Chapter 540

Pan Yun sighed regretfully: "Too bad Master Zhang already approved it—I must escort you down the mountain. The Academy is too crowded and full of eyes; otherwise, I'd keep you here and let you train every few days—maybe in a year or so, you'd remember…"

Xiao Hong: "I trained all night last night—I felt wonderful, and I vaguely recalled some scenes. I want to go out and find them; if I find the places flashing in my mind, I think I'll remember everything."

Hong Yan also disliked staying at the Academy. Though the Doumu Hall strengthened the soul, she preferred the world beyond.

"Your Academy has too many rules—this isn't allowed, that isn't allowed—we can only stay in your little courtyard. It's so boring."

Xiao Hong nodded in deep agreement; she didn't like the Academy either.

Especially since she was a ghost—during the day, with the sun so strong, she couldn't go outside.

Originally, she could wander in the evenings and mornings, but Master Zhang Weiliang was always in the courtyard then.

Alas, she couldn't face her former master; seeing him made her want to scare him.

Who knew how much willpower she needed every night just to stop herself from drifting into his room to cause trouble?

A ready-made source of amusement right before her, and she couldn't play with it—how boring.

Pan Yun understood them completely, so she brought them down the mountain.

Because Hong Yan loved to eat, she'd been dining with them in the cafeteria all this month and was utterly starved—so she decided to treat them to a meal before they left: "Consider it a farewell feast."

Pan Yun directly took them to the best restaurant in town—Ping'an Restaurant.

They'd been at Long Hushan for a year and had never stepped inside this restaurant.

They'd been too poor last year, and Ping'an Restaurant looked far too expensive.

In the entire Shangqing Town, only Shenxian Restaurant rivaled Ping'an Restaurant in height and size—it was lavishly decorated in gold and jade, more like a grand restaurant from Fucheng than a town eatery.

Pan Yun and the others stopped before the restaurant, all looking up at the high-hanging signboard.

Tao Yan Bai frowned: "Little Master, aren't you saying you used all your money to repay debts and give to Lord Pan?"

Miao Zhen worried: "Little Master, we've already repaid you every coin you lent us—we don't have much left."

Pan Yun grinned, lowering her voice: "Don't worry—I made another profit on my way back from Jingcheng. Not much, but enough for one meal."

Everyone exhaled in relief and happily entered.

Considering they had a ghost and a cat, Pan Yun waved her hand generously: "Give us a private room."

The waiter, glancing at their Academy robes, bowed cheerfully: "Esteemed guests, please proceed to the second floor."

As he led them upstairs, he subtly added: "Esteemed guests, today is the Academy's day off, so the restaurant is especially crowded—private rooms are fully booked, so the minimum spend inside is twenty taels."

Pan Yun paused slightly. Her father, a fifth-rank Imperial Censor, earned an annual salary of one hundred and eighty shi of rice—fifteen shi monthly, which at current grain prices amounted to just over eight taels.

Hmm—this one meal would cost her father two and a half months' salary. Thank goodness he didn't know.

Pan Yun smiled brightly and nodded slightly to the waiter.

This money was stolen—it was unexpected windfall. Pan Yun spent it without a hint of regret.

The waiter happily led them to the private room.

Though called a private room, it only blocked sight—not sound.

Between each private room stood only a thin wooden partition.

But Pan Yun and the others loved it: they could let Xiao Hong out, eat freely, and listen to the gossip from the rooms on either side. Best of all, their room faced the street—open the window and watch the bustling market.

When she opened the exquisitely printed menu, Pan Yun's mood improved further.

Money truly made one happy—spending it made one even happier.

Pan Yun scanned the menu and ordered enthusiastically, then whispered to Xiao Hong: "What else do you want?"

Xiao Hong, confident the waiter couldn't see her, squeezed past him to stand beside Pan Yun and pointed to a picture of especially appetizing braised pork: "Looks delicious."

Pan Yun ordered it for her.

The waiter rubbed his chilly neck and immediately wrote down Pan Yun's order when she named the braised pork.

After finishing her order, Pan Yun handed the menu to Hong Yan: "Here—order what you like."

Hong Yan asked directly: "Do you have chicken?"

"Yes," the waiter bowed and smiled. "Our best chicken is Sanbei Chicken—a famous Gan cuisine dish. Would you care to try it?"

Hong Yan: "Order it!"

Hong Yan passed the menu back. Pan Yun gestured for Tao Yan Bai and Miao Zhen and Miao He to each order one dish they liked.

Tao Yan Bai's frugal nature kicked in: "Little Master, isn't this too much?"

"We're all growing—we'll finish it," Pan Yun said. "Besides, this is a farewell feast for Hong Yan and Xiao Hong—it must be good."

Hong Yan was delighted, nodding vigorously, her eyes constantly drifting to the window, urging Tao Yan Bai: "Hurry up and order—I need to shop after eating. These past few days on the mountain have driven me mad."

Pan Yun teased her: "Only seven days, and you can't wait? How will you endure solitude during cultivation seclusion?"

Hong Yan: "We'll deal with that when the time comes."

Tao Yan Bai carefully studied the menu and ordered one dish.

Miao Zhen and Miao He leaned over to look with him and found dishes they liked.

They returned the menu to the waiter.

Their orders already met the minimum spend, but the waiter still asked: "Would the esteemed guests like drinks?"

Pan Yun said: "Bring one pot of tea."

The waiter smiled and soon brought tea and two small plates of snacks: "These tea and snacks are on the house."

He also brought them a plate of stir-fried melon seeds and stir-fried peanuts.

As soon as he left, Pan Yun pulled a chair beside her for Xiao Hong and told her to sit and eat while chatting.

Pan Yun scooped a handful of melon seeds and peanuts into Xiao Hong's dish, cast a spell to make them intangible, then sent them to Xiao Hong's hands: "Tell me—where are you planning to go?"

Xiao Hong, crunching seeds as she spoke: "Hong Yan's tail still won't retract—I plan to travel with her, training while searching for my memories."

Pan Yun lowered her voice: "We may go to Quanzhou and Taizhou this June to fight the Japanese pirates. If you're interested, you can find us there—or return to Long Hushan before June and join us for the mission."

Xiao Hong: "…You're all Daoist Priests. If I travel with you, won't they refuse me?"

Pan Yun said: "Although this is a collaboration between the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Jianghu Alliance, I heard from the Academy that the main purpose is training, so unless there's a special situation, everyone should act independently—they won't interfere with us."

Xiao Hong looked at Hong Yan.

Hong Yan: "I'm fine with anything, as long as you don't lock me in a courtyard again."

Pan Yun gave her an OK gesture: "All set."

Hong Yan imitated her gesture and smiled: "This is fun—is this the meaning of 'good'?"

Pan Yun nodded.

A private booth is just a place for conversation; the booth next door was also talking: "Master, Father's wish is to bring back several more talismans for exorcism and protection. If we can get talismans for changing fortune, that would be even better."

"You saw the talismans at Immortal Tower—they're that expensive. What can I do?"

Pan Yun and Seeing Miao Zhen exchanged glances, both smiling. Before they could knock on the wooden wall next door, the young master complained: "I told you long ago that Yang Ji wasn't a good man, but Father refused to listen. Now look—he's been killed, and our family's business has suffered. Now we have to spend so much money buying exorcism talismans."