Chapter 93: All Acquaintances, Dining Together

Upon hearing Shopkeeper Liu say the other party had really ordered the entire menu, Yu Shaoqing was completely dumbfounded.

Just who was in the Heaven No. 1 Room? Who else could possess this kind of financial power? The Pure Yang Sect? But the three Pure Yang Sect disciples were right behind him as his invited guests. The Mysterious Yin Sect? Those three disciples were also behind him. The Immortal Dao Merchant Association? Ling Ruoxue had already agreed to meet him and said she would arrive shortly. Just who could it be?

Yu Shaoqing racked his brains, yet he still could not fathom who else might have the wealth to order the entire menu in one go.

“Could it be the Tianyuan Sect? Or perhaps Tianyi City?”

Yu Shaoqing considered every possibility, narrowing it down to these two forces. He had originally intended to invite the Tianyuan Sect, but their Sect Leader stated the disciples were away. As for the representative from Tianyi City, their reputation left much to be desired, so he had chosen not to approach them.

Even so, he failed to see the point of spending such a staggering sum of Spirit Stones on a single meal.

“Young Master Yu, weren’t we going to eat? Why are we standing here?”

Ascending to the fifth floor, Ling Ruoxue noticed everyone gathered in the corridor and asked with mild curiosity.

Yu Shaoqing had originally planned to invite the three participating disciples of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association, but Ling Ruoxue had informed him they were occupied and unavailable. Settling for the next best option, Yu Shaoqing had invited Ling Ruoxue instead, and she accepted out of courtesy to avoid flatly rebuffing him.

After attending to some routine matters, Ling Ruoxue had hurried over, only to find the entire group stalled in the hallway, prompting her question.

“Ah, Miss Ling, you’re here. It’s nothing. We’ll be ready in a moment.”

Seeing that Ling Ruoxue had appeared, Yu Shaoqing had no choice but to brace himself and press forward.

“I’ll pay for Room One, Shopkeeper Liu. Go tell them to give up the room.”

There was no backing out now. To save face, he would pay the hundred and eighteen thousand.

“Well, Young City Lord, I still have to ask the guest. Since you’re paying his bill, I imagine he’ll agree. Please wait a moment.”

Shopkeeper Liu found himself caught in an impossible dilemma. He had not anticipated that the Young City Lord would genuinely offer to pay, and now he had to smooth things over with Qin Xiao, as he could afford to offend neither party.

“Let’s see who thinks he’s so important that he can pay my bill for me!”

Before Shopkeeper Liu could come in, Qin Xiao opened the door and came out. He had heard everything: the room’s soundproofing was not activated. He was annoyed too. Give up his room? What a joke.

“Qin Xiao?”

“Qin Xiao?”

“Qin Xiao?”

Three voices rang out in unison at the sight of Qin Xiao emerging from the room.

The speakers were none other than Ling Ruoxue, Cang Xing, and Su Lin.

“Oh, it’s you! What a coincidence, meeting over a meal. Come on in.” You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.

Recognizing familiar faces, Qin Xiao immediately set aside his irritation.

“You are?”

Yu Shaoqing had not paid attention to Qin Xiao. The Tianyuan Sect was far away, and he only knew of Lin Shimeng and Yao Kaidong. He had been in seclusion for several months and only come out for the contest, so his news was out of date.

“Brother Yu, let me introduce Qin Xiao from the Tianyuan Sect, one of its competitors this time. Brother Qin, this is Yu Shaoqing, City Lord Yu’s only son.”

Cang Xing stepped forward to introduce them when he saw they did not know each other.

“Oh, a Tianyuan Sect disciple. Good! I went to find you earlier, but Sect Leader Lin said you’d gone out. Since we’ve met here, let’s eat together. It’s still my treat.”

Yu Shaoqing was usually arrogant and overbearing, but with so many forces here for the contest, he was keeping a lower profile these days. He mainly wanted to make friends.

“That’s kind of you, Young City Lord, but I’ve already ordered. How could I let you pay? It’s my treat. There’s more than enough for everyone. Come in.”

Qin Xiao refused Yu Shaoqing’s offer. He wanted food to take away too. Ten entire menus would cost over a million spirit stones, perhaps more than the Young City Lord could bear. Better to pay himself.

“Enough being polite, Young Master Yu. Trust me. Let him pay. He’s rich.”

Seeing the two men exchanging polite refusals, Ling Ruoxue intervened, advising Yu Shaoqing not to insist before walking straight into the private room.

“If Miss Ling says so, I won’t refuse.”

Yu Shaoqing had initially intended to press the matter, but yielded once Ling Ruoxue gave her word.

The eleven people now gathered represented five forces—the same five that had won entry to Spirit Medicine Valley in past contests.

After introductions, Qin Xiao knew his opponents. The quiet one was Gong Yuankui, Pure Yang Sect’s new leading disciple. The young man who looked a little like Cang Xing was his younger brother, Cang Chen. Su Lin and the two beautiful sisters were from Mysterious Yin Sect. The elder sister was Luo Yunbing, the younger Luo Yunshuang.

After asking, Qin Xiao learned that all six disciples from the two sects had Heavenly Spirit Roots. He coveted them. If he could take all six as disciples, he would be set!

“Brother Qin, why are you looking at us like that?”

Cang Xing found the way Qin Xiao was looking at them rather strange and asked.

“Oh, nothing. It’s my first time seeing so many Heavenly Spirit Root geniuses together. I’m a little envious.”

Qin Xiao realized he had let himself get carried away and hurried to explain.

“By the way, forgive me for asking, but have any of you thought of changing masters?”

Even as the words left his mouth, Qin Xiao wondered what compelled him to ask, yet he found himself unable to resist.

“Qin Xiao, that’s a bit too much to ask! Who asks people that?”

Ling Ruoxue was left entirely speechless by his audacity.

“Oh, it’s just a joke. Something to talk about.” Read this novel at nоvelping.com for the best experience.

Qin Xiao knew he had gone too far.

“Oh? Trying to lure me over to the Tianyuan Sect, little brother?”

Luo Yunshuang asked flirtatiously.

“Little Sister, don’t be rude.”

Luo Yunbing immediately checked her sister’s behavior.

The twins had completely different personalities: the elder cold and quiet, the younger lively and flirtatious. And both had such chilly names, too.

Qin Xiao silently considered the twins.

“Haha, my Junior Sister likes to joke. Don’t take offense, Brother Qin.”

Noticing the sudden awkwardness, Su Lin hastened to smooth things over.

“Not at all. I like this Senior Sister’s personality.”

Qin Xiao laughed it off.

“Master, aren’t you being too greedy? You already have us. You still want more disciples?”

Yun Man remarked with evident dissatisfaction.

“Exactly, Master. What do you mean? Have you decided we’re not good enough?”

Lin Shimeng chimed in quickly.

“What? What is happening here?”

The others were baffled. They had thought the three were fellow disciples. Lin Shimeng was the Sect Leader’s daughter and a little older than Qin Xiao. But from the way she spoke, she was his disciple?

They could understand Yun Man being Qin Xiao’s disciple: she was younger. But why did Lin Shimeng call him Master too?

Of the others present, only Ling Ruoxue knew about this relationship. Everyone else found it hard to believe.

“Qin Xiao, what on earth is going on? Are both of them truly your disciples?”

Cang Xing asked with unconcealed astonishment.

With the conversation already at this point, Qin Xiao spoke openly.

“All right, you know now. No more pretending. I’ll put my cards on the table: both are my disciples, and the three of us will compete this time.”