On the way back, Chen Ze suddenly caught sight of a figure.
That figure had left far too deep an impression on him, as though it had been carved into his soul.
The person Chen Ze saw was none other than the former steward of Qingyun Sect's Service Disciples.
I thought he'd be living in destitution after being thrown out of Qingyun Sect. Looks like he's doing quite well for himself.
Chen Ze saw the Service Disciple steward inside a restaurant, stuffing himself with meat and guzzling wine, occasionally throwing his head back in loud laughter with the people beside him.
"Ling'er, are you hungry? Let's go eat something too," Chen Ze suddenly said to Zhao Ling'er beside him.
Zhao Ling'er looked at Chen Ze in confusion. "Master, didn't you say the food outside wasn't good?"
Chen Ze hesitated for a moment. It seemed he really had said that. "Mm, but it's mealtime now, and there happens to be a restaurant here. Maybe it'll surprise us.
Besides, only by tasting food outside from time to time can we compare it with what you make. That way, it'll show even more clearly how delicious your cooking is.
Don't you think?"
Hearing Chen Ze say that, Zhao Ling'er let out a tinkling laugh. "Master really knows how to make Ling'er happy."
"Haha." Chen Ze laughed along twice and led Zhao Ling'er into the very restaurant where the Service Disciple steward was eating.
The moment Chen Ze and Zhao Ling'er entered the restaurant, a waiter came forward to greet them. "Honored guests, table for two?"
"Mm!"
"This way, please." The waiter led Chen Ze and Zhao Ling'er to an empty table.
Once Chen Ze and Zhao Ling'er had sat down, the waiter poured them two cups of tea. "What would the two honored guests like to eat?"
Chen Ze did not waste words and said directly, "Just bring us a few of your restaurant's signature dishes."
The waiter immediately understood. "Certainly. Please wait a moment, honored guests."
Chen Ze picked up the tea on the table and took two sips. Finding its flavor mediocre, he casually set it back down.
Chen Ze began chatting with Zhao Ling'er, mostly about opening a shop.
Although Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er was still somewhat worried, seeing Chen Ze brimming with confidence, she went along with him and humored him in conversation.
As they spoke, Chen Ze occasionally teased Zhao Ling'er as well.
Zhao Ling'er knew how to play along. Whenever that happened, she would laugh endlessly, "Hehehe."
After spending so much time with Chen Ze, Zhao Ling'er, whose usual temperament was tranquil and reserved, had become much more open. But that was only with Chen Ze.
Though the two were chatting, Chen Ze's attention remained fixed on the steward's side.
He was now at the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer. Eavesdropping on the steward's conversation was easy for him.
Looks like this steward didn't amount to much in Qingyun Sect either. After all these years, he's still only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. He could only keep lingering among the Service Disciples.
After listening for a while, Chen Ze found it dull and tasteless. They were discussing nothing of substance.
"Big Brother, it's rare for you to come out from Qingyun Sect. Us brothers haven't gathered in ages. Now that we have the chance, we definitely won't go home until we're drunk."
"Exactly. Big Brother's doing the best now. He's even a steward at Qingyun Sect. That position isn't something just anyone can take. Only our Big Brother can do it, right?"
"Right, right! Only our Big Brother can be this impressive. I heard there are over a thousand Service Disciples in Qingyun Sect, all under Big Brother's command. Big Brother is truly amazing."
The people at the same table lavishly flattered the steward. Other topics were fine, but when they mentioned his position as a steward in Qingyun Sect, his expression changed slightly.
The steward looked somewhat embarrassed, but he still put on a bold front. "Haha, of course. Which one of those thousand people would dare disobey my arrangements? If you want to go too, I'll arrange it for you."
Hearing this, Chen Ze could not help grumbling inwardly, So he never told anyone about being kicked out of Qingyun Sect. He's planning to swagger around here and swindle people.
At that moment, the waiter brought over the dishes. "Please enjoy, honored guests. If you need anything, just call for me."
Chen Ze nodded, picked up the chopsticks beside him, and tasted one of the restaurant's signature dishes.
