Chapter 2 Men and Women in the Tavern
After Old Huang left, Chen Yao, seeing that it was still early, didn't immediately make preparations. Instead, he called over a few familiar faces from among the servants and headed towards the outside of the Spirit Hall.
The group, dressed in Spirit Hall uniforms, swaggered through the streets of Spirit City. Even the servants following behind Chen Yao looked imposing.
The pedestrians on the street, upon seeing Chen Yao and his group, quickly made way for them, casting envious glances.
There was no way around it; in Spirit City, the Spirit Hall was supreme. Even the Spirit Hall servants were a cut above the common people.
Especially the leader of this small group, who wore a Spirit Hall steward's badge, making him even more enviable.
Feeling the envious gazes around them, the servants behind Chen Yao were all smug and arrogant.
And so, the group arrived at the nearest tavern.
That would be hard work, so Chen Yao needed to eat and drink his fill first.
As for the servants he brought along, they were his money bags, there specifically to pay for him. In exchange, Chen Yao would turn a blind eye to their occasional slacking off.
As soon as they entered the restaurant, the rich aroma of food wafted over, whetting Chen Yao's appetite.
The servants, having toiled all day, couldn't resist the temptation and quickly found a table by the window.
As soon as they sat down, a rather burly servant with thick eyebrows and large eyes shouted loudly,
"Waiter, bring me all the best food and wine!
If our Steward Chen isn't happy, I'll smash up your place!" This burly man wouldn't have dared to do this alone, but with Chen Yao present...
Chen Yao was an outer steward of the Spirit Hall, rumored to have a master-disciple relationship with a legendary Soul Douluo elder, and at only 20 years old, he was already close to breaking through to level 20, a Soul Master with a promising future.
With Chen Yao by his side, the burly man felt incredibly confident.
Chen Yao, seeing the man using him as a shield, wasn't annoyed. He had received many favors from these servants, so satisfying their vanity was nothing.
Besides, he had been in Spirit City for so many years, he knew the city's layout like the back of his hand, and knew where not to mess with. He could easily handle this slightly secluded restaurant.
"So it's the esteemed gentlemen of the Spirit Hall who grace our humble establishment with their presence! It's an honor to have you here. Rest assured, gentlemen, I'll immediately serve you our best dishes, I guarantee you'll enjoy your meal to the fullest!"
Hearing the burly man's shout, a young man dressed as a servant with a white turban over his shoulder hurriedly came forward, smiling obsequiously.
"Hurry up, don't keep us waiting!"
The burly man waved his hand, tossing a silver soul coin to the waiter.
The Spirit Hall offered excellent benefits; even menial servants like them were guaranteed a gold soul coin a month.
Paying for a lavish meal was easily within their means.
This was why so many people were desperate to join the Spirit Hall.
"Yes! Yes! Gentlemen, please wait a moment, the food will be served shortly!"
The waiter, catching the silver soul coin, smiled even more broadly and hurried to the kitchen to order the food and drinks.
Neither Chen Yao's group nor the restaurant staff objected to the burly man's slightly arrogant attitude. However, someone nearby expressed dissatisfaction.
"Heh, there are quite a few parasites in your Spirit Hall. Even just eating a meal, they can be so arrogant. I wonder what kind of shady dealings they're up to!"
A simply dressed man, not particularly handsome but with regular features, sneered from a seat not far from Chen Yao and his group, speaking to a woman dressed in exquisite finery across the table.
Although he was speaking to the woman, he didn't lower his voice, so Chen Yao and the others could hear him clearly.
"Thump!"
At the table, Chen Yao and the others turned sharply, looking in the direction of the sound, and saw the somewhat strange pair of man and woman.
Chen Yao didn't care about the man; he looked unremarkable, and relying on his Dark Martial Soul's keen sense of aura, Chen Yao could sense that the man was only a Soul Master of around level 19.
Such strength was usually reserved for providing him and Lao Huang with financial assistance.
What truly attracted Chen Yao's attention was the woman.
She wore a pure white robe, exquisite and gorgeous, perfectly highlighting her graceful figure.
Her slightly curly purple hair cascaded down to her waist, adding a touch of eeriness.
Her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, her crystalline pupils seemingly containing stars, and she carried a hint of majesty.
Although the woman wore a thin veil, the barely visible, hazy lines spoke of her breathtaking, unparalleled beauty!
Chen Yao, driven by lust, naturally felt a surge of attraction upon seeing such a beauty, but he remained still, a look of solemnity even appearing in his eyes.
His experience told him this woman was definitely not simple!
Furthermore, his martial spirit couldn't sense her exact strength, leaving him completely baffled.
While Chen Yao was cautious, others lacked his discernment.
"Bang!"
The burly servant who had just been shouting slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and glared angrily at the man who had spoken.
"Bastard! What did you say? How dare you disrespect the Martial Spirit Hall?"
"Disrespectful, so what? I was just stating the facts,"
the man scoffed.
Upon hearing this, all the servants couldn't sit still any longer, leaping from their seats to look at the man, their eyes gleaming with amusement.
