of thirty-year spiritual wine was not something Foundation Establishment cultivators could easily dissolve, and Chi Xulong and the others soon became thoroughly intoxicated.

Seeing that everyone had drunk their fill, the Sub-branch Leader made an excuse and departed.

Once the boss left, and under the liberating influence of the alcohol, the men grew increasingly unrestrained. Chi Xulong and Shen Jinyi slung their arms around each other's shoulders, vowing to unite and carve out a legacy within the Immortal Cult.

"Chi Xulong, your greatest flaw is that you're too impatient and flashy! You really ought to restrain yourself!" Shen Jinyi offered, ostensibly for Chi Xulong's own good.

Displeased, Chi Xulong, who was wild by nature, resented being criticized. "Oh, come off it! I'm flashy? Should I be like you then—a cowardly turtle who doesn't dare strike himself, teaching a bunch of students to do his dirty work?"

"Slinking around like a woman!"

Shen Jinyi flew into a rage. "Chi Xulong, don't throw my kindness back in my face! I was considering your well-being, yet you turn around and bite me!"

Chi Xulong flared up even worse than Shen Jinyi. "Who are you calling a dog?!"

With that, he landed a punch square on Shen Jinyi's face.

How could Shen Jinyi swallow such an insult? If he endured it silently this time, Chi Xulong's nature would surely demand a mile after taking an inch.

Shen Jinyi picked up his wine cup and splashed it. Though heavily drunk, Chi Xulong's reflexes remained sharp; he tilted his head to dodge, and the wine splashed directly onto the face of Bai Zifang, who had been watching the spectacle.

Bai Zifang was hardly a mild-mannered man either. Having suffered an unprovoked calamity, he was determined to exact retribution. Paying them back in their own coin, he drenched Shen Jinyi in wine, and without stopping there, smashed a plate right into Shen Jinyi's face.

The three entangled in a brawl. Others attempted to intervene, only to be caught in the crossfire, stoking a fierce resentment within them.

Out of good intentions we tried to save you from making fools of yourselves, yet far from showing gratitude, you dare strike me?

Who do you think you are!

The spiritual wine was far too potent; everyone's minds were addled. Oblivious to the fact that they were surrounded by constables, they all joined the fray.

Crash—

Someone overturned a table, sending items crashing onto the neighboring table.

The constables had never witnessed such audacity—a pack of cultivators brawling in public.

And this was with the constables standing right beside them; had they not been there, who knew what chaos would have ensued.

When cultivators engaged in mass brawls, a single mishap could easily kill innocent bystanders. The nature of the offense was severe, and punishment was imperative!

Witnessing this, Chief Constable Fang Qingyun unleashed his spiritual pressure, instantly suppressing the demonic cult members.

"Take them away. Let them sober up in the dungeon!"

The cult members snapped awake in an instant, realizing what had occurred, and broke into a cold sweat.

A massive influx of patrons had arrived all at once this evening. The two ghost slaves were so frantically busy that their afterimages could scarcely keep pace. Seeing the situation, Mangu personally joined the fray, while Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou darted back and forth between the backyard and the main hall, the prepared skewers dwindling at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Lu Yang lifted the door curtain and apologized, "I'm so sorry, everyone, the skewers are completely sold out... What on earth is going on here?"

Lu Yang beheld the previously arrogant cult members sitting meekly in the hall, while the constables glared at them with cold sneers.

Constable Wei whispered, "Young Boss Lu, I'm truly sorry. Your friends engaged in a mass brawl. The Chief Constable detests nothing more than cultivators acting this way; the commotion was so grand that even the pedestrians took notice. If we don't punish them, it simply won't pass muster."

Lu Yang: "..."

In all honesty, Lu Yang had indeed harbored a desire to make sport of them by seating the cult members and constables together, but he had truly never imagined this lot would be so audaciously bold as to fight right before the constables' very eyes.

Meng Jingzhou curled his lip: "I told you so, don't drink, nothing good ever comes from drinking."

On the very day of the welcoming assembly, Chi Xulong and his cohorts were detained for ten days on charges of brawling in a public gathering.

When Division Leader Chu learned of this, it took him a long while to recover his senses.

(End of this chapter)