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“Master Chen, you’re being too modest. They’re just a bunch of gluttonous youngsters, nothing worth introducing. May we take our seats now?” I replied with a smile.
Just moments ago, Sayo had nudged my arm, indicating that she sensed something we couldn’t see. Indeed, there was a Spirit God present in this room. No wonder the curtains were drawn so tightly. However, I couldn’t understand why Master Chen would have a Spirit God here to deal with Liu Bi; he shouldn’t have such strong cards up his sleeve. If he did, he would have revealed them that night.
I didn’t feel the presence of a Spirit God in the room at all, and I believed that Master Hu and the others were unaware as well. Otherwise, he would have mentioned it during his earlier phone call. What surprised me even more was why Master Chen had claimed to have invited several masters from the industry when there were only two seasoned practitioners present. Although that was few, it shouldn’t be this sparse; I knew at least five or six masters in Guangzhou.
“Sure, let’s sit down. Everyone, please take your seats,” Master Chen said after scrutinizing us three several times. I knew he was trying to see if we might be carrying the Soul-keeping Umbrella with us, but reality disappointed him. He probably thought I would have Liu Bi by my side whenever I went out, and thus the umbrella would be with him too. After all, Liu Bi had given him the impression that the umbrella was his lifeline and could not be separated from him.
While it was true that the umbrella was Liu Bi’s lifeline, it didn’t mean that Liu Bi was tied to it in spirit. What he didn’t know was that I hadn’t brought the umbrella but had brought Liu Bi instead, and he was resting on Sayo.
Master Chen walked ahead while Master Hu and another master followed him toward the round table. Master Xiao trailed behind them, and Sayo and I walked last. She tugged at my sleeve, and I turned my head to smile and nod at her to indicate that I understood.
The large round table had sixteen or seventeen seats, but with us and the young man outside who seemed troublesome, there were only ten people total. Thus, everyone sat quite spaced out. I didn’t sit next to Master Hu but across from him instead. Master Chen had also invited a few unruly youths here, clearly with ill intentions. If anything went wrong, it wouldn’t involve Master Hu.
Master Chen sat with Master Hu and the other master while three silent young men gathered together. Sayo, Master Xiao, and I sat together with Sayo in the middle. There were three empty seats between each group, forming a triangle around the spacious round table.
Once seated, I spoke up and asked Master Chen, “Master Chen, why hasn’t your disciple Wang come?”
“Today’s matters do not concern him; let’s start serving the dishes and chat while we eat,” Master Chen replied with a chuckle. His disappointment was evident in his eyes when he saw we weren’t carrying any umbrellas.
“Waiter! Let’s order!” Master Xiao shouted loudly as if he were treating everyone.
The young man guarding the door heard the commotion inside and quickly called for a waiter. The waiter entered carrying a stack of menus and handed one to each person before standing by.
Master Xiao stood up with a playful grin towards Master Chen and said, “Boss Chen, mind if I take care of ordering?”
Master Chen nodded in agreement. “Sure, this way we save some trouble.”
Master Xiao turned to the waiter and said, “Beautiful lady, they’re having a discussion over there; let’s order our food over here so as not to disturb them.” As he spoke, he walked toward the sofa on that side.
Sayo also stood up and said, "You all chat, I'll go help with the ordering."
I felt a bit sorry for Master Chen; he was about to bleed a little. Neither of those two was easy to deal with.
Master Chen remained silent, and I didn't speak either, idly playing around while waiting for him to reveal the outrageous things I had done. What puzzled me was that he kept laughing and chatting with Master Hu and the others about trivial matters until all the dishes were served before he got down to business.
The only characteristic of the dishes ordered by Master Xiao was that they were all expensive. The first dish was Kobe beef, one serving for each person, followed by double-headed abalone. These were the kinds of things Master Xiao usually ordered in multiples to show off, and when the dishes arrived, Master Chen surely winced at the sight of so much meat.
