Hao gave them a lazy smile. “Pretty good deal, right?”
The two girls were left speechless.
Is that… all?
He acts as though he’s sold a regular pot of tea, not noodles that defy the heavens!
Unable to restrain herself any longer, Li Mei spoke again. “Senior.”
“Pardon my manners, but are you truly the owner of this store?”
“Yeah. I own this place.” Hao replied plainly.
Li Mei frowned slightly, watching his expression, his body, the way he spoke.
But there was nothing fake in Hao’s words. She couldn’t sense even a hint of deception.
Before she could ask more, Yunlan Qingyi suddenly laughed quietly
and gently covered Li Mei’s mouth with both hands, pulling her back a step.
“Mei Mei, that’s enough.”
Yunlan Qingyi turned back to Hao with a smile and gave a polite bow.
“Senior Hao, if it is not too bold.”
“May I know your name?”
“Hao. Just Hao.”
There was a quiet pause, then her smile softened.
“Senior Hao, thank you again. We’ll definitely come back.”
With that, Yunlan Qingyi pulled Li Mei along, both of them stepping outside into the moonlight.
As the door closed behind them, Li Mei mumbled behind her hand.
“…But I still have questions.”
“Mei Mei, some mysteries are better left unsolved… for now.”
Xie Feiyan couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. He had been quietly observing the exchange between Yunlan Qingyi and the mysterious store owner, Hao, and was completely thrown off by the whole encounter.
When he entered the store, he was greeted casually, but his attention was immediately drawn to the environment.
The peaceful atmosphere inside didn’t match the dark, dismal alley outside, a place where few would dare to step.
His sharp senses kicked in as he scanned the space. He couldn’t detect anything threatening, but something still felt off.
He didn’t dare lower his guard for several reasons.
First, the warning from the spirit beast still echoed in his mind: “Do not cause trouble inside. Even someone of your level won’t escape if you do.”
Yet, despite the warning, he couldn’t sense anything in the store above his realm. Still, the feeling of unease lingered, and his instincts told him to stay cautious.
The second reason for his wariness was Mo Xixi.
The one who had greeted him was none other than the lost heir of the fallen Ashen Cult Curse.
His faction, the Shrouded Blade, had little information about her anymore, except that she was somewhere in Sovereign City.
Seeing her working here, in a place like this, was completely unexpected.
Mo Xixi was still young, and although she was no match for him in combat, her skills were far from ordinary.
She came from the Ashen Cult, a demonic faction known for their cunning and manipulative ways.
Members of such cults weren’t like normal warriors. They were trained in psychological warfare and deception, skilled in twisting situations to their advantage.
It was something Xie Feiyan had learned to be cautious of over the years.
He could feel the weight of her presence, even though she barely moved.
Her calm demeanor, her watchful eyes – everything about her screamed danger, even if it wasn’t obvious to the untrained eye.
Trying to push down his rising suspicion, Xie Feiyan adjusted his stance, lowering his presence to its bare minimum.
He moved slowly, pretending to be interested in the shelves of instant noodles, trying to blend in while keeping his gaze fixed on Yunlan Qingyi.
This caused Hao and Mo Xixi, who had also been observing Xie Feiyan, to think that there was something wrong with this man’s head.
They couldn’t just outright kick him out of the store, though. After all, he was still a potential customer, even if he was acting strange.
Xie Feiyan continued observing when suddenly, the princess and her attendant entered an Enlightenment State after eating the product called ’Beef-Flavored Instant Noodles.’
Enlightenment from a meal? What in the heavens was going on?
He couldn’t even begin to understand it.
But there was no mistaking it. He could tell by the way they were acting.
Even more, Xie Feiyan could feel the spiritual qi around them, and when he carefully used his own spiritual sense to check, the feeling didn’t betray him – it was all real!
Then, it got even crazier. After their Enlightenment, something even more absurd happened: the princess, who had a unique constitution that made it impossible for her to cultivate, was now able to do so again!
Xie Feiyan saw it with his own eyes. He felt like he was in an illusion.
How could this be?
The best physicians in the land had given up on curing the princess. Her condition was deemed impossible to fix with the medical knowledge of this era.
The emperor had called upon experts from across the cities, but none could help her.
But here she was, cured in mere minutes by a noodle meal.
And the one who had made it possible was… Hao. The very same man who seemed so ordinary, yet Xie Feiyan had sensed nothing extraordinary from him.
That’s when it clicked. That’s why Xie Feiyan didn’t feel anything above him.
It wasn’t because there was nothing stronger – it was because his own realm or perception wasn’t enough to grasp the level of Hao’s power.
This man must be an immortal from the upper realms, or perhaps something even beyond that!
How could someone so powerful look so… normal?
Xie Feiyan’s sharp instincts told him that Hao was hiding everything, controlling his presence so perfectly that even someone like him couldn’t detect a thing.
What a terrifying monster!
If Hao could hear Xie Feiyan’s thoughts, he’d probably be like. “What is bro cooking?”
“It’s definitely burnt!”
“What do you mean ’monster’? I’m just a regular mortal, you’re over here doing mental gymnastics for no reason!”
Back in the present, Xie Feiyan quickly approached Hao, his posture straight and respectful.
“Greetings, Senior.”
Hao glanced at him, taking in the man’s serious expression. But instead of responding with words, Hao simply stared.
He didn’t speak right away – his thoughts were still on how odd this old man was. He couldn’t quite figure out what was going on with him, but it seemed like Xie Feiyan had no intention of stirring a problem.
After a long, awkward pause, Xie Feiyan gave a brief bow.
“Thank you for the service, Senior Hao. I’ll take my leave for now.”