Chapter 815: Fighting for Wealth

Lu Yang, though it wasn't polite to admit it, genuinely felt that Grandpa Meng's cultural and educational level might not be much higher than Mankou's, perhaps even on par.

"Alright, let's forget about 'Meng Po Ci' and 'Meng Po Li'. I won't ask," Lu Yang said. He decided it was best not to inquire about such impolite matters, as Grandpa Meng was an elder. He didn't want the old man to disclose too much, potentially leading to the Meng family expelling him from the manor.

"What is that place?" Lu Yang asked, pointing to a room covered in restrictive enchantments and guarded by Meng family elders at the entrance. It looked like a forbidden area.

"That's where the IOUs are kept."

"My father told me that if all those IOUs could be cashed in, they'd be enough to buy half of Imperial City."

Lu Yang gasped. No wonder it was a forbidden area; no amount of guards would be excessive for such a place. "It's not just IOUs," Meng Jingzhou continued. "Our Meng family possesses a unique divine ability called 'Borrowing Technique.' When cultivators at the Integration stage or higher seek to borrow money from us, they must not only leave an IOU but also lend us one of their signature techniques."

"Our family then imprints that technique onto paper. Should we ever face combat, we can reproduce the borrower's move."

"That's truly incredible," Lu Yang remarked. This must be a unique Meng family divine ability, as he had never heard of anyone else possessing such a skill.

Even the Immortal Fairy shook her head, claiming she had never heard of it. Meanwhile, Meng Potian, Old Ma, and head butler Xu You—three brothers who hadn't gathered in nearly six years—were enjoying a quiet drink in a side room.

Old Ma lay languidly on a wooden chair, using magic to transfer the grass from a plate to his mouth. One of his hooves clutched a wine glass, from which he took sporadic sips.

"Old Ma, you've worked hard taking care of Xiaozhou during the journey."

Old Ma initially intended to politely reply that it was no trouble, but upon remembering the six years of anxious, nail-biting experiences, he found he couldn't simply smile nonchalantly and utter the words "it wasn't hard."

"It wasn't hard work; it was a hard life."

Meng Potian raised an eyebrow. He recalled Old Ma being quite humble in the past. How had he changed so much after serving as his son's protector for a while?

"What do you think of Lu Yang, that boy?" Meng Potian had a favorable impression of Lu Yang. He had encountered many talented youths, but none could surpass Lu Yang, either in cultivation or character. If Lu Yang and Xiaoyu were to take a liking to each other, inviting him to join the family as a live-in son-in-law wouldn't be out of the question.

Old Ma's eye twitched as an unpleasant memory surfaced: Lu Yang's unwitting resurrection of the Immortal Fairy.

"Let me put it this way: your Meng family's IOUs can buy half of Imperial City, right?"

"That's right."

"His luck, on the other hand, could destroy half of Imperial City."

"Do you want to get something good to eat?" Meng Jingzhou asked.

Lu Yang was confused. "Didn't we already eat during the welcome feast? I thought the food was quite delicious."

"Those weren't the absolute best," Meng Jingzhou explained. "Those spirit foods aim for both taste and efficacy simultaneously, but you can't perfectly achieve both. So, compared to true delicacies, they fall a bit short. I'm taking you to the best eating spot in Imperial City." As Imperial City was his territory, Meng Jingzhou felt it his duty to be a good host.

"Let's go then," Lu Yang said with a smile. He recalled that his Senior Sister enjoyed sampling local delicacies wherever she traveled. If the food was truly as delicious as Meng Jingzhou claimed, he could always get some packed to take with them when they left Imperial City.

Given Meng Jingzhou's formidable reputation in Imperial City, where he was widely recognized, both of them instinctively put on masks when they left the Meng manor.

The place Meng Jingzhou spoke of was called Tianxiang Tower, the most luxurious restaurant in Imperial City. There were even rumors that Tianxiang Tower employed a spirit chef at the Tribulation Transcending stage, though that particular chef hadn't cooked in several decades.

