"Dong, dong, dong—"
On this day, the long-silent ancestral bronze bell of the clan emitted a series of dull sounds. The sound was not loud, but it reached the ears of every member of the clan on the island.
"What's happened? To actually ring the bronze bell and call together all the clan members?" Li Zhirui stopped frolicking with Da Qing and looked towards the main hall with a puzzled expression on his face.
"You stay at home; I'll be back soon," he said, and then Li Zhirui got up and left.
Because of the distance, by the time Li Zhirui arrived at the plaza in front of the main hall, most of the clan members had already gathered.
"Zhihao, do you know why the clan is gathering us?" Li Zhirui asked curiously.
"You kid, always cooped up in your room, didn't even know the clan is opening a tavern in the marketplace," Li Zhihao said, looking at Li Zhirui with an odd expression on his face.
Li Zhirui chuckled awkwardly. Indeed, he wasn't much for socializing, simply because he didn't know how to interact with the unfamiliar clan members.
In theory, as everyone belonged to the same clan and was related by blood, they should have been close, but in reality, they hadn't seen much of each other and were basically strangers.
Especially after Li Zhirui learned Water Refining Alchemy and then taught a few clan members, those nearly forgotten relatives started looking at him as if they were starving wolves eyeing fresh meat, pouncing on him the moment they saw him.
Then they would praise him, calling him a child of heaven, a rare genius unseen in a hundred years; no matter how exaggerated, they showered him with compliments, which gave Li Zhirui goosebumps all over his body.
So, Li Zhirui, who already didn't like going out, was even less inclined to leave his home. Now, he hardly stepped out of the door except to hand over the Spirit Pills.
He had thought that teaching alchemy to his relatives would improve his standing in the clan, but in reality, nothing had changed.
Now, hearing from Li Zhihao that the clan was opening a tavern, Li Zhirui did some quick calculations and realized they had left Bailang County about a year ago!
In that year, the Li family had prospered immensely, earning a substantial amount of Spirit Stones each month.
If they were still in the oppressive and feudal Beast Taming Sect, the family's current achievements would either have been forcibly taken by the Beast Taming Sect or they would have been working for them, being exploited in another way.
Thinking of this, Li Zhirui couldn't help but feel fortunate that the White Jade Sect had gained a Nascent Soul cultivator who annihilated the Beast Taming Sect; otherwise, not to mention thriving, the Li family would have been lucky to maintain their current status.
After all the clan members on the island had assembled, Li Shiqing and several Elders emerged from the main hall.
"I expect you all know the reason for this gathering," Li Shiqing said with a smile: "After a year of diligent practice, our family has successfully cultivated two first-tier Spirit Chefs!"
In fact, as early as six months earlier, the two clan members being trained could already produce Spirit Food, but at the time they only knew one simple dish. It was not enough to open a tavern, so they hadn't made a big fuss about it.
It was only half a month ago, once the two had mastered the entire Spiritual Cookbook previously purchased by the family, and Li Shiren had leased a tavern in the marketplace, that they made it public.
Many clan members already knew about it, of course.
"The tavern opens tomorrow. Those who wish to go to the marketplace should come here before tomorrow morning, and Elder Li Shilian will lead you to the marketplace," Li Shiqing announced.
A cheer rose among the crowd—after all, the clan's rules were in place, and many members who didn't meet the criteria could not leave Da Rong Island. Now that all clan members could go, everyone was naturally happy.
The next morning, save for those of the Shiren generation, all the clan members were assembled, and particularly those younger than Li Zhirui were bursting with excitement.
Since they were not yet eighteen and their cultivation had not reached the late stage of Qi Cultivation, they were not eligible to request permission to leave. How could they not be thrilled at the chance to leave behind the tedium of Da Rong Island?
When the group arrived at the Marketplace, Li Shilian led them towards the restaurant, and seeing that there were already a few customers inside, he did not take everyone in, but said, "Go have fun on your own."
"However, you must return here before 17:00, otherwise you'll face the clan's discipline!" Li Shilian said with a stern face, fearing that the excitement might make them forget the time.
The group loudly acknowledged and then quickly dispersed.
Li Zhirui did not leave with the others; after all, he had been to the Marketplace several times already and no longer found it novel, so he stayed behind to see how the restaurant's business was doing, as it was his idea, after all.
The Cloudtop Pavilion, the name of the Li family's restaurant, was located on a side street of the Marketplace, frequented by a fair number of cultivators. The location wasn't the best, but neither was it bad. It was a two-story wooden building with a small yard behind the kitchen, where one could keep Spirit Beasts, prepare ingredients, and offer guests a place to rest.
It was said that the place used to be a restaurant as well, but the Spirit Chef's poor skills could not retain customers, leading to dismal business and eventual closure.
This was convenient for the Li family; there was no need for renovation, just a thorough cleaning and the purchase of some tables, chairs, bowls, and dishes, and they could start doing business, as every day of delay meant a day's rent wasted.
Not knowing why, the passing cultivators didn't realize that the restaurant had changed owners, which resulted in an empty hall with very few customers.
"Elder Shilian, this won't do. No one is coming," Li Zhirui approached Li Shilian and said.
Li Shilian also saw the situation and was concerned but didn't know how to solve it. He then asked, "You have some ideas, don't you?"
"Spread the word far and wide, along with opening discounts," Li Zhirui replied, mentioning two common strategies used by new stores to attract customers from his previous life.
Although Li Shilian did not fully understand, he was not interested in hearing explanations and, with a wave of his hand, said, "Since you have an idea, go ahead and do it."
"I need an Amplifying Stone," said Li Zhirui, unable to refuse and having to take action himself.
"What do you want that trifle for?" Despite his words, Li Shilian still rummaged through his storage bag and took out a half-palm-sized stone.
Li Zhirui, not bothering to explain, recorded a message onto the stone in front of Li Shilian.
"Cloudtop Pavilion's grand opening today, with discounts throughout! Spend thirty spirit stones and save two, and with any purchase of Spirit Food, receive a complimentary bowl of Spirit Rice!"
The voice amplified by the Amplifying Stone immediately attracted many cultivators; one Loose Cultivator asked, "Are you telling the truth? You're not deceiving us, are you?"
"Do you know of the Li Family's Grocery Store? This restaurant belongs to my Li family; naturally, we would not deceive anyone," Li Zhirui assured, patting his chest.
"How can you prove this restaurant belongs to the Li family?"
Fortunately, the shopkeeper, Li Shihua, was recognized by some, and he immediately revealed his identity.
After Li Zhirui invoked the Li family's name for assurance, the person hesitantly believed him and walked into Cloudtop Pavilion.
Seeing that many cultivators were still hesitant, he added, "The restaurant is newly opened, the Spirit Food quantity is limited; once it's sold out, this promotion will end!"
Upon hearing this, some of the cultivators who were undecided immediately entered Cloudtop Pavilion.
The first floor wasn't very large, and to ensure it wasn't too crowded, only twelve square tables were set up.
And thanks to Li Zhirui's advertising and salesmanship, the first floor quickly filled up with cultivators.
As for the second floor, it was divided into eight private rooms which were isolated with Sound-Isolating Arrays and featured exquisite decor, among other reasons. They required a certain fee, and ordinary Loose Cultivators were not willing to spend the spirit stones for such accommodations.