Chapter 3: Shuntian City

Inside the restaurant.

"Esteemed guest, I truly apologize. This old man has no idea how to help you. The Starry Sky Altar involves space, with distances spanning near and far. Once separated, finding each other again is exceedingly difficult, and there are hardly any reliable methods," the elderly manager of the restaurant said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

Zhou Hao closed his eyes and opened them again, letting out a soft sigh. Then, forcing a smile, he said, "It's fine. Sorry to have troubled you, manager. These spirit crystals are still yours."

With that, he pushed the white silk pouch on the table forward, signaling the waiter and the manager to accept it.

"You are truly righteous, guest!" The manager cupped his hands in respect.

"Thank you, guest! Thank you, guest!" The waiter carefully took the pouch and, offering apologetic nods alongside the manager, bowed and retreated.

Beside Zhou Hao, the turtle turned a blind eye to the affairs of the world, wholly engrossed in reading the menu. Its small, dark eyes stared intently at the diverse and exquisite delicacies listed, drool pooling on the floor.

At this moment, its clumsy little paws moved like flying brushes, frantically checking boxes. It looked as though this gluttonous turtle was aiming to order the entire Manchu Han Imperial Feast!

The restaurant was bustling with voices and packed to capacity. Emboldened by the wine, the patrons spoke with increasing volume, sharing their thoughts freely and holding nothing back.

"It is truly lively over at the Gongchen Bridge outside. Xie Yi, the ninth young master of the Xie family, has taken a fancy to a young girl. Though quite young, she is genuinely a rare and stunning beauty. The young master of the Xie family tried to flirt with her and wanted to take her back as his concubine. Heh, who would have guessed that the girl would punch him straight into the river!" A lean, sinewy man who had just walked in from outside picked up a jar of wine, took a gulp, and eagerly recounted the "news."

"Pfft, it's that dog of a young master from the Xie family again. I've heard of his glorious deeds at least eight or ten times this month. Every single time it's harassing decent folk, truly living up to the title of a dog-young-master—a dog simply cannot break its habit of eating shit," a plain-looking young man sneered with disdain.

"Hahahaha..." As soon as he finished speaking, the entire table burst into roaring laughter, leaning back and forth as they chimed in that the young master's nickname was well-deserved.

"I say, you young folks shouldn't be too reckless either. That Xie family is one of the three top aristocratic powerhouses in Shuntian City. If you truly provoke them to anger, you won't even know how you died when the time comes," an elderly man chimed in with a cautionary note.

"That's true. You have to look at the owner before beating a dog, let alone when the owner is an iron wall. Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore. Everyone shut your mouths, drink up, drink up, it's all in the wine!" The patrons nodded, dropped the subject of the Xie family, and raised their cups to drink heartily.

Over at Zhou Hao's table, the turtle was still ordering dishes.

"Can you possibly finish eating so much?" The azure snake coiled on her chair, watching the turtle frantically check off dishes, and couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

"Are you kidding? I seriously suspect you are insulting my stomach. Who do you think I am? Even the mythical glutton Taotie couldn't outeat me!" The turtle shot the azure snake a sideways glance.

"Eat, eat, eat! May you eat until you burst!" The azure snake curled her lips in disdain.

The turtle couldn't be bothered to argue with her and continued frantically checking boxes, determined to order the full imperial feast.

"You guys go ahead and order. I'm going out for a walk by myself and will be back soon!" Without Huohuo by his side, Zhou Hao felt as though something was missing. His mind was filled with her image everywhere, impossible to shake off.

"Go on, go on, go clear your head. Dinner will be served shortly," the turtle waved a flipper at Zhou Hao without lifting its head.

"That's right, Zhou Hao. Going out for a stroll is good for you. We'll continue searching for an expert tomorrow to ask for a solution; we will definitely find Huohuo," the azure snake added.

Zhou Hao nodded and walked toward the restaurant doors, instantly greeted by a cacophony of chaotic sounds, one overlapping another endlessly.

Among these sounds, the loudest came from the left-hand side. He vaguely caught a familiar voice arguing with someone—not because the voice was particularly booming; on the contrary, that area was mostly quiet, with a large crowd gathered but little background noise, consisting only of a dialogue between the sources of the commotion.

