Chapter 128 The Unwelcome One
The setting sun stained the eaves of Immortal Spirit City blood-red. Hong Xianglong stood at the end of an alley, his knuckles white from the force of his grip.
That woman—no, his sister—her retreating back had been so light, the crimson ribbon in her hair fluttering in the wind stabbed at his eyes with a piercing ache.
"Heh… hehehe…"
A low laugh squeezed from his throat, and suddenly he slammed a fist into the wall.
The blue bricks cracked instantly, blood seeping down between his fingers, yet he seemed not to feel the pain. No, it was more accurate to say such pain had long been commonplace for him.
His blood boiled… cheered…
At the moment he faced Chen Xingcai, he had clearly felt the bloodline flowing in him for sixteen years suddenly stir to life—but not for him. That long-silent blood had at last found its true home, clamoring madly to burst through his body and rush toward its rightful master.
"Hong Tianque… old bastard…"
Hong Xianglong ground out his father's name through clenched teeth.
What direct son of the Hong family, what heaven's favored child—he did not even carry his own blood in his veins! No wonder every time he circulated his cultivation it felt like thousands of steel needles tore through his meridians.
No wonder every breakthrough left him writhing in agony worse than death—this damned blood had never truly accepted him!
The memory of that man sitting upright in the ancestral hall's shadows surfaced before his eyes.
When his father abandoned his swaddled sister all those years ago, had he not foreseen this day?
"Ha… hahahahaha!"
Hong Xianglong suddenly roared with laughter, startling a flock of crows perched on the eaves.
He bent double with laughter, tears streaming down his face.
So that was it. The old immortal hadn't sent him here to reclaim the Hong family's bloodline left outside.
It was to drive them to kill each other.
Of the two, only one was permitted to live in this world!
Wiping his face, he looked toward the direction of the street just now, twisted delight surging in his eyes.
How wonderful—his dear sister was so well protected, so cherished by others.
But the more beautiful the thing, the greater the joy in destroying it, wasn't it so?
"Sister…" Hong Xianglong licked the blood at the corner of his mouth and whispered, "You stole my bloodline for sixteen years. I will steal everything from you."
As dusk deepened, his shadow stretched long across the ground, like a venomous snake searching for prey, slithering slowly toward the bright center of Immortal Spirit City.
…
Hong Xianglong stepped into a restaurant and chose a private seat by the window.
Outside, the city streets bustled with prosperity. Lantern light illuminated the smiling faces of passersby, a scene of harmony.
The corners of his lips curved upward, though a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes.
"Waiter, bring me your finest food and wine." He casually tossed a pouch of spirit stones onto the table with a heavy thud.
Soon the table was laden with delicacies—spirit beast meat stewed until tender, spirit vegetables stir-fried emerald green, and a pot of Fragrant Thousand Autumn Wine whose aroma filled the air.
Hong Xianglong sampled it slowly, glancing out the window from time to time, then suddenly chuckled. "Second uncle, won't you come share a drink?"
The empty seat across from him gave no reply. He was not annoyed, drinking by himself as though long accustomed to such loneliness.
After he had eaten his fill, he waved lazily. "The bill."
The waiter hurried over with a beaming smile. "Honored guest, the total is one hundred spirit stones."
Hong Xianglong raised his brows, casually pulled out a single top-grade spirit stone, and said arrogantly, "Keep the change."
But the waiter did not move. His smile slowly chilled. "Honored guest, you misheard. It is one hundred top-grade spirit stones."
Chapter 128 The Unwelcome One
"What?!" Hong Xianglong's pupils shrank, the wine cup in his hand cracking with a sharp snap. "Do you know how much one hundred top-grade spirit stones are? Enough to buy out this shabby inn a dozen times over!"
The waiter showed no fear, only curled his lips in mockery. "A broke wretch pretending to be rich, trying to skip the bill?"
"I have money, but I'm no fool!"
Hong Xianglong's chest heaved violently as he fought down his rage, though in his heart he wondered: could the prices in Immortal Spirit City truly be so outrageous?
Just then, a guest at a nearby table rose to pay. The waiter instantly replaced his expression with cheerful warmth, hurrying over. "Honored guest, thank you for your patronage, that will be three low-grade spirit stones!"
The guest paid with a smile and left, the waiter even sending him off courteously at the door.
Hong Xianglong could no longer endure it. He slammed the table. "You dare toy with me?!"
The waiter turned back, his smile vanishing into an icy sneer. "The City Lord's manor just issued a notice. You, honored guest, are now marked as Immortal Spirit City's 'unwelcome one.' All expenses begin at a thousandfold rate."
He added leisurely, "Eat if you like. Or don't."
Seeing Hong Xianglong's face darken, the waiter snorted. "If the guest can't afford it, that's fine too. Our kitchen is short of helpers. You look strong enough—you'd make a fine dish-washer or porter."
Hong Xianglong laughed furiously, cold aura erupting from him and plunging the tavern into an icy chill.
But the waiter straightened his back, staring him down without fear—outside the door, several cultivators embroidered with the crest of the Immortal Spirit Guard already stood with hands on their swords.
"Good… very good…" Hong Xianglong ground out the words through clenched teeth, flinging a pouch of spirit stones onto the table. "So this is Qingzhou's Immortal Spirit City. Today I've had my lesson."
The waiter happily accepted the stones, adding with false kindness, "My advice, honored guest, is to leave sooner rather than later. Otherwise, the lessons you'll get here will only grow."
At those words, Hong Xianglong stiffened, his eyes narrowing. "A mere mortal dares humiliate me so. You have chosen the path to death."
"You may kill me if you wish," the waiter replied proudly, "but then see if you can walk out of Immortal Spirit City."
Hong Xianglong's breath caught. He gave the waiter one last, deep look before striding away.
Outside the window, the city's lights glittered as brilliantly as ever, yet not a single ray of it fell upon this so-called 'unwelcome one.'
…
Only when Hong Xianglong's figure finally disappeared around the corner did the waiter collapse onto a stool, his back soaked through with cold sweat. Hands trembling, he grabbed the pouch of spirit stones, the heavy weight making his wrist quake.
"Damn… nearly pissed myself…"
He glanced around, making sure no one was watching, then carefully loosened the drawstring. A brilliant glow spilled out, lighting his face pale.
Fifty pieces… According to city rules, half belongs to me! Fifty top-grade spirit stones!
The waiter's heart pounded like it would burst from his chest.
The largest sum he had ever seen in his life was a single low-grade spirit stone. And now, half of these radiant top-grade stones would soon belong to him!
"Worth it… damn it all, so worth it!"
Clutching the pouch with all his strength, his mouth stretched into a grin that reached his ears.
Fortune lies in danger! Who cared about some cultivator's revenge—he had already cast such fears to the heavens.
With this money, he would never again bow and scrape to serve others, never again breathe in the stench of kitchen slop. He could even buy a small courtyard in the eastern district, marry a beautiful wife!
Suddenly, he pinched himself hard, baring his teeth in pain—this wasn't a dream! He shakily pulled out one spirit stone, bit it savagely until his teeth nearly cracked, then laughed like a madman.
…
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