"Dad! Dad! Look, braised pork! Braised pork!!" Scholar Lv, with a "lion's head" meatball stuffed in his mouth, stared intently at the dish that was being served.
The plate of glistening braised pork had barely hit the table before six or seven pairs of chopsticks darted in, and by the time they retreated, even the pickled vegetables underneath were gone without a trace.
"Look at you all eating like you're starving ghosts! Slow down, people might think the Lv family has no manners!"
"Dad, forget about manners, we don't even get to eat this well during New Year's. Look at that fat on your chopsticks; you're eating as much as we are!" The teasing from his youngest son earned him a chopstick rap on the head.
Seeing his little brother get hit, Lv Elevated Man swallowed his food and started to intervene, "Dad, just let everyone eat. We suffered a lot last night to get this meal."
At those words, a sense of relief after a narrow escape from death flickered in the eyes of those who were wolfing down their food.
Last night was really scary; the master was fighting the ghoul below, and they, who performed on stage, were almost frightened to the point of wetting their pants.
Then, as one, they turned their gaze towards Li Huowang, who was lost in thought, looking up at the sky.
An involuntary reverence crept into everyone's eyes, knowing that without the presence of this master last night, they probably wouldn't be enjoying this meal today.
Though young and immature, this little Taoist Master was no ordinary person.
However, as another server brought in a dish, their attention was immediately diverted again.
"Ah! There's chicken! Look, roasted chicken!" Those chopsticks wriggled above the round table eager to move.
Just as the chopsticks were about to tear the chicken apart, an old, lacquered smoking pipe blocked their path at the chicken's head. "Stop! No one touches this chicken! I'm going to invite the little Taoist Master to join us."
"Dad, stop yelling, the Taoist Master doesn't eat meat; you'd be making him break his precepts."
"Shut your nonsense! It's Monks who don't eat meat! I'm laying down the law: if I see even a bit of this chicken missing when I get back, you'll see how I'll deal with you!"
Band Leader Lv glared fiercely at his most restless son, wiped his greasy mouth with his hand, rubbed it vigorously under the table, and turned to walk towards Li Huowang.
"Little Taoist Master, heh heh, little Taoist Master?" Band Leader Lv's face could not have been more affable with all the creases squeezed together.
"Little Taoist Master, you've been busy all night. Come join us for a bite, won't you? Look at the dishes the Hu family has prepared—nothing but juicy, solid fare."
The contemplative Li Huowang turned around to look at him and after some thought, hesitantly asked, "Band Leader Lv, you saw those tablets fall down by themselves, right? That scene wasn't my illusion, was it?"
"Oy, little Taoist Master, how would I know? I don't have your abilities; I was singing on stage with my eyes closed the whole time."
Li Huowang let out a slight sigh; once again, he recalled those words that were whispered in his ear. They were soft, yet definitely not mistaken—it was indeed the voice of his master, Master Danyang, the one in either world who would call him 'child'.
Logically, hearing his master's voice again should make him very nervous, but Li Huowang was lost in confusion, because he couldn't even trust himself.
"I'm crazy, and it's the serious kind. If I say it's because I didn't consume Black Taisui and it's a relapse making me hear things, that would sound completely normal," he mumbled.
"But what about the tablets suddenly collapsing and the God of Happiness appearing and disappearing... None of this adds up. Could it be..."
Li Huowang recalled Master Danyang's bizarre bodily transformation just before dying, his expression turning unsightly. "Could it be that he truly... attained immortality?!"
"No! Master Danyang couldn't possibly have become immortal, the so-called Immortality Cultivation Technique and the inner cores he consumed were all nonsense I made up on the spot. How could such fabrications possibly help someone become immortal? Or maybe what he became isn't an immortal at all!"
But if he wasn't an immortal, what on earth had he turned into now? Why was he bothering me? A trace of ferocious irritation appeared on Li Huowang's face.
"Taoist Master? What are you thinking about? We're all on the same side now, if you have any trouble, just speak up."
Top Scholar Lv's words brought Li Huowang back to his senses, and he took a deep breath, settling on a decision in his heart, "Regardless of its authenticity, there aren't many strategies I can deploy right now. First, I'll go to the supposed Western Capital City and check out the Buddhist Temple that Top Scholar Lv mentioned. If it's real, they might know something. After all, I still know too little about this world."
"Band Leader Lv, it's nothing serious, just remembered some trifling matters. Let's sit down and eat," Li Huowang said.
Hearing Li Huowang's words, Top Scholar Lv nodded happily, and they both turned and walked towards the dining table inside the house.
Upon reaching the table, Top Scholar Lv's expression suddenly stiffened. He saw that, aside from the roast chicken, the other dishes on the table had been licked clean—so clean that the plates didn't even need washing.
"Ah~ What a satisfying feast! Probably even the Emperor himself enjoys such luxury," Scholar Lv, with grease all around his mouth, leaned back lazily in his chair and loosened his belt.
Top Scholar Lv, embarrassed in front of a guest, forced a smile at Li Huowang. It wasn't appropriate to make a scene in front of others, so he could only pick up the roast chicken with both hands and place it in front of Li Huowang. "Taoist Master, this chicken is quite plump. I'm truly sorry for the embarrassment."
Li Huowang smiled and picked up his chopsticks to pull off a piece of chicken, stuffing it into his mouth. "It's alright, the chicken tastes pretty good too."
He had only eaten a few bites when a group of people passed through the corridor and entered the room, with Hu Jianghe, Top Scholar Lv's employer, leading the way.
"Excellent, the ancestors were very pleased, and the offerings on the table were cleanly eaten. This is a good omen, indeed!"
Hearing the compliment, Top Scholar Lv's face beamed with a smile as he quickly humbled himself, "It's what I should do, it's my duty."
"Band Leader Lv, next time you're passing by, you must come to our Hu Family for a cup of tea," Hu Jianghe courteously said.
As he spoke, a burly man next to Hu Qinghe carried over a tray covered with a red cloth. When the cloth was lifted, ten glimmering silver sycees were neatly arranged on it.
"Here's the promised ten silver pieces. Make sure you take good care of them."
"Oh my, thank you for the reward, Hu Master! Rest assured, as long as there's work, all we need is a message and Lv's Troupe will rush over from wherever we are," Top Scholar Lv said gratefully.
After the Hu Master had left, the Lv Family surrounded the tray, eyes gleaming with desire at the sycees in the plate.
Just as Scholar Lv was about to reach out and touch the largest amount of money he had ever seen in his life, he was stopped by a tap from an old smoking pipe.
Top Scholar Lv first took four sycees out of the tray and stuffed them into his pockets, his eyes betraying intense reluctance at the remaining six.
Yet in the end, he smiled again and brought the silver to where Li Huowang was still eating.
"Hehehe, come on now, Taoist Master, we had a deal. Six for you, four for me, here's your share."