Chapter Thirty-Six: Plotting for Trouble

  The wait for the dishes to be served was a long one, as Jin Yu Lou's business was booming, with almost every seat taken. The spacious hall was filled with customers, each table occupied by guests who were clinking cups and laughing loudly. The shop assistants were hurrying back and forth between the tables, carrying trays, like fish swimming in water, amidst a bustling and noisy scene.

  Xiao Fan's eyes turned red with envy. If Jin Yu Lou didn't have such a strong background, this good business should have belonged to Zui Xian Lou. Many of the guests in the hall came because of Huang Zhixian's signboard, which is a subtle way of flattering him.

  Coughing twice, Xiao Fan said in a low voice to Tai Xu: "Don't you ask me why I invited you to Jin Yu Building for dinner?"

  With a carefree air, he stroked his beard with a leisurely expression and said calmly: "I've lived for over a hundred years. If I couldn't see through your little thoughts, wouldn't that be a waste of my age? However, I only take care of eating with my mouth open, not the grudges between Zui Xian Lou and Jin Yu Lou. If you cause trouble here, I'll run away immediately. Don't forget, I'm good at lightness skills..."

  Xiao Fan was so angry that his teeth itched, and the lightness skill really was an amazing ability. At this moment, Xiao Fan suddenly had a strong urge to follow Tai Xu to learn martial arts, on the condition that this old Taoist priest wasn't deceiving him and actually knew martial arts. However, no matter how Xiao Fan looked at it, he didn't think Tai Xu knew martial arts, and logically speaking, it didn't make sense either. In the world of martial arts, aside from the disciples of the Beggar Sect, which top-notch martial artist would end up begging for food to survive? Those high-flying experts who were short on silver usually just jumped into some unfortunate rich family's home, took some silver, and called it "robbing the rich to help the poor"...

  The Taoist priest in front of him was completely different from the impression of a martial arts master that Xiao Fan had, no matter how he looked at him, he looked like a poor and defeated Jianghu old swindler.

  Xiao Fan quickly dispelled the idea of learning martial arts from Tai Xu, it's better to be rational.

  The shopkeeper brought up the dish, and the black-red braised pork knuckle was covered with a crystal-like oil gloss, illuminating Xiao Fan and Tai Xu's eyes.

  The two men didn't say a word, and as soon as they picked up their chopsticks, they started eating. They ate with gusto, their mouths full of oil, completely ignoring the curious or disdainful glances from the shop assistants passing by the table. Their table manners were really ugly.

  It is said that this dish is the signature dish of Jin Yulou, and it tastes really good. The boss of Jin Yulou has a bad character, but the chef still has some skills.

  Under the gluttonous eating, the dishes on the table were quickly finished. Xiao Fang and Tai Xu collapsed in their chairs, rubbing their bulging bellies and belching contentedly, with satisfied expressions on their faces.

  "Is it delicious?" Xiao Fan seemed to not even have the energy to lift his head, lazily raising his eyelids to ask.

  Tai Xū nodded: "Not bad, the flavor is comparable to that of Zui Xian Lou, each has its own merits."

  Xiao Fan smiled and blinked his eyes, saying: "After eating and drinking enough, shouldn't we be leaving?"

  "Very well, very well, then you can go settle the bill and leave."

  Xiao Fan's smile on his face grew worse: "There is a good news and a bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"

  His eyebrow twitched slightly, and he suddenly had a bad premonition. If he wasn't careful, wouldn't he fall into this kid's trap again?

  "First listen to the good news." Tao said cautiously.

  "The good news is: we don't have to pay for this meal."

  Tai let out a sigh of relief and blurted out: "Great... hey, why didn't we have to pay?"

  Xiao Fan Zan said: "Dao Zhang asked a very sharp question, straight to the point. Why don't we just pay for it..."

  "...because I didn't bring any money."

  "Ah?" Tai's face turned pale with shock, and cold sweat involuntarily broke out.

  "How...how could you not bring any money?" Tai Yu was so anxious that he was sweating profusely, and he deliberately lowered his voice, asking in a somewhat flustered tone.

  Xiao Fang innocently blinked her big eyes: "I forgot."

  "What... what was that?" Tai's mouth was agape, his eyes wide with shock. After a long pause, he stomped his foot under the table and shouted, "How could you forget?! The Drunken Immortal Pavilion is right across from us! Quickly get the silver here..."

  "Zui Xian Lou has just been renovated and all the money is spent..."

  Tai Yu was speechless, he only now came to his senses, and indeed once again fell into the trap of this young whippersnapper. The centenarian Old Longevity Star had fallen into the hands of this young punk time and time again, it seemed that living to a ripe old age really did make one senile.

