Chapter 21 The Restaurant

Words : 901 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

"Dong, dong, dong—" On this day, the long-silent ancestral bronze bell of the clan emitted a series of dull sounds. The sound was not loud, but it reached the ears of every member of the clan on the island. "What's happened? To actually ring the bronze bell and call together all the clan members?" Li Zhirui stopped frolicking with Da Qing and looked towards the main hall with a puzzled expression on his face. "You stay at home; I'll be back soon," he said, and then Li Zhirui got up and left. Because of the distance, by the time Li Zhirui arrived at the plaza in front of the main hall, most of the clan members had already gathered. "Zhihao, do you know why the clan is gathering us?" Li Zhirui asked curiously. "You kid, always cooped up in your room, didn't even know the clan is opening a tavern in the marketplace," Li Zhihao said, looking at Li Zhirui with an odd expression on his face. Li Zhirui chuckled awkwardly. Indeed, he wasn't much for socializing, simply because he didn't know how to interact with the unfamiliar clan members. In theory, as everyone belonged to the same clan and was related by blood, they should have been close, but in reality, they hadn't seen much of each other and were basically strangers. Especially after Li Zhirui learned Water Refining Alchemy and then taught a few clan members, those nearly forgotten relatives started looking at him as if they were starving wolves eyeing fresh meat, pouncing on him the moment they saw him. Then they would praise him, calling him a child of heaven, a rare genius unseen in a hundred years; no matter how exaggerated, they showered him with compliments, which gave Li Zhirui goosebumps all over his body. So, Li Zhirui, who already didn't like going out, was even less inclined to leave his home. Now, he hardly stepped out of the door except to hand over the Spirit Pills. He had thought that teaching alchemy to his relatives would improve his standing in the clan, but in reality, nothing had changed. Now, hearing from Li Zhihao that the clan was opening a tavern, Li Zhirui did some quick calculations and realized they had left Bailang County about a year ago! In that year, the Li family had prospered immensely, earning a substantial amount of Spirit Stones each month. If they were still in the oppressive and feudal Beast Taming Sect, the family's current achievements would either have been forcibly taken by the Beast Taming Sect or they would have been working for them, being exploited in another way. Thinking of this, Li Zhirui couldn't help but feel fortunate that the White Jade Sect had gained a Nascent Soul cultivator who annihilated the Beast Taming Sect; otherwise, not to mention thriving, the Li family would have been lucky to maintain their current status. Li Shilian also saw the situation and was concerned but didn't know how to solve it. He then asked, "You have some ideas, don't you?" "Spread the word far and wide, along with opening discounts," Li Zhirui replied, mentioning two common strategies used by new stores to attract customers from his previous life. Although Li Shilian did not fully understand, he was not interested in hearing explanations and, with a wave of his hand, said, "Since you have an idea, go ahead and do it." "I need an Amplifying Stone," said Li Zhirui, unable to refuse and having to take action himself. "What do you want that trifle for?" Despite his words, Li Shilian still rummaged through his storage bag and took out a half-palm-sized stone. Li Zhirui, not bothering to explain, recorded a message onto the stone in front of Li Shilian. "Cloudtop Pavilion's grand opening today, with discounts throughout! Spend thirty spirit stones and save two, and with any purchase of Spirit Food, receive a complimentary bowl of Spirit Rice!" The voice amplified by the Amplifying Stone immediately attracted many cultivators; one Loose Cultivator asked, "Are you telling the truth? You're not deceiving us, are you?" "Do you know of the Li Family's Grocery Store? This restaurant belongs to my Li family; naturally, we would not deceive anyone," Li Zhirui assured, patting his chest. "How can you prove this restaurant belongs to the Li family?" Fortunately, the shopkeeper, Li Shihua, was recognized by some, and he immediately revealed his identity. After Li Zhirui invoked the Li family's name for assurance, the person hesitantly believed him and walked into Cloudtop Pavilion. Seeing that many cultivators were still hesitant, he added, "The restaurant is newly opened, the Spirit Food quantity is limited; once it's sold out, this promotion will end!" Upon hearing this, some of the cultivators who were undecided immediately entered Cloudtop Pavilion. The first floor wasn't very large, and to ensure it wasn't too crowded, only twelve square tables were set up. And thanks to Li Zhirui's advertising and salesmanship, the first floor quickly filled up with cultivators. As for the second floor, it was divided into eight private rooms which were isolated with Sound-Isolating Arrays and featured exquisite decor, among other reasons. They required a certain fee, and ordinary Loose Cultivators were not willing to spend the spirit stones for such accommodations.

Chapter 21 The Restaurant

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