Free Web NovelChapter 20: 20. Dining With The Maids
The primary dining hall of the Dragon Abode was an exercise in understated luxury, constructed from polished spirit-wood that naturally radiated a faint, soothing warmth. At the center sat a grand, circular dining table laden with the morning’s culinary yield.
True to her word, Hong Yu had laid out an immaculate spread: steaming bowls of pearl-white spirit-rice porridge infused with low-tier medicinal herbs, crisp pickled lotus roots, poached spirit-poultry eggs, and a pot of freshly brewed orchid tea that filled the room with a crisp, floral aroma.
I sat at the head of the table, enjoying the quiet luxury of the morning. Sitting directly across from me was Meiyin.
She had adjusted her attire since her appearance in the kitchen, now draped in a soft, pale-pink silk robe that complemented her vibrant hair, though she still retained an air of delicate, post-bath relaxation.
While Hong Yu moved around the table with fluid, mechanical precision, ensuring every porcelain dish was perfectly aligned, Ah Zhu was having a much more difficult time.
Her round, copper-rimmed spectacles kept sliding down her nose as she carefully balanced a heavy tray of condiments. Her tightly bound uniform strained against her notably generous bust with every cautious step she took, her wide hips twisting awkwardly as she tried desperately not to trip over the smooth floorboards.
"Ah Zhu," Meiyin spoke up, her voice dripping with a sweet, youthful curiosity as she ladled a spoonful of porridge into her bowl.
"When you went down to the market square yesterday, did you happen to hear anything about the outer sect disciples? I overheard some seniors mentioning how utterly vile their behavior has become lately."
Ah Zhu froze mid-step, her panoramic hazel eyes widening behind her oversized lenses.
She shifted her weight uncomfortably, clutching the wooden tray tightly against her chest, which only emphasized her voluptuous proportions. "A-Ah, Young Mistress? I... I only briefly passed through the lower sectors to fetch the spiritual spices. I did not dare to linger near the martial plazas."
"You were smart to avoid them," Meiyin sighed softly, tilting her head to look at me with an expression of pure, unblemished innocence.
"The scroll records I read say that without proper guidance, outer disciples quickly succumb to greed. I heard they routinely rob the weaker servants and sabotage each other’s cultivation bases just to secure a few low-grade spirit stones. It sounds so incredibly exhausting and savage. Don’t you think so, Daddy?"
I took a slow sip of my orchid tea, my gaze softening slightly as I looked at her.
To my eyes, she was simply a precious, sheltered young mistress expressing a sweet, genuine distaste for the harsh realities of the world outside our pavilion.
Her pure, fragile innocence was something I felt an instinctive, protective urge to indulge, entirely unaware of the deep, calculated script she was running beneath her sweet demeanor.
"You needn’t worry yourself with the rabble of the outer sect, Meiyin," I said, reaching over to gently pat her soft, damp hair, spoiling her completely.
"As long as you are under my roof, no such vulgarity will ever cross your path. If any disciple ever dares to make you uncomfortable, simply tell me, and I will personally ensure they are erased from the sect archives."
Meiyin’s eyes brightened beautifully at my indulgence, a soft, thrilled flush rising on her cheeks as she leaned into my touch like a pampered kitten.
Beside us, Ah Zhu stood there awkwardly, her face flushing pink as she looked between me and Meiyin, completely out of her depth.
She didn’t know whether she was allowed to chime in on sect politics or if she should simply remain silent, causing her to nervously push her copper glasses back up the bridge of her nose.
Meanwhile, Hong Yu ignored the conversation entirely, her long red hair swaying gracefully as she poured a fresh cup of tea for Meiyin without missing a single beat, her scarred cheek completely impassive
Setting my teacup back down onto its saucer with a soft click, I glanced around the room, noting a distinct absence.
"Hong Yu," I called out calmly. "Where is Ruyi? It is unusual for the head maid to be absent from the dining pavilion during the morning hours."
Hong Yu paused her movements, stepping back and lowering her head in a disciplined curtsy.
"Answering Master: Head Maid Ruyi departed before dawn for Sovereign City, the primary metropolis bordering our Sovereign Sect grounds. She mentioned an urgent need to personally oversee the estate’s seasonal resource allocations and coordinate with the merchant guilds."
A faint, inner amusement rippled through my thoughts. Coordinating supply orders in the nearby city? More like she was using an official errand to flee the estate, desperate for a bit of distance after the sheer intensity of yesterday’s hidden encounter under the table.
She was likely still processing the heavy influx of celestial essence and needed to clear her mind far away from my presence.
