Chapter 350: Drunken Immortal Pavilion?

When Gui Yan was helplessly huddled in a corner of the Eastern Palace, Ren Yidao did not dig it out from the depths of his memory.

He was waylaid halfway there.

The ones blocking his path were a monkey, a deer, and a green snake.

These three demons surrounded Ren Yidao in a pincer formation, intending to kidnap him on the main street; their methods were extremely vile.

That monkey actually threw itself flat on the ground and shouted loudly:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Please give Bao Fang a chance to atone for his sins!!!"

Ren Yidao:?

Oh, wow!

You big macaque actually want to put me in an unjust position and attempt to cause my social death!

Before Ren Yidao could speak, the remaining deer and snake also bowed and shouted:

"Your Highness, please give Bao Fang a chance to atone for his sins!"

"He has already set up a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion; he truly wishes to host Your Highness to make amends!"

Ren Yidao's mouth twisted to the side; he was about to let these guys who were trying to force his hand understand that I, Huhu, do not fall for this trick...

Hm?

Wait, what did I just hear?

Ren Yidao frowned, looking at the snake-headed, human-bodied demoness, and spoke with a strange expression:

"You just said... Drunken Immortal Pavilion?"

Seeing Ren Yidao react, the snake demon ignored the strange look on his face and hurriedly said:

"It is indeed the Drunken Immortal Pavilion! The banquet has already been prepared before we came; Your Highness only needs to accompany us there!"

Ren Yidao thought for a moment and nodded slowly.

"Get up, all of you. I will go with you."

Phew...

The three demons who stood up looked at each other, all letting out a sigh of relief, their eyes filled with fortune as they secretly communicated:

"Sure enough, just as he said, His Highness the Crown Prince really only agreed to attend because of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

"Good thing we asked just in case, otherwise this would have been really risky!"

"If it weren't for his high asking price, I would have definitely asked a few more questions."

"Exactly, exactly..."

While the three demons were communicating, Ren Yidao was slandering another matter in his heart.

"The Drunken Immortal Pavilion again... how are you everywhere!?"

"Is it not a Shenzhou-wide chain, but a world-wide chain?"

You are in Chongzhou City, in Wentian, in the Hu Kingdom... in Beiming, in the Eastern Wasteland; that is all fine, I can accept that.

I will credit the person behind your Drunken Immortal Pavilion with having vast supernatural powers and influence spanning the entire Shenzhou.

But what place is this?

Demon Emperor City.

The most critical of all critical locations for the Demon Race!

On top of the corpse of the Demon God!

You, damn it, even have a branch here?

Huh?

It's one thing for the Divine Path Sect to deceive me, but why does even you, this Drunken Immortal Pavilion, make me feel so unfamiliar?

Harboring this curiosity in his heart, Ren Yidao followed the three demons who had waylaid him to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

Along the way, Ren Yidao also figured out why these three demons, especially that monkey, had such a huge change in attitude.

Why were they arrogant before and respectful later?

The reason behind this was not complicated; it could even be said to be very simple.

Because the three clans these demons came from were all staunch members of the Demon Emperor Party.

Although they had danced with their enemies under the orders of the Demon Emperor Order, their hatred was mostly directed at the other party, and they actually had no ill will toward Ren Yidao.

Especially after the name of the Crown Prince spread, Bao Fang was forced by his clansmen to come out and apologize to Ren Yidao.

Although this macaque had a fiery temper, he was not stupid; he knew this was not the time to throw a tantrum, and his clan would not allow him to act out.

Helpless, he had to seek help from his two good friends, and in the end, they came with him to waylay Ren Yidao...

Before coming, they were still hoping that Ren Yidao would not hold too much of a grudge, but once they actually met, the violent ape discovered a cruel fact.

His side treated this as a major event, but the other party did not care at all.

"Oh, so you wanted to talk about that? What of it? Wasn't it just a challenge? Why would I care?"

"Besides, I didn't lose, so I shouldn't be the one holding a grudge, right?"

... It seems that is how it is!

The other person was the winner and did not lose face or make a fool of themselves, so what was there to hold a grudge about?

Only the loser would dwell on such things; the winner would have long since cast such routine matters to the back of their mind.

After understanding the logic behind this, Bao Fang did not know whether he should be glad or sad...

Good news: the other person didn't take it to heart.

Bad news: the other person never cared in the first place.

This caused the usually talkative Bao Fang to fall directly into silence.

The great macaque was feeling a bit withdrawn.

Yet Ren Yidao did not care at all whether this monkey was withdrawn or not; it had nothing to do with him.

I was merely saying what every winner would say!

The fault is not mine!

If you're bad, practice more!

If you can't afford to lose, don't play!

