Chapter 120: The Unkempt Man

"Kid, are you looking down on me? No one has ever dared to refuse a gift from me. Believe it or not, I can summon the men of every faction right now, have you seized, and put to the torture, so that even if you wanted to treat me to a meal, you wouldn't have the chance!"

"Pfft..."

Xue Han couldn't help but laugh out loud; she was speechless regarding this disheveled old man.

"Uh..." Leng Tian hesitated for a moment. He didn't feel much animosity toward this eccentric man who had suddenly appeared; he just found his arrival too abrupt and his behavior highly unconventional. Could he really be some reclusive master?

Leng Tian looked into the disheveled man’s clear eyes. They were as pure as water, devoid of any expression, and he found himself half-believing that what the man said might be true. Perhaps... With this thought, he reached out and took the withered, yellowed ancient book.

The book felt sticky to the touch, as if coated in a layer of grease. It was quite unpleasant, and as soon as he took it, Leng Tian shoved it into his storage ring as if it were trash.

"I am Leng Tian. May I ask how to address you, senior?" Leng Tian willingly took the role of a junior. Since even Judah was on guard against him, it indicated that this disheveled man was no simple person—at the very least, his cultivation level far exceeded his own.

"Hmm, not bad. Humble, polite, and cautious; you have the potential to be a powerhouse. I didn't misjudge you! Kid, you have the book now, and I won't make things difficult for you. Just treat me to a feast at the best restaurant on Changchun Island, and consider that your duty done!"

"He's clearly just a middle-aged man, yet he insists on acting like an old senior. How shameless..." Xue Han’s dissatisfied voice echoed in Leng Tian’s mind.

"You little girl, what do you know? This guy’s cultivation is heaven-defying; he must be quite old. Calling him senior is practically being disrespectful!" Judah seemed to deliberately oppose Xue Han at every turn; whenever she spoke, it would inevitably mock her.

"Senior, please lead the way. I, Leng Tian, will certainly provide a banquet to thank you for the gift of the book!" Listening to Judah, Leng Tian concluded that even if this man wasn't a hidden expert, he was certainly a person of extraordinary skill.

"Follow me!" The disheveled middle-aged man turned and walked toward a four-story restaurant in the center of the town, never once revealing his name.

Leng Tian followed steadily, watching the man’s back. He couldn't shake the feeling that, invisibly, a pair of eyes was watching him with a playful smile.

The town was small, with the streets stretching only a few hundred meters. Led by the disheveled man, they arrived at the largest restaurant in town in mere moments.

As they entered, the waiter’s shouting rang out: "You damn ghost! Who told you to come in? We chased you off the island; didn't you freeze to death? Get out of here! Do you believe I’ll have people throw you back into the ice hole and bury you alive?"

Leng Tian frowned. He stepped into the restaurant and saw a skinny waiter pushing the disheveled man, kicking and shoving him while spewing foul language.

"Don't look down on people! What’s wrong with this place? Today, an important guest is treating me. What can you do about it?" The man held onto the corner of a table with one hand, while the waiter grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the door with all his might.

"You damn bastard, has your brain been frozen? An important guest treating you? Why don't you say it's the three Sages? Get out!"

Seeing he couldn't move the man, the waiter grabbed a wooden club from beside the door and swung it with all his strength toward the man’s head.

However, the club stopped in mid-air. No matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge. "Who is it? Let go immediately, or I'll beat you along with him!"

The waiter appeared thin, but he was actually a martial artist at the peak of the Qi Gathering stage. That his strength couldn't move the club meant someone was gripping it, preventing his strike.

"And if I don't let go? What can you do?" Leng Tian held the tip of the club with two fingers like iron pincers. No matter how much strength the waiter exerted, he couldn't pull it back.

The waiter turned to see a young man in white robes with an ordinary face staring at him sternly, his two fingers clamping the end of the club.

"Kid, do you know what place this is? If you want to eat and drink, you can order whatever you want if you have the money! But don't act like a hero. Let go and don't stop me from chasing away this dog!"

He pulled with all his might, trying to reclaim the club, but the club remained motionless in Leng Tian's fingers.

