Chapter 72: Where is the Shop Owner, Come Out?

"We're so tired, we don't want to do any work at all," the three of them yawned in unison, their eyelids drooping.

What a terrible idea the Helmaster had, coming all the way here just to eat.

They were on their way back to the barbecue restaurant. After a day of strategic maneuvering, they had finally infiltrated the enemy's ranks and now all they wanted was a huge meal and a good night's sleep.

The Immortal Sect’s method of channeling everyone’s thoughts into the Mountain and River Cauldron caused immense fatigue.

"Fortunately, I had the ghouls skewer everything beforehand, so we can open immediately once we're back," Mang Gu said, feeling a sense of relief.

Upon arriving at the barbecue restaurant, Lu Yang spotted a familiar face.

"Officer Wei? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

Officer Wei had been knocking on the door for a while, and since no one answered, he assumed the place was empty.

Indeed, there was no one inside except for the two ghouls diligently skewering food. Hearing Officer Wei knock, the ghouls were terrified and dared not open the door.

Just as Officer Wei was about to give up, Lu Yang arrived.

Officer Wei’s face lit up. "Manager Lu, you're finally back!"

Lu Yang nodded, a lie readily on his lips. "This morning, the weather looked so nice, so the three of us decided it would be a perfect day for an outing. We just got back from a stroll."

"So, are you open for business today?"

Lu Yang considered it. The Helmaster and his group, twenty people in total, were coming, so it definitely counted as being open. "Yes, we are."

Officer Wei spoke in the gentlest tone possible. "Manager Lu, your barbecue restaurant is quite well-known around here, and as you know, I often bring a few of my brothers to eat."

"I know you simply enjoy running this barbecue place, without any intention of expanding or promoting yourselves."

Lu Yang nodded.

Officer Wei continued with a regretful expression, "My brothers have rather loose tongues. After they ate here, they went back and raved about how delicious your food is. Well, now others have heard them and are craving it too. They want to come here for a meal after their shifts today, and even the brothers on night duty at the yamen asked us to bring some back for them."

Observing Officer Wei’s expression, Lu Yang thought to himself, *It's probably not just your few brothers who talked about it; you, Officer Wei, probably did some promoting too, didn't you?*

"So?"

"We have quite a lot of constables in Yanjiang County, enough to fill almost all your tables, and the Chief Constable will also be joining. So, I was wondering if we could reserve the entire place just for us tonight."

Lu Yang suddenly understood, then put on a troubled expression. "But I also have a few friends coming tonight, so I'm afraid..."

Officer Wei quickly interjected, "No worries, no worries! A few more people won't hurt; everyone can eat together. The more, the merrier!"

Officer Wei had already assured his colleagues with great confidence that they would get to eat here tonight, and failing to do so would be quite embarrassing for him.

Lu Yang agreed. "Alright then, we'll get ready. We'll open in half an hour."

Officer Wei received the positive reply and left, satisfied.

As the Helmaster's appointed time drew near, various groups of people converged on the barbecue restaurant from all directions: the Helmaster himself, eleven deacons, and seven new recruits.

Chi Xulong and Shen Jinyi, being particularly savvy, even brought along several jars of wine.

"I was worried that a small place like this might not have strong enough liquor, so I specifically brought a few jars of thirty-year-old Daughter's Red spirit wine," Chi Xulong and Shen Jinyi explained.

This spirit wine was incredibly potent; even Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle to withstand its effects.

The other five new recruits also intended to offer wine as a gesture of respect, but being only at the Qi Refining stage, they couldn't afford anything of high quality.

For the meal, the Helmaster had also changed his mask to one that revealed the lower half of his face.

Lu Yang and his two companions emerged from the restaurant and invited everyone inside. "Please come in quickly, everything is ready. Originally, the whole place was booked for today, but we managed to persuade the party who booked it to leave one table for us."

The Helmaster nodded. He had initially been concerned that Lu Yang and his companions might be difficult to manage, thinking he might need to assert his authority. However, it now seemed they were quite cooperative, even remembering to reserve a table in advance.

