Chapter 484: Who Are You Looking Down On

"Outsmart them?" Zheng Dan asked, puzzled.

At this point, Sang Qian said, "Let's head to the small town ahead first. It's on their path, and we can discuss other matters on the way."

"But those cultists have higher cultivation levels than us, their pace should be faster, and they had a head start. Can we still make it if we go now?" Pei Mianman expressed her doubts.

Sang Qian explained, "I asked some local hunters in town earlier and learned about a mountain path that's much shorter than the main road. I came from that direction before. If we take the shortcut, we should arrive before the cult members."

Pei Mianman's eyes lit up. "Alright, let's go quickly!"

The group hurried through the forest. Along the way, Sang Qian continuously engaged Pei Mianman in conversation. "Miss Pei, why are you getting involved in this mess? Does this represent the Pei family's stance?"

Pei Mianman shook her head. "This is just my personal action; it doesn't represent the Pei family."

"Then Miss Pei truly possesses remarkable integrity," Sang Qian praised, "I've heard that Miss Pei and Miss Chu are close friends, and it's admirable that you're so eager to help upon learning of Miss Chu's husband's predicament."

"You flatter me," Pei Mianman scoffed softly, her expression turning slightly sour. It was clear the other person was reminding her that Zu An was Chu Chuyan's husband, implicitly telling her not to get any ideas.

Meanwhile, Sang Qian's gaze involuntarily fixed on her chest, which subtly swayed as she bristled with annoyance. He couldn't help but swallow, thinking what an exquisite beauty this woman was, even when angry.

"Is there anything else, Young Master Sang?" Pei Mianman was growing impatient. The other's gaze had not escaped her notice. If she hadn't still needed Sang Qian's help to save Zu An, she would have turned hostile long ago.

"Miss Pei, don't worry. If there's any danger later, I'll definitely help you." Now that the healing medicine was taking effect, Sang Qian felt his injuries had largely recovered, and his usual confidence returned.

Pei Mianman pursed her lips into a smile. "Thank you, Young Master Sang. But shouldn't Young Master Sang be protecting your fiancée?"

Zheng Dan: "..."

He's clearly harassing you, so why are you dragging me into it?

Sang Qian glanced at Zheng Dan and said with some displeasure, "I'm sure Miss Zheng doesn't need me to worry about her."

Evidently, witnessing his fiancée's anxiousness to save another man earlier had left him quite displeased.

Zheng Dan offered a slight smile and said nothing, clearly having essentially severed ties with the Sang family, though she had no regrets.

Sang Qian then continued to hover around Pei Mianman, offering various solicitous remarks. Sang Qian, observing from the side, was speechless. Was her brother an idiot? This way of trying to curry favor was too clumsy.

Exasperated, Pei Mianman moved next to Sang Qian and asked about her plan. "Miss Sang, what did you mean by 'outsmarting them' earlier?"

Sang Qian, also finding her brother's clumsy display an eyesore, quickly explained:

"Their cultivation levels are higher than ours, so a direct confrontation is out of the question. We must use other methods, such as... poison."

"Poison?" Pei Mianman frowned delicately. "But those cultists have advanced cultivation; ordinary poisons wouldn't affect them, would they? Besides, they're experienced in jianghu; it wouldn't be easy to successfully administer poison to them."

Sang Qian's lips curved slightly, revealing a foxy smile. "That's why I spent a fortune preparing the 'Wang Shouzhong Thirteen Spices' this time."

"Wang Shouzhong Thirteen Spices?" Zheng Dan, who had been quiet until now, exclaimed in surprise. "The legendary colorless, odorless, miraculous poison that prevents one from circulating their vital energy?"

As the former leader of the Giant Whale Gang, she was very well-informed on such matters.

"Precisely. With this medicine, no matter how high the cultists' cultivation, they'll be useless," Sang Qian said, radiating confidence.

Seeing a glimmer of hope to save Zu An, Pei Mianman's mood also brightened considerably. "It was rumored in the capital that Miss Sang was resourceful, and seeing it today, you are indeed extraordinary."

Sang Qian's cheeks flushed. "These are just minor tricks; they're nothing remarkable."

The group continued their hurried journey toward the small town.

