Deep down?
Damn it.
Did they just embarrass themselves in front of the disciples of Snow Petal Sect?
Oh hell nah.
Not in front of the jade beauties!
One was Hua Feixue, the Winter Storm, and the other one was even more impressive – Yue Xueyan, the Ice Fairy.
Both were stunningly beautiful and widely revered as geniuses in their own right.
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng were no slouches in status themselves, but after what they had just done, their dignity had taken a serious hit.
Xiao Lianfeng turned to Lin Yijun and sent a mental transmission.
‘What do we do, Brother Yijun?’
Lin Yijun, still trying to act cool despite his face burning red, replied almost immediately.
‘I also don’t have any idea, Brother Lianfeng.’
“…”
‘You should’ve known that door wasn’t ordinary!’
They sighed simultaneously inside. The awkwardness between them was thick enough to cut with a sword.
But then, a spark lit up in Lin Yijun’s mind.
“Hold on, aren’t you two also curious how much strength it really takes to open this thing?” Lin Yijun said loudly, slapping his palms together dramatically.
“Or what kind of spell or array formation is holding this door shut?”
Xiao Lianfeng raised an eyebrow, but caught on and nodded.
“Right! Brother Yijun makes a good point. This door must be fortified with some high-level array, don’t you think?”
Hua Feixue, who had been trying to suppress her curiosity, found herself nodding along before she even realized it.
“That’s true! I mean, logically speaking, it has to be an extremely powerful spell! Maybe a sealing technique? No, no, it might be a spatial lock – ”
Hua Feixue stopped mid-sentence, realizing she’d been swept up in the conversation.
The three of them remained in place, deep in thought, studying the door.
Yue Xueyan, on the other hand, had been silently watching the entire time. Her eyes shifted downward, and she noticed that the sign was flipped. Now, it unmistakably read ‘Open.’
Without saying a word, Yue Xueyan walked over to the door, pushed it effortlessly, and stepped inside.
“Let’s go, Feixue.”
Hua Feixue blinked, snapping out of her daydream. She quickly followed behind Yue Xueyan.
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng stood frozen outside, staring at each other.
“…Did we really just – ” Lin Yijun began, but Xiao Lianfeng interrupted him with a weak chuckle.
“I guess we’re not getting out of this one.” Xiao Lianfeng muttered.
Lin Yijun straightened up as if he was already past the embarrassment. Xiao Lianfeng mirrored him, though it was clear from their expressions that their panic hadn’t quite subsided.
They entered the store hastily, pretending nothing had happened.
Inside the store, Yue Xueyan and Hua Feixue greeted Hao with a respectful bow.
“Greetings, Senior.”
“Greetings, Senior Hao!”
‘Is this their way of saying good morning?’
Hao had seen plenty of customers, but getting treated like some bigshot was definitely a first.
“Welcome.”
Yue Xueyan and Hua Feixue made their way to the shelf where the legendary Beef-Flavored Instant Noodles were displayed. However, their eyes soon caught onto something else.
Right beside the usual cups was another set of instant noodles with nearly identical packaging. The only difference was the illustration.
Hua Feixue grabbed one and read the label.
“Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles.”
“Senior Hao, is this a new product?”
Hao gave a simple nod.
“Yeah, it is. A variation of the cup noodles. It’s also delicious.”
At the word delicious, Yue Xueyan’s ears perked up ever so slightly. A barely noticeable change, but for those who knew her, it was practically a sign of excitement.
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng finally entered, addressing Hao with a bow.
“Greetings, Boss Hao!”
“Greetings, Boss.”
Lin Yijun, having overheard part of the discussion, approached the shelf with the new instant noodles.
“Boss Hao, is this the one you mentioned yesterday?”
Hao simply nodded.
Meanwhile, Hua Feixue turned to Yue Xueyan, holding up the new flavor.
“Senior Sister, do you want to try it?”
Yue Xueyan glanced at the package. “Let’s go with Beef first. Then we’ll try after.”
Hua Feixue nodded, putting the cup back on the shelf.
The new flavor was certainly interesting, but their minds were still on the Beef-Flavored Instant Noodles. Nothing could compare to the enlightenment they had experienced last time.
Yue Xueyan took two cups of Beef-Flavored Instant Noodles and placed them on the counter to pay.
“Senior, do you have no intention of raising the price? We can pay more.” Yua Xueyan asked.
Hua Feixue immediately backed Yue Xueyan up. “That’s right, Senior Hao! You don’t have to hold back! If you’re worried about us affording it, you don’t have to! We’ll pay whatever price you set!”
Hao, however, didn’t even need to consult the system for this one.
“It’s one crystal, no more, no less. Even if an immortal emperor himself descended and personally begged me to raise the price, I’d still refuse.”
“…”
Was Hao joking?
Was he joking? Or was he actually serious?
…No, looking at his completely straight face, Hao was dead serious.
Yue Xueyan narrowed her eyes slightly. ‘Is Senior testing us?’
Hua Feixue, on the other hand, had a different thought. ‘This… this is the mindset of a true expert!’
Meanwhile, Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng, who had just finished checking out the new instant noodles, stood behind them, listening in.
Lin Yijun coughed. But Xiao Lianfeng… he was having an existential crisis.
Before entering, Xiao Lianfeng had instinctively inspected Hao’s cultivation. There was nothing. No spiritual qi, and absolutely zero traces of cultivation.
Yet here Hao was, acting like he sat at the apex of the world.
Wait… could it be…?!
There was an old rumor about reclusive monsters in the upper realms who had hidden their cultivation so deeply that they appeared completely mortal. Some even suppressed their realms on purpose to temper their Dao hearts.
This Senior Hao… is one of them?!
It was Xiao Lianfeng first time meeting this so-called “Boss Hao,” but judging from his words, his demeanor, and the conviction in his voice… there was no doubt about it.
This wasn’t just any senior.
This was a hidden apex existence!
A transcendent being who could name his price to even immortal emperors yet chose to sell instant noodles for one crystal.
A figure of such caliber had long surpassed the limits of cultivation, utterly unconcerned to worldly wealth!