Looking at the massive spread of food, then at the scarred, hyper-competent red-head, and finally at the panicking, over-endowed Ah Zhu, the ingrained moral compass from my past life on Earth made itself felt once more.
In this world, servants were expected to stand like lifeless statues, starving while their masters dined on treasures. To my modern sensibilities, it was an exhausting, unnecessary display of elitism.
Furthermore, breaking the traditional hierarchy right now felt like the perfect way to enjoy a relaxed morning.
"There is more than enough food here for an entire squad of guards, let alone two people," I announced, my voice carrying a firm, unquestionable authority.
"Hong Yu, Ah Zhu. Set down the trays, pull up two chairs, and sit down. You will eat with us this morning."
The entire dining hall fell into an abrupt, dead silence.
Ah Zhu gasped softly, nearly dropping her condiment tray a second time as her hazel eyes darted toward Hong Yu in sheer terror.
Even the stoic, red-headed fallen princess froze, her fingers tightening slightly around the handle of the porcelain teapot as she stared at me, completely caught off guard by a command that violated every established law of master and servant etiquette in the sector.
Before either of them could stammer out a refusal, a series of crisp, translucent golden text strings began to overlay across my vision.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: BOND INCREMENT]
• Target: Hong Yu (Feng Huangyi)
• Bond Score: 40/100 ➔ 48/100 (Deeply Respectful / Surprised by Lack of Elitism)
• System Log: The Host’s casual dismissal of rigid class hierarchies has resonated with her hidden past. As a fallen princess, she finds your lack of aristocratic arrogance intensely refreshing compared to the shallow tyrants of the Sacred Flame Empire.
• Target: Ah Zhu
• Bond Score: 50/100 ➔ 55/100 (Grateful / Starstruck)
• System Log: The target is thoroughly overwhelmed by your profound benevolence. Being granted a seat at a high-tier cultivator’s table has triggered an intense wave of loyalty and emotional attachment.
I watched the numbers tick upward with a quiet sense of satisfaction. It was fascinating to see how a simple, instinctive gesture rooted in my modern Earth sensibilities could yield such a seamless leap in alignment.
As my eyes lingered on Ah Zhu, who was currently trembling while trying to steady her round copper glasses, a sudden realization struck me.
I had just run a comprehensive diagnostic on Hong Yu back in the kitchen, but in the midst of all the morning’s chaos and Meiyin’s calculated distractions, I had completely neglected to check the parameters of the clumsy maid standing right beside her.
’Lucy, run a target scan on Ah Zhu immediately,’ I commanded silently, focusing my intent on the panicking young woman. ’Let us see if there is a hidden reason behind her spectacular lack of balance.’
A secondary, emerald-tinted system window materialized smoothly beside the table, breaking down her spiritual blueprint.
[CHARACTER SCAN COMPLETE]
• Name: Ah Zhu
• Identity: Special Auxiliary Character / The Dragon Abode Attendant
• Age: 25 Years Old
• Cultivation Level: Early Qi Condensation Realm (Completely unoptimized)
• Relationship Status: Unmarried / Single-mindedly devoted to household chores
• Bond Score: 55/100 [Deeply Devoted / Starstruck]
• Special Physique: Unawakened Heavenly Gravitational Vessel [Rare Supportive Constitution]. A unique anatomical anomaly that naturally compresses dense, unrefined spiritual energy into specific focal points of the physical body. This explains her exceptionally top-heavy bust and voluptuous lower curves. Because the dense spiritual mass is completely unmanaged, it constantly shifts her center of gravity, causing her perpetual physical equilibrium failures and structural clumsiness.
• Mental State: Pure, terrified, and incredibly eager to please. She is currently experiencing a massive surge of adrenaline due to your invitation, terrified that she might accidentally spill hot porridge onto your lap if she sits down.
• Hidden Desires: To successfully brew a premium grade of tea without breaking the earthenware pot, to unlock a cultivation method that stabilizes her walking balance, and to ensure Master never replaces her with a more competent maid.
A faint, internally amused smile played on my lips as the system window dissolved back into my subconscious. The revelation was almost comical. She wasn’t just naturally clumsy; her own rare, unawakened constitution was actively sabotaging her physical movements by packing pure spiritual weight into her highly distracting proportions.
"Did you not hear me?" I spoke again, breaking the heavy silence of the room with a softer, encouraging tone as I gestured to the empty spirit-wood chairs beside the table.
"Sit. Consider it an order from your Master. Neither of you will perform any duties on an empty stomach this morning."
As the command left my lips, Ah Zhu finally gathered the courage to lift her gaze directly toward me.
