Free Web NovelChapter 336: Chapter 335: Bumping into the Queen Mother
Different people have different tastes.
Some might find high-end restaurants delicious and refined, but Gu Zhao thought the old downtown eateries were tastier and more satisfying. Besides, their seafood was better than what you’d find in many fancy establishments.
Seafood congee, grilled oysters, stir-fried razor clams, squid tubes, poached shrimp...
The old eatery was filled with the smoky, lively aroma of daily life. The seemingly messy dishes were bursting with vitality, a far cry from the stiff beauty of meticulously plated cuisine.
Xiao Ya took a gentle sip of her bayberry juice and asked Gu Zhao, a little confused, "Since they have Cultivators too, why would they target us?"
Gu Zhao’s reply was concise. "Because their Cultivators can’t stop bullets, nor can they fly."
Jiang Shishi raised an eyebrow. "Are they that useless?"
Xiao Ya was speechless.
"Let’s put it this way," Gu Zhao said. "Most foreign Cultivators are at the same level as those two you met in Siam. They can use a bit of Hypnosis, or maybe make people weak and sick."
"Is the gap really that big?" Xiao Ya asked in surprise. "Why?"
"Because we have five thousand years of cultural and historical heritage," Gu Zhao said with a smile.
Jiang Shishi picked up an oyster with her chopsticks and brought it to Gu Zhao’s lips. A smile lit up her face as she watched him eat it in one bite. Hearing his words, however, she couldn’t help but ask, "Our civilization is ancient, but other countries have ancient civilizations too, right?"
After a short pause, Jiang Shishi continued, "Aren’t there the Four Great Ancient Civilizations? And what about the glorious ancient Greece?"
Xiao Ya also smiled, peeling several razor clams for Gu Zhao. She chimed in playfully, "You mean the ones with straw sandals and papyrus preserved for thousands of years? Or the stone tablets with no signs of weathering, and the statues and Divine Temples with rebar sticking out?"
Jiang Shishi giggled. "And the Bibles that get ’unearthed’ on demand, and that trilingual Rosetta Stone, right?"
"So you know about all that, and you still ask," Gu Zhao chuckled.
"I’m just curious. Does history and culture really have that big of an impact on the Cultivation Realm?" Jiang Shishi asked.
"Huge." Gu Zhao ate the razor clams in his bowl, feeling the ancient and profound aura of the Five Thunders Order in his Sea of Consciousness. He had long suspected as much. ’It’s bigger than you could ever imagine.’
Xiao Ya said thoughtfully, "So they’re definitely going to pay attention to our country’s Cultivators. Since we both have Golden Gang Bracelets and we’re with you, we might attract their notice."
"Exactly," Gu Zhao nodded. "Of course, they can’t pull any real tricks. I’m just giving you a heads-up."
Jiang Shishi was intrigued. "Will they deliberately get close to us, try to get on our good side, and then pump us for information?"
Xiao Ya was thinking more practically. "Will they use us as hostages to threaten you?"
Before Gu Zhao could even speak, Jiang Shishi leaned toward Xiao Ya. "We have our Golden Gang Bracelets, what’s there to be afraid of? Besides, didn’t Hubby say someone’s protecting us in secret?"
At this, Jiang Shishi suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "Will we be too much trouble for them?"
Gu Zhao glanced around but didn’t spot anyone nearby holding a Vajra Profound Talisman.
But that was normal. After all, he had flown here invisibly with the two women. Even if someone was secretly protecting them, they would be on standby at their apartment complex and workplaces. China was, ultimately, much safer than other countries.
Just then, a voice transmission from Taoist Ming Chong echoed in Gu Zhao’s Sea of Consciousness.
"Sect Leader, the Taoist Office just sent over some intel. They’ve determined that Senior Brother Yi Hong’s identity has been discovered. There’s been an increase in ’tourists’ around White Cloud Temple, and people are asking about Taoist Yi Hong’s whereabouts."
"Oh?" Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow.
