Chapter 292: Chapter 291: Don’t push your luck, you two!_1

Meng Jingzhou, seeing the situation, no longer pretended to be ill and moaned loud, he sharply got up from the stretcher.

Master Liu and Master Gao were not clad in their greasy barbecue restaurant uniform and the naive smile they wore when serving customers was not on their faces. They were in formal attire with solemn expressions, reminiscing the glorious days of the Eternity Sect.

The way they looked at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou gave them chills down their spine, feeling utterly cold.

“Gentlemen, come with us for a while. We need your help with something,” they said.

Master Liu and Master Gao had confirmed that after Lu Yang and Yun Zhi returned, Yun Zhi left the Seek Dao Sect for unknown reasons. It was a godsent opportunity to take action against Lu Yang!

If they didn’t act now, when would they?

Given the presence of too many people around, it wasn’t an ideal place to take action. They needed to bring Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang to the Eternity Sect’s main clubhouse — the BBQ Again restaurant!

Previously, BBQ Again managed to hold its ground as a small shop amidst the crowded market street, surrounded by potential enemies and constantly watched by Great Powers during the Unification Stage. Their situation was precarious.

However, after being guided by the Sect Master and Immortal Eternity along with meticulous planning by high-ranking members of the Eternity Sect, the restaurant grew under a win-at-all-cost strategy and became a stronghold of the Eternity Sect.

Meanwhile, the Seek Dao Sect remained oblivious to the fact that BBQ Again was steadily expanding its influence in the commercial street…

“Let’s go,” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou agreed, not willing to back off.

Surrounded by two Unification-stage cultivators, they had no capacity to resist. Even if they didn’t want to go, they were left with little choice than to comply or be dragged away. It was better to go willingly.

“This way, please,” Master Gao gestured, inviting them to the restaurant.

Once Lu Yang stood at the entrance, he noticed that the room was pitch dark, with faint silhouettes of two people swaying in the darkness.

They stepped into the restaurant while Master Liu and Master Gao stood quietly by the door, like two iron-like statues.

Once they stepped foot into the restaurant, Lu Yang felt as if he was secluded from the outside world. He could neither hear nor see anything from the outside.

What he didn’t know was that the Sect Master had laid down an unmatched Array Method in the restaurant that blocked even the Spiritual Sense.

Gradually, a sourceless light filled the restaurant, revealing the true identities of the two shadow figures. One was the Sect Master, and the other was Immortal Eternity—the duo donned in formal suits, seemingly resolute about an important decision.

“Please take your seats,” the Sect Master invited them to sit down.

So, what’s the matter?” Lu Yang asked coldly, unable to understand the Sect Master’s intentions.

However, Lu Yang was not afraid of him, with Immortal Eternity sitting nearby.

As the ruler of the Eternity lineage, Fairy Eternity had full control over Immortal Eternity, the origin of the Eternity Sect. With this relationship, there should be no scenario where the Sect Master could make troublesome waves.

“It’s just a small matter. We hope Lu Yang will help us. Given your status in the Seek Dao Sect, it should also be an easy task for you,” the Sect Master proposed.

“By the way, as I’ve heard that both of you have recently formed your Golden Core, I’ve prepared a small gift accordingly. Please accept it as a token of my goodwill.” The Sect Master silently pushed two boxes towards them.

He casually opened the boxes to reveal the contents—an Essence Strengthening Pill worth a fortune. The pill could consolidate their Cultivation Level during the Golden Core Stage and convert the remaining medicinal power into the foundation for future breakthroughs. No trace of medicinal effect was left in the body, ensuring no obstruction for future breakthroughs.

A magic instrument that could protect oneself from a full strike from someone in the Unification stage.

A copy of “Golden Core Stage Cultivation Experience.”

Five small vials filled with True Fire, Purified Water, Breath Soil, and other Five Elements matter, which could be refined into a developmental Five Elements Artifact.

Besides these, there also were numerous precious items, none of which an ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivator could afford.

Neither of them accepted the “thin gift”. Lu Yang spoke straight, “Sect Master, we are old acquaintances. Let’s not beat around the bush. Speak up.”

The Sect Master slowly revealed the plan he had been contemplating for a long time: “To put it simply, we aim to absorb rogue cultivators into our sect to expand our territory and increase our influence over the Great Xia dynasty, and to make people reliant on us!”

“Once achieved, we won’t disappoint the two of you, and we will provide a generous gift in return!”

“You may not know, but our influence has been quietly spreading throughout the entire commercial street, all unbeknown to the Seek Dao Sect.”

Lu Yang raised his eyebrow in response to the Sect Master’s words. It was almost as if he was suggesting that everyone in the commercial street was under their control. If he refused, he probably wouldn’t be able to leave the street.

However, he still stayed resolute: “What if we don’t help you?”

“Refuse to help?” The Sect Master slowly stood up, posing like a god of mountains that had remained silent for a long time but had now awakened, imposing immense pressure on the two men.

The Sect Master squinted at the two, menacingly threatened: “I have been very courteous towards you two, we simply want to branch out BBQ Again to other places. If you ask for a mile after being given an inch, then don’t blame me for bending the knee and begging you!”

The Sect Master felt he had made excellent preparations. He allowed Master Liu and Master Gao to dress formally instead of the ordinary restaurant staff uniform to respectfully invite the two over, and to greet them with a smile.

Considering that it was now June, in the scorching summer heat, he had even specifically instructed Master Liu and Master Gao to use a cooling magic skill when they saw Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, so as not to make them feel hot.

For safety’s sake and to avoid any eavesdropping from competitors, he had set up an unmatched Array Method to isolate the restaurant from outside interference.

He had cleaned the restaurant from top to bottom, ensuring there was no trace of oil.

He forged two protective magic instruments during his spare time in the butchery.

The experience of the Golden Core Stage cultivation, written by Immortal Eternity himself, was a summary based on all the memories of the Eternity Sect members.

The Five Elements were procured by visiting each commercial street shop-owner one by one, pleading and persuading them to sell the items.

To open a branch in other places was just a matter of speaking the words. Weren’t these two satisfied?

The Sect Master was determined that a gentleman could bend and stretch. For the long-term plans of the barbecue restaurant, it was worth begging on his knees if necessary!

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou hastily stopped the Sect Master, confused by the abrupt change: “You want to open more branches for the barbecue restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“And you just mentioned about absorbing rogue cultivators?”

“Recruiting waitstaff.”

They couldn’t leave the Seek Dao Sect to go outside to open branches, so they had to recruit waitstaff.

“What about expanding your operation?”

“Opening the barbecue restaurant outside the Seek Dao Sect.”

“Increasing your influence over the Great Xia dynasty?”

“Becoming a significant taxpayer.”

“Making people incapable of leaving you?”

“Attracting more customers to our shop.”

Meng Jingzhou looked at the Sect Master with suspicion: “You also claimed that your influence has spread throughout the commercial street, and the Seek Dao Sect is completely ignorant about it?”

“We underreported our income and paid lower management fees.”

Immortal Eternity added from the side: “Another layer of meaning is that our barbecue restaurant’s income within the Seek Dao Sect has already saturated. We need to open branches outside to expand into new markets.”

Lu Yang: “…..”

Meng Jingzhou: “…..”

Did you have to make opening a restaurant branch this complicated?