Overloaded Novels
patreon
RM 49: Competition (II)
🕑 Added 2025-04-16 19:19:12 +0000 UTC“Hey, isn’t that?” Huajun muttered.
“Yeah… Why is Lady Qiu down here?” Haomu gulped and checked if his uniform looked neat and presentable.
Hearing the hushed whispers behind her, Qiu looked back with a gentle smile and beckoned the group towards the white jade stairs leading to a rising platform.
“Please mind your steps, gentlemen.” She said, locking eyes with the timidest one in the group.
“Eek!” Yesu tried to hide behind Haomu, which created a funny sight given their size difference. However, the crowd on the bottom floor appeared as enchanted with Qiu as the group she led. They all stole glances at her fluttering visage and pleasant fragrance, attracting the gaze like a colorful butterfly.
Heh, they are all so easy to read. Qiu's nose rose high behind the polite smile. If it weren’t for this chance, these poor souls would never get to see me. That’s how much of a privilege it is, and they are aware of it.
Qiu wasn’t a simple waitress at Jade Hall; as one of the elite entertainers of the establishment, she had half a floor to her name and dozens of rooms to arrange banquets for her customers. Fellow elites like her wouldn’t even leave their floors, much less come to the bottom floor. However, special people required special actions.
Wang Yang, the second direct disciple of the Second Peak Master. He took his sweet time coming here. Qiu and many others from Jade Hall had kept an eye out to form connections with him. I’ve already taken the lead in this, now I need to secure the connection.
Qiu smiled as the task didn’t pose much difficulty for her. Even as the youngest among the elite ladies of Jade Hall, she had climbed her way up with the help of her most defining feature, her beauty.
Making a young boy fall for me is as simple pouring tea. Even with her short walk today she had captured the hearts of many guys that watched from the sidelines wishing she'd invite them for drinks and food.
“You’re saying my Master painted this?” However, Wang Yang’s words cut through the subtle atmosphere. His eyes focused on the painting with Li Muchen’s name displayed beside it.
“This is where the Sect Master and the first disciples had their meals together, and it has now turned into Jade Hall. Amazing ain’t it?” Xu Qiang smirked.
“Yeah, it looks so detailed, like I am seeing the real thing.” Wang Yang admired the painting of the old jade hall in the middle of a lake with swans and lotuses.
His attention is on the damn painting! Qiu almost tripped over herself, but soon took swift action.
“Indeed, this painting was a gift from Peak Master Li to commemorate the opening of Jade Hall, it's displayed so everyone can appreciate the history of Jade Hall.” Qiu stood in front of Wang Yang ready to throw her hook. “And there are many such pieces of art displayed for admiration, if Lord Wang would like it, I could arrange for a full tour at a later date.”
“I’d love to.” Wang Yang beamed.
“I’d be honored to.” Qiu bowed with a smile, reeling in the line.
“Ho, I see now…” However, her line had caught something else, too.
Wait, did he… Qiu looked at Xu Qiang’s wide smirk.
“That’s a good idea, I should’ve thought of that sooner. You beat me to it, Qiu Qiu.” Xu Qiang laughed.
It’s good that the fool of the Xu clan hadn’t changed. Qiu sighed in relief in her mind and turned their attention back on track.
“Let us go to the room, the delicacies wouldn’t taste as good once they are cold.” Qiu led the group to the seventh floor and entered the prepared room before anyone else could ambush them.
The wooden room with paper windows had a red wooden table in the middle and several auspicious decorations in red. She had lined the entire table with porcelain plates and bowls full of steaming food.
“I hope you enjoy my humble skills.” Qiu sat the group down on the feather cushions and took seat beside Wang Yang in a way that no one could question it.
“Let’s dig in!” After a long training session and walk here, Wang Yang’s hunger had grown to the size of a mountain.
“Do you enjoy the Rainbow trout?” Qiu asked after the first dish.
“It’s tasty!” Wang Yang replied while scarfing down the fillets steamed with several herbs.
“What about the raven goose?”
“It’s tasty!” The stuffed, whole roasted goose had become the star of the show.
“…The emerald pig?”
“It’s tasty!” The rare breed of pig became of pile of bones in a few minutes.
Are those the only words he knows?! Qiu’s smile twitched. Even disciples of the top elders sing praises of my food, elevating it to high heaven with long poetry to get a smile out of me, yet he keeps repeating those two words over and over! What’s wrong with him?
Qiu’s hand clenched under the table, but she maintained the sweet smile above. So far, all the usual methods she used didn’t work as Wang Yang didn’t respond as others would.
He didn’t ask about the dishes like Haomu, showed no interest in the cooking process like Huajun, wasn't captivated by her beauty like Yesu, and had no interest in learning about the history of Jade Hall like Xu Qiang.
