The menu was outrageously comprehensive.
The staples ranged from all kinds of noodles to rice. The vegetable dishes were even more varied, from ordinary greens to all sorts of rare and exotic fruits. And the meat dishes went without saying—every kind of bird and beast, every delicacy from mountain and sea, was on offer.
Desserts, soups, drinks... There were more than a dozen categories, each with even more choices under it.
The dizzying variety of dishes on the menu was enough to make anyone's eyes swim.
Cloud Marsh Thousand-Silk Silver Thread Noodles, Dragon Blood Glutinous Coral Rice, Glazed Heart Fruit Salad... Just hearing the names made them sound high-end and impressive.
But when Chrysanthemum Douluo saw the prices beside them, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Eight thousand Gold Soul Coins for a bowl of noodles?
What kind of price was that?
Eight thousand Gold Soul Coins was enough to let an ordinary family of three live without a care for ten lifetimes!
And in this lousy shop, it could only buy them a bowl of noodles?
Even as a wealthy Titled Douluo who didn't care about this amount of money, he wasn't about to let himself be made a fool of!
Chrysanthemum Douluo glared viciously at Lin Feng, but the fellow was still lounging leisurely in his rocking chair. His placid expression practically said, Eat if you want. If not, the door's on your left.
He seemed completely unaware of how outrageous his prices were.
"Damn, does this brat really think he's some kind of immortal?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo cursed inwardly, then let out a cold laugh.
Since you dare charge such ridiculous prices, I'll order a whole pile of dishes first, then refuse to pay. Let's see what you can do about it!
"I'll have the Cloud Marsh Thousand-Silk Silver Thread Noodles and the Glazed Heart Fruit Salad."
Chrysanthemum Douluo deliberately raised his voice and pointed at the dishes on the menu with a delicate, orchid-like finger.
"And a serving of Grilled Thunder Rhino Ribs. Hmm... I'll have the Starlight Mottled Pheasant, too."
Hu Liena and the others watched from the side, hearts in their throats.
What was Elder Ju planning?
This didn't look like normal ordering at all!
"And this one..."
Chrysanthemum Douluo was about to order more when a lazy voice came from behind the counter.
"Are you sure you want to order that much?"
Lin Feng finally spoke, though he still hadn't opened his eyes.
"The food in my shop is extremely high in energy. Even a Titled Douluo can only eat about as much as an ordinary person."
"Ordering too much and not finishing it would be wasteful. I don't allow food to be wasted here."
Chrysanthemum Douluo nearly laughed out loud at that.
Did this brat really think he was someone important? He didn't allow food to be wasted?
"What's it to you? I have plenty of money!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo deliberately provoked him, stroking his cheek with his orchid-like finger.
"I can order as much as I want. You're just some little shopkeeper—who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"
Only then did Lin Feng slowly open his eyes and glance at Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Suit yourself. But I'll warn you now: you can't afford the consequences of wasting food."
With that, he closed his eyes again, making it clear he didn't care what Chrysanthemum Douluo did.
Chrysanthemum Douluo was nearly laughing with anger. Couldn't afford the consequences? What could he possibly be unable to afford?
"Fine! Then I'll keep ordering!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo glared at the menu. "And another..."
"Elder Ju!"
Hu Liena couldn't watch any longer. She hurried over and grabbed Chrysanthemum Douluo by the arm.
"Please don't act rashly! If that senior says so, he must have his reasons!"
Yan crouched nearby, clutching his still-aching stomach, and tried to dissuade him. "Elder Ju, why don't you order a little less?"
Xie Yue even stepped directly in front of Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Elder, we didn't come here to eat. We came to check things out. Ordering one or two dishes should be enough!"
Their fervent pleas helped Chrysanthemum Douluo calm down a little.
"Fine, then I'll have the Twilight Snow Warm Jade Soup, and finish with the Green Blood Loyal Heart Brew."
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave a cold snort and finally stopped ordering.
"One moment."
Lin Feng rose leisurely from his rocking chair, put on an apron and a chef's hat, and headed for the kitchen.
Just then, Hu Liena gathered her courage and spoke up. "Um... Senior, could the three of us order a bowl of Clear Broth Noodles each?"
Her voice held a tentative note of caution, as though she feared angering the mysterious shopkeeper.
Hu Liena knew all too well that Chrysanthemum Douluo was determined to cause trouble today.
Since the three of them had brought Chrysanthemum Douluo here, they might never be allowed to eat here again.
At the thought, Hu Liena felt a pang of distress.
This was a miraculous place where they could directly increase their Soul Power! If they missed their chance here, where else could they find a place like this?
So she decided to eat as many more meals as she could before they were banned for good.
Xie Yue and Yan immediately caught on and hurried to chime in.
"Right, right! We'd like three bowls of Clear Broth Noodles, too!" Yan clutched his still-aching stomach, his longing plain in his voice.
"Senior, please!" Xie Yue even bowed, his manner utterly sincere.
But in response to their request, Lin Feng only shook his head.
Seeing this, the three of them felt their hearts sink.
It was over!
They thought he was already refusing to let them eat here again. All three were instantly filled with despair.
Perhaps with the huge amount Chrysanthemum Douluo was spending, Lin Feng simply didn't care about the small business they brought in—three hundred Gold Soul Coins.
The three of them looked utterly despondent, despair written all over their faces.
If only they'd known, why had they told Chrysanthemum Douluo about this? Wouldn't it have been better to keep eating and leveling up in silence?
Hu Liena nearly burst into tears. She felt that a bright, broad road ahead of her was about to be cut off for good because of what had happened today.
But the next moment, Lin Feng's words rekindled their hope.
"Normally, each person can only eat one meal a day in my shop." Lin Feng's tone remained lazy, but to the three of them, it sounded like music from heaven. "If you want to eat again, come back tomorrow."
He paused, then added calmly, "Everyone who eats in my shop is treated equally. There are no distinctions of rank or status, only who arrived first. That's true no matter how much you spend."
Hearing this, Hu Liena and the others nearly jumped for joy.
So he wasn't refusing to serve them—the shop simply had a rule!
"That's great!" Yan excitedly pumped his fist, but the movement tugged at his injury, making him bare his teeth in pain.
Hu Liena's eyes reddened, and she was so moved she could hardly contain herself. "Senior, you're really too kind!"
Xie Yue also let out a long breath, the tension in his body finally easing.
Chrysanthemum Douluo watched the three youngsters' reaction, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Was all that really necessary? It was just a lousy bowl of noodles. Why were they so moved?
But he soon turned his attention back to Lin Feng and curled his lip. "All right, stop pretending to be a good person and hurry up with the food!"
Lin Feng glanced at Chrysanthemum Douluo and ignored his provocation. A strange smile curled his lips as he turned and walked into the kitchen.
Chrysanthemum Douluo sat in his chair with his arms crossed, looking forward to the show.
He'd already decided: when the brat brought out the dishes, he'd find fault with their quality, refuse to pay, and see what Lin Feng could do about it.