The moment her panoramic hazel eyes locked onto my face behind her round lenses, she froze entirely, her breath catching in her throat. Up close, illuminated by the warm, golden morning light of the dining pavilion, my refined and devastatingly handsome features seemed to hit her with the force of an absolute physical blow.
Her mind went entirely blank. She found herself completely starstruck, utterly mesmerized by the sharp, ethereal perfection of her master’s face.
A brilliant, dark crimson flush erupted across her cheeks, traveling all the way down to her collarbone, making her look even more flustered as her hands gripped her apron in sheer, awe-filled adoration.
While Ah Zhu remained entirely paralyzed by her own blushing awe, Hong Yu took a slow, deliberate step forward.
The porcelain teapot in her hand was placed back onto the table with an immaculate, near-silent click. She did not immediately pull out a chair; instead, she adjusted her posture, her long, vibrant red hair catching the morning light as she tilted her face slightly, allowing her emerald eyes to lock onto mine.
The jagged scar slicing across her left cheek tightened as her expression morphed into a mask of polite, yet razor-sharp vigilance.
"Master," Hong Yu spoke, her voice smooth and devoid of the panicked stammering that usually defined Ah Zhu. "If this subordinate may be permitted to speak frankly... your command directly violates the foundational laws of the Sovereign Sect, and indeed the entire cultivation world.
Servants do not share the same table as their masters. To blur the line between ruler and servant is to invite chaos, and in many grand factions, a maid who dares to seat herself beside her lord would have her cultivation base crippled on the spot."
She paused, her gaze drilling into mine with a quiet, testing intensity. Beneath her disciplined facade, the ancient, battle-hardened soul of the Fallen Vermilion Princess was searching for a hidden motive.
She was testing me. In her seven hundred years of life, she had seen powerful men use benevolence and artificial breaking of taboos as a cheap tactic to lower the guard of vulnerable women, softening them up before executing far more predatory designs.
She wanted to see if I was a typical, scheming tyrant wearing a mask of casual generosity, or if there was an ulterior political motive behind my sudden disregard for traditional etiquette.
Across the table, Meiyin’s eyes narrowed by a fraction of a millimeter, her innocent demeanor perfectly intact as she quietly observed how I would handle this direct challenge to my authority.
I met Hong Yu’s gaze directly, my expression remaining entirely unbothered. The ingrained moral framework of my past life on Earth simply found these rigid, archaic power dynamics tedious, but as a supreme powerhouse in this world, I also had no obligation to justify my lifestyle to anyone.
"Hong Yu," I replied, my voice a calm, low resonance that effortlessly commanded the space.
"The Sovereign Sect may govern the mountains outside, but they do not dictate the rules within the walls of the Dragon Abode. I do not build my authority on whether my staff stands or sits while I consume a bowl of porridge."
I picked up my chopsticks, casually gesturing toward the empty seats.
"If I require blind, fearful obedience to feel powerful, then my cultivation is a sham. I told you to sit because there is too much food, and I prefer a relaxed morning. My motives are as simple as that.
Now, sit down before the spirit-rice completely loses its spiritual warmth."
Hong Yu remained frozen for a fraction of a second, her sharp emerald eyes searching my face for even a flicker of deceit, hesitation, or lustful intent.
Finding absolutely nothing but absolute, unshakable confidence and a genuine, casual indifference to the world’s elitist rules, her defensive posture slowly melted away.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: BOND INCREMENT]
• Target: Hong Yu (Feng Huangyi)
• Bond Score: 48/100 ➔ 53/100 (Intrigued / Subtly Moved)
• System Log: The target has failed to find any hidden malice or predatory deceit in your actions. Your genuine indifference to rigid social hierarchies has deeply struck a chord within her scarred heart, reminding her of the rare, true nobility she once knew before her fall.
A quiet, almost imperceptible breath escaped her lips. "Understood, Master. Please forgive my overstepping."
With a graceful, fluid motion, Hong Yu pulled out a spirit-wood chair and seated herself, her movements possessing the natural dignity of a queen despite her simple linen maid uniform.
Seeing her counterpart actually take a seat, Ah Zhu let out a soft, squeaking gasp.
Realizing she had no choice but to comply with a direct command, she tentatively shuffled forward, her voluptuous hips swaying awkwardly as her unawakened gravitational physique made her stumble slightly into the chair beside Hong Yu.
She sat down on the very edge of the wood, her face still completely crimson as she kept her head lowered, utterly starstruck and terrified to look back up at my face.
Across from me, Meiyin watched the interaction play out, her wide eyes blinking in brief, silent curiosity as she tried to process this sudden shift in the household dynamic.