But what was life without challenges?
There are still a lot of dishes left, so I’ll chip away at him and gather his focus on me alone. This wasn’t Qiu’s first rodeo.
Aside from extravagant and royalty-like dinner, Jade Hall’s main attraction were the women who worked there. Their job wasn’t to sell expensive dishes, but to have the wealthy customers revisit the establishment with their service and generate revenue from the top 1%.
So, no matter how tough a nut one was, it’d crack under the hammer of beauty, or so Qiu had learned from her senior sisters.
The meal ended in an hour, and the result came out.
“Thank you for the delicious meal, Miss Qiu.” Wang Yang smiled in satisfaction while exiting the room.
“I’m glad it was to your liking. Allow me to escort you out.” She forced a smile.
…Not an iota of interest. He sat there and ate the whole time. Am I not attractive enough or something? Qiu wanted to crumble away, but the gazes from the men around the hall made her realize the problem. It isn’t me, but him.
Even now Wang Yang’s eyes stayed on the art pieces around the place than her.
Does he like men or something? No, the information I received came from a reliable source. I need to put in more effort. Once again mustering up her resolve, Qiu wanted to extend Wang Yang’s stay to talk about his next visit, and the opportunity arrived as they reached main door.
“Why’s there a line in front of that stall?” Wang Yang asked, his eyes locked on the old woman with grey hair working at the sole stall near Jade Hall.
This line that extended almost as long as the line for Jade Hall had formed in front of her hunched figure, the hot-blooded youth waited with patience to have a bowl of soup.
“That’s Granny Meng. A lot of disciples and travelers come for her Soup of Remembrance.” Qiu wasted no time delving into the topic to catch his attention.
“Soup of Remembrance?” As Wang Yang muttered those words, the young man who took a sip of the soup collapsed on the ground. “What happened to him?”
“It happens all the time.” Qiu held him back from rushing over to check.
“Don’t worry, brother, look there. The guards are already on it.” Xu Qiang said as the guy built of an ox got carried away, foaming at the mouth.
“Is something wrong with her soup?” Wang Yang couldn’t wrap his head around this.
“Granny Meng’s soup isn’t normal, it is like a test of sorts.” Qiu chimed in.
“A test?” A shine of understanding appeared in his eyes. According to his Master, tests presented good opportunities for introspection and growth.
“Yes, it is a test of mental strength and the potency of one’s spiritual root. If one doesn’t pass out after drinking her soup, they are bound to get famous in the sect. So, all the new disciples give it a try. I even held out for 5 seconds.” Xu Qiang smiled.
“You still passed out, though.” Haomu said.
“At least I held out small stuff, you were crying after seeing your pet mouse.”
“Ugh…” Haomu had no choice but to accept his losses.
“Did you all try it?” Wang Yang looked at Yesu and Huajin.
“We tried it together, the result was the same as Haomu.” Huajin said with a wry smile.
“I saw my grandfather beckoning me from the other side.” Yesu shivered.
“It does make your life flash before your eyes, that’s why it's named the Soup of Remembrance.” Even Xu Qiang shuddered a bit.
“Would you like to try that?” Qiu zeroed in on the curiosity-filled eyes of her target.
“I would, but the line seems long.” Wang Yang thought over his schedule.
“We can skip it.” Qiu showed him a silver token from her storage ring. “With this, I can get one bowl of the soup once a month without waiting in line.”
“Would it be, ok?” Even with the question, his eyes showed a willingness to try.
“If I don’t use it for my valued customers, when would I ever?” Qiu smiled and guided him over.
Even while standing at a distance, the eyes of the passersby and those in the line gathered on Wang Yang since he first appeared. Whispers travelled swiftly and low to let everyone know who he was. The second disciple of Li Muchen had arrived to take the infamous test of will, word spread fast in the line, and people who watched him from afar all gathered to form a small group.
“Granny Meng, may I have a bowl?” Qiu spoke with respect before the next customer could place an order.
“Of course.” Granny Meng took the silver token and poured the bone-colored soup with the iron ladle that looked as old as her. “Drink it in one gulp.”
Wang Yang took the bowl from the harmless looking granny, contrary to his expectations, the steaming soup didn’t warm up the bowl. However, he didn’t dwell on the matter and brought the bowl to his mouth, and felt a sting on his nose. Rather than hot, the soup appeared like liquid ice.
The lips came in contact with the chilling soup first. His tongue felt numb, and the freezing liquid slid down his tingling throat like mud. Wang Yang felt the extreme cold building up in his stomach, even if cold it spread like a fire encroaching his body. The chill that started deep in his abdomen reached the tips of his fingers, but that wasn’t all.
What’s happening? This… Wang Yang stumbled as a pain ran across his chest, his heart drummed in his ears and his legs felt like grass.
