“Why didn’t you save it for me? Didn’t I inform you in advance?” Bi Rui glared furiously.
“We usually save it for you, Your Highness, but today was an exception. The manager said pork spoils easily, and after half an hour it can’t be served, so it was sold early,” the waiter replied nervously, sweat beading on his palms.
Bi Rui’s face turned cold as he said, “So I made a trip for nothing?”
“I wouldn’t dare say that…”
“I think your Manager Su doesn’t respect this prince at all! Believe it or not, I’ll shut this place down!”
As he spoke, he grabbed the menu from the table and flipped through it aggressively with a rustling sound. Then he slammed it shut with a loud snap, tapping the cover with his knuckles.
“Since you wasted my trip, this won’t go unpunished. I want every dish on the menu, three portions each, all packed, and on the house. If you agree, we’ll let this matter go.”
“This…” The waiter froze, cursing internally, but didn’t dare show it on his face.
Bowing slightly, he said, “Your Highness, many of the ingredients are already sold out today. Only the more expensive ones are left—Purple-Legged Centipede and Thorned Howler. The cheaper ones are still available though.”
Hearing this, Bi Rui slammed the menu down hard on the table, “You don’t have this, don’t have that—is it because your suppliers all died? Or are you afraid I won’t pay with Spirit Stones?”
“No, no, I wouldn’t dare…” the waiter responded cautiously.
“Call Manager Su out to see me! I want her to personally pour me tea and apologize!”
“Your Highness, Manager Su is extremely busy in the kitchen and can’t leave at the moment.”
“Busy? Too busy to see me? Another excuse to avoid this prince? What’s she pretending to be, some kind of saint?”
“She truly is busy today. A table downstairs ordered several hundred dishes. Manager Su is swamped.”
The waiter was trying hard to protect his manager and spoke too hastily.
“What? One table ordered several hundred dishes? So they’re the ones who wiped out the food stock? Made it so I can’t even have lunch? I want to see who dares cross this prince in Changtian City!”
Bi Rui slammed the table and stood up, storming downstairs with his usual arrogant attitude like he was ready to trash the place.
The waiter panicked and hurried after him, trying to dissuade him, “Your Highness, please calm down. It’s just a few dishes… This isn’t worthy of your status. The guests downstairs had no idea you were coming today…”
Bi Rui turned and glared. One of his attendants immediately shoved the waiter aside, slamming him against the wall.
The waiter spat out a mouthful of blood, took a few breaths on the ground, then got up and rushed toward the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Bi Rui stormed down to the first floor. He looked around and, seeing only eight dishes on the seven-person table, dismissed them and locked eyes on the two silhouettes behind the folding screen.
Xiao Jing had already stood up upon hearing the commotion.
Bi Rui saw him and froze, “You again!?”
“Indeed. Changtian City really is a small place,” Xiao Jing crossed his arms.
“You’re just a Political Hostage. It’s only your second day in my Yan Empire, and you’re already opposing this prince everywhere?”
“Back at Haina Pavilion, I gave you face out of respect for Manager Qian. But now you’re at the Immortal Spirit Restaurant, once again going against me? Are you tired of living?”
Bi Rui was full of bluster.
Xiao Jing tilted his head slightly and said with confusion, “I’m just having lunch with the Fifth Princess. Do I need to inform you in advance?”
Behind Bi Rui, the guests at the seven-person table noticed the tension and quickly stood up, trying to sneak away to avoid being caught in the crossfire. But as soon as they heard Xiao Jing mention the Fifth Princess, they stopped in their tracks and looked over with gossipy curiosity.
“Huh? Is that Princess Yuhe, who has been staying out of sight since she was crippled?”
“She’s so beautiful.”
“Then that man must be the Third Prince from the Liang Empire?”
“Handsome and poised. Truly striking!”
“They actually look like a perfect match.”
“Getting along so well and even dining together today at the Immortal Spirit Restaurant?”
“Tsk tsk, unexpected!”
Just then, with the screen collapsing, a woman in white who looked like an immortal appeared at the staircase.
Her voice was clear and cold like ice, “Who dares cause trouble in my restaurant?”
Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice.
“Manager Su?”
“So rare to see her. She’s as beautiful as a goddess!”
“The noise must’ve been too much. Even Manager Su came out!”
Su Yuyao’s beauty was well known in Changtian City.
[Detected a suitable Binding Target.]
As Manager Su appeared, a system prompt popped up in Xiao Jing’s mind.
[Su Yuyao]
[Realm: Early stage Profound Understanding Realm]
[Physique: Useless Physique (Rare Spirit-Blocking Physique)]
[Potential Value: 65]
[Identity: Manager of the Immortal Spirit Restaurant, youngest daughter of Elder Su from the Xuanqing Sect.]
[Relationship with Host: First meeting between shopkeeper and customer.]
[Bind?]
[Yes] [No]
Seeing the prompt, Xiao Jing didn’t react immediately.
This system really was proactive.
Another Cultivation Target selected?
But her Potential Value was only 65, and she had a useless Physique. How much could she actually grow?
“System, what are the Useless Physique and Rare Spirit-Blocking Physique? Can you explain?”
[System Prompt:
There are many types of Useless Physiques. On this continent, any Physique that cannot cultivate through conventional means is classified as a Useless Physique.
The Spirit-Blocking Physique is not truly useless.
It naturally blocks the flow of spiritual power, unable to connect internally or externally. It can’t absorb spiritual power from the world or from Spirit Stones.
Additionally, this Physique is naturally immune to all spirit-based attacks and cannot use any spiritual techniques.
In ordinary households, someone with this Physique would be deemed uncultivable and wouldn’t even be given a chance.
However, the Spirit-Blocking Physique has its own path. Through consuming spiritual herbs, spirit beast meat, and spirit plants, it can internally absorb and increase its Realm.
The most suitable path is strength cultivation.
Su Yuyao has enough financial resources to support such a path and can cultivate through food.]
After reading the explanation, Xiao Jing suddenly understood.
There’s an old saying—when one door closes, another opens.
So she can grow stronger just by eating?
Then Su Yuyao, who cultivates through food, would naturally develop amazing culinary skills. No wonder she started a restaurant in Changtian City.
He never expected such a delicate-looking woman to actually be a foodie whose best path is strength cultivation.
In that case, Su Yuyao really was a solid Binding Target.
She couldn’t absorb spiritual energy on her own and needed costly ingredients.
A guaranteed spender of Spirit Stones.
Moreover, as the daughter of Elder Su from the Xuanqing Sect, she definitely had some background.
The Xuanqing Sect was the third-ranked sect on the continent, second only to the Ultimate Dao Sect.
As a sect elder’s daughter, she certainly had some influence.
Xiao Jing immediately chose [Yes] and bound her.