I'm the Host

Chen Xiao, Bei Yu Xian, Canghai Chengkong, and Li Changqi were dressed in outfits more flamboyant than the last, a riot of colors that lacked even a hint of the ethereal grace expected of cultivators.

Though Chen Xiao wore a long white robe, he couldn't help but drape himself in a pile of ostentatious accessories, and the folding fan in his hand was even trimmed with gold lace.

The four of them strode down the street with aggressive momentum. Aside from Chen Xiao, each of the other three was followed by five or six attendants, all of them acting like foxes borrowing the tiger's might.

Among these four great wastrels, Chen Xiao originally had the weakest cultivation, merely at the Qi Refining stage. The others, despite their dissolute nature, had been stuffed with pills since childhood, forcibly raising their cultivation to the Golden Core Realm.

Although many powerful cultivators had arrived in Moon-Gazing City recently—some with deep, formidable backgrounds—what would a group of wastrels like them know or care?

Even if they had heard that the city was currently in a state of unrest, what did that have to do with them? Since ancient times, a powerful dragon has never suppressed a local serpent. Those visiting cultivators understood that if they wanted to uncover what was truly happening in Moon-Gazing City, they had to rely on these local landlords and could not afford to offend them for the time being.

Heavenly Abode, one of the Nangong Family's largest enterprises, was renowned within a thousand-mile radius of Moon-Gazing City. Although cultivators reached a state of bigu—abstaining from grain—once they attained the Golden Core Realm, sustaining their vitality solely by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, they did not strictly need to eat.

Yet, for any living being, eating remained a pleasure and a habit. Furthermore, in the Immortal World, many large restaurants prepared dishes using extremely precious medicinal herbs or even the meat of powerful demonic beasts. These dishes contained abundant spiritual energy, which was highly beneficial for a cultivator's growth.

Therefore, in the Immortal World, even immortals who had attained the Great Dao did not abstain from food. After all, while cultivating was a pursuit of the Heavenly Dao, it was also meant to make one's life more comfortable; no one wanted to make things difficult for themselves.

In truth, immortals were quite adept at enjoying life.

Heavenly Abode's fame stretched for a thousand miles, and with guests coming and going daily, it naturally held a position of importance among the Nangong Family's assets. More importantly, it served as an excellent source of information. Countless cultivators from all directions frequented the restaurant, and from their conversations, one could naturally glean useful news about the Immortal World.

Today, the four pests—or rather, the four "talented scholars"—of Moon-Gazing City arrived at Heavenly Abode in unison, nearly causing the manager to collapse to the floor. Over the past few days, Chen Xiao had done more than his fair share of eating, drinking, and causing trouble here for free. The manager had complained to the family more than once, but Nangong Shenhe had only offered a faint smile, completely unbothered.

Heavenly Abode was merely a restaurant. While its profits were vast, it meant little to the Nangong Family as a whole. Nangong Shenhe's branch had detached itself from the main family to develop quietly in Moon-Gazing City, not to earn Heavenly Mystery Stones, but for the sake of Mingyu Mountain outside the city.

Moreover, the family was already preparing to move against the Chen Clan. Once the plan was executed, the Chen Clan would become a puppet of the Nangong Family, and there was no need to make a scene over a mere Chen Xiao.

Whatever Chen Xiao ate now, they would simply make him spit it back out later.

However, the head manager of Heavenly Abode did not know this, and every time Chen Xiao appeared, he was filled with dread. To make matters worse, this fellow was a bottomless pit who could eat an entire mountain in one sitting.

He would order whatever was most expensive and whatever tasted best, and once finished, he would simply toss out a line about settling the bill at the City Lord's Mansion before patting his backside and walking away.

Go to the City Lord's Mansion to collect a debt? The head manager had enough self-awareness to know that if he went there, he would be unceremoniously kicked out by that brat.

Now, seeing Chen Xiao arrive with a whole crowd in tow, the manager nearly broke down and closed the doors.

