Chapter 319: San Gu Barbecue Shop

"So this is *the* barbecue restaurant in Yanjiang County rumored to have virility-boosting effects?"

"That's the one! Come on, quickly get in line. I thought we were early, but it turns out we still have to wait!"

"This place closed three months ago, but now it's reopened and doing even better business than before. I came once during the Spring Festival, and the taste was absolutely superb!"

"So, does that mean the entire staff went out for training, and now they're back with significant improvements?"

"That's probably the case."

"I wonder if we'll even get to eat today. I heard some people queued for several days and still couldn't get a spot."

"What incredibly popular business!" When he used to watch from upstairs, Shi Huagu didn't feel it much, but standing in front of the barbecue restaurant now, he truly realized how bustling it was.

Their Nine Nether Sect ran many businesses, but none had a customer flow this extreme.

The line started at the entrance and stretched all the way to the door of the shop next door, completely blocking its entrance.

The neighboring shop didn't seem annoyed; in fact, when people in line grew impatient, they'd come to their shop to eat, making their business even better than before.

Huo Huashen transmitted a message: "I heard this place used to offer home delivery, but now their dine-in business is so overwhelming that they've cut that service."

"Originally, Zhou Shan and I wanted to try it, but we couldn't even get in line, so we had to ask customers who had already eaten nearby about it."

Shi Huagu snorted coldly and strode directly towards the entrance: "Have you forgotten who we are? Do we really need to queue?"

Two Soul Transformation stage cultivators and one Integration stage cultivator—they were qualified to establish a second-rate sect. Even first-rate sects would respectfully invite them in.

This was just a mere barbecue restaurant, not the Heavenly Court Sect headquarters.

"They're cutting in line!"

"Hey, do you three have no sense?"

"No manners!"

Those queuing behind them saw the three walking in and started cursing. Shi Huagu and his companions ignored them completely. Just then, a graceful figure blocked their path.

"Stop right there! Don't you know you have to queue?" Qin Yanyan stood at the entrance, anger flashing in her eyes. "Everyone else is lining up, why are you three breaking the rules?"

Qin Yanyan didn't recognize the three. At the time, Huo Huashen had been hidden in the shadows, and only Lu Yang had detected his presence.

Just as Shi Huagu was about to retort, Huo Huashen quickly transmitted a message: "My Lord, this is Qin Yanyan, the reincarnation of Sect Master Qin."

"What?" Shi Huagu was startled. Qin Haoran had been the Nine Nether Sect Master for nine hundred years. Although he had fallen, he still held great prestige within the sect.

Qin Haoran surpassed him in both skill and cultivation, and Shi Huagu held a certain degree of respect for this former Sect Master.

"It seems the Heavenly Court Sect already knows we're here and deliberately sent the reincarnation of Sect Master Qin to block us!"

"Is this their way of hinting that this is Heavenly Court Sect territory, and we must abide by their rules once we're here?"

"And having the reincarnation of Sect Master Qin maintain order here—does that mean no matter how prominent our background, we're nothing special in the eyes of the Heavenly Court Sect?"

Shi Huagu was an exceptionally intelligent man; he quickly deduced the underlying intentions.

He dared not offend the Heavenly Court Sect. They hailed from ancient times, possessed profound heritage, and had at least one Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator, possibly even several. They were not someone an Integration stage cultivator like himself could provoke.

"Queue it is, then!"

The three high-ranking members of the Nine Nether Sect queued at the end of the line. They waited until well past midnight. Just as there were only four or five people left in front of them, Qin Yanyan poked her head out the door: "Sorry, we're closing now."

Shi Huagu's face turned ashen, but he dared not erupt.

"Hmph, we'll come back tomorrow!"

The next morning, even before the barbecue restaurant opened, Shi Huagu arrived at its entrance with his two subordinates.

He refused to believe they'd still have to queue in broad daylight.

The barbecue restaurant doors opened. Captain Wei was sitting inside, chatting cheerfully with Lu Yang.

"Congratulations, Captain Wei—no, I should call you Chief Captain Wei now!" Lu Yang chuckled. After they eliminated the Prefect, the Chief Captain was promoted to Prefect, and Captain Wei naturally became the Chief Captain, saving him over a decade of time. It was truly a meteoric rise.

Chief Captain Wei beamed: "Don't mention it. My title of Chief Captain sounds grand, but I work myself to death every day, and my monthly salary probably isn't even as much as your barbecue restaurant's daily income."

Lu Yang simply smiled without speaking. It was true, and he didn't know how to respond.

Chief Captain Wei didn't dwell on the topic, continuing to lament: "My promotion to Chief Captain also owes a lot to catching people at your barbecue restaurant. I still remember, Little Shopkeeper Lu, you had a few friends who came to eat here, got into a group brawl, and were caught red-handed. They were locked up for a few days, and later, when the Immortal Sect was destroyed and its member list was revealed, those two involved in the brawl turned out to be from the Immortal Sect!"

"Little Shopkeeper Lu, you need to be careful when choosing friends. Your judgment isn't great; it's so dangerous! Maybe they were targeting you, planning to use you as a sacrifice for the Immortal Sect!"

Lu Yang burst out laughing and frankly said he would be more careful about making friends in the future.

"Your barbecue restaurant has been open for over half a month, but unfortunately, no criminals have come here to walk straight into a trap. It would be great if some clueless ones came here, especially demonic cult members. That way, my position as Chief Captain would be more secure."

Chief Captain Wei realized he had misspoken, shaking his head with a chuckle: "Look at what I'm saying, it's like I'm cursing your place to have a demonic cult."

Just then, Chief Captain Wei noticed the three people outside the restaurant entrance and asked curiously, "Are those three people at the door your friends?"

"Where?" Lu Yang turned his head, but Shi Huagu and the two others had long since vanished without a trace.

"No one's there?"

"Maybe they were just passing by."

"What a Heavenly Court Sect! Chattering cheerfully with the righteous path, and their contact is even the Chief Captain who wants to capture demonic cult members! Is this how they're showing us their methods!" Shi Huagu had dealt with imperial constables many times and knew that chief captains always carried a token. If they encountered an enemy they couldn't handle, they would crush the token, and powerful cultivators would come to their aid.

"My Lord, what should we do?"

"We'll keep queuing tonight!"

"We've been staking out this place for over half a month now, why haven't the Nine Nether Sect people shown up yet?" Meng Jingzhou wondered. He thought the Nine Nether Sect should have arrived by now.

"My dear niece, you're guarding the entrance every day, have you seen anyone resembling those from the Nine Nether Sect?"

Qin Yanyan shook her head innocently. Although occasionally one or two unreasonable people tried to barge in, after she spoke to them, they obediently went to the back of the line. The Nine Nether Sect shouldn't be so reasonable, right?

Lu Yang also found it strange. Anyone knowledgeable about ancient times would believe the Heavenly Court Sect story he fabricated, so he thought there should be such people within the Nine Nether Sect.

If they believed in the Heavenly Court Sect, they would definitely send people.

"Let's wait a bit longer."

That night, Shi Huagu and his two companions, having learned their lesson, arrived early to queue. Their luck was better this time; there were only about twenty people ahead of them.

After waiting for most of the day, it was finally their turn.

"Three *jin* of lamb skewers!"