"Little wench, how dare you use fire to burn me, the dignified young master of the Xie family! Today, you needn't dream of leaving alive!" The youth in lavish robes was now charred from head to toe like charcoal, bearing no resemblance to the jade-ornamented young master he had appeared to be shortly before.

He had just been fished out of the river by his servants, his embroidered brocade robes soaked through and completely blackened. As he spoke, his exposed white teeth stood out strikingly.

"You deserved it." The young woman in red extended a slender, delicate finger, nonchalantly twirling a strand of crimson hair.

"What are you all standing around for? Go get her!" The young master of the Xie family gritted his teeth, issuing orders to the guards and servants around him, while he himself had to be supported by two servants just to stand upright.

The six guards shouted their assent in unison. Then, the six of them swung their arms and threw punches, instantly conjuring six millstone-sized fist imprints in mid-air that hurtled straight toward the young woman in red.

"Young master, should we charge in as well?" Beside the young master in lavish robes, one of the servants supporting his right arm suddenly posed a question.

Right after that, the servant saw the young master widen his eyes and stare right at him, the corners of his mouth twitching violently.

"Young master, what... what is wrong with you?" The servant swallowed hard and asked.

"I want to kill you!" the young master of the Xie family said.

Zhou Hao looked toward the left in disbelief. The gaze of his Immortal Eyes pierced through the crowd and instantly locked onto that slender crimson figure.

"Huohuo!" His mind and mouth shouted the name simultaneously.

*Whoosh!* The next second, Zhou Hao vanished from the spot, turning into a streak of golden light that rushed toward the Gongchen Bridge at near-light speed.

At that moment, the six millstone-sized fist imprints had already smashed down toward the space directly above the head of the young woman in red. The latter remained entirely unfazed, and her void-teleportation technique was about to activate.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

However, a streak of golden light pierced right through the fist imprints before they could land. Six thunderous explosions echoed consecutively in the air, causing the onlookers to cover their ears in unison.

The golden light landed right in front of the young woman in red, gradually revealing Zhou Hao's face. The young woman's eyes lit up instantly—she was startled and delighted, angry and aggrieved all at once. In that fleeting moment of complex emotions, a thousand words ultimately condensed into a single utterance.

"Zhou Hao!" The young woman parted her lips and softly whispered the name she had lost count of calling.

"Huohuo, I've finally found you!" Zhou Hao's handsome face bloomed with a joyful smile, as radiant and gentle as the sun.

***

Huohuo's face, which had remained cold and distant for so long, thawed in that single instant, blooming once again with an innocent and adorable smile. She lunged directly into Zhou Hao's embrace, and he opened his arms wide at the same exact moment.

"I'm sorry!" They spoke in unison, this pair of novice lovers wishing only to dissolve all grievances and melt into love at that moment.

"Are you six fools out of your minds from eating dog food? Go on, attack! Take down this pair of lovebirds for me!" Not far away, Xie Yi, blackened all over, flashed a row of white teeth and roared viciously.

The six guards exchanged glances and struck again, attacking from six directions. Zhou Hao and Huohuo were surrounded in the center.

"Just teach them a lesson, don't kill anyone," Huohuo reminded Zhou Hao.

Zhou Hao nodded, then raised both arms high and clenched his fists. A Qilin's roar echoed from within his arms as they turned a dazzling, brilliant gold.

The six guards also condensed their vital energy, preparing to unleash their ultimate strike. With a unified roar, they charged forward together. Punching out with six fists, they caused the earth to tremble violently and the air to shriek with sonic booms.

Zhou Hao also swung his arms in counterattack, his golden arms clashing directly against the six fists of the guards. A majestic, rumbling pressure swept forth, overwhelming the void. In an instant, cracks fractured the surface of the stone arch bridge, spreading from the center all the way to both ends, terrifying the crowd of onlookers into scattering from the Gongchen Bridge like refugees fleeing for their lives. Several people didn't manage to escape in time and were blasted right off the bridge into the river below.

