Chapter 355: Barbecue Shop Branches Have Opened Here?

Lu Yang couldn't help but recall the excitement he felt when he first became a disciple. Back then, he knew nothing about the cultivation world. When he learned he had a Sword Spirit Root and could become a disciple of the Dao Inquiry Sect Master, he was so thrilled he couldn't sleep all night.

However, as time passed and he learned more about the Dao Inquiry Sect, he realized his master was a huge headache. Not only did his master neglect his own cultivation, getting confined by the Senior Disciple Sister, but he also made enemies everywhere.

Lu Yang had heard that Imperial City officials had a tradition of forming factions. He initially thought it was like in his previous life, divided by hometowns, essentially forming private cliques based on regional ties. However, Meng Jingzhou told him that factions were formed based on whether or not they had a grudge against Daoist Buyu. Lu Yang couldn't imagine what kind of incredible ability his master had to provoke so many people. Did he slap each of them during the imperial examination?

Lu Yang had also thought that while Imperial City officials had grievances, and the Five Great Immortal Sects shared common enemies, surely they wouldn't also be at odds with his master? It seemed he had been too optimistic. In comparison, the Senior Disciple Sister was much more reliable. She was stunningly beautiful, taught him how to cultivate, and could even step in to help him during life-or-death situations.

"By that standard, wouldn't I also be very reliable?" Immortal Fairy burst into a wide smile, pleased that Lu Yang was finally getting it. As the foremost of the Ten Beauties of Ancient Times, her appearance was flawless, a beauty comparable to Yunzhi. She also taught Lu Yang spells, instructed him on how to forge the Unbeatable Pill, and helped establish his reputation. When Lu Yang was possessed, she intervened to help, ensuring his safety. All conditions met!

Lu Yang stared faintly at Immortal Fairy, thinking, *You're not mentioning a word about me getting beaten up by my senior brothers and sisters, one after another.*

Yan Tianzhi felt that what he had just said was ambiguous, making it sound as if he had a big grudge against Lu Yang. He thought for a moment, wanting to express goodwill, and added, "My master and your sect's Grand Elder have a very good relationship; they often communicate."

"There's such a thing?" Lantai and Bai Ming asked in surprise.

Lu Yang's expression was odd. Communicate about what? About which type of coffin was most comfortable to lie in?

Yan Tianzhi wanted to say more but found it too cumbersome to explain verbally. It would be better to show them. While waiting for the food to be served, he pulled out a scroll of blueprints from his identity jade token and spread it on the table. The blueprints depicted many rectangles connected to each other, forming a honeycomb pattern. The more Lu Yang looked at it, the more he felt it resembled a blueprint for a three-bedroom, one-living room apartment.

"This is the coffin they both designed. They say it's comfortable to sleep in," Yan Tianzhi explained. "And it can be carried around. If you can't find a place to stay, you can just sleep in here."

Lu Yang was speechless. So, Grand Elder, you handed over the affairs of the Mission Hall to Senior Brother Dai Bufan, and you spend your days designing coffins? Did Senior Brother Dai know about this?

Just then, the waiter called out, "Dishes coming! Please make some space, esteemed guests!"

Hearing this, Yan Tianzhi put away the blueprints. One after another, mouth-watering delicacies were placed on the dining table. Lu Yang didn't recognize any of the dishes, but judging by the aroma, they were definitely top-tier.

Bai Ming said, "Everyone, please eat your fill. The Prefectural Governor said he's covering all expenses for food, clothing, accommodation, and travel during the grand event."

Lu Yang smiled, raising his teacup: "To the Prefectural Governor!"

"To the Prefectural Governor!"

"To the Prefectural Governor!"

Everyone clinked their cups and began to eat.

During the meal, Lantai asked, "Oh, right, there's going to be an 'Eye of Appraisal' event later. Are you interested in participating?"

"What's an 'Eye of Appraisal' event?"

