Tea Money

If not for a twist of fate, they wouldn't have been worthy of even speaking with Young Master Li!

The more they thought about it, the more inferior they felt. The Outer Disciples exchanged glances, and they all discreetly nodded.

"Young Master Li, you've seen so much of the world. 'Ten Mile Fragrance' naturally doesn't catch your eye. We also have two Hongze Fish here."

The Outer Disciple leading them gritted his teeth and continued, "These Hongze Fish come from Hongze, ten thousand miles away. They're demonic beasts comparable to those in the fourth layer of the Qi Refining Realm. Their flesh is tender and juicy, and their flavor is exceptionally delicious. They're a rare delicacy."

"Since Young Master Li is here today, I'll have the best chef steam them right away, so you can give them a try."

Although they had all agreed, the other Outer Disciples still looked pained when they heard this.

There went another ten Spirit Stones.

They had originally pooled their Spirit Stones to buy such fine fish and treat themselves.

And now, once again, they were giving it to a scoundrel!

"Mm! Sounds good! Let's give them a try."

Li Yunjing was delighted. Although he didn't know what sort of spirit fish Hongze Fish were, he could tell from the Outer Disciples' expressions that they had to be extremely precious.

He'd be a fool to turn them down!

These Outer Disciples had sought him out, so they certainly weren't offering him gifts for no reason!

Whatever the case, he'd take the benefits first and agree to help them. Whether he actually did anything about it was another matter.

Li Yunjing couldn't be bothered. Even if he wanted to help, he didn't have the ability!

He knew better than anyone that he wasn't who they thought he was.

They had misunderstood his identity, and he hadn't corrected them. He'd simply gone along with it!

It wasn't as if he'd tricked them. They were the ones practically shoving benefits into his hands!

He could only keep playing the shameless young master, eating and taking everything he could before turning his back on them.

Thinking of this, Li Yunjing felt even more confident.

Every move and every word of his carried an imposing air, as if he truly were a great figure on the same level as Fu Chao and Yu Yunyi!

This only made the Outer Disciples even more convinced that he was the real deal!

"Certainly! We'll arrange it right away! Wang Yun, go to the kitchen yourself and give them the order. Also, arrange a banquet with the finest dishes!"

The Outer Disciple leading them continued giving orders.

"Of course, Senior Brother Liu!"

Wang Yun replied and hurried out of the private room toward the kitchen.

At that moment, only Li Yunjing and Ma Xingyuan were seated at the eight-person table. Four Outer Disciples stood beside them, looking extremely cautious.

"Have a seat too! By the way, what's your name?"

Li Yunjing gave the order and pointed at the manager.

"Young Master Li, I'm the manager of the Elegant Fragrance Garden. My name is Yue Zhouwang."

The Outer Disciple in charge was overjoyed. He quickly sat down to Li Yunjing's right and answered his question.

Managers weren't part of the Divine Firmament Dao Sect's official ranks. It was merely a temporary position.

They had authority, but no benefits.

Though they threw their weight around at the Elegant Fragrance Garden, their status and treatment remained those of Outer Disciples.

Above them were Foundation Establishment Realm deacons.

The powerful figures devoted themselves to cultivation and simply had no time to manage day-to-day affairs.

That was why the unofficial position of manager had come about.

As time passed, every mountain and peak in the Divine Firmament Dao Sect adopted the same practice. The higher one's cultivation, the less one wanted to handle specific affairs.

Thus, there were more and more managers, and this special arrangement continued until the whole sect tacitly accepted it.

As for the seat to Li Yunjing's left, Ma Xingyuan naturally claimed it.

The fat man was quick on the uptake. He stuck close to Li Yunjing and sat beside him as soon as they entered the private room.

"Mm! You're treating us two errand disciples to fine wine and food. You must have something to ask of us. Just say it. If it's something I can do, I'd be glad to help."

Li Yunjing said with a smile.

"Heh heh! Young Master Li, you saw right through us."

Yue Zhouwang buttered him up before continuing, "Young Master Li, you're good friends with Young Master Fu. We failed to keep an eye on Yang Chun and let them start fighting at the Elegant Fragrance Garden. Deacon Zhong of the Law Enforcement Hall will probably punish us for it. We'd like to ask Young Master Li to help smooth things over."

"That matter?"

Li Yunjing had already guessed this might be the case before asking.

Now he wasn't in a hurry. He answered with a question.

"Exactly!"

The other Outer Disciples nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"Let's talk about it later."

Li Yunjing waved a hand and closed his eyes, looking perfectly at ease as he sank into thought.

At the sight of this, everyone's hearts sank. It seemed Young Master Li wasn't satisfied with what they had offered him.

"Young Master Li, please sit tight. We'll go hurry the kitchen along. Excuse us, excuse us!"

There was no other choice. Yue Zhouwang gave the others beside him a helpless glance.

They understood and chimed in, leaving only after Li Yunjing nodded. Then they filed out one after another.

"Clack!"

The door to the private room shut, leaving only Li Yunjing and Ma Xingyuan inside.

Ma Xingyuan was just about to speak when Li Yunjing gave him a look, telling him to keep quiet.

This was someone else's territory. The more they said, the more likely they were to slip up.

Li Yunjing had just received benefits from Fu Chao. He didn't want to be exposed so soon.

How much more could he squeeze out of them? That depended on how Yue Zhouwang and the others behaved.

Yue Zhouwang and the others were middle-aged, so they had clearly been in the sect for a long time. They ought to have some wealth. What was the point of sparing people like that from a shakedown?

As for whether he could actually get the matter settled, they could go find Fu Chao afterward. They wouldn't dare!

Outside, in a secluded, deserted spot, several Outer Disciples gathered together, all frowning deeply.

"What do we do? Li Yunjing is far too greedy! We've already offered him benefits worth twenty Spirit Stones, and he's still not satisfied?"

One of the Outer Disciples complained.

"There's no choice. Young masters from those great families have seen the world! Twenty Spirit Stones probably wouldn't move him at all."

Yue Zhouwang sighed and spoke slowly.

"So we just let him shake us down?"

Another Outer Disciple complained. Their contribution points and Spirit Stones hadn't fallen from the sky.

Apart from their regular income, the only way they could pocket a few extra benefits was by skimming ingredients at the Elegant Fragrance Garden.

That little bit of income also had to be used to grease the palms of their superiors. By the time it reached them, there wasn't much left!

"Do the math! If we ask our superiors for help, we'll have to grease the palms of two Foundation Establishment experts. Do you think that would cost us less than giving it to Li Yunjing?"

Yue Zhouwang shook his head slightly.

At those words, everyone fell silent.

Their superiors always took a cut. Since they'd caused a huge mess this time, their superiors would have to step in to settle it—and they'd be the ones paying the bill.

If they paid that sum, they'd be working for nothing for the next year or two!

"No! We should pool some Spirit Stones and have Li Yunjing get Fu Chao to settle this."

One of the Outer Disciples, who had remained silent until then, spoke in a low voice.