The Gongchen Bridge had effectively become a battlefield between Zhou Hao, Huohuo, and the Xie family.

*Boom!*

The six guards dropped their arms limply, their bones broken and shattered by the golden arms. This was a supreme technique Zhou Hao had evolved after observing Nangong Xun execute the Golden Qilin Arm through his Golden Pupils, boasting a brute force that was utterly fierce and tyrannical.

Pressing his advantage, Zhou Hao unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks upon these six guards with broken arms. No matter how the six of them tried to resist, it was all in vain. They felt as though Zhou Hao, this Golden Immortal, operated on an entirely different dimensional plane of energy than them, exerting an overwhelming suppression against which they possessed zero capacity to fight back.

Thus, after receiving a thorough beating from Zhou Hao, the six guards were tossed off the bridge like dumplings dropped into a pot, plunging into the river.

"Alright, your turn!" Zhou Hao shifted his gaze to Xie Yi, whose facial expression had grown visibly nervous, and walked toward him step by step.

"Don't... don't think you're all that just because you beat a few servants! If you have the guts, wait for me to summon my tenth brother, Xie Strong. He's no ordinary Golden Immortal; he will beat you into pulp!" Xie Yi blustered, putting up a bold front despite his inner cowardice.

"Beat me into pulp? Me?" Zhou Hao acted as though he had heard something immensely comical. His piercing gaze locked onto the young nobleman whose legs were trembling; under that stare, the latter felt a creeping chill crawl deep into his bones.

"Achoo!" Zhou Hao suddenly sneezed, stretched lazily, and shifted his gaze away from Xie Yi to turn back toward Huohuo.

"Fine, I'll wait for you. Right here, one hour from now. Bring your tenth brother over as much as you like; I'd love to see precisely who beats who into pulp!" Leaving those words behind, Zhou Hao interlaced his fingers with Huohuo's and walked down the bridge.

Watching the leisurely, strolling backs of the man and woman, Xie Yi felt his teeth itch with rage, but a second later, a smile crept onto his face as he thought to himself: *Such an arrogant wild brat. In Shuntian City, my Xie family covers the sky with one hand. For a mere Golden Immortal to be so full of himself—tonight, I will make sure to ruin you completely.*

Shortly after, Xie Yi fled the scene supported by two guards, completely ignoring his other six lackeys still stranded in the river. His sole focus now was on revenge, and his hatred for Zhou Hao and Huohuo had penetrated deep into his bones!

***

Immortal Guest Restaurant.

As Zhou Hao and Huohuo walked in, the patrons cast strange, probing glances their way. A man's reputation precedes him; clearly, the battle on the bridge just moments ago had etched this seemingly unremarkable, handsome youth into everyone's memory.

To effortlessly defeat six Golden Immortals single-handedly—such a feat was likely something only those otherworldly geniuses continuously pouring into Shuntian City these days could pull off, right?

Who was this youth? Where did he come from? What sect or school was his master from?

Everyone harbored doubts, but none dared to approach rashly. Who knew if this harmless-looking youth might suddenly fly into a murderous rage without warning?

The turtle and the azure snake waved at Huohuo, equally delighted to see the exquisite and adorable Fairy Huohuo once again. Zhou Hao and Huohuo exchanged smiles and walked over to the turtle's table.

"Wow, is this really a Manchu Han Imperial Feast with a hundred and eight dishes?! It's too extravagant!" Zhou Hao's appetite was instantly stimulated upon seeing the delicacies that occupied a full four tables.

"What is a Manchu Han Imperial Feast?" Huohuo asked, bewildered.

