"Geeta, the dishes are ready; please serve them to the customers," said the elderly woman as she handed Geeta the plates with the dishes on them.
Geeta nodded and reached out to take the plates, then left the kitchen to walk over to Ronin and his group.
*sniff…*
*sniff…*
"Dishes are coming."
"Dishes are coming."
Sese and Xu exclaimed while sniffing the air and eagerly looking at the dishes Geeta was bringing to serve them.
"You two, show some discipline," Ronin scolded with a furrowed brow.
The two girls fell silent and watched eagerly as Geeta calmly placed all the dishes on the table in front of them.
"Where is that little girl?" Geeta asked as she finished setting up the table, looking at Ronin.
"She's injured, so she didn't join us on our journey," Ronin replied while enjoying the dishes in front of him.
"Oh, I hope she recovers soon," Geeta said.
"She will recover, and if she doesn't, I'll make sure she does," Ronin stated with determination in his gaze.
Geeta nodded and turned to walk away from the table.
But Ronin interrupted her, "Can you tell me what both of you are doing here when there's no one living in this place?"
"We are travelers, and we'll open our restaurant wherever we choose to spend our time," Geeta replied with a playful smile.
"Oh, I see," said Ronin, returning his focus to his meal.
Meanwhile, inside one of the inns...
"Brother Taser, even though we can't confront him directly, we can operate from the shadows and use others to eliminate him without him realizing that we were behind his demise," suggested Elder Tu Faj, wearing a cunning expression.
"Brother Tu Faj, do you think I haven't considered that approach for revenge? I've dispatched one of my sect's disciples to track him discreetly, and soon, he'll provide a report on our enemy," replied Elder Taser, calmly sipping his tea.
"Haha, Brother Taser, I've also tasked my disciples with monitoring his movements, and I'll soon receive a report as well," Elder Kalyug chimed in, laughing heartily.
"Elder Taser, Elder Kalyug, you're both ahead of me in planning, and I truly appreciate it," said Elder Tu Faj, showing a fawning smile as he cupped his hands.
"Haha, Elder Tu Faj, you're being modest. Our primary goal is to eliminate that scoundrel. It doesn't matter who takes the lead, as long as we all succeed in our mission," Elder Kalyug said with a broad grin.
"I completely agree with Elder Kalyug. Our objective is to eradicate that scoundrel, and whoever takes the initiative is inconsequential," added Elder Taser, placing his tea cup back on the table while nodding in agreement with Elder Kalyug's words.
Meanwhile, in the restaurant...
"Looking at the way they're headed, it seems they're also headed for Shell City," the elderly woman remarked while observing Ronin and his group from the kitchen.
"What? Do you mean he's going to participate in my friend's spouse selection competition?" asked Geeta, her face displaying surprise.
"Hmm, there's a chance he'll be going to Shell City to enter the Ocean Continent and participate in your friend's spouse selection competition," the elderly woman replied with a stern expression.
"Let's see. If he really intends to participate in the spouse selection competition, I'll join him on the journey and observe him closely to determine if he's worthy of being my friend's spouse," Geeta declared with determination.
In the past, Ronin had concealed his appearance, but he hadn't hidden his voice or the demonic aura surrounding him. He expected them to recognize him the moment they saw familiar faces in the restaurant.
Therefore, he acted naturally, making no attempt to pretend he didn't know them or hadn't seen them. Little did they know that even though Ronin had changed his attire, he was still concealing his true identity from them.
They didn't mind and patiently waited until Ronin's group had finished their meal. As Ronin and his group rose from their seats, wearing contented smiles, and bid farewell before turning to leave the restaurant, Geeta interrupted them.
"Brother, my name is Geeta. What about yours?"
"You can call me Ronin."
"And what about you, sister who is wearing a mask?" Geeta inquired.
"My name is Zhen Xia."
"And you two little sisters?" Geeta asked.
"You can call me Sese."
"You can call me Xu."
Then she turned her attention to Lin Fai, inquiring about her name.
"She is our maid," Zhen Xia interjected before Lin Fai could introduce herself to Geeta.
"Oh," Geeta simply nodded her head and didn't bother to learn Lin Fai's name. Lin Fai tried to conceal her embarrassment with a forced smile, reflecting on how it felt when she had ignored people working under her when they tried to speak to her.
"Brother Ronin, are you all headed to Shell City?" Geeta asked, feigning a questioning expression.
"Yes," Ronin confirmed.
"Can my grandmother and I join you on your journey? We're also traveling to Shell City," Geeta pleaded, wearing a hopeful expression.
Before Ronin could respond, he was interrupted by two little girls. "Yay! Of course, we'd love to have you in our group!" exclaimed the two little girls with wide grins.
Ronin shook his head with a somewhat helpless look and simply said, "Okay." He then headed toward the restaurant's entrance and continued his journey toward Shell City, followed by two little girls, two young girls, an additional young girl, and the elderly woman.
That night, they rested in a forest along the way to Shell City. Ronin took on the responsibility of cooking the meal and showcased his barbecue skills, even surprising the elderly woman and Geeta. Everyone enjoyed the barbecue, and Geeta pestered Ronin all night for the recipe.
Ronin agreed to share the recipe on the condition that she provide him with a lifetime free pass to enjoy their restaurant's dishes without charge.
She believed that obtaining the barbecue recipe was more valuable than the condition Ronin had set, so she readily accepted it.
"Yay! We'll get to enjoy free meals at Sister Geeta's restaurant from now on!" exclaimed Sese and Xu simultaneously.
The elderly woman shook her head, wearing a somewhat helpless expression, as she observed the wide grin on Geeta's face, who held the barbecue recipe as if it were a priceless treasure.