Chapter 194: The Cunning Merchant

“The Tuoba family is also a big family in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, and they control Qingzhou Holy City, making their strength far surpass that of the Feng family.” “The Feng family has been declining over the years, and this time, they wanted to use Feng Qingya to form an alliance with the Tuoba family to solidify their position in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Who would have thought that Feng Qingya would cause such a stir?”

“It’s no wonder that these young ladies are all spoiled to the core, never considering the consequences of their actions, and only doing as they please.”

“It’s not like anyone can blame her. This is just a perfect example of a good hand being played badly…”

The conversation about Feng Qingya was a hot topic, with almost everyone at the table having something to say.

In just a few sentences, Su Jingzhen and Xuening had already gained a thorough understanding of Feng Qingya’s situation.

Su Jingzhen couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her.

He could imagine how difficult it must have been for Feng Qingya after her father’s passing, with no one to rely on in the Feng family.

In a large clan, so-called relatives can be even colder than enemies.

In the cultivation world, many sects and clans advocate for ruthless competition, where only the strongest survive.

They don’t need to be gentle and harmonious; instead, they prioritize individual strength.

In this cruel competition, as long as one person stands out and reaches the Nascent Soul stage or higher, it’s enough to protect the entire clan for many years.

Feng Qingya’s exceptional beauty and talent made her a valuable asset for the clan, making her a perfect candidate for marriage alliances.

Most people’s fates are not in their own hands.

Feng Qingya’s decision to resist her fate is not wrong, but in the eyes of the Feng family, it’s considered a grave offense!

As Su Jingzhen glanced at Mu Lao, he saw a hint of sigh on the old man’s face.

Mu Lao had brought them here to let them understand Feng Qingya’s situation, to prepare them mentally.

This was also Feng Qingya’s intention.

She didn’t want to say these things herself, but through others, it was no big deal, and it even seemed more realistic.

After all, this wasn’t a secret to begin with.

“Miss Feng has had a tough journey so far,” Mu Lao said, looking at Su Jingzhen and the others.

Su Jingzhen and the others exchanged a glance, not saying much.

At this time, their dishes started arriving, and their table was soon filled with an assortment of delicious-looking dishes, each one a feast for the eyes, nose, and taste buds.

The aroma wafting from the dishes was already making Su Jingzhen and the others salivate.

“Thank you again, Master Mu, for your hospitality! We won’t be polite anymore!”

Su Jingzhen and Xuening nodded in agreement, thanking Mu Lao, and then began to eat with gusto.

While eating, Su Jingzhen didn’t forget to continue eavesdropping on the conversations of the other customers on the third floor.

They had gathered more information about Feng Qingya and Yunmeng City.

After half an hour, the table was filled with empty dishes, and the three of them had eaten their fill.

Xuening, in particular, had eaten with gusto, not showing any signs of being full.

The dishes weren’t all made of demonic beast meat, which contained powerful blood energy.

Xuening had eaten even more than Su Jingzhen.

At this time, Xuening smiled sweetly: “Although it might not be polite to say this, but Mingyue Tower’s chef is quite good, but they can’t still compare to Master Su’s cooking skills.”

Mingyue Tower was renowned as the best in Yunmeng City, and Xuening’s comment was a huge compliment to Su Jingzhen.

After finishing their meal, the waiter from before came over again, smiling warmly at Su Jingzhen and the others.

“Have you gentlemen finished eating? Shall we bring out the next round?”

The waiter’s smile was as warm as if he was looking at his own parents.

Su Jingzhen and the others exchanged a bewildered glance.

The waiter continued, “You gentlemen ordered the entire menu, didn’t you? Mingyue Tower has many dishes, and it’s impossible to finish them all in one sitting. There are still many dishes on the back of the menu that you haven’t seen, and I’ll help you calculate the total.”

As he spoke, the waiter pulled out the menu, revealing over thirty dishes on the back.

Su Jingzhen and Xuening were stunned, and Mu Lao’s face turned black again.

“Uh…”

Su Jingzhen was taken aback, and even though they were all accomplished cultivators, they couldn’t eat anymore.

“We’ve had a big feast here, and we should pack some for Miss Feng to take back.”

It was as if Su Jingzhen was saying this to Mu Lao.

He then turned to the waiter: “Pack everything up for me, please.”

“Alright!”

Mu Lao’s mouth twitched again, and a forced smile appeared on his face: “Not bad, we’ve had a big feast here, and of course, we should pack some for Miss Feng to take back. Spirit stones are not a big deal…”

As Mu Lao spoke, Su Jingzhen clearly sensed a hint of resentment.

The packing was done, and Su Jingzhen had already gathered the information he wanted to know. They were ready to settle the bill and leave.

However, when the bill was calculated, it shocked the three of them again.

Damn! After deducting the discount, they still had to pay a whopping 16,000 lower-grade spirit stones.

The most expensive items were the dishes on the back of the menu that they hadn’t noticed before.

Their meal had cost them as many spirit stones as a lower-level cultivator would struggle to earn in a lifetime.

But Su Jingzhen wasn’t too concerned about it now.

As his strength and status had increased, his perspective had broadened as well.

16,000 lower-grade spirit stones were nothing to him now. seaʀᴄh the ηovelFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He had dozens of high-quality Breaking Through Adversity Pills in his storage ring, and taking out just one would be worth more than this bill.

Although Su Jingzhen didn’t mind Mu Lao’s generosity, he couldn’t help but curse the cunning merchant in his heart.

The waiter received Mu Lao’s 160 middle-grade spirit stones and was beaming with joy.

He escorted Su Jingzhen and the others from the third floor to the first floor and bid them farewell.

“Farewell, esteemed guests! Welcome to visit us again!”

From Mu Lao’s generous payment of spirit stones, the waiter’s address had changed from “guests” to “esteemed guests”.

Su Jingzhen and the others ignored the waiter and didn’t bother to linger in Yunmeng City’s streets anymore.

They headed directly to their lodging, Spirit Sound Inn.

It was noon when they arrived at the inn, and they coincidentally ran into Feng Qingya, who had just returned.

However, she was accompanied by another person.