Chapter 58

Shuangxi Town.
It was a half-month's journey from Pingyue Town.
This was just a very ordinary small town, with the only unusual aspect being that the spiritual energy was slightly denser than in Pingyue Town.
There were quite a few merchant caravans passing through every day, and goods from several surrounding villages were exchanged here, so there was no shortage of currency circulation.
Especially today, Shuangxi Town was particularly lively.
Because a new restaurant had opened in town!
On opening day, firecrackers and drums filled the air, and the aroma of food could be smelled throughout the entire street. The only downside was that the food here was a bit expensive.
But for the first three days of opening, everything was half-price!
Rounding it off, it was practically free. Even families who usually couldn’t afford to splurge couldn’t resist joining the excitement today. If they couldn’t afford the expensive dishes, they could at least buy the cheaper ones.
On the third day of the opening, when Geng Tao passed by with his merchant caravan, he noticed a crowd gathered in front of a restaurant called "So Delicious," all trying to squeeze inside. The aroma wafting from the restaurant made his mouth water incessantly.
Meanwhile, the originally established Shuangxi Restaurant across the street was almost empty.
This puzzled him greatly.
Originally, there were two restaurants in the town: Shuangxi Restaurant and Old Zheng’s Restaurant. The latter had opened first, but Shuangxi Restaurant opened right across from it, acting quite arrogantly. With deep pockets, it managed to steal all of Old Zheng’s business.
However, the food at Shuangxi Restaurant was indeed better than Old Zheng’s, and the prices were the same, so everyone knew which one to choose.
What’s more, Shuangxi Restaurant had secretly hired thugs to cause trouble for Old Zheng’s, making it difficult for them to operate while boosting their own reputation.
They claimed to be the landmark of Shuangxi Town.
Over time, passing merchant caravans and others grew accustomed to eating there.
So even when they raised their prices later, everyone could accept it.
In contrast, Old Zheng’s business grew worse and worse, gradually going from making a decent profit to barely scraping by. Especially recently, when Old Zheng’s son fell ill and they had to go to the city for treatment, it drained their savings, forcing them to sell the restaurant.
Geng Tao had originally assumed that Shuangxi Restaurant would buy it out, but it seemed like a new owner had taken over? And they were planning to compete with Shuangxi Restaurant?
He stopped someone who had just come out of the restaurant and asked about it. The person replied, "The food in this restaurant is truly delicious, absolutely worth it. If I hadn’t run out of money, I wouldn’t have left so soon. And with the half-price discount for the first three days, today is the last day. If we come back to eat after this, it’ll hurt the wallet. Brother, you should hurry in. I’m going to find my wife and bring her here, I’m sure she’ll love it too"
Geng Tao was about to ask again just how delicious the food was when the other person impatiently cut him off: "Why are you so talkative? Can’t you smell how fragrant it is?"
Geng Tao: “...”
It seemed to be true.
Had he really been overcomplicating things?
He thought for a moment, then waved a hand and led his group over.
The merchant caravan was made up of burly, rugged men. As Geng Tao and his companions stood there, everyone automatically made way, leaving an empty spot. The waiter, rarely faced with such a large group, was a bit flustered. Seeing them approach, he immediately ushered them in: "How many in your party?"
"Ten."
"Ten, please come in, "
And just like that, Geng Tao successfully cut in line with his group.
He could feel the death glares from behind him, sending a chill down his spine. But as soon as they entered the main hall, those feelings vanished, replaced by a single thought, the food here was truly aromatic.
The fragrance inside the hall was far richer and more intense than the faint scent that had drifted outside, making mouths water and amplifying the pangs of hunger.
However, when it came time to order, he was taken aback by the prices.
A plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables: thirty wen.
Just that alone was exorbitantly expensive, not to mention the meat dishes, which felt like paying with one’s own flesh. Fortunately, Geng Tao was not short on money and generously ordered every dish on the menu.
The stir-fried vegetables arrived first, simply sauteed with oil and salt, the leaves vibrant green and tender. The aroma alone was enough to make them seem sweet and delicious.
Next came Kung Pao chicken, a mix of diced chicken and cucumber with a hint of spiciness, bright in color and exceptionally tasty. Then followed roasted chicken, chicken soup, and other dishes.
The burly men’s eyes practically turned green at the sight of the food!
Geng Tao didn’t hesitate either. Like all the other diners around, he focused solely on eating, speaking very little, as no one had the mind for conversation, only for savoring the meal.
"Boss, this is really delicious. Let’s come here to eat from now on," one of them said.
Geng Tao’s mouth was too full to reply, so he could only nod vigorously.
In his heart, he couldn’t stop marveling at having discovered such a divine place. The only slight drawback was that the rice didn’t quite live up to the quality of the dishes.
This was only natural. The demand for rice was too high, and even with her spiritual power, Su Ling couldn’t manage it.
However, when it came to vegetables, fruits, and livestock like chickens, ducks, and fish, she could easily enhance their quality.
While the restaurant’s front was bustling with business, Su Ling, situated in the backyard, was leisurely relaxing, not at all resembling a busy proprietor.
Meng Jin, who served as both manager and accountant, was running around in a daze, muttering under his breath, "How did I, a scholar, fall to such a state?!"
"I quit!"
The assistant manager, sweating nervously to keep up with him, seized a brief moment to rush to the backyard and report to the boss: "Boss, Manager Meng says he’s quitting!"
Su Ling calmly waved her hand. "Don’t worry, he won’t leave."
The assistant manager drifted back to the front, looking utterly bewildered.
Su Ling could remain so composed because, Meng Jin was essentially two personalities in one.
The primary personality appeared to be that of a scholarly figure named Meng Jin, who enjoyed cooking, composing poetry, and had no combat skills whatsoever, along with a terrible sense of direction.
The second personality, however, was entirely different, a cultivator with a formidable soul and spiritual sense, though his physical body remained that of an ordinary mortal.
His status was also lofty: he was the revered ancestor of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
At first, Su Ling thought he was pretending and secretly mocked him, only to later realize he truly wasn’t acting.
The Ancestor of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, whose real name was unknown, had long reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage. To overcome his tribulation, he entered the mortal world to cultivate, reincarnating in each life as a scholar, searching for his destined love tribulation.
He never pursued scholarly honors or official positions, instead wandering freely across the vast world.
When he first encountered Su Ling, he believed she was his love tribulation and thus sought to devote himself to her.
After being rejected by Su Ling, he initially intended to give up. However, his secondary personality, having accepted a mission from the sect and fearing Su Ling would be destroyed by the Demon Lord, implanted a suggestion in the primary personality, urging him to go and protect Su Ling.
This led to the later events of him presenting a token and requesting to stay.
So, even after Su Ling sent him away, he never truly left but remained waiting there.
Now, having accepted the mission to protect Su Ling, he had even more reason not to leave. Though he found it exasperating that someone with Su Ling’s extraordinary talent would choose to meddle in worldly affairs, he still had to fulfill his duties.
Su Ling was not one to let talent go to waste.
Thus, he became the manager.
At first, Meng Jin also intended to leave. But every time he tried, his secondary personality would bring him back, obediently assisting with those mundane, money-driven tasks.
Su Ling suspected that the name Meng Jin was likely a homophone for "dream."
It symbolized that all of this was but a dream, not real. Once his love tribulation was over, he would likely return to his own world and ascend to immortality.
She just didn’t know who his love tribulation was.