"It's hosted by the Golden Coin Chamber of Commerce. They'll display all sorts of strange and curious items, and whoever can identify their origins gets to keep them."

"The items aren't very valuable; it's mostly for fun."

"Sounds interesting, I'm in." Lu Yang was the first to respond.

"Count me in too." Meng Jingzhou followed closely.

Bai Ming thought for a moment. The Prefectural Governor's instructions had been completed, so participating in the event together would be good. "I'll go too."

"Go." Yan Tianzhi replied succinctly.

All five wanted to attend the 'Eye of Appraisal' event to broaden their horizons, so their eating speed involuntarily quickened. They finished their meal in no time.

As they exited the restaurant, Meng Jingzhou nudged Lu Yang's arm, signaling him to look in a certain direction. Lu Yang looked in the direction Meng Jingzhou pointed and saw a bustling barbecue restaurant with a line stretching onto the street. The barbecue restaurant was named "One More Time BBQ." In the bottom right corner of the signboard, a small line of text read: "Qingzhou Grand Ceremony Temporary Branch."

"Is the Nine Nether Sect that fast? They've already opened a branch here?" Meng Jingzhou asked via voice transmission.

Lu Yang shook his head: "Not likely. It's been less than a month; how could they open stores everywhere? We haven't even given them enough 'fire seeds.' They're probably just here to promote it, taking advantage of the Qingzhou Grand Ceremony's liveliness."

Bai Ming noticed Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's curious behavior and said with a smile, "Are you interested in this barbecue restaurant? Last night, Lantai wasn't with us, but Tianzhi and I ate there. The owner claimed their culinary skills are passed down from ancient times, boasting it's a 300,000-year-old establishment."

"I don't know if it's true, but the taste is really good. Among all the grilled skewers I've had, these rank first."

Yan Tianzhi nodded, agreeing about the taste of the barbecue.

Lu Yang thought to himself, *You Nine Nether Sect members sure can brag. A 300,000-year-old establishment? Why don't you claim the 'fire seeds' are 300,000 years old too?* However, it was true that their skills were passed down from ancient times, as the basic barbecue recipe was indeed provided by Mang Gu.

"How about we grab a meal after the 'Eye of Appraisal' event?" Bai Ming asked.

"Never mind, we just found the name of this barbecue restaurant quite interesting." Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou certainly didn't need to eat here; what they made was the most authentic.

Lantai noticed the name of the barbecue restaurant. She was part of the second batch of employees at the main barbecue branch, making her highly experienced. The first batch of employees were the tiger demons. The same name, and exceptionally delicious—was it a coincidence? Concerned there might be a hidden secret, she sent a voice transmission to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou: "Is this barbecue restaurant connected to you?"

Lantai was so intelligent that it was impossible to keep it from her. So, Lu Yang explained, "There's a bit of a hidden story. Don't spread it around. There might even be a demonic sect spy in your Immortal Palace."

Hearing the words "demonic sect," Lantai realized the gravity of the matter and assured him, "Don't worry, I won't even tell my master."

Lu Yang felt relieved upon hearing this and said, "Through Meng Jingzhou's and my tireless efforts, we've improved the taste of the skewers. With the completion of the automatic skewering formation and automatic barbecue grills, we now have the prerequisites for opening chain stores. To prevent the Nine Nether Sect from causing chaos everywhere, our Dao Inquiry Sect has partnered with them. We plan to open 'One More Time BBQ' restaurants across the entire continent, and this is currently the initial phase."

"Of course, we're not using the Dao Inquiry Sect's name for this collaboration with the Nine Nether Sect."

Lantai was speechless. The Immortal Cult had only been eradicated a few months ago, and now your Dao Inquiry Sect is already targeting the Nine Nether Sect? Even if it's what righteous cultivators like us should do to vanquish demons, your efficiency is simply too high. This time, how many months do you plan to take to eliminate the Nine Nether Sect? One month, or two?