Chapter 138: Turmoil in Wumang Town (Part I)

"You need the ability to protect your wealth if you carry that much on you. Haven't you heard that 'an innocent man commits no crime, but his jade ring is his downfall'?" Ji Mo pouted, muttering in protest.

"You're just being contrary. I’m saying you shouldn’t travel without funds, not that you should carry a mountain of them. Of course, if you think you’re invincible and can dine and dash wherever you go, then it doesn't matter whether you bring money or not." Su Ye couldn't help but reach out with his folding fan, rapping Ji Mo sharply on the forehead. He glared at her, annoyed, and scolded, "Are you trying to argue with me?"

"Senior Brother, I’m not a child anymore! Must you keep hitting me on the head?" Ji Mo hadn't been paying attention and took the blow squarely. She glared back at him, teeth gritted in frustration.

"Hahahaha!" Xiao Jin, seeing this, laughed until it doubled over, clearly overjoyed. It seemed this little creature had endured plenty of head-poking from Ji Mo in the past and held a fair amount of resentment; seeing her get her just deserts was immensely satisfying.

"Laughing, are you? I'll show you!" Ji Mo swatted at Xiao Jin, knocking its head sideways. Its laughter ceased instantly, and it turned to glare at her in indignation.

"Xiao Jin, if you ask me, you should just leave your heartless master and come with me instead." Su Ye stoked the flames from the sidelines. Jin Lie, crouching beside him, nodded in firm agreement. It had once held some awe for Ji Mo—anyone capable of making Xiao Jin submit as a mount was worthy of respect—but after spending time together and witnessing the pathetic way Xiao Jin was bullied, it couldn't help but feel a sense of injustice on its behalf.

Jin Lie was a Blazing Cloud Lion that had accompanied Su Ye to this place. It was currently about the size of a cat, and if one didn't look closely, it could easily be mistaken for a ginger feline. As for the name Jin Lie, it was naturally bestowed by Su Ye.

Unfortunately, Xiao Jin clearly didn't appreciate the offer. After shooting Su Ye a fierce look, it straightened itself out, settled into a more comfortable spot on Ji Mo’s shoulder, and tugged hard on her hair with one claw to signal its displeasure. Just as the two humans and two beasts were creating a scene, the waiter arrived with a pot of tea. "Here is your tea, patrons!"

"Leave it here." Su Ye picked up Jin Lie and tossed it aside, making room for the waiter to set down the pot. Jin Lie was quite unhappy about being handled so roughly, but after glancing at Xiao Jin perched on Ji Mo’s shoulder, it dared not vent its anger and simply glared at Su Ye in indignation.

About a stick of incense later, the food and wine arrived. Su Ye was an elite chef himself and possessed a discerning eye for quality; the four dishes and one soup he had ordered were all the house specialties.

Three of the dishes were meat, and one was vegetable. Two of the meat dishes featured third-tier avian monsters, and one was made from a third-tier sea beast. The soup was a restorative brew made from a third-tier spirit turtle and a third-tier black snake. These four dishes, the soup, and the pot of wine cost Su Ye a full twenty medium-grade spirit stones. Even though the items were high-end, Su Ye’s expression darkened when it came time to pay.

"Hmm, Senior Brother, this soup is truly excellent. Not only is the flavor incredibly fresh, but it also contains a very dense amount of spiritual energy. Your twenty spirit stones were well spent." Ji Mo produced four bowls, ladling soup for Xiao Jin, Jin Lie, herself, and Su Ye. After tasting it, she couldn't stop praising it.

"What do you mean 'well spent'? Even with the wine, these dishes would cost at most five medium-grade spirit stones elsewhere. To charge twenty in this Wuchi Town is practically daylight robbery!" Su Ye grumbled.

When he had ordered, there were no prices listed. He had assumed that these few dishes wouldn't cost more than five or six medium-grade spirit stones at most. He hadn't expected the price to be inflated several times over—especially considering he only had about a hundred medium-grade spirit stones in total.

Ji Mo glanced at him and wisely kept her mouth shut. Seeing Su Ye’s face as dark as the bottom of a cooking pot, she knew he was short on funds; arguing with him now would be asking for trouble. Xiao Jin and Jin Lie also had the good sense to remain silent. The human and the two beasts buried their heads in their bowls, sipping their soup in unison. After Su Ye vented a few more complaints and realized no one was indulging him—and noticed the food on the table disappearing rapidly—he finally fell silent and began to drink his soup.

"Fourth Senior Brother, while these dishes can't compare to your cooking, they are certainly better than anything I could make. The only thing is this wine; it’s nowhere near as good as what Second Senior Sister brews. In terms of both taste and quality, it’s far inferior." After finishing her soup, Ji Mo ate a few pieces of meat and poured herself a cup of wine. She took a sip, and her brow furrowed instantly. It took her a long moment before she shook her head and offered her critique.

Of the wines she had tasted, this was undoubtedly the worst. Of course, she had only ever had two kinds: the wine brewed by Second Senior Sister Chu Qing, and the "Spring Sunshine Brew" that Bai Ze had brought into the Blazing Domain.

"It is indeed far inferior, but for a town like this, it’s not bad. Don't think that good wine is something you can find on every street corner in the cultivation world. Truly fine spirits are hard to come by. Xiao Jin, have a taste and give us your opinion." Su Ye took a sip; he wasn't as picky as Ji Mo and even defended the shop slightly.

As he spoke, he poured a cup and pushed it toward Xiao Jin, who was gnawing on a piece of meat at the edge of the table. Xiao Jin shot him a look and shook its head firmly. It was joking; while it did drink, it had no interest in swill!

"If you don't want it, give it to me!" Jin Lie, who had been quiet until now, seized the opportunity while Ji Mo and Su Ye were talking to snatch up the wine pot. Tilting its head back, it gulped down the entire pot like a whale drinking from the sea.

"Not bad, not bad! I think it tastes quite good!" The creature didn't forget to shake its head and offer its own critique after finishing.

"Jin Lie is a drunkard?" Ji Mo stared, stunned, at the little lion. People at the nearby tables couldn't help but cast curious glances at them. Although Wuchi Ancient Town saw all sorts of travelers due to its unique location, rarely did one see such a lively, mischievous, and alcohol-loving spirit beast.

"What a waste. I thought I’d recruited a decent fighter, but it turns out this fellow is only interested in eating and drinking. The cost of keeping it far outweighs its utility," Su Ye said, shaking his head.

"You?" Jin Lie was furious. Having already been tossed aside like a rag by Su Ye earlier, it was already harboring a grudge. Now, hearing Su Ye complain about its appetite, it couldn't hold back any longer. With a loud *thump*, Jin Lie slammed the wine pot onto the table and glared at Su Ye, looking ready to brawl at the slightest provocation.