Chapter 111: Trouble Always Comes Knocking
Stepping into the restaurant, Liam was met with a scene he knew he would never forget.
The Azure Crane was alive in every sense of the word. The moment he crossed the threshold, a tide of sound and scent rushed over him.
The chatter of voices overlapped in a chorus of noise: travelers boasting of their journeys, cultivators debating techniques and prices of spirit herbs. Wooden chopsticks clicked against ceramic bowls, cups clinked as wine was poured, and laughter rolled like thunder from one corner where a group of burly men played an unknown game.
The smell was intoxicating. Rich broths laced with fragrant herbs simmered somewhere in the kitchen, mixing with the savory aroma of roasted spirit beast meat. There was also the earthy scent of spirit grains being steamed.
The décor was no less eye-catching. Lanterns painted with cranes in flight swayed gently from the rafters. The walls were decorated with ink paintings of mountains and rivers.
It was vibrant. It was alive. It was a place where mortals, cultivators, and wanderers alike gathered at the edge of Blackstone City’s gates to eat, rest, and trade rumors.
Liam smiled faintly to himself. Compared to the world of Eternal Realms in the Gear Glass, this felt different. The game was immersive, yes, but here, there was no "exit button." Every voice, every smell, every detail was real.
He had fought countless battles in Eternal Realms. Against monsters, humans, and even other races. Endless grinding, endless duels, endless quests. And while at the time he had thought of it as just entertainment, he realized now how much of that accumulated experience had been etched directly into his mind and body.
The neural intent control of the Gear Glass meant that everything — combat stances, footwork, reaction speed, reading an opponent — had been integrated into his instincts. When he fought the Ironblood Bear earlier, he hadn’t fought like someone new to combat. He had fought like a seasoned warrior who had survived hundreds of battles.
"If not for those experiences," Liam muttered under his breath, "I probably wouldn’t have survived... or at least not with that much ease."
He chuckled softly and shook his head, bringing himself back to the present.
Scanning the room with his sharp eyes, he found an empty table near the window. He walked across the polished wooden floor and took a seat.
A young waitress in a simple dress moved quickly between tables, balancing a tray with practiced grace. Liam raised a hand slightly and called for her.
Fortunately, thanks to his Universal Linguistics skill, the language here wasn’t an obstacle. To his ears, it sounded like a highly complex form of Mandarin, with archaic tones and accents, but the skill smoothed it into something perfectly natural.
The waitress turned at his call. She froze for the briefest of moments, her eyes widening slightly as she took in his peculiar appearance.
Black trousers of unfamiliar cut, sleek shoes unlike anything she’d ever seen, and a fitted shirt with no obvious fastenings — Liam looked completely out of place in a world where robes and sashes were the norm.
While she has seen a lot of peculiar things while working here in the past two years, but this one’s different. Actually, it wasn’t just her that noticed Liam’s appearance. Just as he walked across to his table, quite a bit of curious eyes turned toward him, sizing up this strange foreigner. Some of them glanced briefly before dismissing him as eccentric, while others continued to watch, intrigued by his outlandish appearance.
Liam ignored their stares, sitting calmly as the waitress finally approached.
Before she could speak, Liam reached into the Dimensional Space and pulled out the pouch Zhou had given him. He opened it discreetly under the table and quickly counted at least five gold coin.
"This is a lot. More than $5,000 equivalent. I’m very sure that they gave me this much because they are cultivators. The amount is more than enough for me," Liam murmured to himself. Enough to eat, enough to rent a room if necessary.
He slipped the pouch back into the Dimensional Space immediately. The last thing he needed was to invite trouble by flashing wealth in a tavern full of strangers.
Novel clichés were clichés for a reason. And he had no intention of becoming the next "poor foreigner robbed in a restaurant" story.
Still, he knew it wouldn’t matter much. With how different he looked, trouble would find him eventually. It always did.
The waitress bowed slightly and asked politely, "Honored guest, what would you like?"
"Can you tell me what dishes you have? And the prices?" Liam asked smoothly.
She nodded and began listing the options.
"Spirit Grain Rice, one silver for a bowl. Twin Tusks Boar Ribs, 500 copper coins. River Cloud Fish steamed with lotus herbs, two silver. Spirit Chicken Soup, one silver and five copper. We also have roasted Dire Wolf Haunch, three silver, and for cultivators, Clear Qi Wine brewed with spiritual herbs, one silver a cup. For the wealthier guests, a full Spirit Beast Banquet begins at one gold..."
Liam raised his brows slightly at the variety. He mulled it over, then decided on something quality but not ostentatious.
"I’ll have the River Cloud Fish and a bowl of Spirit Grain Rice," he said.
The waitress smiled, bowed again, and hurried off to place the order.
Liam leaned back, resting his elbow on the table, and let his gaze drift to the window. Beyond it, he could see the bustle of the main street: caravans rolling past, cultivators striding with their weapons, children chasing each other between stalls.
He smiled to himself. I really want to see how food here compares. If the novels were right, spirit qi makes everything taste better than the finest on Earth.
And deep down, he already suspected the hype wasn’t hype at all. Vegetables nourished by spiritual soil, meats from beasts infused with qi. It would only make sense that their flavors surpassed even Earth’s premium delicacies.
Lucy’s voice echoed softly in his mind. "It is beautiful, sir. I have tried analyzing the architecture, clothing, and goods based on my database... but there are very little to no matches. Too much variance. Too many unknowns."
"Don’t stress yourself too much," Liam replied inwardly. "I’ll gather information manually. I’ll explore, observe, and ask questions."
"Thank you, sir. What is your plan after you eat?"
Liam chuckled softly. "No idea. Maybe I’ll go gather information. Or maybe I’ll just see where the day takes me. Let’s eat first. Oh, and remind me when it’s time for dinner back on Earth."
"Understood."
He smiled faintly at her reply and let his thoughts drift.
But his peace didn’t last long.
He noticed a couple of shadows looming over his table.
Slowly, he raised his head.
Standing before him was a young man dressed in what was unmistakably luxurious attire for this world.
His robe was embroidered with golden cranes, his sash adorned with a jade ornament that glimmered faintly. His hair was tied neatly with a jeweled clasp, and on each side of him stood two people who are probably his attendants. Two tall, broad-shouldered cultivators with hands resting near their weapons.
The young man’s expression carried the kind of arrogance that was universal across worlds. A smirk painted his face, and his eyes glittered with disdainful curiosity.
Around them, a hush fell across the nearby tables. Diners pretended not to look, but their ears strained, their eyes darted. Everyone knew this setup.
Liam didn’t need to think hard to understand the situation.
The typical young master cliché.
His lips twitched upward in a small smile. Well... guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.