  "I had a bad feeling about today, and indeed... Alas! Xiao brother, I don't know what you're doing here at the Golden Jade Building, but I warned you earlier to just eat and drink, and not get involved in your feud with them. Now that we've eaten our fill, I'm going to use my lightness skill to slip away, and you can stay here and deal with them slowly..."

  Xiao Fan was heartbroken and scolded: "Dao Zhang, how can you be like this? You've eaten and drunk together, and even shared the same shoe oil, but only to share wealth and honor, not to share hardships. You're too unrighteous!"

  Tai's face turned red with rage, and he snapped back to his senses, furious: "You have an ulterior motive! You must have come to the Golden Jade Building today on purpose to pick a fight, thinking I wouldn't see through it?"

  "Master Dao, I have always regarded you as a kindred spirit in life..."

  Tai Xū violently shouted: "Shut up! Is there a friend like you who can change their ways and deceive people?"

  "Let's talk about the difficulties later when we get out of this predicament, Master Dao is a hundred years old and can be said to be extremely auspicious among humans. With such rich life experiences, do you have any way to help us escape this situation?"

  Tai Xūn let out a furious hum, glared at Xiao Fan with a fierce gaze, then looked around nervously at the shop assistants walking back and forth before rolling his eyes and focusing intently.

  Xiao Fan waited for a while and saw Tai Xu finally open his eyes. Xiao Fan couldn't help but ask happily, "Master Dao has found a way?"

  He stroked his beard, remained silent for a moment, and then snapped his fingers: "Let me calculate the divination first, to see if it's auspicious or not."

  Xiao Fan wiped his sweat: "...... Dao Zhang, isn't this a bit too childish?"

  How hateful it is in his heart! This kid inexplicably dragged himself into trouble, and now he's saying it was just a joke.

  "What else can we do?" Tai Yu angrily said.

  Xiao Fan sneered: "If Daozhang has no way, I have a method..."

  Tai Xū's white eyebrows rose slightly as he said, "Today, Xiao Fan has brought himself to the Golden Jade Building and made such a big fuss. Now, finally, we've gotten to the point."

  "What's your trick?"

  Xiao Fan hehe smiled twice, and his gentle and elegant appearance suddenly became treacherous and cunning.

  Under the inexplicable gaze of the shop assistant, the two of them whispered a few sentences in each other's ears.

  Then, in the Golden Jade Building, amidst the clinking of cups and saucers, in the grand hall filled with guests, an elderly Taoist priest was eating when he suddenly spat out white foam, his body began to convulse violently, followed by a loud crash of falling cups and plates. The old Taoist priest fell heavily to the ground under the stunned gaze of everyone present. Although the whole process did not last long, it caused quite a commotion. The guests in the hall who were engaged in lively conversations all noticed, and the entire hall suddenly fell silent. Everyone curiously stared at the old Taoist priest lying on the ground, still convulsing and spitting out white foam.

  Things are not over yet, the shop assistant has not reacted, and a young man sitting next to the old Taoist suddenly rushed to the side of the old Taoist, sadly and shocked: "Taoist! Taoist! What's wrong with you? What's really wrong with you?"

  The old Taoist was shaking his fist, struggling to lift his hand, and with a resentful gaze pointed at the bewildered shop assistant, saying in a stuttering tone: "You... you put something in my dish?"

  A white and chubby person, seemingly the master of the hall, walked out with a pale face, wiping away cold sweat. Upon seeing the old Taoist priest, he hastily said: "Is the Taoist priest okay? Quick! Call for a doctor..."

  The old Taoist's trembling finger pointed at the fatty and said with hatred: "You... what exactly did you put in the dish?"

  The fat man was so anxious that he almost cried: "We are a proper and legitimate restaurant, apart from the seasonings for cooking, who dares to put other things?"

  The old Taoist pretended to be unaware, his weak and sorrowful voice saying: "Antidote... please give me the antidote... I've eaten your dishes, I'm dying..."

  The guests in the hall were shocked and panicked, each of them frantically clearing their throats and eyes, fearing that they had also ingested some kind of poison. The main hall was filled with the sound of retching and vomiting, one after another, unceasingly.

  The fat shopkeeper was so anxious that his face turned white, and before he could call the boss, the old Taoist let out a long sigh and shouted loudly: "I've been wandering the world for over 60 years, but I never thought I'd die in this small wine tower today! Zhang Sanfeng, my brother! I shouldn't have been greedy! It's karma, it's karma!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, the old Taoist priest fell softly to the ground and was silent forever.

  The young man knelt on the body of the old Taoist priest and wailed loudly: "Master! Master! Come back, spirit! If you leave me behind, how can I explain to Zhang Sanfeng, the old immortal, also known as Quan Yizhenren, with the Daoist name Xuanxuanzi, and also called Xuan Yidaochang...?"

  "Bang!" The entire hall of diners was like a barrel of gunpowder ignited by a spark, and it suddenly exploded.