Even Chen Yao, who had originally intended to stop the burly servant from continuing, changed his expression and became somewhat gloomy.
This was practically an insult directed at the Spirit Hall, and since he was currently wearing the Spirit Hall's uniform, if he ignored it, and word got back to the higher-ups, he'd be fired.
Even though he was incredibly wary of the woman beside him, Chen Yao had to step forward.
"Friend, it sounds like you're quite dissatisfied with the Spirit Hall..."
Chen Yao stood up, forcing a smile, while glancing at the woman out of the corner of his eye. He noticed her indifferent expression.
"Friend? We're not friends. Besides, I'm not dissatisfied with the Spirit Hall itself, but with you parasites within it,"
the man said disdainfully.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yao's face darkened.
"Deacon Chen, why be so polite to him? Let's just take him down! How dare he spout such nonsense about the Spirit Hall in Spirit City? I think he's got a death wish!"
At this moment, the burly servant behind Chen Yao couldn't sit still any longer and shouted angrily.
Chen Yao didn't refute this; in fact, a faint surge of soul power rose from his body, his eyes turning cold and dangerous!
"Enough!"
Seemingly sensing an impending conflict, the woman finally spoke. Her voice was as smooth as silk, like precisely played notes on a harp string—pleasant to the ear, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"This matter ends here. You may leave."
As her voice fell, a faint fluctuation of soul power emanated from the woman.
Under the influence of this soul power, Chen Yao was horrified to discover that his own soul power was suppressed, as if lifeless within him, unresponsive no matter how he tried to activate it!
"This woman is at least a Soul Master!"
Chen Yao broke out in a cold sweat, forcing an awkward smile as he said obsequiously,
"Yes, yes, we've disturbed your meal. We'll leave now."
At the same time, he secretly planned to report the matter upon returning, seeking neither merit nor fault.
When the higher-ups learned of this, they naturally wouldn't make things difficult for a mere level 19 Soul Master. They would send someone of the appropriate level to cause trouble for those two. Some
people truly don't know the immensity of heaven and the thickness of earth, daring to be arrogant in Martial Soul City, not knowing the meaning of death!
With a forced smile, Chen Yao, seeing that the woman made no further move, was about to leave with a few servants when, as he turned, the burly servant muttered,
"Talking so arrogantly, but he's just a guy hiding behind a woman..."
Everyone present was a Soul Master, so his words clearly landed on the table.
The man who had spoken out earlier suddenly changed color, as if those words had struck a nerve! Chen Yao's expression
also changed drastically, and he abruptly turned to look at the servant, his eyes almost murderous!
But at this moment, he couldn't care less about the servant; he hurriedly tried to turn back to apologize and explain, but before he could turn around, he felt an immense pressure, like a mountain, sweeping over him.
The woman instantly subdued several people present, forcing them to the ground, unable to move.
Chen Yao struggled to look up, meeting the woman's cold, indifferent eyes, which looked down upon him as if he were an ant in the dust.
At the same time, Chen Yao was horrified to discover that six optimally configured soul rings—yellow, purple, black, and purple—had appeared behind the woman!
"Soul... Soul Emperor!"
Chen Yao swallowed hard,
uttering a bitter sound. Fortunately, the woman didn't seem to intend to kill them; she merely shouted,
"Get lost!"
As the voice fell and he felt the oppressive aura disappear, Chen Yao disregarded everything else and, without a word, immediately ran away at his fastest speed.
After Chen Yao and the others had completely disappeared, the woman slowly sat down, looking at the sullen man beside her, a softening light appearing in her eyes.
"Xiao Gang, don't worry about what others say. In my heart, you'll always be the most talented master of martial spirit theory!"
Upon hearing this, the man's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he looked at the woman, smiling.
"Dong'er, thank you..."
...
As night fell, Chen Yao, having to keep his appointment with Old Huang, parted ways with the group of servants, letting them go home on their own.
However, one person was missing from this group—the burly servant.
But the others remained silent, acting as if he had never existed, each walking briskly towards the direction of the Martial Spirit Hall, as if chased by a ghost.
Meanwhile, Chen Yao, his face grim, walked towards the city gate. Suddenly, he recalled the scene in the tavern earlier, as if connecting it to something, and his expression changed abruptly.
A mediocre man and a powerful woman—wasn't there a perfect pair in Martial Spirit City right now?
It was that useless theoretical master, Yu Xiaogang, and their Martial Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, Bibi Dong!
And coincidentally, the Spirit Hall, in order to highlight the Holy Maiden's extraordinary talent, hadn't concealed her strength; at only 23 years old, she had already reached the terrifying strength of a Soul Emperor.
This perfectly matched the strength of the woman from today!
"Hiss!"
Thinking of this, Chen Yao gasped, inwardly sighing that he had inexplicably walked through the gates of hell.
Fortunately, their Holy Maiden hadn't been so heartless as to kill someone from the Spirit Hall over a minor conflict with her man, otherwise he would have been finished!
"Fine! You guys are powerful, I can't afford to offend you, but your good days are almost over, just wait!"
Chen Yao muttered curses as he walked out of the city, thinking sinisterly about their future fate.
(End of Chapter)