"It's a concept from our mortal realm—a grand imperial banquet dating back to the Qing dynasty in the mortal world. It embodies both the characteristics of imperial court cuisine and the essence of regional flavors, highlighting the unique culinary styles of the Manchu and Han peoples. Barbecues, hotpots, and shabu-shabus are practically indispensable parts of it. At the same time, it showcases the culinary techniques of the Han people, encompassing stewing, deep-frying, stir-frying, quick-frying, and braising. It truly is the crown jewel and highest realm of Chinese culinary culture. Originally, the Manchu Han Imperial Feast was a joint banquet prepared by Manchus and Hans during imperial banquets in the Qing court. Such a feast typically featured at least one hundred and eight dishes—fifty-four southern dishes and fifty-four northern dishes—spread across three days of dining. The dishes included both savory and sweet, meat and vegetarian options, boasting a wide array of ingredients utilized with meticulous precision, encompassing rare delicacies from mountain and sea. It symbolized harmony between Manchus and Hans, as one family! Later on, the phrase 'Manchu Han Imperial Feast' expanded in meaning to metaphorically denote an abundant, exquisite feast with a vast variety of dishes," Zhou Hao explained slowly.

"So that's how it is. I imagine a genuine Manchu Han Imperial Feast must be incomparably delicious; I really want to taste it," Huohuo said after hearing Zhou Hao's description, feeling as though her heart were being clawed by an eager monkey, filled with an intense longing to taste the real thing.

"That stuff is just excessive; honestly, it's nothing special. Back in the day, I ate it every single day until I got sick of it," Zhou Hao grumbled.

"Other people say the grapes are sour because they can't reach them; you only say grapes are sour because you ate so many you threw up," Huohuo shot Zhou Hao a sidelong glance.

"Alright, alright. As long as you like it, I'll definitely take you down to the mortal realm to eat a real Manchu Han Imperial Feast. We'll eat it for three days and three nights, just to see if you, little foodie, burst from fullness!" Zhou Hao chuckled, using his index finger to lightly flick Huohuo's upturned nose.

"Pinky swear!" Huohuo extended her little pinky finger.

"A pinky swear it is." Zhou Hao burst into a chuckle, slightly charmed by Huohuo's innocent childishness, and extended his own little pinky as well.

The two pinky fingers hooked together on the table, their hands twisting together until their thumbs pressed against each other.

"Pinky swear, hang by a thread, for a hundred years not to—"

"Hey, hey, hey! Why only a hundred years? That's way too short, no, no, change it, change it," Huohuo interrupted Zhou Hao hastily.

"Then how about ten thousand years?" Zhou Hao tested the waters.

"Ten thousand years still isn't very long... Let me think... Then... how about one hundred million years?! Yes, exactly one hundred million years." Huohuo rolled her eyes before finalizing her decision.

"Alright, whatever you say, little troublemaker." Seeing how exceptionally serious Huohuo was about making a promise, Zhou Hao grew all the more certain of how deeply she loved him.

"You're the little troublemaker, your whole family is a little troublemaker," Huohuo huffed playfully.

"Pinky swear, hang by a thread, one hundred million years, no backing down!" Zhou Hao and Huohuo made their shared vow together.

"No backing down, okay? Whoever backs down is a little puppy, a mangy dog!" Huohuo warned.

The turtle cast a glance at these two sickeningly sweet individuals, looking utterly disgusted as it muttered, "Love between kids, so utterly childish."

"You're the childish one! All you know is eating, eating, and eating! This is called romance. You dead turtle have no appreciation for romance and don't understand it, hmph!" The azure snake looked at the affectionate scene between Zhou Hao and Huohuo, then glanced at the hopeless turtle. Comparing the two, her anger flared even higher.

"Sorry, my romance is eating. The most romantic thing I can imagine is eating your way through life until we grow old together," the turtle hummed triumphantly.

"Fine, you win!" The azure snake was successfully amused by the turtle and voluntarily joined the "dining army."

Following that, the two humans and two beasts transformed into emotionless eating machines!

Amidst the swirling wind scattering the clouds, plates and platters were left in utter devastation.

Amidst the ravenous devouring, only cold leftovers remained.

Amidst the whale-like gulping and bull-like drinking, pitchers and cups hit absolute bottom.

This meal was exceptionally satisfying. For the first time, all four of them threw caution to the wind and ate with all their might, with the result... they all stuffed themselves to the brim.

Well-fed and thoroughly drunk, the four of them staggered out of the restaurant. Pedestrians on the street stepped aside respectfully. Zhou Hao shook his head, circulated his internal dharma power, and instantly adjusted his physique back to its peak state.

