The two of them stepped into the restaurant and were greeted by a server, dressed in what looked like robes, though it was easy to tell who worked there since everyone wore similar attire.

Just as the server was about to take Lin Tian’s order, another attendant came down from the second floor and whispered something to her.

Her face flashed with surprise, then her attention turned back to them. "I’m sorry. Someone is already waiting for you both on the second floor."

"Someone?" Lin Tian asked. An Yue narrowed her eyes.

"Did you already have an appointment with them? Who is it?" An Yue asked, curious.

"I don’t know."

Still, Lin Tian turned the offer down, not wanting to get tangled up in anything. It was possible the person was the restaurant owner and needed his help with something.

Both attendants looked startled. One of them went back upstairs to relay the news to the woman, while Lin Tian and An Yue went ahead with placing their order.

They would be eating on the first floor.

Once their order was taken, the server led them to an empty table. The restaurant wasn’t very crowded, which gave Lin Tian and An Yue plenty of space to themselves.

"Thank you for getting that coin pouch back, Master Lin," An Yue said. "You didn’t kill that thief, did you?"

"No."

"I let him go. Besides, he wasn’t worth spending my strength on."

A graceful woman in a purple gown came down the stairs, a sash draped from one hand to the other, her figure cutting a striking silhouette in her dress.

Several male patrons in the restaurant noticed her and were instantly captivated, their eyes glowing pink as they took in her beauty.

Lin Tian wasn’t affected. His attention stayed fixed on An Yue, even as the girl studied the woman in the purple gown closely.

She continued down the stairs until she reached the first floor. She walked straight toward Lin Tian and An Yue’s table, which caught An Yue off guard.

"I saw it," the woman in the purple gown said.

"You killed members of my sect back in that alley," she added.

An Yue was completely stunned. She glanced over at Lin Tian, whose expression had gone cold. "What happened, Master Lin?"

Lin Tian heard both An Yue’s question and the woman’s accusation. He let out a breath and explained the truth of what had happened to An Yue.

"Three men had placed a Charm Technique on you. That’s why you ended up in that alley," Lin Tian said. "I thought it would be better to give you a different reason than to make you worry."

The woman in the purple gown listened to Lin Tian. She smiled sweetly, genuinely moved by what he had said. Still, she wasn’t willing to set aside the matter of Lin Tian killing three members of her sect.

"My disciples were in the wrong, but shouldn’t you have spared their lives instead of killing them?" the woman asked.

"The cultivation world is cruel. Those who are weak are the ones who die."

"They should have realized that before they kidnapped my friend," Lin Tian replied.

An Yue felt uneasy with the woman’s presence. She turned to Lin Tian and asked to leave, since the restaurant no longer felt safe for them.

Hearing her concern, Lin Tian agreed right away. They stood up and started to walk away from their table. But something happened.

Several cultivators in purple robes appeared and blocked the door, ten of them in total, most around the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Isn’t it rude to walk away while someone is still speaking with you?" the woman said, her voice smooth and enticing, capable of captivating every man in the room except Lin Tian.

Lin Tian stopped walking and let out a breath. "I don’t want to fight. Today is a special day for my friend."

Her heart began to race the moment Lin Tian said that, a blush spreading across her cheeks, her eyes fixed with fascination on his cold expression.

"Then come sit with me. There’s plenty we could talk about, isn’t there?" the woman asked.

"No."

"We’re leaving," Lin Tian said firmly.

"No. You’re not allowed to—"

"Don’t order me around!" Lin Tian snapped, turning sharply to fix her with a hard stare.

A burst of white qi spread through the entire room, felt by every cultivator present. They were shocked, their eyes wide, as the intensity of Lin Tian’s qi proved to be on par with a Nascent Soul Master.

The woman in the purple gown felt that burst of qi, and it sent a stir through her own. A wide smile spread across her face.

She grew even more intrigued, realizing he was a Nascent Soul Master.

"Oh... a Nascent Soul Master."

"I’m even more interested in you now. Would you like to hear my story?"

"There’s no need," Lin Tian replied. "I’m not interested in hearing it."

He glanced ahead toward the ten cultivators blocking the restaurant door. Realizing their opponent was a Nascent Soul Master left them with no choice but to comply.

They opened the door and let Lin Tian leave. But the woman in the purple gown wasn’t ready to give up. She turned and called over one of her members.

"What’s my assignment, Elder Ling?" the young man asked.

"Go and follow them. Make sure they don’t notice you," Elder Ling replied.

He pressed his hands together and bowed his head, accepting her order and setting off to carry out his task.

Outside the restaurant, Lin Tian suggested they try another place to eat. But An Yue declined. She was worried something like what had just happened would happen again.

"You don’t want dinner?" Lin Tian asked.

"It’s fine, Master Lin. We can head back and have dinner at the sect. I think that would be the best place for us to eat in peace," An Yue replied.

Seeing the look on An Yue’s face, Lin Tian agreed right away. They flew off, leaving the city on their qi swords.

An Yue shared that she felt happy getting to spend this time with Lin Tian, something that meant a great deal to her.

Lin Tian felt the same way, savoring this rare, relaxed moment together with An Yue.

"If you ever want me to take you out again, don’t hesitate to ask," Lin Tian said.

"Of course. I’ll keep that in mind, Master Lin."

They flew on, leaving the city behind and heading toward the Lingxian Sect. Lin Tian’s qi senses faintly picked up a cultivator trailing behind them.

He closed his eyes for a moment and studied the man carefully. It was one of the disciples from the purple-robed sect, sent by the woman in the purple gown back at the restaurant.

Why is he following us alone?