Tuoba Xi finally managed to wrench his gaze away from the excessively intimate corner where Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were.
He felt as if something filthy had sullied his eyes.
The Holy Dragon Douluo forced himself to calm down, trying to gather the thoughts in his head, which had become a complete tangled mess.
At that very moment, his whole body stiffened. He finally realized something that made his scalp prickle.
He began silently taking roll call in his mind.
Demon Bear Douluo, that hot-tempered brute... was here.
Spirit Kite Douluo, the proudest falcon in the Elder Hall... was here too.
Ghost Douluo... was here.
Chrysanthemum Douluo... was here too.
The corner of Tuoba Xi's eye twitched violently.
He quickly ran through the roster of the Elder Hall in his mind.
Aside from the two elders, Snake Lance and Pufferfish, who were stationed in the Heaven Dou Empire year-round on a mission, and Ghost Leopard Douluo, whose whereabouts were unknown...
Every single Titled Douluo in their Elder Hall had somehow gathered in this tiny restaurant!
What... was going on?
In an instant, an absurd thought rose uncontrollably in Tuoba Xi's mind.
Could the Elder Hall be holding some kind of top-secret meeting here?
But as soon as the thought appeared, he snuffed it out himself.
What a joke!
The Spirit Hall's Elder Hall stood at the very pinnacle of power and strength across the entire Douluo Continent!
If they were going to hold a meeting, it should be in the magnificent, solemn Elder Hall!
How could they possibly choose some...
Cramped, plain, and even downright shabby little restaurant?!
The muscles in his face began twitching uncontrollably.
No.
Our Spirit Hall...
Since when had we become this poor?!
Just as Tuoba Xi's worldview was on the verge of collapsing and rebuilding itself, an overpowering aroma that had previously been drowned out by his shock finally broke through the chaos in his mind and seized all his senses.
The fragrance seemed almost alive.
One breath was enough to make the Soul Power in his body leap for joy. His stomach rumbled like a war drum.
Tuoba Xi froze.
He stiffly turned his head and took another look at the bizarre scene before him.
His gaze landed on Demon Bear Douluo, who was clutching a big bowl and sobbing his heart out.
He looked just like someone who had tasted the peerless delicacy he'd yearned for all his life, overcome with a soul-deep reverence and emotion!
Tuoba Xi turned his gaze to the disheveled Spirit Kite Douluo.
Her beautiful eyes held only a nearly obsessive longing as she stared fixedly toward the kitchen, as if waiting for a miracle to descend!
Tuoba Xi finally understood.
So... they really had come here just to... eat!
Once he'd figured that out, he found it even more absurd than his earlier theory about a "top-secret meeting"!
What kind of food could make a whole group of Titled Douluo standing at the pinnacle of the continent lose their composure like this?!
No wonder!
No wonder those youngsters were drooling so much!
The last trace of doubt in Tuoba Xi's heart vanished completely.
He even felt that if he didn't get to eat a meal here today, it would be the greatest regret of his life!
Having put all the pieces together, Tuoba Xi nodded toward Demon Bear, Spirit Kite, and the others in greeting.
Then he turned around, his kind, gentle smile back in place, and beckoned to Hu Liena and the other two.
"Looks like the place you recommended really is something special."
"Come on, children. Let's find a seat too."
"Grandpa Tuoba's treating you today!"
With that, carrying himself with the composure and indulgence of an elder, Tuoba Xi strode to an empty table and sat down calmly.
Hu Liena and the other two exchanged a knowing glance but didn't sit with him.
They stood respectfully behind Tuoba Xi.
As if!
Their senior's rule was that they could only eat one meal a day.
Besides, how could they dare act out in front of this unfathomable senior?
Just being able to stand by and witness a Titled Douluo conquered by the senior's cooking was an honor in itself!
Tuoba Xi didn't give it a second thought, assuming the children were simply showing him respect.
He picked up the menu on the table, which looked plain and unassuming, and casually opened it.
His smile remained warm and kindly.
But the next second,
The smile froze on his face.
His gaze was nailed to the menu, his pupils contracting to pinpoints in an instant!
He could understand the names of the dishes.
But his mind simply couldn't comprehend the strings of numbers after them!
Eight thousand Gold Soul Coins for a bowl of noodles?
Over ten thousand Gold Soul Coins for a bottle of ordinary wine?!
Tuoba Xi's hand began to tremble slightly despite himself.
He squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, then opened them again!
The prices hadn't changed.
Row upon row of zeroes seemed to mock his very understanding of the world.
An illusion?
No!
How could a Titled Douluo with his spiritual power be seeing things?!
Tuoba Xi felt his throat go dry. He instinctively looked up, wanting to ask Hu Liena what was going on.
But the words reached the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them back down.
No!
He was the mighty Holy Dragon Douluo, an elder of the Elder Hall. He'd just boasted that he was treating the children.
If a mere menu scared him now, where would that leave his dignity?!
He forced out a smile uglier than crying, but his stiff lips had already betrayed the storm raging within him.
But this...
This wasn't a restaurant.
This was a goddamn robbery!!!
How could Hu Liena, with her fox-sharp eyes, possibly miss what Tuoba Xi was thinking?
Seeing his stiff smile and trembling fingers, she chuckled to herself, though her face showed just the right amount of unease and apology.
She gently tugged at Tuoba Xi's sleeve and spoke softly, in a tone full of guilt and thoughtfulness.
"Grandpa Tuoba, maybe... we should just leave?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but Tuoba Xi heard every word.
"It was inconsiderate of us. The food here is just... much too expensive."
Hu Liena lowered her head slightly, looking like a child who'd done something wrong and was afraid of being scolded by an elder.
"Huh? We're leaving?"
Yan played the perfect role of an unhelpful teammate. He gazed longingly toward the kitchen, swallowed instinctively, and wore an expression of pure yearning and reluctance.
"But... it smells so good..."
That made Tuoba Xi's predicament even worse.
He was the mighty Holy Dragon Douluo, an elder of the Spirit Hall. He'd just boasted that he was treating them. Was he really going to slink away in front of these juniors just because of the prices?
Just as Tuoba Xi was about to thump his chest and say it was no big deal, Xie Yue stepped forward, silent until now.
He looked even more solemn and sincere than Hu Liena and Yan.
"Elder Tuoba, Nana is right. We shouldn't make you spend so much."
"It's just..."
Xie Yue changed tack, his gaze turning profound, as if he held some great secret.
"We didn't dare invite you here just because the food is delicious."
He lowered his voice and glanced toward Demon Bear Douluo at the neighboring table, sobbing his heart out, then at Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo nestled together in the corner.
"We saw with our own eyes that Elder Ju and Elder Ghost... gained an unimaginable... opportunity here."
"We felt that such an enormous blessing ought to be shared first with you, the elder who cares for us most."
"So... we took the liberty of bringing you here."
His words were reasonable and measured, leaving room to retreat.
They gave Tuoba Xi an out while placing an enormous temptation right in front of him.
Leave?
If he left, he'd lose face as the Holy Dragon Douluo.
Stay?
Then this wasn't merely a meal. It was a chance to explore a possible "enormous opportunity"!
In an instant, the shock in Tuoba Xi's eyes gave way to intense curiosity and resolve!