Huohuo, the turtle, and the azure snake followed Zhou Hao's example, adjusting themselves in succession.

"Brat, the hour is up! My tenth brother, Xie Strong, is here. You are going to be beaten into pulp by him!" On the Gongchen Bridge, Xie Yi had changed into a dark black robe. Standing tall with an imposing air, he caught sight of Zhou Hao and Huohuo stepping out of the Immortal Guest Restaurant and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, terrified that the latter might escape.

"You don't need to shout so loudly, my ears aren't bad," Zhou Hao replied in high spirits, his voice ringing out clearly.

"A moment from now, I will beat you until your ears are ruined!" A chilling voice seemed to permeate every pore, carrying over from the figure standing atop the bridge.

Zhou Hao peered through his Immortal Eyes and spotted another figure dressed in dark black robes, standing with hands clasped behind his back atop the head of a stone lion on the bridge. He possessed a medium, slightly plump build, a face as flawless and white as polished jade, and an aura that was steady, restrained, and unreleased.

"Such brazen arrogance!" Holding Huohuo's hand, Zhou Hao transformed into a streak of golden light and descended instantly upon the Gongchen Bridge.

Xie Strong cast a piercing gaze at Zhou Hao and Huohuo right before him. The instant he caught sight of Huohuo's exquisite and peerless fairy countenance, his eyes lit up and his pupils momentarily dilated.

"What a gorgeous girl!" Xie Strong praised inwardly.

"I can give you a chance," Xie Strong suddenly said, looking at Zhou Hao.

"What chance?" Zhou Hao asked, puzzled.

"As long as you hand this girl over to me, I can spare your life," Xie Strong said calmly.

Zhou Hao's gaze instantly darkened, black lines crisscrossing his forehead. He said coldly, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Huohuo bit her cherry lips with her pearly teeth, glaring at Xie Strong with fierce indignation. She didn't say a single word, knowing that doing so would be utterly meaningless and only invite a shameless retort from the other party.

"Unwilling? Then I suppose there's no help for it. I'll just have to take her by force—kill you first, then snatch her away," Xie Strong sneered.

"Tenth brother, kill this wild brat and avenge me!" Xie Yi yelled from the side.

"Rest assured, I will beat him into pulp!" Xie Strong nodded, filled with unbridled conceit.

The corners of Zhou Hao's mouth curved into a smile as he muttered softly, "I'm waiting."

*Boom!*

Zhou Hao struck first, executing a direct, horizontal palm-thrust forward. The wind of his palm was fierce and matchless, causing the space to resonate with a series of sharp, whistling shrieks.

Xie Strong tapped the tip of his foot and soared upward, leaving the head of the stone lion. Then, leaning his upper body backward, he slammed his right foot down with ferocious might, aiming to crush Zhou Hao's right palm beneath his heel.

Zhou Hao remained completely unruffled. He spun his right hand in a circle in mid-air, clenched it into a fist, and punched upward with fierce momentum to meet Xie Strong's descending foot.

The void trembled, and ripples of energy radiated outward in all directions. A fist against a foot formed a stance of mutual pressure and counter-pressure, seemingly locking them in a dead-even match.

"Interesting. I underestimated you," Xie Strong remarked.

Zhou Hao had no desire to waste another word. He simply wanted to beat this pretentious young man into pulp and see how the latter picked up the pieces of his shattered, blinding self-confidence.

"Great Radiant Sun Palm!"

He chanted inwardly, transforming his right fist back into a palm. At the center of his palm, a miniature sun spun unceasingly.

A massive golden palm imprint manifested into reality. Xie Strong instantly shifted his offensive stance as well, retracting his right foot and stepping down with explosive power from his left. A colossal pitch-black footprint materialized simultaneously, imbued with terrifying, destructive might.

"I shall use this Immortal-Shattering Foot to trample and extinguish your golden body!"

In the night sky, the golden palm imprint erupted with boundless light, surging upward like a dazzling sun. Meanwhile, the pitch-black footprint plunged downward like a deep abyss, swallowing all brilliance in its path.

Victory and defeat hung entirely upon this reversal of forces!