Sea-Hued Grand Feast

That evening, Su Ming checked into the most luxurious hotel in Cloud Joy City.

The suite was spacious, with a view overlooking the river, where the city lights stretched along the riverbank.

For the entire day, Qiluo served as both a mascot and a food shredder.

However, Silver Moon Forest provided all the necessary supplies and personnel. Qiluo's trip was essentially just a formality, a way to show up and confirm their stance.

When a country has qualified leaders, not only do its own people benefit, but its partners also benefit as well.

As soon as dinner after the meeting ended, Qiluo took off running.

Su Ming reacted quickly and handed Younier to her.

The reason was perfectly valid. "Let's take Younier around and explore Cloud Joy City."

The real reason, of course, was that Su Ming was afraid that Qiluo would cause trouble if no one was watching her.

Although Qiluo pouted in dissatisfaction, she still brought Younier along.

After finishing his meal, Su Ming returned to his room and didn't idle around.

He remotely handled a batch of affairs in the First Sunrise Republic via satellite connection and also connected with Zijin via video. Therefore, when City Lord Leimeng Keli sent someone to invite him to the "Seafood Dinner," Su Ming directly refused.

"President, this is just an excuse to discuss something," Ainuobia reminded her.

"One-seventh of the land of the Sea Clearing Kingdom."

Su Ming stared at his girlfriend on the screen, too lazy to even lift his head.

"Xialike will handle this."

After Ainuobia closed the door and left, Zijin's tone on the other end of the video call immediately became cloying.

"I miss you!"

The girl, resting her face on her hands, lay face down on the bed and spoke to the camera.

Her long hair was spread out on the pillow, and she suddenly lost some of her scholarly rationality, gaining more of the affection that only lovers have.

"We just separated, didn't we?" Su Ming replied.

"But we've only met for a day."

Zijin's tone was full of resentment. "And she's always busy with this and that, we haven't had a proper chance to spend time together."

"I finally had a little free time after the big event ended today, and then you left again."

Su Ming sighed.

"Yeah, if this keeps up, forget about turning your girlfriend into your wife."

"They might just end up becoming work buddies."

Zijin smiled radiantly, "You know that's good!"

She turned over, clutching her pillow, and looked out the window behind Su Ming through the camera lens.

Unlike other cities in Taya, Cloud Joy City is ablaze with lights after nightfall. Taverns, hotels, theaters, shops, and high-rise buildings with suggestive signs line the streets, while cruise ships glide across the river that flows through the city.

In other places, only in the city of First Sunrise, which has installed electric lights, can one see a similar night view.

"Cloud Joy a famously bustling city," Zijin said playfully. "Don't you ever think about going out for a stroll?"

Before Su Ming could answer, Zijin narrowed her eyes and added a sentence.

"I remember someone once bought me a cat ear outfit." Su Ming suddenly remembered this; it was the outfit he bought in Green Thorn Port goblin port.

"Those seem to still be at the Ruby Base." Su Ming stroked his chin. "We'll have to bring them back next time we go."

"What?" Zijin immediately became alert.

What do you think?

Su Ming's smile was malicious.

"A half-cat is nowhere near as cute as my Zijin."

"Hmph~~"

Zijin snorted, but the corners of her eyes curved into a smile.

****

The two chatted casually.

Zijin calculated the distance and suddenly realized that Cloud Joy City and Corona City were actually not too far apart.

She lay on her back on the bed, holding a tablet in both hands. "Your meeting is over; you can come back here tonight."

Su Ming was indeed somewhat tempted. But soon, he sighed and declined.

"It's really not a good time to leave now; I just brought the Star Sand Guard over."

Zijin was slightly taken aback.

"What? You're going to attack Sea Clearing Kingdom?"

"No." Su Ming shook his head.

"I was merely at the invitation of the Sea Clearing Kingdom to help quell the 'internal strife'."

He briefly recounted the situation between Leimeng Keli, the city lord of Cloud Joy City, and the young king.

After hearing Zijin, Zijin frowned slightly.

"So it's Leimeng Keli who wants your support to usurp the throne?"

"Almost."

"Although this task was assigned to Xialike, the Star Sand Guard was still brought in just in case."

Su Ming looked out the window.

"The Sea Clearing Kingdom has a powerful navy; we cannot afford to cause any trouble."

Zijin felt a pang of sympathy.

"These messy things are much more troublesome than research."

"There's no other way," Su Ming said. "Research, at the very least, requires logic."

"Politics is not a topic for discussion."

Zijin thought for a moment and said, "Then you should go to sleep early."

"If things get out of control later, you might not be able to sleep again."

Su Ming glanced out the window, then looked at the Zijin in the video.

"Okay, you should go to bed early too."

"Hmm." The call ended, and the room fell silent again.

****

Cloud Joy City showed no sign of falling asleep.

The streets were bustling with people, a mix of orc waiters, noble tourists, and merchants from all over the world.

At an open-air bar, Hansite was drinking with a group of patrons he had just met.

This place is closer to the equator and the ocean than Corona City, so the temperature is much more pleasant.

