I Just Love Meddling
The person who spoke had bronze skin, most of which was exposed. Instead of the corpse puppet that everyone in this world had, he carried a sharp longsword on his back.
The long sword exuded Sha Qi, sending chills down one's spine at first glance.
This is clearly not a local from the Hidden Nether Realm; they are probably from another minor world who have come here seeking fortuitous opportunity.
Those who dare to open inns in the Cultivation World naturally have powerful backers; it's just that most business people prefer to minimize trouble and let things slide.
At the customer's repeated calls, the waiter finally arrived with a forced smile, "Oh, what's wrong, sir? Is there anything wrong with the food that doesn't suit your taste? I'll have the kitchen make something new for you right away."
The man sneered and poured the contents of his bowl onto the table. The strange, bluish-black paste clumped up in odd shapes on the table.
"Is this what you call food? Are you putting this out here to feed pigs?!" As soon as the man said this, many guests in the hall turned their heads to look at him with hostility, but he himself was unaware of the malice in the room.
This behavior was actually quite offensive; if it were a less-tempered shopkeeper, he probably would have started a fight with the male cultivator on the spot.
But the waiter, not wanting to cause trouble, still explained with a bitter face, even though he was quite unhappy, "Please don't be angry, sir. It's just that our Hidden Nether Realm doesn't have many resources, so the food here is like this."
This is a powder made from algae and Spirit Plant. Although the algae doesn't look very appealing, it tastes quite good. The main reason is that the Spiritual Qi in the algae is clean and abundant. For cultivators who use Yin Qi as their cultivation method, algae mud is already considered a top-quality product.
Yin Qi is, after all, something connected to corpses and demons. Too much contact with it will inevitably cause some damage to the human body. If they were nourished by pure Spiritual Qi, it could make their bodies, which feel as if they have been soaking in ice water all year round, feel comfortable.
Therefore, the people of the Hidden Nether Realm are very protective of these spiritual algae, as they are the cheapest and most precious food they can access.
But this delicious food was turned into "pig swill" by that man! Naturally, everyone present couldn't stand it.
"You Hidden Nether Realm eat this kind of stuff? Tsk tsk, no wonder you're all wrapped in black robes, looking like you're too ashamed to show your faces. You must have eaten something weird, which is why you have these strange things on your faces?" This time, it wasn't the burly man who spoke, but a pretty girl sitting at the same table as him.
The female cultivator was pretty and seemed to have a lively personality, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she silenced most of the people present.
At this moment, everyone realized that these two had come to deliberately cause trouble!
The waiter narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly, and even his gaze towards the two people at the table turned hostile.
The two outsiders became increasingly brazen, and the waiter was about to say something when someone spoke up before he could:
"You two are being a bit biased. You've never even tasted this spiritual algae, have you? Actually, it tastes quite good."
A somewhat unfamiliar face came into view. He was holding a bowl of dark, mushy food and eating it with relish.
Surprisingly, what seemed like ordinary spiritual algae to Sang Ying, an outsider, actually looked rather tempting to the young male cultivator.
"The Spiritual Qi in here is abundant, much easier than absorbing it yourself. This is a real treasure! The shopkeeper just casually brings it out to sell, and at such a low price. They must be doing a good deed!" The boy's eyes were a little round, and perhaps because he was still young, he looked somewhat simple-minded.
His words were exactly what the waiter wanted to hear. "You're too kind, Immortal Lord. Spirit algae isn't anything particularly valuable in our Hidden Nether Realm; this price is already enough to break even. If you like it, I can offer you another plate."
Upon hearing this, the boy immediately nodded in agreement, as if afraid the other party might change their mind.
His attire was completely out of place in the Hidden Nether Realm, clearly indicating he came from outside. However, the young man's words and actions contrasted sharply with the previous two, making those in the hall feel a sense of satisfaction.
"This kid is interesting, but he's so openly going against the other two; I'm afraid they won't let him off easily," Sang Ying couldn't help but remark upon seeing this.
Gu Shu did not answer, but instead scrutinized the boy's appearance more carefully, not even missing the sword on his table.
Sure enough, no sooner had Sang Ying finished speaking than the two men confronted the young man, "Hey, where did this punk come from? He hasn't even reached the Golden Core yet, and he dares to spout nonsense in front of grandpa?!"
The female cultivator sneered, "Young brother, you're probably quite young and haven't eaten much good food, so you can swallow even this pig swill without hesitation. But we, as knowledgeable cultivators from another world, can't stomach a single drop."
These words both praised the cultivators of other minor worlds and belittled the Hidden Nether Realm. It seemed that these two were determined to set the Hidden Nether Realm against the other minor worlds.
The boy puffed out his cheeks, seemingly quite dissatisfied with what he had been told.
He was about to argue with the two when a clear and pleasant voice suddenly rang out. "Shopkeeper, I'd also like to try this spiritual seaweed dish. Could you please bring me a serving?"
Looking over, everyone successfully spotted the third group of otherworldly cultivators that morning.
The female cultivator was completely different from the one who had spoken rudely before. She had a cold demeanor, yet gave people a kind feeling, making people feel affection for her as soon as they saw her.
When asked this question, the waiter immediately came to his senses, responded a few times, and quickly and efficiently brought over what Sang Ying had requested.
Sang Ying took a bite and indeed tasted a refreshing fragrance.
After slowly swallowing what was in her mouth, Sang Ying said, "This spiritual algae tastes really good. It's our good fortune to be able to eat something so delicious in the Hidden Nether Realm."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the other two immediately changed.
"Hey! Fellow Daoist, we are truly kindred spirits!" The young man who had spoken earlier cheered at this moment, as if he had found a like-minded companion.
Sang Ying nodded at him with a strange expression, then turned her gaze to the two troublemakers. "The previous fellow Daoist wasn't Golden Core cultivator enough to be qualified to comment, so am I, Golden Core cultivator who has traveled through several small worlds, qualified to comment?"
"Heh, fellow cultivator, do you really have to meddle in this mess?" the female cultivator asked coldly.
Sang Ying was not intimidated by her threat at all. "I guess I'm just a busybody."
As she said this, Sang Ying secretly glanced at the young man.
Her rude behavior naturally angered the two cultivators. The male cultivator, with his quick temper, almost attacked Sang Ying on the spot. In the end, the female cultivator stopped him in time, and the two casually tossed down a few Spirit Stone before hurriedly leaving.
Before leaving, they both took a deep look at Sang Ying and the other woman, as if trying to remember their faces.
Seeing this, Sang Ying returned their smiles.
Gu Shu excitedly shouted in her mind, "Don't worry, I've seen that boy very clearly. He's definitely young Gu Wangchuan! Just look at how Gu Wangchuan lived to ascend to immortality; you can tell these two aren't very capable and can't threaten you!"
Sang Ying remained silent, but when she looked at the boy again, a complex emotion appeared in her eyes.
Gu Wangchuan, the Sword Master Gu Wangchuan?
Upon seeing the young man's youthful face, Sang Ying suddenly realized that her fantasies about this Sword Master had been completely shattered.