Tianxiang Tower was bustling with people. Fortunately, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou hadn't arrived too late; there were still three empty tables available when they got there. By the time they were seated and had finished ordering, the other two tables had already been occupied.

"This really is delicious," Lu Yang commented after the dishes were served, taking a bite with his chopsticks. Old Meng hadn't lied; this was even tastier than the food they had at the Meng manor.

"Of course. Could my taste ever be subpar?" Meng Jingzhou replied, beaming with pride, and eagerly began to eat as well. He hadn't tasted this food in five or six years.

Perhaps due to professional rivalry, the Immortal Fairy regarded Tianxiang Tower's food with disdain.

As Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou ate and discussed their next course of action, they noticed a slight commotion at the restaurant's entrance and couldn't help but turn to look. A distinguished young man, dressed in black, entered with his arm around a female companion, completely unconcerned about public appearances. Two guards followed closely behind him. Lu Yang noticed that the young man's black attire was woven from rare, dark gold threads spun by the Glacier Celestial Silkworm, making it impervious to water and fire, and invulnerable to blades and spears. Such material was exceedingly rare. Even in Imperial City, which was teeming with the children of high-ranking officials, few individuals were privileged enough to wear such garments.

"No room?" The young man frowned. The restaurant was so crowded there wasn't a single empty table. He walked directly to one of the occupied tables and stared down imperiously at the diners.

"This table is now occupied by this young master. You can leave."

The guests at that table seemed to sense the young man was not to be trifled with, so they quickly bowed their heads in deference and vacated their seats. The young man glanced at Meng Jingzhou's table, noting their relatively simple dishes, and scoffed, "Poor people shouldn't come to a place like this."

Then he waved over a waiter. "Bring me a pot of Hundred-Year Immortal's Brew!"

The other diners flinched, startled by the young man's casual demand. A single pot of ordinary Immortal's Brew was equivalent to a small family's annual income in Imperial City. The value of a Hundred-Year Immortal's Brew was simply unimaginable. Even among the wealthy and noble patrons of the restaurant, only a select few could afford to order the Hundred-Year Immortal's Brew.

The young man's companion, seeing his extravagance, gazed at him with shimmering eyes and pressed herself even closer, deliberately rubbing her chest against his arm. Meng Jingzhou snorted. He had never encountered anyone flaunting their wealth so brazenly in front of him. And flaunting his companion was even more excessive.

Meng Jingzhou immediately beckoned the waiter. "Bring this young master a pot of Hundred-Year Immortal's Brew as well!"

The young man, seemingly ignoring Meng Jingzhou, continued ordering. "Cloud Mist Steamed Spirit Fish—it must be ten years old. If it's even a year short, I'll tear this restaurant down!"

Meng Jingzhou, mimicking him perfectly, ordered without even glancing at the prices. "Waiter, one Cloud Mist Steamed Spirit Fish, ten years old."

The young man spared Meng Jingzhou a dismissive glance. Seeing an unfamiliar face, he assumed Meng Jingzhou was merely a cultivator from out of town looking to make connections in Imperial City. He scoffed, deliberately ordering the most expensive items on the menu: "Blanched Five-Element Spirit Vegetables, Braised Sun-Crying Chicken, Grand Pure Soul Refining Porridge..."

"We'll also have Blanched Five-Element Spirit Vegetables, Braised Sun-Crying Chicken, and Grand Pure Soul Refining Porridge."

Meng Jingzhou hadn't originally intended to order those dishes. While they were highly nourishing, their flavor wasn't as appealing as what he had initially chosen. However, he didn't mind playing a game with this young man. Whatever dish the young man ordered, Meng Jingzhou immediately followed suit without the slightest hesitation. The young man's unique feeling of superiority, of looking down on all others, quickly vanished as he felt he was losing face in front of his companion.

He slammed his hand on the table. "Waiter, tell me, what's the most expensive thing here?"

The waiter hesitated for a moment, then cautiously replied: "To answer the esteemed guest, the most expensive thing here is the rent."