The table was covered with empty wine glasses, and the night breeze carried the smells of alcohol and barbecue. Inside the bar, musicians were playing upbeat tunes.

"What's so special about the Sea-Hued Grand Feast '?"

Hansite patted his chest, his face beaming with pride.

"I touched the breast of the Heavenly Father of the Gospel!"

The other patrons immediately displayed expressions of amazement that perfectly matched their reactions.

"Homage to the Warrior!" "Homage to the Heavenly Father of the Gospel!"

"Homage to the great chest!"

A story told at a dinner table is a success as long as the audience is willing to cheer it on.

****

As night deepened, Hansite left the bar. He was a little unsteady on his feet, but his spirits were high.

After walking a few steps, Hansite arrived near the Sea-Hued Grand Feast.

This is the most famous service venue in Cloud Joy City, and it's also the spot he decided to personally experience.

The whole street here exudes a kind of frivolous prosperity. At the entrance, scantily clad hostesses stand, flower petals and perfume scatter in the wind, and patterns of waves and fish tails are outlined on the walls with alchemical lamps.

Hansite felt in his pocket; inside was a ring engraved with "Hardening Spell" and "Endurance Spell".

This was seized by Su Ming from Bennyfinn, a local nobleman he had killed in the Northern Lands.

After Hansite arrived, he was never able to use it even once.

Today is it! Hansite took a deep breath and just took a step when something suddenly stepped on his trouser leg.

He stumbled forward and almost fell to the ground.

The scene was so familiar that Hansite's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned his head.

Sure enough, a unicorn was standing behind him.

Silvery-white fur, an unbelievably beautiful appearance, and eyes that clearly suggest she's thinking of skipping class.

On Qiluo's back Younier, who was already dizzy from being jostled around so much.

The poor girl clung tightly to Qiluo's mane, her face pale, her eyes filled with disbelief at the world.

Even when Zijin forcibly threw her onto the Frost Wolf Gallop, she wasn't jolted to this extent!

"It's perfect to run into you here!" Qiluo grinned, beaming with delight.

Hansite had a bad feeling. "Wait—"

With a flash of light, Qiluo returned to human form.

She deftly shoved Younier toward Hansite. "She's yours now. Take her around Cloud Joy City!"

"No, I still have--"

"Bye-bye!" Qiluo, with her short legs, rushed into a nearby clothing store.

The next moment, chaos erupted in the shop.

"Guest! Guest, you can't just say that—"

"Tail! The tail is caught!"

"Oops!"

A moment later, the curtain of the clothing store was suddenly lifted, Qiluo emerged again, now in her mature, older sister form.

Younier finally calmed down a bit and looked up.

"Hey! Stop using Queen Ghostly Flower's transformation all the time!" she said urgently.

Last time at the Ruby Base, Su Ming mistook Queen Ghostly Flower for Qiluo because of this, and even pulled her ponytail.

Although this was outrageous, compared to the subsequent mob attack on Queen Ghostly Flower by the necromancers of the Final Bone Mad Machines, this action, which should theoretically have sparked a national war, was nothing. Of course, if we're to blame for the later incident, it was the Pony wanted poster issued by Younier at the time.

Qiluo didn't care at all, and ran off, her voice carrying far away.

What does it have to do with anything?

"My mom uses mine all the time too!"

Before he could finish speaking, he had already disappeared around the street corner.

****

Hansite and Younier, left behind, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Not far away, the sign for the Sea-Hued Grand Feast was shimmering with a soft glow. Hansite glanced at the sign, then at Younier.

He simply couldn't bear to give up like this.

"Um... I've heard that the food at ' Sea-Hued Grand Feast ' is really good."

Hansite tentatively suggested, "Shall I take you there to get something to eat?"

Younier wasn't on guard at all. She patted her stomach, which was quite full, and said, "I'm fine!"

The two quickly arrived at the door.

It's currently the off-season for tourism, and the staff at the Sea-Hued Grand Feast immediately came to greet us.

With a courteous attitude and a warm smile, yet maintaining appropriate boundaries, she exuded professionalism.

They showed no disdain for Hansite's casual attire, nor did they neglect Younier because of her young age and innocent demeanor. Instead, they respectfully led the two into a lavishly decorated private room.

The private room was carpeted with soft carpet, and the table was made of a single polished seashell. The lighting was not glaring, but rather subtly inviting.

The staff began skillfully introducing the restaurant's specialties: grilled clams with sea flames, sashimi with silver scales, shrimp tower with ice crystals, and special fruit drinks with Cloud Joy- like flavors. The names were fancy, and the prices were outrageous.

But Hansite could afford it. He casually ordered a few dishes and drinks, intending to settle Younier there and then find a chance to leave.

He didn't come here to eat!

The door to the private room was quickly pushed open, and a row of handsome men and beautiful women walked in and stood in a line against the wall.

Orcs, trolls, Naga, gnomes... there are all sorts of races.

