"Dad! Dad! Look, braised pork! Braised pork!" Scholar Lv, with a lion's head meatball stuffed in his mouth, stared fixedly at the plate being served.
The plate of glossy braised pork had barely been set down before six or seven pairs of chopsticks shot toward it. By the time they pulled back, not even a scrap of the preserved vegetables underneath was left.
"Look at you all, eating like a bunch of starved ghosts! Slow down, will you? Anyone seeing this would think the Lv Family has no manners!"
"Dad, forget about manners. We never got food this good even during New Year's. And look at that chunk of fatty meat on your chopsticks—you're not eating any less than us," his youngest son teased, earning a smack on the head with a pair of chopsticks.
Seeing his younger brother get hit, Lv Elevated Man swallowed his food and came to his defense. "Dad, just let everyone eat. We went through hell last night to earn this meal."
As soon as he said this, everyone wolfing down their food paused, their eyes flashing with the relief of having survived a near-death experience.
Last night had been truly terrifying. While the expert fought the monster down below, they were on stage singing, so scared they nearly peed their pants.
Then, they all instinctively looked toward the front of the house, at Li Huowang, who was gazing at the sky, lost in thought.
A hint of reverence crept into everyone's eyes. If this master hadn't been there last night, none of them would be eating this meal right now.
This Daoist Master might be young, with not even a mustache on his lips, but he was definitely no ordinary person.
However, just as another servant brought out a dish, their attention was immediately diverted.
"Hey! There's chicken! Look! A roasted chicken!" A dozen chopsticks hovered above the round table, twitching like the tongues of hungry snakes.
Just as the chopsticks were about to tear the chicken apart, an old, well-worn tobacco pipe slammed down in front of it. "Stop right there! Nobody touches this chicken! Wait until I invite the Daoist Master to eat with us."
"Dad, don't bother. Taoists don't eat meat. You'll be asking the Daoist Master to break his vows."
"Bullshit! That's monks who don't eat meat! I'm telling you right now, if I come back and this chicken is missing even a sliver of skin, you'll see how I'll deal with you!"
Top Scholar Lv shot his most restless son a fierce glare, wiped the grease from his mouth with his hand, smeared it under the edge of the table, and then turned to walk toward Li Huowang.
"Daoist Master?" Top Scholar Lv called out, his wrinkled face crinkling into an eager smile. "Daoist Master?"
"Daoist Master, you've been busy all night. How about you come eat with us? Look, all the dishes the Hu Family served are hearty and rich."
Lost in thought, Li Huowang turned to look at him. After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "Band Leader Lv, you saw those spirit tablets all fall over together, didn't you? That scene wasn't my Huan Jue, was it?"
"Oh dear, Daoist Master, how would I know? Without your abilities, I wouldn't dare look around! This old man was on stage singing with my eyes squeezed shut the whole time."
Li Huowang let out a soft sigh. He again recalled the voice in his ear. It had been faint, but it was unmistakably the voice of his master, Danyang. In two worlds, only Master Danyang ever called him "my child."
Logically, hearing his master's voice again should have made him extremely nervous. Instead, Li Huowang was lost in confusion, because he couldn't even trust himself.
I'm insane, the really bad kind. If I didn't eat the Black Taisui and my illness is flaring up, then hearing a small auditory hallucination is perfectly normal.
But those spirit tablets falling all at once, and the God of Happiness who appeared and then vanished... None of that makes any sense either. Could it be...
Li Huowang's expression turned grim as he recalled the bizarre changes to Master Danyang's body before he died. Could it be that he really... became an immortal?!
No! Master Danyang couldn't have become an immortal. The so-called Immortality Cultivation Technique and the inner core he consumed... I just made all that up! How could something I fabricated on the spot help someone become an immortal? Unless... what he became wasn't an immortal at all!
But if he's not an immortal, then what in the world is he now? And why is he haunting me? A look of fierce irritation crossed Li Huowang's face.
"Daoist Master? What are you thinking about? We're all on the same side now. If you have any troubles, just say the word."
Top Scholar Lv's words pulled Li Huowang back to reality. He took a deep breath and made a decision. Real or not, there's not much I can do right now. First, I'll go to the so-called Western Capital City and check out the Buddhist Temple that Band Leader Lv mentioned. If it's real, maybe they'll know something. I still know far too little about this world.
"It's nothing, Band Leader Lv. I was just thinking about some trivial matters. Let's go eat."
Hearing Li Huowang agree, Top Scholar Lv beamed and nodded repeatedly. The two of them turned and walked toward the dining table inside.
When he reached the table, Top Scholar Lv's expression froze. He saw that, aside from the roasted chicken, every other dish on the table had been licked clean—so clean you wouldn't even need to wash the plates.
"Ah, that was so satisfying! I bet even the Emperor himself doesn't have it this good," Scholar Lv said, leaning back lazily in his chair and loosening his waistband. His mouth was still glistening with grease.
Top Scholar Lv gave Li Huowang an embarrassed smile. He couldn't lose his temper in front of an outsider, so he just picked up the roasted chicken with both hands and placed it in front of Li Huowang. "Daoist Master, this chicken is nice and plump. My apologies for this unsightly mess."
Li Huowang smiled, picked up his chopsticks, tore off a piece of chicken, and put it in his mouth. "It's alright. The chicken is delicious, too."
He had only taken a few bites when a group of people walked into the room through the long corridor. Leading them was Top Scholar Lv's employer, Hu Jianghe.
"Excellent, excellent! The ancestors were clearly very satisfied. The incense and candles on the altar were eaten clean. This is a good sign!"
Hearing his client's praise, Top Scholar Lv beamed and replied humbly, "It's only right, it's only right. It is simply an old man's duty."
"Band Leader Lv, the next time you're passing through, you must come visit our Hu Family for tea," Hu Jianghe said politely.
As he spoke, a burly man beside Hu Qinghe stepped forward, holding a tray covered by a red cloth. He lifted the cloth, revealing ten shining silver sycees lined up neatly.
"As promised, ten taels of silver. Please, take it."
"Oh, thank you, Master Hu, for your generosity! And don't you worry, Master Hu. In the future, if you have work for us, just send word. No matter where we are, Lv's Troupe will get here as fast as we can."
After Master Hu left, the Lv Family gathered around the tray, their eyes fixed on the silver sycees, practically drooling.
Just as Scholar Lv reached out to touch the most money he had ever seen in his life, his hand was slapped away by an old tobacco pipe.
Top Scholar Lv first took four silver sycees from the tray and stuffed them into his pocket. He stared at the remaining six, his eyes showing a strong reluctance to part with them.
But in the end, he forced a smile back onto his face, carried the silver over to Li Huowang, who was still eating, and said,
"Hehe, here you go, Daoist Master. Just as we agreed—six for you, four for me. This is your share."