Chapter 31: Why must you make things difficult for us?
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When they turned around, they saw four or five people dressed in identical robes. They were probably disciples of some sect.
The waiter had finally found a gullible customer, so naturally he would not let this group ruin things. Though they looked fairly wealthy, they did not seem like the sort who scattered money freely.
“Young master, our private rooms are still mostly empty.” There was no need to fight over this one.
The young man, however, either truly had not understood or was deliberately making trouble for them. He stubbornly refused to yield.
“I want their room.”
Seeing that someone was intentionally looking for trouble, Jiang Zao pushed between the two men and came to face the group. She did her best to make her voice sound gentle.
“Since you are so insistent, young master, we are willing to give it up.”
She had come to eat and had no desire to start a conflict, even though this person clearly seemed to be provoking them on purpose.
“Waiter, take us to another private room.”
“Ah, yes.”
Since he wanted it, they would give it to him. They were not unreasonable people.
“Wait.”
The young man stopped them. “I’ve changed my mind.”
Jiang Zao turned back and calmly watched him put on his little performance. If someone gave you a way out, you ought to take it honestly instead of insisting on provoking them.
“Any private room they take a liking to...” The young man paused, deliberately emphasizing his final words. His eyes were brimming with provocation. “I want them all!”
He was determined to make things difficult for them. The humiliation he had suffered last time remained vivid in his mind, and he would never forget the way everyone had looked at him.
Fang He’an clenched his fists, forcing down the fury in his heart. He would make these people pay!
“Young master, this... this really isn’t appropriate.” The waiter stood between them, smiling nervously.
Who went around looking for trouble like this?
“Young master, this sort of unreasonable behavior is pointless.”
“The waiter just said there are plenty of private rooms. Why are you deliberately making things difficult for us?”
Jiang Zao’s voice was flat, her expression half-amused and half-mocking. Yet Fang He’an sensed danger beneath it. She was nothing like the harmless person she appeared to be.
Why did she look more and more familiar? He was not sure. He would have to keep watching.
Jiang Zao stared at him without blinking. She was certain she had seen him somewhere before, but she could not remember where.
How frustrating... Who was he?
The moment Fang He’an saw that face, he was reminded of the humiliation he could never erase. His hatred for her surged like a tidal wave, though outwardly he merely continued to sneer.
“I simply can’t stand the sight of you. What are you going to do about it?”
The moment Fang He’an spoke, everyone fell silent. The waiter caught between them became even more convinced that this group had come solely to cause trouble.
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This was not something a mere waiter could handle. While the two sides faced off, he quietly slipped away to find the proprietor.
“Hey, look over there. Aren’t those cultivators from Qingya Academy?”
“They really are. Who wouldn’t recognize those blue robes?”
“A bunch of hypocrites who spout benevolence and morality all day. They really think they rule the entire cultivation world.”
“They may look like hypocrites, but they’re genuine villains. Aren’t they bullying someone again?”
The conflict drew the attention of the diners inside the building. Upon recognizing the familiar robes, they began criticizing the group one after another. Qingya Academy had left such a poor impression on everyone, and the disciples recruited over the past few years had been especially outrageous.
Those familiar with Qingya Academy were also curious. How had an academy renowned for its refined manners and noble conduct managed to produce disciples who behaved like bandits and brigands?
“Young master, I don’t believe we know each other. Don’t you think you’re going too far?” Jiang Zhuoran frowned slightly as he looked at Fang He’an, his expression displeased.
“Exactly!” Lou Si angrily chimed in from the side. If his junior sister had not been holding him back, he would have lost his temper long ago. There was no way he would still be “calmly” arguing with them like this.
The last time they had gone down the mountain, they had encountered a beggar who held Zaozao hostage. Now they had run into another unreasonable lunatic...
They only wanted to have a peaceful meal. They had not broken any heavenly law, so why was that so difficult?
Fang He’an’s eyes were dark and sinister. He let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“You really are noble people with short memories.”
