Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality

But as time went on, and he learned more about the Dao Seeking Sect, he realized that his master was a big pitfall.

Not only did his master not cultivate properly and was often locked up by the Eldest Senior Sister, but he also made enemies everywhere.

Lu Yang had heard that officials in the Imperial City had a tradition of forming cliques. He thought it was similar to his past life, where people formed groups based on their hometowns.

But Meng Jingzhou explained to him that the divisions were based on whether or not they had conflicts with Daoist Non-Speaker.

Lu Yang couldn’t fathom how his master managed to provoke so many people.

Did he slap each of them during the imperial exams?

Lu Yang used to think that although the officials in the Imperial City had grudges, surely the Five Great Immortal Sects would stand united and not hold a grudge against his master too, right?

Now it seemed he had been too optimistic.

In contrast, Eldest Senior Sister Yun Zhi was reliable—stunningly beautiful, guiding him in cultivation, and always ready to help him in life-or-death situations.

“By that standard, doesn’t that make me reliable too?” Everlasting Fairy was overjoyed, feeling that Lu Yang was finally seeing things her way.

She was one of the Top Ten Beauties of Ancient Times, her appearance flawless, comparable to Yun Zhi.

She had taught Lu Yang spells, guided him on how to form the Invincible Core, and helped establish his reputation.

When Lu Yang was almost possessed, she stepped in to protect him.

She ticked all the boxes!

Lu Yang looked at Everlasting Fairy with a weary expression, silently recalling how she never mentioned how his senior brothers and sisters lined up to beat him.

…

Yan Tianzhi realized his words had caused some misunderstanding, making it seem like he had a deep grudge against Lu Yang. After some thought, he tried to express goodwill: “Master…and…your sect’s…Great Elder…are very…good friends…often…interact.”

“Is that so?” Lan Ting and Bai Ming were surprised.

Lu Yang’s expression turned strange. Interact how? Discussing which coffins were most comfortable to lie in?

Yan Tianzhi wanted to say more, but it was too laborious. Instead, he pulled out a set of blueprints from his identity jade token and spread them out on the table while they waited for the food.

The blueprints depicted numerous rectangles connected in a honeycomb pattern.

The more Lu Yang looked, the more it seemed like blueprints for a three-bedroom apartment.

“This…they designed…coffins…said…they’re comfortable…to sleep in.”

“And you can…carry them around…if you can’t find…a place to stay…you can sleep…inside.”

Lu Yang: “…”

So, the Great Elder had handed over the task hall’s responsibilities to Senior Brother Dai Bufan just to spend his days designing coffins?

Did Senior Brother Dai know about this?

At that moment, the waiter shouted, “Here come the dishes! Could the esteemed guests please make some room?”

Yan Tianzhi quickly put away the blueprints, and a series of mouth-watering dishes were placed on the table.

None of the dishes were familiar to Lu Yang, but their aromas alone suggested they were of top-notch quality.

Bai Ming said, “Help yourselves. The governor has covered all expenses for food, accommodation, and travel during the grand event.”

Lu Yang smiled and raised his teacup. “To the governor.”

“To the governor.”

“To the governor.”

They clinked cups and began eating.

During the meal, Lan Ting asked, “By the way, there’s an appraisal event later. Are you guys interested in joining?”

“What’s an appraisal event?”

“It’s hosted by Land of Gold Commerce. They’ll display all sorts of rare and strange items, and anyone who can identify their origins gets to keep them.”

“It’s not about the value of the items; it’s just for fun.”

“Sounds interesting, I’m in,” Lu Yang was the first to respond.

“Count me in,” Meng Jingzhou followed closely.

Bai Ming thought for a moment. The task assigned by the governor was already completed, so joining the event seemed like a good idea.

“I’ll go too.”

“I’m in,” Yan Tianzhi said concisely.

All five were eager to attend the appraisal event to broaden their horizons, so they sped up their eating and finished the meal quickly.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Meng Jingzhou nudged Lu Yang and gestured for him to look in a certain direction.

Lu Yang followed Meng Jingzhou’s gaze and saw a bustling barbecue shop with a line stretching out onto the street.

The barbecue shop was called Come Again BBQ.

A small line of text at the bottom right corner of the sign read: Temporary Branch at the Qingzhou Festival.

“The Nine Nether Sect moves fast, huh? They’ve already opened a shop here?” Meng Jingzhou whispered.

Lu Yang shook his head. “It’s unlikely. It’s been less than a month—there’s no way they’ve opened branches everywhere. The fire seeds we gave them aren’t even enough. They’re probably just here for publicity, taking advantage of the grand event.”

Bai Ming noticed the odd expressions on Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou’s faces and smiled. “Are you guys interested in this barbecue shop? Last night, when Lan Ting wasn’t around, Tianzhi and I tried it. The owner claimed their skills were inherited from ancient times, boasting that it was a 300,000-year-old establishment.”

“Who knows if that’s true, but the taste is indeed top-notch. It’s the best barbecue I’ve ever had.”

Yan Tianzhi nodded, agreeing with the barbecue shop’s flavor.

Lu Yang thought, “You Nine Nether Sect guys really know how to boast. A 300,000-year-old shop? Why not say your fire seeds are also 300,000 years old?”

But it was true that the technique had ancient origins, given that the basic barbecue recipe was provided by Barbarian Bone.

“How about we have a meal there after the appraisal event?” Bai Ming suggested.

“No need, we just thought the shop’s name was interesting,” Lu Yang said. He and Meng Jingzhou didn’t need to eat there since they made the most authentic version themselves.

Lan Ting noticed the shop’s name; she was one of the second batch of employees at the main branch, with considerable seniority.

The first batch of employees was the Specters.

Same name, and particularly delicious—could it be a coincidence?

Worried there might be something more to it, she sent a message to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou: “Does this barbecue shop have anything to do with you?”

Lan Ting was sharp and perceptive, so there was no point in hiding it. Lu Yang explained, “There’s a bit of a backstory. Don’t mention it to others—there could be cult infiltrators in your Immortal Palace.”

Hearing the word “cult,” Lan Ting realized the gravity of the situation and assured, “Don’t worry, I won’t even tell my master.”

Lu Yang felt reassured and continued, “Through Meng Jingzhou’s and my efforts, we improved the barbecue’s flavor. With the completion of the automatic skewering formation and automatic grill, we’re ready to expand with chain stores. To prevent Nine Nether Sect from causing trouble everywhere, our Dao Seeking Sect is collaborating with Nine Nether Sect to open Come Again BBQ shops across the entire continent. This is just the beginning.”

“Of course, we’re not using the Dao Seeking Sect’s name for the collaboration.”

Lan Ting: “…”

The Undying Sect was just destroyed a few months ago, and now your Dao Seeking Sect has set its sights on the Nine Nether Sect?

Even though slaying demons and eliminating evil is a duty of righteous Daoists, your efficiency is off the charts.

How long do you plan to take to deal with Nine Nether Sect this time?

A month or two?