Chapter Eighteen: Time to Digest

“How fragrant!”
“It’s coming from the kitchen!”
“It really does smell amazing. It must be the Twin Phoenix Tail…”
“I think so too. I remember the eldest prince ordered it last time, and it had exactly this aroma!”
…
Soon, a rich, tantalizing scent wafted throughout the Imperial Capital Grand Restaurant. Many knowledgeable diners at once recognized the origin of the fragrance, even pinpointing the exact dish being prepared.

Li Fusheng sat in the very center of the main hall. When he caught a whiff of that aroma, a look of astonishment crossed his face.

“There’s spiritual energy drifting on the scent… Is this from a demon beast, or a domesticated spirit beast?” Li Fusheng murmured inwardly.

At that moment, Li Fusheng began to suspect he had overreached himself. Ordinary people could only appreciate the delicious smell, but as a cultivator, Li Fusheng could faintly sense a trace of spiritual energy hidden within it.

This only happened when the dish’s ingredients were taken from demon beasts or spirit beasts. More importantly, preparing such creatures required the skills of a cultivator!

And what cultivator would accept mundane gold or silver? They would only take spirit stones.

Whether demon beast or spirit beast, the cost was staggering. Even with a discount for using Wang Changsheng’s name, the meal would surely require a hefty sum of spirit stones. Li Fusheng had a sinking feeling that he had gone too far this time.

Noticing the envious gazes and exclamations around him, Li Fusheng waved his hand with bravado. “No matter! Wang Changsheng still owes me a hundred spirit stones. With interest and the discount, this meal is as good as free. A spirit beast feast for a hundred spirit stones—not a bad deal!”

“That’s the flavor of Celestial Dog Devours the Moon, I’m sure of it!”
“I’m not so sure. Perhaps it’s Triple Treasure Meat!”
“No, it’s definitely Celestial Dog Devours the Moon!”
…

Shortly after, another wave of intoxicating aroma swept through the air, even richer than before, making Li Fusheng’s anticipation grow.

“I’ve tasted my share of demon and spirit beasts, but never anything this fragrant,” Li Fusheng thought to himself. “Don’t let me down…”

Of course, the scent was one thing, but the taste was another. If it smelled heavenly but tasted terrible, he would have lost out; after all, he was prepared to forfeit those hundred spirit stones for this feast—a significant decision for him.

Soon, ten covered dishes were brought out in succession, their contents hidden from view.

Li Fusheng watched as the servers carefully unveiled each dish, his eyes shining with excitement.

Not only were Li Fusheng and the nearby patrons captivated, but even the servers—who had only glimpsed some of these rare dishes once before—were awestruck. There were even a few dishes that none of the staff had ever seen.

“Mandarin Duck Chicken… Celestial Dog… Triple Treasure Beast…”

Li Fusheng counted each dish as its lid was removed. He recognized most of the ingredients: some demon beasts, some spirit beasts. A few of the spirit beasts he had only ever seen, never tasted.

“This… this grand restaurant in the imperial capital… what is its true background? Some of these spirit beasts don’t even exist in the Heaven’s Ascent Realm—they can only be found in the Mirror of Heaven…” Li Fusheng’s mind was racing.

“And to think, just mentioning Wang Changsheng’s name earns a discount. Who is this Wang Changsheng, really? Could it be…” A sudden suspicion flashed through Li Fusheng’s mind.

This was the Yunfeng Empire, and Li Fusheng knew all too well what that meant. Not just Yunfeng, but he had inside knowledge of many imperial dynasties in Heaven’s Ascent Realm.

Since the Imperial Capital Grand Restaurant operated here in the heart of Yunfeng, it likely had deep ties to the empire; how else could it source so many rare spirit and demon beasts?

“Could Wang Changsheng be related to those women?” Li Fusheng wondered, then immediately dismissed the idea. “Impossible.”

“Sir, all your dishes have been served!” the server said, bowing obsequiously.

Anyone who could afford even one of these dishes was someone the staff could not afford to offend, let alone a guest who had ordered ten at once.

Gulp.

The sound of many people swallowing filled the hall as Li Fusheng snapped back to himself. All around, guests were turning away—not because they didn’t want to look, but because watching any longer was unbearable.

“You may go,” Li Fusheng told the server. “They look wonderful. I wonder how they taste!”

Glancing around once more, Li Fusheng finally began to eat.

The moment he took his first bite, his eyes widened in disbelief.

“Excellent. Truly excellent!”

The surrounding diners watched Li Fusheng with undisguised envy.

“If only I were him…”
“He ordered ten dishes for himself—what a waste!”
“Shameless. I can’t bear to watch. I’m leaving!”
…

Many guests could no longer endure the torment and promptly paid their bills and left.

