Running Away, Buying Roasted Chicken!

Everyone nodded upon hearing Centurion Zhao's words.

After a night of fierce fighting, the sky was beginning to lighten.

They arrived at the City Lord's Mansion, where City Lord Zhou led them through corridors to a side hall on the east side of the residence.

An octagonal table was already set up in the hall, with steaming dishes laid out on it.

There were four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, along with a sealed jar of wine.

Song Yunzi looked at the spread, a hint of surprise on his weary face. "City Lord Zhou, this..."

City Lord Zhou smiled. "Last night, esteemed experts such as yourselves rid the city of demons. Though my abilities are limited, I know I must fulfill my duties as a host."

"I had the cook waiting in the kitchen, so no matter when you all returned, there would be hot food and drinks ready."

Wang Lang nodded slightly.

Whether City Lord Zhou was good at his job was debatable, but he certainly knew how to handle things.

Everyone was indeed hungry, so they took their seats.

Centurion Zhao poured wine for everyone and raised his cup first.

"Last night, if it weren't for all of you, Qinglin City would have faced a great catastrophe. On behalf of the citizens, I toast you all!"

Everyone raised their cups in response.

The wine was ordinary rice wine, warm and not too strong, perfect for relieving fatigue.

After a few cups, the atmosphere relaxed somewhat.

Song Yunzi picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and sighed.

"I'm ashamed to say, I intended to contribute, but I didn't expect to encounter three Second-Order Demons."

"If it weren't for Young Master Wang's profound cultivation, the rest of us might have perished last night."

Though cultivators were stronger than mortals, they understood the dangers of life and death the best.

Master Huineng clasped his hands together. "Amitabha. Daoist Brother Song Yun speaks the truth."

"Although those three Second-Order Demons have been eliminated, if there is a force behind them, it is truly beyond our ability to interfere."

Jiang Wan, who had been silently eating, looked up and said softly, "The demon scourge has been temporarily resolved. I have matters to attend to in Central Province and will be leaving Yuan Province today."

Song Yunzi and Master Huineng exchanged glances, and they too indicated that they had important matters to attend to and planned to leave Yuan Province.

Though their words were brief, their meaning was clear.

They were all rogue cultivators, without sects or factions, and had no roots in Yuan Province.

Their intervention was already more than enough; there was no need to involve themselves in a deeper whirlpool.

If the protector behind them held a grudge, even though the three of them weren't the primary targets, who could say whether demons acted rationally?

Centurion Zhao's expression turned solemn as he nodded. "You are right. I will report this matter in detail to the Prefect and request the provincial government to make a decision."

"You have already done more than enough for Yuan Province. I am deeply grateful."

He stood up and cupped his hands in thanks again.

He had hoped to gather everyone's wisdom to figure out some clues, but he hadn't expected all three to be planning their escape. However, he didn't blame Master Huineng and the others.

Wang Lang quietly ate his meal, feeling no contempt for their decision. Instead, he found it to be a clear-headed approach to life.

The path of cultivation was long, but life was singular. It was easy to be driven by passion, but difficult to survive.

He thought of his own master, the old man who always talked about helping those in need and acting righteously.

If not for that excessive sense of chivalry, he wouldn't have gotten himself into trouble.

As he was thinking, City Lord Zhou took out several silver notes from his sleeve and smiled as he distributed them to everyone. "Thanks to your esteemed help last night, these silver notes, though mundane, are a small token of my gratitude."

Each person received five hundred taels.

In a place like Yuan Province, five hundred taels was enough for a family of five to live comfortably for ten years.

Song Yunzi accepted the silver notes, looked at them, then at Wang Lang. After a moment of hesitation, he pushed the notes back. "Young Master Wang, you single-handedly turned the tide last night. This money... I feel unworthy to accept it."

Master Huineng and Jiang Wan followed suit, making the same gesture.

Wang Lang was taken aback, then shook his head. "No need. Everyone contributed last night; this is what you deserve."

Song Yunzi tried to refuse again, but Wang Lang declined once more.

Seeing his firm stance, the three relented.

"Then... I will shamelessly accept it."

"Thank you for your righteousness, Benefactor."

Jiang Wan merely gave Wang Lang a deep look and nodded.

After everyone sat for a while longer, they began to take their leave one by one.

Wang Lang was the last to go.

City Lord Zhou personally escorted him to the mansion's entrance and offered his thanks again.

Centurion Zhao also had to report to the provincial capital and traveled with Wang Lang for a stretch.

"Young Master Wang, please be extra careful on your way back to Listening Waves Mountain Manor."

"Although the demons retreated last night, the matter may not be over. I am in public service and do not fear these Netherling tricks,"

"But as a cultivator living alone in the wilderness, you should ultimately not be careless."

Wang Lang nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Centurion Zhao."

The two parted ways at the street corner.

Wang Lang stood on the street in the early morning, watching the gradually awakening city, his heart at peace.

He wasn't particularly concerned about what forces were behind this incident.

As long as his own strength was sufficient, he could break through any force with a single punch.

With this thought, he patted the silver notes in his pocket.

Five hundred taels wasn't much to him, as he didn't spend much nowadays.

He thought that perhaps this money, taken from City Lord Zhou, should be used for the people.

Wang Lang walked around the city, finally stopping in front of Zhang's Roasted Chicken Shop.

The shop had just opened. The shopkeeper, a chubby middle-aged man, was moving the door panel.

"Good morning, sir! The roasted chicken will be ready in about half an hour. We've just started the fire," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

"It's fine, I'll wait,"

Wang Lang said, and then sat down on the bench in front of the shop.

The commotion from the City Lord's Mansion last night had been so great that by today, those with keen information already knew that several experts had eliminated the demons.

The street in the early morning was thus gradually becoming lively.

People selling vegetables, carrying water, and heading to the morning market came and went.

Half an hour later, the first batch of roasted chickens came out of the oven.

The golden, oily roasted chickens steamed, their aroma filling the air.

Wang Lang ordered five.

As he was packing them, the shopkeeper asked with a smile, "Sir, are you hosting a banquet?"

"I'm taking them back for the little ones at home," Wang Lang replied.

The shopkeeper, thinking he meant children, smiled and said, "Then you must eat them while they're hot. They won't taste as good when they're cold."

Wang Lang nodded and paid.

Then, he went to several other famous food shops in the city.

Li's Braised Beef, Granny Wang's Osmanthus Cake, Xu Family Shop's Preserved Fruits, and the Eight Treasure Duck from the old shop on South Street.

He bought a lot of each, finally carrying many things in his hands.

He paused when he passed a bookstore and went in to pick out a few new storybooks.

There were too many things to carry comfortably.

Wang Lang thought for a moment and decided to hire a carriage.

The carriage service was in the west of the city. The manager was a lean old man. When he heard Wang Lang was going to Listening Waves Mountain Manor, he frowned.

"Thirty li is not a short distance."

"Ten taels of silver, will you go or not?"

The old man's eyes lit up. A normal trip of thirty li would cost at most two taels of silver.

Ten taels was enough for his carriage service to earn in three days.

"Yes! Of course, I'll go!" the old man quickly called out to a young driver.

"Erhu, take this customer to Listening Waves Mountain Manor. Be careful!"

The driver, named Erhu, looked to be in his early twenties, honest and sincere. He helped Wang Lang load all the bags and packages onto the carriage.

Seeing so much food, he couldn't help but swallow, but he didn't ask any further questions.