Chapter 2221: Don't Let Gossip Get to You

Are the people of San Shi San Lou being overconfident?

Ye Zhangqing confirmed again.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure, just braised noodles."

"Then it's good."

Since they confirmed braised noodles, there's no issue—making it is simple and won't take long.

But the simpler the dish, the higher the skill required—simple ingredients make perfect flavor harder to achieve.

However, what Ye Zhangqing hadn't anticipated came next: after confirming the dish, before even picking ingredients or starting to cook, the youth challenging him spoke up directly.

"Boss, I... I can't make it."

The youth, too, looked at the San Shi San Lou boss in confusion, having wanted to speak earlier.

"What braised noodles? He's never made them at all."

"Huh???"

Hearing this, Ye Zhangqing stared—how could you not make it if you picked it? Yet the San Shi San Lou boss's answer was even more surprising.

He furrowed his brows slightly, then spoke helplessly.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

It sounded like a complaint at the youth, but he then turned to Ye Zhangqing and said.

"Since that's the case, we concede; tomorrow send someone to my San Shi San Lou's treasure vault."

"Huh???"

Ye Zhangqing felt dazed—are the San Shi San Lou people for real? Just conceding like that? Are you here to challenge or to hand over money?

"Dare you be any more childish?"

"Are you serious?"

He spoke with a strange look, leaving Ye Zhangqing somewhat dazed by the San Shi San Lou crowd.

Yet the San Shi San Lou boss nodded, confirming they had indeed lost.

His mouth twitched involuntarily, revealing a complex mood.

Without waiting for Ye Zhangqing to say more, the San Shi San Lou boss led his people off, leaving only a line telling Ye Zhangqing to come tomorrow to haul things from their treasure vault.

Seeing the San Shi San Lou people depart, Ye Zhangqing stood frozen, momentarily at a loss for words.

Not only himself, but even Huang Lao, who had appeared out of thin air behind him, was utterly bewildered.

"Do you know the people of San Shi San Lou? Did they rush over to hand over money?"

"I don't know them."

Ye Zhangqing and San Shi San Lou had never interacted; moreover, they were close with Extreme Bliss Palace, which by rights should put them on opposite sides from him, yet today this is......................

The people of San Shi San Lou came quickly and left quickly.

In the front hall, many diners hadn't left yet when they saw the San Shi San Lou boss leading people out; seeing that, each furrowed their brows and said.

"How come you're already out?"

"Is the contest over?"

"No way, how long have they been in? Not even a hundred breaths?"

"What's going on? Did they give up?"

The diners were momentarily at a loss; of course, the most puzzled was the Extreme Bliss Palace elder among the outside crowd.

Seeing the San Shi San Lou crowd, he was dumbfounded—what's going on, wasn't this a contest?

"What about the Heaven-Burning Talisman? Why wasn't it used?"

He was utterly bewildered, but seeing the San Shi San Lou boss lead people away without looking back, he now had no chance to ask and could only wait.

San Shi San Lou seemed to have come just to crack a joke, and after the crowd left, the canteen quickly returned to calm.

However, inside San Shi San Lou, the Extreme Bliss Palace elder stared at the boss, face dark, gritting his teeth and said.

"You say you lost?"

"Certainly—Ye Zhangqing's cooking skill is not the slightest bit inferior to an Immortal Chef's; there was no chance to win."

"That's not what I meant—what about the Heaven-Burning Talisman? Why wasn't it used, wasn't the plan all set?"

He never said to let San Shi San Lou win, nor did he ever hope for that; but since you can't win, why not use the Heaven-Burning Talisman? Wasn't mutual destruction the plan?

In response, the boss also spoke resentfully.

"That kid chickened out at the crucial moment, didn't dare."

"What are you saying? How did you pick this person?"

Hearing the boss say the chosen assassin finally chickened out, he never expected this to be the reason; for a moment, all he could hear was the grinding of his teeth.

"Do you know what an assassin is? It's one who regards death as home."

"Damn it, you were told to pick an assassin, yet you picked a coward—how did you choose this person?"

Facing the Extreme Bliss Palace elder's angry glare, the boss also feigned helplessness and said.

"I didn't know this would happen—I'd arranged everything earlier; that kid also looked ready to die for the cause—who knew he'd slip up at the last moment."

"You.................."

For a moment, the Extreme Bliss Palace elder was so angry he couldn't speak—is this the reason you give me?

But now that it's come to this, what's the use of saying more? The urgent matter is what to do next, so the Extreme Bliss Palace elder suppressed his anger and asked gruffly.

"So what now?"

"What else can we do? With so many watching, we have to accept the loss."

"Then my Extreme Bliss Palace's treasure.................."

Fellow Daoist, given the current situation in Wuji Xiancheng, don't give rise to gossip.

I.................

Hearing the shopkeeper's lecture, the Elder of Ultimate Bliss Palace was dumbstruck; now you're telling me this? What were you doing before?

Besides, more than half of the treasures in that treasury belong to our Ultimate Bliss Palace.

You're speaking while standing, not feeling any back pain.

Immediately, the Elder of Ultimate Bliss Palace demanded the return of their treasures, but the shopkeeper flatly refused.

"Why?"

You've messed things up, and now you want me to avoid gossip? Fine, I'll take back the Ultimate Bliss Palace's treasures to reduce losses—is that not acceptable?

But the shopkeeper's reply left the Elder of Ultimate Bliss Palace bewildered, sitting there dumbfounded, eyes full of disbelief.

"Before the match, I already gave the treasury list to Ye Zhangqing; now taking it away, if the list doesn't match, it's the same."

"You............. your brain's flooded?"

Hearing this, the Elder of Ultimate Bliss Palace felt his head buzzing, thinking he'd picked such a pigheaded teammate.

He even went and gave the treasury's treasure list to Ye Zhangqing—this is outrageous; are you sure you're not in league with that Ye?

A hint of doubt even appeared in his eyes; the shopkeeper explained unhurriedly.

"This was originally that Ye's request; at the time I thought it foolproof, after all, what could a dying person do with a list? Could he possibly come back from the dead to ask for it?"

"Who would have thought it would end up like this?"

That sounds reasonable and indeed seems to be the case, but the Elder of Ultimate Bliss Palace feels conflicted about it.

You couldn't sort out your own affairs, and now you want Ultimate Bliss Palace to foot the bill?

In the treasury of the San Shi San Lou, more than half of the treasures belong to Ultimate Bliss Palace—isn't that just them footing the bill?