Their clothes were made of little fabric and were very form-fitting, clearly displaying the physical characteristics of their different races. Skin color, scales, fur, tails, pointed ears, and claws made them particularly striking. Younier's eyes widened little by little.

A handsome troll smiled and lifted his vest, revealing a perfectly defined twelve-pack.

The puppy-like orc next to her placed its paws on either side of its face, winked at Younier, and flicked its fluffy tail.

Even though Younier had no experience, she knew what she was doing.

Her face flushed red instantly.

"Hansite!" Younier turned around in shame and anger, "How could you bring me to a place like this!"

Hansite quickly stood up and pulled a large group of people outside.

"No, no, no, this young lady is just here to eat!"

"Let's change rooms!"

But Younier wouldn't allow it.

"I don't want to eat here!" Not only did she want to leave, but she also grabbed Hansite's sleeve and dragged him out.

The scene became chaotic for a moment. Just then, another waiter led a customer past.

The three of them looked at each other and recognized Qiluo, whom they had just parted ways with.

Hansite and Younier looked at Qiluo.

Qiluo was also looking at them.

The same message was conveyed in the eyes of all three: You're actually this kind of person/beast?

"Wait!"

Younier was so angry that she jumped up.

"Hansite, that disrespectful old man, is one thing!"

She pointed at Qiluo and said incredulously:

"You're a pure white unicorn!"

Hansite was also shocked.

"I consider myself a part-time bard, so it's only natural for me to frequent places of pleasure." "Why would you come to a place like this?"

He suddenly realized, "Has this place introduced some new food?"

Qiluo was immediately furious, "Is my only impression on you that I can eat?!"

Hansite and Younier both fell silent.

Qiluo choked, her chest heaving.

"I'm at least a painting student."

She stood with her hands on her hips and said confidently:

Do you know what the most difficult thing is for an artist who covers a wide range of subjects?

Younier and Hansite exchanged a glance, confirming that they were both amateurs.

"It's alignment!"

Qiluo spoke with absolute certainty, clearly having been troubled by this matter for a long time.

"The anatomy of different races varies greatly." "When you begin drawing the torso, you need to know where the neck, waist, and hips are!"

"You can't have planned out the whole embrace, the kiss on the lips, only to find that certain crucial parts don't align!"

"Then we had to adjust the body proportions, and if we weren't careful, the composition of the shots would become distorted."

"This will drive artists crazy!"

Hansite glanced at the large group of flamboyantly dressed "service personnel" of different races beside him and had to admit that there was indeed no other place more suitable for studying this kind of "painting technique."

Qiluo put her arm around Hansite's shoulder, and with her other hand pulled Younier along, pushing the two of them back.

"Stop arguing, let's do it together."

Hansite's expression changed.

"Wait, I have important business to attend to tonight--"

Hansite tried to break free, but Qiluo pushed him relentlessly all the way back into the private room. She plowed the group of people that Hansite had just led out, along with the carpet beneath their feet, all back into the room.

The young masters and princesses staggered backward, falling one after another.

The already limited amount of fabric was lifted up in the chaos, revealing even more structural details. Qiluo's eyes almost lit up; this was all art material!

She clapped her hands, pulled out a drawing board from somewhere, and quickly set it up.

"Don't move!"

"Keep in that position!"

"Yes, it's you. Turn your tail a little to the left!"

"Mr. Troll, tighten your abs!"

"You half-orc puppy, give me that flirty look again!"

After saying that, Qiluo excitedly added:

"A bucket of drinks, please."

"Put all the blame on Mr. Hansite!"

****

Later that evening, Su Ming was woken up by a phone call. His first thought was that something had gone wrong on Xialike's end.

The result was that Qiluo, the unicorn, had tears in her eyes.

"Su Ming, save me."

Su Ming paused for a moment.

What did you do now?

"No!"

Qiluo felt extremely wronged.

"I just draw."

"Then they said I was disrupting business operations, and that the bills were too high, so they told me to sell myself to pay off the debts."

Very well, let the princess of Silver Moon Forest sell herself to pay off her debts.

Su Ming rubbed his temples.

He wasn't sure what had happened, but according to satellite positioning, Qiluo's location wasn't far from his hotel. So Su Ming changed into his coat, gathered his guards, and flew directly over.

Upon arriving nearby, Su Ming discovered that his destination was actually the Sea-Hued Grand Feast.

The building was extremely conspicuous in the night, its exterior walls adorned with gilded light strips, and elegantly dressed greeters at the entrance.

Su Ming was about to step inside when Ruixiuli quickly grabbed him.

"Hey! Do you know where this is?"

Su Ming glanced at him.

"I understand. I'm going in to take care of some business. Is there a problem?"

Ruixiuli's expression was complicated. "What if the Bay Owl finds out..."

Su Ming was somewhat confused, "She's not unreasonable."

After saying that, he continued walking inside.

Ruixiuli and the guards had no choice but to hurry and catch up. "I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about this building!"

"... Is it really necessary?" Su Ming asked, puzzled. "Don't you think about it?" Ruixiuli scoffed, "What happened to all the buildings that Bay Owl set its sights on?"