Chapter 3282 — What Followed

Old Man Wei's words left the three ancestors utterly speechless. Going to a snack shop to eat meat and treat themselves? Was Lin Dongfang really in such a sorry state? He was, after all, a full-fledged expert of the Heavenly Dao—to think he had sunk to the point of visiting a snack shop for a special meal was almost beyond belief.

Still, they dared not say much. As they saw it, Old Man Wei's refusal to make money was meant to temper Wei Zhao—hardship brings out talent, after all! So the Sinister Ancestor hastened to say, "No, no, we insist—let it be our treat, Master. This little bit of money is nothing to our Bloody Garment Yellow Springs Sect."

Nor was the Sinister Ancestor being falsely polite; he was speaking the truth. The Bloody Garment Yellow Springs Sect was a cultivator-world assassination organization, and money they had in abundance.

Lin Dongfang gave a faint smile, not in the least embarrassed. "Back when Little Yi was a killer in his master's organization, he earned a good deal of money for me. But I donated it all to orphanages and the poor mountain villages."

"Master is right—we should donate too!" The Sinister Ancestor was a clever man and spoke up at once. "No wonder the young master is always helping out at Songshan Orphanage. So it was your good teaching, Master. We are deeply moved. When we return, we shall donate every idle fund of the Bloody Garment Yellow Springs Sect to Songshan Orphanage!"

"That won't be necessary," Lin Dongfang said with a shake of his head. "Earning money isn't easy for you either. Donating a bit is fine, but giving it all away is out of the question. This is Little Yi's own affair; we shouldn't interfere."

"Of course, of course! Master is right—if we interfere too much, he won't get his training." The Sinister Ancestor said hurriedly.

Talking all the while, the four of them arrived together at the snack shop and general store run by the Widow Wang at the entrance of West Star Mountain Village—the one and only shop in the whole village.

"Doctor Lin, what can I get you?" Widow Wang asked warmly as Lin Dongfang stepped inside. Lin Dongfang was a famous miracle doctor throughout the surrounding villages, and so he was held in high regard here.

"Oh, nothing to buy. A few friends have come, so stir-fry us a few dishes—we'll have a couple of drinks," Old Man Wei told Widow Wang. "Right away! The usual, then?" Widow Wang knew what Lin Dongfang liked. Though he did not come often, he managed to eat here about once a month; once Wei Zhao was away from home, Lin Dongfang came a little more frequently. No help for it—with Wei Zhao gone there was no one to cook, and Lin Dongfang made do with whatever he could scrounge, so he had to come pamper his palate a few times a month.

"That'll do. Bring four bottles of Erguotou," Lin Dongfang said with a nod.

"OK!!!" Widow Wang was quite the trendy one—she could even speak English.

The three ancestors were all cultivators, so their capacity for liquor was naturally great. Erguotou was strong stuff, but to them it was truly nothing. Soon the food and drink were laid out on the table. And to be fair, small as the snack shop was, it had no shortage of goods!

Fish and meat alike, a balance of the rich and the light, no lack of side dishes—it really was a fine place!

"Master, the three of us drink to you, in gratitude for saving our lives!" The Sinister Ancestor, the Yellow Springs Ancestor, and the Bloody Garment Ancestor all rose to their feet at once and raised the first cup with the utmost deference.

Lin Dongfang had no choice but to raise his cup and acknowledge them.

As for Widow Wang, even if she heard what the Sinister Ancestor and the others said, she paid it no mind. Lin Dongfang was a doctor; saving their lives was only natural, nothing remarkable. In Widow Wang's eyes, Lin Dongfang had cured the three men's ailments, and the three were treating him to a meal in thanks.

So she deliberately brought out a few extra dishes. It was not Lin Dongfang's money anyway—someone else was paying, so why shouldn't she seize the chance to sell a little more? What was she waiting for?

Seeing several times the usual number of dishes, Lin Dongfang did not stop her. There were more people today, after all; besides, he normally scrimped and saved in order to donate to poor children. Today the Sinister Ancestor and the other two were treating, so he might as well eat a little more and enjoy the indulgence.

As cups went back and forth, the Sinister Ancestor and his companions finally came to know Lin Dongfang a little better. Watching him drink deep and eat heartily, they found it hard to reconcile this harmless old man with the ruthless figure of the Twin Demons of Vajra who had once swept through the ancient tier!

The gap was simply too vast, after all. This genial village doctor and that terrifying great demon king were practically two different people.

Of course, strange as it seemed, they did not doubt Lin Dongfang's prowess in the slightest! Masters of that caliber all had their own habits and tempers.

But just as the four were enjoying their meal, a party of uninvited guests arrived at West Star Mountain Village!

"Young man, give me five jin of sticky cakes. And while you're at it, I'd like to ask—have a few old men dressed much like us come through your village recently?" The speaker was Dongfang Badao. Cultivators of the ancient tier generally wore long robes, rather old-fashioned in style. Though the Dongfang Family was modern, Dongfang Badao still chose long robes when attending important occasions.

The young man thus questioned was a sticky-cake peddler who hawked his wares through the lanes of West Star Mountain Village. Seeing business come his way, he answered warmly, "Right away! As for old men dressed like you—three of them did come, as it happens. Are you all together?"

As he spoke, the young man deftly weighed out the sticky cakes and handed them to Dongfang Badao.

"Yes, we are together. They arrived a step ahead of us, and the cell signal in your village isn't very good, so we can't reach them. Could you tell me where they are?" Dongfang Badao casually produced a hundred-yuan note and handed it to the young man. "Keep the change—the rest is for the directions."

Of course, they could have found them by searching house to house, but that would easily spook the quarry—if the three ancestors wished to hide, they would never be discovered! Besides, for the ancient tier to openly meddle in the secular world was rather hard to justify, so Dongfang Badao chose the quickest way: asking around.

"Really? Thank you so much!" The young man happily pocketed the money, then pointed toward the village entrance. "You must be from the big city, eh? You're rich indeed. They'd just arrived when they went off to eat at Widow Wang's snack shop at the head of the village."

"Oh, thank you, young man. Heh, yes, we're from the city—just here for a bit of fun," Dongfang Badao said with a smile. At that moment he was like a kindly old man; an ordinary person could never have discerned the danger in him.

(To be continued,