To open the restaurant, Su Ling spent two months in preparation.
She began the preparations the moment she left the bamboo house, working tirelessly without pause.
Granny Li continued to assist her with daily life, allowing Su Ling to focus entirely on her endeavors without distractions.
The chickens, ducks, fish, and livestock were all raised on spiritual food and allowed to breed naturally. The various vegetables and fruits were cultivated on land she specifically purchased. To establish this self-sufficient production chain, Su Ling not only bought Old Zheng’s restaurant but also acquired several courtyards behind it.
She nearly exhausted all the money she had.
During these two months, the token Meng Jin had given her earlier also proved useful.
When a secret realm opened, Su Ling entered without hesitation, as it posed no danger, and emerged with an array disk in hand.
She inscribed formations on it and set them up within the restaurant.
Anyone who started a fight in the restaurant would be immediately ejected, ensuring the establishment’s safety.
This also minimized a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Just like the infuriated owner of the rival Shuangxi Restaurant across the street at this very moment.
"Didn't I tell you to send people to cause trouble and prevent her from actually opening? Even if she did open, you couldn't let it be this lively! Are you all just freeloaders? All that silver spent, and it's completely useless?"
The person in charge of the matter was sprayed with a mouthful of saliva, yet his expression remained helpless. "Boss, we did it, but those people have already Ah!!"
He let out a heavy sigh.
The owner of Shuangxi Restaurant demanded, "What happened to them? Speak!"
The person in charge whispered, "Didn't I report this to you before? Everyone who went to cause trouble is still lying in bed, unable to get up."
Everyone who went to pick a fight was thrown out. At the time, they seemed fine, but after returning home and going to sleep, none of them could get up again, as if they'd had a stroke. Their families had come to complain several times.
The owner had given them some silver to placate them but hadn't done anything beyond that.
The owner of Shuangxi Restaurant rubbed his throbbing head and asked, "Is there no one else?"
The person in charge shook his head. "After hearing about what happened to those people, who would dare?"
The owner of Shuangxi Restaurant: “...”
He stared at the bustling scene across the street, his face dark. He couldn't find a way to take action and instead felt that the scene was strangely familiar.
All he could hope for now was that their target customer base was different; otherwise, he would truly end up following the same path as the old Zheng family.

Having resumed his position as the Demon Lord, Yi Heng looked at his group of ferocious-looking subordinates and thought for a moment before saying, "You all need to change your appearances."
Although there was still some time before he went to pick up his little disciple, the transformation had to start now. Otherwise, when his little disciple came here in the future, she would be scared to death, her courage had always been small.
"Huh?" A seductive woman holding a crimson python looked confusedly at the Demon Lord. The python tilted its head, trying to look adorable. "Like this?"
The Right Protector, wearing a necklace of skulls, looked innocently at his own cool outfit. "Demon Lord, I think this looks great."
A ghostly cultivator in a black cloak, with only a pair of glowing green eyes visible, said eerily, "Demon Lord I can't change my appearance"