"Someone... someone help! Get these two out of here!" Seeing he couldn't shake Leng Tian, the waiter called for help. The scene at the entrance drew the gazes of many diners.

"I am the important guest he spoke of. I am treating him to a meal in your restaurant today. Is there a problem with that?" As Leng Tian spoke, he flicked his arm. The wooden club shot into the heavy wooden pillar near the door with such force that it pierced through it, leaving only a few inches sticking out.

"You..." The waiter turned pale. Looking at the pillar, which was a meter thick, he realized the young man was a high-level expert. No wonder he was standing up for this "dirty dog."

"Er Mao, what's going on?" A wealthy, fat middle-aged man walked over to ask.

"This is my friend. I'm treating him to a meal here today. Why are you trying to chase him away? Is this not a place where people pay to dine?" Leng Tian stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the fat man with a cold expression.

"You... you're treating him to a meal?" The fat man asked, pointing at the disheveled man with a bewildered expression.

"Is there a problem?"

"Not at all! Customers are kings, especially those who come to spend money!" The fat man paused, then looked at the disheveled man sitting at the table, forcing a smile at Leng Tian.

"Good. Arrange a window seat for us and bring your best food and wine. I won't be short on payment."

Leng Tian felt deep disgust for people who judged others by their appearance. In his previous life, as a young beggar, he had suffered plenty of abuse from such people—petty, sycophantic snobs.

"Er Mao, why are you still standing there? Get them a table and serve our best dishes!" The fat man glared at the waiter, then turned to Leng Tian with a smile: "Please, you and your friend, head upstairs."

"Hmph..."

Leng Tian snorted and turned to call the disheveled man, only to find that the man had already scrambled up the stairs to the second floor the moment he heard he could eat.

This sight stunned not only Leng Tian but also the fat man and the waiter.

Escorted by the fat man, Leng Tian walked upstairs calmly. When he reached the top, he found the disheveled man already sitting by a window, one dirty, black leg propped up on the chair. Seeing Leng Tian, he waved.

"I think he's just playing the fool to get free food and drink and win people's sympathy!" Xue Han was now perched on the blood-red rune at the center of Leng Tian’s brow, swinging her little feet and looking at the man through Leng Tian's consciousness. Judah had been shoved to the side, looking miserable but daring not to speak.

After leaving the Heavenly Tower, Xue Han had self-proclaimed herself as his servant. Her reasoning was that Leng Tian had united with her phantom in the "Mirror Flower, Water Moon" illusion, so she had to stay by his side. As for finding a new master, she simply ignored it.

After binding herself to him, she realized the blood-red rune in Leng Tian’s mind was the essence of Judah’s soul. She had used this to force the arrogant Judah into submission, threatening to destroy its soul rune. Judah, fearing the loss of half its cultivation, had no choice but to swallow its pride and treat her as the "boss."

Leng Tian was well aware of the dynamic between them and was secretly pleased that Judah was finally being kept in check.

Downstairs, the fat man pulled Er Mao aside and whispered, "Serve them the most expensive food. If they try to dine and dash, notify Qin Da and the others. Strip them naked and throw them into the sea! They dare to act wildly on Changchun Island? They don't realize that in this vast ocean, even the Sages and the people of the Seventy-Two Islands wouldn't dare cause trouble here!"

Er Mao nodded with a sinister grin and went to prepare the meal.

The diners in the hall watched, whispering among themselves, shocked that Leng Tian was actually treating the town's pariah.

"This is impossible!" "I'm not seeing this right!" "My eyes must be failing me!" "Am I dreaming?" "What's happening? Is this an illusion?"

"You're not crazy; that young man is crazy for wasting his kindness on that disgusting wretch. Maybe this is his last supper from the heavens. God help him choke on it!" a red-faced, wealthy man said, raising his cup.

If Leng Tian had heard them, he might have reconsidered the character of his disheveled guest.

Before long, a lavish feast was served. The disheveled man, seeing the spread, had already forgotten about Leng Tian. He used both hands simultaneously, a pig's trotter in his left and a chicken leg in his right, devouring them with massive bites. In the blink of an eye, the meat was gone.

Leng Tian stared at the pile of bones, which had been picked so clean there wasn't a shred of meat left. He was stunned—this eating style was truly one of a kind!