The constables scattered and took their seats. Constable Wei had not exaggerated in the slightest—a great crowd had indeed arrived, nearly filling every table.
The Branch Master's table was right in the middle, encircled by constables. The atmosphere appeared remarkably harmonious, a picture of orthodox and demonic joined as one big family.
Chi Xulong was so frightened that he ducked his head at once. Regardless of the ferocious reputation whispered about him outside, that was merely the public persona he cultivated. Whenever he committed foul deeds, he either disguised himself or wore a mask, and whenever he crossed paths with government officials, he steered as far clear of them as possible.
Unable to slip away now, he could only bury his head and play the ostrich.
"Constable Wei, I'm right here," Lu Yang said with a smile, rising to greet him.
Chi Xulong's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Lu Yang. *So you're the shopkeeper, you little brat!*
"You've already started eating," Constable Wei said, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"No problem at all. What would you like?"
Constable Wei waved a hand dismissively. "With so many of us, ordering specific dishes would be a hassle. Just bring out whatever you have!"
"All right," Lu Yang agreed, having anticipated that Constable Wei would say as much.
Catching the mouthwatering aroma wafting from the Branch Master's table, the constables subconsciously swallowed their saliva.
It was mealtime, and they were already starving; the tantalizing scent only sharpened their hunger.
Fortunately, Lu Yang had planned ahead. Before Constable Wei and the others had arrived, he had ordered the chang ghosts to unleash their full power and grill a batch in advance so the food could be served the moment the guests sat down.
Soon, Meng Jingzhou and Man Gu brought out plate after plate of sizzling skewers to let Constable Wei and his men cushion their bellies.
Though Constable Wei did not say it aloud, he felt immense gratitude toward Lu Yang. Had his colleagues been left waiting while merely smelling the delicious food, he would surely have suffered endless grumbling on the way back.
"Allow me to introduce him: this is our Chief Constable, Fang Qingyun!"
Fang Qingyun politely shook hands with Lu Yang. As a Golden Core cultivator, he could naturally tell that Lu Yang was a cultivator.
In fact, he could see that everyone seated at the Branch Master's table possessed cultivation.
Yet he made no remark. There were plenty of cultivators who ran businesses; as long as they broke no laws, what did it have to do with him?
Running a barbecue shop was hardly a crime.
As for the central table being occupied, it was occupied. As Chief Constable, he could not very well throw his weight around and bully ordinary customers—that would reflect terribly on the yamen.
Once Lu Yang sat back down with a smile, Chi Xulong hissed under his breath, snapping at Lu Yang while complaining to the Branch Master, "You scheming bastard! Why didn't you warn us the constables were coming?!"
Lu Yang put on an aggrieved look. "Didn't I do this so you could foster good relations with the authorities? You ought to seize this opportunity!"
Lu Yang pointed to the silk banner hanging on the wall. "See that? That's an honorary banner Constable Wei personally presented to me."
He smoothly spun a lie on the spot: "Before joining the organization, I deliberately scouted a base in advance to cultivate connections and hook up with the authorities. That way, no matter what I do, the government will never suspect me. And whenever they come here for drinks, I can even eavesdrop on their intelligence!"
Branch Master Chu nodded. Lu Yang's words sounded well-reasoned and solid, fully matching the Cult Master's assessment.
The Cult Master had said that while the trio's actions might appear absurd on the surface, they carried profound underlying meaning, and one must never judge them by appearances alone.
Merely by taking the initiative to establish ties with the officials, Lu Yang had displayed a level of daring and ingenuity far exceeding that of most people in the cult!
"Come, drink!"
After downing a few skewers to line their stomachs, Constable Wei and his men began pouring the wine.
As more and more skewers disappeared into their bellies, the constables grew increasingly merry, clinking cups and exchanging rounds of toasts in a roaring, lively atmosphere.
In stark contrast to the surrounding merriment, the Branch Master's table in the center drank with utmost caution, terrified that letting their guard down might cause them to spill something they shouldn't.
Eventually, they stopped touching alcohol altogether and switched to tea.
Noticing the dreary mood at the Branch Master's table, Constable Wei assumed their presence had dampened the party. Filled with guilt, he carried his cup over.
"Come, come, don't pay any mind to us! Once our shift ends, we're just ordinary folk. Why come to a barbecue shop if not to eat happily and drink to your heart's content?"
"Come on, let's have a drink together!" Constable Wei said to Chi Xulong.
Chi Xulong gingerly raised his teacup. Constable Wei frowned, his face darkening. "What's the meaning of drinking tea? Looking down on me, are you? Pour some wine!"
