The Entry-plundering Demon Hunter

Chapter 251: Chapter 248: Martial Arts Assembly

8:21 PM.

Lin Yi and the others finally arrived at a restaurant and sat down.

Qin Zhaoxue skillfully ordered a few dishes and some staples.

”Oh my god, shopping is exhausting!”

”I feel like my legs have been walked off!”

Sun Tao couldn’t help but complain after sitting down.

Qin Zhaoxue and Shen Mengyi just smiled.

”Tired? We’ve only been shopping for less than two hours, haven’t we?”

”Exactly! I haven’t had my fill of shopping yet. This is my first time shopping at night. Senior Sister, how about we go back to the mall for a bit after dinner?”

Shen Mengyi said with great enthusiasm.

But before Qin Zhaoxue could say anything, Wei Nan and Sun Tao both surrendered.

”Our dearest ancestors, we beg you, please stop shopping! We really can’t take it anymore. If we walk any further, we won’t even make it back to the dorms tonight.

Besides, don’t the dorms have a curfew? And aren’t we supposed to go to that Martial Arts Assembly after dinner?”

”That’s right, we still have the Martial Arts Assembly. Mengyi, how about we go shopping another day? The Martial Arts Assembly is a rare opportunity. It’s not something you can see every day!”

Qin Zhaoxue said quickly.

Hearing this, Lin Yi’s interest in the Martial Arts Assembly was piqued.

”Sister Zhao Xue, isn’t the Martial Arts Assembly a regular event?”

”Of course not. The Martial Arts Assembly happens completely on a whim. There are no set dates. There might be one today, but it could be gone tomorrow. It’s possible there won’t be another one for a week, or even a month!”

”But there are exceptions. There could be one today, another tomorrow, and then another one a few days later!”

”The timing is completely random and isn’t fixed. It all comes down to fate!”

”It’s your first time out with me, and we happened to run into the assembly. You can consider yourselves pretty lucky!”

Qin Zhaoxue finished with a smile.

Lin Yi and Zhou Qi exchanged a look.

Tonight, the only thing that truly interested them was this Martial Arts Assembly.

They were all eager to see what kind of place it was.

Even Qin Zhaoxue was looking forward to the assembly.

Just as they were talking, the door to their private room opened.

A middle-aged woman walked in, carrying a pot.

Underneath the pot was a lit stove.

”Spicy Fragrant Pot Golden Phoenix Chicken is here!”

After the woman placed the pot on the table, she lifted the lid.

Instantly, a rich, meaty aroma filled the air.

It made the group, who hadn’t eaten dinner yet, feel their stomachs rumble with hunger.

”You must be students from Xingwu University, right? Is this your first time here?”

The woman said to Lin Yi and the others with a smile.

Hearing this, Lin Yi smiled and nodded. ”Yes, we’re freshmen who just started school!”

”No wonder. You all look unfamiliar. Zhao Xue is a regular here. She comes often, just for this spicy chicken pot and the river fish. Both are our signature dishes!”

”Go ahead and eat. The fish will be ready soon...”

The owner was very talkative and had a cheerful personality.

After a few simple words, she hurried out.

The moment the door to the private room closed, Qin Zhaoxue said with a smile, ”The owner is a really nice person. She also came here from the Old District!”

”No wonder. The owner isn’t as arrogant as the native students. I guess that makes her one of us, huh?” Wei Nan said, nodding in realization.

Qin Zhaoxue sighed softly. ”Actually, the owner has had a hard life. She came to the New District with her son back then, just like you guys, bringing her parents and family to enjoy a better life!”

”Her son was also an alumnus of our university, two years ahead of me!”

”But... on a mission, her son died in Jail City!”

”When a student dies, the university definitely provides compensation. The family isn’t required to move back to the Old District, either. They can continue living in the New District.”

”The owner chose to stay. In her own words, her son worked so hard to get into a Martial Arts University and bring her here to enjoy a good life.”

”Even though her son is gone, she can’t go back. If she returned to the Old District, wouldn’t that mean all her son’s efforts were for nothing? She has to live on, and live well!”

”Only by doing so can she keep her son from worrying about her in the afterlife.”

”So, she opened this restaurant here, and she’s been running it for many years.”

”Some of the students from the Old District, as well as some locals, all like to come here to eat.”

”All for this spicy chicken pot and the river fish!”

After Lin Yi and the others heard Qin Zhaoxue’s story,

the smiles on their faces faded.

Since enrolling, they had been to Jail City twice.

Though the circumstances were different each time, the place was fraught with danger.

One small misstep, and you might never leave alive.

And according to Wei Shang, the number of people who died in Jail City was about the same as those who died in the Restricted Area.

Students were often left behind there, never to return.

Lin Yi now understood the hesitant attitude and expressions Chu Zhengxiong and Tang Qinru had when they heard he wanted to apply to Xingwu University.

To put it bluntly, they were worried.