"It still doesn't taste as good as your cooking, Ling'er, but it's much better than the food at Tongfu Restaurant."
"Master, let's not eat outside again next time. Once we're back, Ling'er will cook for you."
"Alright." Chen Ze had already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm and no longer needed to eat ordinary food, but he still could not give up the pleasures of the palate. He had grown accustomed to it.
Chen Ze took only a few simple bites before setting down his chopsticks.
"Has Master finished eating?"
Chen Ze shook his head. "I'll go back and eat what you make."
"Waiter, the bill."
The waiter came over and saw that the dishes on the table had barely been touched. "Are the two honored guests dissatisfied with the food?"
Chen Ze merely smiled. "How much?"
Seeing this, the waiter understood. "Twenty taels of silver."
Chen Ze took out twenty taels of silver, placed them on the table, and rose to leave.
As he left, he glanced toward the steward's table.
To his surprise, after all this time, the steward had not noticed him.
*It seems the steward never regarded the original owner as worth noticing. Maybe he doesn't even remember there was such a person.
Still, seeing how comfortably you're living now leaves me a little annoyed.*
As Chen Ze walked out of the restaurant, the instant he stepped through the entrance, a thought stirred in his mind, and a thread of spiritual power silently slipped forth.
A "thud" sounded from behind him as the steward failed to sit properly and fell flat on his backside.
A smile curled at Chen Ze's lips as he continued onward.
Zhao Ling'er, however, saw through Chen Ze's mischievous amusement and turned back to look at the steward sprawled on the floor.
"Master, was that?"
Chen Ze smiled. "Nothing. Let's go!"
The steward had fallen to the ground, pain shooting through his backside, and cried out, "Ow!"
The people at his table hurriedly came over to help him up. "Big Brother, what happened? Are you alright?"
Even the waiter ran over to support him. "Honored guest, are you alright?"
Who would have thought that, once helped up, the steward would kick the waiter, sending him sprawling onto the floor? "What kind of rotten chair does your restaurant have? It made me fall!"
The waiter sat on the floor, wronged and at a loss. He grumbled inwardly, What does this have to do with me? You obviously drank too much and couldn't sit steady, so you fell.
The restaurant manager hurried over as well, apologizing profusely. "Honored guests, we are truly sorry. It is all our restaurant's fault. We will give you a discount on this meal. Please be magnanimous."
The restaurant manager did not know these people's backgrounds, but he had overheard some of their conversation. At this moment, he wished to avoid trouble whenever possible.
Yet the steward still looked unwilling to let the matter go, as though he were about to start cursing.
However, the people at his table held him back and whispered in his ear, "Big Brother, this restaurant belongs to the Ye Family. It's best not to make too much of a scene."
The steward, somewhat angered into shame, perhaps with the wine going to his head, said, "I'm a Qingyun Sect steward. Why would I be afraid of..."
Before he could finish, the steward seemed to recall something, and he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.
Only then did he remember that he was no longer a member of Qingyun Sect. The Ye Family was truly not someone he could afford to provoke.
The steward sat back down resentfully. "Forget it."
"You are most magnanimous, honored guests. Please enjoy your meal." After saying that, the restaurant manager walked to the waiter and quietly scolded, "Get up and get back to work."
"Manager, I..." The waiter was still somewhat aggrieved.
"What do you mean, 'I'? Get back to work." The restaurant manager replied irritably.
After sitting down again, the others at the table continued trying to console him, assuming he was sulking.
But the steward was not thinking about that. He was merely puzzled. As a cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm, how could he have fallen for no reason at all?
Even if I didn't sit steadily, my senses should have noticed it beforehand.
As he thought it over carefully, an image suddenly flashed through the steward's mind.
A familiar face appeared, yet he could not remember where he had seen it for the moment.
Could my fall just now have been because of him?
The steward looked outside the restaurant, and a somewhat familiar face happened to meet his gaze.
The other person wore a mocking expression, as though laughing at him.
Before you continue