"Don't just stand there, everyone, come inside," the Helmaster urged.

The barbecue restaurant was empty. The Helmaster naturally took the largest, best-located table in the center, a spot befitting his status.

Lu Yang cautiously reminded him from the side, "Helmaster, that table is reserved."

Before the Helmaster could respond, Chi Xulong quickly interjected, "Make them sit elsewhere! Who do they think they are, daring to compete with us for seats?"

Seeing that the Helmaster didn't object, Lu Yang said no more.

Everyone took their seats, and Mang Gu produced a menu. "What would you like to eat?" he asked.

Shen Jinyi handed the menu to the Helmaster. "Please, Helmaster, you order first."

The Helmaster waved his hand. "Just order whatever you like."

"Since you're treating, you should order, of course."

"No need, just order freely."

The menu was passed around the table as everyone demurred, eventually returning to Mang Gu. He pursed his lips, finding these people unnecessarily fussy, even about ordering skewers.

Mang Gu wasn't one to refuse. After making his own selections, he took the menu to the backyard and instructed the two ghouls to start grilling.

Soon after, Mang Gu returned with plates of skewers, visually appealing and exquisitely fragrant. The moment they caught a whiff of the aroma, everyone knew the food would be delicious.

"Alright, alright, the skewers are here! Pour the wine!" the Helmaster said with a laugh, gesturing for everyone to start pouring.

Meng Jingzhou chuckled. "Perhaps no need for wine? I prefer tea; I'm not really a drinker."

Meng Jingzhou still refused.

The Helmaster’s expression tightened slightly, unwilling to lose face. Chi Xulong seized the opportunity to snap, "What’s wrong with you? The Helmaster tells you to drink, and you refuse? Are you trying to disrespect him?"

Meng Jingzhou pursed his lips. "It's just a drink. How does that involve 'face'? If the Helmaster insists I drink, isn't he the one disrespecting me?"

Chi Xulong was about to retort, *Who do you think you are to have 'face' in front of the Helmaster?* but he was stopped by the Helmaster before he could utter the words.

The Helmaster knew Meng Jingzhou had a promising future and didn't want to get into a dispute with him.

Only the Helmaster knew the Sect Leader’s true assessment of Lu Yang and his companions; even they themselves were unaware of it.

"There's no need for such formalities at a welcoming meal," the Helmaster said. "Let me introduce myself first. My surname is Chu; you can call me Helmaster Chu."

After the Helmaster finished his introduction, it was the turn of the tall, thin man who had once visited the brothel with Qin Yuanhao. "My name is Wang He," he began. "Those who know me well like to call me Big Mouth Wang."

"Bai Zifang."

"Peng Shuo."

The eleven deacons introduced themselves one by one. While they called it an introduction, it was merely stating their names; they revealed no other information, such as their cultivation level, hobbies, or special skills.

There was little trust among demonic cults, so everyone concealed as much as possible.

As if no disagreement had taken place, everyone ate heartily and harmoniously.

"These skewers are truly delicious," Chi Xulong said, surprised after eating a few. They were the best he had ever tasted.

A greedy thought sparked within him, and he quietly asked the Helmaster, "Should we force the owner to hand over the recipe? Even if these skewers were sold for spirit stones, there would still be a market for them. We could make a huge fortune!"

The Helmaster was also tempted. He had committed countless acts of murder, robbery, and extortion; one more wouldn't make a difference.

Lu Yang, standing nearby, asked, "What if the owner refuses to hand over the recipe?"

A chilling glint appeared in Chi Xulong's eyes, and he sneered, "Then we'll see if he values his life or the recipe!"

He slammed his hand on the table, creating a disturbance, and roared, "Where's the owner?! Come out! All the skewers are served, and he still hasn't shown his face. Does he even know proper etiquette?"

Immediately afterward, Officer Wei’s voice rang out from just outside the door. "Haha, where's the owner? I've brought all my brothers!"

Hordes of constables surged into the restaurant, including the Golden Core stage Chief Constable, surrounding the Helmaster's table.