Not long after their arrival, another group, escorting a carriage, slowly entered the town.

"Saintess, let's resupply and rest in this town," said Lei Sanren from outside.

"Alright. Let's buy more supplies this time so we don't have to stop on the way back to the cult. We should get him back as soon as possible to avoid complications," Qiu Honglei replied.

"Good!" the Scattered Immortals cheered. Clearly, as high-ranking members of the cult, their lives were usually quite comfortable. Having endured several days and nights of exposure for this mission, they were eager for a rest.

Qiu Honglei then turned and gave Zu An a coquettish glance. "Why do you keep staring at me? You've been doing it the whole way."

"Because you're beautiful," Zu An sighed. "These past few days have been quite vexing with all sorts of things, but just looking at you along the way has made my mood much better."

Qiu Honglei snorted. "You're always such a smooth talker."

Despite saying that, the joy in her expression was unmistakable. It was strange; she often heard compliments, many from people with much better eloquence than him, yet they rarely resonated with her.

Just then, the carriage suddenly stopped, and Feng Sanren's voice came from outside: "Saintess, we've arrived at the inn."

So Qiu Honglei led Zu An out of the carriage. Zu An looked up at the sign "Four Seas Inn" and a playful expression suddenly crossed his face. He recalled that the gambling house the Sang and Zheng families had jointly opened was also called Four Seas Gambling House, where he had once won a million taels of silver from them.

"Is there something wrong with the name?" Qiu Honglei asked curiously, coming to his side.

"I just find the name rather familiar,"

Zu An smiled and strode in confidently. "Waiter, I'd like to order."

Lei Sanren and the others nearby rolled their eyes. This fellow certainly didn't treat himself as an outsider.

"Coming right up, honored guest!" a waiter hurried over, towel in hand.

Zu An was about to order when he suddenly remembered something. He quickly turned to Qiu Honglei. "You're paying for the food along the way, right?"

Qiu Honglei: "..."

Nevertheless, she replied, "Of course. You are our esteemed guest, so naturally, we will treat you."

"That's good then," Zu An told the waiter. "I'll have braised bear paw, stewed camel hump, stir-fried tiger penis, and fish maw, shark fin, and abalone soup..."

The eight Scattered Immortals beside him twitched an eyelid. Was this guy intentionally ordering these dishes to rip them off?

Fortunately, the waiter had a troubled expression. "Our humble little shop in this remote area doesn't have such expensive items."

"You don't even have that?" Zu An said, displeased. "Then what *do* you have?"

Seeing his previous demeanor, the waiter dared not be negligent and quickly replied, "We have roasted whole lamb, roasted suckling pig, tender steak, roasted chicken, braised goose, soy-sauce duck..."

He rattled off a list of dishes, then asked expectantly, "Which would the esteemed guest like to order?"

"What do you mean 'which one'?" Zu An said, pointing at the eight Scattered Immortals next to him. "Are you looking down on someone? Look at the distinguished bearing of these ladies and gentlemen; do they look like they're short on money? Serve us every dish you just listed. If you miss one, it means you're disrespecting them."

"Huh?" The waiter was stunned, having never encountered such an order before.

The other eight Scattered Immortals had expressions as if they had eaten something foul. Stopping him now would make them seem petty and cheap, but not stopping him left them fuming internally.

Rage points from the Scattered Immortals: 233233233...

It was Qiu Honglei who, from the side, irritably cut him off: "Alright, don't listen to him. Just prepare a few of your best specialties for us..."

With that, she ordered a few dishes, enough to be plentiful without being wasteful.

The waiter stared blankly at Qiu Honglei, clearly captivated by her unparalleled beauty. It took him a while to react, and he said with a blush, "Coming right up!"

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. "Honglei, your charm is truly invincible. Not just the waiter, even the surrounding guests can't stop glancing at you."

"Stop teasing me," Qiu Honglei rolled her eyes at him. She was, in fact, quite accustomed to such attention. "Let's finish our meal quickly and get back on the road."

Not long after, a table of steaming hot food was served. The eight Scattered Immortals, already ravenous, were about to dig in when Qiu Honglei suddenly noticed a figure in the distance and quickly stopped her companions. "Wait!"