After a period of ravenous feasting, Li Fusheng polished off all ten dishes, not leaving a single scrap.

He let out a contented burp.

“Sir, did you have your fill?” The server approached respectfully. “May I ask if you were satisfied with the dishes?”

“Very satisfied. Exceptionally so!” Li Fusheng replied contentedly. “Time to settle the bill.”

The server breathed a sigh of relief. Though Li Fusheng had only ordered ten dishes, they were enough to bankrupt several noble families. The server’s only worry had been that Li Fusheng would dine and dash.

If that happened, even selling Li Fusheng wouldn’t cover the debt!

“Please wait a moment, sir. I’ll fetch the manager.” The server disappeared and soon returned with a portly middle-aged man.

“Sir, may I speak with you in private?” The manager bowed respectfully.

Li Fusheng nodded and followed him into the restaurant’s rear garden.

“Sir, your total comes to three hundred and eight spirit stones. I’ll round it down to an even three hundred,” the manager said with deference.

“Mm.” Li Fusheng nodded. “A fair price. Many of these ingredients were sourced from the Mirror of Heaven. You couldn’t get a meal like this there at this price.”

The manager relaxed visibly. “It’s a humble business, sir. These dishes are rarely ordered—almost no one can afford them. Most of the time, they serve as a showpiece. We don’t expect to make much on them.”

After his explanation, the manager noticed that Li Fusheng had yet to produce any spirit stones and looked at him expectantly.

Li Fusheng understood the hint and smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t skip out on the bill. Call Wang Changsheng for me. He said I could use his name for a discount, and with what he owes me in spirit stones and interest, it should just about cover the cost.”

The manager’s face froze in surprise. “Wang Changsheng?”

“That’s right!” Li Fusheng grinned. “He told me himself—just mention his name here for a discount, and I can collect what he owes me as well.”

The manager thought for a while but couldn’t make sense of it. The key thing was, he had never heard of anyone named Wang Changsheng!

“Sir, are you sure you’re not mistaken?” the manager said with a wry smile. “I’ve never heard of Wang Changsheng.”

“And besides, we’re a small establishment. We’ve never offered discounts,” the manager continued. “Sir, perhaps you could settle the bill first, and afterward we can help you look for Wang Changsheng.”

“Hmm…” Li Fusheng nodded, but suddenly realized something was wrong. His voice turned sharp. “What? Settle the bill?”

“You’ve never heard of Wang Changsheng? No discounts?” His voice rose in disbelief.

Li Fusheng was no fool—in fact, he was quite sharp. Hearing the manager’s words, he immediately realized he’d been tricked by Wang Changsheng.

“Exactly, sir. Were you…” The manager ventured nervously, “Perhaps you’ve been swindled…”

“Wang Changsheng!!!”

Li Fusheng’s face twisted in fury, and his eyes blazed with anger. If Wang Changsheng were standing in front of him now, Li Fusheng might well have torn him apart.

The manager looked at Li Fusheng with sympathy.

Three hundred spirit stones was an astronomical sum for a cultivator in the Heaven’s Ascent Realm. The manager had heard Li Fusheng mention the Mirror of Heaven and guessed he must have come from there. If he’d left the Mirror for this realm, he probably hadn’t fared well there—three hundred spirit stones would be no trivial matter.

“Sir… about the bill…” the manager prompted.

“Hmph!” Li Fusheng’s expression turned fierce. “I don’t owe you anything! I, Li the Benevolent, have never eaten for free!”

With that, Li Fusheng leaped into the air, vanishing from sight in an instant.

The manager stared after his disappearing figure, instantly understanding Li Fusheng’s intentions.

He was trying to dine and dash!

But the manager was no cultivator—he couldn’t stop Li Fusheng and could only watch him flee.

Still, the manager wasn’t worried. Anyone daring to cater to cultivators had to have some means. Otherwise, any cultivator could simply eat and leave for free!

Moreover, the manager knew that several special guests were present today. With so many rare spirit beast dishes ordered, Li Fusheng had certainly attracted their notice, and with their status, there was no way he could escape.

“To think, the illustrious Young Master Li would stoop to dining and dashing!”

Li Fusheng hadn’t yet escaped the restaurant when a barely audible voice sounded in his ear.

“I—what the…”

Hearing that voice, Li Fusheng’s expression changed instantly.

He stopped in his tracks and, seeing a few figures appear, forced an embarrassed smile. “How could that be? I, Li the Benevolent, am not the sort to dine and dash! I just had a little too much and thought I’d move around to aid my digestion!”