“Junior brother, there is no need to waste words on them. If you dislike them, just throw them out.”
The woman behind Fang He’an stepped forward and stood beside him, looking at the group with undisguised disgust.
Fang He’an shook his head and politely refused. “There’s no need to trouble senior sister.”
Lin Xiaoyuan stood off to one side, deflated. She felt that he had rejected her because of them, and her loathing for the group deepened.
“Fellow cultivator, why don’t you explain exactly what you want instead of wasting everyone’s time here?” Even Yan Wuqiu, who normally had the mildest temper, was growing irritated.
Judging from Fang He’an’s words and Jiang Zao’s thoughts, the person opposite them clearly knew who they were. Yet Yan Wuqiu searched through every corner of his memory and could not recall ever seeing him.
Rather than making blind guesses, it was better to bring the matter into the open.
“You’re the beggar from last time.”
After racking her brains, Jiang Zao finally recognized the young man before her.
Who would have imagined that this handsome youth, with a face as flawless as jade and eyes bright as stars, was the filthy, disheveled beggar who had been hunted down several months ago?
Jiang Zao could not help thinking that clothes truly made the man, just as a fine saddle made the horse.
Fang He’an froze for a moment before replying with a sinister, sarcastic smile.
“I never thought someone as exalted as you would remember me.”
Jiang Zhuoran and Yan Wuqiu were also stunned. If he was the beggar from that day, then everything made sense. His behavior now was obviously an act of revenge.
After he admitted it, Jiang Zao gave a cold, mocking laugh.
“That day, you were the one who held me hostage first and threatened them afterward. What made you think we would simply forgive you like some benevolent saints?”
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“We’re not your parents. Why should we do whatever you want?”
“You’re a grown man. Don’t you even understand the principle that the victor becomes king and the loser accepts defeat?”
“What are you to criticize my junior brother?”
Hearing Jiang Zao mock her junior brother, Lin Xiaoyuan flew into a rage. She drew the sword at her side and prepared to fight Jiang Zao.
“Just because your junior brother is precious, does that mean my sister deserves to be bullied?”
Lou Si, already seething with anger, leaped into the air and summoned his sword. He stepped in front of Jiang Zao and engaged Lin Xiaoyuan in combat.
He did not know exactly what had happened between them, but he could infer the general outline from their words.
Her junior brother had clearly been in the wrong first, yet he still wanted to bully A-Zao. Where in the world could anyone get away with something so shameless?
“Master, it’s them!” The waiter walked ahead and pointed toward the two groups.
“Immortals, please stop! Both of you, please stop!”
The little inn could not withstand this kind of destruction...
The portly proprietor looked anxiously at the two people fighting. His cries from below were filled with helplessness.
Cultivators often stopped at Fragrant Abode Tower to rest and eat, but this was the first time they had ever fought there. He was only a mortal. Could they not spare a thought for him?
“Oh, no... my inn!”
Seeing that neither of them was listening, the proprietor helplessly dropped onto the floor. Tears welled in his eyes, and the light gradually faded from them.
Jiang Zao watched the portly proprietor collapse onto the ground with a long, mournful sigh, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
This proprietor certainly had... a vivid personality.
Jiang Zhuoran and Yan Wuqiu exchanged a glance before immediately looking away, clearly sharing her opinion.
It really was painful to watch...
“Fourth Brother!”
Hearing her voice, Lou Si stopped mid-strike and landed steadily beside her. He turned toward Lin Xiaoyuan with a cold gaze.
“I’ll let you off this time.”
“You...”
“Senior sister.”
Lin Xiaoyuan was unwilling to accept it, but Fang He’an stopped her and gave a subtle shake of his head. With no choice, she could only remain where she was and snort angrily to vent her frustration.
The fight ended. The portly proprietor hurriedly rose from the floor, a hopeful smile spreading across his face. He looked entirely different from a moment before.
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