"What are you talking about? It's not your fault, you helped us plenty!!" Zou Yi hurriedly said as he skipped over the table to hold their hands with Zou Liqin already beating him to it.
"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be alive today like when you used that precious herb to help Yi when he was sick or the numerous times you gave us shelter and support.
It's because of you being there that we started looking forward to living each day. It was because of you and the rest of the customers that the days seemed bearable.
We can never repay you all for the gift you gave us but you saved us more than you know. For that, I thank you grandpa Wang, grandma Wang," Zou Liqin tearfully said as she tightly held their hands.
"There's no need to beat yourselves up besides we were stubbornly stupid and prideful to have accepted your help then even if you offered," Zou Yi added with a foolish grin.
"It's true you are pretty stupid Zhi Da, unlike Luoran'er. If it wasn't for her you'd be rotting in the city lord dungeons," grandma Wang teasingly said as she used a bit of her cultivation to destroy the tears that were about to fall.
"It seems you two hid something too, Yi'er," said Grandpa Wang as he noted the slip-up when Zou Liqin was talking earlier.
"Well, we have a few things to share," Zou Yi awkwardly laughed as he scratched the back of his head.
Yang Qing didn't interrupt them as he went about finishing up his meals with relish before they went cold. As for the kneeling blood fiend cultivator at the side, he was conveniently forgotten. If it wasn't for his incessant trembling one wouldn't even have known he was there.
After a couple of minutes, the Zou siblings had already filled in the old couple about their past.
"You've been through too much," Grandpa Wang sighed as he gently patted their heads.
"Master Yang Qing you can rest assured we will handle the black viper and the Mo family too. The Mo family has gotten too arrogant. Just because they have a palace realm expert they think they have the same authority as the royal family.
These old bones of mine have been itching for a fight for some time now," Grandpa Wang viciously said as a thick killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"After this, we can be true restaurant owners," added grandma Wang with an equally cold malevolent look.
"I actually enjoy working in the restaurant more than I thought I would," grandpa Wang said as he chuckled.
The moment they acted they would essentially be blowing their covers in Purple city. After hearing about the two siblings' past they would regret it if they didn't do anything at all for the sake of doing their duties.
They had tacitly decided to throw all caution to the wind.
When Yang Qing asked if they would suffer any backlash from their employers they smugly answered that they had a lot of merit points and deep connections, with one of them being one of the palace realm experts of the empire. The worst punishment they would get was getting an earful of how negligent and reckless their actions were and nothing more.
They had even decided they would retire after and become true restaurant owners and it would no longer just be a cover.
The Zou siblings congratulated them as Zou Liqin threw pointing pleading looks at Yang Qing.
"There is also another matter I would like to discuss with you." Yang Qing decided to make the offer before Zou Liqin snapped her neck with her not-so-subtle pointing.
"What is it, master Yang Qing?"
"Once I'm done here I will be leaving in a few minutes and the Zou siblings will be leaving with me.
With their ties to the Zou family and the inherent dangers it may bring, it's safer for them to be as far away from the Zou clan as much as possible.
Even if we assume the clan may not necessarily pay them any attention the same cannot be said of the Zou clan's enemies who would have no qualms about harming or using them for their own gains.
Leaving is the safest option and a fresh start would not be a bad thing for them. However, they would like you both to come with them. I would too, your food is good and I know it would be just as appreciated where I'm from," Yang Qing calmly said.
"So you're leaving huh? I think it's a smart decision," grandpa Wang said with a sad expression as Grandma Wang echoed his sentiments.
Based on their past experience and the entanglements of these big organizations they knew how messy it could get and the thin rope the two siblings were currently walking on.
Even though they had essentially escaped the Zou clan territory they had not run that far. The five clover kingdom that bordered the Red maple empire was a subordinate kingdom of the Zou clan and they had numerous spies spread about in the Red maple empire, especially in an important place such as the Purple city.
Even with their connections, they knew it would be hard to ensure the kids' safety.
"Where will you be taking them?" asked grandma Wang.
"To the Order," Yang Qing calmly said as he took the last bite of his last scallion pancake. In that brief moment the Zou siblings were sharing their past he had already cleared all the meals that were on his table.
He was currently dangerously eyeing the leftover blueberry cake the Zou siblings had left. The Zou siblings quickly reacted as they split the remaining piece between themselves and downed it with the ginkgo tea.
Tsk.
Yang clicked in disappointment.
The old couple in the meanwhile had blanked out with their eyes wide open and they were not alone in this as the kneeling blood fiend cultivator had stopped shivering and was still like a frozen corpse.
"So what do you say? Do you want to come with us?" Yang Qing asked the dumbfounded couple.
Their reactions were more exaggerated than the siblings' because the higher your horizons were the more you know. With the experience from their past occupation, they intimately knew how fearsome the Order was as opposed to two kids who based their perception from bard tales.
It was a different case to those who had actually seen them work and it was never a glory tale half the time especially if you were the one in wrong. Individual, clan, kingdom, empire, sect, rogue cultivator it didn't matter what group you fell under, as long as the gaze of the Order fell on you, their massive hammer was sure to find you.
It was only benevolent if you were the aggrieved party but if you were on the other side then it was an all-engulfing flame that was ruthless, unforgiving, and unyielding.