Seeing that the atmosphere was about to turn cold, Qingteng of the Green Snake Clan immediately stepped in to smooth things over, smiling:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince seems to have heard of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion; did you hear of it while in the Human Realm?"

She was very clever; upon discovering that Ren Yidao seemed to dislike the appearance of a demon head on a human body, she immediately changed her transformation method, becoming a beautiful snake-woman with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a demon.

Qingteng did not seem accustomed to this posture, and her whole body still habitually twisted and turned, causing the flesh on her body to bounce up and down.

Thump~ thump~

The changed appearance could not be called particularly enchanting or moving, but this attitude and dexterity still made Ren Yidao relatively satisfied, and he couldn't help but look at her a few more times.

Thump~ thump~

She is a very big... uh, very perceptive little snake.

Therefore, Ren Yidao did not ignore her proactive conversation and nodded, saying:

"You guessed correctly; I am indeed somewhat curious about this Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

"When I was in the Human Realm, there were branches of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in many cities, but I didn't expect to hear of it here as well."

"I am very curious about what kind of person can be successful among both races."

Ren Yidao was indeed very interested in the person behind the scenes of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

With a demon body and a human soul, he had been caught between two worlds from the very beginning.

Although Ren Yidao was currently more inclined toward the Human Race subjectively, if there really came a day that forced him to turn his butcher's knife toward the Demon Race... he might not be as firm as he was at this moment.

Especially after truly arriving among the Demon Race, his thoughts had already wavered somewhat.

In his view, there was actually no great difference between demons and humans in essence.

Ordinary beasts are just beasts, but demons are not just beasts; there is really not much difference between a Demon Beast that has undergone Opening the Spirit and a cultivator.

But the blood debt between the two races is too deep; it cannot be easily cast aside and reconciled just because he alone advocates for the two races to get along.

That is too unrealistic.

If someone had already found a way for humans and demons to coexist before Ren Yidao, he would very much like to use it as a reference.

However, Qingteng's next words caused all of Ren Yidao's expectations to fall through.

"Hehe, Your Highness the Crown Prince may not know, but this Drunken Immortal Pavilion is not that Drunken Immortal Pavilion; although the names are the same, they are actually not the same establishment."

Qingteng covered her mouth and chuckled; she leaned in close and whispered into Ren Yidao's ear:

"The Drunken Immortal Pavilion in Demon Emperor City was opened by a predecessor who traveled to the Human Realm years ago and imitated the Human Race's Drunken Immortal Pavilion after returning."

Well, so it was a knock-off!

Ren Yidao's mouth twitched; not knowing what to complain about, he could only say:

"This predecessor... truly has refined taste!"

This is like someone wanting to eat at Golden Arches but being unable to, and the solution they come up with is not to buy it, but to build a Silver Arches in their own home...

A talent!

No, a demon talent!

Truly a demon talent!

Qingteng saw Ren Yidao's insincerity and added with a grin:

"That predecessor loved the style and dishes of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion very much, and for this, he even took a chef from a branch of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion as his master, learning for several decades in the guise of a mortal apprentice."

"His descendants inherited this craft, passing it down from generation to generation, and they are still the most excellent chefs in Demon Emperor City today."

"Therefore, Your Highness need not worry that the dishes will have any great difference from the Human Race's Drunken Immortal Pavilion; you may set your heart at ease."

Set my heart at ease?

Why would I worry about that?

Ren Yidao originally wanted to shake his head, but suddenly thought of a possibility and narrowed his eyes.

Wait!

Among the raw ingredients, there wouldn't be *that*, would there?

"... Please, don't mess with me."

If there are humans in the food at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, what should I do...

Demons eating humans, humans eating demons—this has existed since ancient times and is nothing new.

But I, Huhu, do not eat them!

What to do?

At this moment, Luzhi, the deer-headed man who had been silent the whole way, spoke up abruptly:

"There is no blood-food made from the Human Race in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

"Oh?"

He did not know what he had discerned, and ignoring the signals Qingteng kept giving him, he said in a muffled voice:

"His Majesty the Demon Emperor does not like the Human Race, saying that devouring the Human Race damages the Dao cultivation of the Demon Race, and after ascending to the throne, he issued an order prohibiting the Demon Race from keeping and devouring the Human Race."

"Ordinary beasts that have not opened their intelligence are one thing, but if a Demon Beast that has undergone Opening the Spirit eats a human, it will suffer extremely severe punishment."

"Since this order was issued, more than a thousand years have passed; our generation of the Demon Race has never eaten humans."

Luzhi finished saying all this in one breath, closed his mouth again, and returned to being that taciturn, silent, sturdy man.

Luzhi remained silent, and Ren Yidao offered no response, leaving the scene somewhat awkward for a moment.