“Lord Wang!” Qiu tried to help when she saw his shortness of breath and prevented him from falling.
He’s burning up. This is bad… Qiu felt the heat rising from his body in the form of evaporated sweat. His body temperature rose to a dangerous level.
“What happened? Did he fail?”
“He’s still conscious. His body is fighting against the poison.”
“Poison? The soup has poison?!”
“Of course it has poison, you idiot, it's to check the potency of your Spiritual root so it is harmless overall.”
“He’s holding out well…”
The murmurs grew as Xu Qiang and the other three gathered around to check on Wang Yang’s condition. However, among the voices of curiosity, a person full of malice appeared.
“Seriously, falling over for something so basic.” A young man with blond hair snickered behind his black fan. The mocking tone caught everyone’s attention as much as his pure black uniform with an emblem of clouds.
His arrival started a new wave as he caught people’s attention like a lightning rod. He took out a gold token and showed it to Granny Meng.
That’s Senior Sister Long’s token! Qiu gulped at the sight and soon felt the snake-like eyes locking onto her from the Hall’s upper floor. Could it be… did she set everything up?
“May I have a bowl, Granny?” The young man spoke with a respectful bow.
“Here you go.” Granny Meng handed the bowl with her wrinkled hand.
“Thank you.” With a dashing smile, the young man gulped down the soup in front of the audience and showed no signs of discomfort.
“Nothing’s happening to him.” The crowd started to whisper again.
“That’s Lie Feng, right?” A young woman, attracted by the boy’s charm spoke up.
“That genius from Sky Peak that Peak Master Zhao recruited Black Moon City?!” Another exclaimed at the first public appearance of the disciple from the rumors.
“The soup isn’t affecting him. Is this real?”
“Wait! Doesn’t that mean that he…!”
“Yes, he has the potential to be a Peak Master one day!”
“Don’t make any quick judgments, he has to hold out for at least 3 more minutes. But he is already impressive.”
The hubbub turned louder as this had now become more than a test for Wang Yang. Li Muchen’s new disciple had fallen to his knees, yet Zhao Jun’s new disciple didn’t, the gossipers were having the time of their lives in the background.
However, Lie Feng did not mind the words and folded his fan to show his grin.
“I expected something from you after hearing about it from Elder Ning Fan, but you’re nothing.” Lie Feng sighed at the huffing Wang Yang. “The subpar can only gather the subpar, I suppose.”
He’s not insulting Wang Yang, but also insulting Peak Master Li. These guys… Qiu gulped as the two hostile gazes gathered on her, too. They had been waiting for an opportunity to dig into Peak Master Li, I should’ve known better that others would target Wang Yang for their agendas. I have to take him away from here at least.
“Hey, bud, you’re taking it a bit too far.” Xu Qiang’s eyes turned sharper.
“I am calling it as I see it.” Lie Feng shrugged.
“You…”
“What did… You say?” Wang Yang muttered, but his words reached the target.
“I called you subpar, of course.” Lie Feng smirked.
“No… Not that.” Wang Yang may be simple minded, but he wasn’t that dense.
Xu Qiang was about to step forward, but a voice came from behind him.
“How dare you…” Wang Yang’s voice regained its strength, no it had increased several folds, “How Dare You!!”
By the time any of them could react Wang Yang had reached his target. A searing haze distorted the air around him, but his target could still see the unadulterated anger on Wang Yang’s face. His hand reached out as if he wanted to claw Lie Feng’s face off.
Lie Feng, who had received information that his target’s a mellow and simple guy who avoided conflict even when hearing people badmouth him, least expected such a visceral reaction.
Shit! He’s too fast! Even though late, he tried to react.
But the hand never reached him. The ladle in Granny Meng’s hand struck Wang Yang’s neck and clanged on the floor.
“Take him away, he’ll be fine after a short rest.” The old woman said to Xu Qiang catching Wang Yang before he fell to the floor.
“…Ok.” Xu Qiang and their group left the Jade Hall through the parting crowd.
“Thank you for your help, Granny Meng.” Lie Feng smiled through the confusion.
“I don’t like blood near my stall.” She said.
“I wouldn’t have gone that far, Granny Meng.”
“…I wasn’t talking about you.” Granny Meng picked up the ladle and walked back.
Foolish kid. The soup in that boy’s body evaporated within five seconds. She touched the now-hot ladle she could twist with her hands. Heat high enough to make iron bendable from mere contact.
She opened her eyes for the first time, and the crystal blue pupils turned in Plum Peak's direction.
“Xiao Muchen, what have you taken in?”
...
See you all tomorrow around this time. Have a nice day.
Comments
Over Load
Thank you for your patience.
Jack Trowell
Welcome back!
