Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 829: Meng Jingzhou’s Fearsome Reputation

“Who asked you about your rent?!” The young man raged. Why would I ask you about your rent? What use is renting this crappy place?

The waiter was likely intimidated by the young man’s demeanor and began to stammer. “H-honored guest, you didn’t ask clearly. I-I didn’t know you couldn’t afford the rent.”

“You!”

The young man was too ostentatious, quickly drawing the attention of other diners.

“Isn’t that Li Zhuo, the Left Chancellor’s youngest grandson?”

“He is Li Zhuo, one of the Imperial City’s Four Young Masters? I heard the Left Chancellor is particularly fond of this grandson.”

“Goodness, then the person competing with Li Zhuo in wealth is in for big trouble, isn’t he?”

“You don’t say! Who in the imperial city dares to vie with Li Zhuo for the spotlight?”

“And that waiter is probably going to suffer too.”

Lu Yang wasn’t clear about prices in the imperial city and curiously asked from the side, “Is Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant’s rent very expensive? Why does he look like he can’t afford it?”

Meng Jingzhou yawned in boredom beside him. “He’s a pauper after all; it’s understandable. He just likes to pretend to be a big shot and show off in front of his female companion. By tightening his belt a bit, he could scrounge up some money for a pot of wine and a few small dishes. But this rent? Even if he snaps his spine from tightening his belt, he wouldn’t be able to afford it. Waiter, I’ll pay one year’s rent for your Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant!”

The waiter was overjoyed and rushed to serve at Meng Jingzhou’s table, massaging his shoulders and legs. “Many thanks, dear guest!”

Li Zhuo’s face flushed red, then turned pale. He was extremely concerned with his pride and image. Despite being flamboyant in his actions, he had never been humbled—until now. He could even feel that the gazes of those who had recognized him and previously held him in reverence had begun to change.

He quickly calculated how many spirit stones he could muster. “Isn’t it just a year of rent? I’ll pay the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant’s rent for two years!”

The waiter was ecstatic, running over to Li Zhuo’s side to massage his shoulders and legs with practiced movements.

“Three years,” Meng Jingzhou said lazily, not even lifting an eyelid. This was small change to him. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The waiter promptly switched sides again, hurrying back to Meng Jingzhou.

“Three and a half... Four years!” Li Zhuo truly didn’t dare to take out that many spirit stones, but he felt that saying “half a year” would make him lose face, so he added another half a year.

“Five years. In addition, put today’s entire tab for everyone on me,” Meng Jingzhou said offhandedly. He was in a good mood from eating and felt like spending however he pleased.

The waiter ran back and forth, wishing he could split into a clone to massage both bankrollers simultaneously.

Li Zhuo was so infuriated that he wanted to curse. Where did this parvenu come from? Once I find out his identity later, he can forget about clinching a single business deal in the imperial city!

“Six years!” He narrowed his eyes, staring at Meng Jingzhou's face, overcome with revulsion. “Wait. I can produce this many spirit stones. Can you? Since you just shouted ‘five years,’ you need to prove you have that many spirit stones!”

Meng Jingzhou scoffed. “Forget five years’ rent, I could even pay for six. I just can’t be bothered to compete with you.”

“You said it yourself!” Li Zhuo refused to believe it. This person can produce that many spirit stones? Even for me, taking out that many spirit stones at once is a significant strain.

“Go summon a Meng Family member to collect the rent!” Li Zhuo ordered his guards. The Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant was a property of the Meng Family. I’ll also use this chance to send a guard to fetch more spirit stones from home; I don’t have that many on hand.

Not long after, Chief Steward Xu You arrived. He was usually the one who collected the rent from Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant.

With a pained expression, Li Zhuo pulled out a storage ring and handed it to Xu You. He had painstakingly scraped together this sum from various sources to cover the six years’ rent. If his father and grandfather learned of his actions today, they would likely fly into a rage.

But that doesn’t matter. Right now, all that matters is venting my anger.

Xu You inspected the storage ring with his spiritual consciousness. It was indeed six years’ rent.

“It’s your turn now!” Li Zhuo glared fixedly at Meng Jingzhou. “Let’s see how you come up with six years’ rent!”

Meng Jingzhou turned and extended a hand toward Xu You. “Uncle Xu, lend me some spirit stones.”

Xu You handed the storage ring he had just received to Meng Jingzhou. Although Meng Jingzhou was disguised, Xu You had seen him use this appearance when he arrived in the imperial city.

“See? Six years’ rent.”

“You’re from the Meng Family?!” Li Zhuo realized what was going on. He could no longer suppress his fury. He felt like a clown, played for a fool by the other party.

“So what if I’m playing you? You think you have the right to chase away other guests?” Meng Jingzhou stopped pretending and simply removed his mask.

Li Zhuo felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him. His ire that was about to erupt vanished completely as he stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. Then, he pointed a finger at Meng Jingzhou and stuttered. “You’re Meng Jingzhou?!”

Why has this guy come back?

Why didn’t anyone inform me?

Or am I the first to know that Meng Jingzhou has returned?!

“Oh yo? Li Zhuo, you’ve grown some nerve, daring to call this young master’s name directly?” Meng Jingzhou smirked menacingly, rolling his neck and loosening his wrists as he stepped closer to Li Zhuo. The latter was so terrified that he forgot about the beautiful companion in his arms and staggered backward.

The diners watching the spectacle hadn’t expected that the one who dared to contend with Li Zhuo in wealth would be Meng Jingzhou.

“Eldest Young Master Meng has returned!” Someone who understood the implications shuddered inwardly. The imperial city is probably going to be anything but peaceful in the coming days.

“Who is Eldest Young Master Meng?” The question came from someone unfamiliar with the imperial city.

“Eldest Young Master Meng, Meng Jingzhou—haven’t you heard of him? He’s the one who joined the Dao-Seeking Sect?”

“Then who’s more formidable, him or the Imperial City’s Four Young Masters?”

“The Imperial City’s Four Young Masters are nothing! Back when Meng Jingzhou hadn’t left the imperial city, those four didn’t dare show their faces. This lord is a fearsome character who even dared to beat up the young imperial prince.”

“I heard someone taught Li Zhuo a lesson before. Was it Meng Jingzhou?”

“Yes, it was him!”

“Then who’s the person sitting beside Eldest Young Master Meng?”

“I don’t know him.”

Li Zhuo’s face was deathly pallid, thoroughly frightened by Meng Jingzhou. He forced a smile. “Young Master Meng, what are you saying? It’s just that we haven’t seen each other for so long; I was excited and momentarily forgot the rules.”

“Well, Old Lu, do you now know this young master’s status in the imperial city?” Meng Jingzhou flaunted triumphantly. This was a rule he had established back then—Li Zhuo and the others had to address him as “Young Master” when they saw him.

Lu Yang rolled his eyes, unwilling to engage. What’s the big deal? I was even the sect leader in the Dao-Seeking Sect.

“Old Lu... He’s Lu Yang!” Upon learning of Meng Jingzhou’s identity, those familiar with Saga of the Dao-Seeking Sect easily guessed Lu Yang’s identity and cried out involuntarily.

In terms of fame alone, Lu Yang’s renown surpassed even the Left Chancellor’s.

Perhaps people didn’t know the Left Chancellor’s name or what he had done, but they certainly knew Lu Yang’s deeds.

“That’s Lu Yang—the Taciturn Daoist Priest’s disciple and the next Dao-Seeking Sect Leader?”

“It’s him! Who else would dare to be called Lu Yang these days?!”

“Why have both of them come to the imperial city?!”