Left with no alternative, Chi Xulong braced himself, poured the thirty-year spirit wine he had brought, and downed it in one gulp.
Seeing Constable Wei making rounds, the other constables—already thoroughly tipsy—followed his lead, crowding around the Branch Master's table to drink with them, soaking in the revelry.
No one bothered to pull Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, or Man Gu into the drinking; shopkeepers could hardly afford to get hammered.
The potency of thirty-year spirit wine was not something cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could easily dissolve. Before long, Chi Xulong and his companions were visibly intoxicated.
Seeing that they had drunk enough, the Branch Master found an excuse to slip away.
Once the leader was gone and the alcohol took full effect, inhibitions crumbled. Chi Xulong and Shen Jinyi slung their arms around each other's shoulders, vowing to unite and carve out a path of glory in the Immortal Cult.
"Chi Xulong, your biggest flaw is that you're too impatient and too flashy. You ought to learn some restraint!" Shen Jinyi said, speaking out of consideration for him.
Chi Xulong took offense. Born with an untamed nature, he hated being criticized. "Oh, give it a rest! So I'm flashy? Better than being a cowardly turtle like you, too chicken to make a move yourself, teaching a bunch of students to do your dirty work!"
"Sneaking around like a woman!"
Shen Jinyi flew into a rage. "Chi Xulong, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! I was giving you honest advice, and you bite the hand that feeds you!"
Chi Xulong grew even more furious. "Who are you calling a dog?!"
With that, he landed a punch square on Shen Jinyi's face.
Shen Jinyi was not one to take a beating lying down. If he swallowed his pride now, Chi Xulong's brazen temperament would only drive him to push further.
Shen Jinyi grabbed a cup and hurled the wine inside. Though drunk, Chi Xulong's reflexes remained sharp; he tilted his head aside, and the wine splashed straight across the face of Bai Zifang, who had merely been watching the show.
Bai Zifang was hardly an agreeable sort either. Having suffered an unprovoked disaster, he was determined to settle the score. Giving him a taste of his own medicine, he drenched Shen Jinyi in wine, and before that even settled, smashed a plate right into Shen Jinyi's face.
The three of them became a tangled knot of limbs. When the others tried to pull them apart, they were caught in the crossfire, stoking tempers all around.
*We kindly tried to save you from embarrassing yourselves, yet you don't even appreciate it—you dare hit me?!*
*Who do you think you are?!*
The spirit wine was far too potent, clouding everyone's judgment. Forgetting that they were surrounded by constables, they all joined the fray.
*Crash!*
Someone flipped a table, sending bowls and plates smashing onto the neighboring seating.
The constables had never seen such brazenness—cultivators brawling in a gang right in front of them!
This was with law enforcement sitting right beside them; had they not been here, who knew what chaos would have erupted?
When cultivators engaged in a public brawl, an errant blow could easily kill innocent bystanders. Such malice was intolerable; an example had to be made!
Seeing the mess, Chief Constable Fang Qingyun unleashed his oppressive aura, instantly pinning down the demonic cultists.
"Take them away! Let them sober up in the cells!"
The cultists snapped out of their stupor in an instant, cold sweat drenching their backs as reality crashed down on them.
***
Because so many guests had arrived all at once, even the two chang ghosts moving fast enough to leave afterimages could not keep up. Seeing this, Man Gu had personally stepped up to the grills, while Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou shuttled between the courtyard and the main hall, rapidly working through skewers at a breakneck pace.
Lu Yang lifted the door curtain and called out apologetically, "So sorry, everyone, the skewers are completely—wait, what's going on here?"
Lu Yang was greeted by the sight of the previously arrogant cultists sitting utterly docile, while the constables glared at them with cold sneers.
Constable Wei whispered, "Little Boss Lu, my apologies. Your friends got into a brawl. The Chief Constable despises that sort of behavior from cultivators most of all. They made such a ruckus that even the pedestrians outside noticed. If we let them off without punishment, it simply wouldn't be right."
Lu Yang: "..."
To be fair, Lu Yang had placed the cultists and constables together with a mischievous desire to mess with them, but he genuinely had not expected this bunch to be bold enough to start a brawl right under the constables' noses.
Meng Jingzhou curled his lip. "Told you so. Don't drink alcohol. Nothing good ever comes from drinking."
***
On the day of their welcoming banquet, Chi Xulong and his companions were sentenced to ten days of detention for public brawling.
When Branch Master Chu received the news, he remained stunned speechless for a very long time.
Chapter 78