They just didn’t want to interfere too much and cause Lin Yi to resent them.

That’s why they held their tongues.

And having been to Jail City twice, he knew its dangers couldn’t be explained in just a few words.

Just last time, in the desert, Wei Nan, Sun Tao, and Wei Shang...

They had all nearly been left behind for good...

”In that case, whenever we eat out from now on, let’s just come to this restaurant. We can think of it as helping her out,” Wei Nan said with a light chuckle.

”I wouldn’t call it just helping out. This dish tastes amazing! You definitely can’t find this in the Old District!”

”The chicken is especially delicious...”

Sun Tao held a bowl and was continuously stuffing his mouth with chicken, mushrooms, and everything else.

Seeing this, Wei Nan’s eyes widened. ”You’re not playing fair! You started eating secretly without us?”

”It’s a huge pot. You think you’re going to miss out on a bite?”

Watching the two of them, Lin Yi, Qin Zhaoxue, and the others all started laughing.

A short while later, a clear-broth river fish was also served.

The owner didn’t leave right away, instead saying with a smile, ”Don’t be fooled by the simple look of this fish; it tastes incredible. The meat of this river fish is exceptionally fresh and delicious on its own!”

”It doesn’t need any special cooking techniques or any other seasonings. All you need is a little salt!”

”Any other seasoning would just ruin the natural flavor of the fish. Go on, give it a try and see what you think.”

After the owner finished speaking with a smile,

Lin Yi and Zhou Qi hurriedly took a bite.

The moment the fresh, smooth, and tender fish entered their mouths,

the natural aroma of the fish filled their senses.

Beyond that, the hint of saltiness was the perfect finishing touch.

It elevated the entire dish to another level.

Seeing Lin Yi and Zhou Qi’s expressions of pure bliss,

Wei Nan, Sun Tao, and Shen Mengyi didn’t hold back either.

They all helped themselves to a piece of fish.

And the moment the fish touched their tongues, they too were completely won over.

”Ma’am, this fish is too delicious!” Wei Nan exclaimed with great exaggeration.

It was so good it almost brought tears to his eyes.

The owner chuckled. ”If you like it, eat up. I’ll be bringing you four complimentary side dishes in a bit!”

”Ma’am, you don’t have to do that! These two dishes are more than enough for us!” Wei Nan said quickly.

Qin Zhaoxue also tried to decline.

But the owner just smiled. ”At your age, you need to eat well to grow!”

”Especially you kids who practice Martial Arts. You have bigger appetites than normal people, I know!”

”Alright, no need to be so modest. I’ll go get the dishes for you now!”

After saying her piece, the owner walked out.

Just as the door closed, Wei Nan couldn’t help but say, ”Senior Sister, is the owner losing money just to build a reputation by giving away so much food?”

”Four free dishes? Good lord, can she even make a profit?”

Hearing this, Qin Zhaoxue laughed. ”She made back her costs with this river fish alone.”

”And the spicy chicken pot is pure profit.”

”Every time I come here, the owner gives me free dishes, just not as many as today.”

”Maybe she saw that you’re new students, so she threw in a couple of extra dishes.”

After Qin Zhaoxue’s explanation,

they all understood.

Lin Yi, however, noticed a key detail and asked, ”Sister Xue, how much does this river fish cost?”

”Thirty thousand, I think.”

”How much? Thirty thousand? Holy shit...”

When Wei Nan, Zhou Qi, and the others heard the number,

their jaws nearly dropped to the floor in shock.

Thirty thousand for one fish? Then doesn’t that mean the pot of chicken must be fifty thousand?

Thinking about it that way, getting four free dishes didn’t make them feel uneasy anymore.

In fact, they even felt the owner hadn’t given them enough freebies.

A price like that would definitely get you labeled a scam restaurant in the Old District.

But in the New District, they seemed to have already gotten used to such prices.

They didn’t even think it was expensive. It just went to show how easy it was to make money in the New District.

For them, money was just a number.

Just as they were fighting over the fish and chicken, the owner walked back in carrying four dishes.

She introduced each one before leaving the private room.

Now that they knew the prices, they upheld the principle of not wasting anything.

They wanted to drink every last drop of the soup...

By the time they finished the meal,

Qin Zhaoxue glanced at the time. ”Good, we haven’t missed the start of the Martial Arts Assembly!”

”We can still make it if we go now. If we’re late, we won’t be able to get in!”

With that, Qin Zhaoxue got up to pay the bill.

Lin Yi and the others walked outside.

Leaving the restaurant, the group headed straight for the Martial Arts Assembly.

When they arrived, they found it looked like a shopping mall.

The first floor was brightly lit and dazzling.

A steady stream of people was walking inside.

”Come on, let’s go have a look inside too!”

Qin Zhaoxue said to Lin Yi and the others with a smile.

Hearing this, the group reined in their country-bumpkin stares.

They followed Qin Zhaoxue into the assembly.