Chapter 24 (2/2)
Xiao Chen nodded and smiled, saying, “Many thanks, elder.” He then took up the mini cauldron. The crowd was laughing at him, “A random sword is better than this. Are you stupid?”
At the noisiest moment, in walked a young man in white. He carried three big packages which suffused with the fragrance of herbs.
Elder Wu immediately raised his hand to gesture silence. He then smiled to the youth in white and said respectfully, “What’s the matter?”
The young man looked gloomy and said, “Where are Elder Liu and Elder Song? Why can’t I see them in this broad daylight?”
Elder Wu’s back was drenched with cold sweat. He smiled and said, “Uhh… Maybe… They…”
“Humph!” The young man threw the three packages to the desk and said, “Refine these medicinal materials this month. The elder of the Elixir Room needs them next month. Do it as quick as you can! Are you clear?”
Elder Wu’s face was full of bitterness. He said, “Uhh… Last month, we just had…”
“What?” The young man glared at him.
“Nothing. Rest assured, we’ll definitely refine these in this month.”
“Humph!” The young man swung his sleeve and scanned the crowd before he left on the sword.
After the man left, Elder Wu finally let out a sigh of relief. He shook his head while looking at the three big packages. The crowd dared not to say anything and left the room one after another.
“Well, you can go back now. Let’s call it a day. You have classes tomorrow, and everyone will have to attend.” Elder Wu waved his arm and said weakly.
At noon, Prince Zhao said, “I’m so hungry. Let’s go. The mess hall seemed to be open today.”
The disciples then walked to the mess hall of the Sunset Peak. The hall was clean and tidy inside, and the cooks were not bad. People were satisfied with this place. However, a few moments later…
“What? 20 taels of silver for a plate of shredded potato? Are you kidding me?”
“32 taels of silver for a dish of vegetables? Are you so poor that you even rob disciples?”
Looking at the swinging little wood plates that hung on the roof beam, the disciples felt desperate.
A cook smiled and said, “Nobody forced you to buy our meal. The vegetables on the Sunset Peak contained rich Spiritual Qi. You’ll live a longer life after having our meal.”
“Why don’t you say that we’ll directly become Immortals after having your meal?”
The disciples were still not buying it. The mess could not bully them just because they were Outer Disciples. Could they charge such an expensive price to those talented Inner Disciples?
At this point, three well-dressed people swaggered into the hall and said, “No money? How can you cultivate without money? I want Sliced Beef in Chili Oil, Braised Carp in Brown Sauce, Sauteed Shrimps, Steamed Chicken, and Fried Loquats with Noodles…”
The crowd in the hall stared agape at him. “Can you eat them all?”
“If I can’t eat all of them, I’ll just throw them away! The State of Zhao is vast in territory and rich in natural resources. We’re wealthy enough to do this.” He then whisked the lower hem of his robe and sat on the bench. However, before his buttocks touched the bench, he hurriedly stood up again, giggled and said, “Senior Brother Xiao, you sit first.”
A man nearby sneered and said, “With you as a prince, the people in the State of Zhao can hardly earn a living and then starved to death with corpses all over your land.”
“How dare you!” Prince Zhao slapped the table, and stood up again.
Xiao Chen coughed and knocked the table with chopsticks, saying, “He who doesn’t fight with the others will make no mistake. This is the first commandment of cultivating. Bear it in mind.”
“Hehe, Senior Brother is so right.”
A few moments later, the waiter brought up a plate of unknown things. Prince Zhao looked at it and asked, “Why are here only Fried Loquats? Where are the noodles?”
The waiter glanced at him and said, “Noodles? Nah, we don’t have noodles. The other food materials are not delivered yet either. We’ve only got this.” He then walked back.
“Ahem, you have a good meal. I’m going back now.”
After saying so, Xiao Chen left. Fortunately, when he returned to the courtyard, Lil Ruo had already prepared a full table of meals for him.
Xiao Chen asked in surprise, “Where did you get the pots, bowls, gourd ladle, and dishes?”
“He-he. I borrowed these from Elder Wu this morning.”
“All right.” Xiao Chen moved his chopsticks and thought, “Although Elder Wu looked tough, he is a nice person.” He then thought of the purple mini cauldron, took it out from his chest, and put it on the table. The sun happened to slant through the window, and a tiny stream of purple smoke suddenly rose from the mini cauldron.