Free Web NovelChapter 197: Chapter 174: Gathering at the Restaurant
Led by Cao Liu, Tie Wuchang soon arrived before Flower Square.
The place was a hubbub of voices and brilliantly lit. Even from a distance, he could hear the enthusiastic calls of the madam and the numerous girls. It was a bustling scene.
But when they reached the entrance, Cao Liu, who had been full of fighting spirit just moments before, suddenly lost his nerve. He couldn’t help but glance back at Tie Wuchang several times.
"What are you looking at? Get a move on!" Tie Wuchang said furiously, completely ignoring the strange looks from the people around them. "These hands of mine are itching for a fight. I have to kill a few people today."
"Where did this shameless old coot come from? Talking about killing people, what a way to spoil the mood," a well-dressed young master scoffed upon hearing him.
Tie Wuchang’s brow furrowed. He glanced up at the young master, only to find he was just an ordinary person, which made him even more furious.
’Back when I was in charge of the Beheading Gang, my power was immense. A single stomp of my foot would make all of Huangpu Guard tremble.’
’A piece of trash like him? I wouldn’t even have had to lift a finger. A single look would have been enough for someone to chop off his head and bring it to me for amusement.’
’To think that just one session of closed-door Cultivation could lead to such a world-shattering change. Now even trash like this dares to provoke me.’
Tie Wuchang was about to erupt when a luxurious carriage passed in front of him and went straight into Flower Square.
Because of this brief delay, the man who had just spoken disappeared into the crowd, nowhere to be found.
The fire in Tie Wuchang’s heart burned even stronger. He wished he could just let loose right then and there, tear a few living people limb from limb to vent his anger.
Sensing the intense, murderous aura emanating from him, Cao Liu dared not hesitate any longer. He said tremblingly, "Gang Leader, please follow me!"
With that, he led Tie Wuchang into Flower Square.
If one were to ask what the liveliest place in Flower Square was now, the answer would undoubtedly be the newly built restaurant, Jufu Pavilion.
Thanks to its prime location and the full support of the Zhu family, who had extensive experience running restaurants, Jufu Pavilion had been an overwhelming success from the day it opened. It had even surpassed the major established restaurants to become the new star among Huangpu Guard’s high-end establishments.
The lanterns were lit, marking the start of Jufu Pavilion’s busiest time of day. The floors, both upstairs and down, were packed with guests, and the waiters’ calls and orders could be heard from a great distance.
As for the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen, it was enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
"Gang Leader, that Xie San and Wu Liangchen are usually fond of spending their time in this restaurant," Cao Liu said cautiously.
Tie Wuchang didn’t say a word, simply striding in with his head held high.
Cao Liu hurried to follow behind him.
As soon as they entered the main hall, a waiter immediately came forward to greet them warmly.
"Sir, my apologies, but we’re out of private rooms. There are still a few tables in the main hall, though. Would you mind?"
Tie Wuchang snorted through his nose by way of reply.
He didn’t erupt immediately, because he wanted to see what the deal was with this restaurant that had suddenly appeared.
Of course, more importantly, he was a little hungry.
In recent years, being busy with his closed-door Cultivation, he hadn’t paid much attention to his daily meals. As long as it filled his stomach and was nutritious, it was good enough.
Later, as the Beheading Gang’s power declined, the restaurants that cooked for them became less attentive, so the food was mediocre at best.
But now, here in Jufu Pavilion, smelling the fragrant aroma of stir-frying from the kitchen, Tie Wuchang couldn’t help but swallow secretly.
’Hmph. It’s not too late to settle the score with Xie San after I’ve had my fill.’
With this thought in mind, Tie Wuchang followed the waiter to a table in the corner.
"What would you like to order, esteemed guest?" the waiter asked with a smile.
Tie Wuchang rolled his eyes. "Bring me a table full of your most expensive and best dishes, and two jugs of your finest wine."
"That’s a lot for just the two of you. I’m afraid you won’t be able to finish it!" the waiter kindly reminded him.
"Cut the crap and bring the food," Tie Wuchang said coldly.
Despite being yelled at, the smile on the waiter’s face didn’t falter in the slightest. "Right away! Please wait a moment, you two!"
With that, he turned and headed for the kitchen.
Cao Liu was terrified. With his meager finances, he couldn’t even afford a bowl of noodles here, let alone a whole table of dishes. He would be bankrupt.
Tie Wuchang didn’t notice his expression.
When the Beheading Gang scattered, the savings he had accumulated over many years were plundered and lost.
So, the current Tie Wuchang was even poorer than Cao Liu.
But he wasn’t the least bit worried.
Pay?
’What a joke. For years, I’ve never paid for a meal.’
’Besides, I came here to cause trouble today. There’s no way I’m paying.’
Soon, the dishes were brought out one after another, like a flowing stream. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Tie Wuchang grabbed his chopsticks and began to eat.
Even with murder in his heart, Tie Wuchang had to admit that Jufu Pavilion’s cooking was quite impressive.
It was at least far better than the food he had eaten during his years in seclusion.
While he was feasting, a man, surrounded by an entourage, arrived at a luxurious private room on the second floor.
It was the same man Wu Liangchen had encountered on the road earlier.
After riding hard all this way, they had finally reached Huangpu Guard.
