Chapter 290: Chapter 291: Trouble in the Restaurant

Shen Haoran followed Han Xu as they strolled around the city for a while before arriving at a large restaurant called Hanlixuan Restaurant.

"Waiter, come on! Bring us all of your restaurant’s signature dishes!" Han Xu bellowed the moment he stepped inside.

"Well, if it isn’t Young Master Han! It’s been a while. Come, right this way!" The waiter immediately ran over with a fawning smile upon seeing him. As the Young Master of Desert City’s Han Family, Han Xu was naturally quite famous.

"Haha! I was out of the city on business. Now go, bring us your best food and wine. I need to treat my friend right!" Han Xu boomed with a laugh.

"Right away!" The waiter nodded with a smile, shot a glance at Shen Haoran, and hurried off to the kitchen.

"Come, Brother Shen, this way!" Han Xu said, leading Shen Haoran toward a private room on the second floor.

Before long, the waiter brought out the dishes and drinks, filling the entire table. Shen Haoran couldn’t help but gulp as he looked at the spread of fine food. For Martial Artists, going ten days or even half a month without food during their Cultivation was common; eating was more or less optional. But he was still human, and a delicious meal was something to be enjoyed.

"Brother Shen, all this food is made from Spirit Beasts found in the Desert Land. It’s completely different from ordinary food. This Spirit Beast Meat contains a dense Energy that’s incredibly beneficial for the body when you eat it!" Han Xu said, drooling as he stared at the meat on the plate.

"Is that so?" Curious, Shen Haoran tore off a piece of glistening, translucent Spirit Beast Meat and put it in his mouth.

The Spirit Beast Meat melted the moment it entered his mouth, transforming into a stream of pure Energy that surged through his body. Instantly, Shen Haoran felt a pleasant warmth spread through him. The fatigue from the long journey on the Flying Shuttle vanished, replaced by a renewed sense of vitality.

"Not bad at all!" Shen Haoran said with a smile, looking at the feast spread across the table.

"Haha, see? I wasn’t lying! Let’s dig in!" Han Xu rubbed his hands together, grabbing his chopsticks, ready to start.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Eldest Young Master Han, Han Xu?"

However, just as Shen Haoran and Han Xu were about to enjoy their feast, a snide voice echoed from the doorway. They both turned to see a young man dressed in blue walking into their private room.

Seeing the blue-robed young man, Han Xu’s good mood instantly vanished. He shot the newcomer a flat look, casually picked up a piece of food, and tossed it into his mouth. "Tsk. Lan Yansheng, why are you everywhere? Can’t get rid of you, can I? Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to this young master, have you?"

’Lan Yansheng?’ Shen Haoran thought, looking at the youth in blue. He now knew the man’s identity.

On the way here in the Flying Shuttle, Han Xu had explained the power structure of Desert City to Shen Haoran. The entire city was controlled by three families. The first was Han Xu’s Han Family, which primarily ran a Mercenary Power, forming Mercenary Teams to explore the Desert Land or take on escort missions. The second was the Lan Family, to which this blue-robed youth Lan Yansheng belonged. The Lan Family operated the city’s Pill Workshops and were considered the wealthiest family in Desert City. Finally, there was the Wang Family, which managed the city’s markets and trade. The three families cooperated on some matters but also vied for influence, keeping each other in check. Their relationships were, to put it mildly, complicated.

"Hmph. The way you look? Even if this young master went blind, I’d choose a beggar over you!" Lan Yansheng said, looking at Han Xu with disdain.

"If you’re not interested, then get lost. Can’t you see this young master is dining with a guest? You’re ruining the mood!" Han Xu waved his hand dismissively, trying to shoo him away without giving him any face. Not that he needed to. The two couldn’t stand the sight of each other since childhood, and with their families being rivals, it would have been a miracle for Han Xu to be polite to Lan Yansheng.

"Oh, entertaining a guest?" Only then did Lan Yansheng notice Shen Haoran sitting across from Han Xu. He immediately sized him up. Shen Haoran had already taken off his Alchemist robes, revealing a set of sturdy black clothes that had a few patches on them. After all, an Alchemist’s robes were too conspicuous and inconvenient to wear all the time.

Staring at Shen Haoran’s patched clothes, Lan Yansheng said with disgust, "I’m telling you, Han Xu, when did your standards get so low? You call this a guest? At my house, we wouldn’t even hire him to sweep the floors. Birds of a feather flock together, as they say. It seems your taste is nothing special after all! Wouldn’t you all agree?" Lan Yansheng finished with a loud laugh, turning to the servants behind him.

"Haha, exactly! Since when does Eldest Young Master Han enjoy hanging out with beggars?"

"Sigh, and here I was wondering why I could never get along with Eldest Young Master Han. Turns out my standards are just too high for him to reach! I guess only our little beggar brother here is fit to be seen with him!"

A chorus of mockery erupted from the servants. With Lan Yansheng backing them, they brazenly heaped scorn on both Han Xu and Shen Haoran.

Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed as a cold glint flashed within them. ’This originally had nothing to do with me, and I didn’t want to get involved. I just want to get news about the Profound Yellow Fruit, repair the crack in the Primordial Small World, and leave to find the Heaven and Earth Spirits. But now they’re bullying me to my face. How can I possibly tolerate this!’

’Shen Haoran is my honored guest! How dare Lan Yansheng let his servants insult him! This is unforgivable! If I let this slide, how will I ever show my face in this city again?’ Hearing the servants’ words, Han Xu’s heart burned with rage.

However, just as Han Xu was about to strike, Shen Haoran held him back. Then, Shen Haoran stood up and slowly walked toward Lan Yansheng and his lackeys.

"Whose dogs are these, barking so wildly and disturbing my peace?" Shen Haoran said nonchalantly, cleaning out his ear.

"Kid, who are you calling a dog? You got a death wish?!" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Believe it or not, we’ll tear your mouth right off your face, you filthy beggar!" Hearing Shen Haoran call them dogs, the servants all glared, pointing and shouting at him.

As the servants continued to clamor, Shen Haoran’s expression turned ice-cold. A faint, baleful aura erupted from his body. In the next instant, his figure flickered and vanished on the spot.

SLAP... SLAP... SLAP...

The moment Shen Haoran vanished, a series of crisp smacks echoed through the room. The servants were sent flying, their faces swelling up like pig heads. They could no longer speak, only mumble and groan incoherently.

"Brat, you dare to touch people from the Lan Family? You’ve got some nerve! This young master is going to—" Lan Yansheng stared at his servants, who had been sent flying in an instant. His expression froze, then turned cold as he pointed a finger at Shen Haoran’s nose and roared. But before he could finish, he was cut off.

Shen Haoran’s hand shot out like lightning, seizing Lan Yansheng by the throat and lifting him clean off the ground. "The one thing I hate most in this world is someone pointing at my nose," he said. "Congratulations... you just hit the jackpot."