It was currently midday, the time when Heavenly Abode was packed to capacity.

"Third Young Master, shall we clear the house?"

Seeing the restaurant's booming business and the first floor already filled with guests, Li Changqi raised an eyebrow.

The other three knew that Chen Xiao was at odds with the Nangong Family, and they didn't mind causing a little trouble for them.

"Clear the house? What for?" Chen Xiao curled his lip. Under normal circumstances, if his young master's temper flared, he might have actually driven the guests away and made them never dare to set foot in Heavenly Abode again.

But Heavenly Abode was currently a mix of dragons and snakes, filled with all sorts of people. There were many he couldn't afford to offend; clearing them out might slight the Nangong Family, but the resulting grudge would fall squarely on his own head.

"Watch me."

Chen Xiao snapped his gold-trimmed folding fan shut and strode into Heavenly Abode. The waiter, seeing him enter, hurriedly wiped away his miserable expression and put on a fawning smile.

"Third Young Master, you've come..."

The waiter, who possessed a Nascent Soul cultivation, bowed and scraped before Chen Xiao, but before he could say anything else, Chen Xiao pushed him aside.

Chen Xiao cupped his hands together and announced in a loud voice, "Respected seniors, uncles, and peers, Chen Xiao offers you his greetings."

As soon as Chen Xiao finished speaking, the first-floor hall fell instantly silent. Everyone looked at him, confused. Even some cultivators on the second and third floors noticed him and extended their divine sense to observe him.

Most of the people in Heavenly Abode were visiting cultivators. They had heard the reputations of Moon-Gazing City's wastrels on their very first day in town, and seeing them today, they found them truly extraordinary.

"Today, several of my brothers have emerged from seclusion. I have taken the liberty of booking Heavenly Abode to host a welcoming banquet for them!"

"Oh? Third Young Master Chen, are you trying to drive us all out?" A youth in a corner of the first floor, whose expression was equally arrogant, couldn't help but speak with a mocking tone.

"My friend, what are you saying!" Chen Xiao's face was solemn. He knew this youth had a significant background, but his expression remained unchanged. "As the saying goes, it is better to share joy with others than to enjoy it alone. Though I am dull-witted, I am not unreasonable. Today, I am hosting this banquet to welcome my brothers, but I have no intention of disturbing your pleasure. All expenses incurred by you, my respected seniors and uncles, will be covered entirely by me!"

After saying this, Chen Xiao ignored the crowd and walked toward the stairs to the second floor, followed by Bei Yu Xian and the others.

The manager at the counter, hearing Chen Xiao's words, simply rolled his eyes and fainted.

The atmosphere in Heavenly Abode stalled for a moment before becoming even more lively. Heavenly Abode was a high-end establishment; although most of the guests had deep backgrounds, they couldn't always spend lavishly to satisfy their appetites.

Now that someone was footing the bill, who would be polite? Some even began to shout that the rumors didn't match the facts—how could the City Lord's Mansion's Third Young Master be a wastrel? He was clearly a righteous and generous young man of ambition. Though his cultivation was a bit weak, he was still a decent fellow.

Furthermore, Chen Xiao's words were very skillful. He wasn't here to give charity; he was merely holding a banquet for his brothers, and everyone else just happened to be here. Could they really refuse to let someone celebrate their friends' cultivation breakthroughs?

"In that case, we shall accept your kindness!" the arrogant youth from earlier laughed heartily.

As for the members of the Nangong Family present, they suffered in silence. This wasn't him treating anyone; he was clearly using their flowers to offer a Buddha. He took all the credit for the generosity, but in the end, wasn't it the Nangong Family's Heavenly Mystery Stones that were paying for the meal?

When had anyone ever seen Chen Xiao pay for a meal?

Cultivators lived as they pleased, and since Chen Xiao was paying, they certainly wouldn't be polite. It was likely that this single meal would be enough to eat Heavenly Abode into bankruptcy.