Qingteng wanted to step forward to explain but could not figure out Ren Yidao's thoughts, while Bao Fang remained immersed in his own world of sorrow where his sadness flowed like a river.

Ren Yidao narrowed his eyes, looking at this seemingly honest and loyal deer-headed man, as thoughts flashed through his mind one after another.

Who taught him to say that?

And...

Why tell me these things?

What deep meaning is hidden behind this?

Is it a probe? Or...

When Ren Yidao's smile faded, the atmosphere around him changed in an instant.

"That... Eek!?"

Qingteng, who wanted to step forward to smooth things over, stiffened, and she retracted her hand that was about to reach out with a 'whoosh', her fingertips feeling a burning sting.

His might was like an abyss, like the sea.

Bao Fang also shuddered all over at this moment, suddenly snapping back to his senses, looking left and right, not knowing what had happened.

"What happened?"

"Why did he suddenly get angry?"

As the target of Ren Yidao's pressure, Luzhi's reaction was the most indifferent; he stood motionless and met those indifferent, deep pupils.

He was like a giant rock on the shore, preparing to welcome the crashing, sudden waves.

The silent staring contest lasted for nearly a minute, and not until Luzhi was on the verge of collapse did Ren Yidao smile easily, letting the oppressive atmosphere dissipate completely.

"Heh."

Ren Yidao raised his hand to pat Luzhi on the shoulder and chuckled:

"So that's how it is, I understand."

As he passed by Luzhi, he transmitted his voice to him:

"Thank you for the reminder."

"However, this kind of thing... only this once."

Probing me?

You all really managed to think of that.

"Don't let it happen again."

Behind him, the silently standing Luzhi nodded slowly.

"Yes... Pfft!"

Then, a large amount of fresh blood sprayed from his mouth and nose, and he collapsed straight to the ground with a thunderous crash, like a golden mountain toppling and a jade pillar falling!

Boom!

Ren Yidao did not care about the dust behind him and said without looking back:

"Bao Fang."

The bewildered macaque gave a start, and subconsciously shouted:

"Here!"

"Luzhi is tired, you take him back to get some good rest."

Tired?

He looked at Luzhi, whose mouth and nose were covered in crimson, his life or death unknown, and was speechless for a moment.

You call this tired?

Although he wanted to retort, the ever-increasing fear in his heart made him obediently lower his head:

"... Yes!"

Bao Fang hoisted Luzhi up and left the place quickly, leaving Qingteng behind.

Qingteng cursed the monkey wildly in her heart, but on the surface, she did not dare to move at all.

"Take me to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

"Yes... Your Highness, please follow me."

Called upon, Qingteng swallowed silently, lowered her head respectfully, moved her snake tail, and quickly slithered to the front of Ren Yidao to lead the way.

Ren Yidao followed behind Qingteng with his hands behind his back, watching the swaying beauty snake in front, and shook his head slightly.

"Sure enough, it's the same everywhere; strength is what matters most."

The status of the Demon Race Crown Prince is important, which makes them gather around and vie to show their devotion.

But what truly makes them afraid is a volatile personality and powerful strength.

For these Demon Beasts, respect alone is not enough; they also need to fear.

Along the way, Qingteng still tried hard to find topics as before, but Ren Yidao did not say much, listening more often than not.

When he saw the sign for the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, he chatted as if casually:

"Regarding today's matter, besides the three of you, who else was involved?"

Qingteng's words faltered, and then she forced a smile:

"... Your Highness, I don't quite understand what you mean."

Don't understand?

Ren Yidao smiled, not exposing her, and just looked at her with that half-smiling expression.

After staring at each other for a moment, Qingteng was defeated and gave a bitter smile:

"Your Highness, regarding today's matter, besides the three of us, there is one other person who knows."

"However, he is not a Participant, but rather gave us some suggestions at our request, so..."

Ren Yidao chuckled, interrupting Qingteng's feeble explanation, and said with a smile:

"No need to explain further, I don't mind."

He stepped forward, raised his hand to wrap around Qingteng's soft, slender waist, and pulled her into his embrace.

Qingteng:!!!

But Ren Yidao did not make any of the moves Qingteng was worried about; he only lightly pressed his fingertips against her taut skin and moved them slightly.

Yet, perhaps due to the current situation, even just this slight caress made the tip of Qingteng's tail go rigid.

Ren Yidao turned his head, imitating Qingteng's earlier manner, leaned in close, and whispered into her ear:

"Arrange for someone to invite him over for me in a while."

"Just say... I want to host a banquet for him at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

A playful mood struck him, and he blew a breath toward the beautiful snake's ear, chuckling softly:

"To thank him for the grace of his schemes."