Sitting separately at a few tables in the living room.
Chen Jie and Xiao Hu, along with a third person, found a table in the corner and sat down, their eyes scanning the other tables.
The living room wasnāt big, with only four tables. Chen Jieās group occupied the southeast corner. In the northeast corner sat a group of five locals dressed in Miao ethnic costumes at one table, eating a whole roasted lamb hungrily. They looked travel-worn as if they had been on the road all night.
In the northwest corner, a group of Jianghu people sat, consisting of three young people, two men and one woman, dressed in green clothes, with the aura of a Major Sect. One of them held a sword, likely from a Sword Cultivation Sect.
Chen Jie glanced over and noticed the three had decent skills, especially the one leading, seemingly reaching the Rainbow Realm, sitting there with an imposing aura.
In the southwest corner sat a pale-faced scholar with a scholarly air, carrying a long sword on his back. However, he clearly wasnāt a particularly strong martial artist.
Chen Jie, observing without a word, took a look around before retracting his gaze, just as they heard the waiter coming out to say: "Gentlemen, today we only have lamb noodles and a few local fresh dishes left, please bear with us..."
Saying so, the waiter came out carrying a large tray with several big bowls of lamb noodles.
He placed a few large bowls on each table and then brought out several side dishes, placing them on the tables.
The waiter said, "Everyone, please make do."
With that, he retreated.
Chen Jie looked at the lamb noodles on the table, sniffing it with his nose, and detected a special aroma from the spices.
He took out chopsticks, dipped them in the soup, and nodded slightly ā there was no poison in the lamb noodles.
Chen Jie carried the legacy of Chang Chun Valley and had a unique understanding of poison.
Therefore, ordinary poisons couldnāt escape his notice.
Chen Jie smelled it to confirm there was no poison, allowing Xiao Hu and Yu Chun to eat the noodles. He also tested a few side dishes, which seemed to be free of poison as well.
Meanwhile, others at the tables also looked at the noodle bowls before them.
At this time, the Great Sect disciple in the northwest corner, the little junior brother clearly wanting to start eating first, saw his senior brother extend a hand to say: "Wait."
He then took out a silver needle, testing it in the noodle bowl, saying: "Junior brother, be cautious in the Jianghu."
The little junior brother, with an enlightened look, said: "Thank you for the advice, senior brother."
The senior brother then handed his own bowl of noodles to the junior sister: "Alian, you eat, this bowl is poison-free."
"Thank you, senior brother."
On hearing this, the female disciple picked up the noodle bowl on the table and asked her senior brother: "Senior brother, since Uncle Master and the others took another route, should they not soon reach Chongshan Prefecture?"
The senior brother replied: "Hmm, more or less."
The little junior brother, hearing this, asked: "Senior brother, is that thing really that important? A Military Book, why are we, a Martial Arts Sect, competing for it?"
Upon hearing this, the senior brother said: "Shh, donāt speak recklessly. Thatās a treasure of the world. Even if we canāt use it, presenting it to a wise lord might secure our future, perhaps even the future foundation of our Sect rests upon it."
At these words, the little junior brother said: "Is it so powerful?"
The senior brother replied: "If it were an ordinary item, would the whole world scramble for it?"
The two fell silent, with the senior brother adding: "Finish eating quickly, rest up, we hit the road again tomorrow."
Meanwhile, another table eating the roasted lamb called out: "Shopkeeper, bring a jar of fine wine!"
Hearing this, the little junior brother at their table was startled and said: "Senior brother, thereās wine!"
The senior brother frowned and said: "No drinking allowed."
The little junior brother fell silent but remembered the senior brotherās words. At this moment, the scholar eating noodles said: "Bring a pot of wine."
At this point, the waiter said: "Coming, a pot of fine wine."
Saying this, the waiter brought the wine, and then brought a jar of fine wine to those eating roasted meat.
Seeing this, the waiter turned to Chen Jieās table and then to the Great Sect disciplesā table, saying: "Gentlemen, are you not going to order some fine wine? This place boasts a treasured daughter red aged for many years, with a delightful aroma!"
Hearing this, the Great Sect disciple said: "Thank you, shopkeeper, but we donāt drink when traveling."
Chen Jie replied: "Haha, we donāt drink either."
Seeing the situation, the waiter didnāt push further, simply saying: "What a pity."
As this was being said, suddenly the outside door burst open, and two raggedly dressed children walked in from outside.
An older boy led a five or six-year-old girl, the boy carrying a basket covered with a white cloth on his right arm.
"Kind sirs, would you like some dates? Homegrown and very sweet!"
The little boy shouted upon entering. Hearing this, the shout came from the counter: "Chase them out, Iāve said before, donāt let them sell dates here, donāt listen, out, out."
Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately shouted: "Kid, get out, no selling dates here, leave quickly."
Saying this, he went to drive the children away, but unexpectedly, the boy said: "Waiter, have a handful of dates."
The waiter, seeing the child placing a handful of dates in his hand, frowned but still picked up one to taste, finding it quite sweet.
The waiter said, and at this point the child ran to Chen Jieās table, placing a handful of dates on the table: "Sir, have some dates, theyāre sweet."
He then ran around to each table, placing a handful of dates everywhere.
Then the Great Sectās female disciple said: "What a pitiful child, here, take this!"
The Great Sectās female disciple directly stretched out her hand, throwing a small silver block into the childās basket.