Someone had already booked a private room at Jufu Pavilion in advance and was waiting to hold a welcome banquet for the man. freёwebnoѵel.com
After he was seated, another man strode forward and dropped to his knees.
"Wang Shihao, Assessor of Huangpu Guard, is here to welcome the Prince’s arrival."
That’s right, the man in plain clothes was none other than the nominal highest-ranking official in Huangpu Guard, the Assessor, Wang Shihao.
He had been pulling strings for a while, trying to return to the Capital.
But certain subsequent events had made him change his mind.
A few officials who shared his intentions had, after returning to the Capital or retiring to their hometowns, soon had their homes ransacked and their families purged, or had died mysteriously for various reasons.
In any case, their endings were far from pleasant.
This frightened him, making him hesitate about whether to return to the Capital.
Just then, a letter completely changed his plans.
The letter’s contents were brief. It simply said that a person of high status had left the Capital and was now on his way to Huangpu Guard, expected to arrive in about ten days.
After receiving the letter, Wang Shihao hesitated for a moment before finally making a decision.
Although he had tried his best to avoid being drawn into the whirlpool of factional strife in the Capital, in the officialdom of Great Yan, he was not his own master.
He could only go with the flow and take things one step at a time.
Seeing his attitude now, the man sitting in the chair smiled with satisfaction.
"Lord Assessor, please rise. Besides, I’m not a prince anymore, just a commoner convicted of a crime."
"The Prince jests. In our hearts, no matter what has happened, you will always be Prince Yu, the one who turned the tide and saved the nation from the brink of collapse!" Wang Shihao said respectfully.
That’s right. This man was none other than Prince Yu, Yan Rui. He had once been locked in an intense struggle with Prince Jing, the two of them known as the Twin Jewels of Great Yan. But later, due to a bewildering case of treason, he was stripped of his title, placed under house arrest, and even thrown on death row.
He should have been locked away in the Capital’s celestial prison, yet here he was in Huangpu Guard. Wang Shihao dared not even guess at the schemes behind this, so he could only pretend to be ignorant.
Yan Rui smiled, a smile like a gentle spring breeze that put others at ease.
"Shihao, you jest. I merely did what a member of the Great Yan imperial family ought to do."
At this moment, the wine and dishes, which had been prepared in advance, were brought to the table under the personal supervision and taste-testing of the old eunuch.
"Sit."
"With the Prince here, how could I dare act so freely."
"Today, there is no Prince or Assessor here. Let us address each other as friends. What do you say?" Yan Rui said with a smile.
Under his deliberate attempt to win him over, Wang Shihao’s eyes reddened with emotion—whether genuine or feigned, it was hard to say.
"Many thanks to the Prince for granting me a seat."
Only then did he dare to take his seat at the table.
A faint weariness showed on Yan Rui’s face. After all, despite his martial prowess, the intense, non-stop journey had taken its toll, and even he was struggling to hold up.
But even so, his speech and demeanor remained refined and elegant, making others feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.
"Shihao, you’ve been thoughtful. The food here is very much to my liking," Yan Rui said with a satisfied nod after tasting a bite.
"It’s just a small restaurant. How could it compare to the Prince’s own residence?"
"You can’t say that. The chef in my residence was famous, but his cooking was too conventional. He never dared to stray from the rules, so it became quite boring after a while."
"The master chef here, on the other hand, is quite creative. Both the presentation and the flavor of these dishes are first-rate."
As a prince of the dynasty, Yan Rui was naturally worldly, and his high praise for Jufu Pavilion surprised Wang Shihao.
"As long as the Prince is pleased!"
Wang Shihao conversed with Yan Rui with some trepidation. He knew that Prince Yu hadn’t escaped the Capital and traveled a thousand li to Huangpu Guard just to have a meal with him.
Yet, as he waited, Yan Rui only spoke of pleasantries, not mentioning court affairs at all.
Wang Shihao couldn’t help but grow impatient. Just as he was about to ask, a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs, accompanied by the sounds of shattering cups and plates and overturning tables and chairs.
The old eunuch immediately moved to shield Yan Rui. "Protect the Prince!"
Without needing his order, the guards had already surrounded the private room, sealing it off completely.
Wang Shihao was startled and even stuttered a little as he spoke.
"Wh-what’s happening?"
In contrast, Yan Rui was very calm. "No need to be so tense. They’re probably not here for me."
Sure enough, a gruff male voice soon roared from downstairs.
"Xie San, get your ass out here!"
Only then did Wang Shihao’s heart relax a little.
’So they’re here for revenge against Xie San.’
This kind of martial world vendetta was all too common in Huangpu Guard. He must have just happened to be here when it kicked off.
Yan Rui, however, grew interested upon hearing the name. "Xie San? Is that the remarkable woman who founded Flower Square?"
"Yes!" Wang Shihao said.
"Interesting!"
As he spoke, Yan Rui rose and walked toward the window. The old eunuch said nervously.
"Master!"
"It’s fine. I’m just going to take a look from the window."
Arriving at the window, Yan Rui looked down and saw that the main hall below was indeed in chaos, with plates and cups shattered everywhere.
A lion-faced old man stood in the middle of it all, surveying his surroundings with a cold sneer.
"What, you saw me coming, so now you’re all too scared to show your faces?"