Once all the dishes were on the table, Master Chen finally got to the point and said, "Xiao Liu, the reason I called you here today is mainly to get your stance on this matter. You need to hand over that ghost you’ve raised to me, and I’ll send it away. Then we can consider this matter settled."
Master Chen was indeed daydreaming; I refused to play along with his narrative. I replied, "What do you mean by settled? I don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you referring to the incident where your apprentice was taught a lesson by me?"
Master Chen, who had been smiling, suddenly stiffened and said, "You controlled the ghost to possess my apprentice; how is that reasonable? Why don’t you ask your two masters if what you did is in accordance with the rules?"
I laughed heartily and said, "Master Chen, if we’re talking about rules here, you probably don’t have a leg to stand on. What are your rules for accepting apprentices? What are your apprentice's rules for conducting themselves? You’ll teach anyone just for money, and on top of that, you help them deal with me..."
"How did I help him deal with you?" Master Chen interrupted me.
"Then why were you at Sister Li’s house that night? Wasn’t it because Wang called you over for help?" I countered.
Master Chen put down his chopsticks and stared at me as he said, "When I went there, I didn’t know you were present. He said there might be competitors causing trouble and asked me to come take a look."
"Then how did you see it? Without distinguishing right from wrong, you just berated me and my friend. Did you think I was young and easy to bully? You must know very well what your apprentice did; do you want me to report it to you again?" I also put down my chopsticks and continued to question him. I didn’t believe he didn’t know what Wang had done. People in this line of work are usually quite clear-headed; they wouldn’t casually help out without understanding the situation.
Seeing that we were getting a bit confrontational, Master Hu stood up and said, "Alright, both of you. Let’s take it slow; this won’t solve anything. How about this: Xiao Liu, why don’t you explain exactly what Master Chen’s apprentice did that made you involve your friends from Underworld?"
Master Hu clearly wanted to speak on my behalf; he knew the ins and outs of the situation and understood who was in the right here, so he deliberately stepped in to mediate.
I also stood up and said, "Okay, since Master Hu wants to know, I’ll explain. Master Chen, your apprentice isn’t here right now; if I say something slightly off, please correct me in time. Your apprentice..."
"I'm not going to say anything more about that; it's all in the past. What we need to discuss now is your Nourishing the Soul issue. What does it mean to keep such a powerful ghost by your side? Didn't your master teach you that humans and ghosts are on different paths? Since you've seen the ghost, it's one thing not to send it away, but to let it linger around causing trouble—what's your intention?" Master Chen interrupted me again, speaking with righteous indignation.
I was about to retort when I heard a loud bang. Master Xiao, that fool, slammed his hand on the table and stood up, wiping his mouth with a towel. "What do you mean causing trouble everywhere? You don't know what you're talking about! If you're referring to that incident with your disciple, then this secret matter—your Nourishing the Soul being nearby—is your fault. I know that ghost is powerful, and you might not be able to send it away. You can hand it over to me; I'll help you properly guide it," Master Chen said.
I didn't respond; I just smiled and continued eating. I couldn't waste this delicious spread laid out before me.
Seeing that I remained silent, Master Chen continued, "Don't worry; I will handle this matter well and ensure that your soul has no regrets."
I thought to myself that his abilities weren't enough to make Liu Bi cooperate with him. She still had matters to attend to and didn't want to leave; he wouldn't be able to send her away at all.
"If you can agree to this, I won't pursue the matter any further, and I'll even offer you some compensation. Of course, you can name your price. As long as it's not too outrageous, I'm fine with it." Master Chen's tone softened as he noticed my silence.
I felt a sense of satisfaction inside; thankfully, I hadn't brought my umbrella with me. If I had, he probably wouldn't have been so patient.
Dinner was served at six o'clock, and there would be an even better meal later tonight. Thank you all for your votes and support, especially for the diamond from w Years of Peace and Tranquility, and the fine wine from Qiao Xiaomo 2222222 and qq150703092805.
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