"The Office used Xiao Ya’s grandfather’s connections to divert the attention of interested parties to White Cloud Temple, exposing Senior Brother Yi Hong. In doing so, however, they unexpectedly locked onto several suspects who weren’t on our list before," Taoist Ming Chong explained.
Gu Zhao was speechless. "A fortunate mistake?"
Taoist Ming Chong chuckled. "A blessing in disguise."
So Gu Zhao looked at Jiang Shishi and said, "It’s no trouble. No trouble at all. We might even be able to use you two to bait a few big fish."
Jiang Shishi: (｡･ω･｡)
As mentioned before, Gu Zhao and the others wouldn’t deliberately hide their abilities, but they wouldn’t go out of their way to reveal them either. Their friends and family still had to live normal lives, and the public needed to slowly come to accept the existence of the Extraordinary.
Sometimes, a secret exposed by outsiders is more easily accepted by one’s own family.
As Gu Zhao was thinking, his eyes twitched, and he grimaced slightly.
He had just been scanning his surroundings and hadn’t yet withdrawn his Divine Sense. As a result, he sensed two individuals carrying Vajra Profound Talismans approaching. Not far ahead of them, his own dear mother was walking with another woman of the same age.
"You know, that face cream you recommended to me actually works pretty well." A well-dressed woman of about the same age with exquisite makeup and a fine figure spoke while scrutinizing Li Man, her eyes full of envy. "But it’s still nothing compared to you."
If she hadn’t known Li Man for so long, she would have suspected her of getting cosmetic surgery. But after their group of friends had confirmed it again and again, Li Man’s face was still all-natural; she really hadn’t gone under the knife. This only made them more envious.
"It’s probably just a difference in our skin types," Li Man said, making an excuse. "It works fine for me."
"I’m so jealous. You’re a true Sister Shu, your skin is just amazing." The woman teased, then changed the subject. "You absolutely have to come to my son’s wedding next month!"
"Of course, of course," Li Man smiled. "For something so important, Old Gu and I will definitely be there."
"By the way, your Xiao Zhao graduated over a year ago, right? Hasn’t he found a girlfriend yet?" the woman asked. "How about he be a groomsman for my Rui Xuan and get to know the bridesmaids?"
The woman boasted, "My daughter-in-law is a dancer with the Yangcheng Art Song and Dance Ensemble. Her colleagues are all highly educated, beautiful girls with great figures."
At the mention of this topic, Li Man couldn’t help but purse her lips.
Yes, her son was certainly capable. Not only was he tall and handsome, but his Daoist cultivation had given him real skills, allowing him to enter the country’s most elite metaphysical circles at a young age.
A single Golden Gang Bracelet provided health, protection, and made one Invulnerable. A single Elixir and a bottle of Medicinal Wine had made her and her husband feel a dozen years younger, and their life together had become much more harmonious.
Though she was cheerful and lively, Li Man was, at heart, a traditional woman. She couldn’t help but worry about Gu Zhao’s marriage prospects. In her eyes, a life without marriage and children was incomplete.
Even though Gu Zhao had plenty of "study materials" on his computer, he rarely looked at them anymore!
Sometimes, Li Man suspected that Gu Zhao, having succeeded in his cultivation, was genuinely preparing to become a Daoist priest and remain single for life.
He spent all day cultivating and never saw anyone. That wouldn’t do. She couldn’t let the Gu Family line end with him, could she?
Li Man mulled over the possibility of getting Gu Zhao to come out and be a groomsman. He could interact with people his own age, meet a few of those dancers... She wasn’t hoping for an instant match, but at least it might pique his interest...
"This is the place! It’s delicious." The woman stopped at the entrance of the old eatery and pulled Li Man inside.
As the woman pulled her into the old eatery, Li Man’s eyes instinctively swept across the room and landed on a familiar figure. Then she saw that sitting next to this familiar figure were two bright and beautiful young women.
One of the women was peeling shrimp with her delicate hands and placing them in the small bowl in front of him, while the other was picking up an oyster and feeding it to him.
Li Man: ╭(°A°`)╮
