Run Away, Buy Roasted Chicken!

Hearing Centurion Zhao's words, the others all nodded.

After a night of fierce battle, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

The group arrived at the City Lord's Mansion. City Lord Zhou led them through the corridors to a side hall on the eastern side of the residence.

An Eight Immortals table had long been set up inside, the dishes upon it steaming hot.

Four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, along with an unopened jar of wine.

Seeing this, a hint of surprise appeared on Song Yunzi's weary face. "City Lord Zhou, this..."

City Lord Zhou smiled. "Last night, you esteemed experts rid the city's people of demons. Though Zhou is of little strength, I still know how to fulfill the duties of a host."

"I had the cooks wait in the kitchen from the start. No matter when you returned, there would always be a hot meal and hot dishes."

Wang Lang nodded faintly.

It was hard to say whether City Lord Zhou was any good at being an official, but he certainly handled matters thoughtfully.

Everyone truly was hungry, so they each took their seats.

Centurion Zhao poured wine for everyone, then raised his own cup first.

"If not for you all last night, Qinglin City would have suffered a great calamity. On behalf of the city's people, Zhao offers you all a toast!"

Everyone raised their cups in return.

The wine was ordinary rice wine, mellow rather than strong, perfect for easing their fatigue.

After several cups, the atmosphere relaxed somewhat.

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

"To speak frankly, this old Daoist had intended to contribute his share, but never expected to encounter three Second-Order Demons."

"If Young Master Wang's cultivation had not been so profound, the few of us might have left our lives there last night."

Cultivators might be stronger than ordinary people, but they also understood the perils of life and death better than anyone.

Master Huineng pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. Daoist Brother Song is entirely correct."

"Though those three Second-Order Demons have been eliminated, if there truly is a force behind them, then it is indeed beyond the reach of people like us."

Jiang Wan had been silently eating all along. At this moment, she lifted her head and said softly,

"This demon calamity has been temporarily settled. I still have matters to attend to in Central Province, so I will leave Yuan Province today."

Song Yunzi and Master Huineng exchanged a glance, then both stated that they too had urgent matters to handle and intended to leave Yuan Province.

Their words were brief, but the meaning was clear.

They were all Rogue Cultivators, without sect or school, and had no foundation in Yuan Province.

Having acted once already meant they had done all that duty and humanity required. There was no need to drag themselves into an even deeper whirlpool.

If that Dharma Protector behind the scenes bore a grudge, the three of them might not be the primary targets, but who could say demons would act according to reason?

Centurion Zhao's expression turned grave as he nodded.

"You are right. I will report this matter in detail to the prefect and ask the provincial authorities to decide."

"You have already done more than enough for Yuan Province. Zhou is deeply grateful."

He rose to his feet and cupped his hands in thanks once more.

He had originally wanted everyone to pool their wisdom and sort out some clues,

but he had never expected all three of them to be thinking of running away. Still, he did not blame Master Huineng and the others.

Wang Lang quietly ate his food. He felt no contempt for their decision; instead, he thought this was what it meant to have a clear-eyed grasp of reality.

The cultivation road was long, and one only had one life. It was easy for hot blood to rush to one's head, but hard to stay alive.

He thought of the old man back home, the old fellow who always had "seeing injustice on the road" and "acting chivalrously for righteousness" on his lips.

If not for that overly chivalrous heart, he would not have gotten himself killed.

As he was thinking, City Lord Zhou took several banknotes from his sleeve and handed them out with a smile.

"Last night was all thanks to you esteemed experts. Though silver is worldly, it can at least serve as a small token of my gratitude."

Five hundred taels for each person.

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 banknotes, looked at them, then looked toward Wang Lang. After hesitating for a moment, he actually pushed the banknotes over.

"Young Master Wang, last night we relied entirely on you to turn the tide. This money... this old Daoist is ashamed to accept it."

Seeing this, Master Huineng and Jiang Wan made the same gesture.

Wang Lang froze for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. Everyone contributed last night. This is what you deserve."

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

Seeing how firm his attitude was, the three of them finally gave up.

"Then... this old Daoist will shamelessly accept it."

"Benefactor, your righteousness is admirable."

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

After sitting a while longer, everyone took their leave one after another.

Wang Lang was the last to leave.

City Lord Zhou personally saw him to the mansion gates and thanked him profusely again.

Centurion Zhao also needed to go to the provincial office to make a report, so he traveled with Wang Lang for a stretch.

"Young Master Wang, take extra care on your way back to Listening Waves Mountain Manor."

"Though the demons retreated last night, the matter may not yet be over. I serve in the government, so I do not fear such ghostly tricks,"

"but you are a cultivator living alone in the wilderness. In the end, you must not let down your guard."

Wang Lang inclined his head. "Thank you for the reminder, Centurion Zhao."

The two parted ways at a street corner.

Wang Lang stood on the morning street, watching the city gradually awaken, his heart tranquil.

He did not care all that much what force lay behind this incident.

So long as his own strength was sufficient, whatever force it was, he could simply smash it with one punch.

With that thought, he touched the banknotes in his robes.

Five hundred taels was not much to him, after all. He hardly spent money these days.

Better to take it from City Lord Zhou and use it for the people.

Wang Lang took a turn around the city and finally stopped before Zhang's Roasted Chicken Shop.

The shop had only just opened. The proprietor was a plump middle-aged man, currently moving the door panels.

"Good morning, sir! The roasted chicken will need another half hour. The fire has only just been lit." The proprietor smiled.

"No matter. I'll wait."

After saying that, Wang Lang sat down on a long bench outside the shop.

There had been such a huge commotion near the City Lord's Mansion last night that, by today, those with sharp ears had already learned that several experts had slain demons.

Because of this, the morning streets gradually became lively as well.

Vegetable sellers, water carriers, and townsfolk hurrying to the morning market passed back and forth.

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

The golden, glistening chickens steamed with heat, their fragrance assailing the nostrils.

Wang Lang ordered five.

As the proprietor wrapped them up, he asked with a smile, "Sir, are you holding a feast?"

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

The proprietor assumed he meant children and laughed. "Then they should be eaten while hot. Once they cool down, the flavor won't be as good."

Wang Lang nodded and paid.

Then he visited several other famous food shops in the city.

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

He bought quite a lot of everything, until his hands were full to the brim.

Passing a bookstore, he paused, then went in and picked out several newly published storybooks.

There were too many things to carry comfortably.

After some thought, Wang Lang simply hired a carriage.

The carriage yard was in the west of the city. Its manager was a lean old man who frowned upon hearing that Wang Lang wanted to go to Listening Waves Mountain Manor.

"Thirty li is no short distance."

"Ten taels of silver. Are you going or not?"

The old man's eyes lit up. An ordinary trip of thirty li would earn at most two taels of silver.

Ten taels was enough to cover three days of revenue for his carriage yard.

"Going! Of course we're going!" The old man hurriedly called over a young driver.

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

The driver named Erhu looked to be in his early twenties, honest and simple-looking. He helped Wang Lang carry the large and small bundles onto the carriage.

Seeing so much food, he could not help swallowing, but he did not ask any questions.